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Dessert

LEMON DELIGHT

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When I look back on memories of visiting my grandparents, one thing that stands out to me is simplicity. I recall finding joy in very simple activities such as exploring the vegetable garden, playing dominos, or stomping on the bubble wrap Grandpa had saved for us. While some states are a bit more open, Texas is still a hotbed for this COVID19 so my family and I are still staying home as much as possible. We are relearning to embrace simple activities with our little girl. We love splashing in puddles after the occasional rain we get. We planted our own vegetable garden. We play with building blocks and read books. Yes, we still watch TV on the weekends but we are really making memories through these simple activities.

Our kitchen has also become a place of simplicity and family time lately. This recipe came from my grandmother’s recipe box and is perfect for letting the kids help. Three ingredients and, as suggested by the name, this treat is absolutely delightful. Pull out your blender, pour all the ingredients in, mix it up and enjoy! I made this recipe with pink lemonade but the original version used regular lemonade. Take your pick, change it up based on you mood. Either way, this is a fast and fun recipe to indulge in this summer.

Lemon Delight

Sweet and slightly tart, this frozen treat is perfect for summer.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pint vanilla ice cream
  • 1.5 cups milk
  • 12 oz frozen lemonade (regular or pink)

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
Keyword Ice Cream, Lemon, Lemonade

Looking for additional frozen treats? I’ve got you covered! Click on the links below to help keep cool this summer.

CHERRY LIMEADE POPSICLES

NO CHURN BOURBON PECAN ICE CREAM WITH CHOCOLATE SWIRLS

CREAMY CHAI SPICED POPSICLES

BLACKBERRY CHEESECAKE NO CHURN ICE CREAM

NO CHURN CHOCOLATE CHUNK COFFEE ICE CREAM

NO CHURN BOURBON PECAN ICE CREAM WITH CHOCOLATE SWIRLS

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The Heat

This seems like the hottest summer we’ve had in my nine years of living in Texas. Maybe I’m just feeling the pain of not being able to cool off in a swimming pool or at a movie theater but this heat is miserable. While doing my best to stay put at home due to COVID19, I’ve been looking for fun ways to stay cool. My family and I primarily stay inside but lets face it, a three year old needs to get outside to burn energy every once in a while. We’ve mostly taken to playing with the hose out on our driveway (fire ants keep us off the lawn). If we are lucky, we hit a day that is below 80 degrees in the morning and go for a walk but that isn’t often. I don’t think I’ve ever wished so badly to have a pool in my own backyard!

The Cool Down

Given all this heat, you know I’m not spending much time using the oven or even the stovetop right now. Instead, my work from home lunches are consisting of sandwiches and fresh fruit. That sweet tooth still needs attention too though. Bring on the no churn ice cream!!! What I love about no churn is that it is so darn easy to make but also, the flavor options are endless. I often grab whatever looks good from the pantry and just create as the mood strikes. This time around, I had a small bottle of bourbon sitting on my counter and some leftover pecan pieces tucked away in my freezer. I love it when ingredients from other recipes can easily come together for something new. Go ahead and make this incredible no churn bourbon pecan ice cream with chocolate swirls. Tuck in the back of the freezer until the kids have gone to bed and then indulge!

No Churn Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream With Chocolate Swirls

Sarah Baade
Soft serve bourbon ice cream with pecans and chocolate swirls – no churn required.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups heavy cream, cold
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 tablespoons bourbon
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup pecan pieces
  • 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

Instructions
 

  • In a large, chilled bowl, beat heavy cream on high until soft peaks form.
  • Beat sweetened condensed milk, bourbon, brown sugar, vanilla and salt into heavy cream until fully incorporated.
  • Stir pecans into ice cream mixture.
  • Pour half of the ice cream mixture into a 9×5 loaf pan. Drizzle half of the melted chocolate over ice cream in pan. Swirl chocolate into ice cream mixture with a knife. Repeat this process with second half of ice cream and chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for a minimum of 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Notes

