M&M Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I have a thing for M&M's.

Like a buy-those-huge-bags-from-Costco-and-hoard-them-all-to-myself thing.

Yep.

And this is an easy recipe to whip together, throw in a pan, and lick the bowl until they're done baking. Not that I support eating raw egg or salmonella…but I still do it anyways.



M&M Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup M&M's
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Combine flour, soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

3. In an electric mixer, blend sugars. Add butter and mix until a grainy paste. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until light and fluffy.

4. Add flour mixture, M&M's, and chocolate chips at low speed.

5. Place in greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 300 degrees for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick.



Enjoy the warm chocolate gooeyness!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

On cold and cloudy days, I seem to get cravings for pumpkin. And this pumpkin bread is my all-time favorite, slightly adapted from the ladies at Our Best Bites. It's warm spice flavor is perfect for chasing away the winter blues.

And I love that I can use whole wheat flour, greek yogurt, and applesauce to make it yummy and healthy…well, sort of healthy :)

Just try not to eat the whole loaf in one sitting…believe me, you'll want to!


Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
(Makes 2 loaves)

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/4 teaspoons ground clove
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking power
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup white sugar
6 ounce container greek yogurt, vanilla
3 eggs, slightly beaten
15 ounce can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup canola oil (or 1/2 cup applesauce)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9x5 loaf pans with nonstick spray and then lightly cover with flour. Set aside.

2. Combine flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gently combine and set aside.

3. In separate mixing bowl combine the sugars, mixing well with a wooden spoon. Add yogurt, eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.

4. Slowly add the dry ingredients until wet. Gently stir in chocolate chips. (The batter will seem a little dry, but don't worry it will still be yummy!) Divide the batter between the two loaf pans and sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top if you'd like. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes and then remove loaves and place on wire rack.


*Time Saving Tip: When completely cooled, wrap the second loaf in layers of plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Place in the freezer and you'll have a delicious treat for the future! Just place the loaf in the fridge or on the counter to thaw when you're ready to enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ok. This is the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe E.V.E.R. 

At least to me, haha!

This recipe of goodness was passed along to me from a close friend a few years ago (Hi Kayse!) and it's one I just keep going back to. So whip up a batch and try not to snatch too much cookie dough before baking :)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour

1 bag of chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Combine shortening and sugars in a mixing bowl. Mix until smooth.

2. Add eggs, salt, soda, vanilla, and flour. When everything is mixed well add the chocolate chips.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Make 5 dozen cookies…or about 4 1/2 if you snatch some dough :)

*Time-Saving Tip: After the cookies have cooled, put half of the cookies into a ziploc freezer bag, remove the air, and close up tight for the freezer. This makes an easy dessert to grab on the go or quickly take to a neighbor or friend.

Mom's Brownies

Our mom makes some of the yummiest food around, especially desserts! When you visit her home you can always count on having cookies, brownies, or some other piece of sugary heaven.

This is her go-to brownie recipe that she uses solo or as a brownie base for other recipes.

Mom's Brownies

Ingredients:
2 squares butter
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour

Directions:
1. Melt butter in saucepan on medium heat. When melted, removed from heat and stir in cocoa following by the sugar.

2. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir well. Then mix in flour.

3. Bake in a 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Check with a toothpick.

Apple Butter Banana Bread

If you're like me, bread is not my forte in the kitchen.

If you aren't like me…well kudos for being awesome.

But really. Knead-and-beat-and-rise-and-whatever bread never really turns out for me.

That's where banana bread comes in to save the day. (Or at least my day!)

Just mix it all together and pop it in the oven! Perfect.

So here's my favorite go-to banana bread recipe, slightly adapted from Better Homes & Gardens.

Apple Butter Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 slightly beaten eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (2 small)

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 cup canola or cooking oil

Directions:

1. Grease and flour the bottom and sides of a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.

3. In medium bowl combine eggs, sugar, banana, butter, applesauce, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened (batter should be lumpy). Spoon into prepared pan.

3. Bake in a 350 degree oven about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Makes 1 loaf.

*Time-Saving Tip: I like to double the recipe and freeze one loaf for later! Just let the second loaf completely cool, wrap in plastic wrap, followed by a layer or two of foil…you just need to keep the air out. Place it in the fridge or on the counter to thaw when you're ready for more banana bread goodness!