Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These cookies are my sister's ABSOLUTE favorite! They are so soft, yet rich and delicious. You can make the dough a day ahead because it needs to chill in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours before baking.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of softened unsalted butter

• 1 1/3 cups sugar

• 4 eggs

• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 cup of sifted cocoa powder (unsweetened)

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 1 cup powdered sugar (for rolling the dough in)

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until it is fluffy.

2. Add in your eggs (one at a time) and vanilla. Mix for a couple of minutes.

3. In a separate bowl, briefly mix together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Slowly at the dry ingredients to your wet mixture.

4. Mix on low until fully incorporated (about 1 minute). Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours. Overnight works great!

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.

6. Using a 1 1/2 Tbsp. ice cream scoop, form your dough into balls. Roll each dough ball in some powdered sugar and put on your baking sheet.

7. These need to make for about 13-18 minutes. Keep your eye on them. Sometimes it may take longer! :) Enjoy!

Blueberry Cheesecake Turnovers

These turnovers are so good! It tastes like blueberry cheesecake inside of puff pastry. THEY ARE DIVINE!

This recipe makes 12 turnovers.

Ingredients:

• 3 sheets of puff pastry

• 3 oz. softened cream cheese

• 1 egg yolk

• 1/4 tsp. lemon zest (you can use more if you want)

• 1 tsp. lemon juice

• 1/2 cup sugar (divided)

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

• 1 cup fresh blueberries

• 2 tsp. corn starch

• 1/8 tsp. salt

• Egg wash (1 egg beaten with a splash of cream, milk, or water)

• Powdered sugar (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the blueberries, salt, corn starch, lemon zest/juice, and 1/2 of the sugar (1/4 cup).

3. In another small bowl, cream together the cream cheese, 1/4 cup of sugar, vanilla, and egg yolk.

4. Roll out the puff pastry so that it is about a 10 x 10 square.

5. Cut out 4 circles per sheet of pastry. (I use about a 5 inch round bowl).

6. Put about 2 tsp. of the cream mixture in the center of each circle. Then add about a tablespoon of the blueberry mixture on top of that.

7. Brush your egg wash all around the edges of each circle.

8. Fold over each turnover into half moon shapes. Use a fork to seal it.

9. Cut a small slit on each turnover. Brush them with more of your egg wash.

10. Bake for about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar!

Banana Bread

This banana bread is so easy and SO delicious! It has a soft and fluffy texture, and it's banana flavor is right on point. You can add nuts, dried fruit, or fresh blueberries to this, and it would be amazing! My kids go crazy over this bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of softened unsalted butter

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 4 very ripe bananas, slightly mashed (if my bananas are REALLY big, I just use 3)

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1/4 cup whole milk

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and the sugar for a couple of minutes.

3. Add in the eggs and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl so it gets incorporated evenly. Cream it together for another minute or so until it is fluffy.

4. Add in the bananas and continue to mix for about 30 seconds.

5. In a separate bowl, briefly mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add that mixture to the wet ingredients.

6. While mixing on slow speed, add in the the milk.

7. Pour your batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of your bread comes our clean with no wet batter.