Ingredient: packed brown sugar

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Soft Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

I never imagined that I’d ever be posting a peanut butter cookie recipe. There are already crunchy peanut butter cookies, soft ones, chewy ones, and those peanut shaped store bought ones out there. I mean, do we even need another peanut butter cookie recipe? After I tasted this one, it’s a resounding YES! These soft, tender cookies combined with a silky, smooth filling are a new peanut butter experience that I had to share.

The key to getting the soft texture in the cookie, without being dry, is cake flour. So don’t substitute it, because it’s vital to achieve the correct texture. Make sure to weigh your flour for the most accurate results. The second important ingredient is heavy whipping cream. Just a little added to the filling gives it a luxurious, silky texture.

This recipe makes sixteen medium size peanut butter cookies, which will give you eight sandwiches. If you want more, you can double the recipe or make the cookies smaller. Smaller cookies will have a shorter baking time.

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches

Soft peanut butter cookies sandwiched with silky peanut butter filling
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 8 cookie sandwiches

Ingredients
  

Peanut Butter Cookies

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ½ cup (57g) cake flour, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¾ cup (190g) creamy peanut butter
  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¼ cup (47g) vegetable shortening
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Filling

  • ½ cup (127g) creamy peanut butter, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 ½ tablespoons (37ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
  • ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt

Instructions
 

Peanut Butter Cookies

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda and salt until well blended.
  • In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter, butter and shortening, with an electric mixer on low speed, until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla, on medium speed, until well combined.
  • Set aside 1/4 cup (50g) of the granulated sugar. Add the remaining granulate sugar and the brown sugar to the peanut butter mixture. Beat on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed, just until combined.
  • Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch (3.8cm) diameter balls (about 1 1/4 oz or 35g each). Roll the dough balls in the reserved granulated sugar.
  • Place the dough balls 3 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Flatten with a fork, making a criss cross pattern. Bake until the cookies are puffy and start to crack around the edges, about 9-11 minutes.
  • Let the cookies cool on baking sheet for 1 minute, then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack. The cookies will be fragile, but they will firm up as they cool.
  • Place a spoonful of filling on the bottoms of half of the cooled cookies. Top with remaining the remaining cookies.

Peanut Butter Filling

  • In medium-sized bowl, beat the peanut butter and butter together with an electric mixer until smooth and well blended. Beat in the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and salt until smooth.

Notes

To find my favorite cookie sheet, click here.
Keyword cookies, peanut butter

Butterscotch Bread

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

What’s better than the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking or of fresh coffee brewing? The aroma of this warm, sweet buttery loaf of Butterscotch Bread is so heavenly that I’m convinced that angel grandmothers bake this on a regular basis in heaven. The rich scent is accompanied by a soft, tender bread topped with a silky butterscotch glaze.

It all starts with browning your butter first. It adds a nutty, deep butter flavor. When browning your butter, use a light colored saucepan so you can see the visual clues. You’ll see it start to foam and brown specks will collect on the bottom of the pan. It will smell nutty and fragrant. Keep a close eye on it. It can go from brown to burnt in a quick second. When your brown butter has cooled to room temperature, the rest of the recipe comes together quickly. You can also brown your butter a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperate before using.

This delightful bread goes well with coffee or tea and is just as delicious the next day. Store covered at room temperature.

 

Butterscotch Bread

by Mari Vasseur
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

Butterscotch Bread

  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine seat salt
  • 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup (177ml) buttermilk

Butterscotch Glaze

  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • â…› teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup (59ml) heavy whipping cream
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Butterscotch Bread

  • In a small saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat until brown and fragrant. When brown specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan, immediately transfer the butter to a small bowl. Let cool to room temperature.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8 x 4-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, beat the brown butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk until smooth and creamy. Stir in the flour mixture in two additions. Mix just until combined.
  • Transfer the batter to prepared baking pan. Bake until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 38-43 minutes.
  • Let the bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, them turn it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Top the cooled cake with two coats of butterscotch glaze.

