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Sarah’s Minestrone Soup

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Make It Your Own

The base of any minestrone soup is going to be vegetables and pasta. In Sarah’s Minestrone Soup (yes, I’m putting my name on this one), I start with a pound of ground breakfast sausage before diving into those classic ingredients. If you want to spice things up, you can choose a spicy sausage but I use “original” flavor. I keep the chopping to a minimum in this recipe. Yes, you need to cut an onion and mince a few cloves of garlic but that is it! All other produce is either canned or frozen. It is so much easier to have canned and frozen items on hand and frankly, it can be cheaper. I do use fresh thyme in this recipe because I prefer the flavor over the dried version but use whatever is easiest for you. Plucking those fresh thyme leaves is a tedious task. I prefer to use food safe twine to bundle the thyme sprigs. The exact number of sprigs is not critical, just grab a few and move on with the recipe.

Garlic, bay leaf, and a bundle of thyme

Methods

As far as soups go, Sarah’s Minestrone Soup comes together fairly quickly. Brown the sausage first to ensure it cooks through. This will also provide oils to help cook down the onions and garlic. Once those are cooked down, you add the canned tomatoes, salt & pepper, vegetable broth, and frozen vegetables. The blend I use includes green beans, corn, carrots, and peas. But use whatever blend you prefer or have on hand. Toss in your thyme and bay leaf then bring the pot to a boil. Once boiling, add your pasta. Be sure to stir periodically as the pasta cooks so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. You are ready to serve once the pasta is cooked through. Yes, this makes a large pot of soup. Perfect for feeding a crowd, sharing with neighbors, or storing half of it away in the freezer for a later date.

A wooden spoon full of soup over a pot of soup.
A wooden spoon full of soup over a pot of soup.

Sarah’s Minestrone Soup

Sarah Baade
A hearty soup full of veggies, pasta, and sausage.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dinner

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground sausage
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 28 oz canned fired roasted diced tomatoes (do not drain)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 16 oz frozen mixed vegetables
  • 5-10 sprigs fresh thyme tied into a bundle with food safe twine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1½ cups small pasta of your choice (I used ditalini)

Instructions
 

  • In a Dutch oven or large pot, brown sausage over medium heat.
  • Stir in onions and cook until translucent.
  • Add garlic and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
  • Stir in tomatoes and salt & pepper.
  • Add vegetable broth, vegetables, thyme, and bay leaf to pot and increase heat to high, bringing soup to a boil.
  • Add pasta and stir occasionally to ensure it does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
  • Once pasta is cooked, remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
  • Serve warm. Optional to sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.
Keyword Homemade Soup, Minestrone Soup, Soup

Additional Cold Weather Recipes:

Barley Soup

Semi-Homemade Pot Pie

One Pot Vegetarian Chili

Sugar Cookie Bars

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Cookie Bar vs Blondie

Sugar cookie bars are clearly a cookie bar. Technically, though, a blondie is also a cookie bar. The two desserts look very similar. Of course, the primary difference is in the ingredients rather than the appearance. What type of sugar you use is the specific difference. For these sugar cookie bars, I used white sugar. A classic blondie, would use brown sugar and butter for a butterscotch type flavor. Blondies also often mix in chocolate chips and pecans. A classic sugar cookie really does not have any type of mix ins. However, I did use rainbow sprinkles in these sugar cookie bars. Are the sprinkles required? I would say yes but feel free to decide for yourself.

Stack of sugar cookie bars with sprinkles.

No Chill

These sugar cookie bars have no chill. Literally. You do not need to chill the dough. You also don’t need to soften the butter – you’ll just melt it. Go ahead and grab everything out of your pantry and fridge. Whisk your dry ingredients. Mix your wet ingredients. Stir the dry and wet ingredients together. Add the sprinkles. Press the dough into a prepared pan. I added a few more sprinkles on top to make them extra colorful, no need to press these in. Bake for thirty minutes. Once cooled, cut the bars into 16 squares. It really is this easy. And the reward for your work is very sweet.

Sugar Cookie Bars with rainbow sprinkles.
Stack of sugar cookie bars with sprinkles.

