Nutella Virgin

How is it that I have gone 22 years without ever experiencing the pure deliciousness of Nutella??? This chocolaty gift from the heavens is just...whoa. Just, mmm....

I've enjoyed my Nutella on a pretzel stick, toast, spoon, my finger. You get the idea. I think, nay, I know I could eat an entire jar in one setting (though I advise no one do, let alone attempt).

I spent an afternoon surfing the net, trying to find Nutella recipes and I stumbled on this. That's right, World Nutella Day. Keep February 5th clear, so you can devour and enjoy all things Nutella. We're talking breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The cookie recipe I found is a clear winner. They're like Nutella turnovers. So cute. So good.


And you can make them even more delicious.

Of course I would add peanut butter, because it makes up more than half of my weekly diet, but oh man, with pb their delicious factor is kicked up 10 notches.

Nutella Pocket Cookies
adapted from The Art of Two Tarts
makes about 4 dozen

1 cup unsalted butter, softened plus 2 more tablespoons, melted.

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar plus 1\4 cup for sprinkling

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups Nutella

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the 1 cup of butter, cream cheese, and 1 cup sugar until smooth, light, and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Gradually add the flour to the creamed mixture and mix well. Divide the dough into two portions; cover and refrigerate until the dough is firm and easy to handle. An hour should be good enough.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove one portion of dough from the refrigerator. On a floured surface, roll out one portion of dough until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Using a circle cookie cutter that is approximately 3 inches in diameter, cut circles out of the dough and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat this with the rest of the dough.

Place approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons of Nutella on the center of each circle. Fold each circle in half so that the edges meet and lightly press the edges to seal. With a fork, seal the edges more securely. Lightly brush melted butter on the tops and sprinkle with sugar. Bake the cookies for 10 – 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for 2 – 3 minutes before removing them to wire racks to cool.

Fact: Someone Made Me Cookies

That's right, someone made me cookies. This time I wasn't the one creaming the butter and sugar, preheating the oven, and washing the dishes.

It was pretty awesome. And the cookies?? They were pretty awesome, too. Not only was I given homemade cookies, I was also given two kinds of cookies. Oh, yes, variety.

The first cookie was this nice, coconut cookie.


Chewy, full of shredded coconut, these cookies were quite delectable.

The second cookie was this baby right here and my fave of the two.


A dense, chocolate cookie loaded with chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Why, hello winning combination. I even got one warm, fresh out of the oven. Mmm....

Shout out to Derek for making these cookies. Well done, sir! I'll get the recipes from him and put 'em up here ASAP, cause seriously you need to make them, give them to someone and make their day. :)

A Different Kind of Road Trip

Do you ever have days where you feel like dropping everything, getting in your car and just hitting the road? You don't have a destination in mind, you just know you're going to keep driving til you run out of gas or your parents send a search party after you.

I have this thought quite often. Too often. It's not like I'm running away from anything, I just feel like getting away by myself with no distractions or responsibilities on my mind. Something about it is so therapeutic and soothing. Just me, my car, my tunes, no plans and a stretch of highway in front of me, going wherever the road takes me.

I still have yet to go through with this spontaneous road trip, but it'll happen. And I'll make sure to have about 4 dozen of these cookies on hand, cause a girl cannot live on gas station food alone. ;)

So out of all the cookies I've made lately, these have probably been the biggest hit with the friends. Chocolate cookies with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, who wouldn't love them? The original recipe calls for White Chocolate Reese's Cups, but my grocery store apparently doesn't carry them, so I went with the original. Still delicious.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
adapted from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen
makes about 3 dozen

1 1/4 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
20 oz. bag of Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until completely mixed in. Add vanilla and mix until blended.

In separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter/sugar mixture and mix on low speed until well blended. Fold in chopped peanut butter cups.

Drop by tablespoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes. Cookies should be done when edges are set. They will continue to bake a bit as they cool. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then to transfer to cooling rack.

The Weekend To-Do

This past weekend's to-do:

Fill out time card at work- ✓

Anxiously await younger sister's arrival- ✓

Eat Chipotle burrito- ✓

Stay up late with younger sister- ✓

Watch younger sister get asked how old she was by creeper next door- ✓ (and 17, btw, creep)

Go shopping with younger sister- ✓

Buy some killer, new boots- ✓

Eat, yet another burrito- ✓

Watch movie suggested by older brother, with younger sister- ✓

Decide said movie was STUPID- ✓ (sorry, older brother)

Make up stupid movie by watching Cool Runnings- ✓ (Sanka, you dead? Ya, mon.)

Say good-bye to younger sister and send her back home- ✓

Make these fabulous cookies and devour- ✓


Have a super, fun, Halloween weekend- ✓



Pumpkin Cookies
adapted by Joy the Baker

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. canola or corn oil
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. butterscotch chips

Position a rack in the middle of the oven . Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and butter the paper.
Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the chips.
Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. You could also simply use a 1/4-cup measuring cup if you don’t have a scoop. Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 16 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Can dust cooled cookies with powdered sugar, if desired. The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Good Mornin', Good Mornin' to You

Can I be honest about something? Pinky-promise you won't judge me?

I love mornings. (GASP!) They are probably my favorite time of the day. Birds chirping, sun rising up, the day waking up, getting ready to go. I love it.