Butterscotch Glaze

  • Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and salt. Continue stirring over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for two minutes.
  • Turn the heat down and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Keep stirring until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
  • Transfer the butterscotch glaze to a small bowl and let cool until thickened.
Keyword butterscotch, cake, loaf

Blueberry Crumble Bars

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Blueberry Crumble Bars

Crumb bars with fruit are classic, rustic bars that are easy to make and so delicious. These Blueberry Crumble Bars happen to be the best I’ve ever tasted! With a tender, almost addicting shortbread crust, the fresh blueberry filling is perfectly sweet and blanketed with plenty of crisp crumb topping. They’re perfect for packing in a lunch, taking on a family picnic or as an addition to a backyard cookout. Everyone who tries these comes back for seconds!

Blueberry Crumble Bars

by Mari Vasseur
The best Blueberry Crumble Bars ever! Tender shortbread crust topped with sweet blueberry filling and generous crumb topping
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

Crumb Topping

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour
  • â…“ cup (66g) packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed

Crust

  • 1 ½ cups (191g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (42g) powdered sugar, sifted plus extra for sprinkling on top
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature

Blueberry Filling

  • 3 ½ cups (454-510g) fresh blueberries*
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions
 

Crumb Topping

  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon 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 remaining. Press the mixture together to form chunks. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Crust

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang. These will be handles to lift the bars out of the pan.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and salt until well blended. In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the flour mixture and beat just until combined.
  • Press the dough evenly into the baking pan. Bake until the surface looks light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

Blueberry Filling

  • In a large bowl, toss the blueberries with the lemon juice. Mix in the sugar and cornstarch. Pour the blueberry mixture over the warm crust. Top evenly with the crumb topping. Return the pan to the oven and continue baking until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 28-35 more minutes. Let cool completely before removing the bars from the pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Notes

*If you want to use frozen blueberries, they tend to be more watery. Rinse off any ice and make sure the berries are well-drained and patted dry with paper towels. Increase the cornstarch to 1 tablespoon.
Keyword bars, blueberry crumble

Caramel Apple Blossoms

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Caramel Apple Blossoms by Brownie Mischief

Whether you call them apple blossoms, apple dumplings, apple roses or mini apple pies, these are cute, delicious little apple pastries. I made them because I was craving apple pie, but I didn’t have enough apples to bake one. I didn’t invent them, and I don’t know who did, but I’ve had frozen ones and I’ve seen them on restaurant menus. I thought it would be fun to make them, and it was! I could’ve just put some pie dough in muffin cups and made quick little pies, but flower shaped things automatically get extra points for cuteness. And if you know me, you know I love my cute bakes!

Caramel Apple Blossoms

Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 12 blossoms

Ingredients
  

Topping

  • 3 tablespoons (38g) packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (15g) quick oats not instant oats
  • 1 tablespoon (21g) all purpose flour
  • 1 dash fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted
  • â…› teaspoon ground cinnamon

Blossoms

  • 2 cups (198g) peeled, cored diced apples 1/4-inch pieces
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
  • ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • â…› teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 crust unbaked pie dough , purchased or homemade
  • egg wash 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water
  • ¼ cup (82g) caramel sauce, purchased or homemade

Instructions
 

  • In a medium-size bowl, mix together all of the topping ingredients. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  • In a large bowl, toss the apples with lemon juice. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted butter, flour, cinnamon and salt to the apples. Stir until well combined.
  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll the pie dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out twelve 5-inch blossom shapes*, re-rolling the dough scraps as needed.** Lightly mark a 2-inch circle in the center of each blossom. Make cuts between the petals to separate them, just up to the edge of the center circle. Top each blossom with about 2 generous tablespoons of apples.
  • Brush the dough petals with egg wash. Form blossoms by lifting and overlapping each petal 1/2-inch in a spiral pattern similar to a rose. Tuck the last petal under. Press the petals together to seal so the filling won't leak.
  • Top each blossom with a spoonful of topping. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Don't skip this step. This will help the blossoms keep their shape.
  • Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Brush the blossom dough all over with egg wash. Wipe any drips off of the parchment paper. Bake until the crust is golden brown and filling is starting to bubble, about 23-28 minutes. Transfer the blossoms to a cooling rack to cool for a few minutes before serving warm or serve at room temperature. Drizzle the blossoms with caramel sauce.

