Baking days

Seems as if I have been baking a lot these first few days of September.  A few weeks ago I tried this recipe for Strawberry Cheesecake Pie when I needed a dessert to take to a friend who isn't feeling well -- our church ladies are providing meals for her and her hubby.   From Spend with Pennies, this is a no-bake pie, so I guess I can't technically call it "baking" -- but oh, what a delicious pie it is.  

Photo from Spend with Pennies.com

Last weekend I made two of these pies for Sunday's potluck lunch at church.  There was one piece of pie left over!  We stopped in to see my hubby's mother after church, so we took the last slice to her.

Last Saturday I also baked these Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies, which also contain white chocolate and pumpkin pie spice and are a favorite cookie I like to make in the fall.

A longtime member of our church passed away Saturday, so we ladies were going to be providing food for a gathering after the funeral.  On Sunday evening and all day Tuesday, I was in the kitchen.  I baked Crunchy Toffee Crackle Cookies, a recipe I created some time ago to hopefully duplicate a favorite bakery cookie from my childhood.

These really do come pretty close in flavor and texture.

I also baked these Chocolate  Crisps, which I often make for Christmas with a melted, swirled Andes mint on top.  This time I just dipped the tops of the cookies in sugar before baking, and skipped the mint topping.

And then I also baked a batch of Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars that are nice and chewy with a peanut butter icing drizzle.

Photo from Taste of Home

Lastly, I baked a batch of  Cookie Dough Brownies, using the recipe below for the brownie base:

THE PASTOR’S WIFE’S BROWNIES
1 cup flour
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup canola oil
2 scant cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a mixing bowl beat together the remaining ingredients. Sift in the flour mixture and stir it in thoroughly. (Some people will add 1 cup chocolate chips here.) Scrape into a greased 13x9” pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or just until done. Don’t overbake or you’ll lose the fudgy texture.

Photo from Taste of Home

On Monday we were invited to the home of Mr. T's boss and his family for a Labor Day cookout, along with the rest of the crew.   I made two of these S’mores Pizzas to take along, as well as a Greek pasta salad.

Photo from  Five Heart Home

Those s'mores pizzas are a gigantic hit wherever I take them.

I actually did a bit more baking today, but I'll save that story for another day.  Have a nice weekend, everyone!