Chewy and delicious, these gussied-up chocolate chip cookies have a few bonus ingredients thrown in for kicks (oats, coconut, raisins and/or pecans). You can have fun changing up the add-ins each time you make them. Add more chocolate chips if you don't like raisins or pecans. Anyway, you get the picture…just make 'em how you like 'em!

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Tags: chocolate chip, coconut, John's Kitchen Sink Cookies, oats, pecans, raisins

If you've got a few ripe bananas to use up then you should give this recipe a try. It's moist, easy to make and a nice change from plain ol' banana bread. Each bite of this coffee cake is loaded with cinnamon and chocolatey goodness.

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Tags: banana, chocolate chip, coffee cake, struesel

If you've never made Russian Tea Cakes (also known as Mexican Wedding Cakes or Snowball Cookies), you've probably eaten them at some point in your life. They're extremely easy to make, very tasty and a nice addition to any holiday cookie platter.  

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Tags: Christmas cookies, cranberries, holiday, mexican wedding cookies, pecans, russian tea cakes, snowball cookies

Most people have some tradition that marks the holiday season for them. Mine is Pecan Tassies, a bite-sized version of pecan pie that is made with an easy cream cheese pastry crust and a not-too-sweet brown sugar-pecan filling. I grew up with these cookies. My mom was given the recipe almost 40 years ago and has been making these delicious treats for all our family gatherings from Thanksgiving throughout the Christmas season. And now that I've got my own family, I'm continuing the tradition.

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Tags: bit-sized, brown sugar, cookies, cream cheese pastry crust, pecan tassies

Baking and cooking with pumpkin makes me happy, so I was eager to try this recipe for Pumpkin & Ginger Pound Cake. Let me tell you, it was everything I hoped it would be: moist, deliciously spiced and a great alternative to pumpkin pie.

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Tags: bundt, cake, fresh ginger, ground ginger, pound cake, pumpkin

These moist, cake-like cookies are delicious, easy to make and a perfect treat for Autumn and holiday gatherings. My house smelled wonderful while they were baking, and my kids were so excited when they home from school and found these tasty cookies waiting for them on the counter. 

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Tags: glaze, old-fashioned, pumpkin cookies, soft, spice

I love a good, chewy oatmeal cookie especially when it's studded with chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Add a big glass of cold milk and I'm a happy girl.

For this recipe, I add a dash or two of cinnamon to the dough for just a hint of spice and make smaller than saucer-sized cookies. I find that the cookies don't spread as much while baking when the dough is a bit chilled. And since I like them on the chewy side, I make sure not to over-bake them. I usually don't bake a whole batch of cookies at once. Instead, I make the dough, bake a few, then scoop the rest of the dough into balls and freeze them for later baking. This way, I can have freshly baked cookies in no time at all. In fact, I think I'll turn on the oven and thaw a few cookies out right now…

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Tags: chocolate chips, dried cranberries, oatmeal cookies, oats

Little Guy had a birthday this week and requested chocolate cake as his special treat. Recently I'd run across a recipe for chocolate mayonnaise cake so I decided to give it a go. For me, my favorite part of the whole condiment-in-cake experience was when I was making it. The kids were watching me mixing the ingredients and started laughing when they saw me dumping mayonnaise into the mixing bowl. I'm not talking a giggle here and there but full-on, doubled-over laughter. I found out later that what made it so funny for my oldest child was that he thought his little brother was going to end up with a gross birthday cake. In his brain, mayonnaise goes on sandwiches not in cake. Fortunately, the cake turned out moist and quite tasty…there weren't any complaints.

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Tags: cake, chocolate, mayonnaise

Imagine crossing lemon cupcakes with cheesecake. What do you get? Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream. That's right…dense lemon-flavored cupcakes with a surprise dollop of lemon cream cheese filling baked into the middle. It's like 2 for the price of 1.

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Tags: Baking, cream cheese, Dessert, lemon cream, lemon cupcakes

In Oregon, blackberry brambles grow like weeds. They're everywhere…sprouting up in fields, bare lots, backyards, and alongside rural or not-so-rural roads. Except for the impending scratches and pricks from the thorny vines, I love picking blackberries! I love the sweet smell emanating from the warm berry bushes on a hot summer's day, and I love how a perfectly ripe berry burst with juice when eaten. Ahhh, it's blackberry heaven!

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Tags: blackberry syrup