Peppermint Crunch Chocolate Pudding Cookies

The holiday season is in full swing, and we are thinking aaaallllllll about cookies right now!

I am a major lover of any and all things peppermint mocha, so it's no surprise that my first December baking adventure are fudgy, decadent peppermint crunch cookies.

This recipe for Peppermint Crunch Chocolate Pudding Cookies is truly the essence of the season. A package of devil's food pudding mix gives these cookies an irresistible fudginess and keeps them soft and tender for days and days. I love pudding cookies and have made them a couple of times before - the possibilities are endless!

The star of the show, however, are these awesome peppermint crunch chips from Andes that I found at the grocery store a week or two ago. Unlike just crushing up candy canes, these chips are a base of white chocolate with tiny bits of peppermint candy throughout. They are smooth and creamy, with just the right amount of crunch (no breaking our teeth here!) If you see these at your store, HURRY and grab them - they are just too good!

If I haven't convinced you yet, maybe these pictures will do the talking...

Cookie swaps, here we come!

Chai-Spiced Gingerbread Kiss Cookies

Happy Monday and let us talk about cookies!

You absolutely HAVE to add these cookies to your holiday baking menu. They are soft and pillowy, bursting with warming spices and kissed with chocolate!

That's right. These are Chai-Spiced Gingerbread Kiss Cookies, and trust me when I say that they are here to put your classic peanut butter blossom cookies to shame. If you love gingerbread, you will absolutely devour these beauties.

OH and not only are these part kiss cookies and part gingerbread, but they are also part snickerdoodle. Yes yes yes. Before going into the oven, these cookies are getting rolled in sugar and a mix of chai spices that will truly knock your socks off. That includes cinnamon, nutmeg. and ground ginger. There is no spice combination more warming this time of year than chai. I just love it! It's not just for tea anymore :-)

Now, I know that everyone has their own holiday traditions and cookie recipes that they hold strong to this season. But if you're looking for a new treat to wow the whole family (and Santa, for that matter) I'm quite confident this is it. Happy baking!

Oh, P.S. This recipe is 100% kitty approved!

Lemon Cake with Cranberries

It's cake time!

That's my favorite time, in fact. Especially when it involves this delicious Lemon Cake with Cranberries!

In my humble opinion we don't use fresh cranberries nearly enough, particularly in baked goods. When cooked for a long period of time, they become juicy and sweet, yet are still delightfully tart.

Cranberries and citrus also go together that peanut butter and jelly or New Year's Eve and champagne! Though typically paired with orange in muffins or loaves, I happened to find myself with an abundance of lemons to go with half a bag of leftover cranberries. Thus this cake was born, and man am I glad it was!

There's no denying that there is lots of fresh lemon flavor in this cake. Not only will we rub a tablespoon of freshly grated lemon zest into our sugar (lemon sugar! genius! distributes flavor into the entire loaf! YAS!), there is also plenty of lemon juice in the cake plus a sweet lemon glaze on top. We are in it to win it!

Be sure to work this cake into your holiday breakfast plans! Sweet, tart, festive, and delicious.

P.S. Don't those cran-bebes look like jewels studding the cake?! Swoon!

Apple Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

I love any excuse to have cake for breakfast!

Or lunch, or dinner, or snacks.

Hey, so real quick. Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK. I know, don't panic (I'm panicking).

The good news is, for those of us hosting an overnight guest or two or four, I made us a perfect make-ahead breakfast treat!

This Apple Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze is festive, decadent and delicious. Apples, pecans, and spices come together in a moist cake topped with a rich, sweet glaze that is out of this world. Since we'll be spending much of our time on Thanksgiving day worrying about how exactly we are supposed to cook a turkey (how do people just KNOW how to cook a turkey?!), this cake is baked up the day before. Slice and serve with hot coffee while you and your family watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for pure holiday morning bliss!

P.S. Are you the aforementioned overnight guest? Might I suggest surprising your host with this beauty? They will love you even more than they presumably already do!

There is something so beautifully vintage about a bundt cake. They are showstoppers in and of themselves. But this cake? Well, that drippy glaze? Those crunchy, toasted pecans? It's practically a work of art. A very delicious work of art that fills your home with the most intoxicating scents of autumn!

Breath, bake, and enjoy this cake.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Banana Bread

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Banana Bread! How good does that sound?!

I am here to assure you that this tastes even better than you can imagine. Two of my favorite quick breads come together for a happy holiday mash-up. This is the perfect make-ahead breakfast for your Thanksgiving day.

I got the idea to search the internet for a banana pumpkin bread when I found myself with a couple of super-ripe bananas, but not enough to make banana bread, and a half-used can of pumpkin puree. If you are anything like me, never fear, this recipe is here for you.

This recipe starts with a banana bread base, but it gets amped up with all the fall flavors that you expect in a pumpkin bread - namely, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Warm and comforting, sweet and satisfying.

And lets not forget the chocolate! Any banana bread or pumpkin bread is infinitely better when you throw in some chocolate chips. For this recipe, I am holding nothing back and adding some deliciously melty chocolate chunks! It is the holidays after all...