Recently, I was digging through old posts when it occurred to me that I used to do a lot more baking. I can’t put my finger on why I stopped baking so much. Maybe it’s because the kids got a little older. Maybe it’s because I need to devote more time to work. Maybe it’s because I thought the baked goods were hurting my waistline. Really, it could be any of these things. But realizing that I am baking less was a little sad for me. I love having homemade treats for the kids when they get home from school.

So yesterday, with a mere 40 minutes before school pick up time, I tossed together these easy, fast cookie bars. They came out of the oven just in time for me to run to school — good timing, right?

These cookie bars are soft, chewy and so buttery. The ribbon of sweet chocolate runs through them, giving every bite a satisfying richness. Really, every bite is just bursting with smooth chocolate. How can you go wrong with semi-sweet, white and dark chocolate all mixed together? You just can’t.

And the leftovers? Perfect for an easy lunchbox treat today. Hope Will loved it.

Do you bake often?

Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars
yields 12 bars

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
3 oz dark chocolate bar, broken into pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed with the paddle attachment until it’s uniformly brown and grainy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well on medium speed to combine (about 1 minute).

Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. With the stand mixer running on low, add a little at a time to the butter mixture until just incorporated. Add all the chocolate and mix briefly to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread out into one even layer as best you can — don’t worry if it doesn’t quite reach end to end though. The batter will spread while cooking.

Bake for 23-27 minutes, until golden. Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting into 12 bars. Enjoy!

With the risk of sounding like a broken record, this holiday season arrived so fast and has scurried along with unbelievable speed. I keep talking about it because it’s so true — the sprint from Thanksgiving to Christmas happened so incredibly fast. And I know I’m not alone in feeling this way. Other moms and I have chatted about this while volunteering at school, waiting in the grocery store checkout line and more.

I’m really not sure I am ready for it to be Christmas yet. Last night we finally decorated our Christmas tree, bought earlier this week. Today I will finally start wrapping presents, which I am excited to do. While I’m not really ready, Christmas is practically here. Good thing I devoted some time to baking treats last weekend — we were able to gift some to friends, family, teachers and other important folks.

I really like giving a homemade component with gifts and am glad that I could even with our hectic and frantic schedule this year. Homemade gifts are something from the heart – something we’ve personally made with love and care. I hope others receive it as such.

While some treats take patience and time to make, not all do. And that’s a good thing. This treat — Peppermint Bark Popcorn — falls into that ridiculously easy category that I love. In just a few really easy and simple steps, you transform plain popped popcorn into a surprising and a little unusual sweet treat. It takes about 10 minutes active time, including popping the corn. That’s it. With hardening time, it’s about an hour or so (especially if your house is chilly like mine).

Start with four easy ingredients: popcorn, two types of chocolate and candy canes.

Spread plain popped popcorn out on a baking sheet into a single layer so that you can get the chocolate all over every piece. Then melt and drizzle the dark chocolate followed by the white chocolate. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Let the chocolate cool and harden and you are done. Easy peasy … right?

This is great for packing up and gifting. I love doing it in little (or bigger) treat bags. Be sure to label it so folks know what they’re getting too.

Peppermint Bark Popcorn
serves 8

8 cups freshly popped plain popcorn
4 oz 60% cacao dark chocolate
3-4 oz white chocolate
2 candy canes, crushed

Line a large baking sheet with waxed paper. Spread out the popcorn on the baking sheet into one single layer.

Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl using this method: break the chocolate into pieces and place in the bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds. Stir. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat if necessary, microwaving for 30 seconds and stirring until the chocolate is smooth. DO NOT overcook.

Drizzle the chocolate all over the popcorn, taking care to get it on each piece (but don’t be fussy about it — just let it drip and drizzle).

Melt the white chocolate in a second microwave-safe bowl, following the same process as you did for the dark chocolate. Drizzle all over the popcorn, taking care to get it on all the pieces.

