Blueberry Muffins

Spring is in full swing, and we are loving all the fresh produce around town. We were inspired to make our favorite “fresh” dessert: blueberry muffins! As usual, today we’re sharing two different recipes, one vegan and one that is omnivore friendly. Both recipes are sure to be loved by everyone! Nikki shares a blueberry and lemon crumb muffin topped with a lemon glaze and Jess will show you how to make blueberry muffins with a brown sugar topping- yum!

  

Click the link below to see both recipes and step-by-step instructions!

Christmas Crunch

Merry Christmas! We hope everyone is having a relaxing holiday full of love and laughter with everyone you love. Christmas can be a busy day and this easy, delicious snack is perfect for afternoons sitting by the fire playing board games. Still need a last minute gift? As we’ve mentioned in other posts, it is so easy to wrap up some Candy Cane Cookies or Rocky Road Fudge in cute holiday packaging and call it a day!This Christmas Crunch is another perfect gift, especially last minute. It doesn’t require many ingredients, and is so easy and quick to make. Let the kids help with this one- it is so simple! Wrap it in a box with a festive holiday bow and your friends and family will love it. It makes for a thoughtful, homemade, and delicious gift!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Cheerios
• 3 cups Rice Chex
• 3 cups Wheat Chex
• 2 cups pretzel sticks
• 24 oz (2 bags) white chocolate chips
• 24 oz (2 bags) Milk Chocolate M&M’s

Directions:

Mixing all of these ingredients requires a very large bowl. I didn’t have a bowl large enough so I ended up mixing it in a large stock pot.  Also, as you can see, I used holiday M&M’s to make it more festive, but you can also use regular ones. Tip: Make it again and change the color based on the season for a year-round gift!

First, combine the cereals, pretzel sticks and M&Ms into the extra-large bowl (or pot). Mix with a large wooden spoon or your clean hands.

Next, melt the white chocolate in the microwave. Pour the white chocolate chips into a large bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Take the bowl out, stir the white chocolate chips and continue to microwave again for 15-30 seconds at a time, stirring after each time until the chocolate is melted. Be careful not to over-melt. Towards the end, I take it out and stir about every 10 seconds just to be safe. It is important to stir the chocolate in-between microwaving times. The whole process takes about 1.5-2 minutes. Check out this video about melting chocolate in the microwave, in case you have never done this before and need a little more guidance.

Once melted, drizzle the white chocolate over the dry mixture, a little at a time. Mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until all the chocolate is evenly coating the cereal mixture.

Lay out a large sheet of parchment paper on a flat surface. Spread the mixture with the chocolate on it over the paper. Let sit for 30 minutes-1 hour until chocolate has hardened. Freeze or refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Rocky Road Fudge

Our favorite time of year is well underway-baking season! Christmas time growing up was all about baking as many cookies and treats as possible. Most were made to give away as gifts but we definitely kept and snuck our fair share! So far this year we’ve made yummy chocolate peppermint cookies, Snickerdoodles, one of our favorite Christmas classics Candy Cane Cookie Sandwiches, and we’re planning a big sugar cookie bake this weekend (recipe to follow)! Today I made a new favorite I came up with last year-Rocky Road Fudge. We made fudge a lot growing up but I hadn’t made it since going vegan. I went with a coconut cream base and added in marshmallows and walnuts. Yum! This recipe was such a hit I ended up making it several times last year. It was a great treat to serve at our New Year’s Eve celebration. This recipe is vegan, omnivore tested, approved and loved! Best of all it is so easy! Just leave enough time to let the fudge set in the fridge.

 

Rocky Road Fudge
(VEGAN)

For those of you new to the vegan game, there are two major brands of vegan marshmallows: Sweet & Sara, and my personal favorite, Dandies. You can find these online from various sellers or sometimes Whole Foods and other specialty stores.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup full fat canned coconut milk or coconut cream
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (not melted)
• 12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips (make sure you check the ingredients, sometimes they sneak milk in there)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup vegan marshmallows, mini or chopped regular (2/3 for the inside, 1/3 for the topping)
• 1 cup walnut halves (2/3 for the inside, 1/3 for the topping)

Line a small baking dish with parchment paper, or greased foil. If you  are using regular sized marshmallows, cut them into fourths or sixths and set aside.

