Chocolate S'mores Cookies {Insomnia Copycat}-Guest Post at JavaCupcake

I know, I'm posting on a Tuesday, it's chaos!! I'm posting today because I am actually guest posting over at JavaCupcake today and this is NOT one you're going to want to miss!

Have you ever heard of Insomnia Cookies? They're located in college towns and they deliver warm and delicious cookies pretty much all night. I do not live within delivery range of one, however I do live near a town that has one and I've been lucky enough to sample some of their delectable treats and I have a favorite...a favorite that I crave so much that I needed to recreate it at home!

And that is where this recipe comes in! My brother and I both favor Insomnia's S'mores Cookies and I am proud to say that these are almost an exact replica! They're a large, chewy, and super chocolatey cookie filled and topped with melty chocolate chunks, gooey mini marshmallows (which also toast while they bake, adding to the s'mores-iness), and crisp pieces of graham cracker. *sigh* They're delightful.

They're so good that I HAD to share-I froze some to bring to Josh when I see him at his airforce basic training graduation (I also intend to make another batch to ship to him when he's out of basic) and I gave one to our maintenance guy, and one to Michael's work friend Jessica (she may or may not have texted me saying how amazing these looked....meaning I obviously had to be nice and give her one!) And I'm sharing them with all of you PLUS the wonderful peoples over at JavaCupcake--

click here to go check out the recipe and say hi!

Cookie Dough Crème Brûlée-Guest Post at Blahnik Baker

I'M BACK I'M BACK I'M BAAAACK! Didja miss me? Did you miss the food I shared? I hope all the answers are yes, because I missed you guys! And I'm so excited to be back and-even though I am not 100% caught up-I definitely feel less behind. So yay!

And this first post back is extra special because I am guest posting for my wonderful friend Zainab over at the Blahnik Baker while she takes some time off for maternity leave to spend time taking care of her new little man, Elliott!

This recipe is a good one too, y'all! Usually I'm fairly lukewarm on creme brulee but not this one! No, this completely overwhelmed me and created an addiction that led me to be very sad that this recipe only makes 5. Because that is not nearly enough. You break through a gorgeous layer of crisp caramelized sugar, giving way to luscious vanilla custard, and then...then...there's rich and delicious chocolate chip cookie dough. It's pretty much the bestest thing ever.

And now I strongly urge you to head on over to Blahnik Baker for the full Cookie Dough Crème Brûlée recipe!

Raw Sugar Salted Caramel Sauce-Guest Post at Golden Barrel

By now we should all be aware of how enamored I am with salted caramel. So when it came time for me to have some more fun with Golden Barrel products for another blog post, I decided to use their raw sugar for an unprocessed, delicious twist on my fave caramel sauce recipe.

You might be wondering--oh, is caramel sauce hard to make? The answer is: NO! It's actually pretty quick and easy, so long as you use a deep enough pot to cook it so it doesn't spatter and burn you. And you may also be wondering--does raw sugar make the caramel sauce difficult, because of the larger sugar crystals? Answer: NOPE again! Still easy!

Really I mean...just look at that amber caramel perfection. It is so delicious. And makes your house smell fantastic. And makes you want to eat it with a spoon or maybe develop some recipes with it...? Hmmm...I suppose we'll have to wait and see :P

Now, enough jibber jabber, do you want to make this caramel sauce??

Head to the Golden Barrel blog to get the caramelicious recipe!

Orange Crinkles-Guest Post with That Skinny Chick Can Bake

I have not made anything for the blog in the last week and a half-and I feel awful about it. Buuut...wedding planning is crazy time consuming. And it's go-time on Saturday. SO I brought in one final guest poster to help me out-the amazing Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake!! You may remember Liz from when she posted for me last year when I moved. Obviously-she's an amazing friend and she bakes DELICIOUS treats! And without further ado, here's another one of those goodies!

Hi, Cooking Actress fans! I'm Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake, and I'm honored to be pinch hitting for Kayle. I have a feeling that baking cookies had to take a back burner when the countdown to the big day reached single digits. Kayle will be a Mrs. in just a few days! Since weddings are all about family and friends, I thought I'd share some cookies I made especially for my youngest sister. I have three sisters and we're all foodies, but Maddy rarely makes desserts. I did spy some grocery store orange crinkles on her counter top on one of my recent visits to Denver. Figuring they were laden with shortening and artificial flavors, I wanted to whip up some of these gems from scratch.

