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!

Well, sort of. I mean, I’m not ready. But this is the closest I’ll be. We can’t spend life on a beach. Or maybe we can’t. I keep wondering if I could change my life and live on a beach. I mean, they need teachers everywhere, don’t they?

While I’m contemplating a change in location, I might as well bake. In fact, it’s one of the things that keeps my life grounded. Whether I stay in colder climes or not, I will always love crumb more than anything. These bars are all about the oatmeal crumb, which sandwiches a layer of fudge. The whole thing gets topped off with M & Ms. Did I say these were happy? Or was that just too obvious?

There’s so much I can share about my vacation, but I’m going to start with the fact that whenever Kenny and I go away, our getaway quickly becomes a test of how much physical activity we can squeeze into whatever time we have. Example: in one morning we rented both kayaks and paddleboards, and this was after an hourlong workout and a long beach walk. And that was just the morning. We kept the exercise up all day long.

We both love being fit, so when I realized that there was a barre studio across the street from our hotel, I called them and set up a class. If you don’t remember, I’m a huge barre girl. I started doing the workouts over two years ago, and I’ve stuck with them. I have my own barre at home, and I alternate cardio and barre (or do both) every day of the week.

The best (in my opinion) technique so far is Physique 57, which is one of the original barre methods. However, I tried another popular name-brand studio this time, feeling kind of guilty for cheating on P57. Don’t worry: the guilt didn’t last.

Friends who have done live barre, please share: does your studio amp the music up so loudly that you can only kinda sorta hear the instructor? Because that’s what happened in Florida. Everyone seemed to be in a state of confusion. One woman was following the next who then followed the one after her, resulting in a bizarre body game of telephone where the last person in the row (ahem, me)  had to improvise a lot. And all the while, the instructor was walking around praising everyone (even me) for doing different things, not even noticing that some feet were pointed while others were flexed, or that I was making up a push-up series out of my own head.

So I apologized to the gods of Physique 57 in my head, and I’ll never cheat again. Well, probably. It’s hard to resist a barre studio on vacation, especially when you and your spouse are hell-bent on spending the day being active.

I’ll probably pick another day this week to talk about the sun and warmth, since I have to give a little time to these bars.

They’re heaven. That’s it. Oh, and no mixer. Just some microwave action!

It’s rough being back in the grind, but my baking will never desert me. Now all I have to do is think about whether life in D.C. can really trump a life at the beach!

If I had to decide what to bake somebody on Valentine’s Day, which I don’t (see below), I’d definitely go for cookie cake. It’s easy and fast, but it just oozes love and chewy delight.

This year for Valentine’s Day, Kenny is getting chocolate and a book. I’ve done enough baking leading up to this heart-shaped day, and we need no more. You feel me? #foodbloggerproblems

Over the course of my not crazy long life, I’ve heard phrases and expressions come and go. One of the more recent (and a growing irritant for me) is the term “conversational snow.” It refers to snow that falls but doesn’t stick anywhere. It’s what I would call “pointless snow,” or if I’m in a better mood, “pretty snow.” After all, it’s a lot more fun to drive home in a light snowfall that isn’t accumulating than in a driving rain.

Another expression that continues to gain momentum? “It is what it is.” I know several people who can’t stand this particular turn of phrase, but it doesn’t bother me that much. After all, how else would you describe something that just cannot be changed?

But I’ll tell you what I can’t stand: “I don’t know what to tell you.” What does that even mean? You say that to someone when they have a problem and there’s no solution, but not much is more frustrating to hear. It’s like an admission of failure.

And finally, nobody likes it when someone says, “That’s the way the cookie crumbles.” Not only is it a stupid expression, but everyone knows that good cookies do not crumble. That’s just a bad cookie.

What is magical is the perfect cookie cake. They sure as heck don’t crumble, and they’re fantastic. On the spectrum of sweets to give your sweetie, this one ranks high.

It’s a peanut butter cookie, of course. But even better, it’s filled with delightful peanut butter M & Ms and piped with hot pink frosting. Let the good times roll, everyone!

