Sprinkle Celebration Cookies

Posted on September 25, 2019September 25, 2019 by Aleah Leave a comment

Birthdays and congratulations are always tough. Yes, you can always go the simple route of a nice text or the perfect card, but what if a gift is involved? Then that turns into the never-ending cycle of what to get, does it show enough love, will they like it, and so on. One way to skip these questions? Bake.

Bakes are perfect because 99% of humans out there enjoy them, they’re great if you’re best friends with the person or barely know them, and you get to give yourself a present (go samples!!). Now, here’s where I come in helping you skip the inevitable question of what to bake: sprinkles celebration cookies.

First reason, sprinkles are pretty darn celebratory…look at all that color! Second, these cookies come with an optional splash of rum, so with every bite, you’re basically toasting to the celebration. Third, they’re pretty darn delicious.

Now, for your next gift, be it a congrats, a housewarming, or a birthday, whip up these sprinkle celebration cookies and skip the gift wrap since they’re pretty enough on their own.

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick butter
  • 75 g brown sugar
  • 115 g sugar
  • 2 g cinnamon
  • 10g rum (can be replaced with vanilla)
  • 210 g flour
  • 2 eggs
  • Splash of milk (a quick flick of the wrist pour) (Disclaimer: does not include the nice glass of milk you will want to pour yourself to enjoy with these cookies)

Steps:

  1. Melt butter
  2. Mix in sugars and rum (or vanilla
  3. Crack in eggs once cool
  4. Add the flour and cinnamon
  5. Splash in the milk (will make the stirring in of the flour easier
  6. Roll into balls and bake at 350 degrees F for 7-9 minutes
  7. Take out and serve!

    *before placing on baking sheet, dough can be chilled, but is not necessary. If chilled, after rolling into balls, press the dough a bit flat

Edible Cookie Dough

Posted on September 17, 2019September 17, 2019 by Aleah Leave a comment

As my childhood best friend can tell you, salmonella is no joke. As she can also tell you, you should never pass up a spoonful of cookie dough of any kind. Many a winter (and summer, spring, and fall, we could, and still can) be found “sampling” the cookie dough to make sure it is okay.

Now, to merge to of my favorite life lessons from Kaylan, edible cookie dough was born. Now, for the crazy price of $8-10, you can always go to your local corner store and scoop up a jar, or with 8 basic ingredients, it’s all yours.

Mashed all together, the ingredients below tuck neatly into a mason jar and are perfect to give as a present, serve to guests, or scoop out onto a spoon to enjoy with a lovely mug of tea. So, quick, whip up a batch of your very own and keep some edible cookie dough in your fridge for when you need it next… even if next is now.

Ingredients:

  • Stick of butter
  • 140 g brown sugar
  • 50 g granulated sugar
  • 285 g flour
  • 150 g milk (my preference is unsweetened vanilla almond milk!)
  • 20 g vanilla
  • Sprinkle of salt
  • Miscellaneous topping! Chocolate chips, marshmallows, peanuts, etc.

Steps:

  1. Melt the butter
  2. Mix in the brown and granulated sugar
  3. Add the milk and villa
  4. Sift in the flour and salt
  5. Add the topping (or skip this step!)
  6. Store in container of your choice and eat whenever you’d like!

Summer to Fall Peach Apple Cake

Posted on September 11, 2019September 11, 2019 by Aleah Leave a comment

It is absolutely no secret to anyone that I love fall. Pumpkin spice, apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg candles are already spread out across my apartment and I’m beyond ready for leaves to start to fall.

BUT it seems with some of these 80 degree days, summer isn’t quite ready to let go of us just quite yet. To celebrate this weird in between seasonal state, I made a bake. An extra benefit? It can be a breakfast and a snack on top of already being a delicious dessert and is gluten and soy free!!

With an apple, a peach, and some oats (and a few other things too!) whirled together in a bowl and then spread out into a pan, bada bing, bada boom a hello fall, goodbye summer cake is born!

Ingredients:

  • 200 oz rolled oats
  • Half of a 15 oz can of pumpkin purée
  • Apple sauce (the snack size serving)
  • 30 g coconut sugar
  • 30 g coconut oil
  • 15 g honey
  • 20 g vanilla extract
  • 10 g baking powder
  • One apple, one peach

Steps:

