unsalted butter, room temperature

Bakery-Style PB & J Cookies

Posted on August 23, 2025February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Many of us think of peanut butter & jelly as nostalgic comfort food. It brings back happy memories of childhood. A peanut butter & jelly sandwich in my school lunch box was a welcome favorite in the sandwich rotation. I created my ideal PB & J cookies with those nostalgic flavors in mind. These deluxe jumbo peanut butter cookies are worthy of packing in a grown-up lunch or enjoying as a comforting snack with a tall glass of ice-cold milk or with your favorite coffee drink.

These cookies are a generous 3-inch size, but you can make them smaller if you wish. Keep in mind that the baking time will be shorter for smaller cookies. My favorite way to make these cookies is with blueberry jam and fresh blueberries. The strawberry ones took a few attempts to get right due to the juiciness of the strawberries. The instructions for the strawberry version of these cookies are in the notes below. Feel free to use your favorite jam flavor and have fun experimenting with different fruits or berries.

Bakery-Style PB & J Cookies

Jumbo bakery-style peanut butter cookies filled with jam & fresh fruit

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 3-inch cookies

Ingredients

1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted
½ cup (57g) cake flour, sifted
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup (191g) creamy peanut butter
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, divided
½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup (76g) blueberry jam or preserves
35-45 fresh blueberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter together, with an electric mixer on medium speed, until smooth. Place 2 tablespoons (25g) of the granulated sugar in a small, shallow bowl and set aside. Beat the remaining granulated sugar and the brown sugar into the butter mixture until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then the vanilla extract until well incorporated. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture just until combined.
Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator, just until easier to work with, about 15 minutes. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, (about 60g each). Form the portions into balls, then roll them in the reserved granulated sugar. Place them about 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Make indentations in each ball using a 1-inch pastry tamper or use your thumbs. Fill each indentation with about a teaspoon of jam, then top with blueberries.
Bake the cookies until the edges start to turn golden brown and the jam begins to bubble, about 14-15 minutes. (The cookies will spread, but if your cookies spread too much, you can shape the hot cookies when they come out of the oven by immediately placing a large round cookie cutter onto the cookie sheet over each cookie and slide it around in a circular motion a couple of times. (Or you can refrigerate the dough balls until firm prior to baking to help reduce spreading.) Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for 1 minute, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Notes

To make the strawberry version of these cookies, replace the blueberry jam with strawberry jam. Optional: Cut out 12 strawberry hearts (as shown in the photo). Place the strawberries in a small bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar and let macerate for 20-30 minutes to draw out the excess juices. If you skip this step, the juice from the strawberries may make the centers of your cookies soggy. Drain the strawberries, pat dry, then place them on the cookies with the jam before baking.

Keyword cookies, jam, peanut butter

Pink Raspberry Almond Cake

Posted on May 2, 2025February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

My mother was allergic to strawberries so my father would make her raspberry desserts instead. He frequently made her a white cake topped with raspberries, which she adored. My parents are no longer with us, but baking this delicious cake brings back happy memories for me. This soft, plush almond cake is topped with naturally pink raspberry icing. The soft pink color makes it so lovely and perfect for Mother’s Day. It looks delightful topped with fresh raspberries and sliced almonds, which is an effortless way to add a touch of spring or summer.

Pink Raspberry Almond Cake

Soft, fluffy, single layer almond cake topped with naturally pink raspberry icing by Brownie Mischief

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

Almond Cake

1 cup (113g) cake flour, sifted
⅓ cup (37g) almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons (43ml) avocado oil or neutral oil of your choice
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg white, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon pure almond extract
¼ cup (57g) sour cream, room temperature
½ cup (118ml) whole milk, room temperature

Raspberry Icing

8 large raspberries
1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted
1 small dash fine sea salt
1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) whole milk, room temperature
Fresh raspberries for garnish optional
Sliced almonds for garnish optional

Instructions

Almond Cake

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan with a parchment paper round.* Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the oil until incorporated. Beat in the egg and the egg white in two separate additions, beating until smooth and well combined. Beat in the extracts.
In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream and milk together until well blended. On low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter in two additions, followed by half of the milk mixture after each addition. Beat 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 25-30 minutes, making sure not to over bake. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out and transfer it to a cooing rack to cool completely.

