Sweet Spot

Late Thursday evening my mom flew in from Indiana for a long weekend visit. Yesterday she was on her own as both Jon and I had to work all day so she took her time relaxing on the beach, enjoying a local coffee shop, and touring downtown.

Last night my mom and I headed downtown for some homemade ice cream.

We both chose to get one scoop of the coffee ice cream and one scoop of the salted chocolate caramel ice cream. This made for a delicious combination and satisfied our late night sweet tooth!

We decided to go on a walk through downtown, ice cream in hand, to tour some of the local shops.

Downtown was packed with people as there was an event going on. In Florida it seems that the cool thing to do is to take your dog with you everywhere you go. There were dogs in the wine bar and laying under the tables in restaurants while their owners ate! I wonder if they allow cats in places too...  ;)

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

Earlier this week as I was cooking dinner I saw my KitchenAid sitting in the corner, unloved and collecting dust. I'm pretty sure the frequency of my baking has a lot to do with the size of my counter and oven! I definitely lost a lot of kitchen space when we moved so it makes baking and cooking a bit of a challenge. As I was cooking I was trying to think of something to make for dessert that Jon would love. I figured that chocolate and peanut butter would do the trick. I mean, who doesn't love that combo?!

I thought about making brownies drizzled with peanut butter but then I would have to make one huge pan. I decided that baking individual desserts would be much more fun! Plus I always feel 10x better seeing mini individual brownies disappear than one giant pan!

After doing a bit of brainstorming, these Peanut Butter Brownies Bites were born!

You've seriously got to make these.

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

Ingredients

1 1/4 c. sugar
11 tbsp. butter (1 stick + 3 tbsp)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs, cold
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. arrowroot powder (can substitute with cornstarch)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup peanut butter
chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the butter and sugar together for 1 minute 30 seconds. Remove, stir until mixed, and cool for 5 minutes.
3. Once butter/sugar mixture has cooled, stir in the vanilla extract and cocoa powder.
4. Pour the butter/sugar mixture in the mixing bowl and slowly add in the eggs one at a time.
5. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, arrowroot powder, and salt. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix until no flour pockets remain.
6. Grease a muffin tin and evenly distribute the brownie mixture into 12 brownie cups.
7. Place in the oven for 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Flip the brownies over onto a baking sheet or plate.
8. Take a small spoon to remove some of the brownie from the center of each cup. Be careful not to go all the way through the bottom of the cup.
9. Place a spoonful of peanut butter into the center of each brownie and top with chocolate chips (optional).
10. Enjoy immediately or allow to cool so the peanut butter has a chance to set.

I preferred these still warm with gooey peanut butter while Jon liked them better after they cooled so it's totally up to you! I suggest trying them both ways, I know I did ;)

Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Paleo)

I have a delicious recipe to share with you all but first a story about the "heart attack" I had today.

This morning on my way to work I was in a bit of a hurry. I really like hitting the snooze button (like a lot) which doesn't leave me with a lot of extra time to make breakfast. Today was one of those days. Heck, almost everyday is one of those days. So I threw a banana, some almond milk, almond butter, chia seeds, protein powder, and spinach into a blender and ran out the door.

When I got home and went into the kitchen I had a mini heart attack because I thought that tiny little bugs took over my kitchen counter! I was so grossed out. Then I took a closer look only to realize I spilled some chia seeds on the counter during my morning rush! What a relief! I honestly don't know what I would have done had there been a million little bugs all over my counter. 

So after I cleaned up that mess, I made these.

I experimented with a flourless cookie recipe I already had and swapped the peanut butter for almond butter, added a few chocolate chips, and used maple syrup instead of honey. I also topped them with a pinch of sea salt for the most delicious sweet and salty taste. These cookies were super soft and chewy too! 

I enjoyed my cookie with a big, cold glass of almond milk. The perfect afternoon snack!

I'm thinking that these would be an amazing breakfast cookie. Especially since I suck at waking up on time. Maybe I'll experiment by throwing some protein powder into the mix next time. 

Recipe

1 c. almond butter, refrigerated* 

1/3 c. pure maple syrup

1 egg

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/3 c. Enjoy Life chocolate chips

* I keep my nut butters in the fridge so this could make a difference if yours is room temp

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix all of the ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl until creamy.

3. Mix in the chocolate chips

4. Place by the spoonful on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. Sprinkle each cookie with a few extra chocolate chips and a pinch of sea salt.