In a medium pot, heat the coconut milk and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons coconut oil and stir until it melts.

Add the chocolate chips and stir quickly with a whisk until all of the chips are melted and you have a pot of gooey yummy chocolate.

Remove from heat or pour into a mixing bowl if you don’t have a lot of stir room. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2/3 cup marshmallows and 2/3 cup walnuts and stir well. Make sure the marshmallows aren’t in a huge clump when you put them in.

Pour the mixture into your lined baking dish. Sprinkle walnuts and marshmallows over the top, about 1/3 cup of each.

Place in the fridge overnight, or at least in the freezer for 30 minutes. Cut into bite sized pieces. Store in the refrigerator.

Thanksgiving Series: Pumpkin Spice Pecan Cookies

The Thanksgiving countdown has begun! We are just 4 days away from the big day! For the past week, we have been sharing our Thanksgiving Series with you, showing you how to create the perfect meal from drinks to dessert. Today we are sharing our first dessert recipe with you, Pumpkin Spice Pecan Cookies. These are a perfect addition to any Thanksgiving spread and really switch things up from the same old pumpkin pie.

These cookies are moist and chewy with lots of pecan pieces and a hint of cinnamon. The pumpkin spice adds a rich pumpkin flavor that is irresistible! They can easily be made vegan by substituting a few things, which are listed in the ingredients below. Also, these cookies turn out best when the dough is chilled so it is best to make these the day (or at least a few hours) before you plan on serving them to allow time for the dough to cool. Enjoy!

Click the link below to follow along as I show you, step-by-step, how to make these delicious, cookies!

Snickerdoodles

Continuing with our Holiday Cookie Series, we’re sharing two takes on the classic Snickerdoodle. Snickerdoodles are another delicious, easy, go-to recipe for us this time of year. Snickerdoodles are the perfect cookie; crunchy and sugary on the top and chewy and soft in the middle; perfect to enjoy with a cup of hot chocolate. As great as they are, we decided to mix up the traditional Snickerdoodle; this week Jess shares vegan Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles, while Nikki shares her Snicker-doodles, with little pieces of Snickers bars in them!

 

Click the link below to get started on this sweet treat!

Thanksgiving Series: Pecan Pie

Every foodie’s favorite holiday is coming up already! We’ve started getting our Thanksgiving menu together and stocking up on the essentials. For the next week on Bacon and Brussels, Jess will be sharing her favorite vegan Thanksgiving recipes, mostly vegan takes on classic Thanksgiving dishes. Nikki will be sharing one of her favorite Thanksgiving recipes that is delicious all year around, as well as DIY name cards. Because you should always eat dessert first, we’re starting it off with a true Thanksgiving tradition, Pecan Pie. This pie is gooey and decadent and sure to please vegans and omnivores alike.

Click the continue reading link below to get started on this easy, delicious dessert!

Sugar and Spice

Every fall, our adorable mom sends us care packages full of seasonal baking accessories (thanks, mom!)- cupcake liners, sprinkles, you name it! This fall was no different, and one day after work we returned home to find an amazing care package packed to the brim. Growing up, the three of us would bake at least every week, always fighting over who got to lick the spoon. Our mom made baking a tradition for any occasion and it is still one of our favorite activities every time we are together. Now that Jess and I both live together in San Francisco and our mom is still back in San Diego, baking just isn’t the same without her! Her thoughtful care packages give us a way to include her in each cupcake and cookie even though she may be 500 miles away. We couldn’t wait to use these cute cupcake liners and fall sprinkles, and what better way to celebrate fall than with pumpkin cupcakes?! We are pumpkin obsessed around here, and wait patiently for autumn to arrive every year so we can use it in just about every recipe. This time, we include both vegan and non vegan versions with maple and cinnamon frosting. Enjoy!

Continue reading for both recipes!

Fall Favorites

Growing up, fall in our house meant lots of baking with our favorite autumn ingredients. Our mom made peach crisp every fall and the crumbly, decadent peaches always left us wanting second helpings. This week, Jess shares a vegan, gluten-free crumbly peach crisp that is sure to be loved by vegans and non-vegans alike. Meanwhile, Nikki takes on a classic autumn favorite, apple pie, but adds her own unique twist. Enjoy!

Click the link below to check out both recipes!