My Favorite Easter Appropriate Recipes

Easter is a bit of an odd duck holiday to me. I guess maybe because I'm not really religious, it's more of a holiday about food and chocolate than it is about anything else. Oh yes, and egg decorating and hunting. Don't forget the egg hunts.

Why did egg hunts become a thing for Easter?! So strange.

Anyway, because it's holiday mostly about the brunch and candy, I figured I would feature some of my favorite recipes ripe for the making this weekend. 

Chocolate Chip Easter Egg Cookies

You know those little chocolate eggs you can buy, with the candy shell? Yes, cookies are full of chocolate egg bits. Perfect to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Soft and Light Sugar Cookies

Of course, if you're feeling more traditional, you can make some sugar cookies. These aren't cutout cookies, but rather a much lighter and flakier cookie. You can still add some cute sprinkles to Easter it up. Yep, using Easter as a verb now!

Orange Glazed Monkey Bread

I've made this for a couple of Easter brunches, and it has always been a hit. Monkey bread is a pretty simple idea. Chunks of bread bits rolled in some butter and cinnamon-sugar and topped with a delicious glaze. You can't go wrong.

Challah Bread (for French Toast, etc)

Challah Bread is seriously awesome. Especially when it's homemade. It can bit a bit on the labor intensive side, but the good news is, you can make this ahead if you're going to use it for french toast, because, ummm... yeah. French toast is always better with slightly stale bread, as it will soak up your milk/egg juices more.

Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread

 Another great brunch option if you want to bring something to a party pre-made. This is basically a loaf version of a cinnamon roll situation. What you'll love the most? Pulling it apart with your hands.

Pretzel Jello Salad

 I wish I had a better picture of this lovely thing, because this does not do it justice. I will make it again someday and remedy that situation. But this is great for more of an afternoon brunch. It's got a slightly dessert-feel, but there's also fruit, so you know, some health factor. This is a staple in my family for most family gatherings, and you should definitely try it if you haven't.

Lacy Oatmeal Cookies

Every family has their Christmas cookie traditions. Mine is all about peanut butter balls. Seriously, those are good. But recently I was introduced to these special cookies via my boyfriend. These lacy oatmeal cookies were his absolute favorite holiday cookies growing up, and we were actually able to get the recipe from his grandma to try out for ourselves. I can't believe I'd never heard or even had these cookies before! A shame, because they are really delicious. And deliciously addictive. Oh yes, you can't just stop at one.

The recipe itself is deceptively easy. Some basic ingredients get whipped together in your mixer in just a few minutes, and then it's smooth sailing, right? Well! Let me lay down some knowledge on you - these cookies take love. These cookies take patience. Are they worth it? Absolutely. But you're going to need time, and it would be really helpful if you have two cookie sheets to use if you want the baking to not take all day. Just laying it down, man. You need to know before you try to start these at 9pm or something. Don't do that.

These cookies are really thin and flat, and that's the way they're supposed to be, so if you make them, don't be disconcerted when that happens. You're doing it right! And being so thin and light, you can totally eat four in a row and it's totally just like one regular cookie!

Lacy Cookies
Author: Jen @ Fresh From The…
Servings: 40 Cookies
Prep time: 00:10
Cook time: 00:09
Total time: 01:00

Super thin and light cookies, you may have had these at the holidays growing up. Makes a TON!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups quick cooking oats

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes or so on medium-high speed. Next, add in the rest of the ingredients and beat until incorporated, on medium-low speed.
2. Line your cookie sheet(s) with heavy foil, shiny side up. Place level teaspoon-sized dollops of dough spaced at least two inches apart. You can usually get around 9-10 on a sheet.
3. Bake for 6-9 minutes until the cookies have flattened out and the edges are golden. Let cool COMPLETELY on the foil, then remove. You can re-use the foil for more cookies.

In Photos:

Butter and sugar get creamed together.

Add in the rest of the ingredients, it will look something like this.

This looks like a normal amount of dough, but just you wait. This will make a TON of cookies.

I forgot to take a picture of what they look like before they go in the oven and spread. But, for reals, use your measuring teaspoon to plop these out onto the foil. ONLY a teaspoon will get you this size! And only use foil! This is going to make A LOT of cookies, so if you have more than one cookie sheet, get them doubled up in there to bake. It will go much faster.

Make sure you cook them long enough and let them sit on the foil long enough before you try to remove them, or you will get something like this happening. Cookies stuck to foil. Is there such thing as non-stick foil? Because you may want to use that. Just keepin' it real.

Once they've COMPLETELY cooled, peel or pop them off carefully. Mine did not all turn out in pretty circles, but they still taste good. You can then re-use that foil for more batches.

Eat all of these! You've earned it!

Pumpkin Reigns Supreme at Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is upon us, if you can believe it. Because Thanksgiving, and this time of year in general, is really a celebration of all things pumpkin, let's take a look at some of my favorite pumpkin recipes, sans pumpkin pie. What's this? No pumpkin pie recipe?! It's true! Everybody has a pumpkin pie recipe. Well, I suppose maybe you don't, but it's right there on your can of pumpkin, isn't it? Yes.

