THE List

HAPPY {early} THANKSGIVING!

But it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas over here. (And has been since our trip up north to Frankenmuth.....I'll share more on that adventure soon.) Plus, all of the snow...this so-called storm...is making it amazingly beautiful and quiet and just downright gorgeous.

Yes. YES. Yes, it's that time of year again. Decision time. What am I baking this year for the holidays? Before all of the fun holiday craziness sets in (who am I kidding? it's here!), I'm sharing my list with you all today.

Last year, I did not, I repeat did not stick to my baking list at all. It wasn't intentional, but I was searching through cookbooks, scanning old recipes, and then Jessica added her cookies to the mix...I was all over the place. We were all over the place, losing track of time (and days). I always make too big of a list, we always make too big of a mess....

Go big or go home (or, in this case, get out of the kitchen), is what I say.

Pumpkin Spice Honey Cookies.
Peanut Butter Cup Blondies. (pictured above) I made these two treats a couple weeks ago as my contribution to my co-worker's holiday bake sale. I'm not a huge blondie fan, but these were decent. Of course, anything with peanut butter is, at least, decent. (see below) The pumpkin cookies were so good and perfect for the upcoming holiday, I'm making another batch for Thanksgiving.

Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies. I never made it to these gluten-free cookies last year, so I have to put them at the top of this year's list. (Sorry, Auntie!)

Black Bottom Cups. A holiday favorite. This recipe is coming, cough--a little delayed from last year--cough, so stay tuned!

Grandma Barb's Cut-Outs. I already have four batches of this special dough in the freezer, and I cannot wait to use my cute and new tiny cookie cutters. I plan to bring these bite-sized treats into work for my kiddos to celebrate the last story time of the year.

Black Bean Chocolate Chili Cranberry Cookies. My grandpa specifically requested these cookies this year. He's loving everything I'm making with black beans lately. This upcoming weekend I have to make him a special batch of my black bean burgers. I hope he enjoys these just as much.

Almond Blueberry Cookies. Ah, yes. These beauties may actually make it onto someone else's platter this year. But don't hold your breath. If you're in the vicinity when I start this batch, feel free to drop by and grab a spoon :)

Browned Butter Cookies with Caramel Frosting. Hopefully Jess and I won't get too confident in the kitchen. I'd hate to mess up these family favorites two years in a row. Unbelievable. I, err we, might be demoted.

Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Oatmeal Cookies with [Holiday] M&Ms. For Mr. B, obviously. Nothing fun about these......but it's for him. The chocolate chips were first, of course. I told him I'm only making one batch this year because "I have too many other FUN holiday treats to make." This batch is already gone. Last night he actually opened the cookie jar, Phoebo, looked inside, looked at me, and then showed me that it was empty. I added chocolate chips to my grocery list. The things I do to keep him happy.

Snowflake Gingerbread. Not a huge fan of gingerbread, but I want to give these a try.

Lucky Rainbow Chex Mix. Does this really need an explanation?

Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies. Because I love peanut butter.

Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Cookies. Because I love peanut butter.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites. Because I love peanut butter. And because of Mr. B's love affair, there are plenty of pretzels to go around.

Almond Butter Saltine Chocolate Bites. Four ingredients only. All four happen to be in my pantry right now. And these sound mouth-watering. I'm thinking they may be my father's favorite this year.

Reindeer Chow. I always wanted to make this. I'm not a huge fan of it, but I'm making it anyway!

Pistachio Chocolate Shortbreads. It's not Christmas without stocking up on my beloved pistachios, that is after I pay an arm and a leg for them....and these look very holiday-ish.

Almond Apricot Butter Cookies. I chose to nix these from last year's list. I'm really, really hoping to make these this year!

Lemon Poppy Seed Cream Cheese Cookies. I always make a citrus cookie, and I love, love, love lemon anything. My mother loves lemon. These are for us, Mama.

Giant Chai Tea Frosted Cookies. I was devastated sad when I realized I never made these last year. These are special. One batch only makes eight large cookies. So that means I will be enjoying eight cookies.

Snowman S'mores. I may just make these because I have an abundance of graham crackers over here. Build me one bonfire in the backyard and I become a hoarder.

Simple Avocado Fudge.
Some-other-special-holiday-fudge-I-haven't-decided-on-yet. Maybe my tasty Espresso Fudge.

Snowmen Brownies. Brownies. Snowmen cookie cutter. Powdered sugar. Festive.

Pet Treats. Don't forget these little ones!

