Peanut Butter White Chocolate Blondies

  Do you ever get in one of those moods where you just feel like having a specific something??? Like, lately I've been in the mood for something peanut butter. I blame my niece, Kristin, because she's always saying "The peanut butterier the better!" So I did a quick inventory of my pantry to see what might inspire. I found a bag of white chocolate chips and immediately knew that this was the right PB pairing. It reminded me of white chocolate Reese's cups, which I ABSOLUTELY LOVE. So I did a bit of googling and found this recipe on a blog called Bake or Break. That's it!! It's sweet, it's salty, and it's everything you want in a peanut butter dessert. Also it's quick to throw together and it uses regular everyday ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. Perfect!
So the next time you're feeling like something peanut butter, just whip up a batch!
They'll definitely satisfy your deepest PB cravings!



1  1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon*

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup white chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. Using an electric mixer on medium speed or mixing by hand, combine the butter, brown sugar, and peanut butter. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. If using a mixer, reduce the speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.

Tips:

*As I've posted above, you'll notice that the original recipe includes cinnamon, but tbh, I think I may omit it next time. Now, you know how much I love cinnamon... my usual rule of cinnamon is "there's no such thing as too much", but in this instance, I think even that tiny little bit conflicts with the peanut butter flavor. I think it gets in the way of the salty sweet thing that I love so much. But they're still delicious either way! You decide!

Baking for a bigger crowd? Just double the entire recipe and bake it in a 9x13 pan. The baking time stays the same. 

Want it to be even peanut butterier? Add some peanut butter chips along with (or instead of) the white chips!

As always, when I bake any kind of brownies or dessert bars, I line the pan with parchment paper with a little extra hanging over the edges. Then after the bars are baked and cooled, I use the parchment as a sling to lift the whole batch out of the pan at once. This saves your pan from being ruined, and it lets you make nice even perfect cuts!

Btw, I added an extra tiny little pinch of salt because I love salty and sweet together. It also really brings out the flavor of the peanut butter! 

Cake Mix Blondies

Many people ask me if I ever use cake mix when I'm baking. Well, the answer is yes and no. Yes, I use cake mixes all the time, but no I never use them to just bake a cake. I always use them like an ingredient in another recipe. If I'm using it as a cake, it'll be with other cake ingredients that don't follow the directions on the box.
 So I happened to have a yellow cake mix and decided to do something with it. I found a recipe for blondies on a blog called Like Mother Like Daughter and decided to try it, since I already had all of the ingredients. I did tweak it slightly and it turned out great! It was quick and easy and it was just exactly what I wanted. Perfect for a birthday party or just because you're feeling something sweet and fun and festive!!



1 box yellow cake mix
1 large egg 
1/4 cup oil
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
2/3 cup white chocolate chips 
rainbow sprinkles for the top

Preheat your oven to 350ºF.

In a large mixing bowl, combine your cake mix, egg, oil, and milk. Stir in your sprinkles, chocolate chips and white chocolate chips. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. Spread your batter into the pan evenly. Bake for 18-22 minutes until bars are a light golden color. Cool completely or chill. Slice and serve.

 

Tips:

The original recipe called for 1/3 cup white chocolate chips and 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips, but I decided to do all white chips. It also called for a 1/3 cup of the sprinjkles mixed into the batter, but I decided to just sprinkles them across the top. 

I think I'm gonna try this recipe with other kinds of cake mix and other mix ins. Next time I think I'll do chocolate cake mix with salted caramel chips or maybe peanut butter chips. Do what you like!

Black and White Brownies

 Can one ever have too many brownie recipes? I think not! There are SO many twists and variations, it seems that the possibilities are endless. So anytime I happen upon a new brownie something, I'm all in. I mean, with that rich fudgy texture, chocolate or not, I'm absolutely a fan. Basically, whenever I want to whip up a quick homemade something, brownies are my go-to. They're great for a party, sure, but they're also great when you just want to bring a home baked smile to someone.
 When I first began my search for a new brownie, I couldn't decide whether I wanted to make the usual chocolate brownie or a white chocolate blondie version. Then I found this recipe and of course quickly decided that this was the best of both worlds. As always, I can never leave well enough alone, and once again, I tweaked the recipe a little here and there. They turned out rich and chewy and fudgy and OH SO GOOD! If you'd like to bring a smile to someone, I highly recommend trying them! Btw, they also make GREAT gifts for anyone in your family who has just left for college! There's nothing like receiving a little taste of home in the mail, is there? Boom.



