Ari's Menu

Little changes making a big difference.


Sunflower Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

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SOMEONE’S GETTING MARRIED TODAY!!!!!

Sunflower Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Noooo, not me silly gooses. I already have a real husband and a New York Husband, and that is plenty. Plus, you know I said some vows to my Kitchenaid…

Sunflower Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

 

Ummm, I know what you’re thinking, but it’s totally normal to have two human husbands and one appliance. And everyone says vows to their favorite kitchen appliance, okay?

Sunflower Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

This is one of the most pointless food pictures I’ve ever taken. It shows you nothing about the actual cake, but for some reason I just love it.

Today my beautiful, wonderful friend Jen is getting hitched! I flew in to NYC late last evening, and today I’m road tripping down to Virginia for the wedding. It’s a long story, but the extra states saved me a night’s hotel fair, and earned me some extra time with NY Husband, so it’s well worth the extra travel. Jen is one of the most giving, loving people I have ever met, and I can’t wait to be a part of her special day!

Sunflower Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

 

I figured since today was extra special, I would do something I never do and post a CAKE! I very rarely make real cakes. I’m much more of a cupcake girl. I like the built in portion control of a cupcake, because lord knows I will break out a fork, and eat the entire cake if left to my own devices…

Sunflower Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

 

One time, I made Steve a red velvet cake for his birthday. Of course, this was before I knew how to cook, like at all, so it came from a box. I forgot the eggs (which is pretty typical for me), and the cake, although delicious, was a crumbly mess. This was also pre-weight-loss for both of us. We each ended up grabbing a fork, and almost completely devouring this double layer cake. It was really cute, I swear.

Sunflower Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

I can’t promise you that you will not have the same problem here, because this cake is GOOD. The edges browned and got slightly crispy while the middle stayed perfectly gooey and soft. The cake isn’t overly sweet to balance out the rich, chocolatey icing, and the white chocolate chips throughout create a perfect flavor balance. In basic terms, it tastes kinda like a HUGE, soft peanut butter cookie with white chocolate chips, that’s covered in rich chocolate cream cheese frosting. Except, it’s a cake. A cake I can get behind. Now, please pass me the fork.

 

Sunflower Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

yield approx 16 servings

  • 1/4 cup apple butter
  • 2/3 cup sunflower butter (or any nut butter you have on hand will work)
  • 1  cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • dash salt
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar,packed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg

For the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 12 oz reduced fat cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 and 1/4 oz dark chocolate, melted and cooled
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line the bottom of a 9-10″ springform pan with parchment paper. Spray edges and parchment paper well with nonstick spray. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl. whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), beat together apple butter, sunflower butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until well combined. Beat in egg. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Fold in white chocolate chips.
  4. Transfer dough to prepared pan, and use a piece of sprayed parchment paper to gently press into an even layer.
  5. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until lightly golden. The center should be set, but soft. Cool completely in pan.
  6. Once cooled, run a butter knife along the inside to release any areas that are stuck, then open springform, and transfer cake to your preferred frosting area.
  7. To make frosting, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add vanilla extract. Add in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating on low speed, followed by cocoa powder. Increase to medium speed and add melted chocolate. Beat until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl often. Slowly,  add almond milk 1 tbsp at a time until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.
  8. Frost cooled cookie cake completely, and serve.

White Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Bars

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Sweet, soft and chewy sugar cookie bars topped with smooth white chocolate and gooey, browned marshmallows. Secretly healthy and whole grain, but you’d never know!

White Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Bars

I’m a proud big sister! My brother graduated this winter with 2 associate degrees! He is the hardest worker I know, and I am unbelievably proud.

White Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Bars

Charlie is a, um…picky eater. He has the oddest tastes of anyone I’ve ever met. He’s not always super into sweets, but he does clear my pantry out of any white chocolate and marshmallows I may have on hand pretty much every time he comes over. They are his two favorite things, and they are definitely two things I can get behind!

White Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Bars

To celebrate his accomplishment, I made a simple dessert putting his favorite things together. The cookie layer is thick and soft, then it’s topped with melty white chocolate and browned marshmallows for a winning combination of flavors and textures.

White Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Bars

And the best part? They’re health(ier) in the sneaky, secret kinda way that no one will ever guess!

Print
White Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 16 bars

White Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Bars

Sweet, soft and chewy sugar cookie bars topped with smooth white chocolate and gooey, browned marshmallows. Secretly healthy and whole grain, but you'd never know!

Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • dash salt
  • 1/4 cup apple butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tbsp nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together apple butter, sugar, egg white, Greek yogurt and vanilla until well combined. Slowly, add in flour mixture and continue beating until incorporated.
  3. Transfer dough to prepared pan and use a greased piece of parchment paper to gently and evenly press dough into the pan.
  4. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and set in the center. Evenly sprinkle white chocolate chips on top, followed by marshmallows.
  5. Broil for 2-3 minutes until marshmallows are browned and puffy. Pay close attention during this step--they can burn quickly if left in too long. Cool completely, and serve.
https://arismenu.com/white-chocolate-marshmallow-cookie-bars/

Gingerbread Hot White Chocolate

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So you know that moment when you have your first hot chocolate of the year? Like the real first one that doesn’t come from a powder? The kind that’s thick, creamy, rich, and decadent and makes you feel like a big jerk for not following the “don’t drink your calories rule”?

Oh yes, it happened.

LOOK AT THE STEAM!!!

I’m still real proud of my steam shots 😉 Anyway, one of my favorite things to do this time of year is get in the car with a scalding hot cup of hot chocolate (I can’t stand when it gets cold!) and go look at Christmas lights. Steve and I go at least once a year. It’s tradition. Something about the combination of the lights, the mood in the air, and the delicious treat just makes me all kinds of happy.

Buuuuuut, I have a confession. I’ve never made hot chocolate that doesn’t come from a powder. I don’t know why. That crappy diet hot chocolate has 25 calories so I can shovel pounds of whipped cream on it, or something? I don’t know. It’s silly, because this hot chocolate is sososoSO good! It’s so thick and creamy that you would think it’s made with whole milk or cream!

It was the perfect night time treat, and it’s like one of those secretly healthier recipes. You know, the kind you can make for all the people in your life that talk crap about all your Greek yogurt and vegetables. You can give this to them, then get that secret satisfaction as they slurp it all up. Then, if you’re me, you’ll yell out all kinds of unnecessary comments like “HAH!! That was healthy! I fooled you! Take that suckerrrr!” I swear, I’m very mature.

Moral of the story? Make the hot chocolate. Act super immature when you fool all your friends and family into chugging down your lightened up dessert. 😉

 

Gingerbread Hot White Chocolate

yield 2 servings

  • 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 1/2 oz white chocolate
  • dash pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • dash cloves
  • dash nutmeg

Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a small-medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until mixture is desired temperature and all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

**Note: You could also make this in the crockpot on low for 2 hours whisking occasionally.

Skinnified Sunday: Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

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It’s the mooooost wonderful time of the year!

Okay, so the truth is I’ve been listening to 99.9 since the day after Thanksgiving when they first started playing Christmas music, and I made these babies long before Thanksgiving.

I just can’t even contain my excitement! When Target put up the first few holiday items back in October, everyone else scoffed while I got secretly giddy.

I am a sucker for the holiday season and I have no shame. The lights, the shopping for presents, the music, and of course, the amazing holiday flavors.

I swear, every time I step into Starbucks it’s like an exercise in self control. Between the salted caramel hot chocolate (my favorite), those freaking snow man cookies (I just love those guys!) and of course the cranberry bliss bars–a white chocolate chip blondie topped with cream cheese frosting and sweet dried cranberries? I diiiiiie.

White chocolate and cranberry go together like peanut butter and jelly. No, like peanut butter and chocolate! For a long time I thought I hated cranberries. BIG MISTAKE!

