Tag: #Cookies

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Chocolate Lava Cookies

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Are you or someone you know an unapologetic chocolate lover? If so, then these chocolate lava cookies are sure to please. Just like our favorite chocolate lava cake, these cookies are a decadently rich and fudgy dessert that has a surprise inside: a river of luxurious, warm dark chocolate ganache. They’re just as satisfying as their cake counterpart, but because they’re handheld, they’re easier to eat—and, therefore, they’re that much harder to resist.

If you’ve never made a stuffed cookie before, this chocolate cookie recipe is a great place to start. You begin by making a simple homemade chocolate ganache that’s partially frozen and shaped into balls. Then, you wrap the tender chocolate cookie dough around the ganache balls. After baking, the final cookies are supremely moist and indulgent with a puddle of molten chocolate waiting to escape inside. These molten chocolate lava cookies will quickly top your list of favorite chocolate desserts.

Ingredients for Chocolate Lava Cookies

  • Cocoa powder: Cocoa powder flavors the cookie dough with an intense chocolate flavor. Adding a small amount to the ganache thickens the mixture and gives it some body.
  • Heavy cream: Heavy cream helps ensure the chocolate ganache does not set completely solid at room temperature but remains soft and fudgy.
  • Dark chocolate: Since the chocolate cookie dough is rather sweet, using dark chocolate for the molten lava center offers a nice balance. For a sweeter taste, consider using semisweet chocolate.
  • Unsalted butter: Butter adds flavor, richness and moisture to the cookie dough. A small amount is also added to the fudge filling to give the “lava” a silkier, richer consistency.
  • Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar adds moisture and contributes to the cookies’ moist and chewy texture.
  • Eggs: Eggs provide structure and stability to a cookie as it bakes. Adding an extra egg yolk to the recipe incorporates additional fat, which helps keep these cookies extra soft and tender.
  • Vanilla extract: Even though chocolate is the dominant flavor in these cookies, using a high-quality brand of vanilla helps give the cookies excellent added depth and complexity.
  • All-purpose flour: When making cookies, make sure you’re measuring your flour accurately. Using too much or not enough flour can drastically change the taste, texture and consistency of the baked cookies.
  • Espresso powder: Espresso powder is the secret to better chocolate desserts. Adding a small amount of espresso powder amplifies the flavor of the chocolate.
  • Baking soda: Baking soda acts as a leavener, keeping the cookies light and airy.
  • Salt: A few pinches of salt help balance the sweetness and enhance the flavors of the cookies.
  • Confectioners’ sugar: A light dusting of confectioners’ sugar is the perfect sweet finish to these molten chocolate lava cookies.

Taste of Home

Posted in #Recipes

60 Best Valentine’s Day Desserts

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

I can’t help it: I love Valentine’s Day. (No, not because my name is in the holiday!) It’s the perfect time to tell someone—platonically or romantically—how much they mean to you. Showing love looks a little different to everyone, but for me, it means baking Valentine’s Day desserts. The fastest way to someone’s heart is through their stomach, right? That’s what all those Marry Me recipes are for!

If you’re also the “cooking is my love language” type, here are the perfect Valentine’s Day desserts for the holiday. Of course, there’s no shortage of chocolate desserts, like truffles and confections, mousses, cookies and chocolate lava cake. But there are also other romantic desserts, such as white chocolate raspberry cake, red velvet cookies, cheesecake-stuffed strawberries, decadently layered trifles and heart-shaped desserts galore. Many of these can feed a crowd (perfect for a Galentine’s Day party!), but more are desserts for two.

Whether you’ve booked a table or you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day at home, end your romantic dinner with one of these sweet desserts. (By the way, anyone manifesting for something special to happen should try Ina Garten’s engagement chicken—it worked for Meghan Markle and Emily Blunt!)

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30 Valentine’s Day Snacks to Share the Love

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

While I love making a special meal on Valentine’s Day, my real food love language is snacks. But I don’t mean a handful of baby carrots or a half-stale granola bar. Whether sweet or savory, the little nibbles that carry us through the day until that romantic date-night dinner can be just as thoughtful as the main course. That’s what this collection of Valentine’s Day snacks celebrates.

