Mini Walnut Brownie Cupcakes

These are such a great little sweet treat to help keep my exhausted co-workers going. The base is a pretty standard chocolate cake, but the topping was what made these stand out.  If I made it again, and I probably will, I think I’d use less batter and more topping per cup. They don’t really rise that much, so even though they looked really full going into the oven I didn’t have any overflow problems.

The only negative was that it took a really long time to fill my mini cupcake pan. It would be a great recipe to enlist the help of a friend in exchange for baked goods.

Derby Cookies, Buttery Brown Sugar Bourbon Walnut Balls

Lately, I’ve been working through recipes that are easy to take to work and share.  Everyone at my office has been working long hours, and having a nice treat on a Monday seems like a good idea to me. As much as I am looking forward to making the scheduled Blood Orange Tiramisu someday, it’s not the most portable dessert.

These little Derby Cookies were awesome. The cookies were soft, but the sugar on the outside gave a great crunch and a punch of whisky flavor. Rolling in raw sugar is something I want to try with other cookie recipes. I’d love to make these again, but I think I’d try it with pecans instead of walnuts, but that’s just my preference. 

Olive Oil Orange Bundt Cake

My friend Sarah recommended this delicious cake recipe after she tried it last week. I missed it on the schedule the first time around, which is a shame, because I think I would have made it a dozen times by now. It came out with a perfectly moist texture, scented with fragrant oranges. Easy to make too, I wouldn’t change a thing about it. The only problem I’m having is whether I’ll be able to save any to take to work tomorrow.