Another lovely Friday is upon us, and this one is even attached to a long weekend!

Woo for long weekends!

At first I thought I’d make adorable red, white, and blue cake in jars to share with you, in case you needed a last-minute dessert for Memorial Day Weekend, but naturally….

I’m out of both red and blue food coloring.

Mwop mwop.

Normally I’m on top of those kind of things but hey – everyone has one of those days, and this humidity has made me a tad weird.

So instead I whipped you up these S’mores Cupcakes!

I’ve been dying to try out my new chocolate cake recipe, and stuffing cupcakes with marshmallow fluff sounded absolutely logical in my heat-wave-mania.

Oh and graham cracker frosting – I now want to make every type of cheesecake into a cupcake so that I can top it with this.

Though the tops of these cupcakes were just a smidge sticky, the cake is absolutely decadent.

Rich, fudgey, moist yet light – it’s like my favorite devil’s food cake in a cupcake!

Then that cupcake is transformed into s’mores!

The heat makes me easily excited about s’mores.

One of my favorite lines from a movie, ever, comes from The Sandlot. No matter how many times I see the scene with the kids camping out and making s’mores, I still crack up.

“You want s’mores?”

“S’more of what?”

(gapes) “You’re killing me smalls!”

Every. Time. Heehee.

I definitely just acted that out as I wrote it. Don’t tell anyone.

I may be turning delirious – that AC unit needs to be installed into the window as soon as possible. Stay cool this weekend my friends and I’ll see you on Monday!

Happy Baking!

S’mores Cupcakes

Makes approx 18 cupcakes

All Photos, Recipes (Unless Otherwise Specified) And Writing Copyright © 2013 Jessica Gonzalez | On Sugar Mountain

I must apologize: I promised you all a coconut lentil curry post for Tuesday, but time just got away from me.

With both mine and Josh’s graduation ceremonies back to back, not to mention family grad parties and quality-time with the parents, I completely forgot to edit photos and describe to you all just how much I loved that curry.

But I am working on it!

It shall be posted soon (I hope) but for now, as it’s currently too hot for comfort here in NJ, I thought I’d share a no-bake, sweet treat that truly can be enjoyed for breakfast.

It may even be, dare I say it…

healthy!?

I’ll leave that to the nutritionists. Regardless, this triple berry smoothie aims to please!

In case you haven’t read my last few posts which have been full of berry-crazed flavors, I finally managed to use up the rest of the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and even a stray banana in this smoothie.

Since it’s designed as a quick and hearty breakfast on-the-go, I thought I’d try and cram it with the best ingredients possible: plenty of fresh fruit, low-fat milk and yogurt, rolled oats (don’t be scared! You don’t even notice them) and a dash of agave nectar for sweetness.

I’m serious about the oats: friends, you run them through your blender for a minute or two, and then they disappear into the rest of this thick and dreamy smoothie, like secret protein molecules!

This recipe makes either two smaller smoothies or one GIANT smoothie, so depending on how hungry you are in the morning you could halve this recipe.

If the weather stays this hot (which naturally it will since I hate it) I may be making these every morning!

Oh and I’ll be drinking them out of these mason jars, because,

well…

they’re so darn cute!

Oh my god I think I’m having a brain blast….

I bet you could double this recipe and split it across four jars and then you’d have smoothies READY TO GO in your fridge for the week!

(gasps)

I think an experiment is in order.

Just like the other berry recipes (see Triple Berry Tart or Berry Burst Muffins) these smoothies are as versatile as you are. Go simpler with a strawberry banana smoothie, or even crazier and add in blackberries! Strawberry kiwi would be lovely; oh and I bet you could sub coconut milk in for the lowfat milk for a more tropical option!

I need to write these down!

Oh wait I just did. Teehee.

Heat exhaustion may be making me delirious. I’m off to enjoy another smoothie.

Happy Baking Chillin’ !