Techniques for melting chocolate:
  • Double boiler – place a heat safe bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir your chocolate chips/pieces in the bowl until it is fully melted.
  • Microwave – heat chocolate chips/pieces in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds then stir. Repeat this until chocolate is fully melted.
Keyword Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream, Ice Cream, Ice Cream Recipe, No Churn, No Churn Ice Cream

More No Churn Recipes

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS

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A friend of mine was commenting on my Peanut Butter Cut-Out Cookie recipe the other day and said she plans to make those for her kid’s class party this week. First and foremost, I was thrilled that she wanted to use my recipe. However, my second thought was complete shock. I was shocked that any kind of peanut product was allowed in her daughter’s classroom. I was also shocked that homemade treats were allowed. Here in San Antonio, I don’t know of any schools that allow nut products of homemade treats in the classrooms. This is true even at the daycare level. I understand the risks to those with nut allergies, and I’m not necessarily complaining here. I think it just makes me realize how much things have changed since I was a kid. Most people brought homemade cupcakes or cookies to class when we had parties back in the day. There is a part of me that is sad I’ll never be able to bring my daughter’s favorite homemade treat to her class. But you know what? Part of me is also relieved. There will never be that pressure to create some fancy homemade treat at the 11th hour the night before a class party.

When my daughter’s current classroom has parties, they ask us to sign up to bring something off of a premade list of foods. This week, our contribution is Valentine colored m&m’s. Perfect. Easy. Done. But for home, I still wanted my daughter to have a fun treat made by mom. Inspired by pink m&m’s, and my daughter’s love for chocolate chip cookies, I’ve created these chocolate chip cookie bars. Mixing up the dough is easy and adding m&m’s along with sprinkles adds a festive flare. I also love that you end up with two dozen servings all done at once. No scooping. No swapping out baking sheets. It is all in one pan and then you simply cut it as you’re ready to serve.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Sarah Baade
The all-American classic chocolate chip cookie turned into a bar.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips (whichever you prefer – you just want variety from the semisweet you'll be adding in)
  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • Optional toppings: 1/4 cup candy coated chocolates such as m&m's, 1 Tablespoon jimmie sprinkles

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat brown sugar and granulated sugar with butter.
  • Add eggs and vanilla.
  • Mix in dry ingredients 1 cup at a time, until all ingredients are fully combined.
  • Stir in chocolate chips.
  • Press cookie dough into pan. If adding candies and sprinkles, spread them evenly and press into the top of cookie dough.
  • Bake 35-38 minutes or until a test toothpick comes out clean.
  • Let cool completely before cutting.
Keyword Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cookies, Dessert Recipe, Easy Cookies, Easy Recipe, Homemade Cookies, Valentine’s Treat

OATMEAL CHERRY COOKIES

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We are in full cookie exchange season and I am loving it! This week I participated in an exchange at work and we ended up with seven varieties of cookies (and recipes). SEVEN!!! It had been several years since I last participated in a cookie exchange and I had kind of forgotten how great it is. I love seeing what people bring in and the stories behind the recipes. This is such a great way of using food to create community. With each story that is told about a recipe, we get to know each other a little bit better.

I am a huge fan of any category of dessert – cakes, pastries, tarts, etc. But let’s be real here, cookies are awesome for several reasons. They are typically easy to make. Most recipes make at least a couple dozen cookies which means you have more to share. If you aren’t needing a few dozen cookies to share, you can always freeze them for later. Actually, you can freeze the dough into individual cookie dough balls and then bake them when the craving strikes. OR, you can bake them all from the get go and just thaw them out when you’re ready for a treat. Cookies really do have a flexibility that most other desserts just don’t have.

For this year’s cookie exchange, I reached into my grandmother’s recipe box. To be fair, I chose this Oatmeal Cherry Cookie recipe partly because I already had all but one ingredient in the house and partly because it sounded like a fun twist on the more traditional oatmeal cookie. The maraschino cherries add a different sweetness than the raisins you would typically find in an oatmeal cookie but they also give a festive pop of color. These cookies are a bit smaller than what most recipes seem to make but I actually really love the size. It gives you that sweet treat that you’re looking for without over indulging. This recipe is also perfect for a cookie exchange because it makes FIVE dozen cookies. That’s right, no need to double the recipe. You’ll get five dozen little cookies out of the recipe as it is. You’re welcome.