Though Maddy had purchased a relatively tasty store bought version, I had the urge to deliver a batch of homemade orange cookies on my next visit. I located loads of lemon crinkle recipes, but the orange variety was scarce. I just combined and tweaked a few of the former, adding orange zest and orange extract to amp up the citrus flavor. Make sure to take the extra time to massage the orange zest into the sugar to release the essential oils--a trick I learned from Dorie Greenspan. The results were terrific. I hope you'll give them a try!

Ginger-Nectarine Galette-Guest Post with The Spiffy Cookie

Hallo again my friends!! I've got another awesome guest post for you today! Erin of The Spiffy Cookie has guest posted on here before and she's one of my best blog/real life buds--she recently moved to Ohio and it's so awesome to only be 2 hours away from each other! Because then if I see her post a particularly delectable treat I know I can just hop into the car to go beg her for some...that's logical, right?

Enough rambling, over to Erin!

Why hello there Cooking Actress readers! My name is Erin and I blog over on The Spiffy Cookie, but don't let the name fool you, there's far more than cookies and desserts. Of course I say that right before diving into a dessert recipe, but I digress. I'm super excited to be here today and consider myself lucky to not only know Kayle through the blogging world, but in real life as well.

I met her for the first time while visiting NYC 2 years ago and then guest posted for Kayle when she was in the process of moving to Ohio. Little did I know at the time that I soon would join her and live just 2 hours away! We've already reunited once and have plans to visit the KitchenAid experience center here in Ohio after she's done getting hitched. Hurry up and get married already!

But enough about our shenanigans, I know that what you really want is a slice of this galette. To me, galette just means a fancy looking, yet lazy free-form pie. You don't even need a pie pan or rolling pin, just toss the fruit with the seasonings, unroll a package or refrigerated pie crust onto a baking sheet (or okay, be fancy and make one homemade), spread out the fruit, and fold over the edges of the pie crust. Viola!

The best part is that if you do decide to make your own pie crust, you don't have to worry about it being perfectly symmetrical or having smooth edges because we're going for a more rustic look anyway. And those nectarines dotted with pieces of ginger will steal the stage no matter what it looks like. But in case your galette is feeling self-conscious, I covered the edges with sliced almonds.

Thanks Kayle for having me today. I'm so happy for you and Michael to be married! You two are the absolute cutest.

Blackberry Lavender Cocktail-Guest Post with Blahnik Baker

Hi friends!! Since my life is sorta full-on wedding crazed mode I asked a few of my bloggy friends to help me out and rustle up some guest posts for you to read! And you are in for a TREAT! Zainab from Blahnik Baker has posted over here once before and you all LOVED her (I mean..how could you not-she's such a sweetie!) Not only is she busy running her own blog but she's also preggers! And yet she still said she would give me a hand-now that is friendship! Plus...she's sharing a cocktail. Yeah! I'm so happy that there's finally a cocktail on this blog! Take it away my friend <3

Hello Cooking actress readers!! I’m Zainab from Blahnik Baker and I am so excited to be here again today sharing a recipe with you. When Kayle asked us to help with the blog as she prepares for her upcoming nuptials, I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to celebrate her and Michael’s wedding. Nothing says celebration like a good ole cocktail…. a refreshing, summer berry cocktail to be exact. That’s why I am bringing her and you this Blackberry Lavender Cocktail. Let’s toast the soon-to-be newly weds :)

Wholesome and Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookies-Guest Post at Golden Barrel

I know.

Those cookies.

You can hardly even read this right now, can you? All you can think about is how to make these cookies enter your life. And do not fret-we'll get to that! First, I have to share some news with you!

I'm going to, on an occasional basis, be sharing recipes over on Golden Barrel's blog (Golden Barrel is a company, based out of Lancaster, PA, that creates baking products such as mixes, molasses, coconut oil, sugars, etc.--I talked a bit about them when I posted these delicious cookies back in January.)

These cookies are the first of those recipes!

