In case you’ve never had a brookie before, it’s just the kind of dessert that inspired me to begin food blogging. A cookie/brownie hybrid deserves a food blog, right?

But you see, these are even better. The bottom layer is a chocolate chip-filled fudgy brownie, and the top is pumpkin chocolate chip cookie dough. I’m so glad brookies are a thing, but even gladder that pumpkin brookies can come out of it!

Almost three years ago, I decided to start Just About Baked. It was a love story to the desserts I push to decadent limits, and a way to write and express my creativity in a way that I hadn’t been able to before. I started this not knowing anything about what I was doing, and boy, did it show.

Those early pics? Don’t look. And as for the rest of it, I learned a lot about so many things. The learning curve was steep, and I was excited to get a chance to absorb whatever I could.

But here’s the rub. All this time, I’ve been doing my first passion during the day, which is teaching. I’ve been teaching full-time in public high school for 17 years. It’s a full-time job and then some. I work a minimum of ten hours each day and then come home to make dinner, do homework with kids, have playtime, put them to bed and then work some more. In case nobody’s ever told you this, grading papers and planning lessons takes forever, for English teachers especially. Case in point? Before I wrote this post today, I spent five solid hours grading about 35 essays. And I’ve got many more to go! Not complaining, but it is what it is.

Somewhere in the middle of having three kids and being a teacher, I needed some additional stimulation. Anyone who knows me realizes that my days are packed, and I like them that way. So I created this site, nurtured it, and managed to keep it fairly functional for a while. Until recently.

Over the summer, I got a lot busier at work thanks to a promotion, and working all day and part of the night all week long is tough enough without having to bake, photograph and organize JAB on weekends. See, I like to hang out with my kids, and that’s more important than social networking. I’m also not that good at social networking, to be honest. It’s always felt uncomfortable to me, like I’m existing in a world that’s not quite real. I also like occasional downtime, and working 24/7 takes that away. Oh, and did I mention that my house is falling apart because there’s no time to fix things or clean up after my three kids?

I like to give what I do time and attention, and it’s not happening on this blog the way it should or could be. I wish I could be Superwoman and just do everything, but nope. I’m not going to hold myself to impossible standards, and I’m not going to let the time I have with my family suffer either. My first professional passion was teaching, and there it stays. Prioritizing has to happen sooner or later.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t still consider myself a baker. It also doesn’t mean that I’ll never pick this up in an official capacity again. However, I need a break. I need time to think about things. It goes against the grain of who I am to do anything that resembles giving up, but I have to show myself some compassion. Better to take some time and figure out whether JAB is a chapter that will continue, or if it’s about to become a piece of my past.

I have one more post later this week that will thank all the lovely people who have helped me over this journey, and that I hope will express how much I’ll miss them. I’m emotional enough that I can’t even write about these pumpkin brookies for now, so just enjoy the pics, okay? I’ll see you in a few days, but for now, already feeling the separation anxiety. It’s been a heckuva ride, and I’ll miss it terribly.

I’ll get into why in a minute, but I was pretty much hooked from the start. What could be more amazing than dreaming of a dessert and then creating it? Sure, back then I needed recipes (I was very reliant on them),  but it was still a lot of fun to cook in my crappy dorm kitchen.

These brownies are the first ones I ever baked from scratch, and the first baked good I ever added my own spin to. I used to call them “candy bar brownies” because they are very much like that. Rich, fudgy brownies are filled with peanut butter and milk chocolate chips, with a thick layer of the same on top. They’re crazy addictive!

When I was in college, I had a boyfriend who was sort of local to the area. He’d invite me to his mom’s house on weekends, and I always wanted to bring a hostess gift of some kind. The problem? I didn’t have much money, and whatever money I did have I would spend on veggie burgers to make it through the week.

That’s when I started learning how to bake. I went to the college bookstore and bought a Pillsbury baking book (still one of my favorites) in the reduced-price bin. If I couldn’t bring expensive chocolates or bottles of wine (um, wasn’t 21 yet) as a present, I could at least bring baked goods.

At first, it was something of a struggle. I had no mixer, didn’t know what any of the directions meant (creaming? straining? whaaat?), and didn’t own more than one or two pans. Luckily, these brownies fit into the one kind of pan I did have: the ever-useful 9 x 13.

One day, I was in the baking aisle at the only grocery store I could walk to, and I found a box of Baker’s unsweetened chocolate. On the back was a recipe for one-bowl brownies, and there was no mixer needed. I could just melt the butter and chocolate in a microwave, mix stuff together, and be done with it. Instantly, that became my go-to brownie recipe of the 90s.

When Reese’s peanut butter chips burst onto the baking scene, I found them at the grocery store, too. They got a lot of use in my kitchen then, and they still do. I think they always will!

These brownies are full of both milk chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. When the brownies come out of the oven, I sprinkle the same mixture over the top, let it melt, and spread the chocolate over the surface. When it hardens, it’s like a brownie and candy bar in one!

I might not be in college anymore (not by a long shot), but I can still enjoy these brownies to the utmost. I hope you do, too!

When I was growing up, I got used to the sight of him sitting down at the kitchen with a bowl of shelled nuts and a nutcracker. He’d crack away, and I’d sit next to him and crack an almond here or there, since they were my favorite. Every now and then, he’d crack a walnut and I’d be in awe, since those are really tough to manage.

Well, my dad still snacks on nuts, and he also likes them in his baked goods. When given the choice between chocolate chips or nuts, he’ll go nuts all the way. But I say, why choose? So these brownies are full of both chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. Hello, old school brownies!

I am so incredibly beyond excited that Friday looms. This week, I had to drive about 25 miles each way to a class and then sit all day and learn. I love learning, but I don’t love driving. I also don’t love sitting for long periods of time. Being in motion is key.

Movement is a friend. When we don’t move, we get all sore and achy. I’m sure you’ve had that same experience. Still, a day loafing on the couch is warranted now and then. Do you have any of those in your future?

Some of life’s finest moments revolve around a couch, a blanket, and a classic dessert. Sometimes I opt for truffles, if Kenny’s been a sweetie and kept my supply nice and stocked. But when there are no truffles, a brownie will do just as well!

Confession: as much as I love the velvety texture of a brownie without any mix-ins, there are times when I really crave that extra crunch. A brownie with walnuts and chocolate chips has enough crunch to make anybody happy.

These are fudgy enough for any picky brownie eater too, in case you couldn’t tell. I’ve never made a cakey brownie in my life, and I don’t intend to start now!

Hope your weekend is filled with good snacks and lots of downtime. If you want that extra dose of relaxation, try a nutcracker. It can be very satisfying. Just ask my dad!

Last week, I stopped by CVS for a quick trip to get some cleaning supplies. I’ve just moved into my new office space, and it was pretty dang dirty, so I needed to rush out right away and get cleaning spray, wipes, paper towels, the works. I was only going to pop in for a second.

But you know, CVS has the best stuff. Makeup and hair stuff and gel pens, oh my. And have I mentioned the bags of candy? Yep, I walked out of there with snack-sized Reese’s, Mega M & Ms and yes, fun-sized Snickers. Rather than eat the entire contents of each bag immediately while I cleaned dried-up Jolly Ranchers off a desk in the office, I chose to save them and bake this candy bar brownie cake instead.

This past week, I went to cake decorating class. I originally signed up for this class before my job promotion when summer was supposed to be uneventful and relaxing, and now I just don’t know if I can do it. I was sitting in class at night trying to form a fondant and gum paste flower, and the table was making waves in front of me. I was about two seconds from face-planting onto my sugar daisy.

Fondant is a tricky beast, for those of you who work with it. It’s like play-doh, except it theoretically tastes a little better. I know it looks really nice, and I like making decorations with it. That said, I’ve never been the biggest fondant fan. For one thing, it doesn’t taste as good as frosting. For another, it really gets handled a lot. I know (or hope) that bakers are working with really clean hands, but the image of someone handling something that much before I put it in my mouth is a turnoff.

Also, the stuff cracks really easily, and once that happens, there’s no fix. I know we’re into this whole smooth cake trend, and it’s totally pretty. But I get frustrated sometimes at all the fondant cakes that look alike. Or maybe that’s just me looking for an excuse to drop cake decorating class so I can get more sleep.

For the first time this week, I’ll be making a tiered cake. I’ll let you know how that goes. Send me tips, okay? I’ve chosen to frost it as a mostly-naked cake to keep the work down to a minimum, but boy, I’m scared.

When I’m trying new things in the cake decorating world, it’s nice to make a dessert that it low-maintenance and no-fuss. This brownie cake is exactly that. The base is a fudgy brownie, covered with easy chocolate ganache and topped with my CVS collection of chocolate bars. Could life get any sweeter?

