Chipotle Peanut Butter Cookies

Chipotle Peanut Butter Cookies are a spicy, smoky, salty sweet peanut butter treat! It's a classic peanut butter cookie amped up with Chipotle peppers! 

Butter Pecan Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SoHoppinGood #CollectiveBias 

Butter Pecan Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches are a delicious way to welcome Spring! Two giant, soft, homemade snickerdooodle cookies surround a scoop of creamy Blue Bunny® Butter Pecan Ice Cream for a frozen treat that can't be beat! 

Quick Antipasto Pizza

Looking for a quick and easy last-minute appetizer idea for the big game this weekend?  Look no further, because Quick Antipasto Pizza is your answer! With just a few ingredients you can have this sophisticated big game nosh ready in no time!

Cheesy Hash Brown Potato Casserole

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser.  All opinions are mine alone.  #ForTheLoveofHam #CollectiveBias 

Tis' the season to celebrate!  And celebrations call for FOOD!  I can't think of a better way to impress my guests and family than with a beautiful succulent ham and this delicious Cheesy Hash Brown Potato Casserole!

Hot and Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip with Pizza Dippers

This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone #NestleHoliday #CollectiveBias 

Wow your friends and family with this fun appetizer!  Hot and Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip with Pizza Dippers is a totally different, totally tasty way to enjoy pizza and dip. 

Easy Bourbon Butter Cake

There is something about the holidays that make me want to kick everything I make up a notch.  This Easy Bourbon Butter Cake fits into the "kicked up a notch category" just right.  Butter and bourbon take this pound cake type dessert to a whole new level of goodness! 

Easy Pineapple Foster Sundaes

Easy Pineapple Foster Sundaes is a quick dessert idea perfect for these hot summer days. Pineapple is covered in a rich brown sugar and butter mixture spooned over your favorite ice cream.  It's a super easy take on a New Orleans classic that you will just LOVE!  Thank you to DOLE Canned Fruit for this compensated opportunity to create a delicious dessert recipe to share featuring DOLE Canned Pineapple.  All opinions are mine alone. 

Easy Red Velvet Pudding Cups

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Here's a really fun and easy treat to celebrate the upcoming Valentine's Day!  Easy Red Velvet Pudding Cups make a great ending to your holiday meal or a fun after-school treat for the kids.  What makes them easy is the red velvet cake layer that is made from a microwave mug cake recipe that comes together in minutes.  (This cake is so good, you won't believe it came from your microwave!)  Toss it in some super creamy Snack Pack pudding cups and top it with whipped topping, a chocolate heart and some sprinkles (if you like) and you've got yourself a fun treat everyone will love! 

Red Velvet Cookie Bars

Who else is as smitten with red velvet as I am?!  My love for all things red velvet is why I decided to bake up a batch of these delicious Red Velvet Cookie Bars topped with M&M's® Red Velvet candies to share with my friends and family.  Why not?  Valentine's Day is right around the corner and I can't think of a better way to say, "I love you!"

Mini SNICKERS Cheesecake Bites

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OH MY GOODNESS!  These Mini SNICKERS® Cheesecake Bites are the perfect sweet treats for your BIG GAME party or anytime you need a little sweet bite!  Caramel flavored mini cheesecakes with the addition of SNICKERS® Unwrapped Bites, and caramel and chocolate syrup make them little bites of pure happiness. 

New Year's Eve OREO Cookie Balls

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New Year's Eve OREO Cookie Balls are the classic OREO cookie balls made with Mint OREOS and decorated to resemble that famous New Year's Eve icon, the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball! 

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars are a nice twist on the traditional lemon bar.  Meyer Lemons are a cross between a lemon and an orange.  Slightly sweeter than a regular lemon with a much softer skin. You can only find them in the market for a short period of time. (At least that's true for around here!)  This recipe adds reduced fat cottage cheese to the filling layer of a traditional lemon bar, giving it the feeling of a creamy lemon cheesecake bar.  It's a nice change up from the ordinary.

Dark Chocolate Chip Cherry Cake Mix Cookies

Still looking for a sweet treat to serve your favorite Valentine tomorrow?  Dark Chocolate Chip Cherry Cake Mix Cookies are an easy way to say, "I love you!"

RITZ Humble Pie with Peanut Butter Mousse

As part of the RitzNYBlitz campaign with Ritz Crackers and Allrecipes, I was asked to prepare this recipe developed by one of NYC's iconic restaurants known for their amazing desserts and that famous frozen hot chocolate....Serendipity 3.  

