Biscoff Bars

I've mentioned before that I'm a total Biscoff Junkie! I am totally addicted to this stuff. I thought life was good when I discovered the cookies. Then I didn't know life could get any better when I found out there was a spread! Biscoff spread tastes just like the cookies, but it has a smooth, creamy texture like peanut butter. I seriously love this stuff--I love it so much that you will always find 3 jars in my pantry at all times. If you haven't tasted the cookies they are cinnamony, spicy, gingerbread-like pieces of heaven. The spread is all that rolled into a creamy spread. Biscoff spread tastes great on toast, graham crackers, made into frosting or just eaten by the spoon. You can find the spread at most local grocery stores located by the peanut butter.

Biscoff Bars
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I was talking with my cousin and we got to talking how Biscoff would make great cookie bars--like peanut butter bars, but substituting peanut butter with Biscoff. My mom has a rockin' Peanut Butter Bar recipe that is my "go-to" recipe when I need something quick and delicious when company comes over or for potlucks. Her recipe was easily adapted to create these lovely Biscoff bars. They are sweet, nutty, buttery, slightly chewy and have a hint of cinnamon. The topping is the best part. You might have to make it in the presence of others because you will want to eat it...by yourself. I love the complement that butterscotch gives to the Biscoff spread. It was a match made in baking heaven.

These would be a perfect addition to any holiday gathering, to potlucks, serving to company or just for dessert when you want to eat something sinful. These whip up pretty quickly so it's a great recipe to have on hand when you need something quick. No one has to know that these didn't take you all day to make, although they will taste like you spent the day slaving away. That's what I love about cooking and being domestic---you don't have to spend tons of time to make great-tasting things. I think this will be a great recipe to add to your baking repertoire.

Here's what you need:
-1/2 C unsalted butter (1 stick)
-1/2 C sugar
-1/2 C brown sugar
-1 egg
-1/2 tsp real vanilla extract
-1/2 C Biscoff Spread (plus about 1/2c-3/4 c more for topping)
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
-1 C all-purpose flour
-1 C quick-cooking oats

Topping
-1/2 C-3/4C Biscoff spread
-1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
-3oz butterscotch chips
-4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
-2/3 C toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 pan.

2. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add egg and mix. Add Biscoff spread and vanilla and mix. (Don't forget to lick the spoon with the extra Biscoff spread.) Add flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to bowl together. Mix together just until incorporated. Add oats and mix. (You may need to try a taste of the dough. But once you do, I'm not gonna promise that the rest will get baked. It's better than cookie dough.)

Biscoff Dough
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3. Spread dough evenly into your baking pan. Bake for 20-23 minutes--just until the top begins to brown. Don't overbake--it will look slightly "doughy", but it will be fine after it cools. I baked mine for 20 minutes, but each oven and baking times vary slightly.


4. Remove from oven. It will look puffy and will go down after it is removed from oven. Let it rest for 3-4 minutes and spread top with extra Biscoff spread.

Melty Biscoff Spread. Delicious.
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5. Sprinkle with butterscotch and chocolate chips and put in oven for 1 minute just until you see the chips soften. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cinnamon and spread over Biscoff layer. Sprinkle with toasted pecans.

Let cool completely. Cut and thoroughly enjoy! And try to share them with others. But if you don't I won't judge you. Sometimes I feel tempted to take the pan and hide in my closet so that I don't have to share. :)

Biscoff Bars
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Here's the printable recipe.

Biscoff Spiced Cream Frosting

Most of you know that I have a *slight* obsession with this stuff. It is like heaven in a jar and I have to hold myself back from eating it by the spoonful. This is the next best thing since Nutella was invented. I first tried Biscoff cookies when I was on a Delta flight. If you've never had a Biscoff cookie, it's like a shortbread-type biscuit made with spices. It reminds me a lot of gingerbread. A miracle formed when some intelligent person decided to take those cookies and make them into this delectable, creamy, divine spread. This stuff is a little hard to find, but I had luck finding it at Walmart and Walgreens. It's usually located by the peanut butter.

I love this stuff so much and I thought what could be better than homemade frosting made with this stuff. And then something miraculous happened.... yep, this frosting. It is creamy, fluffy, spicy and you will want to make it just so that you can eat it by the spoonful. This frosting is perfect because it holds it shape and it doesn't leave a greasy film in your mouth. Do you remember when I talked about my co-worker that preferred store-bought frosting because she had never tasted good homemade frosting? Well, I think this frosting converted her to the "dark-side" of homemade frosting. When I let her sample one of my cupcakes with this amazing frosting, she told me that it was the best frosting she had ever had. Seriously, it is delicious.

