Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

There's just something about whoopie pies...they are the perfect little snack! 

These little sandwiches are very light and fluffy, with orange specks from the carrots.  I made my classic cream cheese frosting and sandwiched it between the cookies. 

Carrot cake + cream cheese frosting = best dessert EVER.  

The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger was amazingly delicious! This is the perfect option if you're looking for a dessert to make for Easter.  

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

Recipe adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventure

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups grated carrots

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt together.  In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Mix in the vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients and beat just until combined.  Finally, add the grated carrots.

Chill the batter in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Using a small cookie scoop, place cookies on a prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.  Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the cookies spring back when gently pressed.  Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes then remove the cookies to the wire rack to cool completely. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, softened

8 ounces light cream cheese, room temperature

4 cups confectioner sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Directions:

In a mixer, beat softened cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add confectioner sugar until just incorporated.  Add vanilla and beat until smooth.

Thin Mint Brownies

Since St. Patty’s Day is just around the corner and I had a box of thin mints recently delivered to our house, I thought I’d make one of my all time favorite desserts. 

These rich and fudgy brownies have bits and pieces of thin mint cookies throughout, topped with a perfect mint colored frosting, and then topped with more cookies! 

This is the perfect dessert to take to a party because the recipe makes so many - and plus I would devour the whole pan if they were lying around my house! 

These are seriously good. You have to make them!!

Thin Mint Brownies
Ingredients:
1 package brownie mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 water

2 eggs  

1 box thin mint cookies, chopped
1/2 stick of butter softened
2 TB milk
2 cups powdered sugar 

few drops green food coloring
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl combine brownie mix, vegetable oil, water, and eggs. Fold in 1/2 of the thin mints and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 28-30 minutes. Cool for about an hour. 
• In a medium sized bowl mix butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and green food coloring until fluffy. Spread frosting over brownies. Top with the rest of the crushed thin mint cookies. Refrigerate 1 hour. Cut into squares.

Spicy Black Bean Sliders

Last night's menu consisted of these cute lil’ sliders. Not only are the a piece of cake to put together, but they are seriously healthy and good for you!

I really like sliders like this because they’re super simple to prepare and so much fun to eat! You can pile them high with whatever condiments you have on hand and dig in.

I topped my burgers with avocado, Swiss cheese, and a mixture of Sriracha and Greek yogurt. The best part of this entire recipe is the fact that my husband LOVED them! They were spicy and satisfying, so he didn't even miss the meat.

Spicy Black Bean Sliders

Recipe adapted from Eat Live Run

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 jalapeno

2 cloves garlic

2 T tomato sauce

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

2 tsp cumin

1 1/4 tsp salt

avocado for topping

Swiss cheese, sliced

1 T Sriracha (adjust according to how much heat you can handle!)

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

olive oil (or canola oil) for frying burgers

slider buns (I used Hawaiian Sweet Rolls)

Directions:

Seed and roughly chop jalapeno. Add it and the garlic cloves to a food processor and mince finely.

Add one can of beans to the jalapeno/garlic mixture and pulse to combine. Add cumin and salt and pulse until mixture resembles chunky black bean dip.

Transfer the mixture in the food processor to a large bowl and stir in the bread crumbs and tomato sauce. Stir well until everything is combined. Add remaining black beans.

Heat a little olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Form black bean mixture into patties and fry for about 4 minutes per side, until golden and crusty brown.

In a small mixing bowl combine Greek yogurt and Sriracha.

Serve burgers with avocado slices, Swiss cheese, and sriracha/yogurt.

*I toasted the buns in the oven prior to serving. 

Chai Spiced Coconut Blondies

This is was my first attempt at brown butter. And let me tell you, it was super easy. The brown butter definitely plays a major role in this recipe. It gives them a rich flavor that is so good! 

The texture of these blondies is pretty amazing. They are chewy in the center and slightly crunchy on the outside. 

The chai spices in these little squares really packs a punch. Think of biting into one of these cakey squares and tasting the brown butter, coconut, chocolate, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger...yummm!