OATMEAL CHERRY COOKIES

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3/4 cup shortening
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 3/4 cup red maraschino cherries, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and cloves. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat shortening, sugars, egg, and vanilla extract.
  • Stir dry ingredients into sugar mixture.
  • Stir in oats and cherries.
  • Drop dough by the teaspoonfuls, two inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes.

Notes

Tip: Wear food safe gloves when chopping the cherries so the food dye doesn’t stain your hands.
Keyword Oatmeal Cherry Cookies, Oatmeal Cookies
Original recipe source unknown. Recipe has been modified from this version for the purpose of this blog.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like:

Peanut Butter Cut-Out Cookies

Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Potato Chip Cookies

Lemon Iced Ginger Cookies

Vegan Shortbread Cookies with Dark Chocolate Drizzle

Stir-N-Drop Sugar Cookies

ORANGE SPICED MONKEY BREAD

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Before we ever met, my husband and I each had a family tradition of making Monkey Bread during the holidays. One year we even had a bake off with the two family recipes. I can’t recall who the judges were but I sadly didn’t win that competition. We had a lot of fun but, if I’m honest, we also had way too much monkey bread for two people to finish off.

A couple of weeks ago we lost my oldest brother in a car accident. There is a void in the family. I loved baking with my brother, Ron. We didn’t see each other often but when we did, activities often revolved around food. He was the bread master of the family and would make delicious loaf breads and bagels. My absolute favorite of his? Orange rolls. Nothing can compare to his orange rolls.

Let me just admit right here that breads are not my specialty. As much as I love baking, I can screw up bread with the best of them. In other words, replicating those orange rolls on my own is not a very realistic goal. To honor Ron’s baking legacy, and still keep things really easy, I’ve mashed up the family tradition of monkey bread with the flavors of his orange rolls. This orange spiced monkey bread is much lighter in flavor than the traditional version. It is bright and sweet and a perfect dish for sharing with family as a dessert or a breakfast option.

ORANGE SPICED MONKEY BREAD

Sarah Baade
Citrus and spices give this monkey bread a bright twist to the classic monkey bread.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • 12 cup Bundt Pan

Ingredients
  

For the Monkey Bread

  • 1 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
  • 2 Tablespoons orange zest
  • 2 packages 8-count canned flaky biscuits
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

For the Glaze

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 Tablespoon orange zest

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12cup sized bundt pan.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, ground ginger, ground nutmeg and orange zest. Set aside. Cut each biscuit into quarters. Dip each piece of biscuit into melted butter then coat with the sugar mixture. Arrange coated biscuit pieces evenly in the bundt pan.
  • If you have any remaining melted butter and sugar mixture, stir them together and pour over arranged biscuit pieces. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through.
  • Let cool 5-10 minutes then turn over onto a serving plate.
  • For the glaze, stir together powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and orange zest. Drizzle over monkey bread and serve warm.
Keyword Monkey Bread, Orange Monkey Bread, Orange Spiced Monkey Bread
Love and miss you, big brother.

PUMPKIN BREAD

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There are days when I want to challenge myself in the kitchen. Then, there are days when I just want something easy to make. I’ve been spending a lot of time baking challenging desserts lately. It gives me a great sense of pride to accomplish a recipe from my baking bucket list but it can also take a great deal of time and energy. Life is about balance though and I am thankful for easy recipes! These are my go-to when I want something homemade with limited effort. These are also the recipes that are great for passing along to friends.

When I create recipes, I want them to be achievable, not stressful. My goal is for even a beginner baker to be able to have a successful outcome. Something easy to make that is beautiful on its own and tastes amazing. Quick breads are exactly that. Now that we’re in November, I’m hitting up this pumpkin bread recipe on the regular. It is such a hit with friends and a perfect addition to any get together. Flavorful, moist and easy to make. I’m sure you’ll fall in love with this beautiful pumpkin bread.

