granulated sugar – Page 7 – Brownie Mischief

Raspberry Lemonade Brownies

Posted on June 24, 2021February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Raspberry Lemonade Brownies are the perfect easy recipe for spring and summer. They’re so pretty and delightfully delicious! The fudgy lemon batter is brightened with fresh lemon zest and raspberries, then topped with a sweet-tart burst of flavor and color from fresh raspberries. The icing contains no food coloring. Just three raspberries will give you that luscious shade of pink!

I want to clarify that lemon brownies are not lemon bars. We all know what a lemon bar is. The one we all know and love has a lemon curd filling on a shortbread crust, possibly drizzled with lemon icing or sprinkled with powdered sugar. The lemon brownie is a whole different animal. Don’t mistake lemon brownies for lemon cake either. Lemon brownies contain white chocolate which gives them a rich, fudgy texture like their chocolate cousins. We may be tempted to call them blondies, but blondies have a butterscotch flavor and typically don’t contain chocolate. Now that we got that straightened out, we can sleep peacefully tonight.

Raspberry Lemonade Brownies

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Course Dessert

Servings 16 bars

Ingredients

Raspberry Lemonade Bownies

6 ounces (170g) white chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, cubed
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
¼ cup (59ml) fresh lemon juice
Zest of two medium lemons
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ¾ cups (223g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 cup (170g) raspberries plus extra for serving, if desired

Raspberry Lemonade Icing

3 raspberries
1 ¼ cups (142g) powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon (14g) melted butter
2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Raspberry Lemonade Bownies

Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Line an 8-inch square baking pan* with parchment paper.
In a medium microwaveable bowl, melt the white chocolate and butter in the microwave for 20 second bursts, stirring after each one. Alternately, melt the white chocolate and butter on the stovetop in a heat safe bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir gently until smooth.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, egg yolk, lemon juice, zest and salt until smooth and well combined. Stir in the melted white chocolate mixture. Add the flour and mix just until combined. Gently stir in the raspberries.
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake until the top is set, the edges are light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs on it, about 23-28 minutes. Let the brownies cool in the pan.

Raspberry Lemonade Icing

In a medium-size bowl, smash the raspberries with a fork.
Add the powdered sugar, melted butter and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Whisk until smooth, adding more lemon juice as needed. Spread the icing over the cooled brownies.
Cut into 2-inch squares and serve with additional raspberries, if desired.

Notes

*To find the 8 x 8 inch pan I used, click here.

Mini Hummingbird Cake

Posted on June 19, 2021February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

If you haven’t noticed already, I love little cakes. Mini cakes are not only cute and charming, they’re likely to make you very popular. This recipe makes two darling Mini Hummingbird Cakes, one to keep and one to share. Hummingbird Cake is a delightful way to use your ripe bananas. The version I’m sharing here also contains pineapple, pecans and coconut. This fruity, nutty combination reminds me of spring and would be perfect for Easter or a spring picnic.

Mini Hummingbird Cake

by Mari Vasseur

Hummingbird Cakes filled with bananas, pineapple, pecans and coconut, topped with cream cheese frosting and decorated with graham cracker crumb moss and fresh chamomile flowers.

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 2 4-inch 2-layer cakes

Ingredients

Hummingbird Cakes

1 ½ cups (191g) all purpose flour, sifted
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
½ cup packed (100g) packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (227g) mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
1 8 oz (227g) can crushed pineapple, drained
½ cup (60g) chopped pecans, toasted
¼ cup (28g) sweetened dried coconut flakes, chopped* See note below

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons (30ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature, divided
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 cups (482g) powdered sugar, sifted
1 8 oz (227g) package cream cheese, softened

Optional Decor

Green gel food color I used Americolor avocado green**
Yellow gel food cool I used Americolor lemon yellow***
Vodka
6 graham crackers (two squares each), crushed
Fresh pesticide free chamomile flowers