As if Siamese needs another reason to think she's so great.

Ohhhh, Jessica, I hope you're ready, my dear. I promise to be even more prepared. Cookies galore.

What's on your baking list this season?

Happy Holiday Baking!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

B's Perfect Granola Bars

I like to know what goes into my granola bars, which is way I try my hardest to eat only homemade bars. I'm a huge fan of making food in my own kitchen, knowing I put only the best ingredients, and no preservatives, in my food. These Perfect Granola Bars are just that.

I like controlling the amount of sugar, fat, protein, and fiber that goes into my food. I feel better about what I'm eating, I feel healthier, knowledgeable, and definitely not guilty! It's very liberating.

I used to be hooked on Larabars; they're delicious, organic, and a perfect snack, but I found them to be way too sweet. Too sweet to eat for breakfast or pre/post workout or for a middle-of-the-day snack. The bars are primarily made of dates, which contain their own fair share of sugar. However, I do enjoy these tremendously as a dessert bar when I'm trying to eat clean. The cherry pie ones are my favorite.

But these bars are also very versatile. Use them crumbled in a bowl with some almond milk, crumbled on top of fruit, or as a crumb topping on your favorite peach cobbler or ice cream...or simply enjoy them as a bar.


Perfect Granola Bars
*makes 9 bars (recipe can be easily adjusted to amount needed)

2 c rolled oats (or gluten-free oats)
1 T chia seeds
1/4 c unsalted nuts of choice
1/4 c nut butter, melted
1/4 c honey, agave, or brown rice syrup (sometimes I forgo this and just do a full 1/2 c of nut butter)
optional add-ins: flaxseed, other nuts, dried fruit, mini bittersweet chocolate chips, protein powder

Preheat oven 350 degrees and coat a baking dish (whatever size you need; I used a 9" glass pie dish this time) with cooking spray. Mix oats, nuts, chia seeds, nut butter, and honey in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Add in any extras, if desired. *Note: you may need to mix in a little bit more of the nut butter or honey, as needed, with each addition add-in. Press mixture into prepared dish and bake 20-25 minutes. Let cool, completely, in baking dish before cutting into bars. (This can be made vegan by excluding the chocolate chips.)


Sometimes I'll add protein powder and decrease the amount of honey. I don't like my granola bars too sweet, so if I'm adding dried fruit or mini chocolate chips (something that adds its own sweetness) I will decrease the amount of sugar I'm adding.

Depending on your add-ins, the calorie count can be anywhere between 160-200 per bar. I try to keep the sugar below 9 grams, while upping the fiber and protein.

Enjoy!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Holiday Baking To-Dos

Is it sad that most of the cookies on my to-bake list include chocolate? I'm really trying to mix it up here, but it seems everything I marked as "possible for holidays" involves chocolate. And I'm not even a huge fan of chocolate....or am I? But I know many who are and I am sympathetic to others' needs like that. However, I did manage to find room on the list for a few of my favorites and non-chocolates.

Now, to find the time to make these!! Less than 30 days and counting. Ai yi yi.

Grandma Barb's Cut-Outs. Like last year, these are a family tradition. Not the healthiest sugar cookie, but it's the holidays and I must.

Skinny Sugar Free Sugar Cookies. I'm also making a small batch of these sugar cookies. Because I want to try a new version and a healthier one, too!

Hot Cocoa Cookies. I'm not a chocolate fan but I enjoyed these cookies so much last year they made this year's list. Indulge.

Browned Butter Cookies with Caramel Frosting. If I leave these off the list Mr. B will kill me....or complain until they're made. (Plus, Jess and I always make these during our annual baking sessions. That's always an adventure, and you can read about last year's here.)

Black Bottom Cups. I actually left these tasty treats off the list last year for the first time in four years. My friend, Kylee, shared this infamous recipe with me and I always make them. But not last year...I wanted something NEW. Yeah, they're on the list this year. And I promise to share the recipe!

Giant Chai Tea Frosted Cookies.These cookies sound amazing. The ingredients don't make a lot (8 large cookies), so either make them smaller or everyone gets one on the plate.

Brown Butter Oatmeal Chunk Cookies. Mr. B also loves oatmeal cookies, right behind Chocolate Chips and Browned Butters. But I'm throwing in a small twist I think he'll like to add change to the classic.