Sugar Cookie Bars

Sarah Baade
These sugar cookie bars are sweet, tasty, and made festive with rainbow sprinkles.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 bars

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles (an additional tablespoon for sprinkling on top if desired)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, corn starch, baking soda, and salt.
  • In a large mixing bowl, stir together butter, sugar, and vanilla.
  • Mix egg into wet ingredients. (If butter is still quite warm from melting, be sure to mix egg in rapidly so that it doesn't become a scrambled egg in the batter.)
  • Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until almost completely blended together.
  • Add 1/3 cup sprinkles to cookie dough and mix until evenly distributed. Dry ingredients should also now be fully incorporated.
  • Press dough into prepared pan. Add remaining tablespoon of sprinkles on top if you choose using (no need to press these into the dough).
  • Bake 30 minutes or until slightly golden on top and a test toothpick comes out clean.
  • Let cool completely before cutting into 16 squares.
Keyword Cookie Bars, Peppermint Sugar Cookies, Sugar Cookie Bars

Looking for more cookie bars? Give these recipes a try:

All In Cookie Bars

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

All In Cookie Bars

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All In

All in. These All In Cookie Bars have a thick chocolate chip cookie base packed full with add-ins you have in your pantry. To create these, I literally grabbed bits and pieces of ingredients from half empty packages. This is the perfect recipe to use up that random bag of pecans, different chocolate ships, etc. Toss them all in! With that in mind, you won’t need to stick exactly to the add-ins I used here. We’ll get into that as we get to each step of the recipe.

Cookie bar with chocolate, pretzels, marshmallows, and pecans.

Step By Step

Let’s get into the details of these All In Cookie Bars! In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. This makes for even distribution when you mix into the wet ingredients. Set the dry ingredients to the side and grab a large mixing bowl. I like to use a stand mixer but you can absolutely use a hand mixer. In the large bowl, beat together both sugars with the butter until light in texture. Mix in the eggs and vanilla then gradually add in those dry ingredients until just combined.

Cookie bar with chocolate, pretzels, marshmallows, and pecans.

Add Ins

Here is where the All In Cookie Bars get fun and can be customized. Let me start by telling you what I used: pecan pieces, semi-sweet chocolate chunks, dark chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, pretzel pieces. Ultimately, you want a mix of sweet and salty add ins and don’t skimp on whichever ingredient is your favorite. No pretzels on hand? Use plain potato chips or gold fish crackers. No pecans? Use walnuts or peanuts. Use whatever type of chocolate you have on hand – dark, milk, white, whatever. Toffee bits are another fun sweet option. If you have large marshmallows instead of minis, just cut them up and toss the pieces in. Get creative! Whatever add ins you use, toss them all into the dough together and stir them in by hand so as to not over mix the dough. Feel free to sprinkle a few on top before baking as well.

Cookie bar with chocolate, pretzels, marshmallows, and pecans.

All In Cookie Bars

Sarah Baade
Thick chocolate chip cookie base packed full with add-ins you have in your pantry.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 16 cookie bars

Equipment

  • 1 Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
  • 1 8×8 baking pan

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Add Ins – can be customized based on what you have on hand

  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows
  • 2/3 cup pretzel pieces
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup pecan pieces

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar and brown sugar until light in texture.
  • Mix in eggs and vanilla.
  • Gradually stir in dry ingredients until just combined.
  • With a sturdy wooden spoon, stir in add ins of your choice.
  • Press dough into prepared baking pan and bake 30-35 minutes or until golden in color and a test stick comes out clean.
  • Once cooled, cut into 16 squares and enjoy!

Notes

Use whatever add ins you happen to have in your pantry. Possible options: toffee bits, walnuts, peanuts, potato chips, gold fish, chocolate of any type (dark, milk, white, etc).
Keyword All In Cookie Bars, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cookie Bars

More Cookies With Chocolate Chips:

Perfect Dozen Chocolate Chip Cookies

Almond Monster Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

RED VELVET CRINKLE BLOSSOM COOKIES

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Holiday Cookies

This is the third year in a row that I have created a new recipe specifically for Valentine’s Day. Probably my favorite holiday to make sweet treats for! But don’t let all the red and pink fool you, these treats are fun to eat year round! First was my Peanut Butter Cut Out Cookies. Then came my Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars. This year, I’m bringing you Red Velvet Crinkle Blossom Cookies. Red velvet cookie dough rolled in powdered sugar then topped with a chocolate kiss fresh out of the oven. Absolute perfection.

