Chocolate Chunk Blondies

These Chocolate Chunk Blondies are a crowd-pleaser! I've made them for my coworkers several times and they are always a big hit at the office, and super easy to whip up on a week night! They are thick, dense, chewy, rich, salty and sweet! I always make a batch with walnuts and without, the ones without nuts are always the first to go, which always seemed odd to me, I always prefer my cookies and brownies without nuts, but I thought that was just me....guess not! They are also so good right out of the oven with a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, yum!

Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten

Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 oz. milk chocolate chips
• 1½ cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8x12x12 inch baking pan.
2. Cream your butter are both sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add in the vanilla and then the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between.
4. In a small bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly stir in your dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture and then beat with the mixer until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
5. Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake for exactly 30 minutes, do not overbake!
6. Cool in the pan on a wire rack then cut into bars, enjoy!

Summer Fruit Parfait with Brown Butter Shortbread

I found this recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, How Sweet It Is, and fell in love! This fruit parfait is the perfect Summer recipe for a light breakfast or dessert. The tart berries mixed with the sweet sauce, the crunchy buttery shortbread and the creamy light coconut cream is a flawless combination. My favorite part is the shortbread, browning the butter gives it a huge burst of flavor, I loved the cookie and am planning on using it as a base for several other desserts. You have to try this one out!

Summer Fruit Parfait with Brown Butter Shortbread

Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is

Makes: 4 servings
Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1½ cup flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sugar + 3 tablespoons
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 pints strawberries
• 1 package blackberries
• 1 package raspberries
• 3 peaches, cubed
• 2 cans coconut milk (whole fat)

Instructions:

1. Brown your butter in a saucepan and then transfer to a bowl and let come to room temperature and become a soft solid again (I did mine the night before).
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3. For the shortbread, mix the butter and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time and then add the vanilla bean paste. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
4. Roll out the dough to ½ inch thick and use a biscuit cutter to cut the shortbread rounds. Transfer to a baking sheet and cook for 10-12 minutes. Once cooked let them cool on a wire rack and then crumble into a bowl.
5. For the berry sauce, combine half the strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, 3 tablespoons sugar and vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 5-8 minutes until bubbly. Use a wooden spoon to break up the berries. Strain mixture. 
6. For the coconut whipped cream, refrigerate the cans overnight. In the morning turn them upside down and scoop out the cream, beat on high for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. 
7. To assemble the parfaits start with some coconut cream on the bottom, then add the berries and peaches, next goes the berry sauce and finished with the crumbled shortbread. Continue to layer each of these until you reach your desired size and enjoy!

Hello, Summer!

It is officially Summer in Atlanta and I am not prepared, I feel like it went from 70 degrees outside to 100 overnight! Now that it's here I put together an ATL Summer bucket list for myself since there are so many things to do here in the warm weather and are only available during select months (links are below!). I've already checked a few off the list and am so looking forward to the rest!

I also gave my front door a makeover with this festive, bright and lemony wreath I found at Target!

SUMMER 2015 To-Do List:

1. Shoot the Hooch!
2. Rent bikes and explore the Atlanta Beltline
3. Eat amazing food at Bacchanalia 
4. Bake a peach pie from scratch (with peaches that I bought at a Farmer's Market)
5. Go to a Braves Game at Turner Field
6. Attend at least 3 festivals
7. Have the award winning Sunday Brunch at the Ritz in Buckhead
8. Take a cooking class
9. Make homemade popsicles
10. Rock out at at least 1 3 concerts

Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet

This is one of my go to desserts, not only is it super simple and easy to make, but it is absolutely delicious! My husband and I are in the process of binge watching Orange Is The New Black as we speak and we wanted something sweet, this is the first thing that came to mind. Within thirty minutes we were on the couch enjoying a ooey gooey hot chocolate chip cookie with melty vanilla ice cream while watching Piper and her gang, sounds like the perfect Saturday if you ask me! 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet

Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is

Makes: 4-6 servings
Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• Vanilla bean ice cream

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter in a medium sized cask iron skillet (8-10 inch).
3. Stir in vanilla and both sugars, still until combined. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Whisk in egg. Then mix in flour, baking soda and salt until smooth.
5. Stir in chocolate chips, you can use whichever kind you'd like.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
7. Serve warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, and enjoy!

