Marbled Dark Chocolate Peppermint Spritz Cookies. These deeply chocolatey, buttery, peppermint-spiked cookies are just as delicious as they are easy to make. They're the perfect Christmas cookies, and the marbled white chocolate peppermint-swirl design makes them almost too pretty to eat. I got some brand new baking pans, several pairs of the stretchiest sweatpants...
Search Results for: dark
Flourless Peanut Butter & Dark Chocolate Cookies
They're peanut butter. Â They're dark chocolate. Â They're peanut butter. Â They're dark chocolate. Â A little naughty, a little nice, and a lot of yum. These cookies are just as tasty as they are attractive (who sees a half-and-half chocolate and peanut butter cookie and thinks, "nah"?) and they're quick and easy to make, to boot. Â BUT...
Dark 'N Stormy Cocktail
It's a beautiful day out in New Jersey, which is shocking to see and write after what has seemed like a century of dreariness. The skies are blue, the sun is shining, and it seems only right to celebrate the amazing weather with a cocktail. The perfect drink for such an occasion? The Dark 'N...
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Can Cake
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm no baker. Seriously, if you're searching for some beautiful work of culinary art, look away now. However, I've got to say that these turned out pretty awesome, aesthetically, for the amount of amateur ability that was put into them. They taste even better. ...
How to Brown Butter
Browning butter is a simple cooking technique that transforms everyday butter into a flavor factory. With just a few minutes of stovetop simmering, you can bring out nutty, toasted notes that take everyday recipes to the next level. Learn how to brown butter properly to make decadent brown butter cookies, cakes, pasta and more. There's...
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
These Roasted Cherry Tomatoes are bursting with garlicky, caramelized, and sweet flavors. Perfect for using up your summer harvest or wrinkly end-of-season cherry tomatoes, this versatile recipe concentrates natural sugars and flavors into a rich topping for pasta, pizza, bruschetta and more. Never Waste Another Tomato As tomato season starts winding down, it can be...
How To Pit Cherries
Is a recipe chock full of fresh cherries calling your name? Here's how to pit cherries without the fuss (or cherry pitter)! You're going to be using these methods all cherry season long. Sweet, tart, juicy cherries are way up there on my list of favorite fruits. But if I'm honest, there is one thing...
Chewy Chocolate Molasses Cookies
If soft and tender cookies are your thing, these Chewy Chocolate Molasses Cookies need a spot at your holiday dessert table. Dutch cocoa, molasses, brown sugar, and warm spices make these cookies an instant favorite. Going into developing this Chewy Chocolate Molasses Cookie recipe, I didn't think any cookie with molasses as the star ingredient...
Homemade Pita Chips
Learn how to make pita chips that crisp, golden brown, and delicious! These baked pita chips make tasty snacks on their own, or are fantastic for dunking in dips like hummus. I'll teach you how to make 4 varieties: Sea Salt, Garlic & Herb, Za'atar Seasoned, and Cinnamon Sugar! QUICK, EASY & DELICIOUS HOMEMADE PITA...
Hot Cocoa Bombs
Learn how to make Hot Cocoa Bombs and DIY all of your Christmas gifts this holiday season. These hot cocoa mix and marshmallow stuffed confections will have your friends and family oohing and ahhing as they melt away in warm milk to create the perfect cup of hot chocolate. WHAT ARE HOT COCOA BOMBS? Hot...
Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Sweet Mustard Glaze
The easiest, tastiest corned beef dinner is made right in your crock pot. This Slow Cooker Corned Beef recipe will give you tender, juicy meat every time, but don't stop there! Brush with a simple (but boldly flavorful) sweet mustard glaze, then broil for just a few minutes to amp up the flavor before serving....
The Best Fudgy Homemade Brownies
These fudgy homemade brownies feature crisp, crackly tops and chewy, dense, super chocolaty centers. If you want decadent brownies that taste leagues better than boxed mix but don’t require a ton of effort, this is the brownie recipe for you! THE ABSOLUTE BEST HOMEMADE BROWNIES Extensively testing baked goods is kind of my thing (you know,...
The Best Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
If you’re looking for the ultimate recipe for soft and chewy sugar cookies, you’ve come to the right place. Not only are these cookies fantastically buttery, tender, and doughy; but they also stay soft for days on end. They’re incredibly easy to make and require no rolling out! Just like your favorite bakery cookies, but...