Instructions

Hummingbird Cakes

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottoms of four 4-inch cake pans**** with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, brown sugar and oil with an electric mixer, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract in three separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the bananas, pineapple, pecans and coconut until combined.
Transfer the batter to prepared cake pans, about 1 cup of batter in each pan. Place the filled cake pans on a baking sheet.
Bake until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25-28 minutes. Cool the cakes in pans 10 minutes then turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack.
Trim the cakes to 1-inch thickness. Fill, stack and frost the cakes with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth and pale. Beat 1 tablespoon (15ml)of heavy cream, the vanilla extract and salt into the butter until well combined. On low speed, beat in the powdered sugar a half cup at a time, until well combined.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix cream the cheese with remaining 1 tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream, with a spatula until smooth. On low speed, beat the cream cheese mixture into the butter mixture until smooth and well blended. Smooth out any bubbles by stirring by hand with a spatula.

Decor

To make the graham cracker crumb moss: In two small bowls, dilute 1/8 teaspoon of each gel food color with a few drops of vodka. (Vodka will dissipate as the crumbs dry.) Place the graham cracker crumbs in a plastic food bag. Add diluted food colors a little at a time and seal the bag. Shake the bag and gently massage it to distribute the color. Add more diluted food color as needed until desired your shade of green is reached. Spread the crumbs out onto a parchment lined baking sheet to dry. Apply the crumbs to bottom edges of the frosted cakes.

Notes

*Chop the coconut flakes to achieve a finer texture. This step is optional.

**To find the avocado green food color gel I used, click here.

***To find the lemon yellow food color gel I used, click here.

****To find the 4-inch cake pans I used, click here.

Keyword cake, hummingbird

Strawberries & Cream Tarts

Posted on May 3, 2021February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

May is when I get to pull out all of my summery recipes. These pretty little Strawberries & Cream Tarts remind me of a summer day. The kind of day when you’re outside enjoying the sunshine and you’re craving a cool, refreshing dessert. This strawberry cream filling alone is so delicious that I could just eat the entire bowl with a spoon. But since I’m extra, I had to create an aesthetic dessert with it.

I used my favorite tart shells for this recipe, but this would also be delicious with those little pre-made graham cracker pie crusts if you want to take a shortcut. The reason I love this tart crust recipe so much though, is that it actually tastes delicious. Once, a few years ago, I purchased a beautiful, small fruit tart from a famous bakery. The fruit was vibrant and glistening and the pastry cream filling was sweet and silky. Now we need the sound of a mic drop, because the tart crust was hard and flavorless, like cardboard! Ever since then, I knew I would settle for nothing less than a delicious tart crust.

Strawberries & Cream Tarts

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Course Dessert

Servings 6 4-inch tarts

Ingredients

Tart Crust

1 ½ cups (6.75 ounces) all purpose flour, sifted
¼ cup (1 ounce) powdered sugar, sifted
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup (4 ounces) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
1-2 tablespoons ice water

Strawberry Cream Filling

2 cups (16 ounces) strawberry puree Plus more for garnish
½ cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder
½ cup (4 ounces) cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon strawberry extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (4 ounces) cold heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Tart Crust

In a bowl, whisk together flour, powdered sugar and salt. Set aside.
Work in butter and egg yolk with a pastry blender or with your fingers, until pea size pieces are formed.
Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together.
Form dough into a disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for one hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a scant 1/4-inch thickness
Cut dough into six 5-inch rounds. Press rounds into six 4-inch or 4 1/4-inch tart pans.*
Dock the bottoms of pie crusts with a fork. Freeze for 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 375ºF. Place tart pans on a large baking sheet.
Line tart shells with six 6-inch parchment rounds. Fill with pie weights. (You can use dried beans or rice if you don't have pie weights.)
Bake tart shells for 12 minutes. Remove parchment paper and pie weights. Continue baking until tart shells are light golden brown, about 4-6 more minutes.
Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

Strawberry Cream Filling

Pass the strawberry purée through a mesh sieve to remove large seeds.
In a medium saucepan, simmer the strawberry purée until it's reduced by half. Stir in the sugar and continue cooking over medium heat, until the sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a medium bowl.
Meanwhile, place 3 tablespoons of water into a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin powder over the top of water. Let sit until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
Pour the gelatin mixture into the warm strawberry reduction mixture and stir until fully incorporated.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese on low speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add extracts and beat until combined.
Add the strawberry reduction mixture to the cream cheese a little at time. Beat until well combined.
In a medium bowl, beat heavy whipping cream with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.
Fold whipped cream into strawberry mixture.
Spoon into cooled tart shells. Smooth tops with a small offset spatula. Refrigerate for two hours. Garnish with sliced, fresh strawberries.

