Holy Monkey Bread!

Saturday morning I sat starving, as usual, and wished that I had a sweet little chef in my kitchen that I could summon to make pure breakfasty deliciousness. Unfortunately, I had no tiny chef, but I did have refrigerated biscuits in the fridge. It hit me - monkey bread!

I remember my mom making monkey bread once or twice when I was a kid. I also remember thinking what did I ever do to deserve this plate of heaven? So if you want your kids (or hubby) on their best behavior, just throw out two little words: monkey bread. 

Not sure who came up with the monkey title. I'm thinking of renaming it to Stop My Heart Bread, both from the insane deliciousness and the overload of calories. Either way, it's an incredibly special breakfast that should only make a grand appearance every few months.

Coconut Lime Macaroons

These lime macaroons are the perfect baked good for summer. They require only a few ingredients and are super easy to make. The tartness of the lime pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the coconut. I had originally planned to dip the bottoms in dark chocolate...but why mess with a good thing? 

Perhaps, in the future I'll bathe them in chocolate, but for now I love these macaroons just the way they are.

Start with one can of sweetened condensed milk.

Dutch Oven Bread

Did I make this beautiful-looking bread? I think I did! It was beyond easy (no kneading) and it looks so artisan - makes me feel fancy. All you need is a dutch oven, like my beloved orange Le Creuset above, which also makes me feel fancy.

The loaf comes out with a crunchy golden crust and soft and chewy inside. The most amazing part: you get to choose the flavor! The flavor combinations are endless, so let your imagination and pantry contents run wild! 

We tried a rosemary Parmesan and cracked black pepper loaf with the agrodolce pork chops we made the other night. As well as, a sharp cheddar and jalapeno loaf that made for some killer garlic bread to accompany our spaghetti. 

Seriously though, what smells better than fresh baked bread throughout your house? Nothing. 

Caramel Pretzel Brownies with White Chocolate Mousse

*UPDATE: I won Iron Baker! Thank you SO much to all that voted, you all are the best! And thanks to Melissa @ 20 Going on 80 for creating and hosting the event!

Go vote for your favorite entry in Iron Baker!

Hopefully it will be this handsome little devil below: 

Gooey Brownies with a Caramel Pretzel Crust and White Chocolate Frangelico Mousse

I'm entering these little sweet and salty treats in the Iron Baker Challenge over at 20 Going on 80. The secret ingredients were white chocolate and caramel. Head over there and check out all of the other fabulous entries that others came up with, then cast your vote for your favorite (voting is closed)!

I adore sweet and salty combinations! And I was so impressed with myself that I pulled this off. It was my first time making caramel and mousse from scratch. Sure I used a box mix for brownies, but so what. In doing so I saved time, energy, and dirty dishes. Plus I think that boxed brownies taste delicious, so I just jazzed them up with a buttery caramel pretzel crust. Perfection!

Since the mousse needs to chill for awhile, that's your starting point.

Melt some white chocolate in a double-boiler along with a little water and Frangelico liqueur. It smells heavenly. Set aside and let cool.

Whisk cream until soft peaks form. I started with an electric whisk, then decided a hand whisk was better. Fold cream into cooled chocolate mixture. Then whisk egg whites and fold in as well. Now stick that mousse baby in the fridge and let it chill out.

I Wanna Marry You Cookies

You may be wondering about the name. I know I did when I first came across this recipe. Well, it turns out that these cookies are just sooooo delicious, that anyone you bake them for, will want to propose to you. You can read about it here in the cook's note.

Not only are these cookies addictive and delicious, but they also dirty less dishes. That's right folks, these cookies only require one pot! The way to a girl's heart (at least this girl's heart) is less dishes to wash.

I love that these cookies are filled with both white and milk chocolate chips. And I was excited to see that the recipe calls for cinnamon, since I always add cinnamon anyway when I make chocolate chip cookies (or waffles...or pancakes...or lasagna, wait maybe not lasagna). 

S'mores Cupcakes Please...

I always opt to make cupcakes for birthdays and gatherings. They're just so much better than cake. There's no cutting involved, no forks, no plates and let's face it they're so cute! We had some family and friends over for Ryan's birthday yesterday. For dessert we had S'mores Cupcakes.

Now, I'm not the biggest fan of s'mores. They're just so sweet and whenever I'm in a situation where there are s'mores, like camping, there never seems to be an ice cold glass of milk around. Which prompted Ryan to ask : "Do you even like s'mores?...Then why are you making s'mores cupcakes?" Good question. Not really sure. They seemed like they would be a crowd-pleaser. And they were! Check it out:

 Ryan liked 'em

Lexi liked 'em

Rilyn liked 'em

Even I liked them! The graham cracker layer at the bottom gives a nice crunchy texture to contrast the super moist cake. And Ryan concocted a cream cheese marshmallow frosting. True teamwork. I baked the cupcakes, he made the frosting. He frosted the cupcakes, I topped them off with a piece of chocolate.

For the recipe read on...

Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping

I am loving my first fall in Paradise. Back home by now, it would be rainy and gloomy. Here the sun is still shining, but now there is a slight breeze. The air smells different, good different, and the leaves are beautiful shades of gold and orange. A girl can definitely get used to this. 

Whenever fall rolls around, I think of this recipe. Ok...ok, who am I kidding, I make these muffins all year-round. But they seem especially fitting when summer turns to fall. As these muffins bake, they fill your entire house with the delicious aroma of cinnamon and pumpkin. Every time I make these, I think about how incredible it would be to awake to the smell of them. So if you happen to have family or friends visiting... that you want to spoil...you should sneak to the kitchen (before they wake up) and get these little guys in the oven. You'd be the best hostess (or host) ever!

Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping and Cream Cheese Drizzle 

Adapted from Stephanie's Kitchen

For the muffins:

3 cups All-purpose flour

1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup canned pumpkin

A Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Thank You

We had some very ripe bananas sitting in our kitchen, so I decided to make some bread to share with family. I love this recipe. My mom and I have been making it for years. You will absolutely love the smell of vanilla and cinnamon as it bakes. It's amazing for breakfast or a midnight snack.