Salted Caramel Mocha Cookies.

Yeah, you totally heard me right.

Salted. Caramel. Mocha.

COOKIES!

Just like this years fall special at Starbucks.

You just won't even believe your taste buds.

I originally wanted to make just a salted caramel cookie, but when I was digging out all my baking ingredients from my pantry I spied my instant espresso powder.

I swear lightning struck.

In my house.

I added one and half tablespoons of instant espresso powder to this recipe.

The end results are AH-MAZING!

I've also been tinkering around making some Halloween decorations for the front entry.

Some little glass vials I picked up at the local salvation army got labels, water, glycerin and glitter.

A little spell book inspired by a project I found on Pinterest, inspired by the Snow White story.

My fellow geeks out there will recognize the labels.

I'll give you a hint: The intials are H.P.

This one is my favourite.

Water, Ameri-color Gold coloring gel and drink sparkles from Wilton.

Although these cookies weren't originally for Halloween, the rich, dark brown from the cocoa gave these cookies an almost black colour.

Also lets face it, a cookie that oozes anything is just perfect for Halloween!

Lemon Meringue Cookies....It IS Spring, Right?

I don't know where you are in the world right now, reading this, but where I am it is NOT Spring.

We have had more snow last week and this week, than we've had all winter, and maybe ever.

That not an actual fact, but it really feels like it.

It takes a lot to tarnish a silver lining in my little world, but dang it!

Mother Nature has some SERIOUS making up to do.

So, to squelch my dark, winter-hating brood I had goin' on, I whipped up some perky cookies.

Here's what you need to make Lemon Meringue Cookies:

1 box of Lemon cookies

1 box of lemon meringue pie mix

6 egg whites

3/4 cup of sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350.

First, follow the directions on the box of the lemon meringue pie mix to make the filling.

Keep filling in a container in the fridge until it sets up.

Make your meringue by whipping your egg whites until soft peaks form, then slowly add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time. 

(don't try and be hero like I did by doing it by hand...)

Whip until stiff peaks form.

Spoon meringues on to parchment paper into cookie sized blobs.

Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes, but watch them closely !

Stir up the set lemon pie filling until smooth, then spoon onto cookies. (or pipe it on :)

Once the meringues are baked and cooled slightly, top your lemon cookies with meringues.

Devour.

I ate 10.

And I don't even like citrus-y things. 

But my mood perked up and the snow just keeps on falling.

Clouds of Chocolate! Day 8 Baby!

If you're here reading this you must be hard-core Valentiners! We've passed the half way mark and are on the down hill! That means I need to amp up the love right? Well these little puppies should do the trick!

Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate Cloud Cookies! 

That's a mouthful! (literally too, I totally snuck one from myself)

Once again, easy recipes prevail in my house, no need getting all fancy-smancy when there is a time crunch!

What you need:

1 tube of cookie dough

1 tub of cool-whip (I know you all said that in your head again, pronouncing the H) Thawed.

1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips, depending on your preference.

1/4 cup Milk

Garnish of your choice.

What'd I tell ya, easy-peasy!

I tend to use every dish in my kitchen, even to make the simplest things. Spoon total in this recipe : 5. FIVE. Why? I don't know! I was looking back at the wake of my destructive-ness and counted 5 dirty spoons! How is this even possible? There's only like, 4 ingredients. 

Here's my first spoon. Spoon out a tablespoon into your muffin papers or into a greased muffin tin. bake for 10-12 minutes at 350.

Second spoon. Melting your chocolate chips and milk in the microwave for 30 second. Stirring until smooth. Set aside for 20 min until room temp. 

Post-oven. So golden, yummm.

There are aspects of life that I enjoy, such as the gratifying feeling after vacuuming as dirty floor. There are other that I don't like. Such as folding. Nothing awesome has ever happened to me while I was folding something. Laundry, ick. Folding cool-whip into melted chocolate, double ick. It is actually quite the work out! Honestly I felt like I had just finished some Tae-Bo moves! (Which is perfect for how much 'tasting' I did) 

  With that said, fold (ugh) half of the cool-whip into the melted chocolate mixture. When combined, fold (yep, more folding) the remaining cool-whip. 

I think there was another spoon or 2 used in this step.

Pipe or spoon your filling onto your baked cookies! I piped mine because they are going to our Friendship Factor Valentine's Brunch and I wanted them to look pretty.

I love this little micro heart (generously donated by Stacey from I Wish I Was Martha) that landed right on the top.

This is one of those awesome desserts that are so simple, but look difficult. These little bites are rich, smooth, crunchy and chewy all in one. You can't beat that!