Red velvet cookies topped with chocolate kisses.

Dry Ingredients

You know the routine by now, right? Start these Red Velvet Crinkle Blossom Cookies with your dry ingredients. In a bowl, you’re going to whisk together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt. This will disperse the baking powder throughout the cookies. You want to do this for two reasons. First, you don’t want anyone to bite into a clump of baking powder. Trust me on this, a clump of baking powder makes for a very bitter bite. The other reason you want to whisk these ingredients is to make sure your cookies rise properly.

A bite taken out of a red velvet cookie topped with a chocolate kiss.

Wet Ingredients

In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Make sure you’re using room temperature butter. Beat it with the sugar until it is light in color and texture. In other words, beat it until you think you’ve got it and then beat it some more. Then mix in the eggs, vanilla, and food coloring. Yes, this recipe calls for a lot of food coloring. Yes, this is normal for red velvet. We want RED Velvet Crinkle Blossom Cookies, not pink. Finally, you can gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Now chill. Seriously, cover the dough with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour. I like to let it chill overnight.

A bite take out of a red velvet cookie topped with a chocolate kiss.

Make Them Pretty

Once your dough is chilled for these Red Velvet Crinkle Blossom Cookies, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350℉. Roll dough into tight tablespoon sized balls then coat heavily in powdered sugar. No need to shake off any excess powdered sugar. Place on prepared cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes. As soon as you pull the cookies out of the oven, gently press a chocolate kiss into the middle of each cookie. Let cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack. These are particularly delicious when they are still barely warm and the chocolate has warmed enough to fully melt in your mouth.

Red velvet cookies topped with chocolate kisses.

Red Velvet Crinkle Blossom Cookies

Sarah Baade
Red velvet cookies rolled in powdered sugar and topped with a chocolate kiss.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 1 hr 40 mins
Course Dessert
Servings 30 cookies
Calories 127 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2½ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 3 eggs
  • 1-2 Tablespoons red food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup powdered sugar (may need more depending on how heavily you coat the rolled dough)
  • 30 chocolate kisses, unwrapped

Instructions
 

  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
  • Mix eggs, 1 tablespoon food coloring, and vanilla.
  • Gradually stir dry ingredients in. If dough is pink in appearance, add more food coloring until you reach a deep red color.
  • Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill 1 hour minimum (can chill overnight if preferred)
  • When ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 350℉ and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Tightly roll dough into tablespoon sized balls then roll in powdered sugar until fully covered. Place on prepared baking sheet, 3 inches apart. Bake 10 minutes.
  • When cookies are fresh out of the oven, gently press a chocolate kiss into the middle of each cookie.
  • Let cookies cool slightly before transferring to cooling rack.
Keyword Blossom Cookies, Lemon Crinkle Cookies, Red Velvet, Red Velvet Cookies, Red Velvet Crinkle Blossom Cookies

VIRTUAL BAKING WITH MAMA

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Up For The Challenge

At the start of 2021, I hadn’t seen any of my family in over a year due to the pandemic. My mom and I have always enjoyed baking together and so we decided to create a virtual baking challenge for the year. Each month, we chose a bake that neither of us had ever attempted – that alone was a challenge as we both have years of baking experience. We baked each recipe on the same day and then did a video chat to compare our results, discuss what we might change about the recipe (if anything), and review how easy or difficult we felt it was. You can find the virtual baking reviews on my Instagram video series titled “2021 Baking Challenge”. In the mean time, here are the links to the recipes we made along with some brief discriptions. *None of these recipes are my own.

