Course: Dessert

Evangeline Butterscotch Star Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Evangeline Butterscotch Star Cookies

These star-shaped sugar cookies with pretty butterscotch windows are often called stained glass cookies. The center of the cookies are cut out and filled with crushed hard candy. It melts in the oven, creating a beautiful glass-like effect. They’re perfect for the holiday season.

I named my star cookies after Evangeline from the Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog. When my mom passed away, my dad used to say that he dreamed of her as a beautiful lady in the stars. Recently, I lost my dad too. I like to think that my mom and dad are reunited up there somewhere. The story of Ray the firefly and Evangeline the star from The Princess and the Frog reminds me of them. I made these cookies as a small holiday tribute to my cherished parents.

Evangeline Butterscotch Star Cookies

Vanilla sugar cookies with butterscotch candy windows
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 18 4-inch cookies

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (198g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (64g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
  • 2 cups (255g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ½ cup (100g) crushed butterscotch hard candies
  • Sanding sugar

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and salt until smooth and well combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. Mix in the flour just until combined.
  • Form the dough into a disk and wrap it with plastic wrap. Chill it in the refrigerator until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
  • Preheat the oven tp 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • On a lightly floured surface (or between parchment sheets), roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out 18-20 star shapes using a 4-inch cookie cutter.* Place the stars about 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Cut the center out of each star using a 2-inch cookie cutter.* Place the small star cut outs on a separate cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Fill the cut out section of the large stars with the crushed butterscotch candy. I recommend chilling the cut cookies in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to prevent excess spreading.
  • Bake until the candy melts and the edges of the cookies start to turn light golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet. Bake the small stars for 6-8 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack.

Notes

*To find 4-inch and 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutters, click here.
Keyword butterscotch, cookies, stained glass, sugar

Fudgy Chocolate Crumb Cake

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Fudgy Chocolate Crumb Cake

This moist, fudgy chocolate cake with a generous amount of melt-in-your-mouth chocolate crumb topping and powdered sugar snow is perfect for frosty mornings with a cup of hot coffee or tea. It’s also perfect for a holiday breakfast or brunch served with fresh raspberries and/or raspberry sauce.*

Fudgy Chocolate Crumb Cake

Rich, moist, fudgy chocolate cake with melt-in-your mouth crumb topping and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9 servings

Ingredients
  

Crumb Topping

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup (66g) packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (38g) granulated suger
  • 2 tablespoons (12g) Dutch process unsweetened dark cocoa powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 7 tablespoons (99g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed

Cake

  • 1 ¼ cups (160g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 6 tablespoons (35g) Dutch process unsweetened dark cocoa powder, sifted
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ⅔ cup (132g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup (150g) sour cream
  • ⅔ cup (118ml) hot coffee or espresso
  • ⅓ cup (85g) semisweet mini chocolate chips
  • Powered sugar for sprinkling

Instructions
 

Crumb Topping

  • In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder and salt until well combined. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it looks like dirt, with no large pieces of butter remaining. Press the mixture together to form chunks. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line an 8-inch square cake pan** with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang to serve as handles to lift the cake out of the pan. If you want to serve the cake directly from the pan, you can skip the parchment paper and simply spray the pan with nonstick spray.
  • In a medium-size bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt together until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the oil until combined. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next.
  • On low speed, beat the flour mixture into the batter in 2 additions, alternating with half of the sour cream after each addition. Beat just until combined. Gradually beat in the hot coffee just until smooth and well combined. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Top the batter evenly with the crumb topping. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes with a few moist crumbs attached (not wet batter), about 28-37 minutes.
  • Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and continue cooling on a cooling rack. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cooled cake.

Notes

*To find my raspberry sauce recipe, click here.
**To find my favorite 8-inch square cake pan, click here.
 