PUMPKIN BREAD

Flavorful, moist and easy to make – I’m sure you’ll fall in love with this beautiful pumpkin bread.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted pepitas (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar together. Mix in pumpkin puree then add in eggs and vanilla.
  • Stir in half of the dry ingredients. Add milk and stir to combine. Stir in remaining dry ingredients.
  • Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and top with pepitas. Bake 55-60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Notes

  • In a pinch, you can sub the brown sugar for white sugar. The brown sugar brings out the flavors of the spices a bit more but you’ll get a taller rise from the bread with white sugar.
  • You can butter and flour your loaf pans if you don’t have parchment paper.
Keyword Pumpkin, Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Loaf, Pumpkin Spice

MY FAVORITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

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I promise I’ve been trying to focus on healthy recipes. In fact, I have a few waiting in the wings for the blog. However, sometimes I get distracted by sweets. Let me be honest here, chocolate chip cookies are typically not my jam. I mean, I’ll still eat one if that’s what’s available – let’s be reasonable, there’s still chocolate involved. But if I have other options, I will pick almost any other cookie on any given day. Maybe I’ve just had too many super plain tasting chocolate chip cookies in my day? I know you know what I’m talking about. Something mass produced for a cafeteria. Something lacking flavor and or quality chocolate.

Given my history with this all-American cookie, it is a wonder I was craving them the other night. I saw a friend post some chocolate chip cookies in her Instagram stories and I just couldn’t get them out of my head. So, I did it. I made some cookies from scratch and THANKFULLY wrote the recipe down as I created it. My cookie loving world has been forever changed! I’m going to make a big statement here and people will might try to argue with me (I’ll be respectful of your opinions if you’ll respect mine). These cookies turned out to be the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had. I know you love your grandma’s recipe but I feel like that is only because you haven’t tried these yet. Bonus? They are still simple to make!!! Be sure to eat one (or four) while they’re still warm from the oven. You can thank me later.

Tips

  • The toffee bits add a beautiful sweetness that is different from the chocolate chips. However, if you’re serving these to friends who have a nut allergy, please leave them out.
  • Quality ingredients do make a difference in the cookie, especially when it comes to the chocolate. This recipe is the perfect reason to splurge a little and get the more expensive chocolate chips.
Chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk.

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Slightly crisp outside, slightly chewy inside. A perfectly balanced chocolate chip cookie.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup toffee bits

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda.
  • In a separate large bowl, beat butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar.
  • Mix eggs and vanilla into butter mixture.
  • Gradually stir in flour mixture until all ingredients are fully combined.
  • Stir in chocolate chips and toffee.
  • Scoop cookie dough into golf ball sized balls and place onto parchment lined baking sheet. Leave 2 ½ inches between cookies. Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown. Remove cookie sheet from oven and transfer the cookies from the parchment to cooling racks.

While these are certainly my favorite chocolate chip cookie, I understand that people have strong preferences when it comes to such a classic cookie. If you prefer soft batch, I’ve got you covered. You can check out my soft batch chocolate chip cookies here.

BLACKBERRY CHEESECAKE NO CHURN ICE CREAM

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I have lived in several states during my adult life – Kansas, Missouri, New York, Colorado, California, Texas. Most places I’ve lived were simply because I felt like moving and exploring a new city/state. However, my journey to Western New York is a little different. Deciding to pursue a degree in Audiology required me to look outside of my home state of Kansas. At the time, there were no doctoral programs in Kansas – that has changed since then. As I was filling out grad school applications, I was initially drawn to places with a nice climate or places where I already had friends. I had a huge stack of applications and most of them were not distinct from one another. However, I vividly recall grabbing the application to SUNY at Buffalo and thinking “Why would I want to live there?” as I tossed it into the garbage. I was getting burned out on completing applications and I had senioritis in a bad way. At some point, I realized that I should probably apply to just one more school – acceptance into specialty programs can be competitive and there are no guarantees. So, I browsed online and discovered SUNY at Buffalo had an incredibly easy online application. I filled it out and didn’t really think twice about it because I had full intention of attending one of the other schools on my list. I think we can all see where this is heading, right? Each school I applied to had a unique situation as to why I ended up not going there. I’ll spare you those details but yes, I ultimately ended up moving to Buffalo and completing my degree there.