The only expression I want to hear this weekend is “I love you.” Over and over. Other than that, all the cliched phrases and conversational snow can just go away. Give me a snowstorm and a cookie cake and we’re in good territory!

It’s hard not to, when it’s so easy to make people happy by giving the gift of fudge for very little effort. I’d rather put the hard work into maintaining friendships and being a good person rather than standing over a stove top with a candy thermometer. Not that the two are necessarily mutually exclusive, of course.

As my wise brother pointed out to me last week, there is something about the combo of white chocolate and mint that is just meant to be. So in honor of him, here’s a white chocolate fudge filled with holiday mint-flavored M & Ms. In one bite, you get both crunchy and creamy sweetness. It’s the best!

It’s important to move with the times, and in case you haven’t noticed, food blogs are all about incorporating video now. That means that just as I’m starting to figure out this whole photography thing, I am now going to have to become a cinematographer as well. It’s cool. I hope you enjoy my first effort, which took me far too many hours to complete!

Yep, it’s a first try, so don’t be too harsh. I’ll get better at it, okay? Film editing software ain’t no joke.

But you know, it’s important to learn new things. It’s good for our minds, which need to be exercised and challenged, and it’s also protection against our kids making fun of us for being out of the loop.

Since I teach high school, I’m more up-to-date than most adults about fashion, slang, and popular trends. In my deluded mind, this awareness keeps me young. But even with that added edge, I still feel like getting older is something to resist, both physically (who doesn’t love the gym?) and mentally (let’s make a video!).

Seriously, all the kids today make videos. It’s like they absorbed the skill in utero. When I was struggling to edit a clip, my son looked over my shoulder and shook his head. “No, Mommy. You have to press ‘split’ and then ‘detach.'” And he’s all of seven and a half. As far as I know, nobody’s taught him how to do this. He just knows, somehow.

Luckily, some of my knowledge transcends age, and making fudge is part of that. The best part about fudge is that it’s really hard to mess up. Unless, that is, the whole pan tips off the fridge shelf while setting. Yep. We’d best not speak of that.

The only caution I’ll issue is that when you’re working with white chocolate, you can’t overheat it. It’s much fussier than regular chocolate and will seize up if you look at it funny. Its feelings are very tender. So in the recipe below, follow the instructions to the word. That’s right, creative soul out there who wants to tweak it! Do that next time. For now, just follow the leader.

I’m getting older, but I hope that means I’m getting wiser, too. I’m definitely learning as I go, and I hope that you feel the same. Life should be full of lessons, even the ones that are best left to the next generation to master. Let’s learn all we can while we have the chance!

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!

As I write this, my kids are bouncing off the walls. It happens on every holiday break. All the sudden lack of structure and routine makes them go hog wild. Anybody got any ideas for corralling a group of crazy kids?

Holiday breaks are never relaxing. The other day, I talked to someone who just wanted her Thanksgiving break to be relaxing. I was totally flummoxed by that. Since when are holidays meant to be chill? The whole idea is that we all need a vacation from break when it’s over!

It was a delicious Thanksgiving, though. The final dessert roll call: brown sugar pumpkin pie in a gingersnap crust, this chocolate raspberry marzipan tart, Dutch apple pie, pecan pie bars with this recipe as a base, and a gluten-free version of Kahlua cake. And that doesn’t count the main meal, which included my challah stuffing and red-skinned mashed potatoes. It was good, and now it’s gone.

Time to think forward to the holiday season, which is pretty short. In the next month, the idea of snow and scarves is still welcome. That won’t last forever, kids.

And these brownies didn’t last, either. They’re made on the stove top with melted chocolate and coffee. I added a little canned pumpkin to the batter along with some pumpkin spice latte-flavored M & Ms. It’s a coffee pumpkin taste explosion, my friends!

Okay, not gonna lie. I’m exhausted from the holiday endeavors, and I kind of need a vacation. Instead, I’ll just keep this post short. Enjoy the brownies and the family time!

Holiday cookie baking has begun! Start your engines, ladies and gents. It’s going to be a great season!