Triple Berry Breakfast Smoothie

makes 2 small or 1 large smoothie

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup lowfat yogurt
• 1 cup lowfat milk
• 1/3 cup strawberries, sliced
• 1/3 cup blueberries,
• 1/3 cup raspberries
• 1 large banana, sliced
• 1 tbsp agave (or honey)

1. In a blender, pulse oats for 1-2 minutes until broken down. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk and yogurt.
2. Add yogurt/milk mixture, along with all berries and banana slices to the blender, and blend until smooth. Add agave or honey and pulse a few times to evenly incorporate.
3. Pour into glass and serve immediately.

All Photos, Recipes (Unless Otherwise Specified) And Writing Copyright © 2013 Jessica Gonzalez | On Sugar Mountain

It’s official: I am a Rutgers graduate with a Bachelors in English!

Wooooooooo.

Don’t you think we should celebrate?

I think so.

So let’s celebrate with…you guessed it….MUFFINS!

Because every day is better with a muffin in hand.

Last week I whipped up this light and refreshing Triple Berry Tart, and I managed to have a decent amount of berries left over. Blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries happen to be my absolute favorite fruit combo, so I thought it’d be fun to stuff them into muffins.

And you know what? I WAS RIGHT!

I love being right heehee.

At first I was a tad concerned that my recent kick with whole wheat flour would prove to be my downfall. I just couldn’t help putting it into this recipe since, you know….

secret fiber muffins!

But with the combo of yogurt and buttermilk, these muffins are still uber moist and wonderful, and bursting with fresh berries!

Oh and I threw a crumble on top since, well, why not?

These are a fabulous breakfast option for the summer days, when it’s hot and you just want a quick yet satisfying meal on-the-go. Feel free to swap out for other berries, like blackberries, or go simple with just one type of fruit.

So, to wrap up, these muffins are

1. moist
2. fruity
3. sweet
4. satisfying
5. awesome-sauce

Yes. Awesome-sauce is also a word, a word that is still totally appropriate for a recent college graduate.

But now I’m off to see my boyfriend graduate as well!

I’ll be back tomorrow with a delectable coconut lentil curry so stay tuned!

Happy Baking!

Berry Burst Muffins

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup raspberries
• 1/3 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup sliced strawberries

for the crumble:

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp melted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line one 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners. Combine all ingredients for crumble topping in a small bowl until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a large bowl, combine both flours, sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk egg, yogurt, and buttermilk together until well combined.
3. Pour wet ingredient mixture over dry ingredient mixture and stir with large wooden spoon until only a few streaks of flour remain, then gently fold in all berries.
4. Fill muffin cups 3/4 way full with muffin batter, then top with crumble. Bake at 350 degrees for 16-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with only a few crumbs.
5. Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before carefully removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12-14 muffins

All Photos, Recipes (Unless Otherwise Specified) And Writing Copyright © 2013 Jessica Gonzalez | On Sugar Mountain

This can’t be a long post because…..

drumroll….

I’M GRADUATING COLLEGE ON SUNDAY!!!

(cheers)

Teehee okay maybe there aren’t cheers, but I am quite excited for this and there is SO MUCH to do before my parents get here from Florida.

The room is still in shambles and I want it semi-presentable, not to mention I am in desperate need of a hair cut.

So, with that in mind, I’ve whipped up a simple, yet elegant dessert to share with you all.

Oh and not only is it delicious, but you can make it gluten free in a snap!

I give you – the luscious triple berry tart.

A simple graham cracker crust layered with a fluffy cream cheese filling and topped with all sorts of delicious berries, this tart is as versatile as you’d like it to be while still simple enough to prepare the day of an event.

I personally love the combo of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, but feel free to switch it up and throw in some blackberries or any other fruits you’d like to see in it!

Like I said, this recipe can be turned GF in a snap: just switch the graham cracker for either a) GF graham cracker crumbs or b) almond flour. I’ve made cheesecakes with the almond flour and I have to say I couldn’t tell the difference!

You could whip this up for Memorial Day, the 4th of July, or perhaps…a graduation party?

Have i mentioned I’m excited to graduate??