Top Three

I’m giving you the full list of virtual baking recipes, month-by-month, below. But I know you want the short version so here is my top three. Be sure to check out my descriptions below for more detail though. Drumroll please… Coming in at #3) January – Tarte Tatin. #2) April – Burnt Basque Cheesecake. And my #1) October – Beef and Potato Pithivier. I never would have guessed that the savory bake would be my top choice but the belly wants what the belly wants. I’m already looking forward to making it again soon.

January – Tarte Tatin

This one had me nervous. I thought it would be really complex in skill level. As it turns out, the hardest part was finding the right size pan. I would add some warm spices next time to make it a little more flavorful. Overall though, I found it to be relatively easy to make and I loved the crispness of the crust.

Tarte Tatin

February – King Cake

This King Cake itself was heavenly! We purchased our decorations here so as to get the colors just right and to ensure we had the traditional baby to add under the cake. My only issue was that the filling did not disburse evenly throughout the cake. Next time I make this, I will roll the dough out and spread the filling evenly before rolling it up. (*This is the only recipe we used that came from a cookbook rather than online.)

King cake topped with icing and green, purple, and yellow sprinkles.

March – Almond Puff Pastry

Possibly my least favorite recipe from the entire year. The filling was delicious but I had trouble with the puff pastry itself. If I were to make this again, I would purchase pre-made puff pastry dough but still use the homemade filling. Not only would pre-made dough give you quality texture and rise, it would save a lot of time.

Almond puff pastry on a sheet pan.

April – Burnt Basque Cheesecake

If you want an easy, luscious dessert, this is the one for you. The creaminess is unlike any you’ve had in a traditional cheesecake. Just 5 ingredients and no crust. You will need a large food processor or blender and a spring form pan as well as some parchment paper. It looks burned but the flavor and texture are out of this world.

Burnt Basque cheesecake

May – Cannolis

There are some things in life left best to the professionals. Cannolis definitely fall into that category for me. The flavor was fantastic. However, I had a lot of difficulty keeping the shells wrapped together as I fried them. I also generally don’t like dealing with the mess of frying things.

Plate of cannolis with chocolate chips.

June – Pavlova

This is a show stopper!! The white fluffy meringue topped with fresh fruit is absolutely stunning. I know I didn’t get the texture of the meringue just right (I believe I over baked it) but it was still delicious. To me, this would be worth practicing and perfecting the techniques in order to get it just right.

Pavlova topped with fruit.

July – Sticky Toffee Pudding

This is NOT an American style pudding. This is a European style dessert which is what Americans would consider to be more of a cake. I was fascinated by how this was made. The sweetness of the cake itself comes mostly from dates. The toffee sauce gives it a more sugar sweet topping. I appreciated learning how to use dates in ways I’d never thought of before. It essentially looks like a brown blob in the end but it really is yummy.

August – Black and White Cookies

These NYC style cookies are huge and have a cake-like texture. I found it mildly difficult to get a clean line between the chocolate and vanilla icings. I’m sure a little more practice and review of how different people approach it would come in handy. Otherwise, this is a very manageable recipe. If you’re craving a taste of NYC, these are a great way to achieve it.

Black and white cookies.

September – Clafoutis

Let me first say that I am a texture person with food. I’d never eaten a clafoutis before so I’m not sure if we got the texture wrong or if I just don’t like the texture of this dessert. I wanted to like this so badly but it turned out to be a huge fail for me. Again, this may very well be due to my own texture issues rather the quality of the recipe itself.

Pan of clafoutis with spoons in it.

October – Beef and Potato Pithivier

Our only savory bake of the year. This one also had me pretty intimidated on the technique. However, it turned out to be basically a pie without the pie dish. It was much easier than I anticipated! I actually made the dough on one day, the filling the next day, and then put it all together on the third day. This worked out beautifully for my busy schedule. I wish the recipe had given more specific ideas on how to flavor the filling but the rosemary and garlic I added turned out fantastic. I highly recommend this one!

November – Sugar Spice Pear Gallette

We chose this recipe in honor of my late brother, Ron – it was a favorite of his. I followed the recipe as directed except didn’t add all of the sugar mix to the top. Mine lacked flavor because of this. Mom, cut the sugar measurement in half but kept the full measurements of the spices and said her’s was very flavorful. Overall an easy recipe to make and could be made even easier if you used a store bought pie dough.