Keyword cake, chocolate, crumb

Gingerbread Friends Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Gingerbread Friends Cookies

I got a set of the teeny tiniest cookie cutters last year. Ever since, I’ve been coming up with cute ways to use them. Since Christmas is coming, I made the littlest and cutest gingerbread people. They look so cute adorning my full size gingerbread cookies. Working with such small cookies can be challenging but I have a few tips to make it easier. The dough has to be rolled very thin, so I found it easier to manage by rolling it between sheets of parchment paper. Since the dough is so thin and fragile, it has to be kept very cold during the entire process , so pop it into the fridge if it becomes too warm. A toothpick dipped in melted white chocolate was the easiest way for me to draw on their little faces, but a black edible marker would work too. You can also use royal icing if you’re comfortable working with it.

Gingerbread Friends Cookies

Gingerbread cookies topped with white chocolate, mini gingerbread cookies and sprinkles
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 3 ¼ cups (415g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon (10g) cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly ground
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons (24g) vegetable shortening
  • ¾ cup (150g) packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (163ml) unsulphured molasses
  • ¾ cup (128g) white chocolate chips, melted
  • assorted sprinkles I used candy cane sprinkles and green nonpareils

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together until well blended.
  • In a separate large bowl, beat the butter, shortening and brown sugar together, with an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla, then the molasses until well combined.
  • On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in two additions. Beat just until combined. Set aside about 1/4 of the dough for the mini cookies. Form it into a disk. Divide the remaining dough into 2 portions and form them into disks. Wrap all of the dough disks in plastic wrap and chill them in the refrigerator until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
  • Place the small portion of dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Roll to 1/16-inch thickness. Cut out 40-50 mini cookies using a 1-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place the cut outs on a parchment paper lined tray. Freeze for 20-30 minutes. this will help the cookies keep their shape when baking.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the remaining dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 3/4-inch or a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 18 cookies. Re-roll the scraps as needed. place the cookies at least 1-inch apart onto the cookie sheets. Bake until the cookies are set and slightly puffed, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
  • Place the mini cookies, about 1/2-inch apart onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake until the cookies are set and slightly puffed, about 5-6 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. Decorate the cooled mini cookies with melted white chocolate, using a toothpick to make the eyes, smiles, etc.
  • Spread melted white chocolate onto one side of each round cookie. Top with the mini gingerbread cookies and the sprinkles of your choice.

Notes

*To find the mini gingerbread man cookie cutter I used, click here.
To find round cookie cutters, click here.
Keyword cookies, gingerbread

Sweet Potato Cake with Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting and Salted Caramel

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

This incredibly easy-to-make cake is like a sleeper that takes you by surprise. The two-ingredient frosting is an unlikely winner, but will end up pleasantly surprising you, especially when the salted caramel is added as a finishing touch. The combination of sweet potatoes and marshmallows is a classic pairing that will remind you of a sweet potato casserole in cake form. My family adores it and I think you will too. If you’re not a fan of marshmallows you can frost this cake with my silky cream cheese frosting instead. Click here for the recipe.

 

Sweet Potato Cake with Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting and Salted Caramel

by Mari Vasseur
Soft moist, single layer sweet potato cake topped with a luscious 2-ingredient frosting and drizzled with salted caramel
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 9 servings

Ingredients
  

Sweet Potato Cake

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg preferably freshly ground
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
  • ⅔ cup (148ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240g) mashed cooked sweet potatoes*
  • 1 batch Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting recipe below
  • 1/3-1/2 cup (98-148g) salted caramel sauce homemade or store bought

Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 ounces (227g) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 7.5 ounce (213g) jar of Marshmallow Fluff

Instructions
 

Sweet Potato Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg until well blended.
  • In a large bowl, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla, with an electric mixer or whisk by hand until creamy and well blended. Stir in the sweet potatoes until incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 23-28 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove the cake from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack.

Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a large bowl, stir the cream cheese with a spatula until smooth. Add the Marshmallow Fluff and beat with an electric mixer just until smooth and well blended. Don't over beat. Over beating can cause the cream cheese to curdle.
  • Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Drizzle the caramel over the top of the cake or top each piece of cake with a spoonful of caramel.