Okay go enjoy your weekends. I shall return to you on Monday A REAL PERSON –  WITH A DEGREE.

Weeeeeeeee!

Happy Baking!

Triple Berry Tart

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or almond flour for GF version)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 6 tbsp melted butter
• 8oz cream cheese, at room temp
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 heaping cup blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or any fruit you’d like

1. Spray a 10inch pie pan (or tart pan) with cooking spray. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press evenly into prepared pan across the bottom and up the sides. Set in refrigerate to chill at least 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form, about 7-9 minutes. Add half of the heavy cream mixture to the cream cheese mixture and beat until incorporated. Fold rest of heavy cream mixture into cream  cheese mixture, adding a splash or more of cream if necessary to loosen the consistency. Don’t worry too much if it’s not completely smooth; you’ll be covering it with berries!
3. Remove tart pan from refrigerator and fill evenly with cream cheese mixture. Use a spatula or a knife to spread it evenly across the tart pan. Then, cover with berries!

Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. Best served day of or within 24 hours.

All Photos, Recipes (Unless Otherwise Specified) And Writing Copyright © 2013 Jessica Gonzalez | On Sugar Mountain

I know, I just couldn’t resist. I apologize in advance for any readers who suffer from having that song stuck in their heads for the remainder of the day. But how could you not think of lime coconut donuts when that songs pops n the radio??

My mind is a strange place. I hear songs, they tell me to make donuts, and I listen…

Mostly because I love donuts.

Have I said the word donuts enough yet??

As the spring quickly turns into summer here in NJ, cravings for tropical treats begin. After rummaging through some caverns in my new room (still a work in progress, I’ll share pictures when it looks less like an episode of Hoarders) I managed to find my mini-donut maker under my bed.

It was a sign. Put the lime in the coconut and make yourself some donuts.

Thank you universe!

This summer as I journey into the “real world” from the college life, the next step I want to take on this blog is recipe creation. True, I make some killer muffins from my own base recipe, and I’ve finally nailed down a vanilla cake I can be proud of, but I need more!

So I begin with these donuts. Switching out milk with coconut milk, adding some fresh lime zest, these donuts un-glazed are already a treat.

But what kind of food blogger would I be if I didn’t go a little overboard?

After baking, they get completely coated in a tart lime glaze, then rolled in shredded coconut.

Are you imagining sunsets on tropical, sandy shores yet?

Good!

I love making these tiny treats because the donut-maker uses the same amount of energy to that of a light bulb. As the weather gets warmer, no one wants to turn on the oven and make it worse. So, little mini-makers like these (they also make mini-cupcake, mini-pie, and mini-cake pop makers as well!) are an affordable investment if you enjoy bite-sized baked goods all year ’round.

Plus they make a boatload of mini donuts with one batch of batter. You may be thinking “what do I need nearly 3 dozen mini donuts for?”

My answer: HOW COULD YOU BE UPSET BY HAVING DOZENS OF MINI DONUTS TO NIBBLE ON?

Ahem. I mean: they are great to share with friends!

Seriously: they are tiny so they go fast, and since they are baked and not fried, they are (sort of) better for you.

Not that anyone will need prompting to eat these once they lay eyes on them.

Oh and isn’t Memorial Day coming up? I’m still having issues remembering which day of the week it is; BUT these would be great to bring to a BBQ or party!

Or, you know, to keep at home for tropical treat cravings.

I’ll leave that to you.

Happy Baking!

Coconut Lime Donuts

• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• zest from 2 limes (about 2 tsp)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp melted butter, cooled
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract

for the lime glaze:

• 1-2 tbsp lime juice (from 2-4 limes)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

for garnish/topping:

• 1 cup shredded coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 or preheat mini donut maker.
2. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, lime zest, and salt until well incorporated. In a larg measuring cup add vinegar and regular milk and let sit for 5 minutes.
3. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together coconut milk, egg and vanilla extract. Once mixed, whisk in melted butter and then finally the milk/vinegar mixture.
4. Pour wet ingredient mixture over dry ingredient mixture and whisk until just smooth.  Once oven/donut maker is preheated, spray either a mini donut pan or the odnut maker with cooking spray.
5. Fill donut cavities 1/2 way full with batter, then bake for 3-5 minutes, or until donuts spring back lightly when pressed and a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Carefully remove donuts from pan or donut maker and let cool while you whip up the glaze.
7. For the glaze: whisk together juice and powdered sugar until a thin glaze forms. If mixture is too thick, add more lime juice. If too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. You just want to lightly coat the donuts in it and for the coconut to stick to it.
8. Dip both sides of donut in lime glaze, then roll completely in shredded coconut to coat. Let sit on cooling rack to dry.

Makes approx 2 1/2 dozen mini donuts

All Photos, Recipes (Unless Otherwise Specified) And Writing Copyright © 2013 Jessica Gonzalez | On Sugar Mountain

This happens to be one of, if not the, best pasta recipe I’ve ever come across in all of bloggingdom.

I mean it – I tend to get so excited about new recipes that repeats are a rarity in my kitchen. Why make the same thing again if there are oodles of new culinary adventures waiting for me out on the glorious internet?

But this, this dish, this glorious skillet filled with penne, vegetables, brown butter (are you really surprised by this?) and tons of cheese happens to be a recipe I’ve made over 6 times in the past 6 months.

It’s seriously that good.

Normally I utilize frozen corn in place of the fresh that is called for in the recipe since finding fresh corn in the colder months is impossible. However, the weather is turning bright, cheerful, and warm, which means the produce sections of the grocery stores are becoming more and more exciting.

Fresh sweet corn, perfectly ripe zucchinis, and plump cherry tomatoes all take center stage in this one-pan-wonderful meal.

Making this again also gave me the opportunity of testing out my new cast-iron skillet, which I have to admit, is the coolest kitchen gadget/goodie I’ve bought this year.

Plus it doubles as a security device.

If you don’t own a cast iron skillet go buy one right this second! it’s okay to use a non-stick, ovenproof skillet as well. The cast-iron just does wonders for caramelizing veggies, but the whole delicious mess gets baked in the oven so you’ll be satisfied either way.

Who knows, you may end up making it over and over again like I do!

I’ve even heard that there’s a farmers’ market in my new town every Friday in the summer (WOOO) so I know I’ll be on the lookout for all the veggies I need for this dish. If you happen to really love a certain vegetable not in the meal or particularly loathe one that is included, feel free to substitute as you please! Just as long as the product can withstand 15 minutes of sauteing, you should be good. I’ve done this with fresh spinach before and that is amazing.

But enough of my blathering on, go make it yourself and see!

Happy Eating!

Fresh Veggie Pasta Skillet

Barely Adapted from How Sweet It Is

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 large zucchini, chopped
• 2 fresh ears of corn, cut from the cobs
• 2 cups pasta (I used penne)
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 4 tbsp butter

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Boil pasta according to package directions and set aside until ready to use.
2. While pasta is cooking, brown your butter. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it’s melted, continue cooking while whisking/stirring constantly  The butter will foam and then turn a rich brown color. As soon as it does, remove from heat and set aside until ready to use. 
3. In a large oven-safe skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, tomatoes, zucchini and corn and stir to coat everything in oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies have softened and browned in spots.
4. Once vegetables are cooked, stir in pasta, followed by brown butter and half the shredded cheese. Top pasta mixture with rest of cheese then bake in oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

All Photos And Writing Copyright © 2013 Jessica Gonzalez | On Sugar Mountain

OH HOW I’VE MISSED YOU!

I’m so happy to finally say that, after a million boxes and a broken bookcase, I’m officially moved in to my new place.

It was incredibly weird not cooking or baking for those last few weeks, and l will never eat Ramen or Easy Mac EVER AGAIN. Seriously, try eating those processed foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a few straight weeks and the sheer sight of pre-packaged noodles will give you the shivers.

So as my first adventure in my new new kitchen, I made you all these Banana Muffins!

More specifically, I whipped up the best banana bread muffins ever, filled with whole wheat flour and, you guessed it, brown butter.

