Apple Bread Pudding

I'm baaaaaack! It's been so long, and....yes...it feels so good to be writing a new post. These past few months have just been magical starting from when I got married(!) all the way through today. Everything good happens around this time of year for me...I guess its because Fall is my favorite season, and nothing can get me down! I love the colors, mild weather, the holidays (mostly Halloween), and most importantly...the warm and comforting food! It all just makes me feel so giddy inside.

Fall also makes me want to bake all the time. I've always wanted to try my hand at a bread pudding, so I figured now was the perfect time. It's warm, gooey, extremely sweet, and perfect for a cold fall night with some great "fall-ish" flavors. And I must say, I'm pretty proud of this one! The bread is soaked up with all sorts of saucy goodness and the sweet taste of apple and crunch of the hazelnut-sugar topping...it just can't be beat.

What You Need
1 Granny Smith apple
1 teaspoon Apple Pie spice
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups cubed day-old Italian bread
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 cup chopped hazelnuts

Sauce
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup whisky

What You Do
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9X12-inch pan.

2. In a small bowl, peel and chop the apple. Toss with the Apple Pie spice (1tsp), and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar (2cups), eggs (5), and milk (2cups) until combined. Add the vanilla (2tsp), then add the bread cubes and toss until all the bread is coated. Set aside for 10 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, crumble and mix together the brown sugar (1/2cup), butter (1/2stick), and hazelnuts (1cup).

5. After the 10 minutes are up, mix the apple with the bread mixture. Then pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and top with the brown sugar crumble. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until set and remove from the oven.

6. To make the sauce, in a small saucepan, mix together the sugar (1cup), butter (1stick), egg (1), and vanilla (2tsp) until the sugar is dissolved. Add the whiskey, and stir well. Then pour over the bread pudding!

Serve while warm, or cold. But personally, I think it's just great while hot!

This recipe was adapted from The Best Bread Pudding by Paula Deen.

Angel Food Cake

Happy summer! I've been more than ready to enjoy some sun, summer dresses, bike rides to anywhere and everywhere, picnics, ice cream, blockbuster movies, summer fruits, and trips to Bend, the Bay Area, and wherever else the weekends take us! Portland has been off to a slow start in the warm-weather department but I'm glad it pulled through for the first weekend of summer. 

What's also great about summer, are the desserts that include fresh fruit and whipped cream. Like Angel Food Cake for example! Granted, you can dress the cake any way you like, but I love putting sugared strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream on mine. Not only is this delicious, but you also get a guilt-free feeling about it since the cake is so light and you get the added bonus of fruit. ;)

This cake is great for summer get-togethers, mostly because it makes plenty of servings, you can make everything ahead of time, and assembly is easy. Give it a try at your next BBQ!

What You Need

- 2 cups superfine sugar, sifted

- 1 1/3 cups cake flour, sifted

- 1 1/2 cups egg whites at room temperature (10-12 eggs)

- 3/4 teaspoon salt

- 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

What You Do

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine 1/2 cup sugar with the flour and sift. Set aside.

3. With a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites (1/2cup), salt (3/4tsp), and cream of tartar (1 1/2tsp) on high speed until the egg whites form medium-firm peaks.

4. With the mixer then on medium speed, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sifted sugar by sprinkling it over the egg whites. Whisk for a few minutes, until thick and shiny, and then whisk in the vanilla for about 1 more minute.

5. Sift about 1/4 cup of flour mixture over the egg whites and fold it into the batter with a rubber spatula. Continue this step until the flour is completely incorporated.

6. Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. When the cake springs back from touch, that means it's done. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan on a cooling rack until cool.

7. Enjoy! This time I topped the cake sugared strawberries and whipped cream when serving. But you can enjoy this cake with fruit, frosting, whipped cream, or on it's own! Be creative =)

Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

There are many thoughts that float in my mind when taking a bite of these Snickerdoodles: Mmmm! Oh my god these are good. Wow, this is a perfect cookie. It's so soft and chewy. Ooo I love Snickerdoodles. I want another one!