Sprinkle the crushed peppermint all over the popcorn.

Allow the chocolate to cool and harden. Then package the popcorn as desired. This is perfect for gifting or for a holiday treat.

The place you come from can be a special thing. For some, it’s that one house in that one town where you lived everyday until you moved away for college. For others, it’s that area that you called home during the most loved moments of your childhood. For me, home is New York where I grew up and went to college. No matter how long I live elsewhere, my heart belongs to New York.

But if I am going to be honest with myself, I am a New Englander too. I’ve now lived in Connecticut for a little more than a decade and I also spent summers here as a child. It might not have my heart, but New England is home.

What I am not is a Southern girl, which is a whole other breed of woman. Honestly, I am a little jealous of the Southern pride that’s led to the proliferation of Southern cooking shows, books and magazines. The Southern cuisine is so different than what I grew up with, and is pretty special.

But so is the cuisine of New England. You don’t hear about it much, but New England has a delicious and distinctive way of cooking that’s pure comfort to a Northern girl like me. That’s why I’m going to be writing more about the food of New England in the new year. Between vintage cookbooks and my family’s own private recipes, I have a lot to share and can’t wait to turn you onto New England’s cuisine — if you aren’t already into it. Don’t worry — it won’t be every day. Just bits of New England food here and there.

But for now, I have a vintage Southern recipe to share. Hey, Southern cooking is rather good too.

A few weeks back, I bookmarked (like literal, physical bookmark) a recipe in a vintage cooking pamphlet for something called Chess Bars. Honestly, I’ve never had a Chess Bar before — and if not for being asked if I could make a Chess Pie last year (I had to decline, since I had no idea what that was), I’ve never really heard of it before either. But this recipe in the Occident/King Midas 117 Bar Cookie Recipes No. 2 Recipe Book just spoke to me. I had to try it.

These are super easy to make. You start by making an egg-free cookie crust that reminds me of shortbread. I just whipped that together in the food processor.

Then you press it into a pan and bake partially bake it.

Next, you mix together the topping and pour it on. Then you bake it again until it’s set. Basically, the topping shouldn’t jiggle when you jostle the pan.

Let it cool fully, then cut it into squares and enjoy.

These make a great dessert and are perfect for a last minute holiday treat since you probably have all the ingredients in the pantry. Enjoy!

P.S. Check back later for a special bonus Eat. Live. Be. Reboot post. I had to postpone it last night, but I am not skipping out on my commitment.

Chess Bars
yields 16 bars

Recipe from Occident/King Midas 117 Bar Cookie Recipes No. 2 Recipe Book

Base:

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

Topping:

1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the ingredients for the base in the bowl of a food processor and process together. The mixture should be crumbly. Press into an ungreased 9×9 baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove from the oven.

Combine the ingredients for the topping in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium until well combined. Pour onto the base.  Return to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into 16 small squares.

Cover and store in an airtight container (such as the pan with a lid) for up to a week.

Right now, I am sitting in a Starbucks, sipping a Venti Nonfat Peppermint White Mocha and praying I can finish this blog post and hit publish in the next six minutes — before I have to dash out of here and head back to get my daughter from ballet so we can head to my son’s school for his winter concert. It’ll be the second winter concert we’ve attended today, the first being my daughter’s this morning, and the third time I’ve been to the school today.

It’s that kind of day. And let me tell you, these biscotti — they are not for making on a day like today. While they aren’t hard to make, they do take some time and a little patience. And a dash of ends-justifies-the-means. Save this one for later this week, when you have a little time to spare — it’s totally worth making.

This biscotti is filled with chocolate (my favorite kind!) and has a light hint of coconut — it’s really subtle. These bake up perfectly crisp and are fabulous dipped in a cup of fresh, strong coffee.

You start by mixing up all the dry ingredients. Just stir them all together in a bowl. It’s really that simple.

Then you whisk together the wet ingredients and add them to the dry ones. Don’t be fussy about it — just pour it all in.

