2. Today was my little sister’s 20th birthday. I’m getting old. And Mary, let’s celebrate your next birthday on the west coast. Deal?

3. Phones and birthdays aside, I’m feeling mighty blessed these days. The fact that I pulled off some legit gluten-free cupcakes this weekend didn’t hurt! I’ve eaten a lot of cupcakes and I’ll gladly sign my name to these bad boys. They are delicious. I did have some help from Bob here.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
Adapted from Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes

I used my favorite cream cheese frosting here, because I am mildly obsessed with it. Use your favorite frosting! I think a chocolate ganache would be great as well.

Makes about 30 cupcakes*

1 1/4 cups hot prepared coffee
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups gluten free flour mix (I used Bob’s Red Mill and highly recommend it)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup agave nectar
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups oil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine hot coffee, cocoa, and chocolate chips, and stir until completely combined. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, agave nectar, and eggs until thick and pale. Add the sour cream and oil, and carefully whisk until well incorporated. Gradually whisk the flour mixture into the egg mixture, mixing vigorously. Put some muscle into it! When the flour is completely incorporated, whisk in the coffee mixture.

Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling each muffin cup about 2/3 full. Bake about 20-25 minutes, until the tops spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes before transferring cupcakes directly to wire racks to cool completely. Decorate with frosting of your choice. Store cupcakes (in an airtight container) in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

*I actually made 24 cupcakes + 4 7-oz ramekins, but I’d imagine this translates to about 30 total cupcakes (give or take a couple).

I planned on making these at the end of last week…but I was never home long enough! Meringue cookies are so simple but they need some time. The egg whites need to sit out for a bit, and then they dry out slowly in the oven. They also DO NOT need 120% humidity, which means I needed a non-rainy day. Yesterday it all happened!

These lovely little cookies are so light and airy, with a little bit of extra chew from the Nutella. They aren’t quite as poofy and delicate as traditional meringue kisses — stirring in the Nutella can deflate the meringue a little. That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make!

Nutella Meringue Cookies
Tried and True Favorite Recipes

You can certainly opt to drop the batter onto the cookie sheets with spoons like a traditional drop cookie, but this is a great time to break out the pastry bag and REALLY look like you know what you’re doing. No one needs to know that the mixer and the star tip did all the heavy lifting!

Makes 20-25 cookies

3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Using a double boiler (or a microwave on half power stirring frequently), melt Nutella, then set aside to cool.

Using a mixer, beat egg whites until completely foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt, and continue to mix until soft peaks form.

Increase mixer speed, and add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat on high until the meringue forms stiff peaks.

With a rubber spatula, gently fold the Nutella into the meringue three or four times. Avoid over mising as variegated and swirled effect is desired. Over mixing may also deflate the meringue.

Using two spoons or a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, drop the meringue onto the baking sheets.

Bake for 10 minutes, rotate trays, and lower the heat to 200°F. Bake for another 40-45 minutes. Meringues should be completely dry, and will sound hollow tapped on the bottom after they cool.

I took them to work last Friday because if any day calls for peanut butter and chocolate, it’s Friday. And here you go! You have plenty of time to make some before Friday. Chances are you have some chocolate-hungry coworkers. Am I right?

Here’s the thing: most of the ingredients in this recipe are naturally gluten-free (check the labels to be sure!), but cereal and graham crackers generally are not. The good news is that gluten-free cereals are becoming very easy to find…gluten-free graham crackers are harder to find. They may be $5 a box and look a little scary. Go back to the cereal aisle; it’s a happier place!

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter S’mores Bars
Barely adapted from Love Veggies and Yoga

Makes about 16 bars

2 cups Gluten-Free Honey Nut Chex
2 tablespoons butter, melted (divided)
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups Gluten-Free Rice Krispies or similar cereal

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line an 8×8″ (or freaky 7X11″ if you’re me) pan with foil and grease lightly. Set aside.

Crumble Chex cereal and toss with 1 tablespoon melted butter to combine. Spread in the bottom of the pan and gently press into place with your hands. Sprinkle marshmallows over the “crust” and bake for 6 to 7 minutes, until marshmallows are just barely beginning to brown. Remove from oven, sprinkle with white chocolate chips, and bake for another 2 to 3 minutes, until white chocolate chips are shiny and soft. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a microwaveable bowl, combine remaining 1 tablespoon butter, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and peanut butter. Microwave on high for 45 seconds, stir, and repeat until mixture is melted and smooth. Stir vanilla and Rice Krispies into chocolate mixture, and gently spread over white chocolate/marshmallow/crust.

