The No Kid Hungry bake sale is one of my favorite events of the year – which is why I’m bummed it took me this long to tell you about it! But alas, the bake sale happened to fall at the same time as both finals and a major freelance project. Oh, and normal work. Woof. (I know, I know, you’re all sick of me complaining how busy I am when it’s self-inflicted. Sorry.)

I always credit the NKH bake sale as what got me started blogging, back when I first met Maggy, Amber, and Lillian. It’s exciting to see the same group of blogging friends year after year now, and to watch the sale grow from a folding table outside of Kiehl’s to a central booth at the Brooklyn Flea. We’re movin’ on up, guys!

The bake sale donates all of its profits to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, which is working to end childhood hunger in America by providing healthy food for kids each and every day. Among other things, they educate and empower low-income families to stretch their food budgets so their kids get healthy meals at home. Participants learn to shop strategically, use nutrition information to make healthier food choices, and cook delicious, affordable meals. What an awesome cause!

I was super excited this year when Lillian offered the opportunity to partner with Divine Chocolate for our recipes. Divine is a fair-trade company that’s actually co-owned by cocoa farmers from Ghana. The cocoa beans used by Divine Chocolate are hand-harvested by the family farmers of the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative. Farmers receive a fair-trade premium that is invested in their communities and a share in the profits that provides extra income and opportunity for their families.

And what’s even cooler is that two of the wonderful cocoa farmers visited us at the bake sale to meet the bloggers who had used their chocolate. We even got to share samples with them–what an honor!

I also love having the chance to spend time with bloggers I only see a few times a year. Hanging out with Hazel, Melissa, Kelly, Jackie, Jenn, and the rest of the foodie gang is always a treat (no pun intended). And while enjoying the gorgeous Saturday together, we were able to meet–and exceed–our goal of raising $3,000 for No Kid Hungry. Hooray! Thanks so much to Lillian and Ken for organizing another wonderful sale. (Didn’t get to join us? You can still donate online to support our cause!)

Divine Dark Chocolate Chunk Brownies
Adapted from Shugary Sweets

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Divine)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks (I used Divine)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray an 8×8 Pyrex pan with baking spray.
2. Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments. Pour into medium bowl and add sugars, flour, cocoa powder, and eggs.
3. Combine ingredients with a wooden spoon until no streaks remain – don’t overmix. Then fold in the chocolate chunks.
4. Pour brownie batter into greased pan and bake for 20-23 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (Watch them closely! You don’t want to overbake these. I tend to set my timer for two minutes lower than the time a recipe tells me, then check them every couple of minutes after that. My oven is also hotter than the inside of the sun, so I’ve burned many a cookie.)
5. Let cool completely in the pan before slicing. Enjoy!

Makes about 16 brownies.

Disclaimer: I received assorted Divine Chocolate products to use while creating my bake sale contribution. But my opinions about the company and its cause are, of course, my own.

Remain calm. You are, in fact, on the correct blog. These cookies are definitely unique–and very different from what you’re used to seeing on this blog. There’s no butter in them. No brown sugar. They’re downright savory cookies. But y’know, they happen to be Charlie’s hands-down favorite thing I’ve ever made. So I figured they warranted a blog appearance.

Charlie is usually so patient with my cookie experiments, but this time I decided to just give him the cookies he’s been hinting at for the past year. I was visiting him to celebrate two things: a) his performance in Into the Woods, which is his last show before he graduates next month, and b) his picking an amazing PhD program to start in the fall, complete with funding, a TAship, and a stipend. I’m not usually the type to brag, but I’m really proud of him.

So what do I do when I’m proud? I feed people. These cookies aren’t my typical fare. The flavors pack a punch, but the sweetness is far from in your face, and the interaction of crunchy sea salt and rich olive oil and tangy rosemary is complex and altogether interesting. It’s like the haute couture of cookie-eating experiences.

I think these cookies are a fine welcome for the springtime that has finally decided to arrive. Fresh flavors, fresh season!