When you stir it together, it will look all crumbly — like it couldn’t possibly form a dough, let alone make those fabulous slices of crisp biscotti. Don’t worry. It will. This is the point where you turn the dough out on a floured board and knead it like crazy for two minutes or so.

Once it’s all kneaded, you form a log. I did it on the cutting board this time, but generally, it’s easier to do this directly on the baking sheet. Which ever way you do it, the next step is to pat it into a 1-inch-thick log that’s sort of rectangular shaped.

Then you bake it. This is what it looks like after the first bake. After this, you cut it into 1/2-inch slices and rebake it. Twice (once for each side of the slice.). Then it’s done. Well, once it’s cooled it is. You know what I mean.

These are perfect for packing up with a coffee gift card for teacher’s gifts. It’s what all of Paige and Will’s teacher’s got this holiday.

Or you could just eat them yourself with a cup of coffee. It’s a fabulous breakfast.

Now, I am off and running.

Double Chocolate Coconut Biscotti
yields about 2 dozen pieces

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 egg white (from a large egg)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, semisweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and coconut. In a smaller bowl, beat together the vanilla extract, eggs and egg white until well combined.

Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until it’s mostly combined. The dough will be crumbly and not come together at all.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead the dough with floured hands until it forms a mostly smooth ball.

Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and pat into a 1-inch thick piece, pushing the ends in until the dough is rectangular in shape.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and transfer the log to a cutting board. Cut the biscotti into 1/2 inch slices (it helps to score it with a serrated knife and then cut with an extra-sharp knife straight down). Place the slices on a parchment lined baking sheet. It’s okay if they touch.

Bake for 10 minutes. Flip all the slices and then bake for another 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to fully cool. The biscotti hardens as it cools.

Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Back in November, I told myself that this would be the holiday season where I went back to my old ways of baking a ton of deliciousness and giving it to family and friends. Then I woke up one day and it was ten days until Christmas … well, not really, but it sure felt that way.

I had a choice: I could do a little baking (I’ve been doing a little baking all along, but not much) and just forget about it. Or, I could get off my tush (yes, I said tush) and do something about it. I opted for the latter. So this past weekend, I whipped up dozens of confections and packed them up for gifting. It was a blur of mixers, baking sheets and lots of butter. And you know what? It was so, so worth it.

I love baking for others, especially around the holidays.

This week is all about the holiday treats here at Sarah’s Cucina Bella. And to kick it all off, I just had to share this recipe from Food Network Magazine’s December 2011 issue.

I made just a few changes — first, I used a medium cookie scoop to scoop out the dough, ensuring that I got a perfect 1 1/2 tablespoon ball every time. The recipe called for a scant tablespoon, but I really liked the slightly larger size. I also didn’t add the center — the Candy Cane Hershey Kiss — until after the cookies were baked. I wanted it to maintain it’s shape without any melting or browning. Oh, and adding that Candy Cane Hershey Kiss? Totally my idea.

These cookies are a rich, dense, chocolatey confection, almost brownie-like. The sugary coating gives them this fabulous coolness that almost mimics the minty center. I can’t tell you how many compliments I got on these. This recipe is a definite keeper.

Making these is pretty simple — though it does have a chill step. You start by sifting the dry ingredients and then mixing in the wet ones. The dough will be crumbly and seem like it will never come together. That’s when (and this is a step I added), you mix it by hand until it’s smooth and in a ball. Then the dough is chilled for 30 minutes.

Next, you scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoon balls of dough (with a cookie scoop, of course) and lightly roll them in your hands. Then you dip them first into granulated sugar then into confectioners’ sugar.

Arrange the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then you press each one down at the center with your thumb. Then they bake.

Finally, you press a Candy Cane Hershey’s Kiss into the center and let them cool completely. Oh, the deliciousness.

What’s the best thing you’ve made this holiday season?