  1. In a blender, finely blend the oats to make ‘oat flour’
  2. In a bowl, stir the honey, vanilla, coconut oil together.
  3. Add in the apple sauce, coconut sugar, and honey – stir away.
  4. Mix in the flour and let sit
  5. Peel the apple and slice both the apple and peach
  6. Spray cake pan (I used both a nine-inch and four-inch pan) with baking spray; to ensure gluten-free you can also use coconut oil.
  7. Line the slices of fruit along the bottom of the pan in whatever order you want, but make sure that they cover the bottom
  8. Pour batter on top of the fruit and then bake at 350 degrees F for 20 – 30 mins until the cake is firm
  9. Let cool for 10 minutes and then flip the cake upside down to cool on a plate
  10. Eat immediately or serve later! Good for three days in the fridge

Pumpkin Cake

Posted on September 4, 2019September 25, 2019 by Aleah Leave a comment

Once upon a time, I was a gal in Florida making a beautiful pumpkin cake straight out of Sally’s Baking Addiction in my scratched up 12×4 in sheet pan from Walmart (tried and true, it has yet to fail me!!).

Now, I’m still just a gal, but one who has relocated to NYC, using a fancier cake pan, and happy to share what I believe is the truly best pumpkin cake to be had. Now, you don’t have to take my word for it, my coworkers unanimously decided it now makes all of their top 5 desserts list. A lovely blend of fall flavors this cake somehow gets all of the creamy moisture of a pumpkin pie, and blends it into a fluffy pie.

This heavenly creation can only be made with the purest of intentions (think just of red & yellow leaves, brisk air, and a nice frost along the grass as the sun rises) and is the best welcome to meterological autumn around. On that note, get your pumpkin pie puree’s ready, raise up your pumpkin spice lattes , and prep yourself to take a bite out of your very own slice of ooey, gooey pumpkin cake

Ingredients:

  • Stick of Butter
  • Two eggs
  • 1 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree
  • 115 g brown sugar
  • 140 g white sugar
  • 345 g almond milk (I used Silk Sugar free vanilla)
  • 25 g honey
  • 4 g pumpkin spice
  • 5 g cinnamon
  • 15 g vanilla
  • 5 g baking powder
  • 5 g baking soda
  • 280 g flour
  • One batch of pumpkin cinnamon frosting

Steps:

  1. Melt the butter
  2. Mix in the sugars and pumpkin
  3. Pour the milk into the bowl and stir, stir, stir with the freshly added honey
  4. Crack some eggs (no heads!) into the bowl with vanilla
  5. Add all of the dry ingredients & mix
  6. Fill pan up ¾ of way. I used these springform pans from Amazon
  7. Bake at 325 degrees F until it jiggles in the pan, but is no longer a liquid (baked in a 9 inch pan for 25 minutes)
  8. Cool in fridge for 30 minutes (or 15 in freezer!)
  9. At this point, I took them out of the pan and cut halfway down the middle to make my circle into two (Optional step!!!)
  10. Frost using a batch of my pumpkin cinnamon frosting (if frosted when only slightly chilled, you get an amazing melty frosting – if done this way, best eaten moments after….it won’t last long!)

Pumpkin Cinnamon Frosting

Posted on September 4, 2019September 4, 2019 by Aleah Leave a comment

I don’t know how you measure the start of fall, but for me it’s right after Labor Day. There are undertones of frost coming through with each morning breath, but it’s still warm enough to take lunches outside in a tee-shirt.

Now, as autumn begins to set in, the first step is to order a pumpkin spice chai latté (thank you, Starbucks, for understanding that not every pumpkin spice lover enjoys coffee). Next step? Whip up a batch of this pumpkin frosting to pair with a cake, cake, pops, or my personal favorite….my spoon. Quick, easy, and delicious, this pumpkin frosting will be your new favorite topping of the season, but thanks to the recipe below, you can have it whenever, and not just when Starbucks says.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Stick of butter
  • 30 g confectioners sugar
  • 220 g sugar
  • 50 g brown sugar
  • 230 g milk
  • 150 g cream cheese
  • 20 g vanilla
  • 20 g honey
  • 5 g cinnamon
  • 10 g pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 oz pumpkin pie puree (can be whatever coats the can after you make another recipe)
  • 250 g flour

Steps:

  1. Melt the butter halfway
  2. Scoop in pumpkin puree (if using what coats the can, pour milk in, shake, and then pour into bowl).
  3. Add vanilla, all sugars, honey, and cream cheese and mix with hand mixer (can do by hand with whisk, but not as effective)
  4. Add cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice
  5. Sift in flour
  6. Mix until all is integrated
  7. Keep in fridge until ready to use – chill helps to maintain thickness

Popcorn Brownie Cookies

Posted on August 28, 2019August 28, 2019 by Aleah Leave a comment

Recently I learned that you’re not supposed to click the popcorn button on a microwave, but it has worked wonders so far for me. There is a nice, easy pleasure in sticking a bag in the microwave, clicking just one button, and then BAM pulling out a glorious snack three point five minutes later.