Notes

*I used a 5-inch blossom cutter. To find a blossom cutter, click here.
**If you need to  re-roll your  pie dough scraps, press the scraps together, cover and let rest in the refrigerator for several minutes to help avoid shrinkage.
Keyword pastry

Maple Brown Sugar Madeleines

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Maple Brown Sugar Madeleines

I had tea with with a well mannered hedgehog once on a crisp fall day. He brought me a tiny bouquet of flowers, which I placed in a small jam jar filled with water. He said the delightful maple scent of these Madeleines reminded him of his time in the woods, as a young hoglet. When he had his fill of the delicate little cakes, I wrapped some in a tea towel for his journey home.

As cooler weather approaches, I’m always looking for a little something to enjoy with a warm drink and a good book. Although traditional Madeleines typically remind me of spring, these Maple Brown Sugar Madeleines have a cozy fall feeling. They go well with coffee, tea or hot cocoa. If you want to make them for a friend, make the batter and keep it in the refrigerator. Bake the Madeleines right before your friend arrives.

I used a spherical Madeleine pan to make these maple scented little cakes. The Madeleines made in this pan are a little thicker and fluffier than those made in a traditional oval pan. To find the Madeleine pan I used, click here. You can certainly use a traditional pan if you prefer. Keep in mind that the baking time will be shorter and you will end up with about twice as many.

Maple Brown Sugar Madeleines

Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

Maple Brown Sugar Madeleines

  • 1 cup (4 oz or 113g) cake flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) packed brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure maple extract or natural maple flavoring
  • ½ cup (4 oz or 113g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Maple Icing

  • 1 cup (4 1/4 oz or 120g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ teaspoon pure maple extract or natural maple flavoring
  • 1-2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup (1 oz or 28g) finely chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts

Instructions
 

Maple Brown Sugar Madeleines

  • In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  • In a large bowl, beat the eggs, brown sugar and maple extract, on medium-high speed with an electric mixer, until the batter is voluminous, light in color and holds its shape when you lift the beater, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Combine the melted butter and maple syrup.
  • Gently fold the the flour mixture into the egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the melted butter. Fold just until combined, being careful not to deflate the batter. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure that all of the flour is combined.
  • Cover and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease a spherical Madeleine pan* with nonstick spray or melted butter. Dust the pan with a light coating of flour. Tap out the excess flour.
  • Fill the wells of the Madeleine pan with batter 3/4 full, about 2 tablespoons each, using a scoop**or a spoon. (If you're using a traditional oval Madeleine pan, fill 3/4 full, about a generous tablespoon of batter in each.)
  • Bake until golden brown around the edges and puffed in the center, about 10-12 minutes. (Baking time for oval Madeleine pan will be about 7-8 minutes.) Do not over bake.
  • Cool in the pan for one minute then turn Madeleines out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Maple Icing

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, maple extract and one tablespoon of milk. Add additional milk as needed until your desired consistency is reached, Stir in a pinch of salt to taste.
  • Brush icing onto the Madeleines with a pastry brush. Apply nuts to the edges of Madeleines. Serve immediately. Madeleines are best served the day they're baked.

Notes

*To find the Madeleine pan I used, click here.
**To find the scoop I used, click here.
Keyword madeleines, maple

Blueberry Nectarine Cobbler

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

Many families have an old favorite recipe for cobbler. I’m sharing my dad’s recipe with you and it’s definitely comfort food. It took awhile to get the ingredient amounts right because he never measured them. He used whichever fruit was available and plopped the dough on top haphazardly with a big spoon. But it was always delicious and came from the heart and that’s what mattered.

