Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge

Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge

I’m pretty sure this toasted coconut chocolate chip cookie dough fudge is everything I ever wanted in a dessert. As a chocolate-loving adult, it incorporates everything I love – rich milk chocolate, toasted coconut and chocolate chip cookie dough. And if you think you are too old to enjoy cookie dough in all it’s unbaked glory, one bite of this fudge will definitely change your mind.

When I was a teenager, I bought my fair share of homemade chocolate fudge from the local Christmas Market in my little hometown in northern Saskatchewan. As much as I now love living in a big city, I do miss the small-town charm of Christmas Markets filled with friendly neighbors and local vendors. I’ve visited and purchased presents at a couple of the markets in Toronto over the past few years, but sometimes the crowds can be quite suffocating (think crowded, delayed subway – ugh). Thankfully with this recipe, I can get my fix in the comfort of my home and it also gives me the opportunity to enjoy a few pieces and then give the rest away to friends and co-workers.

Melt in Your Mouth Snowball Cookies

Melt in Your Mouth Snowball Cookies

I’m hoping that by posting this recipe today, I’m putting it out there in the universe that we could really use some snow. I checked the weather this morning and I can’t believe it’s early December and it’s raining. To be quite honest, I’m not sure how I feel about that. A couple of weeks ago it was a little chilly and I bought a new winter jacket, but jokes on me because I’ve only been able to wear it once. Maybe I’ll re-watch the “Winter” episode of the Gilmore Girls Revival on Netflix and hopefully, that will set off something (PS: those #finalfourwords, am I right?).

While it doesn’t look like December outside, it’s starting to feel like the holiday season in our little condo. We haven’t yet made the trip down to our storage locker to get our Christmas decorations, but I’m already starting to prep some holiday treats and make lists for the upcoming cooking and baking I need to do. My office is holding it’s annual cookie exchange in a couple weeks and I’ve already signed an armload of cookbooks out of the library to conjure up some inspiration. During our weekend cleaning, I also found a couple of old holiday magazines from 2013/2014 that may come in handy. Hoarding magazines for the win!

Matcha Cheesecake Cookies

Matcha Cheesecake Cookies

A couple weeks ago, I started mixing matcha with hot water in the morning as an attempt to try and cut back on all the coffee I was consuming. Drinking matcha was (is) a bit of an acquired taste (think strong, earthy flavour) but after the first week, I found myself getting used to it and now I look forward to my little cup in the mornings before work. I haven’t quite convinced my espresso-loving husband to give it a go, but that’s okay. It just means more for me which is good because matcha powder is always packed in the tiniest tins. At least a little bit goes a long way.

Whenever I purchase a new tin of matcha, I always start daydreaming about what I could bake with it. I have quite a few cookie recipes that feature various grades of matcha powder (actually three recipes), but this recipe tops them all because it’s made with cream cheese and each cookie has a subtle hint of cheesecake-y flavour softly nestled into each bite. Matcha cheesecake without having to make an actual cheesecake? Yes, I had to pinch myself too to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.

Easy Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Oregano

Easy Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Oregano

Broccoli has always been my favourite vegetable. I never had a problem eating most vegetables and as far as I can remember, my parents never had to go through the “eat your trees” phase with me. There was no cheese flavoured dip as a compromise and my plate tended to be spotless after supper. So naturally, whenever we have kids I expect it to not be that easy.

Hearty Apple and Zucchini Steel Cut Oats

Hearty Apple and Zucchini Steel Cut Oats

I had every intention of posting something right after I attended the 2016 Food Bloggers of Canada Conference at the end of October, but the universe had other plans. Remember earlier last month when I had a minor cold and then said that I couldn’t remember the last time I was sick? Well touche universe, touche. Right after the conference, I was hit with a horrible bout of the dreaded common cold. To give you an example of how crazy it was, I took a couple sick days from work and my FitBit told me that during one day, I slept off and on for 15 hours. During the weekends, I became the queen of two-hour afternoon naps. At one point, I was even convinced that my stomach was sloshing around from all the tea and hot soup I was consuming. I’m now slowly getting my energy back (a little cough here and there), but it’s still a miracle that Trevor hasn’t caught it (knock on wood, hah).