Author Archives: Maurie Backman

Dec 11

Cinnamon Blondies

Now that we’re deep into the holiday season, I find myself gravitating toward flavors like gingerbread and cinnamon. So when I found myself craving blondies (’cause, you know, it had been a whole day or so since I’d had one), I decided to put a cinnamon-infused spin on a classic recipe.

These blondies are among the best I’ve ever eaten. You heard me correctly. I just love the simplicity of the cinnamon flavor, and the while chocolate adds a touch of (but not too much) sweetness. And the best part? These blondies are super easy to throw together. You don’t need any fancy tools – just a couple of bowls, a whisk, a spoon, and some willpower, ’cause let me tell you, while these babies are baking, your kitchen will smell fantastic.

cinblondies

Cinnamon Blondies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup cinnamon baking chips (Hershey’s makes these)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and egg. Stir in the vanilla.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until well-combined. Stir in cinnamon and white chocolate chips, reserving a small amount of each to sprinkle on top if desired.
  5. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the blondies cool in the pan (at least one hour) before slicing and serving.
Dec 9

Rolo-Stuffed Brownies

I love brownies for a number of reasons, one of which is the fact that they’re just so easy to whip up. I was having company yesterday and needed something quick to throw together. Enter these brownies. I used my go-to brownie recipe but decided to throw in some chopped Rolo candies for added flavor. I love the way the caramel melts into the brownies during the baking process. Of course, you really could substitute any other candy and these would still come out great. Next time around I may opt to chop up some Heath bars for a toffee-flavored spin.

Rolo-Stuffed Brownies

rolobrownies

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup Rolos, chopped (I cut each individual Rolo candy into 4 pieces)

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.
  4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until well-combined; then stir in the chopped Rolos.
  5. Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the brownies cool in the pan for at least an hour before slicing and serving.
Dec 6

Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Looking for a fun and simple kid-friendly recipe? These gooey chocolate chip cookie bars easily fit the bill.

The great thing about this recipe is that it gives you a huge batch of cookie bars with minimal work. If you have a stand mixer, the dough is really a snap. And because these babies are really sweet, you can cut them into small pieces and serve a decent-sized crowd.

gooeyccbars

Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Recipe from RecipeGirl

Ingredients:

For the filling:

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the cookie dough:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper, allowing enough overhang to lift the bars from the pan.
  2. Prepare the filling by placing the chocolate chips and condensed milk in a small saucepan over the lowest possible heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture has thickened. Turn off the heat, add the vanilla, and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  3. Prepare the cookie dough by combining the butter and sugars in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla, and beat well.
  4. Whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add to the butter mixture and beat until well-incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in chocolate chips.
  5. Pour half of the cookie dough into your prepared pan. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the dough and then add small dollops of the remaining cookie dough on top. Don’t worry if the dollops don’t completely cover the chocolate mixture; just spread it together as much as you can, and let some chocolate peek through.
  6. Bake for about 25 minutes, at which point the tops should be lightly browned. (The toothpick method won’t really work here because the gooey chocolate layer will still come out pretty runny even once the bars are done.)
  7. Let the bars cool for at least two hours before cutting and serving. I recommend sticking them in the fridge for 30 minutes or so – they’ll be much easier to slice that way.

 

Dec 5

Blueberry Coffee Cake

During the summertime, I tend to go nuts over blueberries. I’ll eat them on their own or put them in muffins and crisps. And typically, I make this blueberry cake every summer – only this past summer I goofed and never got around to it. So to make up for that, I decided to add this fabulous cake to my Thanksgiving lineup.