With everybody baking out the wazoo this time of year, it can be hard for our gluten-free eating friends to join in the fun. Honestly, so many of the gluten-free cookie options out there are both overpriced and dry as sawdust. It’s something about the flour replacement that doesn’t quite ring true.

But worry not! These cookies have passed the ultimate test, i.e., Kenny ate them. And liked them. If you don’t know how special that is, keep reading. But I’ll tell you one thing for sure: these cookies are packed with oats, peanut butter, and chocolate for the perfect snacktime pick-me-up.

So, here’s the thing about Kenny: he is not a happy gluten-free camper. His Crohn’s Disease means he’s not allergic to gluten, but he feels better if he stays away from it. What does that mean? The boy cheats. A lot.

I try to provide incentives for him to stay on the straight and narrow by developing some tried-and-true GF recipes. I’ve got brownies and cake down pat, not to mention oatmeal cookies. I used my oatmeal cookie dough as a base for these monster cookies, adding peanut butter for more kick. I promise you this: you will never miss the flour. There’s no weird dryness or textural question marks. These cookies are just good.

Too much of a good thing can also backfire. I love baking cookies, but as a baking blogger, my house is always a goldmine of dessert. That’s where the freezer comes in super handy, and anytime it’s possible, I use it. The best part about cookie dough is that you can roll it up into a parchment paper log, stick the log in a freezer bag, freeze the whole thing, and pull it out when you need it. Sometimes I slice off a couple of cookies, and sometimes the whole log. Either way, this recipe will get you two good-sized logs.

Back in the day, I used to wrap my cookie dough in aluminum foil. It never worked out well for me. The dough would stick to the log and I’d wind up with shreds of foil everywhere when I tried to unwrap it and bake. For many years now, I’ve been a parchment paper convert, and these Reynolds cookie baking sheets make the process even easier. Having pre-cut sheets means I don’t pull waaaaay too much paper off the roll and wind up wasting a ton. Plus, the sheets aren’t just for wrapping up dough in the freezer. They are tested to safely withstand oven temperatures up to 420°F and  they fit into cookie sheets beautifully to provide a perfect base for cookies to bake up evenly and slide off the sheets when done.

I can get these parchment sheets at Target, a.k.a. Mecca. If I told you how much time our family spends at Target, I would have to leave the country out of embarrassment. I buy everything there. Everything. Case in point: while I was picking up cookie-baking ingredients, I also bought yet another pair of fuzzy slippers. You should have seen the raised eyebrow Kenny gave me. Suffice it to say, I have a lot of fuzzy slippers in my life because you can never have too many. It’s really hard to get out of Target once you’re in without buying loot, especially if you have little assistants shopping with you.

While these cookies are for Kenny, don’t think for a minute that I didn’t help him eat plenty, along with the kids. The trick to GF baking is to make sure that the kids (who eat lots of gluten on their own) don’t feel deprived. I think we can consider that crisis averted. These cookies are definitely addictive, and I played a little bit with the traditional monster cookie construct. For instance, I took out the raisins. Can we all agree on that decision? And while these have peanut butter in them, it’s not overwhelming. The subtlety is definitely a bonus! You don’t have to include the M & Ms, but for me, it’s a must. You decide!

This holiday season, think about all the different ways you can cookie. Yep, that’s a verb. The holidays are creeping up on us, and the best we can do is think ahead and freeze as much as possible before everyone descends to eat all the dessert in sight. Whether you’re dealing with special dietary needs or just picky eaters, it’s so important to be able to plan ahead and get that dough made and frozen before the hoopla begins. Think about how you can get ahead of the game! And some ideas from the pros at Reynolds won’t hurt, either. Happy baking!

A few of you out there are still looking for ways to use up so-called “leftover” candy. I don’t really get that concept. It’s not chicken, people. It’s not gonna go bad that fast. Eat it and enjoy at your leisure.

But heck, if you really want to bake it into something, make a pookie! This lovely cookie dough is filled with all your Halloween candy favorites and baked into a pie shell. With Thanksgiving looming, we should be getting our pie thing going anyway. Let’s do a hybrid holiday treat!