This recipe is so easy and versatile. Feel free to use peaches instead or use the berries of your choice. Make sure to enjoy it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

Blueberry Nectarine Cobbler

Vintage fruit cobbler with blueberries & nectarines or peaches
Print Recipe
Course Brunch, Dessert
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 6 medium ripe nectarines or peaches, peeled and thickly sliced about 2 1/4 lbs (1 kg)
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • â…“ cup (67g) packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (8g) corn starch
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ cups (227g) blueberries
  • 1 cup (113g) all purpose flour
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 5 tablespoons (70g) cold butter, cubed
  • â…“ cup (75g) cold sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) cold milk
  • 1 tablespoon (13g) coarse sugar for sprinkling

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Grease a 2 quart baking dish.
  • In a large bowl, toss the nectarines with the lemon juice. Add the vanilla, brown sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Stir gently to combine. Fold in the blueberries.
  • Transfer the fruit mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt until well blended. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips or with a pastry blender until pea size pieces from. Stir in the sour cream and milk just until a shaggy dough forms.
  • Remove the baking dish from the oven. Top the fruit with 2-tablespoon-sized portions of dough. Sprinkle the dough with coarse sugar.
  • Return the baking dish to the oven and continue baking until the topping is deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving, to allow the sauce to thicken.
Keyword blueberry nectarine, cobbler

Chocolate Turtle Drop Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

A chocolate turtle is a confection made with caramel and pecans. The shape resembles a turtle, which is how it got the name. This is my version of a turtle cookie, loaded with plenty of delicious add-ins.

Chocolate Turtle Drop Cookies

Chocolate cookies loaded with chopped chocolate, caramel chips, and toffee bits, topped with pecans.
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 20 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups (9 oz or 255g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ½ cup (1 1/2 oz or 43g) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup (4 oz or 113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup 5 1/4 oz or 150g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (6 oz or 170g) coarsely chopped dark or semi-sweet chocolate (not chips)
  • 1 cup (6 oz or (170g) caramel chips (not bits)
  • 1 cup (6 oz or 170g) toffee bits or chopped candied pecans
  • 20 pecan halves

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
  • In a separate large bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy.
  • Beat in the eggs and vanilla in three separate additions, making sure each addition is incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the flour mixture just until combined.
  • Set aside 20 chunks of the chopped chocolate. Fold the remaining chopped chocolate, the caramel chips and the toffee bits into the dough.
  • Place twenty 2-inch size portions of dough about 2-inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. (I used a #24 portion scoop*)
  • Top each cookie with a chunk of the reserved chocolate and a pecan half. Bake until the surface of the cookies is set, about 10-11 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute then transfer to a cooling rack.

Notes

To find the portion scoop I used, click here.
Keyword chocolate, cookies

Blackberry Oatmeal Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Blackberry Oatmeal Cookies by Brownie Mischief

We’ve all heard our parents telling their childhood stories of walking miles to school and suffering worse hardships than we ever had to. My mom used to tell me stories like that, but she had a sense of humor, so her stories were always fun to listen to. She used to tell me about her friend’s mother, who would make big, delicious oatmeal cookies. My mom would trade her baloney sandwich nearly every day to get one of those cookies from her friend. She reminisced about those cookies so much, that I set out to make her some when I learned to bake. She and my grandmother would taste test batch after batch of my cookies over the years. I have probably baked enough oatmeal cookies to circle the earth. Okay that’s an exaggeration, but seriously I have baked quite a few. Of all the oatmeal cookies I’ve baked, these are one of my favorites!

Most of the time when you see fruit added to an oatmeal cookie, it’s dried fruit, like raisins or cranberries. That’s mostly because if you just dump fruit into your cookie dough, the fruit releases water, leaving soggy spots in your cookies. To solve that issue, for this recipe, I macerate the blackberries before baking. The purple blackberry juice that’s released from the berries is used to make a beautiful lilac icing to drizzle over the cookies.

Blackberry Oatmeal Cookies

Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients
  

Brown Butter

  • ½ cup (4oz or 113g) unsalted butter

Macerated Berries

  • 2 cups (about 8-10 oz or 227-283g) fresh blackberries Cut large berries in half
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar

Oatmeal Cookies

  • 1 ¾ cups (7 7/8 oz or 223g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup (4 or 113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ¼ cups (8 3/4 oz or 250g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (10 oz or 283g) quick oats Not instant oats

Icing

  • ¾ cup (3 oz or 85g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 2-3 tablespoons reserved juice from blackberries