Raspberry Icing

In a small bowl, smash the raspberries with a fork. Press the smashed raspberries through a sieve to remove the seeds.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the raspberries with the powdered sugar, melted butter, salt and 1 tablespoon (15ml) of milk until well combined. Add additional milk as needed to reach an easily spreadable consistency, but not watery. Whisk until smooth. Spread the icing over the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides. Top with fresh raspberries and sliced almonds if desired.

Notes

*To find 8-inch parchment paper rounds, click here.

Keyword almond, cake, raspberry

Blueberry Crumb Cake Cookies

Posted on April 30, 2025February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Over the holidays, my Cranberry Orange Crumb Cake Cookies went viral, so I thought it was time to introduce a spring version of the popular cookies. Blueberry Crumb Cake Cookies have homemade blueberry filling with crumble topping and a touch of lemon zest in the dough to brighten them up. The sweet-tart lemon icing gives them the perfect balance. These delightful blueberry cookies are perfect alongside a cup of tea or a glass of lemonade.

Blueberry Crumb Cake Cookies

Vanilla cookies with a touch of lemon zest, topped blueberry filling, crumble topping and lemon icing by Brownie Mischief

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 14 cookies

Ingredients

Blueberry Filling

6 ounces (170g) blueberries, divided about 1 1/4 cups
2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Crumb Topping

¾ cup (96g) all purpose flour
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons (38g) packed brown 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) granulated sugar
¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
Zest of 1 medium lemon
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup (85g) white chocolate chips optional

Icing

⅔ cup (80g) powdered sugar, sifted
1 small dash fine sea salt
2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) lemon juice

Instructions

Blueberry Filling

Set aside 1/4 cup (34g) of blueberries. Combine the remaining blueberries with the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in a small saucepan.
Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries are softened and the sauce is a thick jam consistency, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the reserved 1/4 cup (34g) of blueberries and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.

Crumb Topping

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown 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 remaining. 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, granulated sugar, brown sugar and lemon zest, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light 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, if using.
Form the cookie dough into 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 the blueberry filling. Top each one generously with the crumb topping. Gently press the topping onto 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, and 2 tablespoons (30ml) of lemon juice until well combined. Add additional lemon juice as needed to achieve the desired consistency. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies.

Keyword blueberry, cookies

Blueberry Carrot Cake

Posted on April 16, 2025February 14, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Spring is here and it’s the season to eat carrot cake! Many people have strong opinions about which add-ins are best to use in carrot cake. Some popular ones, besides the carrots themselves, include nuts, pineapple, raisins, and even coconut. My Blueberry Carrot Cake came about when I was thinking about making a breakfast carrot cake. I replaced the typical add-ins with blueberries and the results were so delicious. I originally made this cake with a maple-butter glaze which was perfect for a breakfast cake. For Easter brunch, I opted to dress up the cake with Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting, fresh blueberries and lilacs. This combination is magical.

Blueberry Carrot Cake

Moist, subtly spiced carrot cake studded with blueberries and topped with blueberry cream cheese icing by Brownie Mischief

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

Blueberry Carrot Cake

1 ¼ cups (159g) all purpose flour, sifted plus 1 teaspoon for the blueberries
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
⅔ cup (148ml) avocado oil or neutral oil of your choice
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup (80g) finely shredded carrots
1 cup (142g) blueberries plus extra for the top of the cake

Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting

3 ounces (85g) cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¼ cups (150g) powdered sugar, sifted
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pinch fine sea salt
2 tablespoons (14g) frozen defrosted blueberries, with the liquid To use fresh blueberries instead of frozen, see notes below.
1 tablespoon (15ml) whole milk or half & half, room temperature
Food-safe or edible pesticide free flowers optional

Instructions

Blueberry Carrot Cake

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger and nutmeg until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil together until well blended. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until smooth and well incorporated. Stir in the carrots. Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined.
In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with 1 teaspoon of flour. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Transfer the batter to the cake pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 37-43 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a cooling rack.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Smash the blueberries with a fork and press through a sieve into a small bowl.
In a medium-sized bowl, stir the cream cheese with a spatula until smooth. Add the butter and beat, with an electric mixer on low speed, until smooth.
Gradually mix in the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla, salt and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the smashed blueberries and beat until smooth. Add milk, if needed, until the desired consistency is reached. Stir with a spatula to smooth out any bubbles.

