Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.
Almond Joy’s got nuts, Mounds don’t. Sometimes I feel like a nut…especially on Day 38 of a 40-day marathon. But tonight is serious business. It’s a school work night and we need fuel for laminating. I’ve got some colleagues joining me, who have grain-free, sugar-free, dairy-free preferences, therefore, I’ll whip these up. Amazingly, I actually prefer … Continue reading
Halloween Candy Monster Cookies
Yea, so we have leftover Halloween candy; enough fun-sized M&Ms to make a double batch of these soft, peanut-buttery Monster cookies. I lost count of how many 16-piece fun-sized packets I had to open. It was worth it. I was able to get some of this candy into a cookie and out the door. This … Continue reading
Nutella Valentine
I made some Nutella treats for Valentine’s Day. The first is a Puppy Chow, which replaces the peanut butter with Nutella, and uses cocoa powder instead of powdered sugar. See the recipe at the bottom of this post. It is fantastic. The other treat is a fancy-pants Salted Dark Chocolate Nutella Sandwich Cookies by The Faux Martha. Yup, … Continue reading
Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting by BON APPÉTIT
A few years back, after having slept for a few hours, I woke up to fireworks nearby. I thought, “Who would be shooting off fireworks at this hour? Grrr….” And then I remembered that it was New Year’s Eve. Lame. This year, we’re going to out and we’re bringing something to share. I had leftover sour … Continue reading
Soft and Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies
Molasses cookies remind me of my dad. Back in the day, he used to buy the Archway molasses cookies for my sister and me. I’ve always loved their simplicity; the flavor of gingerbread, but in a soft cookie. This year, I wanted to find a recipe to bake for my family and I made a … Continue reading
Samoa Scones with Toasted Coconut and Chocolate Glaze
This is a scone version of the Samoa Girl Scout Cookie. (The original Coconut Scone recipe can be found here). They feature coconut in three ways: coconut milk (instead of regular milk), shredded coconut, and coconut extract. In order to “Samoa” it, I added chocolate chips to the mix, and topped it with chocolate drizzle and toasted … Continue reading
Frosted Sugar Cookies with a Hint of Lemon
These Frosted Sugar Cookies go way back, a family favorite from my husband’s childhood. They are soft on the inside, with a hint of lemon throughout. They are perfect for any time of year, simply use seasonal sprinkles and colors. This batch is for class tomorrow. Happy Birthday to my Cupcake and Little Monkey! Where did the … Continue reading
Chocolate Mint Dreams by Taste of Home
Our new favorite to Christmastime cookie (by Taste of Home). It’s a sandy chocolate cookie, with a minty icing and a drizzle of chocolate. What else can I say? Chocolate Mint Dreams Ingredients 3/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate … Continue reading
Pumpkin Bars with (like Cinnabon) Cream Cheese Frosting
What’s new in the KrausnicKitchen? Well, we just put our house on the market. It is such an exciting time, but preparing our house for sale has occupied much of our time and energy. I hope to be in full “cooking” mode in January when we move into our new kitchen, I mean, house. Here … Continue reading
Second Annual Cherry Jam
For the second year, our local grocer offered 11-pound cherry flats for around $1 per pound. This year, I bought 22 pounds, knowing that I could use my recently acquired canning equipment (thanks mom) to preserve the fruit. Whew! It was a bit overwhelming. I was buried in pits, covered in splatters, and I have a repetitive wrist-motion … Continue reading
“From-a-mix” Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
About this time of year, many of us find ourselves baking cookies, brownies, and bars to bring to end-of-the-year events. I went searching for some easy treats and found a brownie mix cookie. It reminded me of an old recipe from a friend, a chocolate cookie made from a cake mix, all sandwiched together with … Continue reading
Movie Night Treats (or should I say Film Night Buffet?)
My husband is a movie nerd film buff. He even has a film club, a group of friends who attend a viewing and then discuss what they’ve seen. I’m so thankful that he has a group of like-minded buddies to analyze what things “mean” since that is not my forte, although I try my best… “I … Continue reading
Happy Valentines: Fudgy Chocolate Cakelets
Spur of the moment, I decided to bake a special Valentines dessert for my family thirty minutes before dinnertime. I wanted something chocolaty that would be on the table in 30 minutes. “Fudgy Chocolate Cakelets” is the answer. It took 10 minutes to whip up. Not only is it quick, it’s HEAVENLY (yes, I’m shouting). … Continue reading
The Quest for THE Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
There is one thing I take very seriously. Cookies. In particular, chocolate chip cookies. It all started with the saucer-sized cookies my dad used to make when I was in preschool. Then on to my cookie-baking kick in high school, mostly consisting of Toll House and whatever recipe was found on the margarine box or … Continue reading
Orangettes: Candied Orange Peel Dipped in Bittersweet Chocolate by Serious Eats
Does anyone remember the Pepperidge Farm Orange Milano cookies? They remind me of home. These Orangettes taste like an Orange Milano cookies. They are candied orange peels dipped in bittersweet chocolate. The orange peels transform from inedible throwaways to the taste and texture of orange candy. Really, they’re orange peels. The peels are blanched repeatedly to remove … Continue reading