Pear gallette with a slice taken out.

December – Stollen

This was one of the more involved recipes we made all year. We candied the citrus peel ourselves and made our own marzipan. You just can’t beat homemade quality on these ingredients. I’d say it was worth the time and effort but I would tweak the marzipan to leave out (or at least reduce) the rose water based on my own flavor preferences. We both also decided we will wait to coat the loaves with powdered sugar for when we are ready to serve it rather than when it is fresh out of the oven. We will also roll out the marzipan, lay it over rolled out dough and then roll them up together rather than do the rod of marzipan in the middle. This would give a more even distribution of flavors, textures, and moisture.

Two slices of stollen bread.

Next Challenge

Although the official year of virtual baking is over, the challenges will still continue. Life is busy so we aren’t shooting for a new bake each month. However, we do plan on completing a virtual baking challenge a few times throughout the year. What would you like to see us bake?

PEPPERMINT SUGAR COOKIES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

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Holiday Cookies

Cookies are always a hit this time of year and these Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting are no exception. I was inspired by these Key Lime Sugar Cookies but wanted to put a winter twist on them. I essentially subbed the lime flavor for peppermint, tweaked the cookie recipe itself slightly, and opted for a cream cheese frosting. For that peppermint flavor, the recipe includes crushed candy canes as well as peppermint extract. (*I crushed my candy canes by putting them in a large zip lock bag and gently smashing them with a hammer.) Let’s get into the full details on how to make these peppermint sugar cookies…

Sugar cookies covered in cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with bits of candy cane.

Peppermint Sugar Cookies

Peppermint Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting. Let’s start with the dry ingredients – whisk them together to ensure you don’t have any clumps of baking soda or corn starch. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat the heck out of that butter and sugar together until it is light in both color and texture. Don’t forget to scrape the sides of the bowl periodically. Now add in the egg and peppermint extract. Finally, you want to gradually stir in the dry ingredients and half of the crushed candy cane pieces. Save the other half of the candy for decorating the cookies. Now the part everyone hates, chill the dough for an hour. Yes, you could make these straight away without chilling but they absolutely turn out better if you take the time to chill the dough. Once chilled, form the dough into 1″ balls, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees F for 14-16 minutes. Exact time will vary based on your individual oven.

Sugar cookie covered in cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with bits of candy cane.

Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

Yes, you could eat the cookies as is. However, peppermint sugar cookies WITH cream cheese frosting is what really puts this recipe over the top. While your cookies are cooling, you can make the peppermint cream cheese frosting. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and peppermint extract together. Gradually stir in the powdered sugar. Don’t add it all at once as the powdered sugar and easily puff up out of the bowl, making a huge mess. Spread the frosting over the cookies and sprinkle on the candy cane pieces reserved from the cookie recipe to decorate. FYI, this frosting would also be incredible on chocolate cake/cupcakes.

Sugar cookies covered in cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with bits of candy cane.

Peppermint Sugar Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting

Classic sugar cookies with a festive peppermint twist.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 30 Cookies

Ingredients
  

Cookies

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 5 oz crushed candy cane, divided (This is 12 candy canes)

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 4 oz unsalted butter, softened
  • ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions
 

Cookies

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, corn starch, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light in color. Scrape sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Mix in egg and peppermint extract.
  • Gradually add in flour mixture and half of the crushed candy canes. Again, scrape the bowl periodically. Mix until just combined.
  • Chill dough 1 hour.
  • Once dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Roll cookie dough into 1” balls then place on parchment covered cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between cookies.
  • Bake 14-16 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and peppermint extract until fully combined.
  • Gradually stir in powdered sugar.
  • Spread frosting over cooled cookies and top with remaining crushed candy cane pieces.
Keyword Christmas Cookies, Cookies, Cream Cheese Frosting, Peppermint, Peppermint Sugar Cookies, Sugar Cookies

Lemon Iced Ginger Cookies

Peppermint Cocoa Cookies

Oatmeal Cherry Cookies

APPLE COMPOTE

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Apple Season

Fall is prime apple season and I’m taking full advantage. If you live near an orchard, I highly encourage you to get out there and pick your own. You can’t beat the pricing or the freshness. That being said, your local grocers will likely have a wide variety of apples to choose from. For this Apple Compote recipe, I have used Empire apples and Cortland apples. My personal preference is the Empire variety as they hold their shape a bit better as they cook. The Cortlands were still delicious but break down a bit more as they cook. With either variety, you will still end up with a delicious and sweet compote.

