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**