Refrigerate bars until set, at least one hour, before slicing and serving. Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 3 months.

These are kind of like a granola bar in cookie form. They are a tasty, two-bite snack of healthy goodness. They are perfect for eating at your desk or in the car. Don’t ask me how I know.

Sometimes you just need a snack, right? Something that’s healthy but still tastes good. I could still really handle a piece of cake, but that’s another story.

Power Cookies
Adapted from Dreena’s Vegan Recipes

Makes about 20 small cookies

1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butterscotch chips
1/8 cup unsweetened dried coconut
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup flax meal
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a bowl, combine oats, flours, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, coconut, cranberries, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and stir until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine flax meal, syrup, almond butter, and vanilla and stir until well combined. Stir in oil. Add wet mixture to dry, and stir until just well combined (do not overmix).

Roll teaspoonfuls of batter and gently flatten between your hands. Place on baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for 13 minutes (no longer, or they will dry out). Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Store cookies in an airtight container and eat within 3-4 days for the freshest taste.

I know it’s January. I know people are all preoccupied with resolutions and the almighty diet — I don’t know if there’s a word I hate more. I don’t want to talk about it. There is still room in your life for cookies! And if there’s not, you may need to make some adjustments. Here’s a resolution for you: make more cookies.

Let’s dream some cookie dreams for this year, shall we?

Salted Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Barely adapted from Food Network Canada via Apple A Day

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Drop heaping teaspoons of dough onto the baking sheet, rolling gently between your hands to shape. Sprinkle with kosher salt according to your taste — at least a few grains on each cookie. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden around the edges (the tops won’t be brown, but don’t bake more than 10 minutes).

Cool sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing cookies to cool completely. Store in an airtight container with a piece of bread to keep the cookies soft.

I’ve had these little beauties stashed in the freezer since Thanksgiving, and have been slowly sneaking them one at a time for a little bite of Christmas. I am obsessed. I didn’t love white chocolate…until now. It just needed a pepperminty best friend.

I made these brownies from my favorite, super-simple recipe and spooned them into muffin pans. I did so while watching an old episode of Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix — which means that they go from the pantry to the oven in about thirty minutes! You can’t beat that. You’ll still have plenty of time to wrap presents.

I think a few of these would make a lovely gift! Put them on a pretty plate and take them to an awkward party. It’s that time of year.

Candy Cane Brownies
Adapted from Baker’s One-Bowl Brownies

Makes 20 brownies

4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
1 1/2 sticks butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup egg whites (or 2 additional eggs)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
20 Hershey’s candy cane kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 20 muffin cups with paper liners, and spray lightly with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, microwave chocolate and butter on high for 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir thoroughly until chocolate is melted. Add sugar and stir to combine. Add egg, egg whites, and vanilla, and stir to combine. Add cinnamon, salt, and flour, and stir until well blended.

Spoon batter into muffin cups until 1/2 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a brownie comes out clean. Immediately top each brownie with a candy cane kiss, twisting the kiss gently to set it into the top of the brownie. Carefully remove each brownie from the pan and transfer to a wire rack — the kisses will be soft, so try not to tilt the brownies so that the chocolate doesn’t ooze. Cool completely.

And okay, I like non-traditional desserts at Thanksgiving! I’m a huge fan of this pumpkin bread pudding — usually I make that and this apple pie. But this year I’m making a plain-Jane pumpkin pie for my dear husband. Sacrifices! So first I made these bars, naturally. Just to get the crazies out of my system.

Holy delicious. First we have a super rich brownie layer, with what basically amounts to pumpkin pie filling spread on top. I can’t think of anything I’d rather eat at the moment (especially straight out of the fridge), except perhaps a slice of pizza, but that’s another story. I realize it’s last minute, but leave your boring pies behind this year and mix it up! I bet you have all of the ingredients in your kitchen right now.

Pumpkin Pie Fudge Brownie Bars
How Sweet It Is

For the brownie layer:
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups sugar
10 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a small bowl, beat eggs and vanilla and set aside. In a double boiler, add butter, cocoa, sugar and salt. Mix until the mixture becomes a batter – this will take approximately 10 minutes and at first will just look like clumps of cocoa power. Be patient! Remove the bowl from heat and whisk in the egg mixture (very slowly while whisking, so you don’t have scrambled eggs!) until combined. Stir in flour until batter is smooth, then pour in baking dish. Use a 9×13 dish for thin bars, and an 8×8 for thicker bars. For 9×13 dish, bake for 12-13 minutes. For an 8×8 dish, bake for about 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely! Then make pumpkin layer.