YOU READ THAT RIGHT I SAID WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR PEOPLE!

Sorry, the caps-lock poltergeist decided he liked the new room better than my old one so he came along too. He’s quite excited about these muffins.

So am I actually; I never thought I’d like working with whole wheat flour but with the right ratio you can sneak some fiber into your baked goods! Muffins are great like that since they are meant to be hearty in the first place.

You ever have a craving that you just can’t shake? Well, that’s been me with banana bread as of late. It might have been random, but I think it had to do with the move. Banana Bread was one of my favorite quick-breads growing up, and reminds me of home. While moving into my new home, I was both excited and nervous. New people, new routines….

I needed some home-style comfort to make the move complete and these muffins are it.

The bananas combine with the brown sugar to keep them incredibly moist, so you could easily have a whole week’s worth of breakfasts in this recipe. But be careful: you may need to double the recipe once your family tries them!

Oh, also, have I mentioned I’m graduating this Sunday?

So that’s happening.

But instead of freaking out about real life, I’m planning on having a fun (and productive) summer looking for a job and working as hard as I can on the blog. I felt completely at home whipping these up in the new kitchen, and I can’t wait to share with you all the exciting new recipes and things I’ve got planned for the summer!

Sooooooooo….

if you haven’t yet, please subscribe to receive new posts via email (in the right sidebar of the site) OR use this link to follow me on bloglovin!

It’s going to be quite the ride.

Happy Baking!

Brown Butter Banana Bread Muffins

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 3 large bananas, chopped
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease/line one 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray or paper liners.
2. Brown your butter: add butter to small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly once it’s melted. Continue heating butter and stirring constantly, until butter foams and then finally turns a rich caramel-brown. Take off heat immediately and let cool until ready to use.
3. Add chopped bananas to a medium microwaveable safe bowl and microwave for 3-5 minutes or until soft. Set aside.
4. Whisk together milk and egg in a small bowl. Once butter is cool, stir into milk and egg mixture.
5. Combine both flours, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Pour wet ingredient mixture over flour mixture and stir with large wooden spoon until a few streaks of flour remain. Stir in bananas.
6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 way full with muffin mixture (I use an ice cream scoop to measure, you could use a heaping 1/4 cup as well) and bake at 350 degrees for 16-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
7. Let cool in pan for several minutes before carefully removing to wire rack to cool completely

Makes 10-12 muffins

All Photos, Recipes (Unless Otherwise Specified) And Writing Copyright © 2013 Jessica Gonzalez | On Sugar Mountain

my friends….

The caps lock poltergeist snuck into the titles of my posts!

WHAT WILL WE DO NOW?

Oh god. I’m losing the blog to a fiction of my imagination.

Let’s focus on the first bark I’ve ever made for the blog, shall we?

Yes. Let’s.

Let’s also focus on this bark because I am too tired to talk to you about anything else.

Iron Man 3 last night with friends – fantastic movie, wayyyy to late for my grandma self.

So this happens to be one of the simplest and cutest barks I’ve ever made. The first layer resembles rice krispie treats on steroids – held together not with melted marshmallows, but melted white chocolate.

Don’t fret; there are plenty of un-melted mini marshmallows stirred up in there too, and sprinkles.

Tons of sprinkles.

ALL THE SPRINKLES.

The hardest part of this recipe happens to be getting this layer of the bark to stay in the cookie sheet, and not on your hands. It’s incredibly sticky so I suggest wearing gloves or putting a layer of parchment paper over it before pushing down to even out the layer. Resist the urge to eat this layer before you complete the bark.

Or just eat the remnants left on the gloves/parchment paper.

Then, just a few minutes in the fridge to set up, then slather that bad boy with tons of melted milk chocolate.

And more sprinkles.

I don’t even think I had to mention that last part but, you know, sprinkles are my life.

Man I need a nap.