Rosemary & Sea Salt Olive Oil Cookies
Recipe slightly adapted from Bramblings

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup granulated white sugar, plus 1/4 cup for dusting
• 3-4 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
2. In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, blend olive oil, sugar, and rosemary leaves until combined. Add two eggs and continue to mix until eggs are completely incorporated and emulsified (the batter will be light yellow and almost look like lemon curd at this point).
3. Add flour, salt, and baking soda directly to the bowl and mix until dough comes together. It will be sticky–you’ll need to stop the mixer and clear the whisk with a spatula once or twice. Make sure you scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to get all the dry ingredients.
4. Using a two-inch cookie scoop, separate balls of dough. If desired, roll in extra granulated sugar before placing on baking sheet.
5. Bake for 11-12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are just starting to brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Surprise! Today a group of lovely bloggers is throwing a virtual bridal shower for Miss Julie of Table for Two. Julie and her adorable fiancé Jason are gettin’ hitched this month, and we wanted to share in their festivities!

Julie is such a rockstar. She works super hard at her job, is a bonified tech whiz, and dedicates her free time to finding great natural light for her amazing photos. She and I have almost met up a handful of times, but something has always fallen through–I’m still waiting for that Japadog date, Julie!

I can’t wait to hear all about Julie and Jason’s wedding–and to see the photos! Julie’s purple theme is going to make their day so colorful, and we even had to add purple touches to our shower today. I brought Butterscotch Biscoff Chunk Blondies to the party today. When I was brainstorming what treat to make, I couldn’t help remembering Julie’s Biscoff Pancakes, the ones that inspired my Biscoff White Chocolate Chip Pancakes. So, Julie, in honor of our shared love of Biscoff, I hope you indulge a little bit today. You deserve it!!

Butterscotch Biscoff Chunk Blondies
Adapted from Keep It Sweet Desserts; Biscoff chunks adapted from RecipeBoy

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups crunchy Biscoff (or cookie butter) spread
• 10 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1. In advance: Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and spray with cooking spray. Spread the Biscoff on the wax paper in a layer about half an inch thick. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer on a flat surface until Biscoff is completely frozen (I put mine in the freezer in the morning before work).
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray an 8×8 pan with cooking spray.
3. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar together, stirring occasionally, until butter is fully melted. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla. Add butter and sugar mixture and continue to whisk.
6. Add dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Fold in butterscotch chips.
7. Remove cookie sheet from freezer. Turn onto a cutting board and carefully peel waxed paper away from frozen Biscoff. Using a sharp knife, cut Biscoff into chunks. Try not to touch the frozen Biscoff too much—it melts very quickly!
8. Fold three-quarters of the Biscoff chunks into the blondie batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and scatter remaining Biscoff chunks on top.
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Makes about 16 bars. 

And don’t forget to take a peek at the other ladies’ delicious contributions to the shower. If we were all together in person, this would be one delicious, yoga-pants-inducing party. Can we make that happen, friends?

Megan at Wannabe a Country Cleaver – PNW Smoked Salmon Crostini
Rachel at Rachel Cooks – Easy Cappucino Mousse Cups
Cassie at Bake Your Day – Confetti Popcorn
Erin at Dinners Dishes Desserts – Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
Ali at Gimme Some Oven – Chicken Enchilada Cups
Lauren at Climbing Grier Mountain – Vanilla Cupcakes with Purple Buttercream Frosting
Rachel at Baked by Rachel – Chocolate Eclairs with White Chocolate Drizzle
Kelly at Eat Yourself Skinny – Strawberry and Champagne Macarons
Kathryn at London Bakes – Spring Onion and Parmesan Mini Quiche
Carla at Carla’s Confections – Blueberry Bliss Cocktail
Claire at The Realistic Nutritionist – Chicken Salad Crostinis

I know I am not the first blogger to say this, but I am really ready for spring. I sat in my office on Monday and watched snow blow in off the river all afternoon. I want to put my boots away. No more scarves. No more hair frozen on the subway platform during my morning commute. No more nearly dropping my work phone because I can’t grip the slippery little devil with gloves on.

When a few of us New York bloggers welcomed Erin of The Spiffy Cookie to our city last weekend, we were lucky enough to see sunny skies. But as you’ll be able to tell from the photos, that didn’t stop us from needing to bundle up against the blustery breezes. Hey March—you’re supposed to go out like a lamb. Didn’t you get the memo?

When Erin arrived last Friday night, refueling was of the essence. After a stop at my favorite neighborhood Thai place (omg, get the chive pancake…life-changing), we of course made a stop for cupcakes. (How did I know she and I were going to be friends? The next morning, as we were getting ready to head out to brunch, a square of leftover mini baklava cheesecake became pre-brunch breakfast. That’s how you do it, people.)