Notes

*To find the tart pans I used, click here.

Keyword strawberry, tarts

Marshmallow Mudslide Cookies

Posted on February 23, 2021February 16, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Have you ever had mudslide cake? It’s a deliciously messy chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and marshmallows, also known as Mississippi mud cake. I saw one covered in a layer of marshmallow fluff and it made its way into my dreams. I woke up with the inspiration to make a cookie version of the gooey mudslide cake.

I saw a few mudslide cookie recipes out there that used standard size marshmallows and chocolate chips mixed into the cookie dough. If you’ve ever baked with marshmallows, you know that they nearly disappear during the baking process. Chocolate chips melt beautifully into little pools of chocolate, but then harden once cooled to room temperature. I happily volunteered to address these challenges! After some trial and error, I created a satisfying cookie with plenty of gooey marshmallow goodness and a rich fudge filling that stays soft at room temperature. Dreams do come true!

Marshmallow Mudslide Cookies

by Mari Vasseur

Chocolate & nut fudge-filled cookies topped with toasted marshmallows

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Course Dessert

Servings 22 cookies

Ingredients

Fudge filling

1 ⅓ cup (227g) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup (319g) sweetened condensed milk
⅔ cup (74g) chopped toasted pecans or walnuts

Cookies

2 ⅛ cups (287g) all purpose flour, sifted
½ cup (45g) unsweetened Dutch Process cocoa powder, sifted preferably dark
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
22-24 *s'mores marshmallows or jumbo marshmallows I used Kraft Jet-Puffed S'moreMallows

Instructions

Fudge filling

Melt the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together in a double boiler or in the microwave in a medium-sized microwave safe bowl.
Stir in the chopped nuts. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350º (180ºC). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed, until pale and fluffy. Mix in the eggs and the vanilla in 3 separate additions, making sure each addition is incorporated before adding the next. On low speed, mix in the flour mixture in 2 additions, just until combined.
Roll the fudge filling into tablespoon-sized balls.
Roll the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls then flatten them into disks. Place a ball of fudge filling in the middle of each disk. Wrap the cookie dough around the ball of filling, sealing it completely.
Place the cookies about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the tops of the cookies are set, about 9-11 minutes. Remove from oven.
Turn on the broiler. Place a marshmallow on top of each cookie.
Broil the cookies until the marshmallows are toasted. This takes about 1 minute. CAUTION: Watch the cookies carefully when broiling. They can go from done to burnt in the blink of an eye!

Notes

*I used Kraft Jet-Puffed S'moreMallows, but if you're unable to find them, use jumbo marshmallows. Cut them in half lengthwise with kitchen shears. Place on cookies cut side down.

**To melt fudge filling in microwave, heat for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave for 10 second intervals, stirring until melted.

Keyword chocolate, cookies

Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumble Brownies

Posted on October 28, 2020February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

It’s Fall 2020. We need chocolate! We need pumpkin spice! And we need it drenched with caramel! These satisfying brownies check all of the boxes with multiple layers of comfort. A rich chocolate brownie is the base. The next layer is heavenly pumpkin cheesecake. The topping is a buttery crumble that rivals the best crumb cake. Finally, as if that isn’t enough, it’s drizzled with caramel sauce!

If it sounds complicated, don’t worry, it’s not. Each layer is super easy to make. You can use your favorite store bought caramel sauce to top it with. Vanilla ice cream and/or whipped cream are optional, but highly recommended toppings also. Just saying.

