Some days, it is socially implied and culturally expected that there be cake available. Today is one of those days. Happy Birthday to me! (Disclaimer: Birthday isn’t until the 10th, but I made the cake today.
chocolate
Full disclosure: This recipe used pretty much exactly from HalfBaked Harvest because it sounded so good!
Second peanut butter recipe in as many weeks, which is really unusual for me, as I am not really a PB fan. Well, ok, not a peanut butter on bread with jam (or anything else for that matter) fan, but once you pair it with chocolate … well, I am all over that, which is why I like this recipe. Super yummy. It is, however, really rich, so maybe just eat one piece at a time. OK, maybe two.
Been a few weeks since I made cookies. Probably because I spent the entire month of November making cookies — for 115 hours! — so that I didn’t want to even see any for a while. But we’re back and these are a cute little surprise for January. Buttons! And peanut butter! I like peanut butter, but don’ *love* peanut butter (that is likely the German in me — not a big thing in Germany) but the peanut butter is more like frosting in this case so lighter and fluffier. Sort of like an oreo, only a million times better.
Black and White (and Orange) Cupcakes:
Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Spiced Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Sometimes I am just in a cupcake kind of mood. It was a spur of the moment thing that I decided to make these — I realized that a friend has a birthday tomorrow (on Halloween) so it was an impromptu thing. I didn’t have much in the house, but I did jazz up the flavors in these otherwise rather “black and white” cupcakes: vanilla bean paste in the cupcakes themselves and both cinnamon and chili powder in the chocolate frosting.
These might be my new favorite chocolate chip cookies. I know, I know, I likely said that at the last batch of chocolate chip style cookies that I made, but these add in two of my other favorite flavors: espresso and coconut. And they are the perfect thing on this chilly and blustery Friday afternoon. Time for some hot chocolate to go with them too!