Notes

*It's okay to use canned sweet potatoes if you don't have fresh ones. Make sure to rinse them before using.
Keyword cake, sweet potato

Cranberry Orange Crumb Cake Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Cranberry Orange Crumb Cake Cookies

When you combine cranberry orange crumb cake with white chocolate chip cookies, you get these delicious, unique cookies that are perfect for the holiday season. They make a festive addition to your holiday cookie platter. I came up with these delightful cookies when I was looking for a way to use up leftover cranberry sauce. If your family is like mine, it’s rare for us to have leftover cranberry sauce because we love it so much. Click here to view my Cranberry Sauce recipe. Don’t worry, you can certainly use store bought whole berry cranberry sauce for this recipe and the cookies will be just as delicious.

 

Cranberry Orange Crumb Cake Cookies

by Mari Vasseur
Orange scented vanilla cookies with white chocolate chips, topped with cranberry sauce, crumb topping and orange icing
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 16 cookies

Ingredients
  

Crumb Topping

  • ¾ cup (96g) all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 4 ½ tablespoons (64g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed

Cookies

  • 2 cups (255g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • Zest of 1 medium orange
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanila extract
  • ¾ cup (128g) white chocolate chips
  • ½ cup (113g) whole berry cranberry sauce, purchased or homemade

Icing

  • ⅔ cup (80g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1-2 ½ tablespoons (15-38ml) orange juice

Instructions
 

Crumb Topping

  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt until well blended. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it looks sandy with no large pieces of butter. Press the mixture together to form chunks. Set aside in the refrigerator while you make the cookie dough.

Cookies

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 large cookies sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well blended.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and orange zest, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg and egg yolk in two separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla extract. On low speed, beat the flour mixture into the batter, just until combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips.
  • Form the cookie dough into sixteen 2-tablespoon size balls. Place them about 3 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Press a 1-inch wide indentation into each cookie using your thumb or a pastry tamper. Fill each indentation with a generous teaspoon of cranberry sauce. Top each one generously with the crumb topping. Gently press the topping into the cookies.
  • Bake until the topping and the edges start to turn light golden, about 11-13 minutes. (Be careful not to over bake to avoid drying out your cookies.) Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Icing

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, salt, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of orange juice until well blended. Add additional orange juice as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies.
Keyword cookies, cranberry orange

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pecan Pie Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Pecan Pie Cookies

My Peach Crumble Pie Cookies were so popular that I decided to make a Pecan Pie version. These buttery little cookie tarts have a sweet, gooey pecan filling that’s the perfect contrast to the tender shortbread crusts. They taste like autumn and Thanksgiving in a cute little pie. They also make a delightful addition to your Christmas cookie platter or cookie box. Make sure to use good quality butter, so your shortbread crusts will be melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pecan Pie Cookies

by Mari Vasseur
Tender, buttery shortbread crusts filled with sweet, gooey pecan pie filling in a cute mini size
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 12 cookie tarts

Ingredients
  

Shortbread Crusts

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 7 tablespoons (99g) good quality unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¼ cup (28g) powdered sugar, sifted

Pecan Filling

  • 1 cup (113g) coarsely chopped pecans
  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, cubed
  • ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (60ml) pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Shortbread Crusts

  • Lightly spray a 12-serving muffin pan* with nonstick spray. (I had no problems releasing the cookies from the pan, but you can also line the muffin cups with 2-inch parchment circles for a foolproof release. I don't recommend cupcake liners since the cookies will stick to the ridges of the liners.)
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well blended.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Mix in the flour mixture on low speed or by hand, just until combined.
  • Press generous tablespoon size (about 20g each) portions of dough into the bottoms and 1/4-inch up the insides of the muffin pan cups with a pastry tamper dipped in flour. You can also use the bottom of a flat shot glass. Set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the pecan filling.

Pecan Filling

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the pecans, butter, brown sugar and maple syrup over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and let the mixture bubble gently for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the heavy cream, cinnamon and salt. Return the pan to the heat and let the mixture bubble gently on low heat for 2 more minutes. Stir in the vanilla and let the mixture cool to lukewarm.
  • Top the cookie crusts evenly with the pecan filling mixture. Bake until the cookies are set and the topping is golden brown and bubbly, about 14-16 minutes. Cool the cookies completely in the pan. Once cool, remove the cookies from the pan by running a small offset spatula or paring knife around the inside perimeter of the muffin cups to loosen them.