The layers go unexpectedly well together and make the perfect dessert for Halloween or Thanksgiving. I’m even going to add these beauties to my Christmas dessert table this year. Enjoy! You deserve it.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumble Brownies

Chocolate brownies with pumpkin cheesecake and crumb topping, topped with caramel sauce.

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Course Dessert

Servings 12

Ingredients

Crumb Topping

1 ½ cups (6 3/4 ounces) all purpose flour
½ cup (3 1/4 ounces) brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer

¾ cup (6 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (8 ounces) canned pumpkin
2 eggs
6 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Brownie Layer

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 ⅛ cup (8 ounces) granulated sugar
½ cup (2 1/8 ounces) Dutch-Process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
¾ cup (3 3/8 ounces) all purpose flour
½ cup caramel sauce, purchased or homemade warmed if desired

Instructions

Crumb Topping

In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
Cut in butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until well-combined and crumbles are pea-sized. Press crumbles together to make large quarter-sized chunks.
Set aside in refrigerator.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer

Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add pumpkin, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and beat until well combined. Set aside.

Brownie Layer

Melt 1 stick of butter in a large microwaveable bowl.
Stir in sugar until combined
Stir in cocoa powder, vanilla, baking powder and salt.
Add the eggs and beat until smooth
Add the flour and mix until just combined.
Spread brownie batter into prepared baking pan. Smooth with a spatula.
Spread pumpkin cheesecake batter over the top of brownie batter. Smooth with a spatula.
Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over the top of pumpkin cheesecake layer.
Bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into pumpkin cheesecake layer comes out clean.
Let cool completely. Cut into squares and serve with caramel sauce.

Cranberry Sauce

Posted on November 14, 2017February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Homemade cranberry sauce is easier to make than you might think, and it takes your turkey dinner to another level. And don’t get me started on how delicious it is on Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches (which I happen to love more than the dinner itself.) This cranberry sauce is also delicious used in dessert recipes, like bars and cookies, such as my Cranberry Orange Crumb Cake Cookies.

Cranberry Sauce

Print Recipe

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

12 ounces (340g) cranberries, fresh or frozen, picked over, stems removed and rinsed (about 1 3/4 cups)
⅔ cup (132g) granulated sugar
⅓ cup (66g) packed brown sugar
½ cup (118ml) orange juice
½ cup (118ml) water
Zest of 1 medium orange
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
1 pinch fine sea salt to taste

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, granulated sugar, brown sugar, orange juice, water, orange zest and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer until the cranberries soften and the mixture thickens to a jam consistency, about 18-25 minutes. Stir in the honey and salt. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature. The sauce will thicken a bit as it cools.

Keyword condiments, cranberry sauce

Honeydukes Inspired Pink Coconut Ice Cake

Posted on September 12, 2017February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

I recently enjoyed a girls’ day out at Universal Studios Hollywood. My daughter is a Harry Potter fan, so of course we beelined straight to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter upon arrival at the theme park. We were spellbound by the ominous looking Hogwart’s Castle and the sparkling snow-topped shops of Hogsmeade. My daughter was in Harry Potter fan heaven, flitting around Hogsmeade, testing out her interactive wand and sipping some refreshing Butter Beer. It’s definitely a must-try

Our favorite shop was Honeydukes sweet shop, where anyone with a sweet tooth can get his or her candy wishes fulfilled. The candy selection was nothing short of magical. We picked up some Chocolate Flies, a Chocolate Frog and some Pink Coconut Ice candy.

I was most excited to try the Pink Coconut Ice. I’ve been intrigued by the thought of this candy ever since it was mentioned in the book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. The Pink Coconut Ice candy is similar to a stiff fudge. It’s very sweet, so you can cut it into small squares and have plenty to share with friends.

I imagined the “shimmery pink squares” a little differently so, I decided to build on my imagined version of the coconut candy by making a shimmery pink coconut cake. I used my favorite coconut cake recipe and pink coconut buttercream. I tinted my buttercream with Americolor gel food color soft pink. I covered my cake in large flakes of unsweetened coconut. To find unsweetened coconut flakes, click here. I think the large flakes look more whimsical and add texture, but feel free to use whatever kind of coconut you prefer. I colored my coconut a shimmery, soft pink. Click here to see how I colored my coconut flakes.