Yep. That's literally what runs through my mind when I eat these cookies. They're irresistible and super easy to make. Though, the only thing that kind of scared me was that the chilled dough was almost rock-hard, so I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to make the cookies! But, it only needed a little bit of man-power and TLC to get the dough to roll.

What You Need
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg and 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon vanilla yogurt
Rolling Mixture
-1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon

What You Do

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour (2 1/2cups), baking soda (1tsp), cream of tartar (2tsp), cinnamon (1/2tsp), and salt (1/4tsp). Set aside.

2. Brown the butter (1cup) in a saucepan over medium heat. You'll want to constantly whisk the butter as it foams and then turns a brown color. You'll know the butter is browned once you start smelling a nutty aroma and the butter is a golden color. Once this has happened, immediately transfer the butter into a bowl and set aside to cool for a minute or two.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar (1cup), and white sugar (1/4 cup) until well combined. Beat in the egg (1), yolk (1), vanilla extract (1tsp) and vanilla yogurt (1tbsp) until everything is well blended. Then, slowly add in the dry ingredients and beat slowly until just mixed. Chill dough for at least 3 hours.

4. After 3 hours or so, take your dough out, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a pan with parchment paper. Mix the sugar (1/4cup) and cinnamon (2tsp) in a small bowl. Then, take about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. **Important! Your dough will be very hard, but don't worry! You'll just need to work with it a bit.** Roll the dough into the sugar mixture and place on the baking sheet.

5. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for a couple minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Pop one or two in your mouth and enjoy!

**Recipe adapted from Ambitious Kitchen**

Salted Chocolate Tart

Feels like it's been awhile since I've updated! Among keeping busy with lots of other exciting things, I have been baking (in case you were wondering), but those recipes are failing to make it onto the blog. Sorry!

Anywhoo...I made a tart the other day that I felt was worth sharing. I've been wanting to change things up a bit in the kitchen, so along with that and the reason that I just want to eat a bunch of chocolate, I decided that a chocolate tart would be the perfect fix.

**Warning....baking this will emit delicious smells that will be hard to resist and cats may want to sneak a bite!**

What You Need
Crust
- 9 honey graham crackers, crushed into tiny crumbs
 *If you have a food processor, use that to make the crumbs! If not, you can be like me and put the crackers in a large Ziploc bag and take a rolling pin to it.
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 5 tablespoons melted butter

Filling
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt

Glaze
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 3/4 ounces dark chocolate chips (I used
- 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon water
- Sea salt

What You Do
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together the cracker crumbs, sugar (1/4cup), and melted butter (5tbsp) until well incorporated. Press the mixture in a 9-inch tart pan. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool for 15 minutes.

2. In a small saucepan, boil the heavy cream (1 1/4cups). Once boiling, remove from heat and pour over semisweet chocolate chips (8oz) in a medium-sized bowl. Leave alone for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs (2), vanilla (1tsp) and salt (1/4tsp) until combined, then stir into chocolate. Pour into the tart pan and bake for 18-22 minutes or until the filling is set 3 inches from the edge, but the center is still wobbly. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.

4. Microwave the heavy cream (2tbsp) and dark chocolate (1 3/4) ounces for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Then stir in corn syrup (1tsp) and water (1tsp) until incorporated. Pour over tart and tilt until the glaze completely covers the tart. Let cool for 1 hour.

5. When ready to serve, sprinkle some sea salt all over the tart. You'll only need a pinch or two and you're all set!

Keep in mind that you really don't need a whole lot of sea salt, because a little goes a long way. I've also found that the tart tastes even better when cold. So go ahead and refrigerate for a bit before you're ready to serve!

Recipe adapted from Yummly

Better Than Sex Cake

I started making Better Than Sex Cake in high school. Back then I had a sweet tooth like no other but I also wanted to be healthy about it, so I made the Weight Watchers version for family/friends. I even made it in high school with two of my friends for our Conditioning class when we were given the assignment to create a healthy dish for the class potluck and recipe book. Needless to say, our teacher loved it and I do remember her joking, "Wow, this really is better than sex!"

Obviously, I was going to make dessert for Adam and I for Valentine's Day. I knew I wanted something chocolate and delicious. After coming across a Better Than Sex Cake post from a blog I follow, that sparked my memory about how delicious that cake is. Bam. Valentine's Day dessert.