Pretzel Shortbread Cookies
Inspired by the iconic cookies from Philly's Lost Bread Co., these Pretzel Shortbread Cookies are a melt-in-your-mouth mashup that's half pretzel, half shortbread, and 100% unlike anything you’ve ever tasted. Whatever you think Pretzel Shortbread is going to taste like, you can’t really prepare yourself for your first bite. Or at least that's what almost every...
Homemade Falafel (Pan-Fried or Baked)
Learn to make Homemade Pan-Fried or Baked Falafel so authentic that your friends will swear you had it flown in from Lebanon. Whichever method you choose, its vibrant fresh herbs, punchy seasoning blend, and crispy-yet-tender texture will be the star of any sandwich or mezze board. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again...
Warm Chorizo Potato Salad
With a whisper of smoke and spice, Warm Chorizo Potato Salad is a Mexican-inspired spin on the German classic. Served with soft-boiled eggs and a chorizo vinaigrette, this mayo-free mash-up is best served warm. Â Â Â WARM CHORIZO POTATO SALAD When most people hear "potato salad", they think of the American picnic classic. You know, potatoes,...
Soft and Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies
I'm a firm believer that the best cookies are anything but firm. A soft, big, buttery, chewy cookie is the key to my heart, and these Soft and Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies absolutely fit the bill. They're made from scratch and bursting with tart lemony flavor from both lemon zest and real lemon juice! As tends...
No-Bake Mint Chocolate Zebra Cheesecake
This No-Bake Mint Chocolate Zebra Cheesecake is just as delicious as it is hypnotically stunning. Be warned: It's rich, chocolaty, spiked with plenty of mint, silky smooth, and a total ruiner of self-control. This one goes out to all my fellow mint chocolate chip ice cream lovers, thin mint fanatics, and shamrock shake drinkers. It's the ultimate...
5 Ingredient Crispy Smoked Gouda Cheese Balls
5 Ingredient Crispy Smoked Gouda Cheese Balls. At parties, cheesy appetizers are always a hit. These cheese balls, with their crisp outside, airy inside, and smoky flavor are no exception. They take only 30 minutes to put together, and they're absolutely addictive. A few months ago, I decided not to host New Year's Eve this...
The Great Kitchen Kapers Holiday Gift Guide and GIVEAWAY 2018
We've made our list and checked it twice: Check out our round-up of the best kitchen gifts for everyone (and we do mean everyone) on your list, whatever your budget. Don't tell anyone, but I haven't bought any Christmas presents yet. I can't believe we're already through week one of December and quickly moving on to...
The Best Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Bacon
The Best Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Bacon. This cornbread stuffing (AKA cornbread dressing) pulls out all the stops. Sweet cornbread, salty bacon AND sausage, tons of herbs and aromatics, and crunchy toasted pecans make this stuffing the most popular side dish on your Thanksgiving table. It's about time that we all start ironing out...
Obatzda Bavarian Beer Cheese Dip
Obatzda Bavarian Beer Cheese Dip. This rich and piquant beer garden classic is made with just a few simple ingredients and is perfect to serve with pretzels or rye bread. I've never been much of a traveler. Is that really uncool to admit? Okay, yeah, it is. But I like to be honest here, and...
Grilled Tandoori Chicken Patties with Jalapeno-Mint Yogurt Sauce
Grilled Tandoori Chicken Patties with Jalapeno-Mint Yogurt Sauce. These Indian-inspired grilled chicken patties are a welcome switch-up from burgers. This recipe for Grilled Tandoori Chicken Patties with Jalapeno-Mint Yogurt Sauce was also featured on Serious Eats. I promise that pumpkin recipes are just around the corner and I'm just as excited for them as the...
Sweet Mustard Pork and Potato Packets
Sweet Mustard Pork and Potato Packets. They say good things come in small packages. These tangy, sweet, and smoky pork chop foil packets prove it-- and they’re extremely easy to make, to boot. This post is brought to you by French’s. All opinions expressed are my own. It’s summertime, and the living is easy, because...
Fiery Italian Chicken Skewers
This post is sponsored by Sutter Home, who made James and I very happy by supplying the wine to go with these Fiery Italian Chicken Skewers as part of the #SweetOnSpice campaign. Whew. My nerves are all jumbled right now because, from out of nowhere, an apocalyptic amount of bouncing hailstones just decimated the top...
Honey Lemon Chiffon Pie
Well I'll bee damned. I've gotta tell you,  I said "this probably isn't going to turn out" to myself at least 17 times as I made this pie. But much to my surprise, the bees wound up looking like bees, the honeycomb pattern looked like honeycomb, the filling set to an awesome consistency, and the Honey...
