My version is made with allllll the good stuff, but super simple:  whipped cream, loads of oreos, a little powdered sugar, and some gelatin to make it stand on its own a little better.  Just those few ingredients creates the best oreo fluff you’ll ever eat.  It’s super rich, so a little goes a long way — which means you get to eat it for a longer time with leftovers!!

I know most of the time, I like to share healthier versions of desserts… this is not one of those times.  Sometimes, you need to just treat yourself!  A little bit won’t kill you (and this coming from the lactose-intolerant girl — all the lactaid is needed to eat this recipe in our household)!

If you’re a Disney fan, and you have eaten at the Be Our Guest restaurant, this is probably very similar to what “the grey stuff” is from what I’ve seen on other blogs recreating the grey stuff.  I have never been to Be Our Guest, so I can’t say for certain, but if this recipe tastes anywhere close, I need the grey stuff ASAP.  It’s that good.  I actually only went to Epcot for the first time this past December with my family, and I’ve still never been to Disney’s Magic Kingdom.  Don’t worry, that’ll be remedied soon come July (you know, the BEST time of year for the Florida heat…ha), although I’m not sure I’ll have time to try the grey stuff!  We will see.

In the meantime, go make and enjoy this recipe!  If you’re an oreo lover, you will love this one.

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Would you believe that it had actually been months and months since I bought bananas before making this double chocolate banana bread?  I went through a phase where I’d buy some bananas, maybe eat one or two, and then promptly they’d be beyond the point where I want to eat them.

I’m a slightly green banana eater, and any further than that I think they taste like they’re rotting, haha.  The bananas I bought would then sit on the counter, getting more and more ripe, and I’d keep them there with the intention of baking with them.  I ended up throwing away so many overripe bananas — cleaning the house always seemed to come before being able to bake — and then I just gave up.  Hooray for finally successfully using up some bananas!

I really wanted brownies when I made this double chocolate banana bread but also wanted chocolate cake… since I had those bananas staring at me on the counter, I decided to go with what sounded best at the time to satisfy that rich chocolate craving.

This double chocolate banana bread was definitely the best choice — it made me feel like I was eating a piece of cake, and I could easily take it to work with me during my 12-hour shift days as a midday snack that would actually leave me feeling satisfied (and like I just had dessert!).

This bread ended up being perfectly soft and fluffy, bursting with little pockets of banana and chocolate chip goodness.  It’s a lovely, subtly sweet flavor, letting the sweetness from the bananas shine.  If you are into super sweet dessert breads, this one is definitely not it.  Think of a dark chocolate bread — rich but not crazy sweet.  Perfect for enjoying midday with a cup of coffee or tea when you just need a little something to satisfy you.  Let’s get baking!!

What is your favorite thing to have when you have a chocolate craving but don’t want to go overboard with sugar?

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I love using almond flour to pack a healthier punch to my favorite dessert recipes.  It adds in healthy fat and protein, which eliminates the sugar spike and crash that makes you feeling all yucky afterwards.  The almond flour lends a nutty flavor, as well, which always adds a nice touch in a cookie!

These cookies get slightly crisp on the edges and have a nice and soft center.  For you soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie lovers, this is the one for you!  If you like crispy and crunchy… these are not quite there.  The moisture in the almond flour doesn’t allow it to get super crispy, but I promise they are delicious!

If you’re attending any holiday gatherings this year and need a gluten free recipe, this is the easiest way to go gluten free without having to get crazy weird ingredients.  It’s just like a normal chocolate chip cookie recipe, just swapping out the all-purpose flour for almond flour!  No weird extra starches or powders needed, AND it tastes like a normal cookie!! Most of the guests won’t even realize it’s gluten free.  It’s just a delicious cookie.

My favorite place to buy almond flour is Trader Joe’s (which is no longer near to me, sadly, so I only get there a couple times a year), but Bob’s Red Mill (found at most grocery stores & Target) and Thrive Market are also great brands to purchase!

You can’t go wrong with these almond flour chocolate chip cookies — go make ’em!!

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This cake starts with three super soft chocolate cake layers, a fluffy salted caramel swiss meringue buttercream sandwiched between them, and a deeply rich dark chocolate swiss meringue buttercream on the outside.  Swiss meringue buttercream is my absolute FAVORITE to use for layer cakes, as it isn’t overly sweet but has a perfect buttery rich flavor.

I have to say, I am a bit out of practice with frosting layer cakes, so these cakes are definitely a bit more rustic looking than usual.    The key to frosting a layer cake is getting the cake layers nice and cold so the frosting doesn’t melt away too much as you frost.  My freezer didn’t have enough room — and I didn’t have enough time — to really chill the layers, so I made do with what I had.  Maybe not QUITE as pretty, but definitely just as delicious, which is all that matters!