I made these delicious bars last year and they were a huge hit, but the pictures were, um….

Yeah….suffice it to say, they didn’t do the food justice 😉 These are absolute perfection–the perfectly soft gooey blondie filled with while chocolate chips and the smooth and creamy white chocolate cream cheese frosting topped with the sweet and tart dried cranberries. Heaven.

I adapted this recipe from Recipe Girl’s Cranberry Bliss Bars.

My swaps:

  • Half recipe
  • Pumpkin puree or apple butter for butter (-fat, -saturate fat, -calories)
  • Egg substitute for eggs (-fat, -calories, -cholesterol)
  • Less brown sugar (-sugar, -calories)
  • White whole wheat flour for regular (+fiber, +protein)
  • Reduced fat cream cheese for regular (-fat, -calories)
  • Less white chocolate (-fat, -calories, -sugar)

 Skinnified Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

yield 16 small bars or 8 large

Skinnified Cranberry Bliss Bars

For the blondie:

  • 6 tbs pumpkin puree or apple butter (I’ve tried both and they both work really well)
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup + 2 tbs white whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • dash salt
  • pinch ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

For the frosting:

  • 4 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 ounces white chocolate, melted
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

  1.  Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
  2.  In a large bowl, combine pumpkin/apple butter, and brown sugar using a hand mixer.  Add egg substitute and vanilla.
  3.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder.
  4.  Add dry ingredients into wet mixture and mix until incorporated. Fold in cranberries and white chocolate.
  5.  Bake for 18-25 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, cool completely.
  6.  Using a hand mixer, combine cream cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar. Add in melted white chocolate. Spread cream cheese frosting across cooled bars and top with cranberries.

 

Hawaiian Macadamia Butter Cookies

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Sometimes you make a cookie that you just don’t want to share with anyone.

 

Well, if you’re Heather, that is every cookie. I’m sorry Heather, but I will never stop teasing you no matter how good you get at sharing. My friend Heather used to have a sharing problem. She’s worked on it, and recently shared some amazing food with me in Seattle. I was so proud of her. My mom also has a sharing problem. If you ask for a bite of her ice cream, she goes all food aggression and practically growls at you like Clementine. Basically, that was me with these cookies.

Every once in a while, a recipe just turns out so perfect that you can’t wait to make it for every event for the rest of your life, and make double because half of it will never even make it out the front door.

I was really inspired by all of the food in Hawaii. I came home with a full out list. Some people relax on vacation. I wrote lists. And you know what, awesome things came out of it. I like lists.

So let’s discuss these magical cookies, shall we? They have every single food I loved in Hawaii: macadamia nuts, coconut and banana. Also, they have white chocolate, because how could you have those foods and NOT include white chocolate?! That sounds like a terrible idea. When I was little, I used to eat mass amounts of solid white chocolate. It was my favorite. I also don’t ever remember being a single digit size in elementary school. I’m sure there’s no correlation….

Not only are these babies stuffed with all good things that exist in the world, they are the perfect texture. It’s like they were made with real butter! Okay, so I will never stop believing that fat substitutes are awesome for baking, and that baked goods made with applesauce are still seriously delicious. However, they do not taste like butter. These do. I think it’s something about the oil/fat content of the macadamia butter. It works perfectly, and I love it so much more than a peanut butter cookie.

Soft, gooey and perfectly balanced. These are a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Make these cookies. Make them today. And tomorrow. And next week. Trust me.

 

 

Hawaiian Macadamia Butter Cookies

yield approx 1.5 dozen

  • 1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • dash salt
  • 1 medium extra ripe banana, mashed
  • 1 cup Roasted Macadamia Butter
  • 3/4 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut (I found unsweetened low fat, but regular unsweetened is fine too)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the banana, macadamia butter and sugars. Beat until smooth. Add the egg substitute and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Fold in white chocolate chips and coconut.
  3. Using a small cookie scoop, drop dough onto lined cookie sheet. Use an extra piece of sprayed parchment paper to slightly flatten each dough ball.
  4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until just golden. Do not overbake. Let cookies stand on sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Pistachio Butter

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Have I ever mentioned that nut butter is my absolute favorite thing in the world?