Notes

*To find the 12-serving  muffin pan I used, click here.
Keyword cookies, pecan, shortbread

Double Chocolate Marble Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Double Chocolate Marble Cookies

If you like marble cookies, you’ll love my amazing deluxe version. They have crisp edges with soft, chewy centers and plenty of chocolate which makes them the best marble cookies ever! I used a combination of dark chocolate pieces and milk chocolate chips for the perfect balance. Set aside some of the dark chocolate pieces for the tops for the most beautiful, decadent pools of melted chocolate.

 

Double Chocolate Marble Cookies

by Mari Vasseur
Double chocolate marble cookies with crisp edges and soft, chewy centers. Chocolate dough with dark chocolate pieces is swirled together with vanilla dough with milk chocolate chips
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 14 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups (255g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided
  • 6 tablespoons (35g) unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1 3 1/2-4 oz (113g) dark chocolate bar* broken into bite size pieces
  • 2 tablespoons (20g) cornstarch
  • ⅔ cup (170g) milk chocolate chips or white chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.
  • Divide the cookie dough in half, using a kitchen scale for accuracy. Place half of the dough in a separate bowl. Add the cocoa powder into half of the dough, mixing just until combined. Set aside several pieces of dark chocolate for the tops of the cookies, then stir the remaining dark chocolate pieces into the chocolate dough.
  • Add the cornstarch and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the other half of the cookie dough, mixing just until combined. Stir the milk chocolate chips into the vanilla dough.
  • Divide each type of dough into 28 portions, approximately 1 tablespoon each. Roll them into balls. Take 2 balls of each type of dough (4 total) and arrange them in a checkerboard pattern then roll them together to form a large ball. Repeat this process to make 14 large dough balls. Cover the dough balls and chill them in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Place the dough balls 3 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Top each one with 1 or 2 pieces of the reserved dark chocolate. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the centers are set, but still soft, about 10-14 minutes. Do not over bake. The cookies will spread a bit. Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately use a large round cookie cutter to shape the hot cookies. Place the cookie cutter onto the cookie sheet over each cookie and slide it around each one a couple of times to achieve perfectly round cookies. Work quickly before the cookies set. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Notes

To find dark Dutch process cocoa powder, click here.
Keyword cookies, double chocolate, marble

Soot Sprite Treats

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Spirited Away Soot Sprite Treats

If you’re a fan of Ghibli movies, you may remember the cute Susuwatari or Soot Sprites from Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. These easy-to-make chocolate covered treats are also known as haystacks or tumbleweeds. They’re often made with shredded coconut or chow main noodles. I love using potato stick snacks for a delicious, crunchy salty-sweet snack.

In Spirited Away, the cute sprites are fed handfuls of Japanese konpietō candy. If you aren’t able to find it, candy star sprinkles are a nice substitute for decorating your Soot Sprites. (See the links below.)

 

Soot Sprite Treats

by Mari Vasseur
Chocolate covered potato stick snacks shaped like the beloved Spirited Away Soot Sprites
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 24 treats

Ingredients
  

  • 5 cups (210g) potato stick snacks
  • ⅔ cup (65g) chopped toasted salted cashews or peanuts (optional but recommended)
  • 2 cups (340g) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup (170g) butterscotch chips
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • A few drops black oil based food coloring (optional)
  • 48 Candy eyes
  • Konpeitō candy or pastel star candy sprinkles

Instructions
 

  • Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or wax paper. In an extra-large bowl, combine the potato sticks and nuts.
  • In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and the oil. Heat in the microwave for 20 second bursts, stirring gently between each burst, until melted and smooth. Stir in the food coloring if using.
  • Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the potato stick mixture. Stir gently with a spatula until the mix is completely coated with the melted chocolate.
  • Scoop or spoon rounded 2-tbs-size portions of the mixture onto the baking sheets. Add candy eyes and stars. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes.