Golden Barrel makes such an amazing variety of products that I knew I wanted to use a few of them in a recipe: so I used their raw sugar and molasses (to form a sort of extra delicious, un-refined, dark brown sugar) as well as their coconut oil (which completely replaces the butter, making these cookies dairy free and a bit healthier!) And these cookies could not have turned out better!

Even though they're made with coconut oil instead of butter-you do NOT taste the coconut at all and the texture is still so perfectly gooey and chewy and wonderful! The flavor is insane-they taste super high quality and they're the tastiest cookies I've made in a long time. Seriously...I could gush about how tasty they are for a LONG time, but why don't you just go check out the post and read about it there? And, while you're at it, get the recipe so you can make them for yourselves and see HOW GOOD they are!

Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt Bars {KIND Bars Copy Cat}-Guest Post at American Heritage Cooking

Hey friends! Do you remember Lindsey, from American Heritage Cooking?

She guest posted over here for me while I was in the midst of that whole annoying moving situation. And now SHE'S living in NYC and attending culinary school and it's all crazy exciting and I'm so happy for her but she's super busy so I'm returning the favor and posting over there today :)

Now-on to the wonderful treats that I'm sharing. They're awesome, all. They're a copy cat recipe for KIND bars (a kind of granola sort of bar)--and these are cheaper, healthier, and tastier! And they're super simple to make, I promise! They're subtly sweet and crunchy with just a touch of sea salt on top to balance the whole thing. If you love nuts and dark chocolate (and like...who doesn't?) these are the perfect healthy snack for you!

So if you want the recipe for the delicious Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt Bars, click on over to read the post on American Heritage Cooking! xoxo

Browned Butter Cookie Dough PB Cups-Guest Post at The Domestic Rebel

Hello my friends! Remember Hayley-that quirky, amazing, food genius also known as The Domestic Rebel?

Welllll-she's in NYC. WITHOUT ME. I know. I'm bummed.

Regardless, girlfriend needed some guest posts on her blog, and I was happy to oblige!

Only the tastiest will do for Hayley, and these Browned Butter Cookie Dough PB Cups fit the bill! Browned butter peanut butter cookie dough-super rich and completely addictive-is encased in our old friend, dark chocolate, and then topped with salt because...I mean...it's a good idea.

Michael and I ate these treats up in no time flat and I know you will fall in love with them too!

Head on over to The Domestic Rebel for the full post and the recipe!

No-Churn Fluffernutter Ice Cream-Guest Post with The Spiffy Cookie

I know I know, you thought I was done with the guest posts! But...life got a little overwhelming so my wonderful friend Erin (AKA The Spiffy Cookie) stepped up and volunteered to share a little something with you guys. I've guest posted on her site before so I'm so happy to introduce this super fun, former Buckeye (she still loves chocolate and peanut butter, though!), wonderful blogger/cook/baker to you again! And look! Erin brought ice cream! With pb! and marshmallow! HOORAY!

Hello again Cooking Actress readers! Erin here from The Spiffy Cookie giving Kayle a break from blogging while she plans for her upcoming wedding. Kayle is such a wonderful person and I couldn't be happier for her. She and Michael are the cutest! I was lucky enough to meet her in NYC last year but now that she has moved back to Ohio I really need to pay her another visit, especially since she lives in the same town as some of my other friends.

Today I am sharing a recipe for my new obsession, no-churn ice cream. This recipe is so easy and delicious it almost makes ice cream makers obsolete. All you need for the base is 1 pint of heavy cream and 1 can of sweetened condensed milk. The churning aspect of ice cream is substituted by whipping the heavy cream with an electric hand mixer. Fold in the sweetened condensed milk and any other flavor additions and it's ready for the freezer. But of course you already knew all of that since Kayle has shared an extensive list of easy no-churn ice cream flavors.