This recipe is very easy to make, and you don’t even have to worry about blueberries being in season – frozen ones work just fine. You serve this cake for dessert or have it for breakfast. Or do both, like I tend to.

blueberrycoffeecake

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:

2 cups AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

For the topping:

1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup AP flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter or margarine

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round baking pan and set aside.
  2. To make the cake, cream together the butter/margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and milk.
  3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry mixture to wet, stirring thoroughly until well-combined.
  4. Fold in the blueberries.
  5. Pour the batter into your prepared pan.
  6. To make the topping, whisk together the sugars, flour, and cinnamon. Use a fork to cut in the butter/margarine until crumbs form.
  7. Sprinkle the topping over the batter – I find that it’s easiest to coat your fingers with some cooking spray and use your hands.
  8. Bake the cake for 45-55 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Let the cake cool in its pan before slicing and serving.
Dec 4

Smores Bars

I know a lot of people like to eat smores during the summer. But for me, smores are a cooler weather type of snack. Don’t ask me why. I served these bars at my Thanksgiving dinner, and everybody gobbled them up. I like them best when they’re slightly warmed but not super gooey (otherwise the filling starts to ooze out and get everywhere). And they’re great on their own or with some vanilla ice cream to top them off.

smoresbars

Smores Bars

Recipe from The Gingered Whisk

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 ounces chocolate, chopped (I used semisweet chocolate chips)
1 and 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. Cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet batter and mix well. Then divide the batter in half.
  4. Press half of the batter into the bottom of your pan.
  5. Spread the marshmallow fluff on top of the dough. This is easiest if you spray the spatula (or whatever utensil you’re using) with cooking spray.
  6. Spread the chocolate on top.
  7. Use your fingers to spread the remaining batter on top. (Coat your fingers with cooking spray to make this easier.)
  8. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Let the bars cool in the pan before slicing and serving.

 

 

 

Dec 2

Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan pie is one of those classic Thanksgiving desserts that never seems to go out of style. This dessert is basically the same concept, but in bar form. I forget where I got the original recipe from, but I’ve tweaked it slightly throughout the years to create a bar that’s just a bit less sweet than your typical pecan pie.

Preparing this dessert in bar form makes it easier to dish out when you’ve got a large crowd, as you don’t have to wait for the server to cut each slice individually. And while you do lose the elegance of presenting a whole pie, you don’t have to deal with the politics of who’s going to be first to cut into said pie. Plus, it’s easier to cut smaller portions when you’re working with bars, which is a good thing when you’re at Thanksgiving dinner and this dessert is only one of seven…

pecanbars

Pecan Pie Bars

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup light brown sugar

For the topping:

2 large eggs
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp AP flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup pecans, chopped

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×9 baking pan and set aside.
  2. To make the crust, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pecans in a small bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla.
  4. Pour the dry mixture into the wet and stir until it forms course crumbs. Press the mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Let the bottom layer cool for 10 minutes while you make the topping.
  5. To make the topping, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, flour, salt, and vanilla until well-combined.
  6. Pour the mixture over the crust, using a spatula as needed to spread evenly.
  7. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top of the bars.
  8. Bake for 27-32 minutes, or until the tops start to brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Let the bars cool in the pan completely (at least one hour, preferably two) before slicing and serving.
Dec 1

Corn Muffins

Corn muffins have been a staple at my Thanksgiving table for the past number of years. I always make too many for the actual meal, which means I have plenty of leftovers on hand for breakfast the following week.

This recipe is fairly simple and makes at least 24 muffins. Feel free to cut it in half if you don’t want that many.

cornmuffins

Corn Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups yellow cornmeal
2 cups AP flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cups milk (feel free to substitute with soy milk or non-dairy creamer for a dairy-free version)
4 large eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line two muffin pans with liners (the recipe will yield about 24 muffins).
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and pepper.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, oil, and honey.
  4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry mixture until just combined.
  5. Pour the batter into your prepared muffin pans and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops start to turn golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Let the muffins cool in the pans for 1-2 minutes and then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
Nov 30

Apple and Cranberry Crisp

This past Thursday was Thanksgiving, and I can’t even begin to describe the scene in our kitchen during the hours leading up to the big event. Let’s just say that my wonderful husband cooked up a storm while I baked my tail off to ensure that there’d be enough sweet stuff to go around. Naturally, I overdid it. We both did, to a certain extent – though on the plus side, having a ton of leftovers means I don’t have to cook for the rest of the week. Plus, as nice as it is to have our family over, there’s just something to be said about curling up on your couch in your pajamas and eating leftovers without having to worry about being the host. Yeah, that was us last night.