Now you may want to pour some sugar or butter or Old Bay or chocolate into this beautiful bag, but what if it went the other way? What if, the popcorn was poured into something else?!? In this case, I’m talking about a beautiful batch of dough.

This little addition creates a marvelous salty sweet popcorn brownie cookie combo that pleases the taste buds and will keep you coming for bite after bite.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 85 g semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 30 g cocoa powder
  • 55 g flour
  • 1 egg
  • 10 g vanilla
  • 5 g cinnamon
  • 45 g sugar
  • 2 g baking powder
  • 1 mini bag of popcorn (I’m a massive fan of Jolly Time Healthy Pop)

Steps:

  1. Melt butter and sugar in the microwave (Place in a microwave safe bowl, microwave, stir every 10 seconds until smooth)
  2. Pour vanilla and egg into bowl once cool
  3. Mix in the sugar
  4. Add the cocoa powder, flour, cinnamon, and baking powder to your creation
  5. Add two-three handfuls of popcorn and mix in (they will break apart into smaller pieces…don’t worry!!!)
  6. Roll into balls and bake at 350 degrees F for 3 minutes
  7. Take out and press one whole popcorn in center (optional)
  8. Place back in microwave for 3-4 more minutes
  9. Let cool!

One pan, 1/4 cup brownies

Posted on August 21, 2019August 21, 2019 by Aleah Leave a comment

The other day, my cousin came over for dinner and, of course, dessert was served. The sweet of choice? Brownies (because we are both crazy chocoholics).

While not the classic Betty Crocker, these little bites of heaven are possibly even easier to make than you’re fresh out of the box variety. I know, BOLD claim, but when you make this recipe, all you need is one measuring cup, a skillet, and the ingredients.

On top of the ease, you get fancy points by using browned butter (again, with no extra dishes to clean!). Now with these ringing endorsements, get your pans, single measuring cup, and spoons ready so you can dig in to this super easy recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup butter, browned aka toss half a stick of butter in a pan and rotate it until it’s all brown
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • Lots of vanilla (aka 1/4 of a 1/4 of a 1/4 of a cup)
  • 2/4 cup flour (aka 1/2 a cup)
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • A handful of choco chips (1/4 of a 1/4)
  • Vanilla ice cream (optional, to serve)

Steps:

  1. Heat up your pan and toss your butter in.
  2. Lightly brown (easier than it seems!). Swirl the pan until the butter is melted and turns a light brown.
  3. Place the pan/skillet in the fridge and let cool for ten minutes.
  4. Take pan out of the fridge and add the sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Mix away!
  5. Add the cocoa powder & flour and stir.
  6. Add the chocolate chips and then smooth the batter across the pan (yes, it will be kind of thick & more of a dough).
  7. Place in oven at 325 for roughly ten minutes (surface should be squishy, but glossed over).
  8. Add a scoop of ice cream on top, grab your spoons, and dive in (or cut into square and serve later….take your pick!)

Edible wine chocolate chip cookie dough

Posted on August 16, 2019August 16, 2019 by Aleah Leave a comment

            Everyone knows the perks of cooking with wine, but baking with wine should NOT be left forgotten. Yeah, sure, a glass is nice to accompany some coq au vin, but what about a glass with a spoonful of edible (aka no risk of salmonella here!!) cookie dough, your favorite show on the television, and best friends?

            Breathe in deep because this recipe for edible wine chocolate chip cookie dough is a wild ride with no burn-off-the-alcohol-in-your bake steps included (so pls be over 21 or maybe get some parental supervision).

1,       (Optional) Have a long day. Text your girlfriends: “I need a glass of wine”.

2.       Go to your local liquor store. Purchase a bottle of your fave red. My budget and I are quite large fans of Trader Joe’s cab.

3.       Get out a bowl and prep your ingredients. (aka pull out that cork and pour out a glass)

4.       Follow the actual steps below. Keep sipping at your glass.

5,       Put dough in fridge and let chill, like your zen state of mind.

6-9.    Pour out another glass of wine. Sit on sofa. Put on show or have a dance party. If step one is true and you did have a long day, get out the graham crackers (Again, see recipe below) and mash them up, getting rid of stress in the process.

10,       Invite aforementioned girlfriends over, roll dough in graham crackers, and pour everyone a fresh glass of wine. Consume your new, entirely intoxicating dessert with your friends and have an amazing time*

*you don’t need alcohol to have fun, but why not!!!

Make it at home!!