These are perfect for cool winter day - spicy and yummy and delicious with a hot cup of coffee - you have to make them!

Chai Spiced Coconut Blondies

Recipe adapted from Naive Cooks

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup coconut, shredded
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cardamom

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil. 
• In a skillet over medium-low heat toast the coconut until it is golden brown. Place it on a plate to cool. Add the butter to the pan and melt. Keep cooking until the foam dies and you see it turning into dark brown color and small fragments start appearing. Let it cool for a minute or two. 
• In a bowl, mix the brown butter with sugar and mix until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and mix. Add the flour, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and salt and mix until smooth. Gently fold in the toasted coconut and chocolate chips to combine. Pour in the lined baking pan and make sure it covers all corners. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Cool and transfer to a baking rack. Cut into squares. Store them in an airtight container.

Pesto Pinwheels

This appetizer is soooo easy and soooo good! The best part is that it only has 3 ingredients! 

 

It is a great little appetizer to make up at the last minute. These are perfect when paired with warm marinara sauce.

Pesto Pinwheels

Ingredients:
1 tube (8oz.) refrigerated crescent rolls
1/3 cup prepared pesto sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup marinara sauce, warmed

Directions:  

• Unroll crescent dough into two long rectangles; seal seams and perforations. Spread each with pesto and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Roll each up jelly-roll style. starting with a short side. 
• With a sharp knife, cut each roll into 10 slices. Place cut side down in a 9 inch cake pan. Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with marinara sauce.

Peanut Butter & Banana Oatmeal Muffins

We are seriously addicted to muffins at our house. Ever since I started making these, I just can't stop! I make them every weekend for the perfect on-the-go breakfast during the week. Just pop them in the microwave for a 30 seconds and they are delish!

I have also made these with almond butter instead of peanut butter and they are just as good. This is a great healthy recipe when you need a quick breakfast, snack, or dessert!

Peanut Butter and Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt

2 eggs

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2-3 ripe bananas

1/4 cup all natural peanut butter (you could also substitute almond butter)

1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin pan with non stick cooking spray or line with cupcake liners. 
• Place all of the ingredients, except chocolate chips, into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add in the oats one cup at a time and blend in between.
• Fold in chocolate chips.
• Using a medium cookie scoop, divide the batter into each cupcake liner and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. 
• Serve warm.

Snickers Cheesecake Bars

If you've read any of my recent recipes, you obviously know I have a problem. I am obsessed with cheesecake. So here we go...next on the list is Snickers Cheesecake Bars. 

These bars are super creamy with the perfect Oreo crust. The bits and pieces of Snickers throughout add just the right amount of sweetness.

I could probably eat cheesecake every day. But, since my metabolism doesn't agree with me, I had to figure out a way to not feel so guilty eating them. I cut the fat by using fat free cream cheese and Greek yogurt. You can't even taste a difference!

This cheesecake recipe is deliciously indulgent and perfect for anyone that loves an ooey gooey Snickers bar. It was a huge hit with with our friends and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! :)

Snickers Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

FOR THE CRUST 

1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (I used Oreos)
4 tablespoons melted butter
FOR THE FILLING
12 ounces (1 1/2 packages) plain cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat)

1 large egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup fat free Greek yogurt
16 Snickers Minis, chopped into bite-sized pieces
FOR THE GLAZE 

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 inch pan with foil.

For the Crust:
Stir the cookie crumbs and butter together in a bowl. Press into the lined pan. Bake for 7-10 minutes and then cool while you make the filling.

For the Filling:
Beat cream cheese, egg, sugar, and Greek yogurt, and vanilla together with a hand or stand mixer until smooth and creamy. Stir in your candy pieces and spread the mixture over your cooled crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cheesecake has set up. Let cool completely.

For the Chocolate Glaze:
Melt the chocolate and butter together over a double boiler, or carefully in the microwave for 20 second intervals. Stir until smooth. Spread the glaze over the bars using a silicone spatula or offset frosting spatula. Chill for at least 3 hours before cutting into bars.