Leaving My Teenage Years Behind Me

Well world, I've finally finished my teenage years. Here's to a sweet new decade!

   

Celebrated my 20th birthday with some delicious cupcakes from Caramanda's. If you are ever in Lexington, I highly recommend you check them out!

Flavors:

Chocolate Cheesecake | Italian Cream

Coconut Cream | Chocolate Salted Caramel

Chocolate Explosion | Red Velvet

Strawberry Shortcake | Chocolate Swirl

In my opinion, you're never too old for a tiara.

All in all, it was a fairly low-key day, but a lovely one nonetheless! Had some schoolwork and study abroad application business to do in the morning, played around with my camera, had dinner and presents with my family, and I am now watching The Avengers! More of the same is in store for the first few days of being 20, I believe, but I'm heading to Georgia on Thursday for a theatre conference, so I should have some fun stories then! 

xoxo

Pumpkin Butterscotch & Chocolate Chip Bars

Finding a need to get rid of some butterscotch chips before they expired, I made Pumpkin Butterscotch & Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars for Thanksgiving dessert today. Took this recipe and adapted it slightly. They turned out quite nicely, in my opinion. Warm and gooey, with no one flavor overpowering the others.

Sorry for the picture quality, but we were anxious to eat them.

Anyway, the recipe is as follows if you'd like to give them a try!

[Adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars recipe, which they adapted from Martha Stewart]

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 Tbsp cinnamon (I'm a fan of guesstimation, obviously)

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp apple pie/pumpkin pie spice if you are so inclined

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

Assortment of butterscotch and chocolate chips, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. With a stand or electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Add pumpkin puree and mix well. The mixture will look somewhat curdled. Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake bars for 35-40 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.

4. Cool bars completely in pan. Cut into squares and serve. [Or just devour them from the pan without regard for presentation]