New York-Style Black & White Cookies

This post is sponsored in conjunction with Christmas Cookies Week. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the Christmas Cookies Week recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

If you’ve never had a black and white cookie, put it on your list for the next time you visit NYC. These oversized, cake-like cookies that are frosted half with vanilla and half with chocolate are some of my favorites – and they’ve been on my baking bucket list forever.

All this extra time home is giving me some time to get around to ideas I’ve had stashed away – and these pillowy cookies just made my heart so, so happy.

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Kids in the Kitchen: Small Batch Muddy Buddies

Do you call these muddy buddies? Puppy chow? Something else?

Around here, we just call them delicious! But, for real, everyone in the family loves them. And I love that this small batch version is the perfect size to whip up for movie night or family game night .

This is also a recipe that’s great for the kids to tackle! Bigger kids will be able to do nearly all of this solo – but there are things that even the littlest kids can help with!

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Spaghetti & Meatball Cupcakes {Movie Snack Series}

There are few food scenes in movies as iconic as the spaghetti scene in Lady and the Tramp.

Spaghetti Cupcakes 2

Of course, when you think of movie snacks, you don’t think of spaghetti and meatballs – so I turned it into cupcakes instead.

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Cheese Danish

Happy National Cheese Lover’s Day!

I don’t always celebrate this arbitrary food holidays, but National Cheese Lover’s Day is just one I couldn’t ignore.

cheese danish 2

Cheese danishes are a favorite of mine. Whenever we find ourselves somewhere with a spread of pastries, I always snatch up the cheese one before anyone can take it on me. Knowing how ridiculously easy it is to make them at home? Really dangerous.

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Grinch Cocoa with Peppermint Marshmallows #ChristmasSweetsWeek

This post is sponsored in conjunction with ChristmasSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

There are two things my four-year-old is loving this season: hot chocolate and the Grinch. I combined the two for him in this fun, festive treat.

Grinch Cocoa 3

Welcome to #ChristmasSweetsWeek 2018 hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures! What better way to celebrate the holidays than with food and a fun giveaway? 44 bloggers from around the country have come together to share over 180 sweet Christmas recipes!! Deck the halls and get ready for very merry sweet treats, like fudge, cookies, Christmas morning breakfasts, layer cakes, martinis, cocoa, and more! Our #ChristmasSweetsWeek sponsors are helping us give away some great prizes. Thank you so much, Sponsors, for your generosity. We have an incredible giveaway below and would love if you would take a moment to read about it and what you can win!

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Cream Cheese Buttons with a Dark Chocolate Drizzle #ChristmasCookies

This post is sponsored in conjunction with Christmas Cookies Week. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the Christmas Cookies Week recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

If you make up holiday cookie trays, you know there are two types of cookies: “showpieces” and “fillers”. Your showpieces are the eye-catching ones – the iced sugar cookies, the ones rolled in sprinkles or dusted with peppermint. Your fillers are the cookies that make up “everything else”.

These are fillers.

Cream Cheese Buttons 3

The thing about fillers is they’re unassuming. It’s probably not the cookie you grab off the tray first, but my goal is always to make my fillers delicious. These fillers absolutely fit the bill.

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Iced Cutout Cookies #ChristmasCookies

This post is sponsored in conjunction with Christmas Cookies Week. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the Christmas Cookies Week recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

Until relatively recently, cutout cookies really intimidated me. Now, they’ve become one of my favorite kitchen projects.

Cutout Cookies 1

I think my breakthrough was being able to let go of the expectation of perfect. I adore those perfectly-frosted cookies, but that’s just not in my wheelhouse right now. Luckily, these cookies taste just as good and are just as fun without a perfect icing job.

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Pina Colada Popsicles + Win a bottle of Nielsen-Massey Vanilla! #NielsenMasseyInspires

Disclosure: I received complimentary products in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

It is finally starting to feel like spring around here. I actually left the house without a coat last week! It also means I’m starting to pack away my “winter” meals – soups, stews, pot pies – in favor of grilled dishes and frozen desserts. When Nielsen-Massey asked if I wanted to try out one of their vanillas, I knew exactly which one I’d be itching to try.

Pina Colada Popsicles

Tahitian vanilla is perfect in cold applications like ice cream – and these popsicles. They’re seriously like an island vacation on a stick!

These are the perfect creamy combo of pineapple and coconut. I added just a little rum to give it the traditional pina colada feel (and make them fun for the adults!), but you could use rum extract or omit it and these would still be fantastic.

Nielsen-Massey Vanilla

Want to win your own bottle of Nielsen-Massey Tahitian Pure Vanilla Extract? Nielsen-Massey is offering one up to a lucky reader! Click here to enter —> a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pina Colada Popsicles

Creamy Pina Colada Popsicles
(a Kate’s Recipe Box original)
Makes 8 popsicles

1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, finely chopped
1/3 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
1 tsp. Nielsen-Massey Tahitian Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp. gold rum, optional
1 cup whipping cream

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Use a stick blender (or pour into a regular blender!) and blend until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze overnight.

 

Cherry Vanilla Coke Poke Cake #CookoutWeek

Every good cookout needs a fun dessert – and this is my new favorite.

Cherry Vanilla Coke just reminds me of summer so I was smitten when I saw this cake. It really does capture the flavors nicely. It was my first time making a poke cake, but I have to say I’m hooked. It was so moist! I made this a day ahead and it was perfect on the day of our cookout.

I also loved how easy this was to put together. I always plan ambitious menus for our cookouts so having something this easy was a definite bonus!

CherryVanillaCokePokeCake

Cherry Vanilla Coke Poke Cake
(from The Recipe Critic)
Makes 1 9×13″ cake

1 French vanilla cake mix, plus ingredients to prepare
1 large box cherry flavored Jello
12 oz. Coca Cola
1/2 cup cold water
1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 container frozen whipped topping, thawed
Chocolate sprinkles and maraschino cherries, for topping

Prepare the cake according to package directions. Once baked, let cool for 15 minutes and then use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes about 1 inch apart all over the cake.

In a bowl, combine the Jello mix, coke and water. Whisk until dissolved and then pour slowly over the cake, filling up the holes as much as possible. Refrigerate for at least half hour.

After the cake is chilled, combine the pudding mix and milk. Whisk until thoroughly combined then stir in vanilla. Fold in the whipped topping and then ice the cake. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

When ready to serve, top with sprinkles and cherries.