3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbs melted butter
1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup flour



 Heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease 9x13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper. Set aside. Beat 3/4 cup butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Sift 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl; stir flour mixture into creamed butter mixture until batter is smooth. Divide batter into two bowls.
Stir cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon melted butter together in a bowl; stir into one of the bowls of batter. Dissolve coffee granules in 1 tsp hot water. Stir it into chocolate batter along with semisweet chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared baking pan.
Toss white chocolate chips with remaining 1/4 cup of flour, then stir into the remaining bowl of batter. Carefully spread evenly over the chocolate batter. Sprinkle additional white chocolate chips over the top. Bake until edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars.


Tips:
The batters will be VERY thick and hard to spread. So we have a few options: You could spray your hand and use your fingers to press the sticky dough into the pan. Or you could do the same thing with the back of a spoon. Or you could dollop tablespoonfuls of the blonde batter over the chocolate batter and then use an offset spatula to spread it across the top. Or you could abandon then whole top/bottom idea altogether and just swirl the blonde batter into the chocolate. All of the above will work!
Btw, the instant coffee dissolved in a tiny bit of water is one of my little tweaks. Adding that little bit of coffee always makes chocolate taste more chocolatey!

White Hot Chocolate

 If you're one of my regular readers, you know that I'm always looking for new versions of old favorites. So, I figured, instead of doing a regular hot chocolate, why not do it with white chocolate instead? It's rich and creamy and festive and sweet enough that you could definitely serve it as a dessert beverage. Or maybe just whip up a batch to warm you up on a snowy night. You'll definitely be thinking "why haven't I done this sooner?"
 Tbh, I kind of like it after all the craziness is over, say on Christmas night, after all the parties and food and wrapping and presents. It's a great way to cap off the holiday with something warm and comforting. If you're a fan of white chocolate, I promise you'll love it!

1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
4 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla whipped topping, for garnish

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine white chocolate chips and heavy cream. Stir continuously until white chocolate chips have completely melted. Stir in the half-and-half, and vanilla extract. Stir occasionally until heated through. Pour into mugs and top with a dollop of vanilla whipped cream.

Tips:

To lighten it up a bit, just use any milk of choice instead of the heavy cream. You could even use almond milk, if you so choose.

For a little extra holiday touch, sprinkle the top with crushed peppermint sticks!

White Chocolate Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

 For ages, I've been looking for a good pumpkin cookie recipe. Not that I don't LOVE the Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies that Cathy always makes, but they're a little more cakey than cookie. What I really wanted was a COOKIE. You know, like with a crispy chewy texture. And then I happened upon this recipe on a blog called Sally's Baking Addiction. They're AMAZING! So easy to make, crispy and chewy, and just exactly what I wanted!
 Tbh, I had planned on posting the recipe in October when I usually do all pumpkin recipes, but I figured I'd save this one for the holiday season. Even though they're pumpkin, I still feel like Snickerdoodles scream Christmas, dontcha think? So here they are!
 You should definitely add them to your festive cookie repertoire. They're perfect for a cookie swap, and I just bet Santa would love them if you leave some for him along with a tall glass of milk. Oh, and one other thing... be sure to read through Sally's make ahead tips following the recipe. (Time management is always a good thing!) And definitely make 2 batches. Or three. Or four. I promise you they won't last very long! Love love love 'em!


1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup white chocolate chips or chunks


 Heat oven to 350ºF.
 Melt the butter in the microwave. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft. Fold in white chocolate chips. Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes. Chilling is mandatory!
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Roll the dough into balls, about 1.5 tablespoons of dough each. Mix together the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Roll each of the dough balls generously in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and arrange on 2 baking sheets. Slightly flatten the dough balls because the cookies will only slightly spread in the oven. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and press a few more white chocolate chips onto the tops, if desired. Allow the cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to a wire rack.