Instructions
 

  • In a small, light colored saucepan, melt 1/2 cup (4 oz or 113g) of butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until deep golden and fragrant. Keep a close eye on it. It can go from toasted to burned very quickly. When you see brown particles form, remove from heat and immediately transfer the butter, including the particles, to a small bowl. Refrigerate until solid, about one hour.
  • Place the blackberries in a medium-size bowl. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and toss to coat. Let sit for 30 minutes until the berries release their juices.
  • Drain the blackberries and reserve the juices.
  • Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a separate medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat the brown butter, softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs and vanilla extract in three separate additions and beat until well combined.
  • Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Stir in the oats just until combined. Gently fold in the blackberries.
  • Scoop 1/4 cup sized portions of dough, about 2 inches apart, onto the prepared cookie sheets. *I used a #16 2-ounce scoop.
  • Bake until the cookie tops are set and the edges are golden brown, about 13-15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Pass reserved blackberry juice through a sieve to remove the seeds.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream and one tablespoon of the reserved blackberry juice until smooth. Add more blackberry juice, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies.

Notes

*To find the portion scoop I used, click here.
Keyword blackberry, cookies

Favorite Banana Bread

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

This moist, flavorful banana bread is my favorite banana bread recipe to date. It has the perfect texture. Not mushy or gummy like so many banana bread recipes out there. I like to add chocolate chips and/or toasted pecans to make it extra delicious.

 

Favorite Banana Bread

by Mari Vasseur
Moist, flavorful banana bread with chocolate chips and optional pecans
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups (191g) all purpose flour, sifted, plus 1 teaspoon for the chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly ground
  • 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
  • â…“ cup (70ml) avocado oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup (113g) sour cream or full fat Greek yogurt, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup (170g) mashed bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
  • ½ cup (60g) coarsely chopped toasted pecans optional
  • 2 tablespoons (15g) chopped pecans optional
  • 1 ¼ cups (213g) semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (165ºC). Line the bottom an 8 x 4-inch or a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until well blended.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, eggs, sour cream and vanilla until creamy and well blended. Stir in the bananas until incorporated. Mix in the flour mixture just until combined. Do not over mix. Stir in the 1/2 cup of pecans if using. If using chocolate chips, set aside 1/4 cup (43g) for the top and toss the remaining 1 cup (170g) of chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of flour, then mix them into the batter.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the loaf with the chopped pecans or 1/4 cup (43g) of chocolate chips. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Keyword banana, loaf

 

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Marble Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Dark Chocolate Strawberry Marble Cookies

To the indecisive German baker who invented marble cake, I thank you! Marble cake, sampler platters and tasting flights are the perfect solution for those times when you just can’t decide. Let’s take one more decision off the table. No longer will we have to decide between chocolate and strawberry cookies. These marble cookies are the best of both worlds. Chocolate and strawberry are opposites in many ways, but complement each other so well. After all, who doesn’t love chocolate covered strawberries?

The dark chocolate cocoa powder gives these cookies a deep chocolate flavor. Freeze dried strawberries provide the sweet strawberry flavor and color. I crushed the strawberries with a mini food processor, but you can also use a mortar and pestle, a clean spice grinder or a sturdy plastic bag and a rolling pin. When you crush the 1 1/2 cups of freeze dried strawberries called for in the recipe, you’ll end up with about 1/3 cup of strawberry powder. To find freeze dried strawberries, click here.

This recipe makes about eighteen cookies but you can also make nine large cookies. Follow the instructions in parentheses for large cookies.

 

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Marble Cookies

by Mari Vasseur
Dark chocolate & strawberry marbled sugar cookies
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ¼ cups (284g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups (35g) freeze-dried strawberries, finely crushed to a powder (1 1/2 cups before crushing)
  • â…“ cup (28g) dark unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions
 

  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, 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.
  • Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract in three separate additions, making sure each addition is incorporated before adding the next. On low speed, mix in flour mixture just until combined.
  • Divide the dough in half. Leave half of dough in the bowl and place the other half in a separate bowl.
  • Add the freeze dried strawberries to half of the dough and mix just until combined. Add the cocoa powder to the other half of the dough and mix just until combined.
  • Roll the dough into 1 1/2 teaspoon size balls. (For large cookies, roll the dough into tablespoon size balls.) To form the cookies, place two chocolate dough balls and two strawberry dough balls in your hand in a checkerboard pattern. Roll into a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • Place the dough balls about two inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes, until cookies are set and edges are golden. (For large cookies, bake 14-15 minutes.) Transfer to cooling rack. (For large cookies, cool on cookie sheet one minute, then transfer to cooling rack.
Keyword chocolate, cookies, marble, strawberry

Apple Spice Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Apple Spice Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

These Apple Spice Cookies were one of my most popular cookies last fall so I decided to bring them back a little early this year. The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla in this cookie dough will remind you of cinnamon rolls and apple pie and inspire you look forward to fall.

