The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap: Chewy Pumpkin, Caramel & Chocolate Cookies

I participated in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap again this year! It was just what I needed to break up the craziness at work and a packed social calendar. It provided a relaxing Sunday where I forced myself to bake cookies and devour the 3 dozen that were sent to me...just kidding, I shared! And when the cookies were all gone, I just went back to the eggnog...

I made Chewy Pumpkin, Caramel & Chocolate cookies, they were a loose version of these Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies and a fairly messy, but tasty experiment. Caramel is sticky. I've upated the recipe so it's easier to execute next time. When I made these I mixed the rolos into the batter, but my recommendation

Click to read more ...

Thanksgiving & French Silk Pie with Rum Whipped Cream

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Weekend! We stayed here in Seattle, where I was very busy with work, but in between work we were having a great time enjoying the holiday with our friends. 

We are thankful to the hosts of our Thanksgiving feast,

that included a beautiful bird (and some goofy looking guys),

and an impressive dessert spread.

While we were in the holiday spirit, a crew of us headed to a Christmas Tree Farm to chop down some trees.

We successfully found 3 trees, that went from the farm to our living rooms.

Okay, okay, I'll move onto the pie soon. Just closing the holiday weekend up by saying, while we of course missed our family on the East Coast we are thankful to have such an awesome family of friends here in Seattle.  Now onto the pie!

So warning

Click to read more ...

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream

As I mentioned in my last post, it was my Mom's birthday recently and my family surprised her in California. After her birthday celebration in California, my parents made a trip up to Seattle to visit us and that landed on her actual birthday. 

After all of the Angel Food Cakes she made for me in my life, I was not going to let her birthday pass without making a homemade dessert. I spotted this Snickerdoodle Cake from Foodie with Family awhile back and decided to make a cupcake version. My Mom was always making Snickerdoodle Cookies growing up and I couldn't pass up the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting. 

The cupcakes were delicious, the cinnamon flavor was perfect for Fall and that Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting....DANGEROUS...so good.

Click to read more ...

Snickers Cupcakes

Another dessert for you guys, this time it's in honor of Mr. KMW's birthday. If you remember from last year, he's a big Snickers fan so I went with a Snickers Ice Cream Pie. I had to mix it up this year and went with Snickers Cupcakes. Mr. KMW questioned me whether my motivation is truly for his birthday or if it's for my blog, especially when I shout, 'NO, YOU CAN'T TRY THOSE YET, I HAVEN'T TAKEN A PICTURE!' 

All of the doubting went away as soon as he found the suprise in the middle.

That's right, I put a mini Snickers inside each one of those cupcakes. Surprise!

I used Amanda & Kevins Best Chocolate Cake recipe as a base, stuffed a mini Snickers inside, frosted it with caramel frosting and topped it with some more crumbled Snickers. 

Let's just say that Mr. KMW was one happy birthday boy!

Click to read more ...

Reese's Pieces & Pretzel Blondies

It has been awhile since I shared a sweet treat on here with you all, and you're going to like this one. These sweet blonde brownies filled with Reese's Pieces are balanced out by salty pretzles. I just love a sweet and salty combination.

I try to avoid cooking sweets too often, because I tend to eat half the batter before anything goes in the oven, then proceed to lick the beaters and decide that a sugar filled treat is the breakfast of champions. Not to mention, I try to stack my brownies and cookies like all of the fancy bloggers do and it turns into the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Click to read more ...