For the pumpkin layer:
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 large egg
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup heavy cream*

Preheat oven to 425°F.

In a bowl, whisk together sugars and egg until smooth. Add in pumpkin and spice, again mixing until combine. Finish by adding in heavy cream, stirring until everything is mixed, then pour on top of the cooled brownie layer and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for 10 minutes (9×13 dish) or 15 minutes (8×8 dish), then reduce heat to 325°F and bake for 18-20 minutes (9×13 dish)/22-25 minutes (8x8dish) or until pumpkin layer is set. Let cool completely (ideally overnight, or about 3-4 hours) then slice and serve.

*I used just under 1/2 cup skim milk, because it was what I had on hand! I added about an extra tablespoon of pumpkin to thicken things up a bit.

P.S. I’m buying my pie crusts this year.

P.P.S. My dogs have been asleep since about 20 minutes after they woke up this morning. Sometimes I want their life.

These cookies were supposed to be vegan…until I used cow milk. They’re still delicious! There’s chili powder in there. It’ll wake up your mouth and open your eyes.

I keep forgetting about the spice factor until taking a bite. Hello! Let’s start the week on a chocolatey note, shall we?

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles
Barely adapted from Post Punk Kitchen

Makes two dozen cookies

For the topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cookies:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon chili powder

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix the topping ingredients together on a flat plate. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to vigorously mix together oil,  sugar, syrup, and milk. Mix in vanilla extract.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Once all ingredients are added mix until you’ve got a pliable dough.

Roll dough into walnut sized balls. Pat into the sugar topping to flatten into roughly 2 inch discs. Transfer to baking sheet, sugar side up, at least 2 inches apart (they do spread). This should be easy as the the bottom of the cookies should just stick to your fingers so you can just flip them over onto the baking sheet.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, they should be a bit spread and crackly on top. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

I’m not pretending this is glamorous; this is real life, people. This is a Saturday night, dark and rainy, popped in the oven and barely photographed before devouring. This is cozy in pajamas and fleece blankets, with puppies sleeping on the couch and your favorite show on tv. Scoop that ice cream and most definitely eat your pizookie while it’s still hot from the oven! It should be warm and gooey in the middle, and taste heavenly. Don’t blame me if you end up making it the next night for dessert too…I may have done that.

Pizookies (Deep Dish Cookies)
White on Rice Couple

Okay, so I made a half-batch of this dough, filled four-inch ramekins with dough about 1/2″ deep, and then rolled the leftover dough into balls by tablespoons and froze it for later. I would definitely recommend this method! You’ll have some leftovers but not too many. And you’ll be prepared when the next pizookie emergency strikes.

3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter or margarine
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sea salt (I used kosher salt)
3 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
12 ounces dark chocolate chunks or chips

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and sea salt.

Sift together the flour and baking soda. Stir into batter, then add chocolate chunks and stir until well mixed.

Fill ramekins 1/2″ deep with raw cookie dough. Place ramekins on sheet pan and put in middle rack of oven. Bake 12-18 min., or until top starts to turn golden brown.  (remember you want them slightly undercooked, but not too doughy.)

Remove from oven and place each ramekin on a napkin (this allows you to hold the hot dish as you eat your dessert delight). Top with a couple scoops of ice cream.  Grab a spoon and enjoy.

I found this recipe on Pinterest and made it the next day. Chocolate and pretzels in a cookie? Sold. Done. I wish I had some right now. I’m not sure I won’t be throwing pretzels into my chocolate chip cookies from now on.

Yes, I’m still sprinkling kosher salt on my desserts. What can I say? It’s good on everything.

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies
Barely adapted from Sugar Cooking

Makes about 24 cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter or margarine, at room temperature
1/2 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup broken up pretzel pieces
Kosher or coarse salt, for sprinkling

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). On low speed, slowly add the beaten egg and vanilla extract. Beat to combine, scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the flour mixture and beat just until there are no more streaks of flour. Stir in the chocolate chips and preztels. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out well rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough and sprinkle with salt. Leave about 2 inches between each ball. Bake for 10 minutes. If you prefer crispier cookies, increase the baking time by 1-2 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing.