Bake or Break

Peanut Butter-Pretzel Brownies

Pretzels are a bit of a mystery to me. More specifically, it's the appeal of pretzels that I don't get. I don't dislike them, but I just can't really seem to get behind them on their own. But, add some pretzels to something more interesting, and now we're talking. Little bits of pretzels are mixed into these peanut butter-y brownies to give you little pockets of saltiness. Any shape of pretzel will work for these, but I like to use pretzel rods for bigger salty bites.

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Chocolate-Speckled Salted Shortbread

I have a slight obsession with shortbread. I'm fascinated by how its simplicity translates into so much flavor. I also have more than a slight obsession with the combination of sweet and salty. I even dedicated a BoB Collection to that magical fusion of flavors. These shortbread cookies are the blessed union of those two addictions.

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Salty Brownie Tassies

One of my most-baked recipes is Pecan Tassies. When I posted that recipe years ago, I had discovered that the word "tassie" was not that familiar to most people. Thus, the name change. But, to me, they have always been and always will be tassies. While I'm still likely to whip up a batch of those old favorites some time during the holidays, I also wanted to do something just a tad different. Enter chocolate.

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n-Layer Brownies

So, here's the thing. This recipe is one of the bonus recipes in my new cookbook that's available in the iBookstore. My intention was not to share it here on BoB, but I've gotten such strong reactions to these that I feel that it would be a disservice to you non-iPad owners. These brownies took less than an hour from the ghost of an idea to warm, gooey chocolate awesomeness. I was inspired by those Magic Cookie Bars we all know and love. While they are perfectly delicious with their graham cracker crust, it seemed that making the base a fudgy brownie would make something decidedly amazing. I was so right.

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Brown Brown Brownies {Plus a big announcement and an iPad giveaway!}

I've made a lot of brownies in my baking life. A lot. Then, one day on a whim, I made these brownies. Oh, my. These are really just your basic brownies. No add-ins, just brownies. But, two little adjustments turn them into something amazing. Continue reading for an exciting announcement and a chance to win an iPad Mini!

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Turtle Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

As someone who is a fan of cheesecake, chocolate, nuts, and caramel, it's no surprise that I would enjoy turtle cheesecake. Not the ubiquitous mass-produced kind, but the actual homemade variety. Cheesecake is not that difficult to make, but it is time-consuming. So, for the holidays, I thought it might be a grand idea to take all of those delicious elements and condense them into cookies. Boy, was I right!

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