You don’t have to be a Harry Potter fan to appreciate this pink, fluffy, coconut-covered cake. I can imagine this pretty cake at any party or event with a pink theme. I hope you enjoy this perfectly Pink Coconut Ice Cake as much as we did!

Pink Coconut Ice Cake

Moist, fluffy coconut cake with pink buttercream and coconut flakes

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 1 6-inch cake (serves 6)

Ingredients

Coconut Cake

3 1/2 cups (11 1/2 ounces) cake flour *see note below
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ cups (12 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar preferably ultra fine
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons natural coconut extract **see note below
6 large egg whites
1 ½ cups canned light coconut milk ***see note below

Pink Coconut Buttercream

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 ¾ cups (1 pound) powdered sugar, sifted
¼ cup canned light coconut milk
½ teaspoon natural coconut extract
pink gel food color I used Americolor soft pink (link below)

Pink Coconut Flakes

3 cups unsweetened coconut flakes (link below)
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
edible pink petal dust I used Rosie Sterling Pearl Dust by GSA (link below)
food safe gloves

Instructions

Coconut Cake

Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease three 6-inch cake pans.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and oil together with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Beat in coconut extract. Gradually beat in egg whites until mixture is well combined, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl.
Beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with coconut milk, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl.
Pour batter into prepared pans, evenly distributing batter between the pans. Bake for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of pans comes out clean.
Place pans on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and place on rack to cool completely.

Pink Coconut Buttercream

In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy.
Add salt. Beat until combined.
Turn off mixer. Add powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until sugar is moistened, then turn up to medium speed and beat until combined.
Add coconut milk a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Add coconut extract and beat at medium speed until buttercream is smooth.
Add gel food color with a toothpick, a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Beat at low speed until well blended.
Fill and frost cake with Pink Coconut Buttercream.

Pink Coconut Flakes

Place powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add a small amount of petal dust. Whisk together with a small whisk. Add additional petal dust until desired color is reached.
Spread coconut flakes out onto a large shallow dish. Sprinkle powdered sugar mixture over coconut with a small sieve. Toss gently with gloved hands.
Place cake on a baking sheet to catch excess coconut. Press colored coconut onto sides and top of cake.

Notes

*Do not substitute all-purpose flour. For best results weigh your dry ingredients. **For best results, use natural coconut extract. Imitation coconut flavorings may give your baked goods an unpleasant flavor. ***If your coconut milk is separated when you open the can, simply place it in a blender to emulsify before using. To find my favorite 6-inch cake pans, click here. To find the gel food color I used, click here. To find unsweetened coconut flakes, click here. To find the edible pearl dust I used, click here.

Peaches & Cream Profiteroles

Posted on September 5, 2017February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Summer is nearly over, and after the recent heatwave here in Southern California, I’m more than ready to welcome fall weather. But before I put on my fluffy sweater and dive into pumpkin spice everything, I want to enjoy the tail end of peach season, don’t you? Farmer’s markets and stores near my home are still brimming over with fresh peaches, so I picked up some peaches and decided to give them a proper goodbye and send them off in style.

I created some luscious peaches and cream filled, bite-size puffs of choux pastry, called profiteroles. They’re like cream puffs, only smaller. The filling is creamy, but so light and airy that I’m convinced that these profiteroles have no calories! The recipe I’m sharing with you uses fresh peaches, but feel free to substitute frozen peaches if fresh peaches aren’t available. There are a lot of steps to this recipe, but the steps are done in stages and are very easy to do.

I decorated my profiteroles with fresh, pesticide-free miniature rosebuds, also known as spray roses. If you can’t find miniature rosebuds, pesticide-free rose petals would be a good substitute. You may not get a chance to embellish these little beauties. They have a way of popping into people’s mouths even before you can decorate them!

Peaches & Cream Profiteroles

Bite-sized puffs of choux pastry filled with a creamy, fresh peach filling and topped with fresh peach icing.