This is my new favorite frosting. It tastes amazing with the Butterscotch Spice Cupcakes. This frosting combines a bunch of my favorite frostings into one. It's like buttercream frosting meets cream cheese frosting and gets tangled up with marshmallow frosting. Get ready for something that will knock your socks off.

Here's a list of what you need:
-1/2 C. butter (no substitutions)
-2/3 C. Biscoff spread
-2/3 C. marshmallow cream (the canned stuff)
-4 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temp
-1 tsp. vanilla
-1 TBS. lemon juice (I used the RealLemon stuff from the store because I didn't have fresh lemon)
-2-4 TBS of milk
-3.5-4 C of powdered sugar
-4 TBS of butterscotch chips for garnish

1. In a large bowl add butter and Biscoff spread and mix until smooth with an electric mixer.

2. Add mashmallow cream, cream cheese, vanilla and lemon juice and mix until incorporated and smooth.

3. While mixing, add 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time. You may need to add a TBS of milk at a time if frosting becomes too thick or pasty. Mix until the frosting becomes light and fluffy and holds it shape.

4. This makes enough frosting to generously frost about 36 cupcakes. You can store any leftover frosting in an airtight container for a day or two. If you store in the refrigerator, you may need to whip it again right before frosting a cake or cupcakes.

5. Take 3 TBS of butterscotch chips into a rotary grater and grate some butterscotch shavings onto each frosted cupcake. Coarsely chop the other TBS of chips and place on frosting for garnish. Enjoy!

I'm working on a "How to Frost Cupcakes" Tutorial that I'll post when I've completed it. I'll show you different decorating tips with a pastry bag and techniques for getting that professional-looking appearance to your cupcakes.

Printable Recipe:

Biscoff Spiced Cream Frosting
Frosts about 36 cupcakes

1/2 C. butter (no substitutions)
2/3 C. Biscoff spread
2/3 C. marshmallow cream (the canned stuff)
4 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temp
1 tsp. vanilla
1 TBS. lemon juice
2-4 TBS of milk
3.5-4 C of powdered sugar
4 TBS of butterscotch chips for garnish

In a large bowl mix butter and Biscoff spread together with an electric mixer. Add in marshmallow cream, cream cheese, vanilla, and lemon juice. Mix until smooth. While mixing, gradually add powdered sugar, about a cup at a time. You may need to add a TBS of milk at a time if the frosting becomes too thick and pasty. Beat frosting together until fluffy. Frost cupcakes. Place 3 TBS of butterscotch chips into a rotary grater and grate shavings onto cupcakes. Coarsely chop the other TBS of butterscotch chips and place on to frosting for garnish. 

Butterscotch Spice Cupcakes

I have this thing for cupcakes. I don't know what the obsession is, but I seriously love cupcakes. I frequent local bakery shops trying to find the perfect cupcake. But I'm not gonna lie, I've turned into a cupcake snob. I can find GOOD cupcakes, but not the "oh-my-heck-these-knock-my-socks-off cupcakes." Either the cupcake is a little too dry or the frosting leaves that filmy, greasy texture in my mouth.

I have tried several recipes trying to find the perfect cupcake. Well, I think this recipe is pretty dang close. I made a double batch of these delicious cups of heaven and took them to my work to let my co-workers sample. One co-worker said, "I'm not into cupcakes, but these are so delicious!" This same co-worker also said she didn't like homemade frosting because her mom never made good frosting, so she prefers store-bought (*gasp* I know!). It's been my mission in life to introduce her to lick-your-fingers delicious homemade frosting. My mission was accomplished with this cupcake. More to come later on that.

These cupcakes remind me of Fall. They are so full of flavor and contain everything great about Fall: spices, pumpkin and butterscotch. Then, when you think THAT can't get any better, those spices and pumpkin marry butterscotch and create this gloriously delicious cupcake. These cupcakes are moderately dense, extremely moist and have the perfect combination of spices, pumpkin and butterscotchy goodness. This recipe is definitely going to be added to our list of Fall traditions. I think these would be perfect for a Thanksgiving dinner if you want something different than the usual Pumpkin pie. They are pretty easy to make and all of the ingredients I had on hand.