Skillet Red Wine Brownie
Chocolate and wine. Name a more iconic duo, I'll wait. When it comes to heartthrob food pairings, dark chocolate and fruity red wine is the most sensual and simple combination that immediately comes to mind. Take a bite and then a sip, and it's all bliss, baby. This is one Valentine’s Day cliché that I'll happily...
Chewy Cherry Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies
It's the final countdown. We're two days away from Christmas. One day away from Christmas Eve (and Hanukkah!). Zero days away from me making a disaster in my kitchen while trying desperately to prepare all of the food. It's go time. You might feel like you already have a handle on everything for your holiday...
Peppermint Mocha Pie
Today's post is brought to you by my bittersweet nostalgia. Oh, and McCormick®, whose sponsorship made this luxurious Peppermint Mocha Pie possible. So, I've been doing a lot of soul searching lately. And what I've realized tonight, thanks to a few glasses of mulled wine, is that I'm not feeling at one with people on either side of the...
Rum-Caramelized Banana Berry Nut Crumble
As someone who dislikes both bananas and berries, the fact that this recipe exists on this blog is practically a pre-Christmas miracle. Fruity desserts aren't typically my jam-- Get it? Jam? ...Sorry -- but I had to step outside of my chocolate-covered comfort zone last week. You see, my brother, the king of clean eating,...
Spider Web S'more Cheesecake Brownies
For about 315 straight days every year, you could call me a Halloween costume visionary. From pop culture to punny to straight up scary costumes, I'm a veritable goldmine of ideas. "How ever will I choose?" I ask myself, but of course I never write down my favorites, because that would be the smart thing to do, and I'd...
We Redecorated Around Here, What Do You Think?
Gather round, friends, and listen to the story of how a woman nearly lost her mind while tweaking her website design.
Jamaican Jerk Pork Chops with Curry-Spiced Sweet Potatoes and Mango Salsa
I'm not nearly the only one who snuck off with the cordless phone as a child and dialed in with high hopes for my future, enticed by the woman on TV who insisted in her (faux-) Carribbean accent that I "Call Now For A Free Reading!" Free was an interesting choice of words, of course, as...
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chickpea Bars
I almost called these "Unbelievable Bars" because I was completely caught off guard when I realized that they were not only edible, but actually freaking delicious. They get this crackly, brownie-like crust on the top and bottom after baking, but stay extremely moist and almost fudgy in the center, sort of like the texture of...
Creamy Three Cheese Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas
When I first started coming up with recipes for my upcoming Cinco de Mayo / birthday fiesta, I was all set on only including authentic Mexican recipes. I researched meticulously, I took notes, I ordered special ingredients online... aaaand theeeeen these Creamy Three Cheese Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas happened. Sometimes you just gotta follow your heart.
Mexican Chocolate Custard Cake with Spiked Marshmallow Whipped Cream
I'm not up-to-date on my Sesame Street these days, but back when I was just a wee tyke, they'd always let you know of  some special numbers and letters that were important to the show-- and I'm totally ripping them off today with this post that is brought to you by the #26.
Malted Guinness Chocolate Cake with Baileys Frosting
There's nothing wrong with just slapping some green frosting on your cupcakes for St. Paddy's day, but if you want a dessert that really will make the Irishmen (and ladies) swoon, this Malted Guinness Chocolate Cake with Baileys Frosting is what you should be baking this year. And next year. And every chance you get for...
Balsamic-Red Wine Roasted Chicken Thighs and Vegetables
Chicken thighs and I have had a rocky relationship throughout the years. My mom always avoided them in favor of the leaner breast meat, and because she shied away from them, I thought that there was something inherently unappetizing about thighs. I avoided them at all costs, up until my twenties when I realized that so many recipes...
Slow Cooker Indian-Spiced Lentils
Since moving, I've learned that there's a fat chance of finding decent takeout in this town. The pizza place a half-block away only serves edible food if "the old guy" is working. The Chinese in the same plaza is garbage. There was a good Chinese place about a mile down the road, but in a...
Chorizo, Caramelized Onion, and Poblano Sausage Rolls with Creamy Cilantro Dip
I have an almost impressive ability to polish off whole trays of pigs in a blanket in seconds flat. It's not at all uncommon to catch me lingering by the appetizer spread at a party, eradicating the bite-sized cocktail sausages before anyone else gets an opportunity to enjoy them. I try to be discreet. I try to have...