Bake or Break

Kitchen Sink Brownies

I've made what most of us think of as Kitchen Sink Cookies many, many times. I do believe, though, that this is my first foray into Kitchen Sink Brownies. How this never happened before now is a mystery. I love the idea, and now that I've tried them, I can't believe I waited so long..

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Butter Pecan Shortbread

Shortbread is one of the simple joys of the baking world. Usually, there are just a handful of ingredients. The effort is minimal. And, the simple flavors are just right. Of course, throw some pecans into something, and I'm definitely on board. So, with those few ingredients and very little time, I had this shortbread in the oven. My kitchen was filled with the delightful aroma of buttery cookies and toasted pecans.

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Salted Caramel Pecan Bars

I generally have some hesitation in sharing super-easy recipes like this one. Then, I have an internal discussion with myself about how we all need to have a collection of embarrassingly easy sweets to make when we are lacking in time and/or inclination. After that, I end up sharing them with you with some near-apology about how easy they are. While there is baking involved with these, it's not in the traditional sense. No flour, just a few ingredients, and very little mixing. Store-bought graham crackers get things started by providing a crust. Add to that a sweet mixture of buttery pecans, and that's all that's required to get these ready for baking.

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Peanut Butter Mud Bars

I've been re-visiting some of my favorite cookbooks lately. I don't have a vast collection, but it's large enough that some get a little lost occasionally. The positive side to that is that when you find a formerly lost one, it's a bit like getting a new cookbook... for free! I happened upon this recipe while re-discovering The Buttercup Bakeshop Cookbook. Of course, it had me at peanut butter. Then, I read the description that stated that these are a favorite at the bakery. With that kind of endorsement, I started rounding up ingredients. Luckily, these are all ingredients that most of us probably have in our pantries all the time.

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Fleur de Sel Chocolate Chip Blondies

If the baking lords ever decide the whole sweet and salty thing is played out, please don't tell me. I'd rather live in oblivion, happily eating salty, sweet treats. These blondies are a very fine example of how sweet and salty play well together. First of all, you have brown sugar blondies that can barely contain all the chocolate chips in them. Then, that's topped off with lots of beautiful sea salt.

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Chocolate Cashew Bars

With this recipe, I'm going back to some of my baking loves - chocolate, nuts, and bars. You had to know I wouldn't stray for long. These bars are certainly a good way to reunite with some old favorites. One of my other great baking loves is pecan pie. Now, imagine a pecan pie in bar form, but with cashews and chocolate. That's what we've got here. And, it's a beautiful thing.

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