Black bowl of apple compote on a tray with a spoon and an apple.

Six Ingredients

Yes, this Apple Compote comes together with just six ingredients (plus a pinch of salt). If you do even semi-frequent baking, I’m confident you’ll already have everything but the fresh produce on hand. For me the longest part of this recipe is peeling and chopping the apples. I peeled them with a knife but you could also use an apple peeler. As you chop the apples, go ahead and put them directly into a medium sauce pan. with all of the other ingredients. Stir over medium low heat – the sugar, butter, and spices will simmer into a sauce and coat the apples with warm Fall flavors. Once the apples are fork tender, you are ready to serve up this Apple Compote.

Black bowl of apple compote on a tray with a spoon and an apple.

Versatility

What I love most about this easy Apple Compote recipe is how versatile it is. Feel free to eat it by the spoonful – I won’t judge you, I’ll join you. Or, use it in a more traditional sense as a topping for other dishes. I’m daydreaming about these apples on pancakes, waffles, or french toast. This would make a fantastic topping over ice cream or vanilla yogurt. I’m also looking forward to pairing this recipe with my favorite homemade granola. Let me know how you end up eating this cozy Apple Compote.

Black bowl of apple compote on a tray with a spoon and an apple.

Apple Compote

Sarah Baade
Warm spices and sweet apples – this apple compote makes the perfect topping on a variety of dishes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Empire apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 pinch salt

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients n a medium saucepan.
  • While stirring, bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
  • When apples are fork tender, remove from heat.
  • Serve hot or warm.
  • Serving suggestions: Serve over pancakes, waffles, french toast, ice cream, yogurt, or as desired.
Keyword Apple Compote, Apple Spice, Apples, Compote, Fruit, Fruit Compote

PUMPKIN BLONDIES

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Fall Flavors

Let’s just dive right in, shall we? Fall flavors are my favorite when it comes to desserts. Sure, I’ll gladly eat baked goods from any season, but Fall is where my heart is. And my latest obsession is this recipe for Pumpkin Blondies. With just ten ingredients, the hardest part of this recipe will be waiting for the butter to soften.

Mise en Place

Here we go.. Soften that butter!!! Set it out first thing in the morning so you know it will be ready when you get going on these pumpkin blondies. I know, we all have days where we forget to soften the butter in time. If that is the case, pull the butter out of the fridge first and then start setting up the rest of your ingredients. Preheat your oven. Pull your ingredients out of the fridge/pantry, grab your measuring cups and baking pan. Line your baking pan with parchment paper or sprtiz it with a light coating of non-stick spray. Measure everything out. Once you’ve got all this set, your butter may nearly be softened already.

Plate of pumpkin blondies and a small white pumpkin.

Ingredients & Equipment

Make sure you are using pumpkin puree for these pumpkin blondies. I know the canned pumpkin pie filling will be right there on the same shelf but that is not what you want. We are going to add the pumpkin spice ourselves so we don’t need the pre-spiced filling.

I prefer to use a stand mixer for this recipe because you can cream the butter and brown sugar without tiring your arm. Plus, as long as that butter is softened ahead of time, you can measure and mix your dry ingredients while the mixer works on that butter/brown sugar mixture. However, a hand mixer can absolutely do the job. Stand mixer or hand mixer… either way, make sure you cream those ingredients until it becomes a light, almost fluffy consistency.