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Servings 18

Ingredients

Peach Purée

2 large fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced *see note below
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon natural peach flavoring

Peaches & Cream Filling

1 cup whole milk
⅓ cup (2 ounces) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) cornstarch
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 egg
2 tablespoon (1 ounce) unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon pure almond extract
peach purée recipe above
⅔ cup heavy whipping cream

Profiteroles

½ cup water
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup (2 1/4 ounces) all purpose flour
2 eggs room temperature

Peach Icing

¾ cup (3 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons reserved peach puree
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
¼ teaspoon natural peach flavoring

Instructions

Peach Purée

Purée peaches in a blender or food processor. Strain puréed peaches through a sieve. Stir in lemon juice.
Place puréed peaches in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat and simmer until peach purée is reduced by half.
Remove from heat. Stir in peach flavoring and set aside to cool completely.

Peaches and Cream Filling

Bring milk to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Meanwhile, whisk sugar, cornstarch and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the egg and whisk until smooth.
When milk starts to boil, remove from heat and pour 1/3 of the hot milk into the egg mixture and whisk to combine.
Pour the egg mixture into the remaining hot milk and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens.
Remove from heat. Stir in butter and extracts.
Pour mixture through a sieve placed over a bowl. Cover the surface of pastry cream with plastic wrap. Let cool.
Set aside 2 tablespoons of cooled peach purée. Add remaining peach purée to cooled pastry cream and stir to combine. Chill in refrigerator.
In a medium bowl, whip heavy cream to stiff peaks with an electric mixer at high speed. Fold whipped cream into peach pastry cream mixture. Set aside in refrigerator.

Profiteroles

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine water, butter and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat. Add flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture pulls away from sides of the pan and forms a ball.
Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed until steam dissipates and mixture cools to lukewarm.
Add eggs one at a time and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed, until smooth, stopping to scrape down bowl.
Transfer mixture to a piping bag, fitted with a large round tip. (**I used Ateco tip 808.)
Pipe 1 1/4 inch mounds, about 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Smooth tops with a wet finger.
Bake for 15 minutes, then turn oven temperature down to 350ºF and continue baking until golden brown, about 8-10 more minutes. Using a toothpick or skewer poke a small hole in each profiterole to let steam escape. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Using the tip of a paring knife, poke a pilot hole in the bottom of each profiterole.
Place peaches and cream filling into a piping bag fitted with a medium round piping tip. (***I used Wilton tip 12.)
Place piping tip into the pilot holes and fill each profiterole with filling.

Peach Icing

In a small bowl, whisk all icing ingredients together and spoon over filled profiteroles. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

*To make peaches easy to peel, blanch them in boiling water for about 30 seconds, then dunk in ice water.

**To find Ateco tip 808, click here. ***To find Wilton tip 12, click here.

Chocolate Snack Attack Cookies

Posted on June 10, 2017February 20, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

I’ve seen some cookies loaded with add-ins out there, but these extreme cookies just won the title! They’ve got enough chunky, chocolatey, sweet and saltiness to satisfy the most ravenous cookie craving! But, before we even go one step further, I must mention a few disclaimers. I strongly urge you to make sure your fridge is stocked with milk. Please change into your comfiest pants before attempting this recipe. Canceling all plans for the rest of the day is recommended, as a nap may ensue immediately following consumption of these cookies. OK, now that we got that out of the way, let’s jump in with both feet!

First we need a moody photo that looks like it was taken in a rustic cabin to emphasize the seriousness of these chocolate cookies. It’s no coincidence that I’m sharing this recipe with you right before Father’s Day. Every Dad I know is an accomplished snacker. Dad will love these cookies for his personal snack stash! Package them up and deliver them to your Pop with a jug of milk or a thermos of coffee. You can probably skip the straw. We all know that Dad is going to chug his milk, but every respectable blog photo of milk must contain a pretty straw.