Make ahead tips: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Baked cookies freeze well up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well up to three months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.

Strawberry White Chocolate Blondies

I recently made these for my friends' Kath and Tony's 30th Anniversary party and they were a big hit! Then I made them again for my friends' Ginna and Charlie's annual summer party. Again, rave reviews! I'm not surprised, though. They're really crazy good! I found the recipe on a blog called Love and Olive Oil (of course, I tweaked it ever so slightly) and they were exactly the sort of picky-uppy summer dessert I was looking for! So add this to your dessert menu the next time you plan a party. You'll definitely get rave reviews too!


12 oz white chocolate chips, divided
10 tbs butter, cut into pieces
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and diced


Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Line the bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang. (this will help the blondies come out of the pan later). Butter parchment. Set aside. Measure 1/4 cup chips. Set aside. 
In a double boiler or a bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water, melt the remaining chocolate chips and butter, stirring constantly, until smooth. (I use a whisk so it all comes together). Remove from heat and stir in sugar. 
 Whisk in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add sifter flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until just incorporated. Fold in strawberries. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with reserved chips. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cook completely. Use the parchment to lift the blondies out of the pan, then cut into squares.


Tips:
When I made them for Ginna's party, I used half strawberries and half apricots (because Ginna loves apricots!) but use whichever kind of fruit you like! Peaches? Raspberries? How about both?!
Be sure to bake them until they're golden on top and set in the middle. You don't want to underbake them because he extra liquid from the fruit will make them too gooey. I prefer to err on the side of overbaking them. It doesn't make them dry, it just makes them more chewy!
Don't need so many? Freeze half of them! Or just cut the recipe in half and bake them in an 8x8 pan!

Dirt Squares

 

  I asked my niece, Annie, what she'd like for her high school graduation party. She texted me back: "I do enjoy Dirt. You know, that chocolate pudding thing with crushed Oreos and gummy worms."
 I said "So.. out of ANYTHING in the world you could possibly have from renowned internet cooking sensation, Joey Quaile, you choose crushed Oreos, chocolate pudding, and gummy worms? LOL"  She said "Surprise me!"
 So, of course, you know I couldn't just make pudding and crushed Oreos! Well, for one thing, I knew it would be a big party, and regular Dirt requires spoons and cups or plates. Whenever I'm bringing something to a party, I always like it to be a "picky uppy" something that guests can just grab and nosh. (btw, picky uppy is a technical term, in case you didn't know). Then I thought, I wonder if there's a dirt recipe that you can cut into squares! So I did some searching, and I found this recipe from Women's Day. Perfect! No spoons or cups required, and T-Swizzle can have her Dirt. (yes, that's what we call each other. LOL)
 So there you go. Make this for your next big party when you want something different and easy and fun and yummy and picky uppy. I promise it'll be a big hit! Congrats T-Swizzle!

1 stick butter
1/2 c. packed light-brown sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1 c. Kit Kat Bites (from a 10-oz bag)
1 c. Heath Almond Toffee Bits (from a 10-oz bag)
1/2 c. white-chocolate chips
25 OREO Cookies
gummy worms


 Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13 x 9 x 2-in. baking pan with parchment paper or nonstick foil,  extending above the ends of pan. Beat butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed until well mixed. Beat in yolks and vanilla until combined. On low speed gradually beat in flour just until blended and slightly crumbly. Press evenly on bottom of pan. Bake 8 minutes, or until lightly browned around edges. Remove from oven. Pour condensed milk over crust; spread evenly. Layer with Kit Kat Bites, toffee Bits and white-chocolate chips. Sprinkle evenly with 2 cups cookie crumbs; pat down gently. Bake 25 minutes, or until bubbles form around edges. Cool on a wire rack 5 minutes, then spread some remaining crumbs over bubbles to cover and spread the rest of the crumbs over the top. Cool completely or chill. Lift foil by ends onto cutting board. Cut into 48 squares. Serve with gummy worms.