The thing that is probably a bit different from this cake than most Better Than Sex Cakes is that I made the cake itself from scratch. I didn't want to use boxed cake. The less I have to turn to boxed cake, the better. Oh, and it is definitely not the Weight Watchers version of the cake.

What You Need

Cake
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup cake flower
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream

Filling
- 11 oz. caramel sauce
- 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

Topping
- Whipped cream
- Toffee bits


What You Do

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8X8 pan.

2. Over a double boiler, melt the butter (1/2cup), chocolate chips (1/4cup), and cocoa powder (1/2cup). Set aside to cool.

3. In a small bowl, combine the flour (3/4cup), baking soda (1/2tsp), and baking powder (3/4tsp). Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, combine the eggs (2), sugar (3/4cup), vanilla extract (1tsp), and salt (1/2tsp) until incorporated. Mix in the chocolate mixture to the wet ingredients. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture until combined, then mix in the sour cream (1/2cup). Add the remaining flour mixture until the batter is thick. Spread evenly in the greased 8X8 pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

5. In a small saucepan over low heat, mix together the caramel sauce (11oz) and sweetened condensed milk (14oz) until well incorporated and just warm.

6. While the cake is still warm, go crazy and poke holes all over the cake and pour the caramel mixture all over it. **I didn't need all of the mixture, but almost all of it was used*

7. Let cake cool completely. When you're ready to serve, spread whipped cream all over the top of the cake. Cover with toffee bits.

Love Buddies

Ah...Valentine's Day...the day of love. The day where your sweetie gets you a box of chocolates and a stuffed teddy bear. Or, at least that's the idea, right? The older I get, the more apparent it is that pretty much everyone hates this 'holiday.' Mostly because there's too much pressure, it was a holiday invented by the card companies, and you should just celebrate your love for someone every day. But the romantic in me enjoys Valentine's Day. And I like it for multiple reasons, but mostly because I get to consume large amounts of chocolate and although I wake up every day knowing how lucky I am to have my man, Valentine's Day allows us to do something a little extra special!

So..to celebrate this day of love and friendship, here is a simple take on the popular 'Muddy Buddy' treat, Love Buddies. Make some for your loved one(s), whether it is your soul mate, best friend, parents, or any one else you may love!

What You Need
- 6 cups rice chex
- 1 1/2 cups strawberry cake mix
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 package Valentine's Day themed M&Ms

What You Do

1. In a large bowl, pour in the cereal (6cups) and set aside. In a large ziploc bag, mix the strawberry cake mix (1 1/2cups) and powdered sugar (1cup) until combined.

2. In a small bowl, microwave the chocolate (12oz) at 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted.

3. Once chocolate is melted, pour over the cereal and stir until the cereal is completely coated in chocolate. Then pour the powder mixture over the cereal and carefully stir until it coats the cereal. Lastly, mix in the M&Ms until well incorporated.

Pear & Hazelnut Muffins

I don't think I fully appreciated pears until I was in high school. The texture was weird to me as a kid, but I finally came to my senses. Now I love anything with pear in it and these muffins are no exception!

What You Need
- 2 small firm pears (I used anjou pears)
- 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 2/3 white cup sugar
- 1 cup milk (I used 2%)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped and separated

What You Do
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a muffin tin

2. Peel and grate the pears (2) in a large bowl. You should have about 1 cup. Stir in the butter (6tbsp), sugar (2/3cup), milk (1cup), eggs (2), and vanilla (1tsp) until all combined.

3. In a medium sized bowl. Mix together the rolled oats (3/4cup), flour (1 1/2cups), cinnamon (1/2tsp), nutmeg (1/2tsp), salt (3/4tsp) and hazelnuts (1/2cup).

4. Gently fold in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until just mixed.

5. Fill the muffin cups with the batter almost to the top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of hazelnuts. Place into the oven and immediately lower temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into the middle.

6. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Eat these for breakfast or desert...or for both!

**Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen**

Lemon Bars

To be honest, I think January is the most depressing month of the year. The 'most wonderful time of the year' is over, everyone goes back to their regular routine, it's cold, people are concerned about their weight, and there isn't another holiday to be excited about for a long time. It simply sucks.