These cookies make amazing ice cream sandwiches, too. Press a scoop of softened vanilla ice cream between two cookies and pop it in the freezer. If you want to make these cookies picture perfect, use a scoop to portion out your dough. This will make them uniform in size and they’ll bake more evenly. Click here to find the scoop I used. For even more visual appeal, don’t crush the pretzels before adding to the cookie dough. Some of them will break when you are mixing them into the dough and this is fine, because the large pieces help make these cookies chunky. This recipe makes eighteen large cookies. That’s one dozen for Dad plus six for you to snack on, because when these babies come out of the oven with their melted chocolate chunks and little pools of caramel, resisting will be impossible! Now it’s cookie time…you’ve got this!

Fully Loaded Chocolate Snack Attack Cookies

Large chunky, sweet and salty chocolate cookies loaded with chocolate chunks, pretzels, caramel, rice cereal and nuts.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Course Dessert

Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients

2 ⅛ cups (270g) all purpose flour, sifted
½ cup (45g) dark cocoa powder, sifted
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (50g) brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (213g) semisweet chocolate chunks
1 ½ cup (43g) mini pretzel twists
1 cup (170g) caramel baking bits
1 cup (43g) chocolate rice cereal (I used Cocoa Pebbles)
¾ cup (92g) honey roasted peanuts (or roasted mixed nuts)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350º F (180ºC). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together, with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Add vanilla and beat until combined. On low speed, mix in the flour mixture just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chunks, pretzels, caramel bits, chocolate rice cereal and peanuts.
Scoop 1/4 cup portions of cookie dough and place them about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until set, about 13-15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute before transferring to a cooling rack.

Notes

To find 1/4 cup portion scoop, click here.

To find blue baker's twine, click here.

Mini Chocolate Hand Pies for Pi Day

Posted on March 14, 2017February 16, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Pi Day is a day to celebrate mathematics, or more specifically, the ratio of a circle’s circumference to it’s diameter. While I do appreciate math for it’s precision, I also feel a bit annoyed at math for making my brain hurt! Ok, I’m sorry math. I forgive you. I do need you! How would I bake without you? So today I will celebrate math (and also my love for puns) with these tender, fudgy mini hand pies!

Since pi is all about circles, I used a 2 3/4-inch circle cutter to make round pies, but you can cut them into any shape you like. You could cut larger circles, fold them in half and call them empanadas. Rectangles are very popular with Pop Tart fans and you don’t need a special cutter, but a ruler would be helpful. I think squares would be cute, too! Whatever your shape of choice, math is always there to help!

I used a stencil to add some powdered sugar polka dots to my mini pies. I may have gone a little overboard with my circles, but who’s going to stop me? I think they look pretty cute, but If you don’t have a stencil, a sprinkle or two of powdered sugar will do just fine! Alternately, you could drizzle them with some melted white chocolate. I had a bit of white chocolate on hand, so I can confidently say, that version is yummy too!

Mini Chocolate Hand Pies

by Mari Vasseur

Mini chocolate pies with fudgy filling and a tender chocolate crust.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 25

Total Time 2 10

Course Dessert

Servings 10

Ingredients

Crust

1 ⅛ cup (142g) all purpose flour, sifted plus more for your work surface
3 tablespoons (17g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup (113g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
3 ounces (85g) cold cream cheese, cubed
3 tablespoons (45ml) cold water, divided
½ of 1 whisked egg

Filling

½ cup (85g) bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips *see notes
⅓ cup (107ml) sweetened condensed milk

Finishing Touches

2 tablespoons (15g) powdered sugar optional
OR 2 tablespoons (22g) melted white chocolate optional

Instructions

Crust

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and baking powder until well blended.
Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work the butter and cream cheese into the flour mixture until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.
Add 2 tablespoons (30ml) of the cold water to the mixture. Stir gently just until the dough comes together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough over onto itself a couple of times. Form the dough into a disk. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

Filling

In a small microwavable bowl, melt the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together in the microwave. Heat for 10-15 second bursts, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Assembly

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and remaining 1 tablespoon (15ml) water.
On lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out 20 rounds with a 2 3/4-inch circle cutter (or cut into desired shapes of your choice).
Place 10 dough rounds about 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Top each with 1 tablespoon of filling.
With a small pastry brush or your finger, brush the egg mixture around the perimeter of each of the filled dough circles.
Top each with the 10 remaining dough circles. Crimp the edges together with a fork. Brush the pies with the remaining egg mixture.
Bake until the crust is crisp and browned, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Sprinkle the cooled pies with powdered sugar or drizzle with melted white chocolate.