To be honest, I’m relieved to be in November. October is just a terrifying month, and not just because of people banging on your door demanding candy. Grades are due in my school system on November first, and so are college recommendations. I’m just happy that these weights are lifting from my shoulders.

Now I can focus on lifting real weights, which I do faithfully. Still, there’s this area under my arm. I hesitate to use the word “flaps” because it’s not empowering. But with all the triceps work I do and all those painful push-ups with my hands shaped like a diamond, why don’t I have arms like Madonna? Probably the pie.

There have been times that I get frustrated at the parts of my body that don’t tone as easily as others. But lately, I’ve also been trying to focus on the good stuff. My abs are really responsive to training, and that means I need to stop complaining. Why are we so inclined to focus on the stuff that isn’t as great and not spend time enjoying what we love about ourselves?

That said, if I ever became rich, I would hire the following in a heartbeat: a personal trainer, a personal chef (just on retainer for those days I don’t wanna cook), and a hairdresser, not on retainer. Because I need hair help every single day. I wouldn’t even think about redoing the house or anything until these three people were part of my daily routine. And you know, it would be cool to have an assistant too, just to keep track of my appointments and all.

Anyone out there willing to make my dream come true? I will totally bake for you every day if you make me rich. I do that anyway. No matter how rich I got, I would bake. It just makes me so darn happy.

Like this pookie here. Who can turn away from this? Not me, I can tell ya. The trick is to make sure you don’t bake this guy for too long, or the whole thing goes from slightly gooey and joyously chewy to dry and hard. Watch that oven timer!

Listen, I don’t need recipes for leftover candy. In my house, it’s called eating it. But I understand if you do, and I hear where you’re coming from. So go ahead and eat your candy in a pookie! It’s almost as nice as being rich and having your own personal staff.

Nothing will please a crowd faster than chocolate cake, and when you add a rich chocolate glaze and cover the cake with all kinds of candy bars, you’re basically asking people to come to your house and never leave. If that sounds okay to you, proceed!

After all, nothing will fill a house full of visitors faster than baked goods. I find that when there’s a candy assortment in the mix, you just have to get used to having privacy invaded on a regular basis.

That’s not really a problem for me, but for Kenny, it’s awful. He’s an introvert, and our house is very loud for him already. Our three monsters make a ton of hullabaloo, and when their little monster friends come over, it’s even worse. I try to hide the chocolate during any and all play dates.

It’s kind of tough when an extrovert marries an introvert. I charge my batteries by being with other people, and I’ve had to really cut that back now that I see what it can do to Kenny. He would never complain, but I know that spending the day around people is not his thing at all.

Whenever we do get together with friends, I have a really great time. But I can usually tell from Kenny’s body language that he’s dying to get home and lie on the couch. I mean, that does sound nice, for maybe an hour or so. Then I really want to get out there again and hang out with people.

Our society really gives introverts a bad rap. We make it harder for them to get ahead in the workplace, we misinterpret their preference for quiet as hostile or unfriendly, and we refuse to acknowledge that it’s okay for some people to prefer to be alone to get their energy. It doesn’t mean that they don’t have friends, or want to do well at work, or anything else. It’s just a different way of seeing the world.

It gets to the point where introverts force themselves uncomfortably out of their natural preferences, and it shows. My mom is an introvert, but she values the qualities that extroverts exhibit, so she goes out of her way to be very social. I admire her for putting herself out there, but as a natural extrovert (not to mention her daughter), I can tell when she’d rather be at home getting some downtime.

Regardless of social preference, we can all agree that a candy bar chocolate bundt cake is a good way to unwind and recharge after a long and stressful day. I made sure to pile this high with as many candy bars as I could: we’ve got Almond Joy, Snickers, Milky Way, Twix, Reese’s, Kit Kats, Nestle Crunch and M & Ms. And have I mentioned the thick chocolate glaze? I think I did, but it bears repeating.