Here, you will find a mix of sweet and savory festive treats, so you can still enjoy a pink cupcake, a few chocolate-covered tuxedo strawberries or a slice of decadent chocolate cake for Valentine’s Day dessert without feeling as if you’ve gone overboard on sugar all day. For something that you can graze on all afternoon, try a snack board loaded with a combination of cheese, crackers and cured meats.

You can even turn these snacks into a meal by making a variety of dishes. Pair shrimp skewers or crab-stuffed mushrooms with steak bites for surf-and-turf vibes, along with a few different types of bruschetta for color and texture. The best part about these Valentine’s Day snacks is that they’re elegant and delicious yet easy enough to prepare so you still have time to spend with your Valentine.

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The 2-Ingredient “Lemon Bars” I Can’t Stop Making (They’re So Easy)

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Lemon angel bars are my go-to whenever I need to make a super-easy dessert with almost no effort. The fact that they only use two ingredients still surprises me every time I make them. Just stir together angel food cake mix and lemon pie filling, bake, and you’re done! The bars come out soft and airy, with a light texture and a bright lemon flavor. I make this recipe whenever I want something simple and not too heavy. Even better, it’s the kind of dessert I can easily throw together for a last-minute get-together or potluck.

What Makes Lemon Angel Bars So Great

This recipe works because the angel food cake mix provides structure and lift, while the lemon pie filling adds sweetness, moisture, and citrus flavor all at once. There’s no measuring, no mixers, and no complicated steps. The bars bake up fluffy and tender with a soft, cake-like crumb. Once they’re cooled, I like to dust the top with powdered sugar (although they’re just as good plain). These bars prove that minimal ingredients can still deliver big, delicious results.

The Kitch’n

Posted in #Recipes

Tuna Broccoli Casserole

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

This tuna broccoli casserole captures all the goodness of the classic recipe without using condensed soup. It gets straight to the good stuff: tender noodles, a creamy homemade sauce with real depth, and a generous handful of melty cheese. Onion and dried herbs simmer into the sauce, giving it a savory backbone and making it feel more like a pantry-friendly bechamel than a shortcut sauce. The broccoli stays bright and slightly crisp, the tuna adds heft without overwhelming the dish, and the panko topping turns golden and toasty thanks to a slick of melted butter.

What comes out of the oven is equal parts comfort and competence, with bubbling edges, a cheesy crust and a spoonable center that’s just firm enough to hold its shape. It’s a great use of shelf-stable staples and frozen veggies, but it eats like a casserole with a lot more effort behind it. You’ll get creamy, chewy, crunchy and savory in every bite—no processed shortcuts, no extra fuss.

Tuna Broccoli Casserole Ingredients

A top shot shows bowls with egg noodles; broccoli; shredded cheese; cooked chicken; milk; seasoning; onions; broth; flour and spices on a dark background; Tuna Broccoli Casserole
Taste of Home
  • Whole wheat egg noodles
  • Butter
  • Onion
  • Cornstarch
  • Milk
  • Basil
  • Thyme
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Chicken broth
  • Monterey Jack cheese
  • Broccoli florets
  • Albacore white tuna in water
  • Panko bread crumbs
  • Butter

Taste of Home

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45 Sweet Potato Recipes to Make All Year Long

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

When I moved to Texas, I was introduced to new-to-me foods, like sun tea, chess pie and sweet potatoes. Though I had loved the easy potato recipes my mom whipped up, I quickly realized sweet potatoes were not the same. I watched friends load them up with butter, brown sugar and even marshmallows, finding room for sweet potato recipes at every meal. Although it took a few attempts, I came to love sweet potatoes too, and now I always have some at home for making baked goods, sides and hearty dinners.

This collection features the naturally sweet, nutrient-dense spuds in a variety of recipes, from skillet breakfasts and quick satisfying lunches to easy sides, dinners and sweet treats. If marshmallows and sweet potatoes aren’t for you, there are plenty of savory sweet potato recipes with beans, herbs, cheese and spices. Or, you can embrace the root vegetable’s sugary edge with recipes for sweet potato desserts, including cookies, pies and cakes.