We were so sad to discover upon waking on Saturday morning that the lovely Tracey of Tracey’s Culinary Adventures ran into car trouble on her way to the train station. She wound up not being able to join us, and we missed her tons! Erin and I took this picture on the way to brunch in Tracey’s honor:

A blogger trip to Tracey’s neck of the woods is definitely in order sometime soon—or at least a reprise of our NYC outing.

Anyway, we arrived at DBGB and met up with a team of total all-star bloggers (pictured at the top of this post): Lauren, the founder and culinary genius behind Keep It Sweet Desserts; Joanne, the MD/PhD student who somehow manages to also have a blog called Eats Well with Others; Jennifer, a transplant to NYC from Mississippi who takes gorgeous photos and has a drawl that charmed the pants off me (it’s true, Jen!), from Bake or Break; and Kayle, the soon-to-be starlet who happens to live in my neighborhood, from The Cooking Actress.

The food was delightful, and we all liked the alcove seating that let us be overexcited about runny eggs and chevre-stuffed omelets. You might be surprised to hear that we turned down dessert. But why bother when Lauren brought with her a box filled with these:

Erin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Half and Half Cookies, and samples of Keep It Sweet Desserts’ most popular items. Aka how we made an entire level of Whole Foods’ cafeteria jealous.

Lauren continues to be one of my favorite people on the planet, since she remembered to bring her Black and White Blondies. (If I had children, I might consider selling one of them to you for these bars.) She also brought a recent cookie of the month, the Smoked Sea Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies—fleur de sel junkies, take note. There was a Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie that was to die for. But the goodies that stole my heart from her giant box? The Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies. One of my Instagram friends dubbed this the “turducken” of baked goods—but a million times better because of the chocolate and peanut butter combo. Just look:

You’re welcome. Or I’m sorry. Either would probably work.

In a fruitless effort to walk off the cookies we’d scarfed down, we brought Erin to Fishs Eddy, a super quirky and fun home goods store. I found a couple of cute prop plates for 99 cents each (one of which made its debut on Monday!), and we even found some kitchen tools for giants:

We had to say goodbye to Erin and send her on to her adorable nephew’s first birthday party. But it was a blast to hang out with these girls in person, and hopefully there are more foodie events in my future.

Well hi! It seems like ages since I’ve haunted this space. There are a couple of reasons for my blog absence that I feel like I should share with you guys before we get to these riiiiidiculous cookie bars.

I mentioned a while back that I got a new job, and I’ve been working in that role for almost three months now. On the upside, I love it. The people are wonderful, my boss is incredible, and I really feel like I’m getting the opportunity to be creative and take on responsibility for all sorts of projects. Lots of pluses! I’ve also mentioned that I’m a part-time grad student, and my spring semester classes started up again a week after I started my new job. Oh, did I also mention that I freelance and I’m in a long-distance relationship?

Oy. So yeah, needless to say, most days I got home after work, or class, or both, and just couldn’t do anything but collapse on the couch. I was eating several PB&J sandwiches a week because I just didn’t have time to cook. And blogging? Psh. I promised myself when I started doing this that I would never let blogging feel like homework, like something I resented or that I felt pressured to do. So I let myself dial back on blogging for a little while.

Did I miss my kitchen and the smell of melting chocolate? Oh HECK yes. And it was so, so good to slide this tray of cookie bars in the oven today. I made them as a welcome home present for Charlie, who was in Wisconsin visiting one of our college friends. He was always a fan of these when I’d throw them together at school, and I haven’t made them in ages. Hopefully these make him smile when I show up at the airport.

Brown Butter Magic Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, browned (I used Kerrygold)
• 8 graham crackers (1 sleeve), crushed
• 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
• 3/4 cup Scharffen Berger semisweet chocolate chunks
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease an 8×8 Pyrex pan with cooking spray.
2. Brown butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Inhale the nutty, caramel-y goodness as you pour the melted, browned butter into the bottom of the Pyrex pan.
3. Sprinkle the graham crackers over the butter. Mix with a fork until all crumbs are moistened and press the crumb layer into the bottom of the pan.
4. Sprinkle coconut, butterscotch chips, chocolate chunks, and walnuts over the graham cracker layer.
5. Pour sweetened condensed milk over those layers. I didn’t need to use the whole can for mine–maybe a bit more than three-quarters.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until bars are bubbling and starting to brown on the edges.
7. Let cool on a wire rack for at least one hour before slicing.

Makes about 12 squares. Store in an airtight container.