The apples in this recipe are cooked briefly on the stovetop to bring out the flavor and create the perfect texture. Dropping raw apple chunks into cookie dough or cake batter is usually not a good idea. If you’ve ever baked an apple pie, you know that apples release liquid as they cook and that liquid will end up in your baked cookies, creating soggy spots. So definitely don’t skip this step!

These gorgeous, golden brown cookies are perfectly delicious on their own, but extra credit goes to the Brown Butter Icing for taking them over the top!

apple spice cookies with brown butter icing

Make sure to head over to Instagram to watch the video of these Apple Spice Cookies being created: Click here

Apple Spice Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

Spice cookies with fresh apples and brown butter icing
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 12 cookies

Ingredients
  

Cooked Apples

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup (4 oz or 113g) chopped apples (1/4-inch pieces) I used one large Granny Smith apple
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Apple Spice Cookie Dough

  • 1 ½ cups (6 3/4 oz or 191g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ cup (4 oz 113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (7 oz or 200g) packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspooon pure vanilla extract

Brown Butter Icing

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ cup (2 oz or 57g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • pinch fine sea salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons whole milk

Instructions
 

Cooked Apples

  • Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add apples, sugar and cinnamon to the skillet.
  • Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 4-5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and let cool completely. Drain any excess liquid from the cooled apples.

Apple Spice Cookies

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.
  • Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract, one at a time, until well combined
  • Stir in the flour mixture, just until combined.
  • Fold the the cooled apples into the cookie dough.
  • Divide the dough into 12 equal golf ball size portions and place them 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  • Bake until golden brown, about 11-13 minutes. Let cool 1 minute on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Brown Butter Icing

  • In a small saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant. When brown specks start to form in the bottom of the pan, remove from heat.
  • Immediately transfer the browned butter to a small bowl. Whisk in the the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt and 1 tablespoon milk. Add more milk as needed to reach desired consistency.
  • Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies.

Notes

NOTE:  If your cookies spread too much when baking, refrigerate dough for 30 minutes, then bake as directed.
Keyword cookies, holiday, thanksgiving

Peaches & Cream Scones with Caramel Icing

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

Peaches & Cream Scones with Caramel Icing

Tender scones with fresh peaches, topped with a quick caramel icing
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

Scones

  • 1 ¾ cups (7 7/8 oz or 223g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 7 tablespoons (3 1/2 oz or 100g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
  • ½ cup (4 oz or (118 ml) cold sour cream
  • ¼ cup (2 oz or 59ml) cold heavy cream Plus more for tops
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (about 7 oz or 200g) chopped fresh peaches, patted dry Peaches should be ripe but still firm, not over ripe.
  • egg wash (optional) 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water

Icing

  • ¼ cup (2 oz or 57g) salted butter
  • ½ cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) packed brown sugar
  • â…“ cup (2 5/8 oz or 78 ml) heavy cream

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
  • Work the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or with your fingertips until pea size pieces form.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, heavy cream and vanilla.
  • Mix the sour cream mixture into the flour mixture until a shaggy dough forms. Fold in the peaches.
  • Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Press the dough together and fold it over onto itself a couple of times.
  • Pat or roll dough into a 7-inch round. Cut dough into 8 wedges. Transfer to the prepared baking pan. Brush the scones lightly with egg wash or heavy cream.
  • Bake until golden brown, about 18-22 minutes. Transfer the scones to a cooling rack.

Caramel Icing

  • Melt the butter a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes.
  • Whisk in the heavy cream and heat until bubbly. Remove from heat. Set aside to cool slightly. Drizzle or spoon the icing over the cooled scones.
Keyword peach, scones