When shopping for sweet potatoes, look for ones that are firm with taut, unbroken skin. And don’t be confused by signage at the market: Sweet potatoes are different from yams, but many places still use the words interchangeably. If it has a thin, mostly smooth skin, it’s a sweet potato. Whether you already know how you love to eat sweet potatoes or you are looking for new flavor combinations, you’ll find inspiration here for sweet potato dishes to enjoy year-round.

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40 Pear Dessert Recipes Full of Warm Spices and Sweet Flavor

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Pears are one of fall’s quiet baking heroes. With their mild sweetness, firm texture and floral aroma, they soak up warm spices and syrups in a way only a few fruits can. These pear dessert recipes transform the humble fruit into something that tastes and smells like the season.

You’ll find pear recipes for baking that layer with cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger, each one showing how well this fruit pairs with spice and adds texture. There are gingersnap pear pies, fall cakes that stay moist for days and poached pears that feel like velvet on a spoon. For something deeper, simmer them in red wine and cranberry reduction or bake them into a golden pear tarte Tatin, where the fruit melts into the caramel beneath crisp pastry.

Once you’ve baked with pears, it’s hard to imagine a fall menu without them. These easy pear desserts pair naturally with cozy fall dinners, cheese boards, potluck casseroles and fall harvest salads. To get the best texture, start with Bosc or Anjou pears that are shy of ripe; they hold their shape while drawing in every last bit of flavor. And if a few over-ripen on the counter, turn them into a fragrant batch of pear jam that brings a touch of fall to toast, thumbprint cookies and pastries all year long.

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37 No-Bake Christmas Cookies and Treats

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Baking isn’t everyone’s forte—we get it! But just because you’re oven-averse doesn’t mean you can’t make great desserts at home, especially during the holiday season when every hour is sweets-o’clock. Here’s proof: This list has our best no-bake Christmas cookies and treats that are still indulgent and super festive.

There’s a range of Christmas desserts in this list, so there’s a little something for everyone. Of course, Christmas no-bake cookie recipes dominate the list, with cute reindeer, thumbprints, Christmas wreath cookies and even a no-bake version of the iconic peanut butter blossoms. But there are lots of other treats in store, too, like peppermint pies, fudge and frozen desserts, all sorts of chocolate-covered bites and balls, no-bake bars and even a glorious Christmas trifle that feeds a crowd.

While these are easy no-bake holiday cookies, some require a stovetop or microwave and a few require baking tools like a food processor or mixer. Others are truly no-heat with zero baking tools involved, so read through the recipes that catch your eye before claiming them for Christmas dinner.

Taste of Home

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30 Best Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

One of the best parts of Christmas is the food: decadent Christmas mains and sides, festive appetizers and cocktails, and, of course, Christmas cookies. But if you have a gluten allergy, at times it can feel as if your options are limited or nonexistent.

Our gluten-free Christmas cookies are here to save the day because no one should miss out on the fun of making and decorating cookies because of an allergy! In this collection, you’ll find gluten-free holiday cookies like snowballs, pumpkin cookies and crinkle cookies to bake and enjoy worry-free. You’ll even find allergy-friendly recipes for classic Christmas cookies, including gingerbread men, spritz and shortbread.

These gluten-free festive cookies will be welcome additions to your gluten-free dessert spread and will have even your non-allergic family members coming back for more.

Taste of Home

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Our 100 All-Time-Best Christmas Cookie Recipes

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Bake the Best Holiday Cookies

Whether you’re still learning the basics of cookie making or are all about using those pro baking tips you’ve mastered over the years, there’s no better time to bake from scratch than during the holidays. Whether you whip up an assortment of holiday bars and barks to pack and ship to someone special or are baking a batch of easy-to-make cookies to serve alongside homemade hot chocolate on movie night, you’ll find that cookies always spread cheer. Nut and spice cookies, fruity cookies, sugar cookies and more: we always have a hard time narrowing down our favorites (which is why this collection has 100 recipes!).

But, we have to admit that the imperfection of these festive smashed cookies places them at the top of our list. The addition of two eggs gives the centers a tender and soft texture, while the crinkled edges get ever so slightly golden and crisp. Top with a simple confectioners’ sugar glaze for a holiday treat perfect for a cookie tin — and that’s oh-so-fun to make!

Food Network