Tips:
-The recipe calls for 25 Oreos. I think you could probably go with much less. I used about 20, and it was still a bit too much. They didn't really adhere to to the top of the squares and there were cookie crumbs everywhere. Just do enough to cover the top and I'm sure it'll be fine. Btw, to make the crumbs, I just threw the cookies into the food processor and pulsed them until I had crumbs. You can also put them in a ziploc bag and bash them with a rolling pin or something heavy until you have crumbs.
- I didn't use Kit Kat Bites. I used chopped mini Milky Way bars. Use whatever candy bar you like! -One other thing... be sure to bring extra gummy worms. As you can see from my photo, I covered the whole tray with gummy worms. They were just as big of a hit as the squares! Who knew people liked gummy worms so much? Seriously, everyone who walked by, grabbed a gummy worm and they were gone in no time. I kept wishing I had brought the extras from home, just to keep the whole dirt thing going. Live and learn!

White Chocolate and Craisin Sweet Potato Squares

 Looking for a quick and easy dessert? How about a rich and chewy square that isn't too sweet and has just a touch of spice? If this sounds like a good idea, then this is the perfect dessert for you. To be honest, I was originally looking for something along the lines of a brownie, well, more of a blondie, but I think this has more of a sweet potato pie vibe. And that's exactly what makes it perfect for your next holiday get together! Give them a try and your guests will love them. I'm sure you will too!

3/4 c mashed sweet potato
1/2 c vegetable oil
2/3 c granulated sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c milk
2 tsps pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsps pumpkin pie spice
1/2 c white chocolate chips
1/2 c craisins

Heat oven to 350F.
 In a large bowl, mix together the mashed sweet potato, oil, both sugars, the milk and the vanilla extract. Sift in the flour along with the baking powder and the pumpkin pie spice. Mix the batter just until the dry ingredients are moist, then fold in the chips and craisins. Pour the batter into a well-greased or buttered 8x8 baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely or chill before removing from pan and cutting into squares.

Tips:
To make this is a 9x13 pan, just double it and bake it for a little longer. It's not exactly the same, but the math is close enough that it will work.
To insure that the squares won't stick to the pan, spray your pan with cooking spray, line it with parchment paper, then spray it again. Then after it's baked and chilled, lift the entire batch out of the pan at once, and use a big knife to make perfectly clean cuts. SO much easier and it saves your pan from being scratched!

White Chocolate Apricot Squares

 Every summer, my fabulous friends, Ginna and Charlie, throw an amazing party. It's always a bunch of great friends, great food, and LOTS of laughs. It's a highlight of my summer!! And of course, I always like to bring a delicious home baked something to the party. Since Ginna loves all things apricot, I decided to give these apricot squares a try. They're easy to make with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. Perfect!
 The recipe is my own adaptation from one that I found on a website called Living D.I.N.K. (which means double income, no kids.) It's pretty much the same basic idea as the original, but I changed a few amounts and added a couple things. I'm thrilled with how they turned out!
 Everyone at the party loved them! (Too bad they were gone even before Ginna had a chance to taste one!!!! Guess I'll have to make more!) Thanx again, guys, for another fabulous party!
I'm sure you'll love them too. Try 'em!


1 stick plus 6 tbs butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour
18 oz apricot jam
1 cup white chocolate chips


Heat oven to 350F.
 Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit with enough to hang over the sides of the pan. Place the parchment in the pan, smoothing it out so that it sticks to the sides of the sprayed pan. Set aside.
 In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, and sugar. Add eggs, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Stir in flour. 
 Using your impeccably clean floured hands, press just slightly more than half of the dough into the bottom of your prepared pan. It helps to break off pieces of the dough, and then using your whole hand, flatten them into one even layer. Spread jam over the dough in an even layer. Sprinkle with chips making sure they're evenly spaced over the jam. Crumble the remaining dough over the chips. Bake 40-45 minutes or until slightly golden. Cool completely or chill until set.

 When it's time to cut them into squares, run a knife around the edge to make sure nothing is stuck to the sides, and then use the parchment paper as a sling to lift the whole batch out of the pan at once. Now you can place it on a cutting board and use a big knife to make perfectly even cuts without damaging your pan.