Cocoa Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies
yields about 20
adapted very slightly from Food Network Magazine, December 2011

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup (for rolling)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
20 unwrapped Hershey Kisses, Candy Cane variety

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Pour in the butter and eggs and stir to moisten and combine. When it gets all crumbly and uncooperative, use clean hands to knead the cookie dough together until it forms one smooth ball. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a bowl and the confectioners’ sugar in a second bowl.

Using a medium cookie scoop (1 1/2 tbsp size) to scoop out balls of dough. Roll each first in the granulated sugar and then in the confectioners’ sugar. Arrange on the baking sheet leaving 1-inch between each ball. Once all the balls are rolled out, press down in the center with your thumb to flatten and leave about a 1/2-inch indent.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and cracked. Remove from the oven and immediately press one Candy Cane Hershey Kiss into the center of each cookie. Let cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy.

Still, despite one attempt at putting it in a cake (it was okay, but not good enough for the blog), I have largely skipped over the chocolate cake + peppermint variation. Until now, that is.

Meet Chocolate Peppermint Cake in a Jar. It’s a moist, airy cake with a secret layer of peppermint cream near the bottom. And it’s topped with a rich dark chocolate ganache and a sprinkle of crushed candy cane.  And yes, it’s absolutely delicious. If you love these flavors, you will be in heaven with this cake.

Creating this recipe so that it was just right was a challenge. There was a moment earlier this week where I thought it might defeat me. I couldn’t get the peppermint center to behave. It kept melting to the bottom, leaving a flavorful cake that was good, until you got to the bottom where it was too stuck to the jar to enjoy. In the end, I found that the peppermint patty wants to be toward the bottom no matter what — but by freezing it and adding it frozen to the cake (and carefully timing it), the peppermint layer remains in tact … a super surprise as you reach the end of eating.

This recipe is adapted heavily from one for a chocolate mayonnaise cake that a former coworker gave to me after I had a disastrous time making chocolate cupcakes from scratch. I have no idea where the original came from. The mayonnaise is such an interesting addition, lending moisture without density to this cake. You won’t taste it in there, but the addition of mayo does a little magic.

Make it. It’s worth it.

You start by beating together eggs, sugar and vanilla until it’s creamy. Then you add the mayo. And a tiny bit of oil.

Then you sift together the dry ingredients. I always sift using a wire whisk. It makes it so easy. Once that’s done, you mix it all together and start filling the jars.

If you happen to have a canning funnel, this is a great time to break it out. It makes jar filling so much easier.

Once the jars are about half-full, place a frozen York Peppermint Patty gently in each jar. The frozen part is really important — if the candy is at room temperature, it will melt into the bottom of the cake, making a hard to scoop mess. But when it’s frozen, it remains in tact … a delicious finish to the cake.

Cover the peppermint patty with more batter so that it’s completely submerged.

Bake them, and then cover them all in chocolate ganache. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Then you have a delicious dessert perfect for the holidays. You could cover these and gift them … or serve them at a party. The single serve portion is perfect since you don’t have to worry about cutting pieces or ensuring there’s enough for everyone.

Also, Hellmann’s is generously sponsoring a holiday giveaway here on Sarah’s Cucina Bella of a KitchenAid Pro 450 Series 4-1/2-Quart Stand Mixer in Empire Red, perfect for making awesome holiday treats and snacks — like this cake. Scroll all the way down to the end of this post to learn how to enter.

Chocolate Peppermint Cake in a Jar
yields 6 cakes

Cake:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup mayonnaise (recommended: Hellmann’s mayonnaise)
1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup water
6 miniature York Peppermint Patties, frozen

Topping:
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1 candy cane, crushed

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Set six half-pint jelly jars on a baking sheet.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla on high for 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the mayonnaise, beating until combined. Add the canola oil and beat on medium until fully incorporated (about 30 seconds).

Remove the whisk attachment from the stand mixer and fit it with the paddle attachment. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

With the stand mixer running on low, add a little of the flour mixture at a time, alternating with the water. Until just mixed (do not over mix!).