Normally the hardest part of making no-churn ice cream is deciding on a flavor. I did ponder whether or not a browned butter ice cream could be possible since Kayle is the browned butter queen but thankfully Kayle is as much of a peanut butter lover as I am which made the decision much easier. After discovering the magical results of adding marshmallow creme to no-churn ice cream I went with fluffernutter ice cream, complete with marshmallow bits and a magic peanut butter shell.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Popcorn-Guest Post with A Zesty Bite

(Side note: Today is mine and Michael's 5 year anniversary!! Yay! <3 <3 <3)

This is it! The final "ahh I'm moving and planning a wedding and need help" guest post! I am so grateful to all the wonderful ladies I had helping me out and am already so behind on making, photographing, and wirint for the blog...so I can only imagine the mess I would be in if it weren't for these posts! Today's post is courtesy of the adorable, talented, wonderful Meagan of A Zesty Bite! I actually guest posted for Meagan a while back, so I was so excited when she said she'd return the favor! Meagan is so incredibly sweet and has the most adorable little toddler (*sob* she's not a babyyyy anymoooore!) She is also probably the only person who ever made me consider moving to Texas (no offense to TX, it seems cool and all!) And her photography skills are amazing, her site is adorbs, and her recipes are all mouthwatering.

Like this one, for instance...

Hi, Cooking Actress readers!  When Kayle contacted me to help out since she would be busy moving and planning a wedding I was absolutely thrilled to help out my friend.  We have never met but I feel like Kayle is a close friend of mine and I would LOVE if she would move to Texas.  For those of you who don't know me my name is Meagan and I'm over at A Zesty Bite.  I'm a stay at home mom to a busy little toddler girl who is 19 months old.  My website consists of easy and delicious meals that anyone can make whether you cook a lot or have never cooked before.  My recipes range from healthy to complete and satisfying comfort food.
I also like to cover travel and lifestyle posts about our busy little family.

Popcorn is my all time favorite snack!  It's quick to make, healthy to eat and just fun to add different flavors to it.  Now you can't go wrong with lightly salted popcorn but this recipe with cinnamon toast crunch will have you craving more.
Totally…..
Now I have to admit that I like plain non-frosted, non-sugary cereal but for this recipe I needed the extra sugar and there was no glass of milk included.  My little one LOVES popcorn just as much as me and I couldn't wait to share this fun afternoon "special" treat with her.

If you have left over popcorn just store it in an air-tight container.

ENJOY ~ Meagan

Milk Bar Inspired Cereal Milk Cupcakes-Guest Post with The Brunette Baker

Jenny. Oh Jenny Jenny Jenny. Jenny is The Brunette Baker. Guys....her blog name alone....I already have a bunch in common with her-we're brunettes and we bake! Instant friendship! Ha jk but no really-I think I discovered her via instagram and she was so sweet and so funny and just crazy nice and supportive to me on there that it was like...impossible not to wanna be her best friend. This girl is seriously gorgeous and smart and BAKES SO MANY DELICIOUS THINGS IT'S LIKE OMGEEE GET IN MY BELLY! Like...I can't...I can't even make you wait any longer for this recipe. You guys are gonna love it:

Hey kids! I'm Jenny over at The Brunette Baker and I'm super chuffed for the opportunity to have a small walk on role here at The Cooking Actress.

It should come as no surprise to her readers, or anyone that is blessed to know her, that Kayle is truly something special. I’ve had the utmost pleasure of meeting her through the love of blogging. Although I haven't met her in person (YET), she's the sort of person you don't need to meet in the flesh to know what an amazing girl she is. She's a talented and smart girl with incredible beauty - inside and out. In fact, her heart is bigger than all the Hollywood egos put together. Needless to say, this girl is going places.

I will not be surprised to see her on the red carpet in the near future, wearing a gorgeous vintage Valentino gown donning a jewel-encrusted Balenciaga clutch as the dashing Michael, wearing Armani, escorts her while 10,000 camera flashes go wild. I’ll, of course, be in my living room, wearing my cupcake flannel pajamas and holding a bucket of fried chicken, jumping up and down, screaming, ‘OH MY GARSH! I KNOW HER! I knew her when she made those Browned Butter Brownies and Michael chugged a can of Spaghettio’s!” Then I’ll probably choke on a chicken bo-. Sorry. Tangent.

Anyway. Miss Kayle moved from The Big Apple back to Ohio. I know how tough it is moving in the same town, let alone a couple States away. I was only happy to oblige when she reached out to her blogger friends to help her while she readjusts to her surroundings.

New York City has always appealed to me. When I was 18 before heading off to university, a group of girls and I would hop the 6am bus to Port Authority almost every Saturday and explore all the amazing things the city had to offer. I was only a budding foodie back then, so I didn't have the appreciation I did once I hit my 20s and all ten of my 29th birthdays.