Once you’ve got that butter/sugar mixture ready, you’ll mix in your eggs and vanilla. Then mix in the pumpkin puree – it will not fully combine at this point but get it equally distributed. Stir in your dry ingredients and then finally stir in the chocolate chips. Spread it out in your prepared baking pan and then sprinkle your flaked salt on (if you choose to use it). You are now 30 minutes away from you house smelling amazing and indulging in these delicious pumpkin blondies.

Pumpkin blondies with a white pumpkin in the background.

More Options

Before I give you this full pumpkin blondies recipe, I have to give a shout out to some of my other Fall desserts. Pumpkin Bars. Lemon Iced Ginger Cookies. Pumpkin Pecan Pie. Pumpkin Bread. Which one is my favorite? All of them. Now, without further ado… here is the full Pumpkin Blondies recipe.

Small white pumpkin next to a plate and cooling rack of pumpkin blondies.

Pumpkin Blondies

Sarah Baade
Pumpkin blondies with chocolate chips – the ultimate Fall treat.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9 servings

Ingredients
  

  • ⅔ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅔ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • ⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ teaspoon flaked salt (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350℉ and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper or spritz pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Scrape sides of bowl as needed. When you think you have it fully combined, scrape the sides again and continue beating the mixture for a few more minutes.
  • Mix eggs and vanilla into butter/sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and add pumpkin puree. The puree will not fully combine but you want it evenly distributed.
  • Gradually stir in dry ingredients until just combined.
  • With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in chocolate chips.
  • Pour mixture into prepared pan. If using flaked salt, sprinkle over batter. Bake 30 minutes or until test toothpick come out almost clean.
Keyword Fall Desserts, Pumpkin, Pumpkin Bars, Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Spice

WATERMELON JALAPEÑO MARGARITAS

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Taking It Easy

Typically, I try to get a few new recipes on here each month. That goal was not fully accomplished last month and, honestly? I have no regrets. Summer has brought lots and lots of pool time, neighborhood gatherings, and board games. Yes, I still work full time as well. Creating blog posts requires testing and retesting recipes, photographing dishes, editing those photos, and typing out content associated with the recipe. After all of that is accomplished, the work begins on promoting said recipes on social media. Last month I was still cooking and creating in between fun and work. But, I am just now finding time to get photos and the rest of the details sorted out. The first recipe on the list is these Watermelon Jalapeño Margaritas.

Pink watermelon margarita with slices of jalapeño, lime, and watermelon.

Margaritas

I moved to Texas ten years ago and the first drink I had was a margarita. So, it only seems fitting for these Watermelon Jalapeño Margaritas to be my first alcoholic drink on this site. I love the light sweetness of watermelon combined with the spice from the jalapeño. I’ve opted for this margarita to be served on the rocks rather than frozen. This makes it easier to customize the heat for each individual drink. Want extra fire in your glass? Use several slices of jalapeño and/or include the seeds. Can’t take much heat? Limit yourself to a single jalapeño slice and exclude the seeds. Regardless of your preferred heat level, I know you’ll enjoy these watermelon jalapeño margaritas.

Pink watermelon margarita with slices of jalapeño, lime, and watermelon.
Pink watermelon margarita with slices of jalapeño, lime, and watermelon.

Watermelon Jalapeño Margaritas

Sarah Baade
A balance of sweet and spicy – this watermelon jalapeño margarita is a great way to keep cool.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Drinks
Servings 4 margaritas

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients
  

  • lime wedges and tajin or salt for rim of glasses
  • 1-2 jalapeños, sliced
  • 4 cups watermelon
  • 1½ cups tequila
  • ¼ cup orange liquor
  • juice of 2 limes
  • optional garnish: small watermelon slices, lime wedges, jalapeño slices

Instructions
 

  • Rim of each glass with a lime wedge and tajin or salt.
  • Muddle two or more jalapeño slices (depending on how much heat you want in your margarita) in the bottom of each glass then top with ice.
  • In a blender, combine watermelon, tequila, orange liquor, and lime juice. Pour into glasses, garnish as desired and serve.

Notes

  • I muddle the jalapeños with the end of a wooden spoon.
  • You can cut a watermelon in half and scoop your four cups out with the measuring cup itself. 
Keyword Jalapeño, Margarita, Watermelon, Watermelon Jalapeño Margarita

Needing non-alcoholic options? Try out these mocktails.