5. Bake for 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Yields: 1 dozen cookies

Enjoy!

Valentine's Day Treats

Valentine's Day is just around the corner! Actually, it's tomorrow! Which is even closer!

I have been having some fun baking delicious treats, using tons of sprinkles, and crafting up some cute cards.

--- Happy Valentine's Day ---

from Truffles n' Treadmills

Being the broke college student that I am, I didn't have a ton of money to go out and buy fun presents for all of my loved ones. I also didn't have enough left over spending money to go out and buy more dipping chocolate so I had to do some improvising.

I had a package of Oreos that I wanted to dip completely in white chocolate but I only had one square of white chocolate bark leftover from Christmas baking. I decided to instead spoon some of the chocolate right on top of the Oreo and then decorate with sprinkles!

They're still fun, delicious, and festive. Oh, and they're "better" for you because they are covered in way less chocolate than if I were to dip them completely ;)

Pretzel Crisps® was so kind to send me 9 different varieties of their crisps so I could incorporate them into my baking and cooking. I have came up with a few recipes already but still have a few more up my sleeve so I am not going to share them all with you just yet!

I dipped the Original Pretzel Crisps® in milk chocolate and then decorated with fun Valentine's sprinkles. I love the sweet, salty, and crunchy combination that this treat has!

I found these cute treat bags at Target in their beloved dollar aisle. I also found the fun holiday paper straws there too! I stuffed the bags full of treats and then used washi tape to tie them closed. The washi tape also doubled as name tags for the treat bags.

On a side note, if you don't follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest yet, click HERE so we can stay connected and up to date! You will know of upcoming giveaways, be able to see some of my delicious meals, and see all of my favorite pins!

P.S. The LARABAR giveaway is ending today! Be sure to enter before it's too late.

Question of the Day

Do you have any fun plans for Valentine's Day?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Heaven

Peanut butter M&Ms are my favorite. Actually, let's face it, anything peanut butter and chocolate is my favorite.

I made these peanut butter M&M chocolate cupcakes the other day and every one loved them. They were chocolatey, moist, and had a hint of peanut butter. And the best part? They were so easy to make.

These cupcakes ended up serving a lot of different purposes - I gave Jon a plate for our anniversary, I gave my roommate a few for her 21st birthday (I used M&Ms to create the numbers "2" and "1" on her cupcakes) and I took the rest to our Super Bowl party!

Ingredients:

1 box chocolate cake mix

ingredients on the back of the cake mix box (eggs, water, oil)

1 cup Peanut Butter M&Ms

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350'

2. Prepare cake mix as directed on box

3. Put M&Ms in a ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush them up into pieces.

4. Fold crushed M&Ms into the batter

5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake as directed on the back of the cake mix box

6. Let cool and frost with peanut butter icing and decorate with any extra M&Ms.

yields: 2 1/2 dozen cupcakes

Peanut Butter Icing

I used this recipe from Better Crocker to make my peanut butter icing and it was to die for! I would recommend cutting the recipe in half because I have so much icing left over but if you are planning on caking the icing on the top of your cupcakes then the original recipe will work.

*Beware, these will not last long!

Question of the Day

What is your favorite peanut butter and chocolate combination?

Three Ingredient Pumpkin Pie Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's fall and you know what that means...pumpkin! Pumpkin everything.

Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin bars, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cheesecake, but most importantly, pumpkin pie chocolate chip cookies!

Yep, you heard me. Pumpkin pie and chocolate in cookie form! No, you are not in heaven but it's pretty close.

My roommate Jessica whipped these up in a matter of minutes! The secret to her speediness? Three easy ingredients. A can of pumpkin pie, one box of spice cake, and a handful (or two) of chocolate chips.

You just mix everything together in a big bowl, place spoonfuls of batter on a cookie sheet, and pop them in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Once they're cool, enjoy them as is or top with cream cheese icing. We chose to go the homemade icing route but a jar of store bought icing will work just as well!

Enjoy these ooey, gooey, warm, and delicious cookies at your next fall party or on a night in with friends (like we did!)

Question

What is your favorite way to enjoy pumpkin during the fall?

Favorite Pinterest Finds: Memorial Day

Are you having a small get-together or a large celebration to celebrate Memorial Day this year? No matter what your plans are here are a few fun Pinterest finds that are sure to please!

Red, White & Blue Parfaits

Patriotic Strawberries

Red, White & Blue Mocktails

Fruit Flag

I hope these Pins help to inspire some of your party favors and recipes!

