Girl Scout Cookie Crust Cheesecake

Does anyone else have an unbearable number of sleeves of Girl Scout cookies in their pantries? I managed to get a bit ahead of myself when receiving an order form from my coworker's daughter. Samoas? Sure. Thin Mints? Obviously. Shortbread? They'll go well with hot tea.

Nonetheless, I found myself with far more cookies than I needed. I searched for a solution to diminish the count of shortbread wafers on my shelf--and this cheesecake quickly solved it. Avoid the late-night cookie temptation and, instead, trot this beauty to a dinner party for others to enjoy!

For the shortbread cookie crust:

1 sleeve Girl Scouts shortbread cookies, finely ground 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted 1/4 cup sweetened dried coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cookies in a medium bowl and, with a rubber spatula, gently combine butter into cookie crumbs. Add coconut and incorporate.

2. Transfer cookie mixture into greased pie plate. Press firmly and evenly against bottom and sides. Bake for 8 minutes until fragrant and toasted. Allow to cool completely before filling.

For the cheesecake:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons honey 3/4 cup greek yogurt Pinch sea salt

1. Whisk cream cheese until fluffy and smooth. Fold in lemon, vanilla, honey and yogurt. Sprinkle with sea salt. Pour filling into prepared crust. Freeze for two hours, or refrigerate overnight before serving with berry compote and a sprinkle of extra coconut.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Cakes

I know yesterday was Fat Tuesday. I ate king cake, too; and no, I didn't find the baby. But, I did find a way to continue the sweet tooth throughout this week as we lead up to Valentine's Day. Inspired by Memphis' culinary master Wally Joe, I took a toffee sticky pudding cake from the dessert menu of Acre into my own kitchen. I added a caramel toffee sauce simmered with Pipcorn, a delicious all-natural mini popcorn. It's vegan, gluten free, non-GMO and high in fiber. But most importantly, it's addictively delicious.

Try it out with your hon' this weekend. Or treat yourself. Either way, you'll be sweetly satisfied.

Makes 2 servings

2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 2/3 cup dates, pitted, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices 1/4 cup warm water 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed 1 large egg 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1/3 cup heavy cream 1 1/2 teaspoons rum 1/4 cup sea salt Pipcorn

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease and flour two 8-ounce ramekins and line bottom of each with round of parchment paper cut to fit. Set prepared ramekins in deep-side baking or roasting pan lined with clean dish towel.

3. Bring a large saucepan of water to boil over high heat.

4. Combine half of dates with warm water and baking soda in glass measuring cup and soak for 5 minutes. Drain dates, reserving liquid, and transfer to medium bowl.

5. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in another medium bowl. Set aside.

6. Process remaining dates and brown sugar in food processor until just blended, about five 1-second pulses. Add reserved soaking liquid, eggs, and vanilla and process until smooth, about 5 seconds. With food processor running, pour melted butter through feed tube in steady stream.

7. Transfer mixture to bowl with softened dates. Gently stir dry mixture into wet mixture until just combined and date pieces are evenly dispersed.

8. Distribute batter evenly among prepared ramekins. Fill roasting pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of ramekins, making sure not to splash water into ramekins. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil, crimping edges to seal.

9. Bake pudding cakes until puffed and small holes appear on surface, about 40 minutes.

10. While baking, melt butter, cream

adapted from Food.com

Dark Chocolate Stirrers

This month's thematic elements of luxury and romance hand us the excuse (and undeniable desire) to consume and covet an unnatural amount of chocolate. I'm rarely inclined to pine over a box of unrecognizable flavor-filled chocolates, but I've found that using the sweet as an additive to dessert, drinks or snacks makes the ingredient totally acceptable. Right?

During my weekly visit to the brand new (and absolutely beautiful) Whole Foods Germantown, a few bars of whole trade organic dark chocolate somehow landed in my cart. Upon reading the label, I learned that Whole Foods' whole trade program was created to honor its commitment to ethical trade, wages and working conditions. The products--including my new chocolates--are sourced in an environmentally-conscious approach.

So, what to do with them? I melted down the chocolate varieties and created an assortment of handmade chocolate stirrers with spoons on-hand. You can use paper spoons if you prefer to wrap them in cellophane as a gift! Miscellaneous pantry products adorned each spoon, from sweetened shredded coconut to pecans and dried cranberries.

This weekend, when temperatures will cool down to the twenties, I'll warm up a mug of almond milk and stir in a chocolate spoonful. Join me, why don't you?

This post is made possible by Whole Foods Germantown. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!

No-Bake Granola Bars

Snacking is a particular weakness of mine, especially in cheese form. Confession: I treat a cheese board as a form of conquer + attack rather than as a light hors d'oeuvre before or between meals. At Bounty on Broad last week, I relished in the brie and bleu so much that I could hardly take a bite of the esteemed scallop and brisket entrées. Alas, homemade goodies such as these flax seed granola bars save me from such patterns. I hope you'll take this recipe with you into the new year and enjoy its natural sweetness as much as I do.

Makes 12 servings

1/4 cup coconut oil, butter can be substituted 1/2 cup raw honey 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1/8 cup flax seed, milled or whole 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup unsalted almonds

1. Add coconut oil and honey saucepan over medium heat. Stir to melt and combine. Once bubbling, keep watch until the mixture reaches a nice amber color, about 30 seconds-1 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

2. Add oats and flax seed. Stir until combined.

3. Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper. Pour in oat mixture. Using back of a spatula, press until about mixture is evenly distributed and about 1/2 inch thick.

4. Sprinkle dried cranberries and almonds over oats. Press into the mixture. Cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to cool. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

recipe adapted by live simply

Honey Ginger Molasses Cookies

Christmas cookie season is well upon us; and if you're invited to a cookie swap this upcoming weekend (or don't want to arrive to a party empty-handed), boy do I have a recipe for you! With rich molasses and raw Nature Nate's Raw & Unfiltered honey in the batter, the texture of these cookies is hard to beat. I used gingerbread and snowflake cookie cutters, though you're welcome to get creative with shapes and sizes.

Planning to whip up a batch? Share your Nature Nate's holiday creations on social media with #happyhoneydays.

Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies (depending on cookie cutter size!)

3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup molasses 1/4 cup Nature Nate's Raw & Unfiltered honey 1 large egg

1. In a large bowl, whisk flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves and salt.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar until smooth. Add egg, molasses and honey, and beat for 2 minutes until light and airy.

3. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated. Shape into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill until firm, approx. 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

4. On a floured surface, roll the dough to ¼ inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut into shapes; place on parchment-lined baking sheets.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

adapted from Real Simple magazine

This post is in partnership with Nature Nate's honey. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!

Apricot Pecan Cake

'Tis officially the season for cake. And though we hostesses value the high-quality taste of a homemade recipe, we frankly don't have the time amongst party prep and three-course menu planning. Here's where Collin Street Bakery comes enters the picture.

The family-owned bakery, located in the heart of Texas, specializes in secretive family recipes and, simultaneously, the packaging and shipping of precious cakes to homes nationwide. Last year, I relished the fine Texas fudge pecan pie right before Christmas' arrival. This year, I opted for the apricot pecan cake with Texas-native pecans, clover honey, and sun-dried apricots. It's absolutely delicious with a cup of hot tea or coffee following a homemade meal -- perhaps even Thanksgiving.

It wouldn't be the holidays without one of these tins gracing your or a loved one's doorstep. As a treat to you and me, Collin Street Bakery is offering free standard shipping on online orders of $50 or more. The offer is valid this week only, through November 14. During checkout, use keycode 51YUM7.

This post is in partnership with Collin Street Bakery. Thank you for supporting our sponsors.