And now I’m off to try and dowel some cake. Wish me luck! I’ll be stopping by here for therapy if things don’t go well. Have a great start to your week, everyone!

On my list of favorite low-maintenance holidays, July 4th is up there. I eat my annual nitrate-free hot dog (once a year is just enough, really), drink a cocktail, and whip up some brownies. It’s the perfect meal!

I’ll never argue with a brownie in any form, but they’re at their best when giant chocolate chunks are nestled within. Oh, and when there’s a nice thick layer of glaze on top with sprinkles. Patriotic sprinkle bling, no less!

When I was a kid living in Indianapolis, we used to go to a living history museum called Conner Prairie on the 4th. It was a fun place, full of people pretending to be from days gone by in their houses without air conditioning. Even as a kid, I was pretty sure they had it rough in terms of work conditions. But to their credit, the actors seemed to enjoy themselves, never breaking character.

On Independence Day, the Indianapolis Symphony would play on a large field until sunset, at which point fireworks would go off. We’d be on our picnic blanket, eating Pringles and enjoying the show and feeling oh so very summer. Those warm, crowded nights full of music and laughter are such a happy memory now.

In DC, we don’t go to the National Mall for what is known as the Capitol Fourth. It’s a crazy mob scene and it’s just not worth the hassle. We’re talking hundreds of thousands of people jammed into small spaces to see the big show, and I don’t like crowds of that nature. Getting downtown is rough whether you take a Metro train or drive, so the upshot is that I watch it all on TV instead.

This year, Kenny wants to find a fireworks display in the suburbs, and part of me thinks that could be fun. The other part just wants to eat a hot dog, put the kids to bed, and watch the show on PBS under a blanket on the couch. I wonder who’s gonna win?

Either way, I have patriotic brownies to keep me company. If you’ve never had a brownie with vanilla glaze, you are missing out. The trick to making thick glaze is to use heavy cream rather than milk or, heaven forbid, water. That makes your glaze, well, watery.

I also love to put chocolate chunks in everything, but brownies in particular. The slight crunch is a wonderful contrast to the brownie, and adds another layer of fudgy goodness.

This July 4th, celebrate in the way that makes you happy and warm and fuzzy. It’s a great holiday, a time to appreciate our freedom and traditions. Why not express that with dessert?

The end of the school year is always a little sad. We say goodbye to students we really liked, clean out our classrooms (only to set them up again two months later), take some time to reflect on what we want to do differently next year, and head out in to the sunlight.

I get much more reflective if cheesecake is somehow involved, and these brownies are the ticket. Filled with chocolate chunks, these gloriously thick cheesecake brownie bars are the stuff dreams are made of.

Every summer, I take on lots of projects for my growth. The list is pretty long this summer, so I’m just trying to figure out how to get through it. I’ve got two months of cake decorating class, a week of meetings at work, a book on starting a business to get through and annotate, a novel one of my students wrote that I promised to edit, two short vacations, and…yeah. That’s just the beginning.

The summertime is when I try to organize the house. My son’s room needs to be decorated, my daughter’s room needs to be shoveled out and organized, and I need to find a contractor. We’re redoing our dining room, and I want to get going on making the prettier house happen.

Did I mention the childcare? I’m also doing childcare this summer. Wish me luck.

The natural tendency of the human being is to get bored easily. We think we want time off, but more than a day or two with nothing to do will really start to get old. I think retirement is tricky for that reason. Sure, you worked for 30-plus years in a job, but what then? The brain needs to be engaged somehow.

That’s why I’m a huge believer in keeping a lot of irons in the fire, even though people tell me that I overload my schedule in a way that’s nothing short of crazy. We’re only around once, and I want to get a lot done. Oh, and somewhere in there, I’d like to go kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding again, and I’d like to try some beach body workouts. Those are fun summer activities. So much to do, so little time!

While I contemplate logistics, these chocolate chunk cheesecake brownies can keep me company. They’re perfect for pensive moments. The textures alone are amazing. I keep them chilled, so the fudgy brownie, creamy cheesecake and crunchy chocolate chunks are beautifully contrasted.

Like any bar, these are not complicated to make. Each layer requires one bowl, and that’s it. So consider these a time-saving indulgence!

I’m raring to get going this summer on all my projects, and rest assured that JAB is one of them. The desserts will keep flowing your way, starting with these!