In an effort to make January a little more bearable, I like to make lemon bars. It's a fresh treat for a fresh new year. I was able to make them earlier this week when we had a friend over for dinner, and I can proudly say they put a smile on everyones face (yay!).

**Now, I like my lemon bars chunky, so I baked them in an 8X8 pan, but you can really put this recipe in a 9X13 inch pan if you like your bars thinner...especially if you like a thinner crust.**

What You Need
Base
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
- Powdered sugar

What You Do

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar (1/3cup), flour (1 1/2cups), and salt (1/2 tsp). Using a cheese grater, grate the butter (1/2 cup) and incorporate into the base mixture until small crumbs form by hand. Or, if you're fancy and have a food processor, combine all of the ingredients until small crumbs form.

2. Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8X8 pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Take out and let cool while making the topping.

3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs (5) and sugar (1cup&2tbsp) for about 3 minutes, or until pale and thick.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the flour (1/3cup), baking powder (1tsp), and salt (1/4tsp). Then gradually mix in the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Then mix in the lemon zest (1/2tbsp) and lemon juice (1/2cup).

5. Immediately pour lemon mixture over base in pan. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. If the topping is still jiggly, bake for an additional 2 minutes, or until the topping is set. Take out and let cool completely.

6. Once cool, pile on that powdered sugar over the bars. Put as much or as little as you like. For me, I love having the bars covered in powdered sugar. Then cut into squares and enjoy!

Rocky Road Bars

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had as great a holiday season as I did! For Christmas, I was very happy and fortunate to spend it with my family back in the Bay Area. With a lot of relaxing, being surrounded by my family & their love, ice skating, meeting up with dear friends, and eating more food than I could handle, I couldn't have asked for anything else to make a great Christmas vacation! For New Years, Adam and I popped open a bottle of Cook's (classy... I know), played Kingdom Hearts (one of my favorite games btw), and watched the ball drop to say goodbye to a great year and to welcome another exciting year. I'd have to say, it's already off to a great start!

To kick off 2014, I decided to make some simple Rocky Road Bars. They're super easy and they don't take long to make. I will say they are a bit rich, but that's ok! Anything with marshmallows is a winner in my book.

What You Need
- 1 cup & 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup & 2 tablespoons milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 1/2 cup salted and roasted peanuts

What You Do
Line an 8X8 pan with parchment paper. Over a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips until smooth. Remove from head and let cool slightly. Add in most of the marshmallows and peanuts and stir to combine. Evenly spread chocolate mixture in the pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining marshmallows and peanuts. Place in refrigerator to set. Once completely cooled, cut into squares big or small enough for you to enjoy!

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Christmastime is all about giving, spreading cheer, being with loved ones, and...hmm...oh(!) making delicious holiday cookies, of course! Last week, I kicked off the month with these thumbprint cookies. Today, I continued the month of magical cookie-making with White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies, and I can honestly say they are by far my favorite kind of cookie. They're like the grown-up version of oatmeal raisin cookies: packed with chewy oats, tart cranberries, and silky white chocolate.

I'd recommend to give these cookies a whirl for your next holiday party, cookie exchange, or maybe even simply for a cold winter evening while watching Christmas Vacation. You won't be disappointed!

What You Need
**Makes about 35-40 cookies**
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup golden brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup cranberries

What You Do
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper (or grease).

2. Mix flour (2cups), oats (1 1/2cups), baking soda (1tsp), and salt in a medium-sized bowl, set aside.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the butter (1cup), brown sugar (1cup), and white sugar (1cup) until fluffy. Then mix in the egg (1) and vanilla extract (1tsp). Add flour mixture and combine until well incorporated. Lastly, fold in the white chocolate chips (1cup) and cranberries (1cup).

4. Scoop out dough in large tablespoons onto baking sheets, and bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are light brown. Let cool completely and bring for Christmas dessert for all to enjoy!

Chai Pumpkin Spice Thumbprint Cookies

Yesterday was just one of those days where I felt like baking for no reason. I've been wanting to make these Chai Pumpkin Spice Thumbprint Cookies that I found via Pinterest  for the past year, and I'm so glad I finally did! I love chai (both authentic and the Americanized lattes), so if I can make a cookie out of one of my favorite drinks, then I'm all about it!

