Taro White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yay! Cookies!! This is my first year participating in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. What's better than receiving 3 dozen cookies from bloggers across the country!? Let me tell ya...nothing! :)

I received a dozen Peanut Butter Chippers from Sara at Sara Ran Away with the Spoon, a dozen Peppermint Mocha Cookies from Lauren at Making Life Sweet, and I received a dozen Hot Fudge Thumbprint Cookies with Caramel Drizzle from Meghan at The Tasty Fork.

So when you guys looked at the photo of my cookies…were you like…why are they purple? Or was the color a clue for some of you?

Have you guys ever heard of taro? What about bubble tea?

I fell in love with the taro flavor by drinking bubble tea. Bubble tea is a drink either iced or blended, available in many different flavors, and include little tapioca pearls (bubbles). Taro is my favorite flavor of bubble tea and it comes in this lovely shade of purple. Taro is actually a root vegetable and has a natural light purple color, to me it’s kind of like a nutty vanilla flavor. Bubble tea was created in Taiwan and it is available in some restaurants, there is a great little Thai place next to my office that has a small bubble tea room in the back, but you can also find it in some coffee houses and cafes.

Source

I used a taro powder that I ordered off the interwebs in my cookies. It’s actually a mix that I can make my own taro bubble tea with. I also have some tapioca pearls and fat straws in case I ever get a craving. This is what the taro powder looks like.

This is not the same brand of taro powder I used, as I can't remember where I ordered it from, but I found a pretty picture to show you from a company (Bossen) that sells it. 

Taro White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 cups flour

1 cup taro powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer cream together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.

3.  Add eggs one at a time and then beat in vanilla and almond extract.

4.  In a large bowl sift together flour, taro powder, baking soda, and salt, then add it to the wet mixture in three additions, then stir in white chocolate chips.

5.  Place about a tablespoon on batter about an inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8-12 minutes until the edges start to brown. Cool on sheet about 5 minutes before placing on a wire cooling rack until cooled completely.

If you would like to participate in next years cookie swap go here and sign up for notifications. :)

Apple Cinnamon Muffins made with Honeycrisp Apple Wheat

As a kid, fruit desserts were not my favorite. The fruit dessert that ended up showing up the most was apple pie. I would pass it up a lot of time rather than have dessert. Give me chocolate or forget it! I remember apple pie most often at my grandma’s house. My grandmother took care of me during the day as both of my parents worked. If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times, oh how I wish I had developed my love for food and baking while my grandmother was alive. She was such an amazing cook. She was the type that didn't even use a recipe, she had just made it so many times she could do it by memory, by what it looked like, and felt like. She could make anything taste good. She could make fried bologna taste gourmet. I’m sure she could have passed on a lot of knowledge on to me if I was just willing to take it all in. If only…..

As an adult, of course, my palate has changed and I have to come to enjoy a world of different ingredients, apples being one of them. This recipe actually came together when I had purchased a beer that was just a little too sweet for me, but still had a great flavor. Yeah there's beer in there. Would grandma have approved? ;)

I love this time of year! It's so nice and cool outside and I love these warm flavors. Today as I baked these muffins I had all my windows open just airing out the house. The crisp cool air combined with the warm apple cinnamon scent wafting from my oven was just heaven. That in itself just made it a perfect day. I wish I could share a muffin with my grandma. I sometimes wonder what she would think of my baking.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins made with Honeycrisp Apple Wheat

For the muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3/4 cups brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

2 cups diced apples (I used 3 medium gala, but you can use whatever you have)

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 egg, room temperature

1/4 cup butter, room temperature (half stick)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat, room temperature (I used Shock Top, but if you have a different brand of apple beer, I'm sure it would work here too)

1 tsp vanilla

For the crumb topping

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup oats

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a muffin tin with baking spray. (I use Bak-klene ZT no-stick bakery spray, it’s the best, it doesn't leave a sticky residue on my tins)

2.  In a large bowl whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then toss in apples and pecans to coat.

3.  In a medium bowl whisk together egg, butter, oil, apple wheat, and vanilla.

4.   Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and stir until batter just comes together and the flour mixture absorbs all the wet ingredients, then fill muffin tin 3/4 of the way full and top with a heaping tablespoon of crumb topping mixture.

