Mayhem in the Kitchen!

Birthday Cake Chocolate Chip Cookies

Over the weekend I was short on time, but needed to put together some treats for a neighborhood welcome basket. As these were new neighbors and I wasn’t yet sure of their preferences, I racked my brain for something that is quick and universally appealing, but also special. After thinking on it for an afternoon,…

Low Carb Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Last week I was invited to a surprise party for a very close friend. His girlfriend wasn’t able to bake for the occasion without blowing her cover, so I volunteered to make my first foray into keto-friendly (low carb, LCHF) baking. Prior to making these cupcakes I did some extensive research on flour replacements and…

Mini Double Chocolate Muffins

February is a busy birthday month in my office, so while most of the time we celebrate with cake or cupcakes, February gets a little more variety. Last week I made an assortment of scones, and this week it’s double chocolate mini muffins! Chocolate muffins are a great birthday treat for an office – they…

Quick Cranberry-Orange Scones

During The Quest for Brunch Excellence, I deemed developing a great scone recipe something of utmost importance. I went through 3 or 4 techniques, and after trying to serve fresh scones for my guests, it became clear that a key feature of any scone recipe is simply how quickly they come together. This research paid…

Vegan Conversation Hearts

I’ve been a vegetarian since I was in middle school, and people always ask me if I ever crave meat. I can honestly say that I never have, but you know what I DO crave on a regular basis? Sweet glorious gelatin in all its forms. Gummy candies (peach rings especially, though Sour Patch Peaches…

Whiskey Caramel Truffle Cake

When it comes to baking for occasions, birthdays are my favorite. I love trying to think of a dessert that really suits the person. This time around, I was baking for a wonderful friend of mine. She’s not too picky, but I knew that she isn’t a fan of the copious amounts of frosting I…

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Yesterday I needed make something for the Super Bowl party I was attending, but it seemed that all of the major football food groups were already covered – tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole, taco dip, potato chips, ranch dip, onion dip, two kinds of pizza, mini tater tots, little smokies, chicken wings…. Thankfully, there happened to…

No-cake Birthday: Mini Pies – Apple and Rhubarb-Raspberry

My husband’s birthday was last week, and while he’s always up for cake, his real idea of a treat is a nice fruit pie. The day of his birthday, I procrastinated a little and planned on heading to the grocery store right after work, but mother nature had other plans and dumped us with 6…

January Dinner Party Menu: Italian

Last week we invited four friends over for a casual dinner party with a small twist – instead of my husband and me doing all the cooking, we bought the ingredients, then invited everyone over a little early to prepare the meal together. Our theme was Italian cuisine, and we went with four courses: Appetizer…

Moscato Zabaglione with Strawberries

At our dinner party last week, we made three courses of the meal with the help of our guests, then, just before the dessert course started, my husband and I prepared this wonderful pudding. Initially I was a little intimidated by this dish, and I almost made a cake instead, but I’m so glad…

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

On my mum’s side of the family, it has recently become a tradition to celebrate Christmas together in early January. Everyone is so busy with their nuclear families on the actual holiday, and as an extended family, our primary reason for getting together is reconnecting with one another, so the date can be a little…

Teddy Bear Baptism Cake

My sister-in-law asked me to create a baptism cake for my nephew, and I was absolutely thrilled at the prospect. After going through a few more feminine ideas, I created a cute cake that could just as easily be a baby shower cake, but made it fit for the occasion with a banner and small…

Stained Glass Cross Cake

I made this cross cake for my brother-in-law’s Catholic RCIA celebration. Most baptismal or first communion cakes are intended for children, and those that are not tend to be feminine, so my goal was to create a somewhat masculine cake with a religious motif. Technique Create a paper template the size of the outline for…

Family Christmas Cookie 12: Cherry Hideaways

I’ve saved the best for last! These are an all-time favorite of mine, and a recipe that my grandma made every year for Christmas. They look like they’re plain bark covered cookies, but inside there’s a surprise – maraschino cherries! This post is day 12 in the series Mayhem’s 12 Days of Christmas Cookies!

Family Christmas Cookie 11: Peanut Butter Kisses

I’m closing out Mayhem’s 12 days of Christmas Cookies with two cookies that are my all time favorites. Both are recipes my grandma made every Christmas, and while they’re a bit more modern (1950s) than many of the other recipes I’ve shared, they’re definite crowd pleasers. The first are Peanut Butter Kisses – chewy peanut…