P.S. I also had the chance to hang out with Erin of The Spiffy Cookie, Lauren of Keep It Sweet Desserts, Joanne from Eats Well with Others, Jen from Bake or Break, and Kayle aka The Cooking Actress this weekend–keep an eye out for a recap of our foodie day, coming later this week.

Happy World Nutella Day! Each year on February 5, the organizers of this wonderful foodie day encourage chocolate hazelnut lovers the world over to post their tastiest recipes featuring Nutella.

Last year I brought Nutella granola to the party…but this year I wasn’t feeling quite so healthy.

These cookies combine the chewy, bright sweetness of butterscotch and oatmeal with the deeper richness of a Nutella buttercream filling. Don’t say I didn’t warn you–these little pies pack quite a punch!

I’ll get to that recipe in a sec…but don’t forget that today is the LAST day to enter the Scharffen Berger giveaway!! Don’t miss your chance to win a scrumptious chocolate prize pack.

Anyways. Consider these the sassier, more decadent cousin to the traditional oatmeal creme pie. And I don’t care if you bake anything today, but do yourself a favor and go for the gold–eat a spoonful of Nutella, straight up.

You’re welcome.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookie Pies with Nutella Buttercream

Ingredients:
For the cookies:

• 7 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (I used Kerrygold)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp (generous) cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
3. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to the bowl of the mixer and beat until incorporated.
4. Add the oats and continue to mix. Dough will start to clump and become sticky.
5. Fold in the butterscotch chips, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
6. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls (or a 2-inch cookie scoop) on baking sheet. Press down tops of cookies to flatten slightly (these cookies don’t spread much).
7. Bake for about 8 minutes, until edges are just starting to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

For the Nutella buttercream:

• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup Nutella
• ~2 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 3 tbsp skim milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and Nutella until smooth and fully incorporated.
2. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tbsp of milk, and vanilla. Mix slowly, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
3. Continue to add powdered sugar and/or milk as needed, depending on your desired consistency. If buttercream is too thick, add more milk. If it is too runny, add more powdered sugar.
4. Slap a dollop of buttercream between two cookies, sandwich, and enjoy!

Buttercream can be stored in the fridge until ready to use.
Makes 7-8 cookie sandwiches (14-16 cookies).

One of my favorite things about Valentine’s Day is the chocolate. PSA to my boyfriend (as if he didn’t already know): a holiday that encourages the consumption of chocolate in any form provides you with a guaranteed way to make me smile.

I know we’re still a couple of weeks out, but I figure some of you out there might be trying to plan a treat to make for the ones you love on February 14. Dare I suggest this triple chocolate quick bread? You can serve it as a sweet breakfast-in-bed item, or break it out for dessert (top it with a scoop of ice cream–calories consumed on holidays don’t count).

This loaf/cake came about because I spent last weekend in Philadelphia, visiting a dear friend and helping with wedding planning. It was a wonderful trip, complete with an outing for tea sandwiches, scones, and clotted cream (highly recommend this place if you’re in the area!), and I even got to take a turn around my old college campus.

I brought this quick bread to my friend’s family as a thank you for hosting me, and we all enjoyed it for breakfast last Saturday morning. While it might be more appropriately called a “cake,” deeming this treat a “quick bread” totally makes it acceptable to eat with your tea or coffee…and I can’t be held responsible for how much of it is gone by noon.

I may have cut myself an extra thick slice. After all, I don’t have to fit in a bridesmaid dress until October…

Triple Chocolate Quick Bread
Adapted from Nestle

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Scharffen Berger)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk*
• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chunks (I used Scharffen Berger 62% cacao)
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

*I made buttermilk by letting 1 tbsp white vinegar stand in just less than 1 cup of skim milk for 5 minutes.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugars in another bowl until smooth. Add eggs one by one and beat until each is incorporated. Add vanilla and continue to mix.
4. Add half of the dry mixture, mix, then pour in half the buttermilk. Continue to mix, alternating the addition of dry and wet, until batter is smooth and no dry streaks remain.
5. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Lick spatula.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the top of the partially baked bread.
7. Return to the oven for another 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
8. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out of the pan to cool completely on the wire rack.

Now, how about that giveaway?? [The giveaway is closed, and the winner has been notified!] The lovely folks at Scharffen Berger have graciously volunteered to send a chocolate prize pack to one of my readers. You’ll receive:

• Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
• Folio Box of Scharffen Berger Tasting Squares
• Scharffen Berger Baking Chunks
• Assorted Scharffen Berger eating bars

Sound good to you? To enter:

MANDATORY: Leave a comment below and tell me, What are your plans for Valentine’s Day? (They don’t have to include a significant other! If you’re treating yourself to manicure for V-Day, I would tell you to rock on.)