ALMOND MONSTER COOKIES

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My Dietary Changes

I’ve been making some changes in my day-to-day eating habits… again. I promise the end result in this post is a recipe for my incredible Almond Monster Cookies but hear me out on the journey. If you’ve been following me for very long, you might know that I was vegetarian for a while. There is so much that I love about a vegetarian diet but right now, it just isn’t realistic for me. If you’re curious, about the details, you can read more here. Family members of mine recently changed their diet to include gluten-free, dairy-free, and intermittent fasting. I know that intermittent fasting is not something I want to follow but their changes got me thinking and exploring. I’ve been curious about anti-inflammatory foods for a long time and have been reading up on some beginner level information. I certainly don’t claim to have a background in nutrition or medicine. Please don’t look to my choices as any type of advice or expert recommendation. I am simply sharing what is currently working for myself. Right now, I am significantly reducing gluten, dairy, and caffeine in my diet. As I do not have a true allergy to any of these items, I am not holding a strict elimination of these items.

Four rows of cookie dough balls on a tray with a scooper of dough above it.

What I’m Noticing

That Almond Monster Cookie recipe is still coming. First, let’s talk about what I am noticing most by reducing gluten, dairy, and caffeine. An INCREASE in energy. That’s right, more energy with less caffeine! It seems almost counterintuitive but it is a remarkable change. I have an easier time waking up in the morning. My energy maintains throughout the day rather than crashing once the coffee wears off. The other big difference I’m noticing is reduced puffiness under my eyes. I’m not talking slight puffiness from not sleeping well, I’m talking significant puffiness for which I’ve seen multiple doctors for. My docs have happily offered me lots of allergy meds and even botox type of injections. Not one of them ever mentioned diet change to me. I am so thankful to say the puffiness under my eyes has reduced significantly. No it isn’t completely gone, but I’m not self-conscience about it like I have been for a few years now.

Tray of monster cookies with three small plates, each with a cookie on it.

Challenge Accepted

Alright, let’s get down to the Almond Monster Cookies – that’s really why you’re all here, right?! I’m sure many of you have at least tried a gluten free and/or dairy free dessert at some point. You know how bad that experience can be. Listen, I love baked goods and I am not willing to completely give them up. You know what? I’m also not willing to give up quality flavor or texture in those baked goods. In other words, I’m up for the challenge of creating fantastic gluten-free, dairy-free dessert options. These Almond Monster Cookies are definitely monster sized and absolutely delicious. They have a lighter flavor and texture compared to the traditional peanut version but still include the candies and oats you expect in a monster cookie. Give these a try and tell me, do you miss the gluten? I think you’ll be too busy reaching for a second cookie to even reply here.

Large cookie in the palm of a hand.
Tray of monster cookies with three small plates, each with a cookie on it.

Almond Monster Cookies

Sarah Baade
These almond monster cookies are definitely monster sized and absolutely delicious. They have a lighter flavor and texture compared to the traditional peanut version but still include the candies and oats you expect in a monster cookie.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ cups almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup vegetable shortening (butter flavored)
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup creamy almond butter
  • 1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1 cup plain m&m candies
  • ½ cup almond slivers

Instructions
 

  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat together shortening, brown sugar, and sugar.
  • Beat eggs and vanilla into sugar mixture.
  • Mix in almond butter.
  • Gradually mix in dry ingredients.
  • Stir in oats, chocolate chips, m&m's, and almond slivers.
  • Cover and chill dough for a minimum of 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Roll dough tightly into golf ball sized balls and space out six on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Bake 18-20 minutes or until cookies are golden in color.

Notes

  • If you are baking these for someone who has a gluten allergy, please be sure to use gluten-free certified products.
  • I used an ice cream scoop to make it easier to get the dough into such a large ball.
  • I have made this dough up to 2 days ahead of when I planned to bake the cookies. Just be sure the bowl is covered with a lid or plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
Keyword Almond Cookies, Almond Monster Cookies, GF Cookies, Gluten Free, Homemade Cookies, Monster Cookies