I spent a total of six years in Buffalo and surrounding towns. There were ups and there were so many more downs. To be honest, I have a hard time looking back and seeing the high points but I know there were some good times had in the midst of it all. One thing that I do recall fondly, though, is the food. Buffalo wings, anyone?!?! But also, the pizza and sub sandwiches. And even better? Perry’s ice cream. Now living in Texas, Blue Bell is the go-to option in the stores. However, I’m convinced it is only because Perry’s is not available here. (Sorry, Blue Bell.) My all-time favorite flavor was blackberry cheesecake. It was only available occasionally, and only at the local ice cream stands. It was never available in the stores. But man, oh man, this was THE flavor for me! I haven’t found it in any other brand since then. Naturally, the next best thing was to create my own version. My friend, Nicolas, from Blogtastic Food challenged me to create a new no churn ice cream and I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I truly hope this no churn blackberry cheesecake ice cream gives you the same joy I experienced when I had the original from Perry’s back in the day.

Tips:

  • Be sure to cool the berry mixture before adding it into the whipped cream mixture so that it doesn’t melt the whipped cream.
  • Don’t sub out the homemade whipped cream for the premade stuff. There is a difference in texture and sweetness.

Blackberry Cheesecake No Churn Ice Cream

Sarah Baade
No Churn ice cream is easy to make – no ice cream maker needed. This blackberry cheese cake ice cream is the new favorite in our house.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz fresh blackberries
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 16 oz heavy cream
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 9" premade graham cracker pie crust

Instructions
 

  • Stir blackberries in a medium pan over low heat until berries start to break down.
  • Stir in vanilla extract and cream cheese until cream cheese is melted and mostly incorporated with berries.
  • Remove berry mixture from heat and let cool to room temperature.
  • In a large, chilled bowl, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form.
  • Mix sweetened condensed milk into heavy cream until fully incorporated.
  • Add berry mixture into cream mixture and stir until fully incorporated.
  • Gently stir in entire graham cracker crust – do not fully incorporate the crust – chunks are fine here.
  • Pour ice cream mixture into a 9×5 loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for a minimum of 6 hours, preferably overnight.
Keyword Blackberry, Blackberry Cheesecake No Churn Ice Cream, Blackberry Ice Cream, Cheesecake, Cheesecake Ice Cream, Dessert, Easy Recipe, Ice Cream, No Churn, No Churn Ice Cream

More No churn Ice Cream Recipes

This recipe was developed as part of a collaboration with several other talented food bloggers. I am including the links to their recipes for you to try out as well.

Bonus Recipe

You can also check out my own No Churn Chocolate Chunk Coffee Ice Cream here.

KEY LIME SUGAR COOKIES

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I used to make sugar cookies on the regular. I would do thick, soft, cut-out style cookies and then spend hours decorating them. If I’m honest, I made them in order to escape life’s stress. I was in a miserable, unhealthy relationship. Staying focused on the baking and decorating kept my mind at peace. I felt like I was in a situation that I couldn’t escape physically so I would do so mentally. Some people exercise to escape stress, some people turn to drugs or alcohol… I turned to baking. I did ultimately end that toxic relationship, got therapy and moved on to much happier times. It would be easy to resent those years but that would only keep me locked into the misery. Instead, I think of it as one of the most important life lessons I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t be in the incredible marriage I’m in today if I hadn’t experienced my past. I probably wouldn’t be as thankful as I am for the healthy, loving and supportive relationship I have with my husband.

My love for sugar cookies is still strong but I don’t spend hours baking and decorating unless I’m motivated to do so out of joy. “Escape baking” is a thing of my past.  Instead, I choose easier, less time-consuming recipes to satisfy a sugar cookie craving. With summer comes bright citrus – lemon and lime season. When I was looking to make some sugar cookies, I saw key limes sitting on my counter and knew I need to incorporate them. This recipe is easy to make, you don’t even need to chill the dough. Perfect for when you don’t want to wait all day to have a homemade cookie.