So if you'd like some alternatives to the typical pumpkin pie situation, but still want to get some pumpkin love in, take a look at some of these options. How many times can I say pumpkin in one post? We. Shall. See.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

I make this pretty much every year. It's super easy, and very delicious, particularly the topping. Some other sites call it different things, so you may have seen it somewhere before. My family always calls it pumpkin pie cake, and forever shall it be named so!

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

I really cannot wax poetic about this coffee cake enough. If you want something more of the breakfast variety, this is good to go. That said, it could work just as well for a dessert too. That glaze plus that crumbles of brown sugar stuff make it delectable.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

If you're more of a cookie person, you can't go wrong with these. You can make them plain with some glaze, or add in some chocolate chips. The pumpkin makes them amazingly soft and fluffy.

Caramel Pumpkin Blondies

More of a bar option, with bonus added caramel and chocolate chips. These are pretty ooey-gooey, and if you love yourself some caramel, get on it.

Pumpkin Ice Cream

It may be getting into the colder months, but that doesn't mean you can't still enjoy some ice cream, right? This ice cream is super easy. It doesn't require an ice cream maker or anything! Plus you can add in stuff like nilla wafers or nutella or chocolate chips and make it super fancy.

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

Look, I even have a recipe for the Vegans of the world! This bread is actually really good whether you are Vegan or not. Great for breakfast or as a snack, it's quite hardy and filling.

That's all I've got for you right now! If you have your own amazing pumpkin recipe, please feel free to leave it in the comments, undoubtedly I will try it. Love me some pumpkin.

Homemade Hot Cocoa with Homemade Marshmallows

Amidst these wintry holiday times, nothing is better than a cup of hot chocolate and some marshmallows. Hot chocolate/cocoa/whatever you like to call it is really not complete without marshmallows in my opinion.

Side note: did you know that hot cocoa and hot chocolate are apparently two different things? When you see hot cocoa on a menu, it means it comes from a mix, like the one I'll be showing you below. When you see hot chocolate, however, it means that chocolate bits are melted on a stove. At least, that's what it is supposed to mean. Whether restaurants actually follow this, I must assume largely unknown, rule is another question.

Back to the task at hand! If you're feeling fancy, you can make your own hot cocoa mix AND your own homemade marshmallows! What! Yes, it's true. This is a great idea for a little gift, as well. Because let me tell you something, homemade marshmallows are about eleventy-billion times better than store bought. Just the facts, Jack.

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

Ingredients

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups powdered milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, more to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and incorporate evenly (easiest with a whisk). Fill about half your cup with the mix and add in hot water to the rest, stirring to combine. The rest can be sealed in an airtight container in your pantry for future use.

Homemade Marshmallows

Ingredients

• ~1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 1/2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup cold water, divided
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Cooking Directions

1. Oil bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan, and dust it with powdered sugar.
2. In your mixing bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water and let soften up.
3. In a medium-sized heavy saucepan, cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second 1/2 cup of cold water, and salt over low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved (use a non-stick or wooden spoon). Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, for about 12 minutes. If you have a candy or digital thermometer, it should be at 240F. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until the gelatin has dissolved.
4. Beat the mixture on high speed until white, thick and nearly tripled in volume. If you're using a standing mixer, make sure you use the whisk-type attachment. It needs to get some air beaten in there. This should take approximately 6 minutes with a standing mixture, but can take longer if you're using a handheld one.
5. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat the whites and vanilla into the sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into baking pan. Sift 1/4 cup powdered sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours.
6. Run a thin knife around edge of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. You're going to have to use your hands to loosen it and get it out, because it will stick. With a large knife, or pizza cutter, cut the marshmallows into roughly one-inch cubes. Sift remaining powdered sugar into your pan and roll the marshmallows through it, on all six sides, before shaking off the excess and storing them.
7. They can keep for 1 week at room temperature, but it's totally fine to put them in the fridge too.

Recipe via Smitten Kitchen

In photos:

That's all them there hot cocoa mix ingredients ready to get mixed up.

Well hey, now it looks like cocoa mix! What in the world are we doing here? Oh right, making hot cocoa mix.

Now that your mix is ready, start working on the marshmallows. First you need to prepare your pan with some oil and powdered sugar.

Add 3 1/2 packets of gelatin to 1/2 cup cold water to get it softened up while you do the next thing.

Which is mixing together sugar, corn syrup, salt and another 1/2 cup cold water.

Now you've got to let this start to boil for awhile. Twelve minutes is about right. If you have a thermometer and want to be precise, it should be at 240F. But I don't have one, and it turned out fine.

Mix that in with the gelatin. The gelatin may have started to get a tad hard, but don't worry, the heat from the sugar stuff will dissolve it, just keep mixing.

While you start the sugar stuff to mixing, in a separate bowl, get your egg whites all fluffified. And don't take slightly blurry photos like me. Whoops.

Oh my goodness! Look what has happened to the stuff in the mixing bowl! This is after about six minutes. I initially had the paddle attachment instead of the whisk, and nothing was happening. Then I switched in the whisk and whoosh! The thing starts tripling in size and turning white! Amazing!