Notes

*To find black oil based food coloring, click here.
**To find candy eyes, click here.
***To find Konpieto candy, click here.
****To find pastel star candy sprinkles, click here.
 
Keyword candy, snacks, soot sprite treats, tumbleweeds

Cyclops S’mores Bites

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Cyclops S'mores Bites

Do you ever feel like someone is watching you? These spooky Cyclops S’mores Bites can’t help but stare at you. They’re a fun, easy-to-make Halloween treat. Mini graham cracker crusts are filled with a sweet, silky chocolate filling and topped with monster eyeball marshmallows.

Cyclops S'mores Bites

Silky chocolate filling in a graham cracker crust, topped with spooky monster eyeball marshmallows
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 24 bite size mini tarts

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ¼ cups (124g) graham cracker crumbs (about 8 rectangular sheets or 16 squares)
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (7g) all purpose flour
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) melted (salted) butter
  • 1 cup (237ml) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 24 monster eyeball marshmallows

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 24-serving muffin pan** with mini cupcake liners.***
  • In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and flour until well combined. Stir in the melted butter until the crumbs are evenly coated and the mixture looks like wet sand.
  • Evenly distribute the crumb mixture into the muffin cups. Press the crumbs firmly into the bottoms and up the sides of the muffin cups, using a pastry tamper, the flat bottom of a small shot glass or a 1/8 cup measuring cup. Bake for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  • In a medium-size microwavable bowl, heat the sweetened condensed milk and the chocolate chips together in the microwave for 20 second burst, stirring in between each burst, until melted and smooth. (Alternately, you can melt the mixture in a medium-size saucepan over low heat.)
  • Working quickly, fill the graham cracker crusts almost to the top with the melted chocolate mixture using a small scoop or a piping bag. Carefully remove the chocolate-filled crusts from the muffin pan and top each one with a monster eyeball marshmallow. Enjoy as is or place a few at a time on a microwave safe plate and heat them in the microwave for 7-10 seconds for a gooey eyeball treat.

Notes

*Marshmallow eyeballs are sold at Walmart and World Market.
**To find the muffin pan I used, click here.  
***To find mini muffin liners, click here.
Keyword Halloween, s'mores bites, tarts

Honey Caramel Popcorn

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Honey Caramel Popcorn

Autumn is my favorite time of year to make caramel popcorn. That’s when the weather start to get cooler and we love curling up in a blanket with some snacks to watch a movies. Honey Caramel Popcorn has a buttery, sweet, earthy flavor that brings back memories of past fall seasons. It’s easy to make and fun to share. I added roasted almonds to mine but you can use your favorite nuts or leave them out if you wish.

If you want to share your Honey Caramel Popcorn, place it in food safe treat bags. I created some free printable labels that you can add to your treat bags. To get the free printables, click here.

 

Honey Caramel Popcorn

by Mari Vasseur
Honey caramel coated popcorn with roasted almonds
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 12 cups (110-120g) popped popcorn
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (126g) honey
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) light corn syrup
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (56g) roasted, salted almonds, honey roasted salted almonds or any nuts of your choice
  • Sea salt for sprinkling optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 200ºF (95Cº). Line a large baking sheet with nonstick parchment paper or a silicone mat, such as a silpat.* Place the popcorn in an extra-large lightly greased bowl. Wipe out any excess oil or grease with a paper towel.
  • In a medium-size, heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, brown sugar, honey, corn syrup and salt together, stirring gently. When the mixture comes to a boil, stop stirring and let the mixture bubble for 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and baking soda. The mixture will foam up. Remove from heat.
  • Carefully pour half of the caramel mixture over the popcorn. Stir gently, then add the almonds. Stir again. Pour the remaining caramel over the popcorn. Stir once more. Transfer the caramel popcorn to the baking sheet, arranging it in an even layer. Bake for about 1 hour, stirring gently every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste if desired.

