Comin at you the day before thanksgiving with a easy sugary, cinnamon sweet recipe because THAT’S THE CONTENT YOU SIGNED UP FOR. Or maybe not, but here it is anyway.

& because I’m a straight to the point kinda gal, let’s just get right into it. I baked taylor swift’s variation on this recipe, (because obviously) in which she adds in a bag of chai tea leaves & an icing topping.

This recipe will make one dozen 4-inch cookies or two dozen 2-inch.

WHAT YOU NEED

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus additional for sugaring tops

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 bag of chai tea

WHAT TO DO

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper or grease generously with butter or cooking spray.

Using a mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the vegetable oil. It may not fully incorporate with the butter. DON'T WORRY. That's okay. 

Add the granulated sugar, powdered sugar, egg and vanilla, beating on medium speed until each ingredient is completely incorporated. *THIS IS WHEN WE'RE GONNA ADD IN THE CHAI TEA. So, go ahead & cut open a packet & pour the leaves all in there. Aaaand proceed.

Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt all at once using a wooden spoon or the mixer set on low.

The dough will be soft.

 I froze the dough for 15 minutes so they were easier to handle.

I literally dolloped a spoonful of dough for each cookie- that simple. THEN press the dough evenly with your palm, and once they're all on the sheet you can generously sprinkle sugar on top of the cookie dough.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes for larger cookies or 8 to 10 minutes for smaller cookies-- mine were golden at about 14. 

Once that's done is when you're gonna wanna bake the icing, which is just a mixture of 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 t-spoon of nutmeg & cinnamon, & three tablespoon of milk or eggnog. (I went ahead & used milk) 

{HOW CUTE is this? the illustrator can be found here}

& BAM. You're gonna rock thanksgiving desserts. You're welcome.

xo,

kae

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE

Each year the first signs of autumn include a few sure things: cooler temperatures, dark lips, & PUMPKIN SPICE. It's a staple, no? But the price of an every day coffee shop stop adds up to... not pretty.

BUT, there is hope: thanks to pinterest there are HUNDREDS of recipes to choose from so you can make your own PSL.

I found this recipe & knew I must try immediately. I made some alterations: I didn't do whip on top (for normal PSL I prefer it but for some reason I'm not a fan if I'm making it myself) & I found that 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree is.. a bit strong, so I opt for one TB, but you could even do less!

YOU WILL NEED:

1½ tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon pumpkin puree

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

4 oz brewed coffee

½ cup milk

WHAT TO DO:

1// Add in all your ingredients in a saucepan 

2// Stir and bring to a simmer

3// Take the pan off heat once simmered and pour into mug

4// Add whipped cream & a sprinkle more of pumpkin pie spice, if you desire!

HOW SIMPLE is that?

Do you prefer SB or homemade seasonal drinks? 

xo,

kae

THE BEST GOOEY BROWNIES

Sharing recipes is something I don't do very often, mainly because I don't cook very often!

But I'm trying to change that, & on Saturday night I got a nagging urge to bake. Brownies, specifically. 

I didn't have any baking chocolate, only cocoa powder, so I urgently consulted pinterest for appropriate recipes. 

& there it was: a recipe for fudgy, gooey brownies that I couldn't resist. 

WHAT I USED:

10 tablespoons (a stick & a half) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (80 grams) cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2  eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

HOW TO BAKE:

1// Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray non-stick cooking spray on an 8 inch pan.

2// Fill a sauce pan about halfway full of water (I used a double broiler for this step) & heat until simmering. Add powder, sugar, butter, & salt in a heat-safe bowl & rest over water to warm ingredients. 

3// Stir frequently until butter is melted, remove bowl from heat, & set aside for 3 to 5 minutes to let cool down a bit.

4// Stir in vanilla & eggs until well blended, then add in flour until fully mixed. The original recipe says to then beat the batter vigorously at least forty times. (you can use a hand mixer) 

5// Spread batter into 8 inch pan & bake for 20-25 minutes (I did the full 25) & VOILA!

This is one of the first times I've made brownies totally from scratch & this recipe  is fully worth it. 

Happy baking!

xo,

kae

Two Ingredient YUMMY Iced Coffee

I've been looking for a way to perfect an easy iced coffee recipe for quite some time, because let's be real: there are few things more beautiful than a cup of iced coffee at any given time. I came across this coffee concentrate (NOT sponsored, just love) & I knew I needed to try it. Iced caramel macchiato? Yes please. The best part? All you need to add is milk. THAT'S IT. Two ingredients (besides ice, obviously) & you're good to go!

Once the concentrate & milk (I'll try almond milk with it soon) are mixed, you're left with a soft blend that tastes just as good as a coffee shop.  FOR REAL. Easiest iced coffee recipe on the planet? Maybe.  Thanks, coffee concentrate. What would the world do without you?

Lemme know your diy coffee tricks! xoxo,

From My Kitchen to Yours | T. Swift's Yummy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Over the weekend, a tiny miracle happened.

I baked.

I baked cookies to be exact. But not just any cookies: pumpkin chocolate chip ones.

If you know anything about me, you should know that I pretty much trust anything Taylor Swift says, so obviously I knew the recipe I had been wanting to try for forever would be amazing. However, could I make it amazing? 

I was feeling a little iffy, but daring.

The only variation of this recipe that I (and Taylor) made was that instead of regular chips, I used Baker's chocolate bars and cut them (I found using a serrated knife works best) into various sizes.

After twenty minutes of agony, it was time for the verdict. Were they perfect little pinterest worthy circles? Not even close. But were they good? So good. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief and proceeded to eat an entire dozen. 

Okay. Maybe just half a dozen. (If you plan on making these for Thanksgiving plan on making lotsa extras)

Have you ever made these gooey gems? 

Honey Cinnamon Almonds | The easiest little snack ever

This snack is seriously one of the easiest you'll eeeever make. I'm sure there's tons of recipes for it out there,{I didn't concoct the combo up myself} I just don't follow any of them.

I wanted to test my own and I must say, it's pretty yummy.

So here's my "make your own rules" crazy easy recipe for this snackaroo....

All you'll need is the three ingredients in the name. 

// Unsalted almonds are best {I got mine from Sprouts} 

// Some local, natural honey

// And that cinnamon.

Grab a spoon while you're at it....

I could put a fancy spin on the directions, but there's really no point because this is all the nitty gritty of it:

Take a handful of almonds and put them into a bowl. Then spread a couple of drops of honey over the almonds.

Next, take your spoon and sprinkle a dash {what measurement is that, exactly?} of cinnamon in and stiiiir it all up.

The end result doesn't exactly look pinterest worthy, but don't let the messiness fool you. It's delish, healthy, and will leave your hunger craving satisfied. What more could you want in a snack?