Here is another one of my favorite go-to appetizer recipes for a nice party!
I love mixing all of the fresh ingredients and toasting the pieces of bread so that it is all ready to put together just before your company arrives.

This bruschetta has the great taste of parmesan, garlic, basil and balsamic vinegar!

​So simple to make, but so delicious and classy!

Total Time: 25 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
​Bake Time: 10 minutes

Yield: about 28 pieces

Ingredients:

• 8 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped or julienned
• 1/4 grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 loaf French bread

Directions: 

1. In a bowl, toss together all of the ingredients (except for the bread). For best results, allow the tomato mixture to sit in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
2. Slice the French bread thinly, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until crispy.
3. When ready to serve, using a slotted spoon to drain the juice, place about 2 Tablespoons of tomato mixture on each piece of toast. Enjoy!!

Source: All Recipes

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!! As we are getting ready to bring in the new year, I added a new section to my Recipe Box! You can now search through some of my favorite appetizer recipes!

I love having people over and cooking tons of food for friends and family - most of the time, there is way too much food! For my last party, I asked my mom for good recommendations of appetizer recipes and I am SO glad that she suggested this delicious dip! Who doesn't love cheese and bacon? 

The great thing about this dip is that you can make it ahead of time, refrigerate it, and reheat at 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes.

Total Time: 45 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Makes a 9-inch round pie plate

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• Small onion or bunch of green onion, chopped fine (optional)
• 1 package thin-sliced bacon
• Plain pita chips (like Wheat Thins pita chips)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook the bacon until really crispy, according to package directions, then crumble.
3. Mix all ingredients together (except pita chips) and place in a deep 9 inch pie plate. Bake for 30 minutes.
4. Enjoy warm and serve with pita chips!

For my final cookie of the week, I wanted to post one of my absolute favorite cookies. These are so soft, so classy, and so fruity!

These are kind of like a shortbread cookie sandwich with a layer of raspberry jam inside. I honestly can't even explain how much I love these. My mom brought over a dozen one day and me being my piggy self ate the entire dozen in about a day and a half. Thank goodness it's not beach weather around here!!

These are such great cookies to impress your guests and they're not even that difficult to make!

Total Time: 2 hours (includes refrig. time)
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Time: 45 minutes
Bake Time: 45 minutes

Yield: about 42 cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup good raspberry preserves (I like seedless the best)
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line baking trays with parchment paper, to prevent sticking.
2. With an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Add vanilla.
3. In another bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until the dough starts to come together.
4. Place the dough on a flat surface and shape into 2 flat discs. Chill for 30 minutes.
5. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick. Since you will need to match a solid piece of dough for the bottom and a designed piece on top, make sure to cut one of the dough balls with the solid cookie cutter and the other piece with the designed cutter(s). Place the cut dough on the prepared baking sheets. (See the picture below of the cookie cutters)
6. Chill the cookies on the sheets for 15 minutes, then bake for 11-12 minutes or until the edges just start to turn brown. Cool the cookies completely before assembling.
7. Using a powdered sugar shaker or fine mesh strainer, sprinkle the sugar over the designed cookies only. Then, add about 1/2 teaspoon of raspberry preserves to the bottom cookies and smooth the preserves to the edges. Top with a powdered sugared top cookie. Enjoy!!

​Source: Ina Garten

As much as I love a good pumpkin spice latte in the fall, I also love a delicious peppermint mocha when the cold weather sets in. There's something about wintertime that makes me crave the chocolate/peppermint combination.

That must be the case with cookies as well, because this recipe calls for mint and chocolate chips that are only around for a limited time in the winter. The great thing, though, is that these chocolate chips are good for at least 6 months, so if you stock up, you can enjoy these cookies for most of the year! 

The chocolate cookie itself is rich and chewy and the mint chips give these the perfect match of flavor!

Total Time: 50 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 35 minutes

Yield: about 4 dozen

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups (10 oz. pkg.) chocolate/mint morsels

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line baking trays with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix well.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just blended. Fold in the mint/chocolate chips.
5. Drop the dough by well-rounded Tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets about 2-inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until cookies are puffy and the centers are set. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Source: Nestle

One of my favorite things about going over to my parents' house is knowing that there are always chocolate chip cookie dough balls in the freezer. Anytime you want a cookie, you can pop a tray in the oven, and there will be a fresh batch of homemade, incredibly delicious chocolate chip cookies in a matter of minutes! 

My mom has always been searching for that perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe that is nice and chewy, slightly crispy on the outside, and doesn't get too flat. She found this recipe of Alton Brown's online and decided to try it. She first had to translate the recipe from weighted ounces to dry measurements, and that's what I put down below.

​This is honestly the perfect recipe for chocolate chip cookies, and you can add pecans, walnuts, or any kind of nut that you like! If you don't like nuts, they are fantastic plain!

Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (includes dough refrig. time)
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Time: 1 hour
Bake Time: 1 hour

Yield: Makes 60 cookies

Ingredients: 

• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 sticks (2 cups) butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 4 Tablespoons whole milk
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 24 oz. semisweet chocolate bits
• 1 cup of your favorite nuts like pecans or walnuts, (optional)

Directions: 

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine the melted and cooled butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the egg, egg yolks, milk, and vanilla. Add to the butter mixture and beat for 30 seconds. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
4. Add the chocolate bits and nuts (optional) by hand or on low with the mixer.
5. Evenly separate the dough into 10 9-oz. balls and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour. (This will help the dough from flattening in the oven.)
6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line baking trays with parchment paper, to prevent sticking. Cut each wrapped piece of dough into 6 cookies and place on each sheet - don't flatten the dough!
7. Bake 13-14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through the baking time. Remove from oven when just barely golden on the edges. (Centers will look slightly glossy) to have cookies stay chewy. Enjoy!!

​Source: Alton Brown

I always enjoy a good, chewy oatmeal cookie! I was so excited to try these cookies that were originally called oatmeal scotchies. The original Nestle recipe used butterscotch chips, and while I love all things butterscotch, I was really disappointed with the fake butterscotch flavor. However, the cookie itself was fantastic!

I remembered when I made oatmeal raisin cookies and my dad said how good they would be with peanuts, since that's what his mom always made when he was younger. So I figured - the best of both worlds! Let's put peanut butter chips in these instead! The result is perfect :)

If you would like, you can substitute the peanut butter chips for peanuts or you can do a combination of both! Let me know what you like in your oatmeal cookies!

Total Time: 
Prep Time: 
Inactive Time: 1 hour (optional chill time)
Bake Time: 

Yield: about 4 dozen

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
• 1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) peanut butter morsels

Directions:

1. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. 
3. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients, then stir in the oats and peanut butter morsels.
4. Chill for an hour to prevent cookies from becoming flat, or you may bake right away.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line trays with parchment paper to prevent cookies from sticking to the pans. Drop rounded Tablespoons of dough onto the prepared pans. Bake for 10-11 minutes.
6. Allow to cool on trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!!

Source: Adaptation of Nestle recipe