It's been a few years since I've been back to the city, but my memory does not fail me. Eileen's on Cleveland has some proper cheesecake, Serendipity's frozen hot chocolate is moan-worthy, Veniero's on East 11th has the bestest cannoli, and of course, there's William Greenberg's for Black & White Cookies.

Of course, there have been several desserteries (totally a word, yes?) that have popped up since my last visit and have been calling me to visit. Bouchon Bakery (I would secretly like one of everything in that bakery to follow me home), Wafels And Dinges (OMG. Hello?!) And Momofuku's Milk Bar.

I have had the pleasure of hitting Milk Bar’s Toronto location quite a few times (and I'm proud to say I'm officially the first Canadian customer to try their cereal milk soft serve – sorry, I’m milking that bragging right. Pun totally intended) and I can honestly say it's one of the most unique desserteries (Oop. There's that word again) out there. I can’t say there is one thing I tried that I didn’t like. In fact, I wanted to #EATALLTHECOOKIES.

So, to celebrate the NYC-TORONTO-OHIO-BLOGGER-FRIENDS connection (I’m sorry. I have no idea why I was screaming just then), I made some Milk Bar Inspired Cereal Milk Cupcakes. Instead of using the traditional cornflakes Milk Bar uses, I used one of my favourite cereals, Capt'n Crunch. Because, why not?

Keep reaching for the stars, Kayle, and feeding my eyes with your gorgeous creations.

I big, red, puffy heart you.

Xo

Gooey Texas Sheetcake-Guest Post with The Domestic Rebel

What can I say about today's guest post-er, Hayley, The Domestic Rebel? She's already guest post-ed over here once before. Anyone with a brain would fall head over heels for her evil genius treats and her sassy, hilarious, writing style (and, speaking from experience, legitimate voice). Our friendship was cemented when she spent a few days with me in NYC-staying at my apartment, eating some of the tastiest foods NY has to offer, and pretty much just being my bestie (She's visiting this September and I won't be there and it is BREAKING. MY. HEART!). Hayley always makes me smile-she is so smart and insanely fun and talented and just HAYLEY. Just look at her colorful hair and glasses and clothes and tattoos (she has so many foods tattoo'd on her I get a little bit hungry when I see her legs...BECAUSE SHE HAS ICE CREAM AND CUPCAKES AND MACARONS AND PIE ON THEM!) Anyway, I could go on forever. I adore her. You should too!

Hey there, Cooking Actress peeps! My name's Hayley and I blog over at The Domestic Rebel. I'm so excited that Kayle asked me to blog for her today! After meeting her last year, I fell in love with her beautiful face, sweet personality, serious cooking chops, aaaaaand her Texas-sized love for all things chocolate. You see, last year I visited Kayle in New York City and stayed with her for a few days while I nursed a fresh breakup. I figured being in a foreign city thousands of miles away from my homeland (aka, California) with a good girlfriend was exactly what the doctor ordered for my broken heart. And you know what the best cure for heartbreak is? Food. It's not exercise (too lame), but rather the exercise it takes to get to the nearest bakery. Or exercise walking to the subway to head to Wafels & Dinges, this AMAZING Belgian waffle stand I practically dragged Kayle to every day I was there. It's falling in love -- with butter, sugar, and delicious, scrumdiddiliumptious FOOD and forgetting about that loser who broke your heart or whatever. Anywho, Kayle showed me some of NYC's hottest bakeries and her local favorites and I quickly realized this girl -- while pint-sized -- had a HUGE appetite for all things chocolate. At Levain Bakery, she insisted we get piping hot chocolate chip cookies, oooooozing with thick chunks of chocolate. At Max Brenner's, she forced me to try their signature hot cocoa which was easily thebestthingeveromg. And at all of our Wafels & Dinges stops, she slathered her liege with Nutella and powdered sugar. Coincidence? I think not. This chickadee loves her cocoa.
So to commemorate all of those amazing, scrumptious memories I had with Kayle in NYC, I made an ooey, gooey Texas Sheetcake that's sure to get her milk-chocolate-coated heart melting. It's king-sized in both size AND flavor, making it an awesome option for potlucks or family gatherings (she is having a wedding coming up after all -- do I spy the wedding cake?!). And it's easy to make, too -- no muss, no fuss. Just giant slabs of gooey, rich chocolate cake with the most amazing ganache-like frosting. Topped with sprinkles, it's a chocoholics dream come true. This one's for you, Kayle!

