Sugar & Spice by Celeste

The garden is in full swing over here at our house, and my fresh chocolate mint is trying to take over, as it likes to do.  If you let it, it will grow like a weed...but it smells oh.so.divine. In the past, I've plucked the extra, unruly mint from the garden and discarded it, but no more, friends!  No...from now on, I'm letting it grow however it wants and using it to make these deliciously minty cookies! Up until now, I've mainly just used my fresh mint to infuse teas.  A cookie craving hit me the other day, though, and these were the wonderful result. After a quick google search, I discovered a recipe by Andrea Bemis.  She brilliantly steeped melted butter with fresh mint, which you then strain and use in the cookie batter.  This perfectly infuses the butter with the flavor of fresh mint.  It comes through well in the finished cookies, but isn't completely over-powering.   If you are a mint chocolate chip fan, you MUST try these!  Or, if y...

Hello Dolly Bars (aka 7 Layer Bars/Magic Bars) are one of those classic desserts that you no doubt probably had as a kid.  With a graham cracker crust and easy layers of chocolate chips, pecans and coconut, these bars are a classic for a reason!  A can of sweetened condensed milk is drizzled over the top, which magically binds all of the layers together into ooey gooey perfection! In short, they are incredibly scrumptious with very minimal effort. A friend recently made a special request for these bars, so I got to work!  It's been a long time since I've had these, and as lover of a good chocolate/coconut dessert, I'm glad to have these back in my life (Thanks, Del!). These bars have several variations - You can also add white chocolate chips and/or butterscotch chips.  You can also substitute the pecans with walnuts, or leave them out altogether.  In fact, you could even use chocolate graham crackers in the crust, if you want a double (or triple) dose of chocol...

I think my husband said it best - These macaroons taste like they've been "dipped in magic butter." LOL No really...these are like eating a coconut cloud filled with sweet and salty, caramelly goodness. Remember that Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce that I made?  Well, it's the star in this recipe and really makes these cookies special.  The original recipe calls for caramel ice cream topping (which you can totally use instead), but I couldn't help but use my homemade version. The ingredient list for these is short, and they come together in a snap.  If you have someone that loves caramel and/or coconut, surprise them with these on Valentine's Day!   You could even dip the bottoms of each cookie into melted chocolate, or drizzle the tops with it instead. Now, please excuse me while I go scarf one down! Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons Adapted from:    Allrecipes.com Ingredients : 5 ½ cups sweetened flaked coconut ⅔ cup all-purpose flour  ¼ teaspoon ...

Oh, how I adore dark chocolate and coconut paired together.  Throw in some toasted almonds and something that I can enjoy with a homemade latte, and I've got myself the perfect snack. It's been a while since I've made biscotti, and I forgot how easy it truly is.  I have a few other biscotti recipes here on the blog -  Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti and Dreamy Coconut Biscotti , just in case you'd like additional ideas, too. When brain-storming ideas for potential flavors for this batch, my mind kept drifting back to an Almond Joy candy bar.  I adapted a recipe for Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti from Williams Sonoma Essentials of Baking and switched things up a good bit.   I filled these with shredded coconut and toasted almonds, plus added a pretty coat of dark chocolate on the outside and a sprinkling of more coconut. The results? Complete delicous-ness! Almond Joy Biscotti Adapted from:  Williams Sonoma Essentials of Baking Ingredients: 2 cups all purpo...

An ooey gooey chocolate chip cookie that's slightly crunchy around the edges and has melty, chocolaty goodness in the center should be in every baker's arsenal.  I mean, they are perfect for every situation from an after school snack to a late night indulgence.   I have a major weakness for them.   Especially these. This recipe takes it a step further.  These cookies are infused with creamy peanut butter in every bite.  If you have a peanut butter/chocolate lover in your life, these will make them swoon.   I couldn't resist using dark chocolate, but if you prefer milk chocolate, that's okay too. Also, now I see what the fuss is all about when it comes to adding flaky sea salt over the top of chocolate chip cookies.  De-lish! Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Adapted from:   Baker by Nature Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp 1 cup creamy peanut butter, room temp 2 tsp vanilla extract 1   1/2 cups light brown ...

Jack Jack's Num Num Cookie at Hollywood Studios As some of you know, we are a Disney loving family!! I so enjoy making Disney inspired dishes at home, so that we can have a little bit of the magic on our table. Several years ago, I was able to turn my passion for all things Disney into a side job where I can help families, just like yours, plan magical vacations. I'm a Travel Specialist for Second Star Wishes , an Earmarked Agency, and I couldn't love the role more! I can help you plan a vacation to ANY Disney destination, Universal Orlando, and just about any domestic or international destination you can dream up! I've had the honor of planning vacations for clients to destinations like: Disney World Disneyland Paris Universal Orlando The Great Smoky Mountains Hilton Head Island, SC Washington DC New Orleans, LA Florida beaches Paris, France Amsterdam Munich, Germany Dubrovnik, Croatia Just to name a few. So, friends, please keep me in mind next time you'd lik...