I’m sorry. I don’t know a less funny thing to call it that is not “nut butter”. The other options are not better. Trust me. I’ve tried.

Anyway. I could eat peanut butter from the jar. I could down spoonful after spoonful of almond butter. I could pretty much live on the stuff. As long as I could also have fro yo. Then my life would be content.

It’s weird because, as a kid, I was never the type to ask for pb&j. This love didn’t come until much later in life. Probably when I discovered apple + pb was my very favorite snack (It’s the best one in the world. Fact.), or when I realized I could eat my oatmeal out of the jar, after reading that brilliant idea on some of my favorite healthy living blogs. It’s versatile, delicious, and there are a million combinations you could create.

Pistachios are probably my favorite nut. Hazelnuts give them a run for their money, and I really love cashews too, but I would have to say pistachios are my tried and true fav. I’ve seen some pretty interesting spreads at local shops–cinnamon cashew butter, hazelnut butter (or even better–NUTELLA!), etc., but I’ve never seen pistachio butter. I should put a patent on it, because, clearly, I’m a genius. I should be famous. Selling signed pistachio butter jars with my picture on the label. It’ll catch on faster than cookie butter. Okay, maybe not, but coming from someone OBSESSED with cookie butter, I can honestly say that it is just as delicious.

Not only was this pistachio butter a huge hit, but it is also available for sale to contribute to my fundraising. Bethany loved it so much, that she bough a jar right away. In fact, the one jar I kept for myself kept getting lower and lower, and before I realized it, I had to make more just to have enough to photograph. Whoops. I just could.not.stop.

It has the thick, gooey texture of homemade peanut butter, with the perfect subtle sweetness of the white chocolate, and one of my all time favorite flavors of pure, natural vanilla bean. I can’t think of a more perfect combination.

Perfect on bread, rice cakes, bananas, apples, spoons, fingers….

And, also, a great gift! In fact, I sent it in my foodie penpal package to Kristin who was asking for the recipe. Here you go Kristin!! I’m so glad you like it! 🙂

 

White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Pistachio Butter
Inspired by How Sweet It Is
yield approx 1/2 pint (+ a little extra)

  • 8oz pistachio nutmeat
  • 1 vanilla bean, split length wise
  • 1 1/2 tbs coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup all natural white chocolate chips, melted
  • heavy pinch sea salt

Directions:

  1. Add pistachios to a food processor and blend until a thick nut butter forms. Stream in oil and scrape in seeds from vanilla bean with the processor on, continuing to run it until the mixture is smooth (about 3-4 minutes).
  2. Turn off processor, add melted chocolate and sea salt, and turn processor back on. Blend until smooth.

**Best at room temp, but you may refrigerate for freshness, especially if keeping longer than 2 weeks.

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

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My mom loves chocolate. She used to tell me that a dessert without chocolate was a total waste.

Most of my life, I was more of a vanilla person. I liked chocolate in things, but I never liked chocolate based desserts–I always thought they were too overwhelming. In fact, at one point in my life, I swore off chocolate thinking it would help with my weight loss. It didn’t. Turns out when you replace your mocha with a caramel macchiato, and make your chocolate chip cookies with butterscotch chips, it actually makes no difference at all. Funny how that works.

When I did the awful carb diets and swore off sweets for entirely too long (if you can imagine me eating no dessert–it’s a scary thought), my tastes entirely changed. Suddenly, the richer, deeper, and more intense the flavor was, the more I loved it! Dark chocolate became more appealing than my once favorite white, and I started craving brownies instead of snickerdoodle cookies.