Notes

To use fresh blueberries for the frosting, place the blueberries in a small saucepan with a teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice or water. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the blueberries start to soften. Smash the blueberries with a potato masher. Press this mixture through a sieve into a small bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Keyword blueberry, cake, carrot

Orange Vanilla Bean Loaf Cake

Posted on April 8, 2025February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

If you search loaf cakes on the internet, you’ll find an abundance of “copycat” recipes. For some reason, everyone is trying to copy a loaf cake from a popular coffee shop. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not a fan of the rubbery neon slice. I’d rather have a slice of soft, fluffy cake with a burst of fresh citrus flavor and buttery frosting. If that sounds good to you too, you’ll love this recipe. I used the reverse creaming method to make this cake, which produces a soft, velvety crumb. Brushing the cake with orange simple syrup keeps it moist and flavorful. This recipe is for an orange-vanilla bean cake but it can also be made into a lemon version. See the notes below.

Orange Vanilla Bean Loaf Cake

Soft, fluffy vanilla bean and orange scented loaf cake topped with silky vanilla cream cheese frosting by Brownie Mischief

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Servings 8

Ingredients

Orange Simple Syrup

2 tablespoons (30ml) orange juice
2 tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar

Orange Vanilla Bean Loaf Cake

1 ⅓ cups (170g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (175g) granulated sugar
Zest of 2 medium oranges
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
¼ cup (57g) sour cream, room temperature
¼ cup (59ml) whole milk, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
½ teaspoon pure orange extract

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

2 tablespoons (28g) cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups (180g) powered sugar, sifted
1 pinch fine sea salt
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1-3 tablespoons (15-45ml) whole milk or half & half, room temperature

Instructions

Orange Simple Syrup

Combine the orange juice, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

Orange Vanilla Bean Loaf Cake

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well combined.
In a large bowl, mix the sugar and orange zest, with an electric mixer or by hand, until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and beat until well combined. On low speed, beat in the butter until the mixture looks like sand.
In a separate medium-size bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla bean paste and orange extract together until smooth and well combined. On low speed, gradually beat this mixture into the sugar mixture until incorporated. Beat at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Do not over mix.
Transfer the batter to the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes. Do not over bake. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a cooling rack. Brush the warm cake all over with orange simple syrup. Let the cake cool completely, then frost with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting.

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

In a medium-size bowl, stir the cream cheese with a spatula until smooth. Add the butter and beat, with an electric mixer on low speed, until smooth.
Gradually mix in the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla, salt and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of milk and beat until smooth. Add additional milk, if needed, until the desired consistency is reached. Stir with a spatula to smooth out any bubbles.

Notes

To find an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan, click here

To make a lemon version of this cake, replace the orange zest with lemon zest. Replace the vanilla bean paste with 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and replace the orange extract with 1 teaspoon of pure lemon extract. For the simple syrup, replace the orange juice with lemon juice.

Keyword cake, orange

Bakery Style Marble Confetti Cookies

Posted on April 6, 2025February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

I think of April as one of the most festive months; spring flowers begin to bloom, we celebrate Easter and it’s also my birthday month. It’s a good time to make my big Bakery Style Marble Confetti Cookies. They have the perfect texture with soft, centers and crisp edges. The pretty pink cookie dough and the rainbow sprinkles make them so cheery and fun. They’re ideal for birthday parties and spring celebrations.

My method of adding in extra sprinkles gives the tops of the cookies extra sprinkles without hiding the pretty pink marbling. You can change up the colors of the dough to match your event. You can also add mix-ins, such as white chocolate chips, Easter candy or spring-themed sprinkles if you like. The possibilities are endless.