Anyway, needless to say I’ve got lots of catch-up to do on here, but I’ll start with one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes: apple and cranberry crisp. I’m a big fan of fruit crisps in general, and the apple-cranberry combination is no exception. I love the contrast of the tart cranberries and sweet apples. And when you help yourself to a generous plate of warm, fresh-from-the-oven apple and cranberry crisp and top it with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream, it just doesn’t get better than that.

cranapplecrisp

Apple and Cranberry Crisp

Ingredients:

For the fruit layer:

3 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small chunks
12 ounces cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons AP four
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp orange juice

For the topping:

6 tbsp cold butter, diced
2/3 cup AP flour
2/3 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup light brownsugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking pan and set aside.
  2. To make the fruit layer, simply combine all of the ingredients listed above, mix well, and let sit while you make the topping.
  3. To make the topping, whisk together the flour, oats, sugars, salt, and spices. Use a fork to cut in the butter so that thick crumbs form.
  4. Transfer the fruit layer into the prepared and pan and use your fingers to sprinkle the crumb topping over it. (To make this easier, try spraying your fingers with cooking spray.)
  5. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until the top is browned and the edges are bubbling.
  6. Let cool slightly before serving. Topping this dessert with vanilla ice cream is optional, but highly recommended.
Nov 25

Peanut Butter Blondies

Sometimes I just really find myself in the mood for peanut butter. Does that ever happen to you? And when I find myself craving peanut butter, it’s like there’s nothing else in the world that could possibly take its place.

I had one of these cravings sneak up on me the other day, and so I decided to whip up some easy peanut butter blondies. This recipe can be thrown together really quickly, and it’s one of those that you can seamlessly double to feed a larger crowd. I love the contrast of the crunchy peanuts and chocolate chips against the perfectly soft blondie base. And while milk chocolate chips worked great in the batch I made, next time I may go for dark chocolate for a slightly different taste. And yes, there will have to be a next time. These blondies are just that good.

pbblondies

Peanut Butter Blondies

Ingredients:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1/4 cup peanut butter (I used smooth but chunky will work as well)
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup peanuts (I used roasted), chopped
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar until well-combined.
  3. Beat in the egg (you can use a whisk or a fork for this) and vanilla; mix until well-incorporated.
  4. Stir in the flour and salt, mixing well.
  5. Stir in the peanuts, milk chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips.
  6. Pour your batter into the prepared pan and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Try to be careful not to overbake these – you want them nice and soft.
  7. Let the blondies cool in the pan (at least one hour) before slicing and serving.
Nov 24

Pumpkin Butterscotch Blondies

Okay folks, we’re just about reaching that point where even I’m ready to give the pumpkin thing a rest. This year I think I made almost every pumpkin treat imaginable, not to mention the many savory pumpkin dishes I’ve whipped up but haven’t written about.

Now when I say I’ll be taking a break from pumpkin, in reality we may be talking a week or two, tops. But still, to avoid separation anxiety, I decided to make one more batch of pumpkin deliciousness, this time in the form of butterscotch blondies.

As is the case with most blondie recipes, this one is really easy to put together, and it’s also a great way to use up any leftover canned pumpkin you might have. Unlike the pumpkin pecan bars I made a little while back, these blondies are much sweeter and definitely less suitable for breakfast (though I of course wouldn’t judge you if you were to have them with your morning coffee). And if you’re not a fan of butterscotch, you could easily substitute chocolate chips or even cinnamon chips, which are a little harder to find but work really well with the pumpkin base.

pumpbscotch

Pumpkin Butterscotch Blondies

Ingredients:

1 and 1/4 cups AP flour
1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugars until well-combined. Beat in the egg.
  4. Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until well-incorporated.
  5. Stir in the flour mixture until well-combined. Then, stir in the butterscotch and white chocolate chips, reserving a few to sprinkle on top.
  6. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Let the bars cool in the pan for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.