After you add in your egg whites and vanilla (I did not bother taking a photo as it looks basically the same), pour it into the prepared pan from earlier.

Sprinkle some more powdered sugar on there. Sugar sugar sugar, this is all about sugar!

Put it in the fridge for at least three hours to let it set up. When that's done, take a knife and go around the edges. You can try just turning it over onto the cutting board, but it's likely not going to just plop out. Use your hands and pull it away from the bottom! Hands! Use them! Once you've got it on the cutting board, you can use a knife, or use a pizza cutter and start cutting them into squares.

Roll around the marshmallows in some more powdered sugar and voila! Ready to consume! These will stay fresh for a week out and about, but you can stick them back in the fridge for longer.

Now that you've got your marshmallows ready, heat up some water and get to mixing up some hot cocoa! Generally you can fill up your cup about 1/3-1/2 of the way with hot cocoa mix, depending on how you like it. Stir stir stir.

Plop in some of your marshmallows and - voila! Fancy. Ignore that little sugar bit on that one marshmallow and pretend it looks fabulous and amazing. Because it will at least taste that way. The marshmallows really are quite delicious and make the hot cocoa all the better.

Happy Holidays!

Chocolate Chip Easter Egg Cookies

I am not a religious person, but one thing that I love about this Easter time of year is the glut of candy about. In particular, my very favorite kind of candy - Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs. Seriously, they are SO much better than regular peanut butter cups. The peanut butter to chocolate ratio makes such a difference. More peanut butter is always better, is the lesson here.

But! Also, there are other kinds of Easter specific candies that crop up. Like these Cadbury chocolate egg things. Which I would probably have forgotten about in a peanut butter egg high had not a blogger mentioned them. Not only mentioned them, but mentioned using them in cookies. Cookies? Sold!

Chocolate Chip Easter Egg Cookies
(Via A Cozy Kitchen)

1/2 cup  shortening
1/2 cup  butter
1/2 cup  granulated sugar
1 cup  packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon  baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon  vanilla
2-1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
1 cup  semisweet chocolate pieces
1 cup Cadbury milk chocolate eggs, broken into pieces

In a large mixing bowl beat the shortening and butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and baking soda. Beat mixture until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Stir in chocolate pieces and broken egg bits.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 60 cookies.

In photos:

I am a lazy bum. I did not take photos of the dough-making steps. You can look back at various other cookie recipes on here and find them if you are really so inclined. It all looks the same.

Do you want to know how I broke up the eggs? Are you sure you want to know? With my TEETH. It's true. I became very cro-magnon and used my teeth to break the suckers. Because um, they weren't breaking with my hands alone. And the oven kills my germs, anyway, right? 

It's okay. I'm the only one eating these cookies. Because I made half a batch. So the lie of that picture is how much batter you'll have. Because you'll have a lot more!

About to head into the oven.

Ta-da!

Here is the sad truth about these cookies, though. They are really only good for one or two days, and then they veer off into that crusty crispy territory that cookies often do. That territory can be somewhat lessened by a quick 7 second zap in the microwave, but... You know what else? It might've done these cookies some good to spend some time in the fridge before heading into the oven's mighty heat breath. I've long postulated this is the secret to good cookies, and I am proven right once again. Huzzah?

Molasses Cookies

Oh, molasses cookies. I had my first taste of these over the holidays and got completely addicted. But when I made them today? The horror! They did not turn out the same at all. I think I know why - I used white sugar instead of brown sugar. So what exactly does it mean for the cookies that I used white sugar instead of brown sugar? Basically, they're not nearly so soft and chewy as they should be. Instead, they are crisp. Still taste fine, sure, but they are crisp (and lighter in color). And I don't like my cookies crisp. However, I didn't want to make a whole 'nother batch because these produce quite a few cookies. Oh well, I will pawn them off on people.

Well, at least they look good.

Rather than give you the recipe that I used, I'm going to give you the recipe that I think you should use, should you decide to make these. The recipe also calls for ginger, which I did not have, but I don't think it's strictly necessary. Is it strange that I had cloves, but not ginger? I must've needed cloves for some other recipe, that's the only explanation I have for that.

Molasses Cookies

3/4 cup Crisco vegetable shortening

1 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Mix together the vegetable shortening, sugar, molasses and egg. Once those are thoroughly mixed, blend in the rest of the dry ingredients.

Roll into small balls, then roll in sugar. Place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. DO NOT flatten. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Keep in mind, yours should look darker than this since you will be using brown sugar.

After it's all mixed together.

All rolled in sugar and ready to go. You can see these fit a lot to a sheet.

Fresh out of the oven.

So I got a little artsy with the photos this time. So what.

Anyway, these are really yummy and, just as a warning, kind of addictive. Sort of like Pringles, once you pop (one in your mouth), you can't stop. They are especially good with a pumpkin dip. I didn't have the supplies to make any, but here is the recipe if you want to try it out.

Pumpkin Dip

2 cups confectioner's sugar (aka powdered sugar)
1 15-oz can pumpkin
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
(or you can substitute 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon & ginger)

Blend together until smooth.

Trust me, it's delicious. And also good with things other than these cookies, like apple slices.