5.  To make crumb topping mixture just combine all ingredients in small bowl until all are incorporated.

6.  Bake muffins in preheated oven for 15-25 minutes (mine were perfect at 20 minutes), until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Chocolate Cookie Butter Bars

The other half is so good about his dieting self discipline...I kind of feel bad for him...that his wife bakes what he shouldn't be eating like all the time. While I was baking these bars he said I was evil and I had better get them out of the house. My co-workers, on the other hand, are very happy to have me. Because of him I now have food guilt. When I go to the grocery store with him our cart is mostly filled with fresh fruit and vegetables...when I go by myself it's sugar, chocolate, and all kinds of junk food. I keep thinking the people in line in front of me are watching me load up the conveyor belt...judging me...thinking wow what a fatty. That being said this last trip to Trader Joe's along with the cookie butter and loads of chocolate, I swear I had everything pumpkin in the store...shame or not...I was getting this...all of this!

For those of you that have not tried cookie butter yet, stop what you are doing and go to the store right now and buy yourself a jar.  It's cookie butter at Trader Joe's or Biscoff at other grocers. This stuff is so amazing that I've been found eating it right out of the jar with a spoon. Trader Joe's just came out with Cocoa Swirl Cookie Butter and I just had to grab a jar. If fact, just telling you guys about it right now made me get up and go grab a spoonful. I'm powerless against it. I knew I wanted to make some bars with it and to make these bars even better I chopped up some of their cookie butter filled dark chocolate bars and threw them in as well. You will not be disappointed!

Chocolate Cookie Butter Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

3/4 cup Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter swirled with Cocoa

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

4 Trader Joe’s speculoos bars (cookie butter filled dark chocolate), chopped

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 13x9 baking pan with foil and spray with non stick cooking spray.

2.  In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.

3.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a large bowl with a hand mixer) cream together butter, cookie butter, granulated and brown sugar, until light and fluffy.

4.  With the mixer on low beat in the egg and then the vanilla.

5.  Then gradually add in the flour mixture until just combined.

6.  Turn the dough out into prepared pan and smooth out with a spatula, bottom of the measuring cup, or your hands, whatever works.

7.  Sprinkle the chopped chocolate bars over the top, pressing down slightly, and drizzle the sweetened condensed over the top.

8.  Bake in preheated oven for 17-23 minutes, mine spent 20 minutes in the oven. Then let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before lifting out of pan and cutting.

Cinnamon Chip Pumpkin Cookies

I love the fall season. Not that we really get a "fall" here in Texas, but I just love the weather. It's finally nice enough to go outside and do things. During the summer you have to stick to water related activities because it's just too darn hot. Right now it's great, I've been eating my lunches outside and spending more time on the patio in the evenings. Anything to keep me occupied so I don't have to do housework, that's me. My poor husband, but it's not like he didn't know what he was getting into. He was fully aware he wasn't marrying a housekeeper or a cook. Luckily I married both...I know...I'm a lucky girl.

Are you ready for some yummy fall spiced cookies?

It's like autumn exploded in your mouth.

These are pretty quick and easy for a scratch recipe. Doesn't take too long to mix them up all in one bowl. This is my new favorite pumpkin recipe. They'd be great with coffee in the morning or just a little snack. For me they're dinner. My eating habits are so horrible when the other half is out of town. I'm like a kid trying to get my hands on all the junk food possible. But this isn't junk food...it has pumpkin in it...which is a fruit...therefore it's healthy.  Like my logic?

Cinnamon Chip Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup cinnamon chips

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer) cream together butter and both sugars, until light and fluffy about two minutes.

3.  Beat in the egg, pumpkin, and vanilla extract, about another minute.

4.  With the mixer off add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl. Then start on low to stir the ingredients together and then speed the mixer up and beat until combined, then stir in cinnamon chips.

5.  Drop tablespoons of the batter onto the cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for 12-16 minutes. (mine were perfect at 14 mins) Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

While cookies are cooling, make cinnamon glaze.

For the glaze
Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp whole milk

Directions:
1.  Whisk ingredients together until smooth and spoon glaze over cookies.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Pantry Brownies

I have been in a pre-vacation coma. I haven't even gone grocery shopping. Can you believe I'm out of ice? It's just frozen water, in case you didn't know, and I don't even have that! So of course I am out of a lot of my baking staples, but that's what makes it fun right, what can I throw together that tastes delicious? That is why I call these pantry brownies because these aren't your ordinary brownie ingredients...ok so they're pretty ordinary just not the normal amount...so I just threw everything in there. We have only 1 egg, no granulated sugar, and only 3 tablespoons of butter, so I had to improvise. I thought I might as well throw all the other little odds and ends in there that have been sitting around while I'm at it. So feel free to throw in whatever you have and substitute what you need to.