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes-Guest Post with The Messy Baker

Thank you all so much, again, for hanging in for all the guest posts! I promise by July we'll be back to 100% me all the time-seriously though, I feel like I may be a disappointment after all the awesome bloggers I've had swooping in to help me out. Like today's!

Jennie is back! One of my best bloggy buds-Jennie (AKA The Messy Baker)'s photography skills are amazinggg, her food is delicious, and she's also genuinely a gal that I would be-and am-friends with! My current obsession is trying to convince her and her hubby (affectionately referred to on her blog as "Squirrel") to move to the Cleveland area. (JENNIEMOVETOCLEVELAND). I'm super subtle about it, though.

I should just let Jennie show you the depths of her perfection:

Hello again, Cooking Actress fans!

I’m here to fill in while Kayle settles into her new home in Ohio and adjusts to life in the country. Well, it’s the country in comparison to New York.

My name is Jennie. I’m gal who makes a mess over at The Messy Baker. This isn’t my first rodeo at The Cooking Actress. I wrote a guest post back in October for Kayle while she was celebrating a relative’s wedding. Being the cookie queen that Kayle is, I made a batch of Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies.

I decided to go a different route this time and make a breakfast item. How does Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes sound?

Like breakfast to your ears, right?

I don’t know about you, but I can manhandle a stack of pancakes with no problem. I don’t make them very often because Squirrel poo-poos them (the weirdo), so when I get my hands on a plate of hotcakes, you bet I’m going to go a bit overboard.

I like my pancakes crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The secret to crisp edges is adding a little canola oil to the bottom of a non-stick pan. Once the canola oil is hot, you’ll ladle in a scoop of pancake batter. I cook my pancakes until I see bubbles form, then I give ‘em a flip and cook the other side for 30 seconds to a minute.

We can’t have a stack of pancakes without syrup, am I right? I prefer all-natural maple syrup. Call me a syrup snob, but there’s no way maple-flavored corn syrup is even going to look in my stack o’ cake’s direction. 

Today I decided to raise the bar and make homemade blackberry maple syrup to drown our pancakes in. Lemon and blackberries just make sense.

The blackberry maple syrup comes together in under 10 minutes. Add 7 ounces of fresh blackberries to a saucepan. Add ½ cup of pure maple syrup, ¼ cup water, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. Mash the berries using a fork or potato masher, and then bring the mixture to a gentle boil, allowing the cornstarch to thicken the mixture. Once the mixture thickens, take it off the heat and allow the mixture to come to room temperature. Strain the syrup through a mesh sieve and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds before drizzling over your hotcakes.

Viola, homemade berry-infused syrup.

The pancakes are perfectly crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The combination of lemon and poppy seeds is a classic combination that’s sure to impress. Drizzled with homemade blackberry maple syrup, and these hotcakes are irresistible.

Matcha Genoise Cake-Guest Post with Blahnik Baker

YAY! ZAINAB IS HERE! Guys, Zainab is the beautiful, talented, sweetie pie behind the blog Blahnik Baker. And I ADORE her. We became very fast friends-like....one day she started commenting on here, so I started commenting there, then next thing I know-BAM-she sends me the COOKIE DOUGH LOVER'S COOKBOOK! guyyyyysssss.....friends.for.liiiiife right there. And she has just continued to be an extremely supportive and wonderful friend. And I hope to meet her someday soon (I was thisclose to meeting her a couple weeks ago but I had to go to Michael's cousin's bridal shower! *sob*) And her blog? Amazingness. She takes beautiful pictures and makes crazy delicious foods. And like....really fantastic things that I'd be afraid to try (because I worry I'd fail miserably.) She's pretty much fab. So yeah. Read on!

Light and fluffy matcha genoise cake is filled with a whipped white chocolate filling and topped with a matcha white chocolate ganache.