Now that the batter is ready, it’s time to fill the jars. If you have a canning funnel (it has a big mouth for easy pouring), then I totally recommend you use it. Fill the jars about 1/2 way with the cake batter. Then get out your frozen peppermint patties, unwrap them and place one on each cake, taking care not to let it touch the sides. Then, cover the peppermint patties with the remainder of the batter, dividing it evenly among the six jars.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Once the cakes are cool, it’s time to make the ganache. Heat the heavy cream in a small sauce pan until just before boiling. Remove from the heat, stir in the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Stir again, vigorously, until smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly.

Pour the chocolate ganache over all the cakes, dividing it evenly among them. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the chocolate. Then devour.

Making these ahead? Don’t add the crushed candy canes to the top of the cakes until just before serving.

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KitchenAid Pro 450 Series 4-1/2-Quart Stand Mixer Giveaway (Sponsored by Hellmann’s)

Hellmann’s has generously agreed to give one lucky reader of Sarah’s Cucina Bella a KitchenAid Pro 450 Series 4-1/2-Quart Stand Mixer. I am so excited for one of you to have this awesome mixer. The Empire Red color (I have the Artisan mixer in Empire Red) is such a vibrant and energizing color. It’s perfect for all your baking needs.

Update: This giveaway has ended.

The random number generator at Random.org selected comment #3 as the winner. Congrats to Tiffiny Palm! I will be contacting you shortly via email.

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Disclosure: The giveaway is being provided by Hellmann’s because of my involvement in their Real Foodies program. I have not been compensated in any way for writing this post. Also, all opinions are my own.

This tiny heart-shaped cracker? It’s for you. And for my kids. And for my family. And for my dear friends who amaze me with their kindness, generosity and willingness to go above and beyond. It’s for those bleak moments made better by a kind word or a thoughtful gesture. It’s for everyday reminders that you love and are loved.

Paige and I made these Easy Cocoa Crackers this afternoon. It was spontaneous — something that sprang from an assignment I was working on. Originally, we were going to head out to the store, but something made me slow down and re-plan my afternoon so that we could spend it in the kitchen instead. I’m glad we did.

To make these crackers, you need these little cookie cutters (you can find them at Michael’s, Williams-Sonoma, etc) that are about 1-inch. They’re perfect for so many things like cutting out shaped bits of cheese, sausage and sandwiches or making fancy little butter pats.

They are also perfect for little hands to use to cut out these itty bitty crackers from pie crust dough. It’s such a simple and easy thing to do, which makes these absolutely perfect for a cooking with kids project. Paige cut out many of the crackers herself, carefully pressing the cutter into the dough and then pulling the dough away for me to place onto the prepared cookie sheet. Love the teamwork in cooking.

Once the dough is all cut, you place the pieces onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. They don’t spread, so you can place them pretty close together without worries. And if you are out of parchment, nonstick aluminum foil works too. Finally, you spray them with cooking oil spray and season them. We used hot cocoa mix, which gave them a subtly sweet flavor that everyone raved about.

And Paige? She was so happy and proud to have made these. She couldn’t wait to share some with Will for his afterschool snack. Amazing how little things can really mean so much … isn’t it?

PS: Head over to my lifestyle blog, Sassy Closet, to check out my post on a fresh idea for hostess gifts this season (and the new Verdi Olives). There’s also a $50 Costco Cash Gift Card giveaway going on there, so enter that as well!

Easy Cocoa Crackers
serves 8

1 Pillsbury Pie Crust
cooking oil spray
1 packet hot cocoa mix

Allow the pie crust to soften a room temperature for 30 minutes.

Once the pie crust has softened up, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (out of parchment? Nonstick aluminum foil works too).

Unroll the pie crust onto a cutting board. Using mini cookie cutters (about 1″ large), cut the dough into shapes and place them all on the prepared cookie sheet. They can be super close together but shouldn’t touch.