You know why else I love mornings?? BREAKFAST. How convenient is it, that my favorite meal of the day is served at my favorite time of the day?

Thursday mornings have become one of my favorites this semester. Every Thursday my roommates, a few friends and I wake up bright and early for prayer at 7:00a.m. We spend about 45 minutes, talking to the Big Guy, praying for each other, campus, the world, whatever is on our hearts that morning. For me, it really is a great way to start off the day ahead of me. After praying, we do what we always seem to do, EAT. I am in charge of what will be for breakfast that morning. We started off the semester doing pancakes, but one morning I switched things up.

We had these bad boys...


and they were a hit...


and became a favorite.


And they are super S-I-M-P-L-E to make. Canned biscuits+melted butter+cinnamon/sugar=pure breakfast bliss.

My mom used to make these for my siblings and I all the time when we were growing up, so I give her all the credit for these delicious, warm, cinnamony gifts from the heavens.

Carla's Cinnamon Biscuits with Frosting
1 can biscuits (flaky)
1/2 stick of melted butter
3/4 c. sugar (can also use brown sugar)
1-1 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 can white frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cinnamon and sugar. Dip biscuit in melted butter, covering whole biscuit. Then coat biscuit in cinnamon/sugar mixture, making sure to cover entire biscuit. Place biscuits in pie pan and cook for 17-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cover biscuits with frosting (for easier spreading, melt frosting in microwave for 30 seconds). Serve warm and enjoy! And I dare you, no, double-dog dare you to try and eat just one. Friends, it is impossible. ;)

An Adventure to the Pumpkin Patch

You've probably realized that there has been an influx of pumpkin related postings. I am sorry.

Ok, I'm totally not. It's fall and pumpkins are abundant. And besides, baking in the fall season without pumpkin anything, is against the law, baking law. So here you go, more pumpkins! Woo!

Lets start this post with a trip I took yesterday with some friends to a local pumpkin patch.

It was pretty fun, but hella expensive. They know how to make you spend your moola. (I can't fathom how much this little excursion would cost for a family of four. Mother-"Ok kids, start scrounging up every penny, nickel, dime, quarter you can." Kid-"Disneyworld!?" Mother-"Pumpkin patch.") You get my drift...

But nonetheless, it was a good time.

We spent the day looking at pumpkins (haha, obviously, Allison)...

Pet some goats...

Shot mini pumpkins...with excellent aim, I must say...

Went through a "haunted barn"...

(My friend One, was terrified.)

Got lost in a corn maize...

And of course, we ate.

And above all else, made some gosh darn memories.

You're craving something pumpkin, right now, I just know it. ;)


These Pumpkin Cream Cheese muffins will take care of said craving, straight up. Pumpkin, cream cheese, streusel topping, what more do I need to say?! Stop reading! Go make some!


Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
adapted from Annie's Eats
makes about 2 dozen

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
1¼ cups vegetable oil

For the topping:
½ cup sugar
5 tbsp. flour
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.

To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

Another Year Older, Another Year Wiser

Another year has come and gone and if I live to be in my 80s, a quarter of my life has passed. (Too morbid?) With 22 years under my belt, I feel like this is an opportune time to sit back and reflect on everything I have done, experienced, seen, people I have met and everything I have come to learn. Below is a list of 22 things I have learned and am still learning from.

22 Things I’ve Learned (about myself and life in general) the Last 22 Years….

-Facebook can be highly entertaining.

-Facebook can suck so much time out of your life and seriously hurt your GPA. (DAMN YOU!)

-As you get older you stop viewing your siblings as “siblings” but view them as friends and it’s totally awesome.

-Parents really do give great advice. LISTEN to them.

-Boys are dumb.

-Boys are sometimes really, really cute and sometimes smell really good, therefore making you forget how dumb they are. Oy vey.

-I can cry at the drop of a hat. (Whether that is watching my niece fall asleep or walking out of the theater after watching Marley and Me, looking at my sister and collapsing into each other sobbing hysterically.)

-I now appreciate my hometown and where I come from more than I ever have.

-Don’t judge. Ever. Don’t judge anyone, anything. Nine times out of ten you’re wrong.

-I can plan out every intricate detail of my life, but I’m never going to be in complete control of it.

-I change my mind about things. A lot.

-I have regrets, but I’ve learned so much about myself because of these regrets.

-I have been and will be disappointed by people.

-I have and will disappoint people.

-There are times where I feel like I can do anything. I am invincible.

-No one’s invincible.

-As much as I want to, I can't and won't please every, single person.

-Change isn't easy.

-Change can be unbelievably refreshing.

-High school was great, college is 20 times better.

-I do have a plan and purpose for my life.

-My life? Yeah, it's not about me.

Allison’s 22^nd Birthday Cake (Thanks Mom!)

Luscious Four-layer Pumpkin Cake

adapted from Kraft

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin, divided

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

4 eggs

1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

1/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp. spice in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round pans.

Bake 28 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.

Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with mixer until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and spice; mix well. Gently fold in COOL WHIP. Cut each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife; stack on serving plate, spreading cream cheese filling between layers. (Do not frost top layer.) Drizzle with caramel topping just before serving; top with nuts. Refrigerate leftovers.