Bakery Style Marble Confetti Cookies

Large marbled bakery style cookies with rainbow sprinkles by Brownie Mischief

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 large cookies

Ingredients

2 cups (255g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 tablespoon (10g) cornstarch
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons (142g) unsalted butter, room temperature
⅔ cup (132g) granulated suger
¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
3-4 drops pink gel food coloring I used Americolor deep pink
½ cup (75g) rainbow sprinkles, divided

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder and baking soda until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and egg yolk in 2 separate additions until well incorporated. Beat in the extracts. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture, just until combined.
Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, using a kitchen scale for accuracy. Place the dough into 2 separate bowls. Mix the food coloring into one of the dough portions, a little at a time until your desired shade is achieved.
Place 3 tablespoons of sprinkles into a small, shallow bowl and set aside. Divide the remaining sprinkles in half. Mix each half of the sprinkles into the 2 separate dough colors.
Divide each color of dough into 16 portions, approximately 1 tablespoon each. Roll them into balls. Dip each dough ball into the reserved bowl of sprinkles, pressing gently to adhere the sprinkles to the bottoms of the dough balls.
Take 2 balls of each color of dough (4 total) and arrange them in a checkerboard pattern, sprinkle side up. Roll them together to form a large ball. Repeat this process to make 8 large dough balls. Form the dough balls into cylinder shapes and place them sprinkle side up onto the cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart. You may need to bake them in 2 batches.
Bake until the cookies are slightly puffed and the tops are set, about 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Notes

To find the pink food coloring I used, click here.

Keyword birthday cake, confetti, cookies

Cranberry Orange Crumb Cake Cookies

Posted on November 13, 2024February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

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

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-size bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt until well combined. 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-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well combined.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and orange zest, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light 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 combined. 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

Double Chocolate Marble Cookies

Posted on November 1, 2024February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

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

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 by Brownie Mischief

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-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light 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 fold 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. Fold 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

Maple Blueberry Buckle

Posted on September 28, 2024February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

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

Cherry Lemon Muffins

Posted on July 21, 2024February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Blueberry and lemon are a classic muffin flavor combination, but have you tried cherry and lemon? They complement each other beautifully in lemonade, so why not muffins? Cherries are plentiful at the moment so I came up with these pretty and delicious Cherry Lemon Muffins that are perfect for summer breakfast, brunch or picnics. They have a lovely soft, moist crumb that’s the quintessential muffin texture. Although I’ve been baking muffins since childhood, I learned to refine my muffins in culinary school. Here are a few helpful tips:

~ Muffins with big hole or tunneling may have too much leavening or it wasn’t mixed in evenly. Whisk the leavening agent into the flour thoroughly. Tunnels can also be caused by mixing the batter too aggressively.

~ Dry muffins were likely over baked or have too much flour.

~ Rubbery muffins were likely over mixed.

~ Soggy or gummy muffins were either underbaked or too much wet fruit was added. Try macerating the fruit first to release excess juices. This helps to prevent soggy spots in your muffins.

~ If you want tall, domed muffins, keep in mind that, although they look nice, domed muffins tend to be chewier and less tender. To get domes, try letting the batter rest a few minutes before baking if the muffins contain baking powder. You can also try giving the muffins a boost of high heat by starting them out with a higher temperature 400ºF (200ºC) then drop the temperature to 350ºF (180ºC) after a few minutes.

~ To keep crumble topping from sinking, make sure to work the cold butter into the flour mixture thoroughly, until it looks like wet sand and no large pieces of butter remain. Press the mixture together to form chunks, then chill it in the refrigerator before topping the muffins.

~ To keep fruit from sinking, lightly coat it with flour. Thick, voluminous batter is best for adding fruit.

Cherry Lemon Muffins

Tender, moist lemon muffins studded with fresh cherries, topped with crumb topping and pink cherry-lemon icing

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients

Crumb Topping

¾ cup (96g) all purpose flour
6 tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
1 pinch fine sea salt
¼ cup (57g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed

Cherry Lemon Muffins

1 cup (200g) plus 1 tablespoons (13g) sugar, divided
1 ½ cups (255g) pitted and chopped fresh cherries 1/4-inch to 3/8-inch pieces
2 ¼ cups (288g) all purpose flour, sifted plus 2 teaspoons to coat the cherries
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
Zest of 2 medium lemons
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
½ teaspoon pure vanila extract
1 cup (227g) sour cream, room temperature
12 cherries with stems for garnish optional

Icing

¾ cup (90g) powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon reserved cherry juice
1 tablespoons heavy cream
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Crumb Topping

In a medium-size bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together. Work in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like the consistency of sand with no large pieces of butter. Press the mixture together to make chunks. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Muffins

In a medium-size bowl, combine the cherries and 1 tablespoon (13g) of sugar. Let stand 30 minutes, then drain the cherries, reserving the juice.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line a 12-serving muffin pan with tulip muffin liners.* (You can also use standard muffin liners. They hold less batter so you'll end up with a couple of extra muffins.)
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together until well combined.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, 1 cup (200g) of sugar and lemon zest with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Beat in the extracts. On low speed, mix in the flour mixture in two additions, followed by half of the sour cream after each addition. Beat just until combined. Do not over mix. Reserve a couple of tablespoons of the chopped cherries. Coat the remaining cherries with 2 teaspoons of flour, then gently fold them into the batter.
Divide the batter evenly into muffin liners. (If using standard muffin liners, fill 3/4 full.) Top with the reserved cherries and the crumb topping. Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 5 minutes. Turn the oven heat down to 350ºF (180ºC) and continue baking the muffins until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 12-17 more minutes. Do not over bake.
Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack to cool completely. Drizzle with icing and top with cherries if desired.

Icing

In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, cherry juice, heavy cream, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice together until smooth. Add additional lemon juice, if needed, until your desired consistency is reached.

Notes

*To find tulip muffin liners, click here. To find floral tulip muffin liners, click here.

Keyword cherry lemon, muffins

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Posted on August 13, 2023February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 16 2-inch bars

Ingredients

Bars

1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted plus 1 teaspoon for the chocolate chips
2 tablespoons (20g) cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup (128g) creamy peanut butter
¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips

Glaze

½ cup (71g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon light corn syrup

Instructions

Bars

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter together, with an electric mixer, until smooth and well blended. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat until combined. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
In a small bowl, toss the chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of flour then fold them into the batter. Transfer the batter to the baking pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until the top is 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. Let cool in the pan. Spread the chocolate glaze over the cooled bars.

Glaze

Combine the glaze ingredients in a heat-safe bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth.

Keyword bars, peanut butter chocolate chip

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bread

Posted on March 17, 2023February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

This is the ultimate chocolate chip bread! There are no cookies in this recipe, but it tastes so much like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies that Chocolate Chip Cookie Bread is the perfect name for it. Brown sugar, vanilla and semisweet chocolate chips really help to mimic that beloved chocolate chip cookie flavor. I love the big pockets of chocolate that come from using jumbo chocolate chips, but of course you can use regular or mini chocolate chips if you prefer.

I typically wait until a loaf is cooled off before slicing it, but in this case, I wanted to capture the melted pools of chocolate for the video. The fresh baked chocolate chip aroma was so heavenly, that it took all of my willpower not to immediately devour the entire loaf! It’s easier to slice a fresh baked loaf when it’s cooled off. But if you want to experience the melty chocolate chips, warm your slice in the microwave for 8-10 seconds.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bread

A moist, tender loaf cake with brown sugar and chocolate chips that tastes just like chocolate chip cookies

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups (223g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
1 large egg, room, temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup (118ml) whole milk, room temperature
½ cup (113g) sour cream, room temperature
1 ½ cups (9 oz or 255g) semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon all purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line the bottom of a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the 1 3/4 cups (223g) flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next.
In a small bowl, whisk the milk and sour cream together.
Add the flour mixture to the batter in two additions, alternating with half of the milk mixture after each addition. Beat just until combined. Do not over mix.
Set aside a handful of chocolate chips for the top of the loaf. In a small bowl, toss the remaining chips with 1 teaspoon flour, making sure to coat them all, then fold them into the batter. This will help to prevent them from sinking. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Top with the reserved chocolate chips.
Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 325ºF (165ºC) and continue baking until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 45-50 more minutes. Cool the loaf in pan for 10 minutes then turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack.

Notes

*If you want to use mini chocolate chips, use one cup (6 oz or 170g)

Keyword cake, chocolate chip