Once all the crust is used, spray the cut shapes quickly with cooking oil spray. Then sprinkle the dough with cocoa mix. I use a couple of pinches per cracker.

Slide the baking sheet into the oven and cook for 6-7 minutes until the crackers are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before handling. Eat immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

When Will and Paige tried these cookies, it was supposed to be a single cookie for dessert one evening. But then Will finished his and looked wistfully at the other cookies sitting on the table. I saw him, but didn’t let on. Then he made his eyes big as saucers and wildly licked his lips. When neither wistful nor obviously wanting worked, he finally said,”Mommy, can I have one more?”

I said yes. It was just so cute.

These Chocolate Pretzel Cookies are crisp rounds of sugar cookie, dusted with pretzels and drizzled with sweet milk chocolate. It ends up with this amazing texture.  And the flavor? It’s divine — a little savory, a hint of salty and perfectly sweet. No wonder Will wanted seconds so much.

General Mills recently contacted me about creating a holiday cookie recipe using their chubs cookie dough (apparently the official name for the rolls of dough is “chub” – who knew?). This idea came to me right away since it combines some favorites: chocolate covered pretzels and cookies in an all-new and delicious way. Also, this is a super easy recipe that only requires three ingredients — perfect for whipping up at the last minute, or just because.

To make these cookies, you start by scooping out balls of dough using a medium cookie scoop. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, I highly recommend getting one. It makes cookie making a breeze.

Once you have your dough balls, you roll them in crushed pretzels, coating them all over.

Then you arrange the cookies on a baking sheet, leaving at least two inches between them. This is important because these cookies will spread a lot as they cook. Bake ‘em up and let them cool on a wire rack.

Set the wire rack on a baking sheet lined with something like waxed paper or aluminum foil. This will make cleanup so simple.

Drizzle the cookies with melted milk chocolate. I use a spoon and carefully drizzle it onto all the cookies. Once the chocolate hardens, they are ready to devour.

See, I told you! Ultra simple.

Chocolate Pretzel Cookies
yields about 14 cookies

1 tube Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough
1 cup crushed pretzels
3 oz milk chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Using a 1-1/2 tablespoon (medium) cookie scoop, scoop out 18 balls of sugar cookie dough from the tube. Roll each ball in the crushed pretzels and then place on the prepared cookie sheet, leaving 3-inches between them. Continue until all the dough has been used (additional cookie sheets or multiple batches will be necessary).

Slide the cookies into the oven, taking care not to overcrowd it. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Allow the cookies to completely cool before transferring them to a wire rack. Set the wire rack on top of a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.

Break the chocolate into pieces and microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until fully melted and smooth. Drizzle all the cookies with chocolate. Let harden before serving.

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Disclosure: I am being compensated by General Mills and Pillsbury for my time in creating this recipe and blog post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Growing up, I was always taught that when invited to someone’s house, you should never show up empty handed. It’s good manners, and a way to show gratitude. When I was a child, my grandmother and I would stop at a certain little family-owned bakery to pick up something to take when we visited my cousins. It was just something that I knew you had to do.

I can’t say that I’ve always been perfect at following this rule. I wish I could. What I can say is that the older I get, the harder I try to always arrive with something — small or big. It’s something that I am trying to teach my kids too.

When Will was invited over to his friend’s house this weekend while Paige and I went to a birthday party, I knew I wanted to bring something. But as much as I love a good batch of cookies, I just didn’t have it in me to whip up a batch. I needed a simple, fast and easy recipe that would be fun but not bad for you.

Suddenly it hit me: mini chocolate covered pretzels using leftover candy melts, old fashioned dipping stick pretzels and sprinkles.

This is a great way to use up leftover candy melts, if you have them in your cupboard. I had half a bag of these bright leafy green ones, which were perfect for making a funky snack for my son and his friend. I used coordinating dolphin sprinkles with them too to give the pretzels a little element of fun. If you don’t have candy melts, any chocolate will do.