For additional entries (you must leave a comment for each additional entry**):

–Subscribe to Chip Chip Hooray via RSS or email.
–Follow @ChipChipHooray on Twitter
–Tweet about the giveaway, tagging @ChipChipHooray, and link to this post.
–Like Chip Chip Hooray on Facebook
–Pin with me on Pinterest
–Follow me and check out what I’m up to on Instagram

That’s seven possible ways to win a ton of tasty Scharffen Berger chocolate!

**Important: I’ve had trouble with comments getting through on this blog in the past. If you’re trying to enter and having issues with comments, send me an email and let me know.

Giveaway details:
–This giveaway is open to residents of United States only (sorry again, UK friends!) and will run until from Tuesday, January 29, until Tuesday, February 5, at 11:59 pm EST.
–Winner will be determined via a random number generator software program. Winner will be notified via the contact email provided on the comment contact form.
–Winner will have until Thursday, February 7, to respond to my email and claim their chocolate prize pack or another winner will be chosen and contacted.
–Prize will be shipped directly to the winner’s address by Scharffen Berger.

Disclaimer: This giveaway was sponsored by Scharffen Berger. I received an identical chocolate shipment to sample, but as always, all opinions are my own.

Sometimes I think weekends exist out of time.

I lose track of what day (and often hour) it is. After a week of blow-drying my hair every morning and almost getting eaten by my diffuser, my hair sits atop my head in a ponytail or (if I’m feeling really ratty) a topknot. I begin to call a cookie a meal. The miracle of brunch makes alcohol acceptable before noon. And since I don’t yet have my company-issued phone, I’m not instantaneously accessible to my colleagues.

It’s glorious, really. Except for when your alarm goes off on Tuesday morning (since this was a long weekend, thanks to the Rev. Dr. MLK) and your friends aren’t coming over for biscuits and mimosas, your hair really seriously needs to be washed, and you don’t even want to consider the state of your work email inbox.

That’s when you need to have breakfast in the fridge. Waiting for you. And it’s even healthy breakfast, people.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to go brave the knots in my curls.

Blueberry-Banana-Almond Baked Oatmeal
Adapted from Skinnytaste

Ingredients:

• 1 medium ripe banana, sliced
• 1 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, divided
• 1 tbsp honey plus 1/4 cup (divided use)
• 1 cup uncooked quick oats
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, divided
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon, divided
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Layer banana slices on the bottom of an 8×8 glass Pyrex. Sprinkle half the blueberries (3/4 cup), 1 tbsp honey, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon over the top. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes, until fruit has softened.
3. While the fruit is baking, whisk together oats, 1/4 cup almonds, baking powder, remaining 1 tsp cinnamon, and salt together in a small bowl.
4. In another small bowl, whisk together milk, egg, vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup honey. Set aside.
5. Remove fruit from oven after 15 minutes and top with oat mixture. Pour wet ingredients over the oat mixture, trying to distribute as evenly as possible.
6. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of almonds and 3/4 cup of blueberries on top. Bake for 30 minutes, until oatmeal begins to brown on the edges. Serve hot from the oven, or package up to reheat for breakfasts during the week.

Makes about 6 breakfast servings, depending on how hungry you are.

Happy Tuesday!

“Mawwaige, mawwaige! Mawwaige is what bwings us togetha today!” (If you haven’t seen The Princess Bride, I don’t know if we can be friends. Educate yourself.)

Anyway. Today we’re celebrating the darling Christina of Dessert for Two! She and her hubby-to-be are freakin’ adorable, and a bunch of her fellow bloggers decided to throw her our own version of a shower to celebrate them getting hitched.

While Christina takes care to post recipes that are just enough for a small household…yeah. I don’t. So these three dozen donuts will sit on your kitchen table and tempt you while your roommate’s away on a ski trip and you’re hanging around in your yoga pants watching trashy DVR reruns. Not that I’d know about that.

Besides, they’re mini donuts! Which means you can eat triple the amount and it only equates to one. An excellent thing for anyone who may be trying to fit in a wedding dress. (Clearly despite having started a new job, I have not picked up any additional math or logic skills.)

Congratulations, Christina!! We all wish you cuties a lifetime of happiness and love.