What You Need
-1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup chai concentrate
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flower
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chai spice mix
- 24 pumpkin spice Hershey's Kisses

What You Do
1. In a medium-sized bowl, cream together butter (1/2cup) and sugar (1/2cup) until well combined. Add the chair concentrate (1/4cup), egg (1), and vanilla extract (1tsp) until blended together.

2. Mix the flour (1 3/4cup), baking soda (1/2tsp), salt (1/8tsp), and chai spice mix (1/2tsp) with the wet ingredients until incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet. Pop them into the oven and bake for 12 minutes, or until the bottom edges turn golden brown. In the meantime, unwrap them pumpkin kisses.

5. Remove cookies from oven and immediately place the pumpkin kisses in the center of each cookie.  Let cool completely and have a couple while watching your favorite holiday movie!

Recipe from Pass the Sushi

Pecan Pie Bars

Happy belated Thanksgiving! There are so many things for me to be thankful for, and to name a few: my pre-husband, Adam, who is the absolute greatest, my amazingly awesome and loving family that's about to grow even bigger next year (!), my great friends, my cozy apartment in Portland, really good food, the internet, the ability to travel, and of course....dessert!

I was also lucky enough to get to make a dessert dish for yesterday's feast. I knew someone wouldn't fail to bring pumpkin pie, so I decided to take a different traditional route and make pecan pie bars. I love pecan pie, but haven't had it in years so I was really excited to make these and have a couple bites!

Oh, and have you heard? There's this new awesome game out in the App store, called Popped.! If you like puzzle games (like Candy Crush), then I think you'd get a kick out of this one: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/popped./id689051137?mt=8. Download, play, and give a rating!

What You Need
Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 cup cold butter
- 1 tablespoon ice cold water

Topping
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup golden brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups roughly chopped pecans

What You Do
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9X13 inch baking pan

2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour (2cups), sugar (1/3cup), and salt (1/4tsp).  Cut in butter (or if you're like me, grate the butter) and rub within mixture until the butter is about the size of peas. Add in water (1tbsp) and mix until incorporated.

3. Firmly press in dough on the bottom of the pan and bake for 20 minutes.

4. In the meantime, mix in the corn syrup (1cup), brown sugar (1/2cup), and sugar (1/2cup) until combined. Beat in eggs (3) one at a time and then add the vanilla (1 1/2tsp). Fold in the pecans (2cups).

5. Pour mixture over prepared crust. Place back in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Pumpkin Apple Bread

Happy fall! This is most certainly my favorite time of the year. The leaves turn different colors, the air is crisp, delicious fall foods make their appearance. So I must apologize for my absence because I've just been enjoying all the activities and festivities this fall season has had to offer.

I've been seriously been itching to get back into the kitchen and bake, though. Luckily, I did get a chance to bake a delicious Pumpkin Apple Bread just this last weekend. Pumpkin bread on its own is good, but adding apples to it is even better! And as an added bonus, the bread while baking gives off an warm, fuzzy, pumpkiny, fall aroma. To get a better idea of what I'm talking about, go ahead and make one for yourself and a loved one!

**Because it's only the pre-husband and I in the house, I actually cut this recipe in half and used one loaf pan. Luckily everything could be easily be divided!**

What You Need
Topping
-1 tablespoon flour
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Bread
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1 15oz. can pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 granny smith apples: peeled, cored, and chopped

What You Do
Topping
1. Blend together everything with your fingers until mixed thoroughly. Set aside.

Bread
1. Preheat your oven to 350 and grease two 9X5 inch loaf pans.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour (3cups), salt (3/4tsp), baking soda (2tsp), cinnamon (1 1/2 tsp), nutmeg (1tsp), and allspice (1/4tsp).

3. In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin puree (15oz. can), vegetable oil (3/4 cup), sugar (2 1/4cup), and eggs (4) until blended.

4. Add in the dry ingredients, and mix until combined.

5. Fold in the apples until evenly incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and sprinkle the topping evenly between the two. Bake for 60 minutes, or until the knife comes out clean when inserted into the middle.

