SMiLes by Meg

Tag: easy

Small Batch Boxed Mix Brownies

In my former life as a teacher, I used to bake for my students as a treat every so often. I’d make some really big batch of a recipe (usually cookies) so I had enough for all of my classes and anyone else that stopped by. Want to know what their absolute favorite thing I ever made was? Boxed mix brownies. Just plain old Duncan Hines brownies. As a baking blogger who thinks that she makes brownies much better than what a box can do, I was pretty offended. But there really is something about a boxed mix brownie that’s …

Magic Shell

Remember that time I said the busier I was at work the more complex my baking projects? There’s a limit to that, and I found it this week, so instead I’m sharing a very simple (very satisfying) recipe with you. As a kid, I remember loving Magic Shell. Erik didn’t know what it was when I asked him if he remembered it, and Madison remembered it at Dairy Queen but not as a store bought treat. I remember going to A&P and begging to get a bottle from the ice cream aisle, right next to the sprinkles I obviously also …

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

OK OK. I know that I’ve made a lot of chocolate chip cookies for this blog. And, like, how different can one chocolate chip cookie be from another? In my mom’s words, “is there anything about these cookies that is….special?” But hear me out. This is my first recipe in my new kitchen. SMiLes by Meg has relocated to Washington, D.C. If you’re in the area and have a request/want to pick it up, I’m happy to oblige. And this week, I wanted a recipe of something that I could give out to the people that work in my building …

Single Chocolate Chip Cookie

Have you ever thought, “What I really need right now is one large chocolate chip cookie, but no more than that?” This blog is for you. In the past, I’ve taught you how to make a mug brownie, and last week I started my small batch baking kick with some Funfetti cake. But a single chocolate chip cookie feels so much more decadent. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, oil, water and vanilla extract with a rubber spatula until combined. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and stir to combine. Add the chocolate …

Double Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Hi friends! I know your social media feeds might be slowing down on the #blacklivesmatter posts, but I hope you also know that doesn’t at all mean that the work is done. After this week, though I may not include a little blurb at the beginning of my blogs, I hope you’ll join me in continuing your impact and fighting for real change however you are able. If you’re looking for something sweet and you’re in the city of Boston, I highly recommend you check out Petsi Pies, a black-owned bakery in Somerville that I used to frequent while in …

Candy Cookies

I’m calling these Candy Cookies because I’ve made M&M cookies before, and these are different enough that they needed their own post. Plus, you could put any kind of candy into these and get a good result – the original recipe from Weeknight Baking actually included sno-caps, too, but sno-caps were inexplicably sold out out every store I checked. They must be good quarantine snacks or something. Regardless, I decided to just double the amount of M&Ms to make up for it, and no one ever complains about double the M&Ms. Start by melting the butter. Just chop it up …

Tahini Brown Sugar Cake

When I picked this recipe, I didn’t mean for it to be a clear-out-the-pantry recipe. And I’m not sure what it says about my pantry that this recipe did clean it out – I only had to buy some buttermilk and unsweetened chocolate, and happened to have everything else on hand. I did pick it entirely because I wanted to use my sprinkles. I didn’t expect this, but leaving the sprinkles in an airtight jar resulted in them all starting to clump together. I’m guessing because our apartment is a bit on the warm side, and maybe because I should …

Blueberry Rhubarb Compote

People will probably have a number of complaints about this post. For example, you may be thinking, “Meg, you just made a Blueberry Rhubarb Galette. You can’t repeat flavor combinations so quickly.” If you have that complaint, you obviously aren’t in Alaska right now. When I arrived in Alaska last week, Erik had acquired, no joke, an entire trash bag full of rhubarb, cut out of a friend’s yard: And then, while I was there, another friend, Nate, brought over a full Tupperware of blueberries he had picked himself along a trail somewhere. When you have access to rhubarb and …

Mint Chocolate Pistachio Fridge Cake

The best-tasting treats are not necessarily the prettiest things I make, even if that rainbow cake was pretty delicious. No, they’re the dump-everything-into-a-bowl-and-hold-it-together-with-chocolate recipes. They’re quick to make, clean out your pantry, and give you just the right amount a sweet and crunchy. Take this Mint Chocolate Pistachio Fridge Cake. Maybe you have chili chocolate, or salted chocolate in your kitchen. That’s fine – use that instead! Or maybe pistachios aren’t your thing, but you’ve got pecans and walnuts. Perfect! And maybe you’re someone that just doesn’t like rum-soaked raisins (I can’t imagine why). Try whiskey-soaked dried cherries. This recipe …

Banana Muffins

Ever look over at your fruit bowl and realize your bananas have turned almost completely brown before you even had a chance to eat one? Looking for a quick recipe when you don’t necessarily have all of the ingredients on hand for the best banana bread ever? Good news: if you bake (from scratch) ever, you definitely have everything to make these muffins and feel like you didn’t waste food after all.