Tips:
You can use almond extract instead of vanilla, but a little goes a long way. Too much almond might compete with the flavor of the apricot jam. Just sayin".
 To make it easier to crumble the dough, place the rest of the dough in the fridge while you're pressing the bottom layer, and spreading the jam and chips. It'll firm up just enough to crumble a little more easily. I like to break off TINY little pieces of dough and place them across the surface of the jam. It covers more evenly, and you still get a little jam peeking through.
 Not a fan of apricots? Use whatever kind of jam you like! Seedless raspberry goes famously with the white chocolate chips. Or how about orange marmalade for a creamsicle sort of vibe? You could also do a black forest vibe with cherry preserves and semisweet chocolate chips. It will all work!

White Chocolate Mousse

Whenever I mention chocolate mousse as a dessert option, especially white chocolate mousse, the response is usually "mmmm" or "ooo" or "aahhhhh"... It's so rich and velvety and smooth, no wonder it's been a favorite for decades in high end restaurants for years! It also happens to be very romantic if you'd like to make something for your special someone. The thing is, most people think it's difficult to make. Not true! It's actually very simple. You're basically making a custard and then folding whipped cream into it. How can anyone not love that? I'll just bet you'll score extra points if you make it for your special occasion. Topping it with fresh strawberries or blackberries or raspberries just makes everything perfect! Enjoy!

4

  egg yolks

1/4 

cup sugar

1

  cup heavy whipping cream

1

  cup white baking chips

1 1/2

  cups heavy whipping cream

Chocolate curls or fresh berries or both, if desired

 Beat egg yolks in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed about 3 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in sugar. 

Heat 1 cup whipping cream in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat just until hot. Gradually stir at least half of the cream into egg yolk mixture, then stir back into hot cream in saucepan. Cook over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens (do not boil). 

Stir in baking chips until melted. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, just until chilled. 

Beat 1 1/2 cups whipping cream in chilled medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Fold refrigerated mixture into whipped cream. Spoon mixture into parfait or martini glasses. Garnish with chocolate curls or top with fresh berries. Store covered in refrigerator.

Tips:

If you'd like to make regular chocolate mousse, just use 8 oz

semisweet chocolate chips instead of the white chips. The rest of the recipe remains the same. 

Oh, and one other thing... forgive me for not using my own picture...I'll get to it one of these days.. In the meantime, thank you to the folks at Betty Crocker for letting me borrow theirs!
 

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

 I've been looking for a really good orange cookie for AGES and now I'm happy to say EUREKA! I've discovered it! I suppose I could have developed my own recipe, but I've found SO many fun and new recipes while searching for this one that it was definitely worth the trip. It's actually just a basic cookie recipe with the addition of fresh orange zest and white chocolate chips. Now why didn't I think of that?? Sometimes the simplest things are the best! I saw this on Pinterest from a blog called The Girl Who Ate Everything, who got it from a blog called Baked Perfection. Sharing is caring!!
 This is the perfect cookie for friends like Jerry and Angel who aren't particularly fond of chocolate. (I know, I know, it makes no sense to me either....)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture until combined. Stir in orange zest and white chocolate chips.
Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Do not flatten cookies; it will make them dry. Bake 8 – 10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Do not overcook! Cookies will be plump. Cool for several minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Tip:
To make them even more orangetastic, add a couple drops of orange extract to the batter. Yum!

Chocolate Chip Caramel Toffee Bars

Lately I've been revisiting some of the old Pillsbury Bake-Off recipes and this one looked so good I just had to try it. It's another one of those recipes where you look at the ingredients and say "how can this not be good???". So here they are. I KNOW you'll love them as much as I do!