6. Let cool completely. Then prepare some tea, cut up a slice or two, curl up on the couch, and enjoy your favorite movie!

**Recipe found from One Perfect Bite**

Brown Butter Rice Krispy Treats

With Portland becoming increasingly overcast each day and fall being right around the corner, I've been wanting to make these rice krispy treats all week. I've been thinking of these as an unofficial fall snack because while it is not yet fall, this treat certainly tastes like it with the flavor that the brown butter gives this ever popular sweet snack.

What You Need

- 1 stick unsalted butter

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 10 oz. package marshmallows

- 6 cups puffed rice cereal

What You Do

1. Grease an 8-inch square cake pan, set aside.

2. Heat the butter (1stick) in a large pot over medium-low heat until the butter turns brown and smells nutty. During this time, make sure you stir the butter frequently.

3. Right when the butter turns brown, turn off the heat, sprinkle in the salt and add the marshmallows in. The heat from the butter should melt the marshmallows, but you may need to turn the stove back on a low heat until the marshmallows are nice and smooth.

4. Remove the pot from the stove and fold in the cereal until it's evenly coated with the marshmallow mixture. Spread into the prepared pan and press down using greased wax paper, until the mixture is evenly spread throughout.

5. Let cool completely, cut into squares, turn on your favorite TV show, and enjoy every bite!

Blueberry Cornmeal Coffee Cake

Happy September! Along with spending an afternoon in the park, having fun at the Oregon State Fair, and going on an awesome bike ride with my main squeeze and some friends, I took full advantage of baking this past Labor Day weekend. Because it's technically still summer, I'm not ready to break out my fall treats just yet (believe me...I've got a lot since Fall is my favorite season!). So, because I'm (as well as the weather) still in summer mode, I decided to make a coffee cake that is jam-packed with the ever popular blueberries that has just a hint of lemon to celebrate these last few weeks of summer.

What You Need

Cake
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 cups fresh blueberries

Topping
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

What You Do

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square pan.

2. Whisk together the flour (1cup), cornmeal (1/2cup), baking powder (2tsp), and salt (1/2tsp) in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, mix the butter (1stick) and sugar (1cup) until fluffy. Beat in the eggs (2) one at a time, then add the vanilla (1/4tsp) and lemon zest (1/4tsp).

4. Add a third of the flour mixture, all of the sour cream (1/3cup), and another third of the flour mixture, beating until just blended after each addition. Mix the remaining flour mixture with the blueberries, and then gently fold the blueberry-flour mixture into the batter.

5. For the topping, combine all of the dry ingredients: sugar, flour, cornmeal, cinnamon, and salt in a small-sized bowl. Mash in the butter with a fork.

6. Spread the batter into the prepared pan, and sprinkle the streusel topping evenly on top.

7. Bake the cake until the top is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely. Then, cut yo' self a piece and enjoy!

Original recipe by Smitten Kitchen

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones

I've been slacking on my baking (and blogging) recently, so Sunday I decided to grab whatever I had in my pantry/refrigerator to make some delicious (and probably oversized) strawberry chocolate chip scones. With all of your basic food group needs - butter, chocolate, and fruit - these scones are sure to keep you extremely happy. And being happy means you're perfectly healthy, right? Enjoy!

What You Need
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into cubes or grated
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 cup strawberries, quartered
- 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- Extra sugar for sprinkling

What You Do

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour (2 1/2c), sugar (2tbsp), baking powder (1 1/2tsp), baking soda (1 1/2tsp), and salt (1/2tsp). Then add the cubed butter and cut the butter in until dough is crumbly. Or if you want life to be just a tad bit simple, use a cheese grater to cut up the butter and then just incorporate the butter into the mixture until crumbly (dip your hands in flour to help prevent butter from melting).

3. In a small bowl, beat together the milk (1c) and egg (1). Then add to flour mixture and mix well with a fork.

4. Add the strawberries (1c) and chocolate chips (1/2c) and incorporate into the mixture.

5. Place dough onto a floured surface and form into a disk shape. Cut dough into 8 triangles.

6. Place the scones onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden.

Original recipe found at: Baking Glory