🎃 Halloween Cookies

Halloween's just around the corner, and you know what that means. Costumes, candies, celebrations and cookies galore! 

If you're one of those parents (or kids) who either gets invited to a lot of parties, or hosts a lot of parties, these are the easiest Halloween Cookies you can make! No need to make them a few days before... these bake so fast, you can make them 30 minutes before your guests arrive!

(or you can just bake and eat them by yourself... I won't judge 😉)

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Halloween Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Cook time: 10-12 minutes
Yield: depends on cookie cutters

Ingredients:

170 mL flour 

40 mL cocoa powder

1 mL baking powder

60 mL margarine, softened

100 mL sugar

1/2 of an egg OR 1/4 banana

2 mL vanilla extract

Decorating materials - icing, sugar, sprinkles, frosting etc. (optional)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉

2. Line cookie sheet w/ parchment paper

3. In a bowl, whisk flour, cocoa and baking powder

4. In a separate bowl, cream margarine with sugar. Add banana and vanilla extract. Beat well.

5. Gradually add the flour mixture to creamed mixture

6. Knead dough on lightly floured surface. Roll dough into 1cm thick circle, and cut shapes

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until firm around edges

8. Let cookies cool and...

9. Decorate!

Notes:

• Want to decorate with frosting? Click here for an easy recipe!
• You can use an electric mixer to cream the margarine or a whisk
• Depending on the thickness and size of your cookies, you may need to keep them in the oven for more or less time

Recommended for this recipe:

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Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

I cannot even begin to describe how these muffins taste fresh out of the oven...they made me want to sit in a corner with a book, and just keep eating. Unfortunately, I was unable do that (sad, I know) because nowadays I barely have time to bake, let alone read a book (that isn't a textbook). For some reason, the picture didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped and definitely doesn't do these muffins justice. So, if you really want to see how these looked, you're just gonna have to make em' for yourself. 

Let me know if you end up trying this recipe and how it was (hopefully you'll love it as much as I did). I LOVE to read your thoughts and suggestions!

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Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Cook time: 14-18 minutes

For muffins:

250mL all-purpose flour

60mL sugar

5mL baking powder

5mL ground cinnamon

1mL salt

125mL milk

1 egg (or 1/2 banana, as substitute)

45mL margarine

For topping (streusel):

60mL flour

30mL brown sugar

4mL ground cinnamon

30mL margarine, softened

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉

2. Line muffin tin with liners

3. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

4. Melt margarine (~15 sec.)

5. Whisk the milk, egg and melted margarine in another bowl

6. Make a well in the dry ingredients and stir the wet ingredients in; mix until moistened. DO NOT OVERMIX!

7. Divide batter evenly into muffin tin (fill each cup 2/3 full)

8. Now, it's time to make the topping. Combine flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over muffins.

9. Bake 14-18 minutes or until golden-brown.

Notes:

Make sure you do not over mix!

To cut the butter, use either a pastry blender or two forks

Toodles! ♡

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The BEST Buttercream Frosting

Have you ever had those days when you make a delicious cake but don't have a quick icing recipe? Well, this is for those days. This recipe takes about 5 minutes in total.... and to be honest, the hardest part is controlling yourself and not licking the spoon as you're making it (which I've obviously never done...) So, let's get on with this recipe! 

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EASIEST Buttercream Frosting (white)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups icing sugar, sifted

2 tbsp milk

3 drops food coloring, any color (optional)

Steps:

1. Cream the unsalted butter with an electric or handheld mixer. GRADUALLY beat in sugar until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla.

2. Pour in milk; beat 3-4 minutes. If using, add food coloring and beat an additional 30 seconds.

And that's literally it! Enjoy!

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EASY Chocolate Mug Cake

For some reason, today I had an insatiable craving for chocolate. I ate a piece of chocolate and even a bit of a chocolate chip cookie, but nothing worked. I decided to make my chocolate mug cake and let me tell you, this hit the spot. It's delicious and best of all, it takes less than 5 minutes (literally)! 

Chocolate Mug Cake

Cook time: 90 seconds

Yield: 1 mug cake

Ingredients:

2 tbsp cocoa powder

3 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp sugar

1/2 an egg (or 1/2 a banana, as substitute)
2 tbsp oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp milk

Steps:

1. Mix and microwave for 90 seconds

That's how easy it is!

Want to top it off with frosting? Click here for the QUICKEST Buttercream Frosting recipe!

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Delicious 5-Step Brownies

I'm so excited to be posting my very first recipe on this here blog! For now, I'll keep things simple, with my favourite brownie recipe (because who doesn't LOVE brownies?) Whenever I follow this recipe, my brownies always turn out tender, chewy and moist, so hopefully yours will too. If you end up making this recipe, send me a pic so I can see how they turned out. And if you choose to omit the eggs, you can barely even taste the bananas (unless you want to taste them, in which case, feel free to toss in an extra banana) 😉

Did I mention that these sold out almost immediately at my most recent bake sale??

Fudgy Cocoa Brownies (5 steps)

Cook time: 25-30 minutes

Yield: ~9 brownies 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs (or 2 bananas, as substitutes)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup walnuts and/or chocolate chips (optional)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉

2. Grease or lightly flour an 8" pan

3. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. After completely melted, remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs (or bananas) and vanilla extract. 

4. With a wooden spoon, beat in cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder (do not overbeat!) Spread the batter into the 8" pan.

5. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until sides start pulling away from pan. DO NOT OVERCOOK!

If you want to cover these in frosting (which tastes even more delicious), click here for my favorite, 2 step Buttercream Frosting recipe!

Enjoy! ♡

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