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

I spent Easter weekend in Florida with my family, and one of my favorite things to do is cook and bake with my grandmother. Well, sometimes I contribute to the cooking and other times I sit on on a bar stool overlooking the kitchen having a drink and just chatting while everyone else does the work. By the time I arrived my grandmother had already prepared a lemon pie, brownies, carrot cake, and who knows how many other treats and snacks. Food always seem to just appear, and no one ever goes hungry in her house.

The final dessert we had to make is a family favorite, Red Velvet Whoopie Pies! You start by making red velvet cookies, which is really like a mix between a cookie and cake, they are super moist and really easy to make! Then you sandwich them between a delicious homemade, buttery, sugary frosting.

My grandmother is an avid baker and the best one I know (sorry mom), she's always in the kitchen whipping up something delicious for all of her kids and grand kids, constantly trying to please and fatten up everyone! I struggle sometimes trying to recreate her recipes because she's always adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that, never really measuring and just going off of her memory. Dishes never turn out as good as hers, but that's not surprising as she has set the bar high, and has a lifetime of experience, stories and love that she puts into her cooking!

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Recipe adapted from Duncan Hines

Makes: 15-20 cookies
Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 1 package Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 5 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine cake mix, eggs, butter and vanilla in a large bowl with wooden spoon until dough forms.
3. Use 1 inch cookie scoop to place dough 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
4. Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are set. Cool on wire rack. 
5. To make frosting, whisk milk and flour together in a pot on stove top before turning on heat. Then, turn heat on medium-high and cook for 5 minutes until glue like texture forms, whisking constantly. Transfer to a bowl, cover with wax paper and let cool in fridge.
6. In a separate bowl combine sugar, butter and vanilla, cream with mixer until fluffy, at least 10 minutes.
7. Add cooled flour mixture and mix for another 20 minutes until fully combined, and frosting islight and fluffy.
8. Place a scoop of frosting in between 2 red velvet cookies and enjoy!

Coffee Table Books

Coffee table books are essential, and an easy way to amp up the look of a space. I just finished decorating my living room and one of my favorite areas is the coffee table. The actual table is reclaimed wood with steel hair pin legs that I found on Etsy, I like the rustic look but knew that I needed to add some style when decorating the top.

By stacking a couple coffee table books topped with a candle, fun coasters and a statement bowl really livens up the space. My favorite book is the one below on top, I just got it from Kate Spade, the pop of green works perfectly in the room since it's mostly neutral colors, and I am a huge fan of the gold foil script on the cover, so pretty!

Below are some more of my favorite coffee table books, not only is the content great, but most importantly is they are all so beautiful!

1. The New York Times: 36 Hours 125 Weekends in Europe 2. Rhapsody Serpent Limited Edition 

3. The Little Black Jacket 4. Louis Vuitton: The Birth of Modern Luxury 

5. Domino: The Book of Decorating 6. Allegra Hicks: An Eye for Design

Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream Sandwiches

Chocolate and marshmallows are a classic combination and always pair so well together. I found the recipe below for chocolate marshmallow cookies and decided to make them into ice cream cookie sandwiches. The rich chocolate flavor combined with sweet and smooth vanilla bean ice cream was a recipe for success and they turned out delicious, please enjoy!

Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream Sandwiches

Recipe adapted from Real Simple

Makes: 44 cookies
Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (6 bars), chopped
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1½ cups flour
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1½ cups mini marshmallows
• Vanilla bean ice cream

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Melt half chocolate (12 ounces, 3 bars) and butter in a bowl, microwave on high in 30 second increments, stirring after each until melted and combined. Cool slightly.
3. Set chocolate aside and whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
4. Add eggs, sugar and vanilla to chocolate mixture, whisking together until smooth.
5. Slowly add dry ingredients to the chocolate and stir until combined.
6. Fold in remaining chopped chocolate and mini marshmallows.
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes and let cool completely.
8. Sandwich together 2 cookies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in between.

Desk Makeover

 Last weekend I decided to give my desk a makeover. I've had it since college and have always liked the feminine antique look to it, but the style doesn't really go with the design of my new condo. Since the walls in my room are dark navy I wanted to add a pop of color that would give the desk a more modern look. So I went with a bright cobalt blue (Ralph Lauren #1927 to be exact), and the end result turned out great! I also replaced the dated brass hardware, added some wood shelves and a cool chalkboard. I’m still deciding what to write on it, suggestions?

