holiday recipe – In Good Taste

Cookies, Chocolate & Cheer [Snickerdoodle Blondie Bars]

Maris Callahan — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 04:31:30 +0000

Snickerdoodle Blondie Bars are moist, dense and have a little added kick from a ginger cinnamon sugar topping. Perfect for rounding out a holiday cookie platter or packing up as a holiday hostess gift. I know, I know. This time of year there are sweets and cocktails everywhere and you’re actually sick of desserts and you’re tired of drinking and you just really want to eat a salad. Well, to that I say: TOO. BAD. Not only did I make cinnamon snickerdoodle blondie bars, but I am co-hosting an amazing event on Tuesday, December 13th, so put on your party pants and get ready to sip cocktails, decorate cookies and take home some delicious artisan chocolate. I am teaming up with a few of my blogging friends to host a cookie decorating party to raise money for Youth Outreach Services, an organization in Chicago uniquely dedicated to providing prevention services, child welfare, juvenile justice support and mental and behavioral health counseling to at-risk teenagers, all with the intention of helping these young adults reach a brighter future. Here’s the scoop on how you can join us too: Freehand Chicago 19 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611 United States What better way to get in the […]

The post Cookies, Chocolate & Cheer [Snickerdoodle Blondie Bars] appeared first on In Good Taste.

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

Maris Callahan — Sat, 19 Nov 2016 02:00:09 +0000

When I was in first grade, my class had a Thanksgiving party in which I was responsible for bringing cranberry bread. My mom made it with a boxed mix and I suppose it went over well with the six year old crowd, because every year thereafter, I would make cranberry bread — or pumpkin cranberry bread — for our family’s Thanksgiving dinner. At some point in my early twenties I graduated from baking cranberry bread from the boxed mix to baking cranberry bread from scratch. Over the years, I’ve come to believe that the ingredients you use in your cooking will play a huge role in the quality of the final product. That means fresh citrus juices instead of bottled, high quality herbs and spices and Bob’s Red Mill organic unbleached white flour (grab your own with this coupon from the brand). Organic Unbleached White Flour is freshly milled from Organic hard red wheat. Both the bran and the germ have been removed leaving the endosperm that is made into white flour. It is not enriched with any additives. This is the same high protein flour used by professional bakers and produces high, well-textured loaves of bread equally as well as […]

The post Pumpkin Cranberry Bread appeared first on In Good Taste.

Chocolate Strawberry Brownies

Maris Callahan — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 06:56:41 +0000

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SendSweetness #CollectiveBias Dark chocolate brownies dotted with fresh strawberries as well as M&M’s® Strawberry candies make for the perfect Valentine’s Day sweet treat. People assume that when you aren’t in a committed relationship, you must hate Valentine’s Day. Now, I hate the entire month of February, but that’s a story for another day. I’ve never been in a long-term committed relationship over Valentine’s Day, but that’s hardly the fault of February 14th. I like the idea of a day to celebrate love. Mostly though, I like the idea of a day to celebrate chocolate. My grandmother’s recipe for Cake Nor Candy brownies has always been one of my favorites to make from scratch. It’s easy, requires one bowl, no electric mixer and absolutely no one who has ever tried these brownies has done anything except rave about them. M&M’s® have always been one of my favorite candies, so when I saw M&M’s® Strawberry in the Valentine’s Day candy aisle, I knew that they would be the perfect way to give a favorite recipe an extra special twist for a day dedicated to heart shaped candy and […]

The post Chocolate Strawberry Brownies appeared first on In Good Taste.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Maris Callahan — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 04:16:59 +0000

There’s something funny about time. When you’re in a four-hour meeting, time moves quite slowly. But in the grand scheme of things, life moves quickly. Sometimes changes happen before you’re ready for them and sometimes when they happen, you realize that they were in fact long overdue. In this case, I’m glad that time is flying as quickly as it is because the fact that it’s November means that it’s almost time for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is like Christmas for most foodies. Not only do you get to spend most of the day in the kitchen baking, basting, stirring and chopping, but the day culminates with a group of people oohing and aahing over the meal. Contrary to just about every other meal I eat during the year, at Thanksgiving, dessert is my least favorite part. If you pace yourself like me, you’ll be too full for dessert by the time the pumpkin pie rolls around. Creamy and just rich enough, this cheesecake is an easy replacement for any pumpkin pie and its gingersnap crust is the perfect teaser for a holiday season filled with gingerbread men and sugar cookies. Save Print Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie with Gingersnap Crust Author: Maris Callahan […]

The post Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie with Gingersnap Crust appeared first on In Good Taste.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies with White Chocolate Raspberry Filling

Maris Callahan — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 20:11:25 +0000

When I visited New England for a long weekend earlier this year, my friend Ann kept insisting that we try whoopie pies, the official state treat of Maine. We went so far as to pick some up on our ride up from Boston to Portland but between eating lobster rolls, clams and linguine and finally, the famous mashed potato and bacon pizza from Otto over the course of the weekend, we never even came close to leaving any room for whoopie pies. Though as time progresses, I find myself in the kitchen doing more cooking and less baking, I still get the urge to visit my stand mixer every now and again and bake something sweet. With whoopie pies still on my mind, I decided to dust off an old recipe for the Maine treat and give them some holiday flavor with International Delight White Chocolate Raspberry cream filling. Save Print Chocolate Whoopie Pies with While Chocolate Raspberry Filling Author: Maris Callahan Recipe type: Sweet Treats, Holiday Recipe Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 50 mins Serves: 6-8 Ingredients Cakes 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup cocoa powder 1¼ teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup buttermilk […]

The post Chocolate Whoopie Pies with White Chocolate Raspberry Filling appeared first on In Good Taste.