As long as I keep baking cakes like this, people will drop by on any old pretext to share a slice. I love it, and as for Kenny, well, he’s getting used to it. But I don’t want him to change, and we’ll keep meeting somewhere in the middle. Introvert or extrovert, we can all bond over a big slice of cake at the end of the day.

About two months ago, I spied patriotic M & Ms at Target. So I bought them, hid them from Kenny, and forgot about them. Until today. If you want a bar that’s as close as possible to white to set off the glory of these holiday-themed M & Ms, this white chocolate base is perfect. It has the consistency of a brownie but it’s made with white chocolate. Holy stars and stripes forever!

After spending part of last week in Lancaster doing summer things, I’ve also switched into my warm-weather wardrobe. All I need to do is find more petite maxi dresses. Do you know how hard it is to find those? Needles in haystacks, my friends.

Maxi dresses are gorgeous, comfy, and great alternative for those of us who aren’t crazy about putting aging thighs on display in shorts. The problem with them is (tall girls, feel free to read ahead) that they’re all made for people who are at least 5 foot 6, usually more. I know that because as a regular wearer of three-inch heels, the regular maxi dresses still drag on the ground a bit. I’m five foot two.

The same problem exists with pants, but to a lesser degree. Plus, I don’t find pants to be as appealing as loose, flowy maxi dresses. Especially not when it’s 90-plus degrees out. So here’s my plea to all clothing stores: please, in the name of all that’s summery and fresh and cool, make more maxi dresses for short women. You’ll be glad to not see our pasty legs. I promise.

While I don’t aim for pale white legs in the summer, I do like white when it’s in chocolate. Then it’s fine. Was that segue a bit rough for you? Well, I tried.

These bars are thick and fudgy in that white chocolate kinda way. They’re very simple to make: all you do is (carefully) melt white chocolate with butter in the microwave, mix in a few other ingredients, stir in the M & Ms, and bake. It’s that simple. As simple as throwing on a maxi dress.

Well, almost as simple. Over my time as a baking blogger, I’ve come to realize that simplicity is the first thing I look for in desserts. Baking desserts is a labor of love, and love shouldn’t be hard. Every now and then, it’s okay to spend a lot of time on something. But as a rule? Nope.

And fashion is the same. Basics can be best, as long as they have a bit of funk or flair. My maxi dresses work great as long as they don’t drag on the floor and have a bit of fun detail. And these M & Ms add just the right detail, and flair, to these simple bars.

Yes, I just used slang from somewhere in the 90s. Don’t hate. Perhaps these browned butter M & M blondies will get you back on my side?

In a few days, Passover begins, and if you aren’t really familiar, it’s like the biggest holiday you can think of on steroids. The food is different, you have to use different dishes, and the spring cleaning involved is insane. Example: me behind the fridge with a toothbrush and a lot of cleaning fluid.

For those of you who are looking for Passover dessert recipes, check out my Passover edition category on this blog. And if you’d like more, I’ll be posting three more dessert recipes for the holiday next week! They have no flour and they actually taste really good. So stay tuned!

But while I’m immersed in prepping for this insane holiday, I am not very fun to talk to. It’s one too many nights cleaning out all my cabinets (which yes, are very messy) and of convincing my hoarder son that no, he really doesn’t need to keep every cereal box prize he’s ever broken. Maybe just keep the ones that work? If that actually ever happens?

These blondies will keep me sane, that’s for sure. They’re made with browned butter, of course. And all the other ingredients get mixed in by hand. It’s pretty easy! And what could be better than adding M & Ms? That’s always a good decision.

In case you’re wondering what all this browned butter hoopla is since you’ve never made browned butter, you need to try it. It’s pretty easy, requires no special equipment, and tastes like angels are singing. That’s by itself. When you add browned butter as an ingredient to anything, the entire baked good turns into something that somehow has stayed legal in this country.

As I scramble to get ready for Passover and prep some wonderful treats for you next week, enjoy the rest of browned butter week here on JAB. And if you’ve never browned butter, try it. It’s a lot easier than cooking for an eight-day holiday that has weird food rules!