Notes

*The chocolate chips you use depends on personal preference. Bittersweet chocolate chips give a more intense chocolate flavor, while semi-sweet chocolate chips yield a slightly sweeter finished product.

To find my favorite circle cutters click here. To find the polka-dot stencil click here.

Cocoa Meringue Brownies

Posted on December 28, 2016February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

One of my favorite things to top desserts with are meringue cookies. They’re as light as air and they look so pretty and whimsical! The color and flavor combinations are endless, so you can really have some fun getting creative. I decided to whip some up, especially for placing on top of my favorite brownies. They take even the most humble brownies to a new level. You can use your favorite brownie recipe or even a boxed brownie mix. I won’t judge! I like to make the meringues a day or two ahead since they take quite a while to bake in the oven. While they bake, a subtle chocolate scent will waft through your kitchen, reminding you of the smell of hot cocoa. They even taste like hot cocoa! You can make your brownies a few hours ahead or the night before. I cut mine into rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cutter. I cut 12 rounds of this size from a 13 x 9-inch batch of brownies. Right before serving, spoon some thick, glossy chocolate ganache on the brownies, then top them with your pretty meringues! To make these little bits of chocolate heaven, you’ll need:

1 batch Cocoa Meringues (recipe below)
1 batch of your favorite brownies
1 batch chocolate ganache (see notes)

Cocoa Meringues

Pretty, light and crispy treats that taste like hot cocoa!

Print Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 2

Total Time 4 30

Course Dessert

Servings 1 batch

Ingredients

4 large egg whites, room temperature
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅓ cup (67g) fine granulated sugar
½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
¼ cup (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
Brown gel food coloring *optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200ºF (95ºC). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a medium-sized bowl and whisk until well blended.
Place the egg whites in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites with the whip attachment of an electric mixer, at medium speed, until foamy.
Add the cream of tartar and salt to the egg whites. Whip at medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue whipping, at medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Stop the mixer. Sprinkle the powdered sugar and cocoa mixture over the egg whites and whip at low speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds.
*This step is optional. Place a large, disposable pastry bag, fitted with a round piping tip, into a tall drinking glass. (I used a Wilton tip #12.) Fold the top third of the bag over the glass, forming a cuff. Using a small, clean paintbrush, paint thin, vertical stripes of food coloring on the inside of the bag, from the piping tip to the edge of the fold.
Spoon the egg white mixture into the pastry bag. Pipe small kisses, 1 inch apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. (I made mine about 3/4-inch to 1-inch in diameter. If you'd like larger kisses, use a larger size piping tip.)
Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues in oven to cool and continue drying out for an additional 2 hours. Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

To make the chocolate ganache, I used a ratio of two parts semi-sweet chocolate to one part heavy cream. (Weighing the ingredients will give you the most accurate ratio.) Place 8 ounces. (227g) of chopped semi-sweet chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat 1/2 cup (4 oz/ 118ml) of heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the cream just to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, making sure to cover it completely. Let sit for 2 minutes, then stir gently until smooth.

Homemade Caramel Sauce

Posted on March 15, 2016February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Homemade Caramel Sauce

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Ingredients

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cubed
½ cup (118ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or to taste

Instructions

In a medium-size stainless steel saucepan, stir the sugar and cream of tartar together with 2 tablespoons (30ml) of water. Turn the heat on to medium and cook, without stirring, until the mixture melts. Swirl the pan gently to move the sugar around to prevent hot spots as it cooks. When the sugar is melted and has turned deep golden, turn off the heat and whisk in the butter. The butter will bubble. Keep whisking until melted, smooth and well combined. Gradually whisk in the heavy cream until smooth. Pass the caramel through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in the vanilla and salt. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Notes

Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a couple of weeks.

Keyword caramel sauce, condiments