Hello there The Cooking Actress readers!! I'm Zainab from Blahnik Baker and I am so so excited to be here today. I'm a HUGE fan of Kayle and read her blog religiously as all of you do I'm sure. The lady just creates one bombshell recipe after another and I can't stay away. I'm pretty sure her cookies have crack in them because I can never say no to trying one of her recipes. I mean come on? Nutella stuffed brown butter chocolate chip cookies? Heaven!! Brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies? Well that's just pure bliss. As you can tell she got me hooked on brown butter and I'm eternally grateful for that.
 
Anyway, enough drooling over the recipe index, which I’m pretty sure, you are well acquainted with. When Kayle asked her blogging friends to help her while she gets settled at home in Ohio, I was instantly excited she invited me to hang out on her fabulous blog but I also panicked as I started thinking what should I share? I was intimidated at first but then I did what I love doing the most and baked a cake! Who doesn't love a slice of cake, right?

This matcha cake is not an ordinary cake though. It's a genoise cake, which is the softest and fluffiest form of cake you can possibly have. And surprisingly, it's also very easy to make. I infused the cake with one of my favorite things- tea. Green tea to be particular. If you have not had matcha before, it's a great green tea and the flavor is wonderful for baking. It's deep bold flavor is enriched in this cake and is a perfect combo for white chocolate.

 I hope you guys enjoyed this recipe. Thank you very much for having me today! I had a great time taking over for Kayle for a day :)

Goat Cheese and Chive Biscuits-Guest Post with Eat Your Heart Out

Yay! STEPHIE'S BACK! STEPHIE'S BAAACK!

You may remember Stephie, from Eat Your Heart Out, has guest posted on here before, and I have also posted on her site. So-of couuurse-my girl had my back to help out during this busy busy time! Stephie is the freaking bestest everyone, you should already know this, but I'm saying it again. She's brilliant and talented and fun and her mom is like the cutest food blog momma ever (hi Mrs. Swope!) and when I finally visit Chicago, I sort of just assume I'll stay with her. I should probably ask first, though, huh?

...Hey Stephie!....is it cool if I stay with you??

...and eat all your food?

Hellooooo, friends! So glad to be chatting with you again here on Kayle’s corner of the internet. It’s always a pleasure to help out a friend and share a delicious recipe.

Let’s talk about this recipe, shall we? These biscuits. Hooooo-boy. Let’s not talk about how I inhaled 3 of them straight from the oven, ok? That would just be embarrassing.

I have an obsession with goat cheese lately. It’s getting pretty serious. These days, any time Boyfriend comes home and wonders what new thing I’m up to in the kitchen, there is probably goat cheese involved. I am currently beyond thrilled any time I have a chance to combine it with strawberries – take a gander at this Strawberry and Goat Cheese Flatbread or my Strawberry and Goat Cheese Freekeh Salad, for example – but there is something about combining that tangy goat cheese with chives that also makes my soul sing.

It only seemed right to but the two into a biscuit. I mean…it didn’t seem kind to deprive the world of such a treat.

I did two things to make these biscuits even more spectacular. First, I used a whole wheat pastry flour to make them. This means that they are extra nutty and extra good for you. Go ahead and eat 4.

(Don’t take my nutrition advice. Ever. But the whole wheat flour is better for you than all-purpose, that is a true thing.)

Second, I made them into drop biscuits. No kneading, rolling, cutting, or making a generally large mess. Mix, drop, bake. They are super easy, stay nice and tender, and are generally pretty quick to pull together. Make these for a brunch or to go alongside your favorite soup – or just because you need a biscuit. You can’t go wrong.

Key Lime Pie Bars-Guest Post with That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Hihihiiiii again, my lovely friends! Mmmmmm guess what? That's right-another guest post!! I really am SO grateful to all the ladies who have been helping me out-all these posts are making it so much easier for me to transition to my new home, driving, new work, wedding planning, etc.! Today's post is from the lovely Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake! Guys-CAN.SHE.BAKE! OMGEEEE! I wish she was my mom sometimes-partly for the thin genes (her blog name is not lying) and partly so she can make me all the goodies she feeds her actual kids! (sorry mom-I love you. I do. I just also love Liz.) There aren't enough words for the awesomeness, so really, all you have to do is gaze at the beautiful pictures and dream of the food. Then make it. Yes.

