Pecan Pie Bites

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

6 Tbsp. butter softened

1 egg yolk

½ tsp. vanilla

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

FILLING

1 cup finely chopped pecans

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray 36 mini muffin pan cups with no-stick cooking spray; set aside.

Combine ½ cup brown sugar, butter, egg yolk and ½ tsp. vanilla in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat at low speed until well mixed.

Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls; place each into prepared mini muffin pan cup, pressing dough onto bottom and up one-third sides of each cup, creating a shallow cup.

Combine all filling ingredients in bowl; spoon 1 tsp. filling into each cookie.

Bake 13-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 10 minutes in pan on cooling rack.

Remove cookies from pans by running small knife around edge of cookie. Place onto cooling rack; cool completely.

This recipe can be found here.

Caramel-Toffee 7-Layer Cookies

½ cup butter, melted

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup caramel bits

1 cup bittersweet (dark) chocolate chips

1 cup toffee bits

1 can (14 Oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1 cup sliced almonds

1 pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a 11 x 7 baking pan. 

Stir together melted butter and graham cracker crumbs. Press into prepared pan. 

Add the other ingredients in order: caramel bits, chocolate chips, and toffee bits. Pour sweetened condensed milk over the top. Add the almonds. Sprinkle on a pinch or two of salt. 

Bake for 25–30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.  

This recipe can be found here.

Holiday Gingerbread Mini Loaves

2 2/3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3 tsp. ginger

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. allspice

¼ tsp. salt

1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 c. molasses

1 c. hot water

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease loaf pans with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. In a small bowl, whisk molasses and hot water until combined. Stir into egg mixture. Gradually stir flour mixture into egg mixture, forming the dough.  Stir in nuts

Pour batter into loaf pans, filling it 2/3 of the way up. Bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Cool 20 minutes before removing from pan; cool an additional 30 minutes.


This recipe can be found here.

Sea Salt Caramel Chip Chocolate Cookies

½ cup butter or margarine (1 stick), softened

¾ cup light brown sugar packed

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup cocoa

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1-2/3 cups HERSHEY'S Sea Salt Caramel Flavored Baking Chips (10-oz, pkg.)

Heat oven to 350°. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.

Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs; beat well.

Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually blend into butter mixture, blending well. Stir in caramel chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet.

Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cookie is set. Do not over bake. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.


This recipe can be found here.

Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, lightly beaten

16 oz. canned unsweetened pumpkin

3½ cups flour

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. cloves

2/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 350°.

Butter and flour 2 9 X 5 loaf pans or 16 mini loaf pans.

Stir together sugar and oil. Stir in eggs and pumpkin.

Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl. Blend dry ingredients and water into wet mixture, alternating.

Divide batter between pans.

Bake for 60-70 minutes for 9X5 pans or 30 to 40 minutes for mini loaf pans or until cake tester comes out clean.

Let stand 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool.

*optional - 1 cup toasted walnuts, broken into bits

This recipe can be found here.

Mexican Cinnamon Cookies

2¾ cups flour

2 large eggs

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

1½ cups sugar

½ cup shortening (or unsalted butter)

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 Tbsp. sugar

3 tsp. Mexican cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Beat butter, shortening, and 1½ cups sugar at medium speed until creamy. Beat in vanilla.  Add eggs one at a time.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar. Sift into butter mixture and mix to combine.

In a separate bowl, stir together cinnamon and 3 Tbsp. of sugar.

Scoop 1 Tbsp. of dough and roll into a ball. Toss in cinnamon sugar mixture and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

This recipe can be found here.

Molten Lava Cakes

Baking spray, for spraying custard cups

1 stick butter

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate

2 oz. semisweet chocolate

1¼ cups powdered sugar

2 whole eggs

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup all-purpose flour

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425°. Spray four custard cups with baking spray and place on a baking sheet.

Microwave the butter, bittersweet chocolate and semisweet chocolate in a large bowl on high until the butter is melted, about 1 minute.

Whisk until the chocolate is also melted. Stir in the sugar until well blended.

Whisk in the eggs and egg yolks, then add the vanilla.

Stir in the flour. Divide the mixture among the custard cups.

Bake until the sides are firm and the centers are soft, about 15 minutes. Let stand 1 minute. Invert on individual plates while warm and serve with vanilla ice cream.

This recipe can be found here.

Banh Mi Tacos

Pork Tenderloin Marinade

1 ½ lbs.  pork tenderloin
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup honey
½ tsp. minced fresh ginger
1½ tsp. minced garlic
3 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. Sriracha sauce
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

Pickled Vegetables

1 cup each thinly sliced radishes and carrot shreds
2 cups peeled, sliced cucumbers
1 jalapeno pepper (remove the seeds and white membranes for milder flavor)
1 small red onion, halved and sliced
1 cup rice vinegar
½ cup warm water
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
Black pepper, to taste

Spicy Mayonnaise

½ cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. Sriracha sauce
½ tsp. garlic

Herb Mix

½ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup fresh chopped mint
4 green onions, chopped

6 (6-inch) whole-wheat tortillas 

Place pork tenderloin in a large zip-top bag. Add marinade ingredients to a microwave-safe measuring cup and heat 30 seconds. Whisk together and reserve ¼ cup of marinade. Pour remaining marinade over pork tenderloin, seal the bag, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

1.    About an hour before serving, toss the vegetables in a medium bowl. Whisk together vinegar, water, sugar, and salt until salt and sugar are dissolved, then pour over vegetables. Season to taste with black pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve.

2.   Preheat an outdoor grill to high heat. While grill is heating, whisk together spicy mayonnaise ingredients and place in a squeeze container or a small zip-top bag. Set aside.

3.   Toss together the herb mix and set aside.

4.   When the grill is hot, place the pork tenderloin on the grill and close the lid. Cook for 7 minutes. Flip the tenderloin and cook for 6 minutes. Leave the lid closed and turn off the heat. Allow tenderloin to stand for 5 minutes. The tenderloin should measure about 155 degrees F. internally.

5.   Remove pork from grill, place on a plate or plastic cutting board and lightly cover with a sheet of aluminum foil. Allow tenderloin to rest 3 to 4 minutes.

6.   To serve, slice tenderloin into 1/4-inch slices against the grain. Drizzle the reserved marinade over sliced pork. Place 2 ounces of pork in each whole-wheat tortilla, then top with pickled vegetables. Cut the corner off the zip-top bag of spicy mayonnaise and squeeze about ½ Tbsp. onto the taco.

7.   Top with herb mixture and serve immediately.

This recipe can be found here.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

3¼ cups all-purpose flour

3½ tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

½ + 1/8 tsp. salt

1½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground allspice

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 large egg yolk

¾ cup canned pumpkin puree

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup granulated sugar

3 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice: set aside.

Cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until just combined. Mix in egg yolk, then mix in pumpkin and vanilla extract. On low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients; mix until just combined. (You can chill the dough)

Preheat oven to 350°.   In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup granulated sugar with 3 tsp. cinnamon. Scoop tablespoon size dough ball, roll in cinnamon sugar mixture to evenly coat then transfer to lined baking sheets spacing cookies 2-inches apart. Bake 12 - 14 minutes (they should look just slightly under-baked as they'll cook slightly once removed from oven).

Cool on baking sheet about 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

This recipe can be found here.

Caramel Sauce

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup half-and-half

4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter

Pinch of salt

1 Tbsp. vanilla

Mix the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, while whisking gently, until thicker, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Pour the sauce into a jar and refrigerate until cold.

This recipe can be found here.