Merry Christmas!

If you follow me on Facebook, then you saw my announcement that Dave and I welcomed our little boy, Logan, two weeks ago. He's definitely the best Christmas gift and the only thing I asked for this year. We're all healthy and happy, though a bit tired. Little does Dave know that in a few years he'll lose his title as First Lieutenant in Charge of Sprinkles to a younger, cuter helper.

Thank you to all my loyal readers for the support, comments and blog love this year. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas full of cookies, goodies and everything wonderful.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

Merry Christmas!

Wishing all my followers, friends and family the merriest of Christmases. Hope you left Santa the best kind of cookies so he felt compelled to give you everything you wished for.

Merry Christmas,
The Cookie Princess

Merry Christmas!

I hope you have had the pleasure of gathering with friends and family this holiday season, sharing memories, joy and hopefully delicious food.  I consider it a gift that you visit my blog and want to see the recipes of the tasty things I've shared with those I love.  Food is truly a gift from the heart that warms the soul when made with love, and I'm so glad to be able to share it with so many more people than fit around my kitchen table through this blog.

Wishing you a bright, happy and safe holiday!

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

Mini Crescent Dog Wreath

Are you busy this week?  Yeah, I thought so.  Me, too.  Lot of parties and events to go to?  Always.  Need to make something to take to said parties?  Of course you do because you are a good party guest.  Want to make it easier on yourself?  Yeah, I figured.  How about an adorable, festive, tasty, two-ingredient appetizer garnished with easy veggies and served with your condiment of choice?  You're welcome because everyone loves crescent dogs, and this is simple to make and so adorable that people will think you spent way more time that you did.  In less than 10 minutes, you can have this assembled, let it bake for another 12 minutes while you freshen your make-up and in less than a half hour total, you're out the door and on your way to enjoy your friend's party with a appetizer that everyone will love.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and that you are able to celebrate with friends, family and wonderful food.  I'm thankful for many things this year, including my wonderful readers.  Thanks for visiting, commenting, and making it fun for me to bake and blog.

I'm at my sister's for the holiday and yesterday my niece Abi and I started making desserts with Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Blondies.  Hope you have all the tasty treats you want and get to share them with people you love.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

Patriotic Rice Krispies Treats

Looking for something fun and festive to take to a last minute get together today?  These are just basic Rice Krispies treats dressed up in red, white and blue to celebrate today's festivities.  Cute and layered, these treats are sweet and crunchy.  Plus no bake is always a win on a hot day, right?

Among all the other festive Fourth of July recipes that have been circulating the interwebs over the last few weeks, these made the rounds and I loved them for their ease and great colors.  The first place I saw this recipe was from Lil' Luna.  Luna makes her treats from the traditional recipe, but divided the ingredients into thirds and colored one part red and one part blue.  I'm not sure how I failed at this concept, but I couldn't get my first layer to coat properly and I was concerned about my layers not smoothing out evenly.  So I improvised.  I increased the cereal by 50%, but doubled the butter and marshmallow components.  The result is a soft and chewy bar with a little extra sweetness that still puts a smile on your face.  I did get a little help from Dave adding in the food coloring so I could keep stirring, so this is a great recipe if you've got little helpers in your kitchen.  You probably have all these ingredients in your kitchen, so whip up a batch before you head to today's cook-out!

Chocolate Stout Whoopie Pies with Bailey's Buttercream Filling

If a holiday ever screamed, "Make a delicious dessert filled with booze!" it would be St. Patrick's Day.  So when the Irish in me saw this recipe, I knew I needed to make it immediately if not sooner.  The stout in the chocolate cake batter provides a subtle distinction in the flavor.  You don't taste beer, but the deep richness of the chocolate makes you think, "this is a little bit different."  The stout compliments the dark chocolate in a very good way without being intense.  Paired with a fluffy Bailey's flavored buttercream frosting and it's a match made in St. Patrick's treats heaven.  Since I'm not a huge Bailey's fan, I was hesitant about the filling.  But paired together, there is a balance that really makes you happy (or you're drunk, but probably not).  I took these in to work as a little treat for my coworkers and they raved.  At 10 am, most of them devoured them as soon as I came up to their desk.

Happy New Year!

With the New Year upon us, I thought I'd share one of my goals for 2012 that I hope you enjoy.  In an attempt to make you believe that Dave and I don't exist on pure sugar alone, this year you'll see a different type of expansion into a little bit of savory stuff, appetizers, and perhaps a dinner here or there.  Maybe I'll throw in a treat I've made for the pups.  I also want to share with you some party food and party planning tips, since it's kinda my thing (I spent part of my life as an event planner and we host a lot of parties).

Wishing you the best in 2012 and looking forward to seeing you around here for some more fun!

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  I hope you baked something delicious and are sharing it and the day surrounded by the people you love.

Dave and I are off for a week in Disney World with my family.  I'm looking forward to lots of sweet treats, hoping I can figure out how to replicate them for you later.

Merry Christmas,

The Cookie Princess