Besides, if you’re going for ease, you should probably pick a finger food. Pie is easy to eat if you have plates and forks, but I cannot tell you how often someone brings a pie into the office and there are no implements with which to consume said pie. When given the choice, I turn my pie into bars. And when given further choice, I make lemon pie bars. With endless crumbs on top!

See, kids, mama loves lemon. More than chocolate (shh) in certain weather and situations. And I had a brother’s birthday to bake for this past week who reallyreally loves lemon, so I figured this was as good an excuse as any.

I’ve never had a sister, but I hit the jackpot with brothers. They taught me a whole lot: how to nerd out on Star Trek (original series, please), how to have a good backyard water fight, how to build with Legos, how to make an architecturally impressive Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, and how to pull off boy clothes with ironic flair. Honestly, they taught me a lot more than that. And so I bake for them.

Kind of a sexist construct, the little sister baking for the older brothers. But heck, I am all about being the one who does that. And in return, I get my legal questions answered, my children played with (yay for energetic uncles!) and access to the pool deck in a certain cool brother’s condo building.

These bars are easy, quick, and lemony. Like, VERY lemony. The base is actually a lemon cake mix, which gets combined with quick oats and butter for a fuss-free crumb. I added a healthy dose of lemon zest as well to give it extra zing.

The crumb mixture forms both the base for the bars and the topping, and the middle is simply lemon pie filling and white chocolate chips. My three year-old made this with me. It must be easy as pie.

So that expression exists for a reason, then. And so does pie. And so do big brothers. And that reason is to make life better. If you’re a kid reading this, your big brothers will stop torturing you someday and then you’ll love them like crazy, if you don’t already. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll introduce you to Star Trek.

As I write this, my school system is on a 2-hour delay and I’m sitting in a very quiet office with a cup of tea at my side and a blanket wrapped around me. Oh, the things I do when students aren’t here. It’s beautiful.

What’s not so beautiful is waking up at the crack of dawn, driving to work on time because you want to beat the awful snow traffic, and then realizing that they haven’t salted or sanded. Oh, the joy of sliding into work along with your other early bird commuters. It’s not okay. And it’s so cold and dark outside.

Happily, I always allow myself a decadent breakfast after drives like that, something sweet to go with my tea. And these chocolate raspberry crumb bars are just the ticket on a day like today.

If you haven’t tried my strawberry crumb bars, this recipe is very similar. Both are addictive. Both are riddled with crumbs, which is one of my dessert downfalls. And both have a delicious jam and chocolate-packed filling!

These bars could not be easier. You start with devil’s food cake mix, add quick oats and melted butter, and then use that as your base and topping. The middle is made up of raspberry jam and chocolate chunks.  We’re talking seriously addictive here, so be warned!

If you’re a crumb fiend, you will not be able to keep your hands off these bars. Believe me. I’m a crumb fiend, and I tried to resist. It was futile. There’s always another crumb to nibble on.

Stay warm and dry. It’s going to be a long winter, and I for one get more and more intent on moving to a warm climate. Someday…

Adam Sandler wasn’t kidding when he called Chanukah “eight crazy nights.” And last night, I had all of our relatives (and believe me, there are a ton of them) over for our annual family party. And it was so much fun. But I think I’m going to be recovering for at least a week.

For one thing, children were literally pouring out of every floorboard in my house. When did I get so lucky? I have my own brood, and then some super-delightful nieces and nephews, cousins…they’re everywhere. And all but one range in age between 7 and 2. At one point, I actually saw a latke plastered to the ceiling. Kids in college don’t get this wild.

There was an awful lot of sugar to keep everyone going, of course. While all the offerings were pretty popular (including my massive tray of Krispy Kreme donuts), these monster cookies really went. How could they not? Their peanut buttery goodness is accented with M & Ms and chocolate chips!

These cookies are super buttery. Usually, peanut butter overwhelms every other flavor in a baked good. Not so with these. Like most monster cookies, the dough here contains oats, which gives some great balance to the cookie. It makes for a flaky texture, too. I’m a real sucker for a thick, buttery, flaky cookie.

While the addition of oats means you don’t have to chill the dough, I always do. It’s up to you. Your cookies won’t spread. I’m just a creature of habit. Plus, I made this dough before heading to a different party (oh, my glamorous life), so the dough had to wait for me somewhere!

Whether or not you have eight crazy nights to celebrate, these cookies are always a welcome addition to your revels. Just be sure to snag one or two before your party starts, because they won’t last. It’s a scientific certainty!