  

I am delighted to be guest posting for my adorable friend, Kayle today. She is a constant source of inspiration for me with her dreamy sweets and treats. We both obviously have that sweet tooth that needs continual feeding. While Kayle is busy unpacking, settling in her new locale and new house, AND wedding planning, I saved a yummy dessert to share with all you Cooking Actress fans. My hubby loves his lemon desserts, but gives lime the cold shoulder. Can you believe that??? I adore Key lime pie…with its tart and creamy filling in a sweet graham cracker crust. But I cannot make a whole pie for myself, can I? Nope, I'd never get my pants zipped if I did! I hosted book club last month and made these delectable Key Lime Pie Bars for my friends. Citrusy squares topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a slice of lime. SO darned tasty!!! Thank goodness I had guests to help me eat them. Key lime bars are such a cinch to make. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted buter and pat onto the bottom of a baking dish and pop in the oven till lightly browned. Mix egg yolks, lime zest, lime juice and sweetened condensed milk, pour over the crust and bake again till the filling is set. See? Easy as can be! I hope you'll give these babies a try.  

   

Kayle, I hope you're getting settled and adjusted to your new home. I'm certain all your mixing bowls and measuring spoons have been unpacked and the baking will commence very soon. Thanks so much for welcoming me to your blog today. For those fans of The Cooking Actress who haven't visited my blog before, here are all my social media sites. Thanks so much! (Kayle here: GO FOLLOW LIZ! YOU'LL LOVE HER, I mean...you obviously already do. So go on and follow awayyyy!):

Blog: http://www.thatskinnychickcanbake.com/

G+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/116213594518847001708/posts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThatSkinnyChick

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThatSkinnyChickCanBake

Instagram: http://instagram.com/thatskinnychickcanbake..

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lizzydo/

Strawberry Cobbler-Guest Post with Cravings of a Lunatic

I don't know about you but I am loving having so many of my bloggy friends here, sharing their amazing personalities and delicious treats, and helping me out! Today is no different. Kim from Cravings of a Lunatic (and Kiss my Smoke) is superwoman. She is a wife, mother, AND she has 2 blogs! TWO! And she is seriously one of the smartest, bravest, sassiest, sweetest, and most talented ladies I have ever encountered. I cannot wait to someday meet her in person and then beg her to make me something delicious. Like this baked fudge with peanut butter cups. Or steak. Or this strawberry cobbler she's sharing with all of us today!

Hello to Kayle's fine readers. I'm so thrilled to be here guest posting for her today. When she emailed me I jumped at the chance to help her out while she's super busy moving. That's what friends are for in life.

I adore Kayle, the lady is super sweet. She's incredibly thoughtful and so kind. I'm really happy to be able to call her my friend. Meeting her has been a huge perk of my job.

I was going to make a turtle recipe since that tends to be what my blog is known for. Then I saw some gorgeous strawberries and knew I had to make something with them instead. One thing led to another and cobbler was on the menu.

Cobbler is one of the first things I learned to make back in the day. My favourite is peach, but I love all kinds. There's just something so rustic and homey about cobbler. It makes me think of summer. And let's face it, summer can't come quick enough. It's freaking cold here in Canada. I could use some warmth.

Meanwhile as you're reading this I'll just be leaving Miami. I am attending a conference there for food blogging. Looking forward to a little fun in the sun with my bloggy peeps. Just wish Kayle was coming with us. She's busy doing her thing, moving and starting fresh. I am so happy for her, and proud of her.

You can totally change this up and use other fruits. If you find there's too much liquid it's easy to drain off. Or if you know it's a fruit that will soften up a ton add more cornstarch or even flour.

This is awesome hot out of the oven with ice cream on top. I'm all about excess. Cobbler is amazing. Cobbler with ice cream and whipped cream on top is freaking out of this world. You won't be able to stop eating it. I've been known to nosh an entire cobbler in one day. I wouldn't recommend it though, you'll get cobbler tummy. And that's never a good thing. I never learn and end up with cobbler tummy aches. It's so worth it though.

Thanks to Kayle for having me today. If you have some free time buzz by my blog, Cravings of a Lunatic to check out more of my recipes. Or you can visit my grill site, Kiss My Smoke for some summer grilling inspiration. I rock the grill year round, but I know most folks are summer grill fans. Be sure to swing by and check it out.

Toodles and smoochies! xx