Tips:

  • If you can’t find key limes, go ahead and use regular limes or you could even swap out for lemon if you prefer.
  • I made the icing somewhat thick so I could manipulate it on the cookies. If you prefer a lighter icing, reduce the amount of powdered sugar.

Key Lime Sugar Cookies

A vibrant take on a classic cookie.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 30 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons key lime zest
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the icing

  • 2 Tablespoons fresh key lime juice
  • 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda then set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and lime zest until light in color. Add in egg, vanilla and salt and beat to combine. Gradually add in flour mixture, stopping to scrape the bowl periodically.
  • Roll cookie dough into 1” balls then place on parchment covered cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between cookies.
  • Bake 15-17 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. Let cookies cool completely before adding icing.

For the icing

  • For the icing: pour lime juice into a small bowl. Gradually whisk powdered sugar into lime juice until fully incorporated and smooth (no lumps). Spoon icing onto cookies as desired.
Keyword Cookies, Dessert, Easy Cookies, Easy Recipe, Homemade Cookies, Key Lime, Key Lime Cookies, Key Lime Dessert, Lime

PEANUT BUTTER CUT-OUT COOKIES

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In high school I was known for being the girl who was nice to everyone. Not a bad thing to be known for but that doesn’t necessarily make a girl particularly popular. Most people knew who I was and which activities I was involved in. I had a solid couple of groups of friends but I certainly wasn’t getting invited to any big parties on the weekends. In fact, the one time did attend a party with the popular kids, I found the scene to be boring and didn’t understand what the draw was. The get-togethers that stand out in my mind are actually almost juvenile. One of my friends would invite a few of us over at Easter and Valentine’s Day for cookie decorating. Her mom was the one who actually wanted her to host these decorating parties, my friend might have even been embarrassed to have us over for cookies and hot chocolate. I hope she looks back at it as fondly as I do though. I remember there being tons of cookies, tons of frosting, tons of sprinkles, and tons of laughter. There was no pressure to impress boys or to do something that might get us into trouble. It was just pure fun. I’m hoping my daughter will want to host similar parties as she grows up.

Peanut Butter Cut-Out Cookies - Slice of Honey Blog

As I’ve gotten older, I still occasionally spend days decorating cookies but I’ve expanded beyond sugar cookies. Over the past few years I’ve favored gingerbread but February doesn’t exactly feel like gingerbread season. The cooler temperatures still have me thinking deep flavors – I’m just not quite ready for light floral/spring flavors. With Valentine’s Day coming up I still wanted to incorporate chocolate without making it the main event. What could pair better with chocolate than peanut butter?! So, I’ve created peanut butter cut-out cookies. The flavor is traditional but they are just as fun to decorate as a sugar cookie.

Peanut Butter Cut-Out Cookies - Slice of Honey Blog

Tips:

  • While you don’t have to refrigerate this dough before rolling and cutting it, you can if you want to. Feel free to make the dough a day ahead, wrap it in plastic wrap and then chill in the fridge. Just be sure to pull it out and get it back to room temperature before rolling it.
  • I know it can be tempting to dunk the entire cookie in chocolate but try to show some restraint. Honestly, if you cover more than about half of the cookie, the chocolate will overwhelm the peanut butter flavor.

Peanut butter cookies dipped in dark chocolate – the perfect cut-out cookie for Valentine’s Day.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 36 Cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups creamy style peanut butter
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 10 oz dark chocolate melting wafers
  • variety of sprinkles for decorating (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350F. 
    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt then set aside. 
    In a large mixing bowl, beat peanut butter, butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. 
    Beat in eggs and vanilla. 
    Gradually stir in flour mixture. 
    Once flour is fully incorporated, place 1/3 of the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll to ¼” thick. 
    Remove top layer of plastic wrap and cut dough with cookie cutters. 
    Bake on a parchment lined sheet pan for 11-13 minutes or until edges start to brown. 
    Cool cookies completely before decorating. 
    Melt chocolate wafers according to package. 
    Dip cookies in chocolate then add sprinkles as desired. Alternatively, drizzle chocolate over cookies.
Peanut Butter Cut-Out Cookies - Slice of Honey Blog