Hmmm! The aroma of nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon are permeating throughout my home and it’s putting the whole family in a festive spirit. Yes, our holiday baking is in full swing and we’re having so much fun testing out some new recipes. What would the holidays be without visions of sugary and yummy treats?
You can never have enough recipe books that contain mouth water recipes that will fit perfect during the holiday season. New to our home is The 250 Best Brownies, Bars, & Squares recipe book. The ultimate collection of easy and sumptuous desserts!
There is nothing like homemade snacks and desserts and this newest book has a plethora of decadent recipes to choose from to satisfy any sweet tooth. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, you can jump right in and make any of these recipes. The book is very well laid out and lots of beautifully colored images to drool over. It starts off by giving sound advise on making all your recipes successful, like only buying small amounts of spices, store them tightly and replace them annually. Okay, I didn’t know you should replace them every year; I have new spices sporting my kitchen now. Did you know you should keep your marshmallow in the freezer?
There are 9 separate categories to ponder and pick through:
Brownies
Chocolate Bars and Squares
Coconut Bars and Squares
Fruit Bars and Squares
Nut and Peanut Butter Bars and Squares
Specialty Bars and Squares
No-Bake Bars and Squares
Esther’s Special Favorites
Frosting and Glazes
We love all the categories but the ones that resonated with us were any recipes that include chocolate, peanut butter, and all kinds of dried fruit. The recipes are really easy to follow and the ingredients are easily attained at your local grocery store. Some of the recipes will call for a base, filling and a topping so they are a little more time-consuming.
I absolutely love the no-bake section. No-bake does not mean any work, it just means you don’t need your oven. 
Many of these recipes call for ice cream or pudding as an ingredient that you expand on. One of our favorites is the No-Bake Crispy Peanut Butter Squares, the kids completely loved this treat and it was a breeze to whip up. Perfect for a time crunch event or get-together.
Another of our favorites it the Coffee Bran Squares. If you’re a big coffee fan then you will love this recipe. It has lots of spices, coffee, and fiber-rich bran; the combination is so delicious. I found the section on Frosting and Glazes really helpful. Adding a special frosting can really add some pizzazz to an ordinary snack. The chocolate chip frosting has become our favorite; we even added some flavored extracts like peppermint, chai, cappuccino, or tangerine. The combinations are endless.
We love to hang out and create new holiday memories, and to me, that includes cooking and baking. We also think it’s special to make a batch of cookies, brownies, or squares and give them away as gifts year-round, but especially for Christmas! The Holidays have never tasted so good!!
Disclaimer: I received product to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own, yours may differ.
