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A friend had a St. Lucia’s Day party and made these to-die-for Ebelskivers among lots of other treats and hot chocolate.

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Making Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies.

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Brownies:

1 1/2 cups Butter, melted
3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
3 cups Sugar
6 Eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3/4 teaspoon Salt
2 1/4 cups Flour, sifted

Mint Frosting:

3/4 cup Butter, softened
3 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
3 cups Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon Peppermint Extract
8 drops Green Food Coloring

Ganache Topping:

3/4 cup Butter
2 1/4 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray

Brownies:
Whisk together melted butter and cocoa powder.
Then add sugar, beaten eggs, vanilla and salt.
Mix well, then add sifted flour. Stir by hand. Do not over mix.
Pour into greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes.

Cool for a few minutes and then place in freezer for 20 minutes.
Mint Frosting:

While brownies are in the freezer make the first layer of topping.
Mix the mint frosting ingredients thoroughly.
Evenly frost brownies and put back in freezer for 20 minutes.

Ganache Topping:

Melt the butter and chocolate and whisk together.
Drizzle warm chocolate over brownies and spread smooth with a spatula.
Put back in the freezer for another 20 minutes.

Roo made brownies today and I let the day get away without taking a picture, so I had to use the flash on this one. Don’t they look good?

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Dessert tonight, YUM! Sliced strawberries with a tiny bit of sugar over vanilla ice cream.

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This cake from Costco is so yummy! Roo celebrated her birthday today with a friend party and she wanted this cake. I think we’ll be eating it for quite awhile, it’s so huge!

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Cookie dough!

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I visited a friend today. She makes these awesome cookies!

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Today is DH’s “milestone” birthday… 40! He doesn’t really like cake that much, so I went to Dippidee and bought one of these cute little cakes. It’s so cute!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

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WARNING: the frites (fries) and Gaufre (waffles) are really addicting!
A good friend introduced me to this deliciousness. You simply MUST try it whenever you are in downtown Salt Lake City, UT. Bruges Waffles & Frites. Visit their website and read about the Belgian pearl sugar used in the Liège.
My favorites are an order of Frites with Garlic aioli and a Cinnamon Liège with Crème fraiche and either strawberries or raspberries. The owner Pierre is very friendly and entertaining. He treats the “regulars” wonderfully, he knows them by name, but also treats everyone as a long lost friend.

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I had a pretty hectic day, but still was able to make a batch of cookies today. The day flew by, it’s after 6:00 pm, so I decided to take a picture of the cookies since it’s dark outside now.

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Red Velvet Cake Balls

I was reading a stamp website and someone mentioned neighbor gifts for Christmas and what they were doing. I found this and had to tell y’all about it:

Photo courtesy of Bakerella.com

http://www.bakerella.com/red-velvet-cake-balls/

I don’t know why I haven’t seen her blog before, but you HAVE to go there RIGHT NOW!!!!! She has some super cute Sesame Street cake pops too. And she {hearts} Pioneer Woman!

Photo courtesy of Stephanie’s Kitchen

I only wish that I had come up with this recipe, I found this recipe and it’s to DIE FOR! Give it a try…. Make them and tell me what you think….

Chocolate Ganache Cupakes

adapted from Ina Garten’s Chocolate Ganache Cupcake recipe
makes 12 regular cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 16 ounce can Hershey’s chocolate syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour

for the chocolate ganache:
melt together
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

for the white chocolate ganache:
melt together
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until combined. Scoop the batter into muffin cups (we used my mini cheesecake pan) and bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until set. Dip the tops of the cupcakes in the ganache and let set on a wire rack.

**Add Heath bits to the top!

4 Eggs
2 cups Milk
2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Sugar

Mix all ingredients in a blender and cook like pancakes.
Top with yogurt, fruit and whip cream.
Makes about 30.

I adapted these from a Libby’s recipe from their site. The original recipe had walnuts, but no chocolate chips.

Great Pumpkin Cookies
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pumpkin
1 large egg
1 teaspoon 100% pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup raisins
1 bag (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

• Combine: flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl.
• Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
• Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla; mix well
• Add flour mixture slowly; mix well
• Add raisins and chocolate chips; mix well
• Use a cookie scoop and drop dough onto cookie sheet
• Bake for 12-14 minutes
• Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, remove to wire racks to cool completely.