Graham Cracker Toffee Bark

Those recipe is a family favorite that always gets made for the holidays.

Ingredients

14.4 oz. box graham crackers
1/2 c. salted butter
1/2 c. margarine
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. dark brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. milk chocolate chips
3/4 c. slivered almonds

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place graham crackers onto tinfoil-lined baking sheets In a saucepan, melt together the butter, margarine, and sugars. Bring mixture to a boil. Allow to boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Pour the mixture over the graham crackers and spread with a spatula to cover all the crackers.

Bake for 5-6 minutes. Remove from the oven, then sprinkle chocolate chips over crackers. After 5 minutes, use a spatula to spread the chocolate over the crackers. Sprinkle with almonds. Chill in fridge until chocolate hardens. Break into pieces to serve.

Funfetti Cookie Bars+Marshmallow Fluff

These cookies are sweet and gooey thanks to the marshmallow fluff.

Ingredients

1 c. salted butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/4 tsp. coconut extract
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. sprinkles
7 oz. marshmallow fluff

Yields Approximately 24 bars

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl, then add the eggs one at a time, scraping after each addition. Add the vanilla, almond, and coconut extracts.

In a bowl, sift together the salt, baking soda, and flour. Add to the wet ingredients in two additions, scraping after each addition. Add the sprinkles and mix until just combined. Fold in the marshmallow fluff.

Scrape dough into a greased 9×13 baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly golden brown or an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool before slicing.

Tropical Banana Bread

This banana bread has pureed banana, pineapple, and mango to give it lots of fruit flavor.

Ingredients

1/2 c. canola oil
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup banana, pureed
1 c. pineapple, pureed
1/4 c. mango, pureed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
4 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. unsweetened coconut milk

Yields Approximately 48 slices

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat together the oil, sugar, and eggs until the mixture is lighter in color. Add the pureed fruit and vanilla extract and beat to combine. In a bowl, sift together the salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and cardamom.

Add the flour mixture and coconut milk in two alternating additions, scraping the bowl after each addition. Divide the batter into two greased 9×13 pans and bake for 45-50 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.

Nutter Butter Krispy Treats

Ingredients

1/2 c. salted butter
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 tbs. coco powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
16 oz. marshmallows
1 c. crushed nutter butter cookies
1 c. roasted peanuts
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
7 c. rice cereal

Yields Approximately 24 bars

In a large pot, melt the butter. Add the peanut butter and coco powder. Allow to melt, then add the marshmallows. Melt the marshmallows fully,brown remove from heat. Add the vanilla extract, nutter butter cookies, peanuts, chocolate chips, and rice cereal. Stir to combine, then pour into a greased 9×13 baking pan. Allow to cool before slicing.

Sesame Brownies

These brownies are gluten-free, with tahini paste mixed into the batter and topped with a chewy sesame seed topping.

Ingredients

Sesame Seed Topping

1/4 c. water
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
3/4 c. white sesame seeds

Brownies

1 1/2 sticks salted butter (6 oz.)
6 oz. milk chocolate
2 oz. semi-chocolate
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. tahini paste
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
3/4 c. sweet white rice flour
3 tbs. unsweetened coco powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

Yields Approximately 12 bars.

For the Sesame Seed Topping

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the water, brown sugar, and salt. Heat until mixture begins to boil. Add the sesame seeds and stir mixture frequently. Cook until liquid is mostly evaporated. Pour mixture onto a parchment paper- lined baking sheet and let cool. Break into pieces to serve.

For the Brownies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and chocolate, microwaving in short bursts and stirring to melt the butter and chocolate. After chocolate is fully melted, stir in the vanilla extract and tahini paste. Set aside and let cool.

Beat the eggs and egg yolk until the eggs are frothy. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until the mixture is aerated and lighter in color. Add the chocolate mixture and mix to combine. In a bowl, sift together the sweet rice flour, coco powder, and kosher salt. Add the flour mixture in three additions, scraping the bowl after each addition. Pour batter into a parchment paper-lined 9×13 baking dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs.

Let brownies cool completely before cutting and serving with the sesame topping.

Brown Butter+Mizithra Cheese Shortbread

These shortbread bars are toasty from the brown butter and lightly sweet.

Ingredients

1 c. salted butter
3/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. All-Purpose flour
1/3 c. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 c. Mizithra cheese, shredded
1 tbs. turbinado sugar
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

Yields Approximately 16 bars.

To Make Brown Butter

In a light-colored pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Give the butter an occasional stir. The butter will start to bubble and foam. Once this happens, start stirring more frequently.

The butter will start to darken and begin to smell nutty. Once the butter reaches the desired color, remove from heat and pour butter into a heat-safe container and allow to cool to room temperature. I poured my butter into the mixing bowl I planned to make the shortbread with.

To Make the Shortbread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together until combined and the mixture is slightly lighter in color. Add vanilla extract and mix to combine. Scrape the bowl. In another small bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, and the ground nutmeg. Add flour mixture to the bowl in two additions, scraping the bowl after each addition. Add the Mizithra cheese and mix until just combined.

Press the dough into a greased 9×13 pan. Dock the dough with a fork. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar and the 1/4 tsp. kosher salt over the dough. Bake for 24-27 minutes until golden brown. If the shortbread starts to get dark, cover it with some aluminum foil. Let shortbread cool before cutting and removing from the pan as the bars are soft and crumbly when warm.