On the surface, these are the simplest brownies ever. They’re also the best, and completely impossible to resist. Oreo lovers, I dare you to walk away. Can you? Didn’t think so.

I’ve been in the dessert business now for two-plus years, and I can tell you that Oreos have a strong and very devoted following. I’m definitely a disciple. I’d rather have an Oreo any old day than a Girl Scout cookie (I know, I know). When I insert them whole into brownies? Yeah. See you all next week while I collapse on the floor in a chocolate cloud.

Oh, wait. Maybe I do have something to write about today other than Oreo obsession. Like Mother’s Day, which I hear is upon us.

I should know that, being a mother and all. But for me, the traditional Mother’s Day routine of breakfast in bed and flowers could be easily and more effectively replaced by a few mid-morning hours of Netflix bingeing in bed and a steady stream of cocktails and dessert bars throughout the afternoon.

Lately, I’ve been very into the word “adult” as a verb. As in, “I don’t feel like adulting today.” And boy, is that ever true so much of the time. Being a grown-up is hard, especially since we’re all just kids in older bodies. Or maybe you don’t feel that way, but I sure do.

See, I still get excited by things that a much younger person would be into. Not only do I embrace each new fashion trend with open arms (well, not the comeback of high-waisted pants, but you get my drift), but I also delight in all things pink, feel the constant urge to be in motion, and carry old-school metal lunchboxes to work with cartoon characters on them.

It doesn’t help that I’m relatively short and petite, so when I’m at work, I occasionally get yelled at for being in the halls during class. I wish our security people would look at my face a little more closely, because that part of me no longer passes for sixteen.

So why adult when I’m not in the mood? Specifically, why adult on Mother’s Day? As I said, forget the usual tokens of appreciation. Just give me a day where I do not have to adult, and we’ll all be fine.

And let me at these brownies. They make life sparkle. Have you noticed the Oreo in the center of each one? Have you? Have you?

As with most wonderful desserts that you feel like eating in PJs while wearing your fuzziest of fuzzy slipper booties, these don’t take much time to make. You can have your relaxation station time and still have brownies. That seems pretty good to me.

Happy Mother’s Day to all my friends, both real and imaginary. Here’s hoping you get a day without adulting. It’s my dearest wish to you!

In theater (yes, I used to be a theater nerd), that term refers to someone who can sing, dance and act. They don’t just barely pull it off, either. They can do all three with amazing ease and style. We tend to hate people like that. I kid, I kid.

Consider this bar the triple threat of the cookie bar world. All other bars look at this bar and they’re jealous. You know why? Because we have three things going on here: brownie, cookie, and more cookie. Sandwiched between the layers of brownie and chocolate chip cookie is…Chips Ahoy!

Normally I give bars away freely to hungry scavengers, but not this time. I know how to guard what’s valuable. That’s why I never let my beloved iPhone out of my sight, either.

Several months back, Kenny bought me the iPhone 6+. I call it the “phablet” because it is particularly huge. I have tiny hands (a ring size of 3 and a 1/2, y’all), so holding that phone can really present some challenges. But I love it. Have I mentioned that he bought me the one in rose gold? Swoon.

Of course, my children immediately picked up on the glory that is my phablet. I know they want one too, and I’ve told them they can have one when they’re 18. Does that make me one of those strict moms? Heck yeah!

Maybe I’m exaggerating the age at which my children will be allowed to get phones, but I see the opposite extreme going on all over the place. This one girl in my daughter’s kindergarten class has her own iPad, and another has my exact same phone. Disposable income issues and child engagement aside, can a child that age care for a device? I see how my kids treat their toys.

But yeah, having kids makes me more inclined to try and remember not  to look at my phone all the time. Their generation is the first that was born into this technology. My teenage students are actually worried about the younger generation, and they’re pretty tuned out themselves. What happens when we all just stop looking at one another and hang out with our phablets instead? Oh, wait. We’re there.

Maybe if I distract my kids from looking at screens by having them look at dessert instead, they’ll learn how to socialize? Or maybe that’s not a good idea. But the dessert is awfully pretty!

These bars are easy to make and extremely rewarding to eat. The bottom layer is a brownie. The middle layer is Chips Ahoy cookies, and the top is refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough. Done and done and done! Triple threat, here you come!