Chai Kissed Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies

I love a good gingerbread cookie...and...I love a good cup of spicy chai tea.  So naturally I LOVE these Chai Kissed Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies!

Mint Oreo Icebox Cake

WARNING!!  

This is NOT a low calorie, diet friendly type of recipe.  I will not be giving you nutrition information, because it would probably make you faint.  (I think I would faint if I actually worked it out!)

What it is, is a super duper simple recipe that is meant to be shared with a giant crowd!  Take yourself a small sample piece, and quietly walk away from the pan.  Leave the rest for everyone else.

With that said, this is a great dessert to take to a potluck or a party.  Just three, maybe four ingredients, depending on how you want to dress it up. Refrigerate overnight or longer and it's ready to go!

Yes, I know, it uses unhealthy cookies and fake whipped cream.

Can you lighten it up?  You could lighten it up just a tad by using Cool Whip® Free (which is what I did here) and skim milk (also what I used) but in the end, you can't lighten up two packages of mint oreo cookies.  The original recipe (found HERE) made a cake with three layers of cookies, I chose to only make two layers.  I might have lightened it up just a tad with my changes...

I've got to tell you, I am not even a fan of oreos.  Nope.  I can let them sit in the pantry for weeks and not feel the urge to touch them.  But add some milk and cool whip layer them in a pan, and they turn into something amazing that I can't resist.  This.  This cake right here!  Using mint oreos just takes this over the top!  Especially if you are a mint/chocolate fan like I am!

This icebox cake is so simple, you will probably want to run out and get the ingredients to make it right away.  So your welcome...and I'm sorry.

Mint Oreo Icebox Cake

adapted from Cookies and Cups

Printable Recipe

Yield:  1- 13" x 9" cake, cut into as many servings as you like!

2 - 15.25 oz. packages of Cool Mint Oreo® cookies

1 cup milk (can be skim, reduced fat, or whole)

2 - 8 oz. containers of Cool Whip® ( can be Free, reduced fat, or regular), well thawed

chocolate syrup (optional) 

1.  In a 13" x 9" pan layer most of cookies from one package flat across the bottom, side by side, after dipping each cookie into milk to form single layer.  

2.  Top cookie layer with one container of cool whip®

3.  Repeat with the dipping cookies into milk step to form next layer with the rest of the cookies.  (you will probably have about a row in a half of cookies left over in the package.)  Take two of the cookies out of what is left over and set aside.  Spread second layer with the other container of cool whip®.  Crush the two cookies you set aside ( I used a food processor)  Sprinkle crushed cookies over top cool whip® layer and drizzle with chocolate syrup ( if desired).

4.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or even longer.  (I refrigerated mine for two days before I cut into it!) 

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Crazy, simple good recipe.  

End of story. 

Lighter Classic Patty Melt

Easy Homemade Maple Walnut Candies

Candy Cane Kiss Brownie Bites

Yet another easy cookie recipe that starts with a box mix.  Candy Cane Kiss Brownie Bites start with a boxed brownie mix.  They are incredibly easy with so few ingredients.  I used candy cane kiss to top my cookies, but you could use whatever flavor you fancy. 

I know I've gone crazy posting cookie recipes this week.  To be honest, it just isn't Christmas for me without a plethora of home baked cookies.  I think I was somewhere in my teens when I started to bake a bunch of different cookies to be enjoyed around the holidays.  My mom and my grandma weren't bakers at all.  I knew many families had cookie baking traditions, but in my family, that wasn't the case.  I think I actually made a tradition for my kids, because I know they can't imagine Christmas without their own personal favorite cookie.  My daughter LOVES sugar cookies.  Not the kind like I posted about yesterday, the ones that you roll, cut out, and frost.  My husband is more into the Easy No Roll Sugar Cookies, because he will pass on the frosting.  My youngest son adores kiss cookies, particularly the peanut butter/chocolate kiss kind.  My middle son, always likes when I make the shaped candy cane cookies.  Me....I like the fancy and the gooey kinds!

This year, I've shared with you some of the new recipes I have tried.  Since I seem to be pressed for time this year, I've made a lot of quick and easy recipes like this one.  Don't be fooled though, they don't taste like you didn't spend a lot of time making them.  They are delicious.

Candy Cane Kiss Brownie Bites

adapted from Hershey's 

Printable Recipe

Yield:   approx. 2 doz. 