First, you melt the candy melts or chocolate. This is a cinch to do in the microwave. You just nuke the chocolate for 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until its totally melted and stirred smooth.

Then you dip the pretzels. If you want the chocolate to reach up higher on the pretzels, use a rubber spatula to nudge it up.

Finally, you sprinkle ‘em with sprinkles. Whatever you have will do — rainbow, chocolate shots, butterflies.

Let them cool on a tray (in the fridge for a faster cooling period) and they are ready to enjoy. All in all, this is a 40 minute snack — with just 10 minutes hands on (at most!). Not bad, right?

Do you make a point to show up with a little something when you are going to someone’s house?

Playdate Pretzels
yield varies

chocolate candy melts (available at craft stores)
dipping stick pretzels (short rods)
sprinkles

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Set aside.

Put the candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until melted and smooth.

Dip each of the pretzels into the melted candy melts. If necessary, use a rubber spatula to push the chocolate up the pretzels. Lay each one on the baking sheet. Once you’ve dipped all the pretzels you plan to do (Be quick! Time is of the essence here), sprinkle liberally with sprinkles of your choice.

Let the chocolate fully harden before serving. For quick hardening, stick the tray in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

This morning, all I could think of was homemade cookies. All that time without power has sent me head first back into the kitchen — a good thing, no doubt. But I’ve also been busy with work, making sure that all my proverbial balls remained in the air throughout. So it was late afternoon before I finally cleaned out  my stand mixer bowl (banana pancakes were this morning’s breakfast for our extended family who arrived bright and early for a shower) and set out to bake a batch of cookies.

The flavor combination – Dark Chocolate Coconut Shortbread – is something my friend Rhian and I came up with this afternoon while chatting on Google Talk. She loves food as much as I do and is awesome about dreaming up flavors with me. I may just have to send her some now … or bribe her to make a visit with promises of homemade baked goods (I like the second idea better, personally). All it took was a mention that I really wanted to make cookies, and she was shooting out ideas and mere minutes later, I had a recipe in mind.

Oh, Dark Chocolate Coconut Shortbread Cookies … they are mouthwatering. The cookies have a buttery shortbread base that’s best eaten cooled. The texture is crumbly, but the cookies don’t break apart into bits (in other words, they don’t make a mess). Dotted with sweet bits of dark chocolate and coconut, every bite is a little different … a happy surprise. And since they aren’t overly sweet, Paige loved them as much as Will and I did. That’s a feat in itself.

The shortbread recipe is the same one that I use for my Shortbread Candy Cookies. It’s a tried and true that adapted easily for this recipe. If you make these, they are awesome with coffee – and don’t be shy about dipping. It’s totally worth it.

The trick to getting these into perfect little rounds is simple: You use a cookie scoop to drop the dough onto a cookie sheet. Then you simply press them into a circle with your hand … or a spoon if you prefer. Then they cook evenly. And since they are all the same size and shape, they are easy to wrap up for gifting too. (It’s not too early to think about your holiday cookie baskets!)

One last thing, completely unrelated to the cookies … Will was asking about my work today — about the recipes I create and how people read them. So I told him a little about my blog, something that he’s always known about but we’ve never really talked about. When he heard that certain friends and family members are among the readers, he insisted that he and Paige make an appearance today to say hi. I thought it was sweet.

What’s your favorite cookie combination?

Dark Chocolate Coconut Shortbread Cookies
yields about 30 cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Add the butter and vanilla extract to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together until smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together confectioners sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Add the sugar mixture to the butter mixture slowly, by the spoonful, with the mixer running on low. Fold in the coconut and the dark chocolate chips.

Use a small cookie scoop (or ice cream scoop) to drop the cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving about two inches between each ball. Press each one down gently with your hand or a spoon to make an even-height cookie round. Cook in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes.

Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to four days.