Notes

To find my favorite large baking sheets, click here. 
To find a silicone mat, click here.  
Keyword caramel popcorn, snacks

Brown Butter Monster Cookie Bars

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Brown Butter Monster Cookie Bars

If you’re looking for an easy, delicious and cute Halloween bake, Brown Butter Monster Cookie Bars are perfect for you. These spooky bars are crisp and golden on the outside, buttery, soft and chewy on the inside. They’re loaded with milk chocolate M & M’s and semisweet chocolate pieces which makes these the best Halloween cookie bars ever! I used a chocolate bar broken into pieces, rather than chocolate chips because the chocolate pieces melt into generous, silky pools of chocolate. The fun part is adding the spooky candy eyes. You can even create expressions with sprinkle eyebrows.

 

Brown Butter Monster Cookie Bars

by Mari Vasseur
Crisp and golden on the outside, buttery, soft and chewy on the inside with M & M's and chocolate pieces. The best Halloween cookie bars ever!
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9 bars

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 ½ cups (191g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup (66g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ¾ cup (149g) M & M's milk chocolate candies preferably Halloween colors
  • 1 4 oz (113g) semisweet or dark chocolate bar broken into bite size pieces
  • Candy eyes
  • Green sprinkles

Instructions
 

  • In a medium-sized, light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until it's deep golden and fragrant. When brown specks start to appear, remove it from the heat and immediately transfer the butter with the brown specks to a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line an 8-inch square baking pan*** with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl until well blended. Set aside.
  • Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract to the brown butter and stir until combined. Add the egg and egg yolk and stir vigorously for 1-2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Set aside a few of the larger chocolate pieces for the top. Gently stir the remaining chocolate pieces and the M & M's into the dough.
  • Press the dough evenly into the baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Arrange the reserved chocolate pieces on the top. Bake until the top is set and light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bars comes out with a few moist crumbs on it, about 20-25 minutes. Add the candy eyes and sprinkles while the bars are still warm. Let the bars cool in the pan.

Notes

*To find candy eyes, click here.
**To find green sprinkles, click here. Alternately, if you have rainbow sprinkles, you can take the  green ones out to use for your cookies bars if you don't want to purchase green sprinkles.
***To find the 8-inch baking pan I used, click here.
Keyword bars, monster cookie

Maple Blueberry Buckle

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Maple Blueberry Buckle

A “buckle” is a single layer cake made with fruit. It often has a crumb topping similar to a crumb cake or a coffee cake. My version of a buckle is made with blueberries and maple icing. Although blueberry desserts are typically made when blueberries are in season, this delicious cake can be made year around, because the recipe also works well with frozen blueberries. The maple flavor pairs beautifully with the blueberries and brown sugar in the cake and gives it a cozy autumn feeling.

Maple Blueberry Buckle

Tender maple brown sugar cake topped with blueberries, crumb topping and maple icing
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9 servings

Ingredients
  

Crumb Topping

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed

Cake

  • 1 ⅔ cup (213g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg preferably freshly ground
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure maple extract
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (118ml) whole milk, room temperature
  • ⅓ cup (75g) sour cream, room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups (234g) fresh or frozen blueberries, divided

Icing

  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ teaspoon pure maple extract
  • 1 dash fine sea salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) whole milk, room temperature

Instructions
 

Crumb Topping

  • In a medium-size bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Work in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks sandy with no large pieces of butter remaining. Press the mixture together to make chunks. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 9-inch square cake pan* with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang.
  • In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until well blended.
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar, with an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs into the butter mixture in two separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the extracts until combined.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the milk and sour cream together. On low speed, beat the flour mixture into the batter in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture. Mix just until combined.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Set aside 1/4 cup (38g) of blueberries. Top the cake batter evenly with the remaining blueberries, then the topping mixture. Top with the reserved blueberries. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool the cake in the pan. Remove the cake from pan and transfer it to a serving platter.**

Icing

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, butter, maple extract, salt and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of milk until well combined. Add additional milk as needed to reach the desired consistency. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake.

Notes

*To find the 9-inch square cake pan I used, click here.
**To remove the cake from the pan, tilt the cake pan and lift one end of the cake using the parchment paper as a handle. Gently slide the cake onto a serving platter or cutting board. You can also serve the cake directly out of the pan if you prefer.
Keyword buckle, cake, maple blueberry