Pantry Brownies

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup toffee bits
1/2 cup caramel bits

Directions:
1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 baking tin.

2.   In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer cream together brown sugar, butter, and coconut oil.

3.  Then mix in the egg, vanilla, and milk.

4.   Stir in cocoa powder until smooth.

5.  Then add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until incorporated.

6.  Stir in what ever mix-ins you are using, for these I used white chocolate chips, toffee bits, and caramel bits.

7.   Pour batter into the prepared baking tin and bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes. Let cool slightly on wire rack before slicing.

Pineapple Mango Cobbler

Yay for Labor Day Weekend!! I reeeeally needed a break from work. I'm in business banking and work with the public. Anyone that works with the public knows that it can nearly drive a person crazy after a while. It can be great but can also be stressful if you let it. You definitely learn so much about people and the way we all react to each other. There are some genuinely nice people out there and then there are some that are just...not. I know all you guys are the nice ones so you deserve a little something sweet.

I've got a quick and easy one for you for the end of summer. I am so happy for September to come along for so many reasons. The relentless heat will start to ease up a little, and hopefully a cold snap will roll through so we can start wearing some comfy fall fashions. The yummy fall flavors like pumpkin and spices are right around the corner, and what I am even more stoked about, the other half and I are going on our fall vacation.

I. Can't. Wait.

Let's get to the cobbler, shall we? It's somewhat reminiscent of a pineapple upside down cake. This little summery cobbler is full of juicy, sweet, tropical fruit and it is blended nicely with pillows of browned butter, brown sugar cakey goodness. I like to eat it warm with a little vanilla ice cream on top.

Pineapple Mango Cobbler

Ingredients:
6 tbsp butter, browned
1 cup flour
1/2 cup almond flour
3/4 cup + 4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1 cup diced fresh mango
1 cup diced fresh pineapple

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

2.  Place the butter into a small sauce pan and brown over medium low heat, about 10 minutes. When the butter reaches an amber color reserve 2 tablespoons and pour the rest into a 2.5 quart baking dish and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of brown sugar over that.

3.  Place flour, almond flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, and mix on medium high speed until smooth.

4.  Spoon the batter into the baking dish over the butter and brown sugar and sprinkle the mango and pineapple on top of the batter, then drizzle the reserved 2 tablespoons of browned butter and sprinkle 2 more tablespoons of brown sugar on top of that.

5.  Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes to an hour.

Gooey Snickerdoodle Peaches and Cream Bars *Vegan*

Goodbye summer...at least for all the kiddos that is. Time to go back to school and time for crappy traffic in the morning again. Seriously do parents not work in the summer or what? I don't understand how the traffic situation changes so drastically when school starts. I thought most schools were in their own little neighborhood/suburb, why are the highways jam packed? This is the age old question. Traffic aside not only am I going to miss the less crowded roads but I'm going to miss all the summer flavors. I love the fresh berries, bright citrus, love watermelon, and the peaches. I heart peaches. I've been craving a sweet gooey bar for weeks now and the other half just happened to bring home some peaches from the farmers market the other day. It was destiny...peaches and cream bars had to happen.

Gooey Snickerdoodle Peaches and Cream Bars *Vegan*

Ingredients:
3/4 cup maple sugar (I found this at Trader Joe’s but have also seen it at our regular grocery store. If you use regular granulated sugar use 1 cup measurement)
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 fresh peach, sliced
1/4 cup pecans
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sweetened condensed coconut milk (Recipe below)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8 baking pan with foil.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment cream together maple sugar, coconut oil, and maple syrup, then stir in the almond milk and vanilla.

3. Then add to the bowl the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined.

4. Reserve about a 1/2 cup (a good handful) of the dough and set aside, then press the rest of the dough into the foil lined baking tin.

5. Arrange sliced peaches all over the top of the dough, sprinkle the pecans over them, and then drizzle the sweetened condensed coconut milk all over the top, then crumble pieces of the reserved dough and dot the top of the bars with it.

6. In a small bowl or dish mix together sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle that over the top of the bars.

7. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The top will start to brown slightly. (Mine baked for 23 minutes)

Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

Ingredients:
1 (13.5 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
1. Pour can in heavy sauce pan and stir in sugar. Turn burner onto medium until it starts to bubble around the sides, then turn down to med low.

2. Set the timer for 1 hour and stir frequently to avoid burning. I stirred about every 10 minutes or so. You want to it to be thicker and reduced by about half. Let cool completely.

You can do this ahead of time and store covered in the refrigerator.