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.

I’ve always been a fan of the one-bowl brownie — as simple as a boxed mix with much better results. These are basically the simplest brownies ever, dressed up with some salt. It’s fancy! I mean…not really. But it definitely tastes fancy.

If you’re not sure about salt and chocolate together, get on this bandwagon! The salt adds a wonderful, complex flavor to the brownies without being too overwhelming. This is my new favorite brownie recipe, and I don’t say that lightly. Give it a try! You don’t even need expensive sea salt — I used kosher salt, which I bought in a big box at the grocery store sometime last year. No big deal.

Salted Fudge Brownies
Jane Deere via Tasty Kitchen

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or kosher salt)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square metal cake pan with foil, draping the foil over the edges. Lightly butter the foil.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the unsweetened chocolate over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Whisking them in one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, add the cocoa, sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the batter. Using a butter knife, swirl the salt into the batter.

Bake the brownies in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes, until the edges are set but the center is still a bit soft and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean. Let the brownies cool at room temperature in the pan for 1 hour, then refrigerate until firm. Lift the brownies from the pan and peel off the foil. Cut the brownies into 16 squares. Serve at room temperature (or chilled!).

So far I’ve only seen a slightly creepy looking generic can of pumpkin in my usual grocery store, but I’m hoping the real deal shows up soon! Otherwise it’s okay because I now have 3/4 of a can in my freezer. Let pumpkin hoarding 2011 begin!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Two Peas and Their Pod

I’m in Arkansas visiting the family and brought a bunch of these home with me…which they ate and then asked if we had all the ingredients to make more. These little guys are good.

Makes 10-12 bars

3 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8″ x 8″ baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk oats, spices, and salt together. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour over oats and stir well, until all of the oats are moist. Stir in chocolate chips.

Evenly press oat mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. The pumpkin keeps the bars moist, so make sure they are golden and set-you don’t want them to be under baked. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Using a sharp knife, cut into bars. Remove from pan and let cool completely.

 Are you pumpkin obsessed like me? Try these recipes, too!

These things grew dim for me this week, as I suspect they did for many others. This week I, along with hundreds of others in the food blog community, was captivated by the death of fellow blogger Jennifer Perillo’s husband, Mikey. Mikey died of a sudden heart attack, leaving behind Jennifer and their two small girls. I don’t know Jennifer, and honestly had never read her blog before this week, but my heart has broken for her all week. And last night, I learned that a dear childhood friend of mine just lost a cousin to a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. Life is so utterly fragile and short.

Jennifer wrote a beautiful, heartbreaking post asking that those who wished to help her in some way do so by making peanut butter pie (Mikey’s favorite) today, and sharing it with their own loved ones. I thought this was a wonderful idea — realistically there’s nothing most of us can physically do for her, and nothing we can offer will diminish her pain. But we can make pie, and we can show love to those close to us. I don’t know of anything more important than that.

This week I’ve been reminded that sometimes I need to rearrange my priorities. My days shouldn’t be measured by workouts or billable hours or chores checked off the list. My days should be about loving the Lord and loving people.

Today I’m joining with a worldwide community to support Jennifer and her girls, as well as my own dear friend. I encourage you to spend the weekend cherishing those you love, perhaps with a peanut butter pie.

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie
In Jennie’s Kitchen

Serves 10-12*

8 ounces chocolate cookies
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 ounces finely chopped chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup creamy-style peanut butter
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Add the cookies to the bowl of a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Combine melted butter and cookie crumbs in a small bowl, and stir with a fork to mix well. Press mixture into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Pour over bottom of cookie crust and spread to the edges using an off-set spatula. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the melted chocolate. Place pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Pour the heavy cream into a bowl and beat using a stand mixer or hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a small bowl and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Place the cream cheese and peanut butter in a deep bowl.  Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioner’s sugar. Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Increase speed to medium and beat until all the ingredients are combined and filling is smooth.

Stir in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the filling mixture (helps lighten the batter, making it easier to fold in the remaining whipped cream). Fold in the remaining whipped cream. Pour the filling into the prepared springform pan. Drizzle the melted chocolate on top, if using, and refrigerate (or freeze) for three hours or overnight before serving.

*I made a half-recipe of this, intending to use a 4-ounce tart pan for only Ryan and I, and ended up with more than enough filling for a second mini pie. If you’d like to go the miniature route, prepare the crust mixture with the full amount of ingredients, and divide it between two 4-ounce tart pans. Then prepare the filling with half of each ingredient. Enjoy one miniature pie, and give the other away!

I bought some protein powder about a month ago in hopes of supplementing my plant-based diet, where protein is often a challenge. But honestly, protein powder scares me. In the past I’ve never been a fan and honestly didn’t know where to begin, so I consulted Mama Pea. Homegirl knows her protein powder.

These little “cookies” make a tasty snack packed with fruit and protein. They aren’t a dessert, but they are a super-tasty way to fuel or recover from a workout, and are a great way to use that scary protein powder. Not bad, right?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Cookies
Barely adapted from Peas and Thank You 

Makes 16-20 cookies

1 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/2 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup natural peanut butter*
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 scoops (each scoop approx. 21 grams) of protein powder of your choice
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
scant 1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1/4 – 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, depending on the size of your bananas

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until combined (adjust amount of milk based on the consistency of your dough – start with 1/4 cup and if it looks too dry, add a little more).

Scoop batter by heaping tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet, and bake for 9-12 minutes, until cookies are firm. Cool completely and store in an airtight container (cookies will keep 4-5 days).

*I made Kath’s homemade peanut butter a few weeks ago, and used it here. If you’re a peanut butter lover like me and have a food processor, get on this!