Question

How will you be celebrating Memorial Day?

Fresh Lemon Cookies

Today I have a delicious recipe to share with all of you. Becky over at Olives n' Wine had me guest post over on her blog while she was having a blast at the Kentucky Derby! I didn't think that all of my readers had the chance to check out the recipe on her blog and because these cookies are to die for, I figured I'd better share it with all of you.

Most lemon cookies only have a small hint of lemon in them and you can barely taste it, but these cookies are different. They are sweet, chewy, fresh, and taste of real lemons. Even if you aren’t a huge lemon fan, you will find yourself going back for seconds.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies Recipe

Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients:
½ cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole egg
Lemon zest from 1 lemon*
Fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon*
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoons baking soda
1-½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cups powdered sugar

*I love lemons so I personally thought that using the juice and zest from an entire lemon was delicious. You can use more or less depending on your personal preference.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper (this is my favorite method and makes for easy clean-up!)

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. 

Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. 

Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte (not melty or shiny). Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

I made these cookies for a bake sale and they were a huge hit so I am sure you will enjoy them just as much! They would be perfect for your next spring party, a wedding shower, or for yourself!

Question

What is your favorite cookie recipe? 

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Today I am being featured over on Becky's blog! I am sharing one of my favorite recipes - Lemon Crinkle Cookies.

I made these cookies for a bake sale and received a lot of wonderful feedback about them! Some people who don't even like lemons told me they loved these cookies and couldn't stop eating them.

So lemon lover or not, head on over, jot down the recipe and whip up a batch!

While you do that I will be working on a recap of the Indy Mini Marathon I ran over the weekend!

Question

What is you favorite cookie?

PB Chocolate Heart Cookies

With Valentines Day right around the corner, this cookie is perfect to make for your loved one. Make a batch for dessert or package a few up in a goodie bag to send to work with your loved one. Either way they will be sure to thank you for this peanut butter chocolatey treat!

Ingredients

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
30 Hersheys chocolate hearts or Hersheys Kisses, unwrapped

*Makes about 30 cookies

 

Directions

First mix together sugars, peanut butter, shortening, butter and egg in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours.

When the dough is firm heat the oven to 375ºF. Roll dough into 1 1/2" balls. Place on a cookie sheet that is lined with parchment paper (cookies won't stick and it makes cleanup easier). Gently flatten the cookie down with your hand instead of using a fork like other peanut butter cookie recipes call for.

Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately place a Hersheys chocolate heart in the center of each cookie and lightly press into the cookie. Cool 5 minutes and then remove from cookie sheet and let cool on wire rack. 

Be sure to sneak a few while they are cooling! You won't regret it :) 
 

The New Late Night Option

It's the weekend! Who's excited? I know I am!

Before I get started with last night's adventures I want to point out that today is Alex and I's 10 month anniversary! I can't believe we have only been dating that long because it seems like it has been way longer. Needless to say I am incredibly happy with this man and have enjoyed every moment with him!

Last night's dinner was delicious so I figured I would share it on the blog today. I had a wheat wrap with turkey, red peppers, green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, and of course avocado! I am loving avocado lately and have been putting it on everything.

After work I headed over to Alex's house to hang out. Earlier this week a new bakery opened up in "The Village," the little area off of campus that has shops, bars, and restaurants.

The new place that opened up is called Insomnia Cookies and they had a coupon floating around Facebook this week to announce their grand opening last Sunday and to offer us a free cookie! We hopped in the car and headed over to use up our coupons and it seemed like everyone else on campus had the same idea because the bakery was packed with people. They had a "Free Cookie Line" for people who weren't buying but just grabbing their free cookie so we were in and out of there in less than 5 minutes. Alex and I both got the Double Chocolate Chip cookie and it was super warm and gooey.

After we grabbed our cookies we headed over to his sister's house to visit for a little bit. When we got to their house we saw that they a box of cookies and brownies delivered to them a few minutes before we got there! The brownies were realllly good and I would highly recommend those if you ever pass by one of these little shops.

The neat thing about Insomnia Cookies is that they deliver until 3am. There is another late night pizza company near campus that delivers pizzas until some crazy time like 4 or 5am on the weekends too so I think they are up against some pretty sweet competition! 


Have you ever had Insomnia Cookies before? What do you think of the idea of having fresh cookies delivered to you at 3am?