Buckle's Blissful Snickerdoodle Blondies

This year Buckles requested brownies and said I could surprise her, providing they didn't have nuts. I wanted to make her something really unique. After a few days of thinking about it, I had the idea for creating a Snickerdoodle Blondie. I wanted to combine the same texture of a brownie with the crunchy cinnamon shell of a Snickerdoodle. I couldn't find any on the web, so I invented one. This recipe came out exactly as I wanted! It's nothing short of bliss!

What's great about this recipe is that you probably already have the ingredients in your kitchen. They also travel really well and their flavor improves with age. There are are quite adaptable too. These bars have a loyal fan following. You can see different variations and photos from other bloggers:

- Ingrid at The 3B's. These bars are her children's favorite!

- Linda at Weekend Cook

- Sydney at Weekend Cook added fresh nutmeg for a twist.

- Sarena at The Non-Dairy Queen's blog created a special dairy-free version of this recipe

- Jin at at Smell & Taste Are My Memory

- Erik at Baking in Oregon made Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle verison

- Charity at Sweet Charity Pie made a browned butter version. Wow!

- Jamie at My Baking Addition

- Cristine at Cooking with Cristine

- Maria at Two Peas and Their Pod made a version she calls Cinnadoodles and are made with cinnamon chips

- Smitten Sugar at Smitten Sugar

(If I missed anyone, please let me know!)

Snickerdoodle Blondies

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.

Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be somewhat cookiebatter-ish.) Combine white sugar and cinnamon in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool slightly. While still warm, cut into bars with a sharp knife.

Yields: approximately 30 servings (depending on how you cut the bars)

If you like this recipe, please be sure to try my Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars or my Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake too.

Kara's Lotta Leches Cake

This cake is one of my favorites. I searched a long time to find the right cake recipe and was dead set on not using a boxed mix. This cake was really usual but absolutely wonderful. It was very light and creamy and held up to the weight of the milks. This is the type of cake I'd want when I was feeling blue -- the ultimate comfort food.

If you're looking for an easy dessert that you can make ahead of time, this one will knock everyone's socks off. You will love it!

Three-Milk Cake (Pastel de Tres Leches)
Adapted from a recipe from The Taste of Mexico by Patricia Quintana.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs, separated and at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk full-fat

Three-Milk Topping
2 cups full-fat milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

Whipped Cream Topping
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 sugar (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan. Sift flour with baking powder. In large bowl, beat egg whites until fluffy. Add sugar gradually, beating to form stiff peaks. Add yolks, one at a time.

Alternate folding in flour mixture and milk until it is mixed well but be careful not to over beat. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until edges are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool on a rack.

While the cake is cooling, in a large bowl, combine the three milks together and whisk to incorporate. Let them sit on the counter until the cake is cool (about 20 minutes). Poke several holes in the cake in with a folk. Whisk milk mixture again and slowly pour it over cake. Put it in the refrigerator and let sit until all mixture is absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes.

Prepare the whipped cream topping by chilling the cream, bowl and beaters thoroughly (about 3 minutes in the freezer). Beat cream with electric mixer until it begins to thicken. Gradually add sugar and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form. Cover top of cake with whipped cream, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Top with fresh strawberries if desired.

Joanna's Thin Mocha Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies with Mocha Cream Filling

Yesterday was Joanna's birthday and like most people I bake for, she asked for something chocolate and bite-sized. So I started thinking about what to make and I originally thought I'd make a domino-cookie -- chocolate-cookie with white chocolate chips, but that didn't seem right. Definitely not chocolaty enough. And then I came across a chocolate-chocolate chip cookie with mocha cream filling on Epicurious. Since I remembered seeing Joanna with a big cup of Starbuck's at her desk, I knew I'd found a winner. So, I tweaked the recipe a bit (a little on purpose, a little on accident) and a star was born! Everyone loved them. I'll definitely make these again.

Thin Mocha Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies with Mocha Cream Filling

Cream Filling
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1 cups powdered sugar
1 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cookies
2 cup all purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

Cream Filling: Stir chocolate chips, cream, and coffee granules in heavy saucepan over medium heat until chocolate melts and coffee dissolves. Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and vanilla in bowl until blended. Beat in chocolate mixture. Refrigerate until beginning to firm, about 20 minutes.

For cookies: Preheat oven to 325F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in bowl until well blended. Add egg, 4 teaspoons water, vanilla, and instant coffee; blend well. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and chopped chocolate. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until tops are just firm to touch and no longer shiny, about 10 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool.
Place half of cookies, flat side up, on work surface. Spread each with 1 tablespoon filling, leaving 1/4-inch border. Top each with second cookie, pressing to adhere. Arrange on platter; cover and chill at least 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.) Serve cookies cold.