At the rate technology is going, I’ll probably be prying my kids’ faces off of their phablets before they’ve reached adulthood, but for now, I’m gonna try and fight it, dessert in hand!

Years ago, she started championing canola as a healthier alternative for people who need to keep their cholesterol low and their hearts in tip-top shape. She tries to bake with it instead of butter, and to be honest, I’m not usually with her. After all, I make a lot of dessert. Dessert usually requires butter.

But my parents did me a huge favor this past week, so I baked them heart-healthy brownies as a way of saying thank you. And want to hear the best part? You won’t even miss the butter. These are easy, quick, and taste totally decadent.

It’s been a decadent week. For the first time in my entire life, I got to go on a real spring break. You know, the kind that has sand and sun. Every year, I hear about people’s break plans and get really jealous, but now that I’ve had this week, I won’t be so bitter about it anymore. Vacations might not happen often, but that makes them all the more precious when things work out.

To make things even better, I had a really nice post written out, but guess what? The Hilton I’m staying at has sketchy WiFi, and I lost most of my post text.

Instead of stressing about it, I’ll talk a lot about my vacation next week. For now, I’ll just post these brownie pics.

I made these because my parents did us the huge, astronomically amazing favor of watching our children this week while we went on vacation. Anyone who does that deserves a lot more than brownies.

As it happens, my mother loves recipes that are low in saturated fat, salt, and have a short ingredient list. These fit the bill perfectly. They’re an altered version of a more decadent brownie base I make a lot.

All you have to do with these is make sure not to overcook them. Also, resist the urge to mix the chocolate chips into the batter. They’ll sink if you do. Sprinkling them on top is the way to go!

I’ll be sharing more next week when I have a reliable Internet connection. In the meantime, happy almost weekend!

Sure, finding Kenny wasn’t too bad. I was only 25 when we started dating, so I can’t pretend that I had a huge struggle to meet the man of my dreams. But when it comes to recipes, life can be a bit more complicated.

After several years of baking, I’ve honed my go-to recipes. I have my favorite chocolate cake recipe (thanks, back of the Hershey cocoa container!), my favorite chocolate chip recipe, my favorite blondie base, my favorite cheesecake base, and my favorite peanut butter cookie. But let’s not forget the most important one of them all: the perfect brownie base.

If you’re a regular reader, this recipe will look familiar because I use it ALL. THE. TIME. I can’t help it. These are the best brownies, and they are just as easy as using a mix. Why wouldn’t you try them? Especially when I’ve included yet another fun video tutorial right here!

This video thing is getting addictive, by the way. I’m going to have to keep making them. But at some point I’ll also need to get some really good lighting, an agent, and a personal assistant. A girl can dream!

Back to The One. Last week in class, we were discussing the concept of soul mates. With Valentine’s Day just behind us, my creative writing class has been writing love stories. When I asked how many people believed in the construct of that one person, very few kids raised their hands. Then again, kids can be very cynical, especially teenagers. It’s one of the reasons that I find them so entertaining.

I was once talking to a colleague who expressed that while he believes in the idea of The One, he also thinks that we encounter several versions of that person as we progress through our lives. He used that theory as a good reason to not get married. After all, why settle for one soul mate when you can have six or seven?

To be honest, I’ve never been sure about anything so absolute as the idea of just one soul mate. Is Kenny my soul mate? No doubt. Would he have been my soul mate if I’d grown up in Russia instead, or would I have met a different soul mate nearer to home? These thoughts don’t keep me up at night or anything, but the fact that so many people meet their intended spouses in college is a pretty good argument for true love being partly a matter of convenience.

In other words, I know very few people who have combed the globe to find their intended ones. We’re not lazy, but we’re probably too busy to go searching. Anyone got a dramatic love story for me? Just because Valentine’s is over does not mean that we have to stop talking love. Let me know!

And speaking of love stories, these brownies are it. I made these once and never went back. It takes a lot of arm-twisting for me to make another brownie recipe. Why?

The best reason ever: these are EASY. They come together in less than five minutes (the video doesn’t lie!) and they’re very happy being customized however you like. This time it was peanut butter M &Ms. Next time it might be peanut butter cups. Or something without peanut butter entirely. I’ve got range!

Who knows if finding the perfect brownie recipe is easier or harder than finding the perfect partner? I seriously am not sure. All I know is that it took me longer to find this recipe than it took me to marry Kenny, so draw your own conclusions. But for now, make you some brownies. It’s true love!