1 pkg of Hershey Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped (you will end up using about 1/2 bag)

1-18.4 oz. box of Brownie Mix

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 egg

3 TBS water

1 TBS canola oil

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment or use a silpat. 

2.  In large bowl of stand mixer, combine the brownie mix, cocoa, egg, water, and oil on low to med speed until it forms into dough.  If it seems too stiff, add a little bit more water until it is soft enough to roll into balls.  

3.  Shape cookies by TBS into balls.  Place on prepared baking sheets. Press in middle with fingers to make indentation.  Bake for 9 -11 minutes or until set.  Carefully place an unwrapped kiss into the indentation while hot.  Remove cookies to rack to cool completely and allow the kiss to harden again. 

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I don't know if I will have time before Christmas to come and wish you all very happy holidays.  There is so much tragedy in the world these days it seems, yet there is still so much to be grateful for.  Count your blessings everyday. 

I wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and may you all find peace. love and health where ever life my take you!

For more great holiday cookie recipes visit my Pinterest page:  "C" is for Cookie

Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies

Oh boy, I am so behind on my holiday baking this year. Way too much going on. But that's ok...busy is good sometimes...

I was able to make a few batches of cookies last week.  Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies is one of the cookie recipes I had pinned from Pinterest to try new this year. I'm glad I found some time to try them.  They are delicious. They are in no way low fat, low calorie, or healthy, but every now and then, it's ok to indulge in a treat. This one is definitely worth the indulgence if you like that sweet/salty combo.

The caramel is La Lechera Dulce de Leche.  You can find it with the Hispanic foods in most larger grocers.  The site where I got this recipe originally heated it up and piped it into the cooled cookies, which does give it a nice smooth appearance. But I found spreading it with a knife while the cookies were still warm worked fine, thought not quite as beautiful. The caramel does harden some and set up (like frosting) after sitting at room temperature for a few hours, so they aren't a gooey sticky mess. Since I halved the original recipe, I only used about a half of the can of La Lechera Ducle de Leche.  If you aren't familiar with this product, it is delicious.  I am sure I will be able to find a way to use up the other half of the can without a problem.  It might even only require a spoon!

I am not going to work up the nutrition information for this cookie, as it is an indulgence recipe.  Eat in moderation and enjoy.

Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies

adapted from A Spicy Perspective

Printable Recipe

Yield:  Approx. 2 1/2 dozen cookies

1 cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2  cup + 2 TBS  granulated sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp kosher salt

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1- 13oz. can La Lechera, Dulce de Leche (caramel)

coarse sea salt for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment or a silpat. 

2.  In a stand mixer or with an electric mixer in a large bowl, combine the butter and the sugar.  Mix until combined. Add in the vanilla and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix very well until light and fluffy. (4-5 minutes is about right) 

3.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour and mix until well incorporated. 

4.  Take about a TBS of dough and roll into a ball.  With finger or thumb, press an indentation into the middle of the ball.  

5.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  (the original poster baked for approximately 20 minutes, but I found that to be too long) Adjust bake time according to your oven.  Cookies are done when they appear just browned around the bottom edges. Allow to cool for a minute on the baking sheet before removing them to rack. (The indentations you made before baking will look like they are gone while the cookies are baking, but as they cool, the cookie will sink and they will appear again.)

6.  While the cookies are still warm, spread the indentations with a bit of the La Lachera, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt.  Allow the cookie to sit at room temperature for a few hours or until the caramel has set up and isn't sticky any longer.  Store in an airtight container. 

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These really are a delicious addition to anyone's holiday baking list.  Salted Caramel is all the rage right now, it seems.  Who doesn't love that sweet/salty combo? Like I mentioned, not low fat, low calorie or healthy by any stretch of the imagination, but I really believe it's ok to indulge now and again.  Moderation, of coarse, is the key to indulging without dire consequences. 

I, once again, find myself apologizing for the lack of new posts this month.  As I have said in previous posts, my life is super busy right now...not only from the busy-ness of the upcoming holidays, but my kids have some big changes coming up this month and next month that are adding to my "to do list." 

I'd like to try to post a few more holiday cookie recipes this week. I've pretty much wrapped up my shopping and have this week to bake...so I'll share any good cookie recipes I stumble upon. I will most likely be doing the cookbook giveaway after the first of the year, so look for it then! I've made several recipes from the book I received for the review and LOVE them all so far! I'm anxious to share, but I want to make sure I have enough time to do the giveaway when I post them.