Mir | Just About Baked

Chocolate Raspberry Linzer Hamantaschen

March 22, 2016
Mir
C is for COOKIE!
21 Comments

Purim is on Thursday. Who knows what I’m talking about?

Every spring, the Jewish holiday of Purim occurs. It’s one of the fun ones, following the whole “they tried to kill us, they failed, let’s eat” mode of celebration. On that day, people dress in costume, deliver baskets of treats to friends, give charity, and eat hamantaschen.

This delightful cookie is named after the villain of the Purim story, Haman. These are triangular-shaped cookies that are traditionally filled with fruit or chocolate, but I’ve switched things up a bit. The dough here has a Linzer cookie twist with ground almonds, and the filling is chocolate raspberry. Talk about celebrating in style!

Samoa Cheesecake

March 20, 2016
Mir
Cupcakes and Cheesecakes, Let Them Eat Cake
34 Comments

This is my last Girl Scout cookie recipe. I wanted to go out with a bang!

Every time I bake a cheesecake on the blog, people seem to really enjoy it. If you think about it, that makes sense. Very few people in life don’t want cheesecake.

Especially when it’s filled with Samoas. There is Girl Scout cookie goodness through and through, from the cheesecake to the topping! I’ve gone rogue on this thing.

Chocolate Almond Raspberry Bars

March 17, 2016
Mir
Bars n' Brownies
16 Comments

Thank heaven for almonds.

Seriously, they’re food of the gods. They have protein, taste great, and are easily portable. Plus, they’re pretty durable. I have to work really hard to squash an almond.

Chocolate-covered almonds are even better, especially when the chocolate is really delicious. DOVE® Roasted Almonds covered in dark chocolate are totally my bag. And they’re even more fun when they get incorporated into these chocolate almond raspberry bars!

Pistachio Cookie Cups

March 15, 2016
Mir
C is for COOKIE!
30 Comments

St. Patrick’s Day is Thursday, and I can guarantee you that I will forget to wear green. If anyone pinches me, you’ll get a reflexive elbow jab to the eye.

Okay, that was kind of harsh. But really, I don’t forget to wear green on purpose. I barely own anything green. I’m more of a black and gray kind of person with my clothing choices. That way, everything matches!

But with food? That’s a different story altogether. I love me some green food, and when there’s a holiday to be celebrated, that’s even better. These pistachio cookie cups are the perfect festive treat!

Thin Mint Frozen Grasshopper Pie

Happy Pi Day!!

That’s right, kids. Monday, March 14th is the happiest of all national holidays, the day Americans celebrate what is truly important in life: PIE!

My school is having a pie extravaganza today, and this baby here is my contribution to the effort. Somebody stop me before I eat it all up. On the other hand…nah, don’t. Let me do some damage here. We’ve got an Oreo crust, mint chocolate chip ice cream, and crushed Thin Mints. It’s the easiest pie ever, and might be the most delicious.

Lime Loaf Cake

March 10, 2016
Mir
Bread Basket, Dessert for Breakfast, Let Them Eat Cake
12 Comments

I’m not hating on lemon or anything, because it’s the best. Well, almost. I like lime even more.

See, everyone’s about that lemon loaf cake you get at Starbucks, and I guess that it’s good. I’ve never actually eaten more than a bite of it, and it’s tasty, but I wish they’d make a lime version. I wouldn’t be able to stop at just a bite.

This cake is sweet and tangy at the same time, filled through and through with fresh lime juice and zest. It’s even in the glaze. Somebody (cough, cough) couldn’t stop licking the glaze bowl.

Peanut Butter S’more Magic Bars

The world only needed one thing more, and now we’re good.

Okay, maybe that’s a tad hyperbolic. But honestly, s’mores need peanut butter like Kanye needs Twitter. Magic bars are already over the top gooey and chewy, so why not have a little mouth party up in here? The week is going to be so much more pleasant with some sugar.

These are a riff on the standard magic bar, which comes together quickly and (of course) magically with fairly few ingredients and a can of sweetened condensed milk. SCM (as we bakers like to call it) is stuff of the gods and should not be put in a corner. Nobody puts Baby in a corner.

Tagalong Peanut Butter Blondies

Everyone already ate the Tagalongs. They’re gone. Cue my sad face.

Luckily, I baked a bunch into these peanut butter blondies before they were totally gone, so we got to enjoy them in a different form. Oh, the love.

Known as Peanut Butter Patties in other parts of America, Tagalongs are my number one favorite Girl Scout cookie. Who can argue with peanut butter and a cookie drenched in chocolate? Stick all that into a dessert bar and we’re just talking pure joy.

Easy Sugar Cookies

My grandmother made really good sugar cookies.

Yeah, yeah, everyone’s grandmother probably did. But the thing is, sugar cookies have never been my favorite. I could take them or leave them. But hers? No way. I ate them all up every time she baked them.

Sugar cookies are my son’s favorite, but I used to avoid making them because I didn’t like the work involved with either rolling out dough or making a log and slicing off cookies. But this recipe is simplicity itself. My son can get his cookies, and I can spend more time playing Connect Four with him instead of rolling out cookies.

Double Chocolate Irish Soda Bread

I’m not sure if anyone Irish will take issue with me for this bread, but I like to tinker. Consider authenticity thrown out the window with this one.

I’ve taken out the raisins and seeds and put in chocolate chips and cocoa. As a result, I’m a very happy girl right now.

The bread itself isn’t sweet (except for the chocolate chips here and there), but there’s a lovely chocolate flavor throughout that makes this quite a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day snack!