Citrus Butter Cookies. I found these cookies in Pioneer Woman's cookbook (and they're also on her blog) and knew immediately this would be my citrus cookie for the holidays. Most excited to try theses! I love a good pucker :)

Raspberry-Peanut Butter Chocolate Truffles.
Espresso Chocolate Truffles with Almonds. The new Food Network magazine arrived in the mail last week, and after skimming through it I decided I'm making truffles. It's kind of a "pick your own ingredients" thing, and I think these two sound best.

Mexican Chocolate Popcorn Balls. I found this recipe in last year's holiday Food Network magazine, and I'm going to attempt them. It's been forever and a day since I made popcorn balls.

Chocolate Chip Cookies. I'm not sure why I even put these on the list. These are the first cookies I have to make every year in order to keep Mr. B quiet while I make all the ones he refuses to try. I can't even put fun twists on them because he doesn't like peanut butter or nuts or anything in his chocolate chip cookies. (But this year I'm making my friend Jenny's recipe. There's a secret ingredient in them. Shhhhh...)

Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies. Having celiac disease can be hard on my aunt during the holidays, so I'm making her this gluten-free chocolate cookie.

Molasses Spice Cookies. To be honest, these cookies are only on the list because I have half of a jar of molasses I need to use up. Maybe a hidden gem?

Cinnamon Chips Gems. I wanted to make these last year but I could not find the cinnamon chips anywhere! This year I will hunt them down.

Almond Blueberry Cookies. And, yes, these are a must. They're my favorite cookie in the whole world and the only ones I'll eat once they're baked. Always room for these gems.

Skinny Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge. Instead of a bread this year I'm making fudge. And I really, really love this simple recipe I made earlier this year....but I want something with peanut butter and chocolate. And health(ier). So I turned to some of my healthy blogs and found this delectable recipe.

Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars or Turtle Cheesecake Balls. To take to my work pot luck next month...but can't decide which...thoughts?

Cranberry Crumble Bars. I have a bag of fresh cranberries and I need to do something with them soon or they'll become a part of the center piece on my dining room table. One of my co-workers is retiring at the end of the year and we're having a "Happy Retirement" party for the entire library staff. We're doing a Mad Hatter/Tea Party theme, and I think these bars fit in perfectly.

Pet Treats. And this year I'm not leaving out my family's four-legged friends!

Single-Serve Monkey Bread.
These were a big hit with my hubby and I last Christmas morning, and I believe I started a tradition.


What's on your baking list this season?

*Need some inspiration or want to try something new? Check out my baking list from last year, or Jessica's baking lists ...there are three of them (love her blog!).

Happy Holiday Baking!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Tiramisu Cheesecake Bars

Raise your hand if you like Tiramisu.

My friend Kylee loves Tiramisu. In fact, she's probably staring at her computer screen, waving both hands in the air and shouting, "Me! Me! I do! Me!"

Sigh. I miss my Kylee, who now resides in Indiana, and who I have not seen since her wedding in August. Being adults suck....with our crazy-busy lives. I miss the days when I used to lounge around watching FRIENDS, sharing a plate of tortilla chips smothered in cheese and Red Hot with Ky and Jess. (I wrote about Jess over here.) Ahhh, those were the days. Our only concerns were tomorrow's exams and the ridiculous line at Rosie's <--- which had the best baked potatoes and Philly sandwiches in Kent.

While I was making these Tiramisu Cheesecake Bars for my work's Christmas party a few weeks ago, I thought of Kylee and how she'd be here demanding to lick the spoon. But since she wasn't, someone had to do it. I gladly took that job. And it was de-licious.



And so were these bars. The hazelnut-flavored coffee was perfect-O. The sugar cookie crust had a nice crunch and the cheesecake layer was perfectly creamy. The whole bar had a melt-in-your-mouth kind of feeling. Yum.

So here's a little step-by-step photo shoot of these delectable little squares.

First, you prepare the cookie dough and bake it off until golden. And then let it cool a bit.

Then pour on the creamy cheesecake layer. Bake that for a little over a half an hour; cool and chill for an hour.

Meanwhile, whip up this amazing, fluffy topping that consists of more cream cheese and chocolate decorations to make it look fabulous. And then chill some more, which is definitely the hardest part any time cheesecake anything is involved.

The best thing about bars: You don't have to serve them in the dish you baked them in, or as a whole (unlike cake). They're much prettier on a platter, which means no one has to know you already tried one...or two.