These days, it depends on my mood, and if you offered me a chocolate and a vanilla cupcake, I would probably want a vanilla one with chocolate frosting. Or a chocolate one with vanilla frosting. But my mother–she will choose all chocolate. Well, to be honest, it probably doesn’t matter what kind of cupcake it is, because all she really wants is the frosting 😉

Frosting is an other thing I used to not like. But I think that’s because I was eating store bought frosting, and that’s gross. In fact, I find most buttercream kind of disgusting. So sickeningly sweet that it makes your mouth feel funny. I look at the amount of sugar in most frosting recipes, and usually end up taking almost a cup of it away! Now don’t get me wrong, this frosting has plenty of sugar, but it isn’t overwhelming. You can taste the cream cheese, and the chocolate, and not just get a mouthful of sugar. Cream cheese and whipped cream frostings are something I can get behind. You can keep your buttercream and fondant.

These were my mom’s birthday cupcakes. Chocolate cupcakes made with coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor, filled with white chocolate, and topped with my very favorite chocolate cream cheese frosting. Rich chocolatey flavor, without feeling heavy. That is my kind of cupcake. Especially delicious with a glass of almond milk. Mmmmm.

 

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
yield 1 dozen

Cupcakes inspired by Brown Eyed Baker

  • 1 1/3 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup dutch process cocoa powder (or Hershey’s special dark)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • dash salt
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute
  • 1/2 cup all natural white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 batch Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners, and spray lightly with nonstick spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together applesauce, sugar, and egg substitute until well combined. In a measuring cup, combine the milk, coffee, and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture, alternating with the coffee mixture, ending with the flour mixture. Fold in white chocolate chips.
  4. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 liners. Baking for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
  5. Cool cupcakes completely on wire racks. Meanwhile, prepare frosting. When cupcakes are completely cooled, frost and enjoy.

 

White Chocolate Nutella Crunch Cups

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Remember these? And these? Well, as part of my Chances for Children fundraising, I am selling homemade candy cups. They’re actually doing pretty well, and people seem to be loving them! I’ll gradually be putting up all of the recipes on here, but if you’re anxious in the meantime, you could purchase some for your very own 😉

These cups are silky and chocolatey with the perfect crunch in the center.

I don’t know about you, but as soon as I hear the word “Nutella” I am pretty much shoving the food in my mouth before you can get the rest of the title out. Lord help me if someone ever offers me something gross like Nutella Sock Lint. That could be bad.

Do you know there are people out there that have actually never experienced this chocolate hazelnut amazingness? For you people, I am sad, and I also I want to feed you Nutella with a spoon. Is that weird?

Wait, do you mean to tell me you don’t like to be fed new foods by strangers on the internet whom you’ve never met in person? That just sounds silly. I think it’s time for an intervention. Or a Nutellavention. Okay, that wasn’t funny at all. I’m really sorry. Let’s look at more pictures of delicious candy cups, because clearly that is my strength, and not clever wit.

 

White Chocolate Nutella Crunch Cups

yield 24-30 cups

  • 2 10 oz bags all natural white chocolate chips
  • 1 scant tbsp coconut oil
  • approx 1/2 cup Nutella (or other chocolate hazelnut butter)
  • approx 1/2 cup crisp brown rice cereal

Directions:

  1. Line 24 mini muffin tins with paper liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, melt white chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted.
  3. Spoon enough chocolate to cover the bottom of each baking cup. Add 1-2 tsp Nutella, followed by 1 tsp brown rice cereal. Top filling with white chocolate until Nutella is completely covered and top is smooth.
  4. Freeze to set. Keep in freezer or fridge.

**It’s too hot here in Phoenix to send these through the mail, but if you’re local, and you would like to contribute, or you just really like chocolate cups, I’m selling them for $1 a piece. And, really, how often do you get to use dessert as a tax write off? 😉

White Chocolate Peanut Butter S’mores Sandwich Cookies

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So the other day, Steve surprised me by picking me up fro yo. Yes, he’s awesome, but that is beside the point. The point is, he topped my fro yo with peanut butter and marshmallow sauce, and it was freaking delicious. As I was eating it, I couldn’t help, but think of what a perfect combination those flavors were.

I started coming up with all sorts of desserts that I could combine those flavors in.

My incredible friend Stacey has this really important weekend coming up. She has a very special birthday, she is running her first half marathon, and she has some other big life accomplishments going on. It’s pretty amazing, you should head over to her blog and congratulate her! As my congratulations, I made her these cookies, obviously. She loves white chocolate, so that was the final piece in these delicious treats.

Ummm, yeah. Marshmallow, peanut butter and white chocolate is actually the perfect combination. Oh, and graham cracker cookie. Yes.Please.

 

Happy Weekend Of Amazingness, Stace!! I’m proud of you, and I’m sure these cookies will be your perfect pre-race fuel!

White Chocolate Peanut Butter S’more Sandwich Cookies

yield 14 sandwich cookies

For the cookies:

  • 6 tbs fat free cream cheese, softened
  • 6 tbs honey apple butter
  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup Splenda
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 sleeve whole wheat graham crackers, finely crushed
  • dash salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

For the filling:

  • 1 cup all natural white chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 1-2 tbs unsweetened almond milk’
  • approx 1/3 cup peanut butter (I suggest PB & Co White Chocolate Wonderful)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Beat cream cheese and apple butter together in a large bowl. Add brown sugar and Splenda, and beat until fluffy.
  3. Beat in vanilla, egg substitute, and baking soda.
  4. Add flour and graham cracker crumbs and beat until just combined.
  5. Use a cookie scoop (or your hands) to drop dough in about tablespoon amounts.  Flatten dough out with a sprayed piece of parchment paper, until approx 1/4″ thick.
  6. Bake 8-10 minutes until just set, then remove and let stand 5-10 minutes to finish baking themselves, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. While cookies cool, melt white chocolate chips in a medium bowl in the microwave at 30 seconds increments, stirring after each, until melted. Stir in vanilla and marshmallow fluff. Add 1-2 tbs almond milk until slightly thinned and creamy.
  8. Spread white chocolate marshmallow sauce evenly over  the flat side of half of your cookies. Spread the other half with 1 tsp peanut butter. Sandwich together, and serve.

White Chocolate Cake Batter Cups

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I’m sorry for this.

You see the thing is, you will have to make these. They are ridiculous.

I will never buy a Reese’s peanut butter cup again. I mean, these aren’t peanut butter, but in case you didn’t notice, I’m on a bit of a kick here with the home made candy cup business.

The cake batter dip in the center is the perfect soft and silky consistency covered in the delicious white chocolate shell.

I made these as a going away gift for my wonderful, amazing friend Kara. You know my very favorite running and spinning buddy? Yeah, life as I know it is over, and no I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to drown my sorrow in white chocolate and cake batter. IS THAT SO WRONG????

I know, you’re probably devastated as well. Care to join me in this sorrow drowning?

It may not be healthy, but I will say, it’s far less unhealthy than it sounds…

White Chocolate Cake Batter Cups

yield 26-30 cups

  • 2 10 oz bags white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 tbs coconut oil
  • approx 1/2 cup cake batter dip (I used Cinnamon Spice, but you could also use the original)

Directions:

  1. Line 24 mini muffin tins with paper liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, melt white chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted.
  3. Spoon enough white chocolate to cover the bottom of each baking cup.
  4. Add 1-2 tsp Cake Batter Dip.
  5. Fill with chocolate until Cookie Butter is completely covered and top is smooth.
  6. Freeze to set. Keep in freezer or fridge.

Black & White Peanut Butter Chip Brownies

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In case you missed it, which would be super sad for you, Monday was my BBFF Nicole’s birthday! To celebrate, I made her brownies!

