Monkey Cupcakes

Remember all those Rizzardi weddings we participated in last year? Well, two of them have gone and had babies, and little Jackson is already a year old. We had the honor of making monkey cupcakes for his first birthday. Aren't they adorable?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sticks

I came across this recipe and was very intrigued by the fact that no butter was required. I love butter and didn't think a decent chocolate chip cookie was possible without it. But alas these cookie sticks weren't half bad.

Extremely easy recipe! From the ingredients to the baking method. Try it out sometime. You will be happy you did.

I also decided it was perfectly acceptable to use the rest of my holiday chocolate chips because there is still snow on the ground.

Ingredients
1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoons Baking Soda
½ teaspoons Fine Sea Salt (or Table Salt)
½ cups Canola Oil
½ cups Granulated Sugar
½ cups Packed Brown Sugar
1 Large Egg
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1 cup Chocolate Chips

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375ºF. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, combine oil, both sugars, egg, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and stir until well blended.


Divide dough in half. On a silicone or parchment-lined sheet pan, shape each half into a 3×15-inch rectangle, leaving 3 inches of space between the two rectangles. Sprinkle each rectangle with 1/2 cup chocolate chips; gently pressing the chocolate chips into the dough. Bake in the center of the oven for 6-7 minutes for chewy cookies (8-9 minutes for crisper cookies).

Allow to cool completely before cutting into 36 cookie sticks. Use a serrated knife for best results.

Funfetti Cookies

I am a chocolate girl through and through. But put a little almond extract in a cookie and this girl is a happy camper.

Over the weekend I made homemade funfetti cookies. They were so easy and delightful I think they will become regulars around our house.

Funfetti Cookies

The Usual

Made an oldie but a goodie yesterday. Banana bread!

Last year my mother bought me the best piece of bake ware ever! Its a four cavity mini loaf pan. I use it for a lot of different recipes, but the main user is banana bread. The loaf pan makes it very easy to bake different varieties of bread.

Yesterday I made a loaf of plain, two loaves with chocolate chips, and one loaf with chocolate chips and walnuts.

Carrot Cake

I make carrot cake once a year and I don't tend to try it. Having vegetables in dessert scares me and there is no chocolate involved. Womp Womp.

But every year Megan requests carrot cake cupcakes with pecan cream cheese frosting for her birthday. Being the nice person I am, I do realize it isn't all about me, I happily oblige and whip up these for her.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

with

Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting

Twix Cupcakes

Over the weekend I had the chance to bake a new recipe.  I settled on Twix Cupcakes, because lets face it Twix are the bomb.dot.com.

Next time around I would make a few tweaks to the recipe but other than that they were delicious!

Twix Cupcakes

Happy Birthday Megan!

Today is this pretty lady's birthday! Happy 27th Birthday Megan! Holy Hannah's LOVES you!

Woot Woot you are 27! So old! =]

Cookie Dough Dip

Krista was in charge of dessert for their Easter celebration with Mike's family.

She decided to make Cookie Dough Dip. I was lucky enough to get a sample. It was delicious!
Best when served with graham crackers, both honey and chocolate.

Cookie Dough Dip

Happy Birthday Krista!

This pretty little lady turned 27 yesterday! Happy Birthday to you, Krista Marie!

I put together a little picture collage from the past year. I thought it was lovely.

I also may have went a little overboard with all the treats I made...whoops! However, with Pinterest, I couldn't help myself.

Two of Krista's favorite things are dark chocolate and peanut butter. All of the dessert I made, included both.

These mini Reese's peanut butter cups are dangerous. I envision lots of recipes that could use these bad boys.

Chocolate Cookies with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Another one of Krista's favorite combinations, salty-sweet.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies with Sea Salt

Surprisingly, this was Krista's favorite dessert. She is not much of a cake person preferring cookies or brownies. These cupcakes must have been good!

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Although it looks like a cake ball it is not. Its more of a Special K bar rolled up and dipped is dark chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Ball

And a birthday wouldn't be complete without the Duffey's singing a lovely rendition of Happy Birthday. Make a wish Krista! Here's to hoping year 27 is filled with lots of joy and blessings. Love you sister!