Tiramisu Cheesecake Bars

*adapted from Betty Crocker's Christmas Cookies

Yields 36 bars

1 pouch sugar cookie mix

2 Tbsp flour

1/3 c butter, softened

1 egg, slightly beaten + 2 eggs

2 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 Tbsp instant hazelnut-flavored coffee granules (or whatever you can find)

2 tsp vanilla

1 c mini semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven 350 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9" pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir cookie mix with flour, butter and slightly beaten egg until soft dough forms. Press dough into bottom of pan. Bake 15-18 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in another large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add condensed milk; beat until well blended. Add coffee, vanilla and 2 eggs; beat until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour over cookie base. Bake 35-40 minutes or until set. Cool at room temp for 30 minutes. Refrigerate 30 minutes to cool completely.

Topping:

6 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c whipping cream
Chocolate shards, pieces, sprinkles, curls, etc. for garnish (it makes it look pretty)

While chilling, in small bowl beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in whipping cream; beat about 2 minutes longer or until fluffy. Spread mixture over cooled bars. Garnish with chocolate. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Store covered in refrigerator.

Nutritional Information
Per serving: Calories 210; Total Fat 13; Protein 3

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

My Holiday Baking List

It's that time of year again. Time to put on the sounds of the season, bring out the KitchenAid and gather with friends and family to start my long list of holiday baking. Unfortunately, my list is getting sooooo long that I'm not sure if I'll be able to make them all....but I will do my baking darnedest!



Every Christmas I send off cookie platters to family, friends, co-workers, and always take to holiday gatherings. Besides, I love any excuse to bake! Here are the ones I'm hoping to get onto my platters:

Grandma's Cut-Outs. First off, I have to make my Grandma Barb's classic Cream Cheese Cut-Outs. They're a family recipe and make an appearance at every holiday/family event. These are a must.

Fat Fluffy Snickerdoodles. I've got a headstart and made these cookies this past weekend. Definitely my favorite Snickerdoodle recipe yet! Head on over to Jessica's blog and check it out, and while you're there, take a gander at her holiday baking list.

Browned Butter Cookies with Caramel Frosting. Right behind chocolate chip, these cookies are my husband's favorite, so I have to find room for these on the list every season.

Almond Blueberry Cookies <--- my favorite cookie in the whole world. Tastes just like a blueberry muffin!

Apricot Pinwheels. I made these last year during our Cooking Club Cookie Exchange. My grandpa loved these and I promised him his own special batch this year.

Hot Cocoa Cookies. I always make one chocolate cookie, and this season these looked mouth-watering. I can't wait!

Raspberry-Lemon Thumbprints. These are two of my favorite baking ingredients, so I had to give this recipe a try. (I've never made a thumbprint cookie before.)

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cookies <---These look heavenly!!!! By far the cookie I'm most excited to try.

Skinny Peanut Butter Cookies. I love anything peanut butter, and a healthier cookie...yes, please.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars. I always make a bar for my Christmas platter and figured I'd try something new this year.

Chocolate Chip Cookies. Of course I have to make these. I already made one batch last weekend, and I'm sure my husband will request another batch.

Chocolate-Dipped Clementines. I love dipping fruit in chocolate. It reminds me of those orange chocolate slammers Mama used to put in my stocking when I was little. Yum.

Lemon Bread <--- LOVE my lemon bread. I have to make it a least once a year and I can't believe I haven't made it yet!

Mocha Scones. These look delectable and something fun and different to add to the list.

Salted Caramel and Brownie Cheesecake Bars. These bars are for my co-workers on my Monday shift. We always bring in food for each other to try, and once I saw these I knew I had to make them ASAP.

Tiramisu Cheesecake Bars. These yummy treats are for my work's Christmas Party. Last year I took a tray of cookies and the year before that I made a light lemon cake. I found out people prefer bite size food versus cake.

Homemade Apple Butter. (which I made earlier this year for one of my Cooking Club recipes)
Candied Almonds. I'm making these two recipes to give as homemade gifts this year. A little something warm and sweet for the holiday season.

I always make something sweet and tasty for Christmas morning. This year it's this yummy dish:

Single-Serve Monkey Bread.
Mama used to make this all the time when I was little and it was a childhood favorite.

I've also bagged up a few of the Snickerdoodles and Chocolate Chips and shipped them off in a cute box to my brother down in Myrtle Beach. I miss him so much (he couldn't fly home for Thanksgiving, but he'll be home for Christmas!) and I wanted to send him a tasty home sweet home courtesy of his loving sister.

What's on your baking list this season?

Happy Holiday Baking!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi