2015 | Just About Baked

M&M’s® Holiday Caramel Oat Bars

December 7, 2015
Mir
Bars n' Brownies, C is for COOKIE!, Candyland
36 Comments

In case you haven’t figured it out by now, bar cookies are my absolute, all-time favorite treat.

Think about it: they’re delicious, easy, and very packable. Someone who bakes as much as I do needs to be able to transport baked goods without an epic fail, and bars are conducive to that. Whether I’m headed to holiday potlucks and parties or just to the office, bars are my jam.

And these bars are the best. Two layers of oatmeal cookie dough sandwich a luscious caramel filling, all filled and topped with holiday M&M’s® bling. Who could ask for anything more?

Salted Caramel Dutch Apple Pie

As long as the holidays keep coming, I’m going to keep baking pie! How can I not? Crust is just such a happy thing.

One of my favorite pies of all time is Dutch apple, and this pie goes to a whole ‘nother level with salted caramel on top. This kid’s a showstopper.

It’s funny, but I can pass up regular apple pie any day of the week. When it’s covered in crumb topping, though, just give me a giant serving fork and watch me dig in. I really can’t hold back. And ever since salted caramel became a thing, I just can’t get enough.

Cherry 7UP® Pound Cake

December 4, 2015
Mir
Bars n' Brownies
26 Comments

Whoo boy. This cake will make your holiday season merry and bright! And then some.

In case I’ve never made it blatantly clear enough, pound cake is the happiest of all cakes. It’s fluffy, buttery, and makes a perfect canvas for any flavor.

Do you know what happens if you add 7UP® to pound cake? It gets even lighter and fluffier. And when you add Cherry 7UP® and almond extract, your mouth is in for quite the party.

Milky Way Fudge

December 1, 2015
Mir
Candyland
40 Comments

Now that the holiday season is officially here, it’s time to make homemade gifts and get them all ready to go. In other words, it’s time for fudge!

In a week or so, my kitchen will be overflowing with pans of fudge. I’ve been known to have 20 pans sitting on my counters, getting sliced up and mixed into assortments for family and friends. Somehow, everyone always looks forward to fudge with so much excitement that I have a hard time gifting anything else.

As long as we’re talking holidays, I might as well admit that I have some leftover Milky Way bars left over from Halloween. Or I should say, I had some. Now they’re all in this fudge!

Gingerbread Cookie Cheesecake Bars

November 29, 2015
Mir
Bars n' Brownies, C is for COOKIE!, Cupcakes and Cheesecakes
28 Comments

We’re here. Gingerbread season. Let’s do it up right!

I’ll be honest with you: I have very mixed feelings about the holidays. They seem to be an elaborate ruse to guide us toward winter with enthusiasm, where we’re left in January with bare trees, chilly mornings and frozen windshields. But on the other hand, those lights sure are pretty.

While I don’t celebrate Christmas, I can get down with gingerbread anything. That includes these gingerbread cookie cheesecake bars, which are both easy and festive. They’re also studded with cinnamon chips, one of my favorite baking inventions.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Brownies

November 26, 2015
Mir
Bars n' Brownies
10 Comments

One last pumpkin recipe, something to wake you up on this lovely day after Thanksgiving. Got room for a little more?

I’ll keep this post short and sweet, since we’re all still recovering from Thanksgiving overload. Every year, my brothers make huge leftover sandwiches at night and chase them down with martinis, and the next day, they make pumpkin waffles for breakfast. I just cannot. I have a limit.

So while everyone is still doing it up with turkey, I’m giving pumpkin her swan song of the season. These brownies are pretty special!

Chocolate Raspberry Marzipan Tart

November 24, 2015
Mir
Elegant Desserts, Pie Day
19 Comments

Last one, everyone. Last Thanksgiving dessert. We’ve had a good run!

Over the past several weeks, I’ve given you quite a few Thanksgiving pie options. But I couldn’t resist adding just one more!

As a baking blogger, the holidays provide inspiration and ideas. I love having the time of year do the recipe brainstorming for me, especially when a tart like this is the result. Guys, I kept my very favorite for last. Yes, I’ll play favorites today.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownie Bars

November 22, 2015
Mir
Bars n' Brownies, Cupcakes and Cheesecakes
38 Comments

Oh, lord. Here I go with the cheesecake again.

I mean, it’s pretty much impossible not to love cheesecake, so why not one more push for pumpkin? Or wait…I might have yet another post in the pipeline with that lovely form of orange squash. Can you take one more after this?

Either way, this one is quite a literal winner. I entered these bars in a D.C. top chef-style contest a few years ago, and they cleaned up. I won not only the dessert category, but also the overall grand prize. So believe me, you want to make these.

Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Brownie Mini-Torte (GF)

November 19, 2015
Mir
Bars n' Brownies, Elegant Desserts, Gluten-Free Goodness
18 Comments

It’s my 10th anniversary, friends. Today is quite a special day. Too bad I’m at work, teaching America’s future!

This post is not just about this dessert, which I made in honor of love that lasts. It’s about, well, the love that lasts.

For instance, I’ve loved brownies forever, and I always will. Same for chocolate. Same for Kenny. Are we sensing a pattern yet here?

Key Lime Pie with Almond White Chocolate Crust (GF)

I’ve done it. I’ve finally done it. It took long enough!

This crust, fellow dessert lovers, is the one. While traditional key lime pie has graham cracker crust, this one is made of ground almonds and white chocolate. Do you want to guess which crust is better?

If you guessed graham cracker, you are just plain wrong. This pie crust is just beyond all my wildest expectations and dreams. It’s such a perfect base for tart, creamy key lime filling. That’s what I get for thinking creatively!