Mini Cookie Dough Donuts with Chocolate Glaze
Adapted from Mini Donuts by The Novice Chef

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 light brown sugar
  
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup skim milk 
• 3 tbsp canola oil 
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  

For the cookie dough:

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp skim milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips, plus a generous handful
  

For the chocolate glaze:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp Land O Lakes Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt
• 2 oz dark chocolate, chopped (I used Scharffen Berger Dark Chocolate with Cacao Nibs)
• 2 tbsp skim milk
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg and sugars. Add milk, oil, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth.
4. Add the dry ingredients and mix until lumps are gone.
5. Transfer batter to a disposable piping bag and snip the end off. Pipe batter into mini donut pan wells until they are about 3/4 of the way full.
6. Bake for about 7 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in one of the donuts comes out clean. Transfer donuts to a wire rack and let cool completely.

7. To prepare the cookie dough, cream butter and sugars in a medium bowl.
8. Add vanilla and milk and continue to beat until combined.
9. Add the flours and salt and mix until dry ingredients are completely incorporated. Fold in mini chocolate chips.
10. Form dough into balls using a 1/4 tsp measure. Refrigerate until ready to use (this dough is really sticky–it helps to have some time to set up).

11. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butters and chocolate for glaze together.
12. Then add milk and corn syrup and whisk until all ingredients are incorporated and smooth.
13. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in powdered sugar. Dip the tops of donuts in the glaze and place them back on the wire rack. **It’s important that you do this step as quickly as possible, because the glaze starts to harden up quite fast.
14. Add a cookie dough ball to the top of each donut. Allow the donuts to set for at least 10-15 minutes. Stare at them longingly the whole time.

Makes about 3 dozen mini donuts. You will have extra cookie dough, which I highly recommend saving for midnight snacks. Or another baking project. Whatever.

Make sure you check out the sweet treats the rest of these wonderful bloggers brought to Christina’s shower:

Lauren of Keep It Sweet Desserts | Sweet and Salty Party Cookies
Krissy of Krissy’s Creations | Strawberry Macarons
Julie of Table for Two | White Wedding Cake Cupcakes
Madison of Espresso and Cream | Moon Pie Cupcakes
Jenna of Eat Live Run | Whiskey Walnut Blondies
Joanne of Eats Well with Others | Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Kristan of Confessions of a Cookbook Queen | Lemon Cupcakes with Sweet Tea Frosting
Shelly of Cookies and Cups | Chocolate Covered Cheerios
Megan of Country Cleaver | Mini Coconut Cream Pies

I had a lovely time over the holidays with my family and friends (those are my lovely college roommates below), ate a ton of really delicious food, and spent a lot of quality time on Amtrak.

I did a lot of thinking about the past year, especially about this blog. Here are a few tidbits:

Developing a stronger network. Volunteering at IACP, attending Pie Party Live and the NYC Holiday Cookie Swap, and writing for Big Girls Small Kitchen College helped me meet and strike up relationships with a ton of fascinating new people. I can only hope 2013 brings more of the same!

Thinking more about photos (or trying to). I’ve been making an effort to use my limited resources as best I can–using natural light (when I’m home during daylight hours), thinking about the composition of the photos, and keeping an eye out for any cute props. I’ve been pretty pleased, so hopefully I can continue to get better…at least till I splurge on a camera.

Keeping my writing strong. Especially in light of how crazy things got toward the end of 2012, it was tempting to slap a recipe on the page and hit “publish.” But I try to remind myself that the reason I got started with this–aside from the fact that I love all forms of baked good–was to tell a story, to have a place to air my thoughts. And a huge part of the reason I love so many of my friends’ blogs is their compelling writing. I want to be proud of what I create, too.

All of the above will be an even bigger challenge this year because, as of Monday morning, I’ve got a new job! It’s only been two days, but I’m learning a ton and am really enjoying getting to know all of my new coworkers. My boss even put this blog in her welcome email to the rest of the company–eek! (If you’re one of my new coworkers–welcome! I promise I’ll bring cookies to the office soon.) I really feel like I took a huge step in the right direction for my career. Thanks to all of you on social media who offered well wishes!

I’ll be back next week with some yummy treats, but in the meantime I’ll be up to my eyeballs in background reading for my job and trying to figure out how on EARTH to put on stockings without ripping a hole in them every single time. (Seriously, ladies?! I know that they make us look classy and fabulous, but you can’t deny that they’re a pain in the tush.)