Kathleen Siegle

Peppermint Hot Cocoa Brownies

December 7, 2014

Gooey and super fudgey brownies baked with a ton of love and mini peppermint patties to give it that extra Christmas kick! Topped with whipped cream and crushed peppermint candies, these Peppermint Hot Cocoa Brownies are the perfect treat on a cozy winter night!

Well, my jeans a feeling a little tighter. That’s how I know Christmas is almost here. Only 17 more sleeps people! We’re over that Thanksgiving holiday hump and shopping plazas are getting crazy cramped. I’ts been getting harder to grocery shop at my beloved Target lately. I feel a little lazy though…I haven’t really started my Christmas shopping yet! Eeek! I’ve done a few purchases online here and there but I haven’t hit the stores and elbowed my way through those treacherous aisles. I’ll be honest…I’m not ready to battle with those crazy and desperate holiday shopping moms. I keep seeing that 1980’s footage of violent grown adults fighting each other for the last Cabbage Patch Doll. That being said, I better suit up and start before I become one of those crazy desperate moms!

By suiting up, I mean getting a huge helping of my new favorite brownie. Peppermint Hot Cocoa Brownies. Who doesn’t love peppermint paired with dark chocolate. If you say no, leave the premises immediately. Or stay and check these out.

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Magic Cookie Bar Cupcakes

November 30, 2014

Perfectly moist cupcakes baked with toasted coconut and mini chocolate chips inside, swirled with vanilla frosting, and topped with a miniature Magic Cookie Bar. To make these Magic Cookie Bar Cupcakes even more decadent, they’re drizzled with sweetened condensed milk.

I’m so excited for today…it’s Christmas tree time! I’m usually in the Christmas mood around August, but when I finally get the tree decorated and the stockings up I feel it’s official. Christmas just got real. This is the first year we have introduced our four year old to “The Elf on the Shelf”. We started that a few weeks ago because any extra incentive for my preschooler to behave is priceless. He affectionately named him Norman and even though he considers Norman a friend, he’s a little terrified at how much power Norman holds. These days Oliver seems to be a little more well behaved, and that my friends is quite magical 🙂

Hands down, my favorite dessert is the Magic Cookie Bar. I write about my obsession for the retro treat in my post about these Biscoff Magic Cookie Bars. I’ve been on a mission to mash my favorite cookie bar with other desserts. I thought the cupcake was the perfect place to start. You can make anything the inspiration for your cupcakes and I love that!

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Peppermint Jawa Brownies

November 23, 2014

Dark chocolate brownies cut into little Jawas and filled with peppermint dark chocolate ganache. Don’t forget the cute candy eyes for these Peppermint Jawa Brownies! These are irresistibly adorable and easy!

Things just got real folks. Christmas is so close! Only 33 more sleeps until that glorious morning is here! Yes, I am using way to many exclamation points right now, but I’m super giddy. The season has definitely started, evident in the fact that it took me 15 minutes longer to find a parking spot at the mall, and peppermint is everywhere! I tried to hold on to the pumpkin and sweet potato for as long as I could, but I’m just gonna give in.

Lately my son has been asking me to make something Star Wars again. Oliver is smitten. The first words out of his little mouth every morning are “Pew Pew Pew”. You Star Wars geeks will know exactly what that is. So to appease him, and my Christmas craziness, I made these Peppermint Jawa Brownies. Jawas are kind of the Christmas elves of Star Wars, right? You might be thinking…Star Wars and Christmas? Eh. Well let me give you this link: Star Wars Holiday Special. It will explain everything. If you ever get a hold of the footage, you might feel a little uneasy. It’s that bad. So bad it’s good.

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Marshmallow Swirl Pumpkin Pie

November 20, 2014

It’s time to add some whimsy to your favorite traditional Thanksgiving pie! Perfectly spiced pumpkin pie swirled with magical gooey marshmallow fluff and topped with cinnamon whipped cream and pecans.

Marshmallows are an amazing thing people. Let’s review shall we?

They can instantly turn your hot cocoa into a super magical cup of dreams.

Add them to cookies, cupcakes, and baklava and make it a gooey lovely mess of deliciousness.

One word. S more’s.

They can also be the perfect tool for bribing your toddler. “Did you pick up your toys?” Marshmallow. Done. “Did you put your shoes on?” Marshmallow. “Did you poop in the potty” That one gets a TON of marshmallows. “Did you brush your teeth?” Marshmallow. Well, that one kind of negates the brushing of the teeth. But they’re mostly made of air right?

So this was my very first time baking a pumpkin pie. To make things just a little more complicated for myself I decided to make a Marshmallow Swirl Pumpkin Pie. Just kidding. It wasn’t complicated, but I will confess that through the entire baking time of 45 minutes, my little nose was pressed against that oven door. I tend to do that when I experiment in the kitchen.

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Caramel White Hot Chocolate Cookies

November 17, 2014

Chewy and dense white chocolate chip cookies smothered in salted caramel sauce and topped with a toasted marshmallow. The ultimate holiday drink in cookie form! Warm up tonight with these Caramel White Hot Chocolate Cookies.

Just like one of my favorite Christmas songs, It’s definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The Perry Como version of course. As soon as Target gets their Christmas goodies up in the back of the store, my insides squeal like a little girl. This time of year is absolutely perfect. Except for one thing. No snow here in Orlando. Bummer. No snow equals no toasty hot drinks made of dreams. Also known as hot chocolate. So…I did what any sugar fiend would do! I made hot chocolate into a cookie!

In all the excitement of my bright (and original for sure) idea, I googled hot chocolate cookies just to check. A bazillion different versions came up. Boo. This seems to happen a lot, but after reading a post over at Love From the Oven I said to myself, “To heck with originality! If it tastes good make it and share it!” But since I’m scared of the recipe blogging police, I shook things up a bit.

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Sweet Potato Pie Baklava

November 15, 2014

Luscious sweet potato pie filling nestled within the layers of phyllo dough and drizzled with sweet cinnamon honey syrup. Toasted gooey marshmallows top this gorgeous baklava. Sweet Potato Pie Baklava will be the star dessert at your Thanksgiving!

Last month I made Apple Cinnamon Baklava and fell in love. It wasn’t just a one night stand. It was a heavenly apple pie and baklava marriage. But now I’m ready for the honeymoon and something that will give me butterflies in my tummy. This Sweet Potato Pie Baklava totally does that. Love is a beautiful thing. Sweet potato pie love that is.

The sweet potato pie filling does something so magical to the baklava. Ever worried about dry baklava? You won’t have to worry one bit with this baklava. The sweet potato pie filling makes every layer luscious and moist. Did I mention luscious? And the dreamy topping of toasted marshmallow just makes it even more special.

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Kathleen Siegle

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