This makes a pretty tall cake, so small slices are best for serving.  I like to keep this in the fridge to keep it nice and fresh and let it come to room temperature before serving.  The frosting tastes perfectly light and fluffy when it’s allowed to come to room temperature!

For the filling, I made my own salted caramel sauce, but you can just as easily use store bought for a delicious cake with a couple fewer steps.  For the outer chocolate frosting, the darker the chocolate you use, the better, as it lends a sort of mocha flavor.  Amazing.

If you’re a chocolate lover, you will love this chocolate cake with salted caramel filling.  Go make it!!

What is your favorite kind of dessert to make?

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I love a standard moscow mule — ginger and lime are the ultimate combination in my book!  The spicier the ginger, the better — my favorite ginger beer makes me sneeze a little bit.  Adding in raspberry softens out the spiciness of the ginger just slightly and makes it super refreshing!

We had raspberry moscow mules as one of the signature cocktails at our wedding, but we used raspberry vodka instead of fresh raspberries to make it a little easier on our bartender.  I HIGHLY recommend going the fresh raspberry route, but raspberry vodka will work in a pinch!

These raspberry moscow mules require very few ingredients:  vodka, limes, fresh or frozen raspberries, ginger beer, and a tiny bit of sugar.

I prefer using frozen raspberries so you don’t need to use any ice — they keep your drink nice and cold!  My favorite vodka right now is Tito’s, but any will do.  I love using Q ginger beer, which you can find at Target.  It’s perfectly spicy for my tastes, but if you aren’t super into spicy spicy ginger flavor, Reed’s ginger brew or Trader Joe’s ginger beer are great, less spicy options.  I love trying different ginger beers out, and each one adds a different flavor to the drink.  Do some experimenting until you find your favorite brand!

These raspberry moscow mules could not be easier to make, and they’re the perfect summer drink.  Whip them up the next time you have friends over!  Perfect for pool parties, girls’ nights, or just a random day hanging with friends!

What is your favorite cocktail to drink (or make) during the summer time?  I’d love to get ideas!

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This salad is based on a recipe that was included in one of our Hello Fresh boxes.  We tried Hello Fresh for a couple of weeks when we were pretty busy, and out of all the recipes we tried, this was the only one we really wanted to have again.  I made it a couple more times till I found my perfect combination of sweet and savory for my perfect sesame cucumber salad!

I always love an Asian inspired salad — or really, give me anything with sesame oil, and I’m game.  I love the savory flavor that sesame oil lends to this cucumber salad.  All you need is some very finely sliced cucumbers, sesame oil, white wine vinegar, minced onions, sesame seeds, and a little bit of sugar and salt, and you’ve got yourself one heck of a salad.

This is the perfect recipe to take to summer picnics!  Such a nice change from your standard coleslaws that are usually served up.

I’ve made this using both mini cucumbers and Persian cucumbers, and I prefer the Persian cucumbers because they’re bigger and easier to slice up super thinly.  My knife cutting skills are not the GREATEST, but get yourself a sharp enough knife, and you’ll have no trouble with super thin sliced cucumbers!

What is your favorite fresh salad to eat when it’s super hot outside?!  I’d love to get more ideas!

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A good buttermilk biscuit is one of my very favorite breakfast items.  Any restaurant we head to for breakfast or brunch, you better believe I’m getting that biscuit instead of toast!  There’s just something about layers of salty, buttery biscuit that is so satisfying.

The only biscuits I’ve ever been able to succeed with at home have been drop biscuits, where I don’t have to shape the dough or worry about overmixing.  I finally, finally found a method that works for tall biscuits full of loads of layers!

Folding the dough several times like you would with a letter to put it into an envelope, just like you would for a croissant, yields perfect buttery layers.  The colder your butter, the better, so it releases some good steam as it melts in the oven to rise perfectly!  You just have to be careful not to overwork your dough, as it can get tough and chewy pretty quickly.

Because with biscuits, there are so few components and you can taste basically every single one, you need to start with high quality ingredients.  For me, that means grass fed butter (Kerrygold is my favorite — trust me, you’ll never go back to regular butter after you try it), organic flour, and whole fat buttermilk.

In a pinch, you can make your own “buttermilk” by stirring 1-2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt into milk.  It creates the same tangy flavor that will react with the baking powder just right to make your nicely risen, flaky biscuits!

Who else loves biscuits as much as I do?!  Let’s get baking ’em!

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