Month of Sweetness

I have been baking up a storm lately! We always have homemade cookies on hand and with Valentine's Day coming up, I tend to bake a bit more than usual because I know how much the Mr. likes homemade sweets.

For my grandparents' 50th Wedding Anniversary party I made chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting. They turned out pretty yummy but I'm having a hard time finding a perfect chocolate cupcake recipe... they tend to be a bit dry. Either way, all the cupcakes were eaten up at the party.

Cupcakes! Cupcakes

There was a decent amount of frosting leftover so I made up a batch of gingerbread whoopie pies that I received as a gift for Christmas. I used the first mix from the box to make whoopie pies almost a month ago and I filled the whoopie pie pan (yes, I have a pan for them) too full. They were so fluffy!

Gingerbread Whoopie Pie

Ridiculously tall, but yummy!

Whoopie pies #nomnomnom Gingerbread Whoopie Pie

The second time around? Much better! I also preferred my vanilla buttercream over the mix they give you in the box. I think piping the frosting in the middle looks much nicer as well.

Cookies

Last weekend I did make cookies which turned out to be so good. Too good. I cannot stop eating them. I have a recipe I use all the time. I just mix up the sweet stuff - raisins, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, etc. - to change them up. These are my favourite.

White Chocolate-Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine (I used 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
1 cup mini white chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats, dried cranberries and chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 7-8 minutes for chewy cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes approx. 4 dozen cookies.

Cookies

They are sooo good! I highly recommend trying this recipe. Using applesauce makes the cookies so much fluffier and lighter as well. The rest of this month will be another bakeathon for me! Between Valentine's Day and 2 birthdays for special ladies in my life, I have a lot to make.

xo Jen

6 comments

  1. Yummy! I have to try the cookie recipe for sure! :D

    Katie =^..^=

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    Replies
    1. Beware - the cookies are addictive! hehe... I've been eating them every day.

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  2. Replies
    1. I have! And yet, I still have 2 batches of cupcakes and a pie to make this week!

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