1 box butter cake mix
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1 (12 oz) pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white vanilla chips
3 (1.4 oz) chocolate covered toffee candy bars, chopped
1/2 cup butter
32 caramels, unwrapped
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

Heat oven to 350F.
Grease a 9x13x2 pan. In large bowl, combine cake mix, oil, and eggs. Blend well. Stir in chocolate chips, white chips, and candy bar pieces. (Mixture will be thick). Press half of mixture in bottom of greased pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, combine butter, caramels, and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over medium-low heat until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth, stirring occasionally. Slowly pour caramel mixture evenly over partially baked crust. Top with remaining cake mixture.
Return to oven. Bale an additional 25-30 minutes or until top is set and edges are a deep golden brown. Cool 20 minutes. Run knife around edges of pan to loosen bars. Cool 40 minutes. Refrigerate one hour. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Tips:
Instead of buying the candy bars and chopping them up, I just bought a bag of the Heath Bar toffee chips. Easy. Oh, and instead of sitting there unwrapping all those caramels, see if you can find the bags of Kraft Caramel Bits. They're like caramel chips and they're specifically made for melting. SO much more convenient!

White Chocolate Mousse

There's one dessert that is synonymous with sheer decadence, and that's chocolate mousse. Make it white chocolate mousse and it's a special occasion! Pair it with fresh berries and you have a dessert that's simple to make, yet impressive and romantic. LOVE IT!

1/4 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, heat water and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Set saucepan in cold water to cool mixture. Place in the fridge until thoroughly chilled. Whisk again until smooth. Beat cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold into cold chocolate mixture. Spoon or pipe into serving dishes. Chill in the fridge until it's time for dessert!

Tip:
For a lovely presentation, top with miniature chocolate chips, fresh raspberries and a sprig of fresh mint.
You can easily substitute other chips, such as semisweet, milk chocolate or even peanut butter chips.
Save time by making it a day ahead!

Cherry and Chocolate Chip Cookies

My Jeanie is always trying new recipes and new variations of old recipes. I stopped by her house as she was decorating Tricia's wedding cake (which was BEAUTIFUL, by the way) and she asked me to try these cookies that she found in Bon Appetit Magazine. They're SO good! Chocolate chips, sure. White chocolate, of course. But it's all about the CHERRIES! Here's the recipe just as my Jeanie sent it to me. Try them!

1 cup dried tart cherries (I bought a bag from Target)
1/3 cup cherry liqueur (Cherry Heering) - I used the juice from maraschino cherries
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (I used salted), room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
8 oz. white chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 375. Bring cherries and cherry juice to boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat and let soak 15 minutes. Drain cherries and pat dry. (I cut up into smaller pieces.)
Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs and both extracts and beat to blend. Add flour mixture and beat on low just to blend. Stir in cherries and all chocolate chips. Scoop tablespoonfuls of dough onto parchment (or Silpat)lined baking sheet, spacing 1" apart.
Bake cookies until edges are light golden, turning baking sheets halfway through cooking, about 13 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.

Tip from Joey:
Feel free to substitute whatever flavored liqueur you'd like. It'll just add another dimension of flavor.
These cookies freeze well. Store your baked cookies in the freezer in a ziploc bag until you're ready to serve them. They only take a few minutes to thaw. You can also roll the unbaked dough into a log, wrap it well, and keep it in the freezer. Then just slice and bake as needed.

White Chocolate Raspberry Oatmeal Squares

I found this recipe online when I was looking for something raspberry to make for Trish and the Project Runway gang. I changed it slightly and also added white chocolate chips to it. What's not to love, right? Not only was it a big hit with Trish, but it's now Josh's most favorite "Joey dessert".
I'm so glad you like them, Joshua!!! They're very easy to make too!
Try 'em!

1 c. butter -- room temperature
1 c. light brown sugar
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. rolled oats
1 small jar seedless raspberry jam
1 c. white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9x13" pan, set aside. Mix all ingredients together except the white chocolate chips and jam. Press 1/2 of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the jam to within 1/4" of the edge. Sprinkle white chocolate chips over jam. Crumble the remaining crumb mixture over the top and lightly press it into the jam. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Allow to cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Tips:
-An easy way to spread the first layer of dough is to crumble the dough into small clumps across the buttered pan. Then use your hands to press the clumps of dough together to form an even layer.
-Just as I do with brownies, I like to remove the whole batch in one piece and then cut it on a cutting board using a large knife. You'll get a cleaner cut and you won't scratch your baking pan.