Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Another sweet treat enhanced by the fruits of the season. Blueberries are just about out of season, but there are still some available in New England. I suggest if you can get your hands on some of the fresh, tart berries, grab them and immediately make these cookies. The soft cookies have all the good stuff. One of my top requests for cookies from my family, particularly my niece, Elyse, and my Dad, are my Oatmeal Cranberry cookies. And Elyse has a spot in her heart from fruit-flavored goodies. So when her birthday rolled around last month, I knew I needed to share these with her. These cookies are hearty but not heavy with a touch of sweetness added from white chocolate chips and fresh blueberries bursting throughout. And the pairing of oatmeal and blueberries seems to be the perfect way to bridge the gap between summer and fall.

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

After the amazing Cherry Chocolate Blondies I made earlier this month, I found a recipe for cookies bringing the same flavors together. And they are amazing. Soft, chewy cookies with sweet cherries and chocolate chips, they are the perfect way to use up the last few lingering cherries from summer. Of course the blondies were amazing, but come on, you know I will always go for a cookie. And of course, cherry and chocolate play well together, but the almond extract really brings it together. I love almonds and cherry so that was definitely the right addition to these cookies. If you've got some cherries leftover but they aren't quite fresh enough to just munch on, toss them in these cookies for a real treat.

S'mores Snickerdoodles

Yes, you read that right. Say it with me now. S'mores. Snickerdoodles. Together in sheer cookie bliss. I'm a huge s'mores fan--to the point I have been known to save room for dessert because a restaurant serves up s'mores or a s'more inspired treat. Not to mention the brownies, whoopie pies, banana bread and other treats I've made from this chocolate-graham-marshmallow combo. And the doodle obsession is well documented with snickerdoodles in all kinds of flavors popping up here (with two other new ones I found that are definitely going to hit the the cookie tins this holiday). So of course without question I immediately set upon making this cookie infusing all the flavor bits I love about s'mores with all the best features of a snickerdoodle--soft and puffy inside and rolled in a wonderful coating to bake up to one amazing cookie. My friend Mere was the recipient of these cookies for her birthday last month--it really is a great summer birthday cookie, right? The cookie is light and tender, with chunks of graham cracker, marshmallows and chocolate chips throughout, not to mention a slightly cinnamon enhanced graham cracker crumb coating. I wasn't sure I'd love the traditional snickerdoodle cinnamon flavor paired with the classic s'mores palette, but I ran with it anyway. Which is good because the result is amazing. Seriously, these might be my new favorite cookie. For real.

S'mores Krispies Treats

A few months ago, I posted the Vanilla Cookie Krispies Treats. When I shared them with Rachel and John, I mentioned I was toying with some ideas for S'mores Krispies and the first thing Rachel said was, "So you're making those next right?" Guess I had my marching orders! While they weren't the next thing I made, this flavor was the next krispie treat I made to share with Rachel and John. Chocolate krispies make the base, plus chunks of graham cracker, mini marshmallow bits and milk chocolate chips to round out all the flavor. Stuck together with some classic marshmallow gooey-ness and yes, this is the s'more krispie I've been waiting for. Right, Rach?

Lemon Raspberry Bread

Recently there were some delicious looking raspberries at the farm stand. After I bought a pint, Dave and I ate the entire thing in one sitting (maybe 10 minutes)--they were just the perfect combination of tart, sweet and juicy. So I went back to get another pint and paired those raspberries with some lemons for this amazing summer-flavored quick bread. This bread is amazing. Tart, sweet, soft and delicious. I made mini loaves, two of which Dave and I ate up right away. I shared one with Cindy since she needed some sweet lemony goodness in a bad way, and there's one left in the freezer, yet, but I'm not sure it'll be there much longer. This perfect summer recipe came from the best source--a Secret Recipe Club assignment!

Cherry Chocolate Blondies

I've been having a love affair with cherries this summer. I've always loved fresh cherries, but I don't know what it is this year--the pregnancy cravings, the fact that they are so abundant and delicious this summer, or that they've been on sale for basically the last month and a half, but I can't get enough of them. And these bars do the very best thing with fresh cherries--add chocolate and a lovely gooey blondie base for an amazing twist on deconstructed and baked up chocolate covered cherry. The chocolate, the gooey blondie, the cherries: a trifecta of yum. It's a one bowl dessert that bakes up in no time and I will absolutely make these again. If nothing more than an excuse to by more cherries. Now you know I'm not a big fruit in my dessert girl, especially fresh fruit (compared to dried) or anything pie-like. But I was headed to see my uncle and aunt, Bud and Sandy, and wanted to take something a little different but still sweet and delicious. This was both and more.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Gluten Free)

I'm lucky that I've never had a need, due to allergy or intolerance, to cook gluten-free in our home. Sure, we make healthier choices and cookie to reduce certain "bad" things from our diets (so we can enjoy all of the yummy, butter-laden things I like to bake), but gluten free baking in particular has always eluded me because I see a lot of recipes that require substitutions with ingredients I just don't have on hand or come across in my regular grocery shopping. But when I do see an accessible recipe, I'm happy to jump on board and give it a try. Like these cookies I made for my coworker, Laura's birthday. Laura isn't gluten free but does make conscious decisions about her food choices, so while I wanted to celebrate with a sweet treat, I also thought I'd try something new with a little adjustment. Now, these cookies are by no means "healthy," but they do work with the idea of using simple ingredients and only a few of them--six to be precise. And they're delicious. I'll admit, I was skeptical about a flour-less cookie and more than a little concerned they'd be incredibly sweet with that much sugar. But I was pleasantly surprised. Sweet--but not overly so--and full of perfect peanut butter and chocolate flavor (THE baking flavor combo in my opinion), these cookies are the sure for anyone who needs a treat but looking for something without gluten. And I'm happy to have a new recipe in my arsenal for this need.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Rice Krispies Treats

 

So there's these little nugget-like pretzels filled with peanut butter that are a sneaky little addictive snack. You can get them just about anywhere and all the brands I've had are good. It wasn't until I started eating these by the handful that I realized how peanut butter and pretzels make an excellent combination. Of course, when you toss both of them into some krispies treats you really can't go wrong. Crunchy, sweet, and salty, these krispies treats are delicious and topped with just a smattering of chocolate, they really are perfect for summer cookouts, pot lucks and general no-bake goodies.