Okay – so last thing before I fall asleep on my keyboard and the post ends up like this:

fnwourg hlwiurhonvgiuwcrhucwhotmmgu orumvnertp ught

I will be moving into my new place this coming week (YAY!) and so I need to take the tiniest break from posting.

I promise it will only be for a week – just need to find all the kitchen tools that are now randomly strewn through various boxes.

See you all in a week!

Happy Baking!

Rice Krispie Treat Bark

Recipe Source: Cookies & Cups

• 3 cups white chocolate chips
• 2 cups rice krispies cereal
• 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1/4 cup sprinkles, plus an extra 1/4 cup or so for topping
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Melt the while chocolate chips in a large bowl in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring between sessions until smooth.
2. Once melted, stir in rice krispies until completely coated, then stir in mini marshmallows and 1/4 cup sprinkles. Once mixture is uniform, press into prepared cookie sheet, using either gloves or another sheet of parchment paper to prevent sticking.
3. Press the mixture to about 1/2 inch thickness. Set in fridge for at least 10 minutes. While it’s chilling, melt the semi-sweet chocolate the same way you melted the white chocolate.
4. Remove bark from fridge; pour melted semi-sweet chocolate over top and use a spatula or knife to smooth over top. Cover with additional sprinkles, then place back into the fridge until chocolate is firm.
5. Cut bark into pieces (or, for a little more fun, break the bark over your kitchen counter to get more jagged, uneven pieces like the ones pictured above).

All Photos, Recipes (Unless Otherwise Specified) And Writing Copyright © 2013 Jessica Gonzalez | On Sugar Mountain

So ends the month of April, and with it ends all of my classes.

Ever.

Ever ever.

WOAHHHHHH.

But none of that – there will be plenty of time to freak out about what I’m doing with my life all summer. For now, it’s time to focus on these cookies.

A few weeks ago, my roommate’s dad took upon himself the huge task of repairing my bike. I found it for only $45 at a garage sale two years ago; and after all the beatings it has taken here in New Brunswick, it was in serious need of some TLC.

But TLC from someone who has actual experience fixing bikes. Not me.

I barely know what all the parts are called. I just ride it in the sunshine, my hair swishing beautifully behind me with a smile on my face…..

…..

bahahahaha I had you there for a moment didn’t I? Me? Graceful? Hair doing what I want it to instead of going directly into my mouth as I’m huffing and puffing up not-so-giant hills?

Stop it.

But, I do love riding my bike. Aside from lifting large bags of flour over my head, I don’t get much exercise; so the bike is my best friend in that department.

So I was so so elated when he told me he could fix my brakes, put new tubes in (whatever that means) and get me new “road” tires, because apparently there are different types of tires for bikes.

The cost? Just $25 and….

Cookies!

I think it took me awhile to get to my main point, but like I said: cookies. Brown Butter Snickerdoodles to be precise. I’ve always been a fan of Snickerdoodles, seeing as how I could snort cinnamon it’s so awesome (jk that would REALLY hurt).

I could also go for a direct IV of brown butter, and don’t get all “omg you’re such a food blogger with your brown butter.”

NO. DON’T YOU DARE QUESTION THE FLAVOR OF THE BUTTER THAT IS BROWNED.’

It lends such a perfect flavor to these cookies – cinnamon and brown butter are a cosmic couple of awesome-sauce.

Yes. I just said awesome-sauce. I’ve been told by my peers that it’s a thing we young adults say.

Is it though? Or maybe they are just playing a joke on me?

Oh well. You get me, lovely readers.

Though I was sad to give these away, I am so happy with how good they were because my bike looks SPECTACULAR.

Absolutely worth $25 and a batch of Snickerdoodles….

So go make these! Then share them with someone lovely OR OR (here’s a thought) scarf them all down and savor the almighty browned butteryness.

Happy Baking!

Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

Recipe Source: Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

• 1 cup butter
• 2 3/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp cinnamon, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup + 3 tbsp sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp milk

1. First, brown your butter. Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue cooking, past melted, until it starts to sizzle and foam, stirring constantly. As soon as the butter turns a rich, caramel brown, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. As it’s cooling, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, 1 tsp of the cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Whisk the eggs and milk in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Once the butter is cool, pour it into a large bowl and beat brown butter with brown sugar and 1 cup granulated sugar until well combined. Then beat in egg and milk mixture.
4. On the lowest setting of your mixer (or use a spoon) beat flour mixture into butter mixture until a sticky dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and set in fridge for at least 60 minutes to chill.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine remaining 4 tsp of cinnamon with remaining 3 tbsp of sugar in a small shallow dish.
6. Scoop out heaping tablespoons of dough, roll into balls, then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on prepared baking sheets approx 2 inch apart.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through if necessary. Tops of cookies should be cracked and the edges just set.
8. Let cool on pans for a few minutes before carefully removing to wire rack to cool completely.

All Photos, Recipes (Unless Otherwise Specified) And Writing Copyright © 2013 Jessica Gonzalez | On Sugar Mountain

So you mayyyy remember me mentioning last Friday morning that I was baking all day, nonstop, with my fellow members of Rutgers Student Bakers, for a huge bake sale we were having on Saturday at Rutgers Day.

Well, it may interest you to know that we…..

SOLD OUT!

Well, aside from a few errant cake pops we did. Plus those were extra and IMHO the spoils of victory that we then shoved into our mouths.

We had it all: carrot cake cake pops, chocolate covered Oreos, Rice Krispie Treats shaped like WATERMELON people!

Like I said, we tend to go all out for this bake sale, and it really paid off this year. Being on the Cook/Douglass Campus was huge for us, as all of the agricultural events fit perfectly with our bakery-version of a Farmers’ Market.

One of our best sellers? These adorable cake shooters – either in Death By Chocolate Dirt Cups or Pink Lemonade. Kids love cake, and parents love collecting fun shot glasses…

and who doesn’t want a shot glass with a cupcake on it?

NO ONE.

My personal favorite of the day, if I had to pick just one, were the Cinnamon Sugar Donuts. Although they were baked, we dipped them in melted butter and cinnamon sugar and you couldn’t even tell they weren’t fried.

Oh and the breads! GLORIOUS BREAD! Focaccia, Beer Bread, Corn Bread – all my favorite carbs just chilling together in peace, harmony, and deliciousness.

We all had so much fun on Rutgers Day; students, alumni, parents and virtually everyone who walked by came over to see what we were up to, what we were baking for, and nearly all were mindblown that students had baked everything from scratch for this sale.

It’s heartwarming to know that others appreciate this kind of hard work, and are willing to pay for it.

Sooooooooo any guesses on how much we made?

Anyone? Anyone?

It is my honor to state that we raised over $900 to donate to Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale!

IN ONE DAY!!!

I am so incredibly proud of the members of Rutgers Student Bakers. This is the first bake sale where we’ve sold out, not to mention our biggest haul ever in existence. All of the effort and dedication they put in really paid off, and we are going to be able to make a difference in children’s lives across America.

Now my only sad note of the day came at the end, when I realized that this was it for me. Rutgers Day 2013 was my last event ever with the Rutgers Students Bakers. Never did I think that my idea about a baking club could blossom and grow into what it is today: a strong organization here at RU, dedicated to spreading awareness and ending childhood hunger in the US, all while baking up the best sweet treats this University has ever seen.

It has been both an honor and a privilege to watch this organization grow as Founder and President. Comprised of the most hard-working and kind-hearted people I’ve ever met, it is a bittersweet goodbye for me. I made many friends that I hope to keep as I become a boring, old, real person, and I can’t wait to journey back to RU as an alumni and see what kind of a difference they make in the future.

So to all my bakers: I wish you the best of luck; keep fighting the good fight and don’t ever think an obstacle is too big for you to overcome.

Lots of love to you all <3

P.S. Special Thanks to the members and officers who came and helped out at all-day baking and at the sale:

Serena Mueller

Ashley So

Tessa Caprio

Prama Verma

Rohith Bushana

Janel Borden

Dmitriy Shumayev

Ven Buckalew

Tom Gereffi