Now, I’ll be honest. I don’t usually make brownies from scratch. I usually let TJ’s Reduced Guilt Brownie Mix or No Pudge Brownie Mix do the work for me, because they are both delicious and easy. However, there was no way I was going to use a box mix for Nicole’s birthday. Have you read her blog??? She’s like a real chef. In fact every single time I cook for her, or she eats something I make, I get suuuuuuper nervous.

Luckily, these turned out much better than the gnocchi incident of 2012. In fact, they came out ridiculously good.

And now I have a huge problem on my hands…

All I can think about is brownies!!

Brownies, brownies, brownies, brownies, bbbrrrooowwwwnnniiieeesss!!!

Rich, sweet, gooey and chocolatey with peanut butter chips perfectly complementing the white and dark chocolate.

Or in other words YUM!

Black & White Peanut Butter Chip Brownies

yield 36 brownies

For the white layer:

  • 2/3 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 5.5 ounces Sunspire white chocolate chips
  • 2 tbs light whipped butter
  • 6 tbs nonfat vanilla yogurt
  • 1/3 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1/3 cup Splenda
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbs egg substitute
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup Sunspire peanut butter chips

For the black layer:

  • 2/3 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 5.5 ounces Sunspire grain sweetened chocolate chips
  • 2 tbs light whipped butter
  • 6 tbs nonfat vanilla yogurt
  • 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1/3 cup Splenda
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbs egg substitute
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup Sunspire peanut butter chips

For the White Chocolate Glaze:

  • 10 oz bag Sunspire white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 tbs light whipped butter
  • 3 tbs unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • sprinkles for topping (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9×13 glass baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper.
  2. Start with the white layer.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and salt together.
  4. Put the white chocolate and butter in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water (or a double broiler), stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add sugars, Splenda and yogurt. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan.
  5. Add eggs substitute and vanilla to the white chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Do not over mix.
  6. Gently fold in flour mixture followed by peanut butter chips. Batter will not be completely smooth. Tiny flour clumps will bake out.
  7. Pour into prepared baking pan.
  8. Repeat steps 3-6 with black layer.
  9. Pour black layer on top of white. Use a butter knife to gently swirl.
  10. Bake for 40-50 minutes, turning once in between to ensure even cooking.
  11. Let stand for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (this is where the parchment paper comes in handy!)
  12. Make glaze by microwaving white chocolate and butter together in a medium bowl on 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted.
  13. Add vanilla and milk and stir until combined.
  14. Spread over completely cooled brownies, top with sprinkles if desired and allow to cool for approx 1 hour.

Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal Cookies

· by ·

I have a lot of ideas floating around in this crazy head of mine. Sometimes I think I get too caught up in looking up other people’s recipes and basing my own off that, but I’m trying to just come up with things off the top of my head more and trust that they will be good. I mean, with baking, I always use someone else’s base recipe to make sure the science is right, but the rest of this one is all me. And, they were a hit!

You’d think after Thanksgiving, I’d be totally over baking, but not me! Yesterday, I wanted to test out a couple recipe ideas for the blogger cookie swap. I made 2 totally different batches. I can’t share the recipe for the batch I will be sending yet, but I do have recipe #2 for you!

Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal Cookies

yield 50-60 cookies

  • 1/4 cup light whipped butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup fat free cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 2 tbs sugar free maple syrup
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup reduced fat buttermilk
  • 1  cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • pinch salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 1/4 cups oats
  • 1 cup marshmallows
  • 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
  • 3/4 cup grain sweetened white chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp coconut extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Cream together butter, cream cheese, sugar, syrup and extracts. Add egg and buttermilk.
  2. In a separate bowl (unless you’re me and like to skip this step and dump everything into the same bowl) combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice.
  3. Slowly, beat dry mixture into wet mixture.
  4. Fold in oats.
  5. Gently fold in white chocolate chips, marshmallows and blueberries.
  6. Roll into one inch balls and drop on greased cookie sheet.
  7. Bake for 10-14 minutes until tops are just set and slightly golden (mine baked for 12 min).
  8. Cool on wire racks, serve and enjoy!



 

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