Desk (Similar, Similar), Hardware (Anthropologie), Canvas Boxes (Target), Magazine Box (Target), Flag (Best Made)

Nutella Stuffed French Toast

This recipe is a show stopper! My husband made it for breakfast on Valentine’s Day, I know right - so sweet #besthusbandever.

This recipe combines my favorite food group - breakfast, with my favorite food - Nutella. I have an uncontrollable addiction to Nutella, if it is in my house I cannot resist eating it up immediately, it’s a problem.

The other great thing about this recipe is its super easy! Start by slicing a thick piece of challah bread, fluffy, eggy, delicious challah bread. Then stuff it with as much Nutella as you can, dip in the batter and grill. Top it with some fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream. The combination of the rich gooey melted Nutella stuffed inside the toasted and butter challah with the tartness of the strawberries and smooth whipped cream is just pure gold. Please enjoy!

Nutella Stuffed French Toast
Recipe adapted from Cook Like A Champion
Makes: 4 Slices
Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sliced strawberries 
• 2 teaspoons sugar 
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream 
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 4 thick slices challah bread 
• ½ cup Nutella (or as much as you can fit) 
• 1 large egg 
• ¾ cup milk 
• 2 tablespoons melted butter 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour 
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• ¼ teaspoon salt 
• Butter for griddle 

Directions:

1. Combine the strawberries and sugar in a bowl, set aside. 
2. Beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form; add powdered sugar and vanilla, set aside. 
3. Cut a pocket into each slice of bread, taking care not to cut all the way through. Fill each slice of bread with about two tablespoons of Nutella. 
4. In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla. Add the flour, cinnamon and salt and whisk until smooth. 
5. Dip the challah slices into the egg mixture, and then grill in a medium heat buttered pan for 2-3 minutes per side until they are light golden brown. 
6. Top with sliced strawberries and homemade whipped cream.

Floating Bookshelves

I love books, not so much reading books, but just owning them. After I moved and donated my husband’s 10+ year old college bookshelf from Ikea, I realized that we had a lot of books and nowhere to put them. So I was looking for a unique and fun way to store them that was pretty, but also accessible if we ever decided to actually pick one up and read it.

I came across these floating bookshelves online from Amazon and knew they would be perfect to surround the French doors in my guest room. They are inexpensive, easy to install and make a bold statement.

In case you are wondering how they look invisible, there is an L shaped bracket that attaches to the wall with screws. The bracket was super easy to install!

• Pencil in a line on the wall where you want to hang the bottom book. 
• Line up the bottom of the bracket with the line and mark the top hole. 
• Drill a pilot hole at the mark and then fasten the top screw. 
• Put a level on the bracket at the bottom and once level mark the bottom hole. 
• Drill a second pilot hole for the bottom screw and fasten the bottom screw. 
• Finally add books separating out the colors so each shelf has a pop of color! 

Floating Shelves from Amazon

This project turned out perfect, I love the way the bookshelves look, they add a little surprise to the guest room after you walk in and turn around.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red velvet cupcakes are a classic southern favorite. I decided to make these in celebration of Valentine’s Day for my husband and coworkers!

My secret for quick, delicious and buttery red velvet cupcakes is to use a box mix as the base and a homemade cream cheese frosting. I always start with a Duncan Hines mix and follow the instructions on the back, except substitute melted butter for the oil.

Add some festive sprinkles and some baker’s twine to package them up and you will be the favorite in the office the next day!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Makes: 24 cupcakes
Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 1 Box Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix 
• 3 eggs 
• 1 cup water 
• 1/2 cup melted butter 
• 1 stick room temperature butter 
• 1 brick room temperature cream cheese 
• 3 cups powdered sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• Pinch of salt 

Directions:

1. Mix cake mix, water, eggs, and melted butter on high until combined. 
2. Spoon batter into liners, bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes 
3. For frosting, beat butter and cream cheese in a bowl until combined. 
4. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mix. 
5. Add vanilla and salt, beat on high for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. 
6. Frost cooled cupcakes and enjoy!