 So here's what you need:
-(1) Duncan Hines spice cake mix
-(3) large eggs
-1/2 C. water
-1/3 C. canola oil
-1 C. pumpkin (plain, packed pumpkin)
-(1) tsp. real vanilla
-(1) small box of instant butterscotch pudding (not prepared)
-3/4 tsp. Pumpkin Pie spice
-6 oz of butterscotch chips (about 1/2 of a standard bag of baking chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with 22 cupcake liners (I love, love, love the foil liners made by Reynolds. The cupcakes stick less to the foil liners and makes a gorgeous presentation).

2. In a large mixing bowl, add cake mix, eggs, water, oil, pumpkin, pudding and spice. Mix well until incorporated. Add butterscotch chips.

3. Scoop batter and portion evenly into liners and fill to about 2/3 full. This batter doesn't rise a ton, so I use this little beauty and it made this step so easy and all of my cupcakes were uniform. I got this at my local restaurant supply store for about $8. It is a DSS24 size which is holds 1 3/4 oz.


4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 14-16 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Take out of oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Once cupcakes are completely cook, frost with your favorite frosting. When I made these cupcakes, I used the Biscoff Spice Cream frosting recipe. It's so yum!

Printable recipe:

Butterscotch Spice Cupcakes
Makes about 22 cupcakes

(1) Duncan Hines spice cake mix
(3) large eggs
1/2 C. water
1/3 C. canola oil
1 C. pumpkin (plain, packed pumpkin)
(1) tsp. vanilla
(1) small box of instant butterscotch pudding (not prepared)
3/4 tsp. Pumpkin Pie spice
6 oz of butterscotch chips (about 1/2 of a standard bag of baking chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with 22 liners. In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, eggs, water, pumpkin, vanilla, pudding and spices. Mix well to incorporate. Add butterscotch chips and stir. Scoop evenly into muffin tins, filling to about 2/3 full. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely then frost.

Cake Mix Pumpkin Cookies

It's Fall (even though it feels more like Winter, but hey, this is Utah!) and I LOVE everything about Fall. I love the changing leaves, I love the smells, but most of all I love baking Fall treats. One of my favorite treats are Pumpkin cookies. I have a friend that told me a few years ago about cake mix pumpkin cookies and I was REALLY skeptical on how they would turn out. First, because there's no added fat in the cookies and we all know that butter makes everything better. Second, something that only requires a few ingredients AND has no added fat AND tastes still tastes good, well, it seemed like an oxymoron. But let me tell you, these are the easiest, moistest, most tasty pumpkiny bites of heaven. And you don't have to feel guilty about eating these bad boys. Making these cookies has become one of our Fall traditions. The first time I made these was when were living out of boxes in our apartment right before moving into our house right before our first wedding anniversary. It was a stressful, but very fun time in our life. Every time I make these, it totally reminds me of it. Good times. :)

 So on to the recipe. All you need is:
-2 cake mixes, 1 yellow and 1 spice (or you can use 2 spice)
-1 29oz can pumpkin (not the spiced kind. Just the plain, packed pumpkin) or 3 cups if using your own fresh pumkin
-1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (omit if using 2 spice cake mixes)
-1 12oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place the cake mixes, pumpkin and spice in a large mixing bowl.

Mix together until well-incorporated. The dough may be a little lumpy and that's ok. Add the bag a chocolate chips and stir to combine. And if you have a cute little helper it makes it all the better. Gives a little extra to "Making it with Love" as my Mom likes to say.


 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and take 2 teaspoons and spoon onto lined baking sheet.



 Now is a great time to have a little sample of the batter. It's one of the best parts of making cookies, right?

Once the oven is preheated, bake for 12-15 minutes until tops start to crack and are golden. You can also do the toothpick test because each oven varies, so you may have to adjust the time more or less. Once they are done, take them out and let them cool for a couple minutes on the baking sheet. Take the cookies off the baking sheet and let them cool on a wire rack. If you haven't eaten all of them while they are still warm, cool them completely and put them in an airtight container. These little guys freeze well or will last for a few days in an airtight container. This recipe can also easily be halved. Enjoy! 

Printable recipe:

Cake Mix Pumpkin Cookies
Makes about 48 cookies

(1) Duncan Hines Yellow cake mix
(1) Duncan Hines Spice cake mix
(1) 29oz can plain packed pumpkin
(1) tsp pumpkin pie spice
(1) 12oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl add cake mixes, pumpkin and spices. Mix well. Dough may be slightly lumpy and that's OK. Add chocolate chips and stir to combine. Spoon mixture on to lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until tops start to crack and are golden or toothpick comes out clean. Store cookies completely cooled in an airtight container for up to 3 days. May freeze leftovers for up to a month.