Specialty’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix

Desserts, Food, Hot, Product, Recipe, Sweet, Vegetarian, Weekday Approved

Specialty's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk Cookies with a glass of milk

For Valentine’s Day this year, I wanted to make a sweet and simple surprise–gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies with a glass of cold milk. Fortunately, when I looked into my pantry, I found my Specialty’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix. Thank you, Holiday Gift Exchange with friends!

Specialty’s cookies are dare-I-say life-changing experiences. They look like humble scones, but these giant monster cookies are dense, delicious, and oh-so-satisfying. I love the hearty deliciousness of a Specialty’s cookie, and I was excited to bring the magic home. Mmh mmh mmh!

6/28

Spicy Mexican Hot-Chocolate Ganache Tart

Desserts, Food, Pie, Recipe, Sweet, Vegetarian

Finished Mexican Chocolate Tart from front angle

I adore the sweet + spicy combination of Mexican Hot Chocolate. Sometimes when a single glass of Mexican Hot Chocolate just doesn’t cut it, all I want is the rich creaminess of a Chocolate Ganache. With this Spicy Mexican Hot-Chocolate Ganache Tart, I brought together decadent sweet and spicy chocolate in a shortbread cookie crust.

Richer than my typical fare, this Spicy Mexican Hot-Chocolate Ganache Tart was absolutely worth it. I loved eating this tart and only begrudgingly shared it with family and friends.

3/14

Apple Pi(e) Day

Desserts, Food, Pie, Recipe, Sweet, Vegetarian

Finished Apple Pie for Pi Day

I love Pie and I love Math. So naturally, every year when Pi Day rolls around on 3.14, I’m all in. This year was one step further with Ultimate Pi Day 3.14.15!

Coincidentally, my friend Nadine visited from Germany, and she not only loves baking (check out her blog here), but she also wanted to surprise her friend who works at Apple. Of course, this meant one thing, and one thing only. We had to bake an Ultimate Apple Inc. (Pi)e!

3/12

Sesame and Pecan Schnecken Swirls with Orange Glaze

Breakfast, Desserts, Food, Recipe, Small Bites, Sweet, Vegetarian

Finished Sesame and Pecan Schnecken Rolls with Orange Glaze

I had the best commute when I lived in Munich, Germany the summer of 2008. Every morning on the way to work via metro, I would pass by a number of bakeries and have my choice of delicious German pastries. At first, Almond Croissants were my go-to, with their delightfully flaky crust and irresistible, warm almond paste filling. Though Almond Croissants remained in the regular rotation, I soon found a new favorite: Mohn Schnecken.

Mohn Schnecken directly translates to poppy seed snails, or the German equivalent of the classic American Cinnamon Roll, but with poppy seeds instead of cinnamon. These amazing, black and white swirl pastry rounds are filled with a subtly-sweet poppy seed paste and topped off with a thick layer of glaze. Whether you bite into them or unravel them as you go along, they are an absolute delight!