Ingredients:

  • Stick of butter
  • 100 g Brown sugar
  • 50 g white sugar
  • 100 g powdered sugar
  • 160 g wine (about a glass/two! Depends on how heavy the pour!)
  • 95 g rum (+ an extra shot! Because why not!)
  • 350 g flour
  • 100 g dark chocolate chips (a handful…let’s be honest, two to three)
  • 100 g semi sweet chocolate chips (see above!)
  • 120 g yogurt
  • 10 g vanilla
  • 2g cinnamon
  • Sprinkle of salt
  • Package of graham crackers

Steps:

  1. Melt the butter and mix in all three sugars.
  2. Add in the wine and rum – mix all in thoroughly.
  3. Pour in flour in two segments. Stir, but don’t overdo.
  4. Mix in yogurt, sprinkle of salt, cinnamon, and vanilla.
  5. Add chocolate chips! Yeah!
  6. Put in freezer for 45 minutes, stirring every 15
  7. Meanwhile: mash up graham crackers. Pour half a shot of rum into mix and mix.
  8. Take dough out of freezer and roll into balls. Cover each with the graham cracker mix.
  9. Eat immediately or keep chilled in fridge! Good for up to 3-4 days.

Carrot cake chocolate chip cookies

Posted on August 15, 2019August 15, 2019 by Aleah Leave a comment

Ingredients:

Carrots: often shown as a rabbit’s sidekick, known to pair well with cream cheese frosting, and my favorite bring-to-work, mid-afternoon snack. Another favorite afternoon snack of mine? CHOCOLATE CHIPS.  Now my tupperware is a great transport vehicle, but even better is a mash of flour, sugar, and honey.

Be forewarned though: part of this recipe includes actual mash. You will quite literally be making baby food (Disclaimer: despite my brief stint as a nanny, I have no idea what constitutes proper food for a tiny human and would not advise feeding them any steps from this recipe except for the final stage. (Disclaimer2: check baby food rules first before feed to child!!!)).

Now, the making of this “baby food” requires we branch out beyond one bowl, this spiced up carrot cookie is worth it is the perfect combo of summer to fall flavors, right as the brisk breeze starts to flow in through the humidity.

Ingredients:

  • 160 g non-fat greek yogurt
  • 40 g agave
  • 15 g vanilla
  • 180 g brown sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 10 g baking powder
  • 400 g flour
  • 5 g cinnamon
  • 100 g dark chocolate chips
  • 100 g semi sweet chocolate chips

Steps:

  1. In a blender, mix the carrots and yogurt. Yes, this will be making baby food. See below, please.

2. In a bowl, stir the agave, vanilla, brown sugar, and eggs together
3. Fold in the carrot-yogurt mash
4. Add the cinnamon on top – sprinkle a light layer across the top of the batter
4. Pour in flour and mix the chocolate chips in
5. Bake at 325 for 7-10 minutes depending on the size of your scoops

Strawberry chocolate chip cookies

Posted on August 14, 2019August 15, 2019 by Aleah Leave a comment

Strawberry chocolate chip cookies – sounds weird, right? I can assure you it definitely is, but what I can also assure you is that they’re absolutely delicious. Picture this: taking a bite out of a beautiful, chocolate-covered strawberry, but better and with a doughy upgrade.

Not your average fondue snack, these cookies take melty chocolate on a berry to a whole new level. But get ready, the twists Don’t (!) Stop (!) There (!). Many a baking recipe calls for unsalted butter, but in this one, get your full on, regular, cooking-use, salted butter out and ready to use, because another classic combo? SALT AND CHOCOLATE, my friends.

Now, I’m sure at this point you’re thinking: boy oh boy, there is a lot happening in this post. And I’m happy to tell you, there is,  but even more good things will be happening across your tastebuds when you take a bite into these strawberry chocolate chip cookies.

Ingredients:

  • Stick of SALTED butter
  • Two egg yolks + one egg
  • 70 g brown sugar
  • 55 g sugar
  • 300 g yogurt
  • 7 dashes of vanilla
  • 130 g flour
  • 16 oz Carton of strawberries
  • Handfuls of semi sweet chocolate chips – use your judgement, but I used 10 oz of semi sweet chocolate chips and 10 oz of dark chocolate chips

Steps:

  1. Melt up your butter (don’t forget, it’s salted this time around)
  2. Add in the eggs and sugars, and stir all together
  3. Mix the yogurt and vanilla in
  4. Add the flour to the batter & add it to the mix
  5. Dice the strawberries
  6. Drain all excess juices off into a glass for later (strawberry flavored seltzer, anyone?)
  7. Gently fold the strawberries into the batter
  8. Chill for 15 minutes before placing the first dollops onto your baking tray
  9. Bake for 7-10 mins at 350 degrees F
  10.  Take out when a film starts to form over the top of the cookies and place on a cooling tray