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Cake Mix Peanut Butter Blossoms

By Kendra

Easy Peanut Butter Blossoms

Everyone loves chocolate and peanut butter together! So here is another deliciously easy cookie recipe using a box of yellow cake mix. The cake mix is used for the cookie dough base, so you don’t have to make them from scratch!

What I love about this recipe is that it’s quick and easy, and there is hardly no measuring which means anyone can make them. Best of all these cookies will be ready to eat in 20 minutes.

***This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, when you make a purchase. Please, see my affiliate disclaimer for more details.***

Peanut Butter Blossoms are a holiday cookie staple. I can remember having these along with Sugar Cookies every year at Christmastime. Why not whip up a batch and give them as a gift?

If you prefer to make these from scratch instead you can use this Classic Peanut Butter Cookie recipe instead.

Easy Peanut Butter Blossoms Recipe

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 box Yellow Cake Mix
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/4 cup softened Butter
  • 1/2 cup granulated Sugar
  • 1 cup creamy Peanut butter
  • 1 bag of Hershey kisses

 

Directions:

  • Add 1 box yellow cake mix to a large mixing bowl.
  • Add eggs, peanut butter and the softened butter.
  • Beat the ingredients together until completely mixed.
  • Scoop and shape the cookie dough into 1 inch balls.
  • Roll each dough ball into the granulated sugar.
  • Place the dough balls onto a an ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until slightly golden.
  • Remove from the oven and immediately insert Hershey’s Kiss into the center.
  • Let them cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then place on a cooling rack to finish.
  • Enjoy!

 

This recipe yields about 30 cookies. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for about one week to remain fresh. You can also freeze cookies for up to 3 months and they will taste delicious once thawed.

I love to play around in the kitchen with boxed cake mix recipes. I’m not a professional baker, but every recipe in this blog is something that I have learned to perfect over the years so they will always taste amazing!

I hope you enjoy this recipe, thanks for stopping by! Peanut butter lovers also see: Classic Peanut Butter Cookies & Peanut Butter Brownies.

 

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Savory Cabbage Soup With Rosemary & Red Potatoes

By Kendra on

 This savory vegetable soup recipe is perfect for chilly fall nights and so delicious.

Fall is just a few short days away here in New England and we are starting to get those cold nights in September. Last night I was craving vegetable soup so I whipped up a big pot for dinner. It’s so yummy and it will make your house smell amazing, so I thought I would share this recipe.

Nothing beats a pot of fresh homemade soup served with warm bread or croutons. It warms you up and it’s a good way to get those veggies in. This soup is easy to make and very filling. The fresh rosemary adds lovely flavor to the red potatoes.

***This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, when you make a purchase. Please, see my affiliate disclaimer for more details.***

Savory Cabbage Soup

Ingredients:

  • One Head Of Cabbage chopped
  • 2 Cups cut Red Potatoes
  • 1 Cup Baby Carrots
  • 1 cup of Corn
  • 1/2 Small Red or Purple Onion
  • 2 Garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup Celery chopped
  • 1/2 sprig of Fresh Rosemary
  • 1/4 cup of Red Pepper sliced
  • 4 cups Vegetable Broth
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Sea Salt to taste (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons Italian Herbs

 

Cooking Directions:

  • In a large pot add olive oil, chopped onions, celery, garlic cloves and sauté on medium heat.
  • Next add carrots, corn, red pepper, cabbage and potatoes then stir.
  • Next add 4 cups of vegetable broth, Italian herbs, salt and a sprig of fresh rosemary.
  • Simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes to an hour stirring occasionally until potatoes are done.
  • This recipe serves 4.
  • Enjoy!

I hope you love this recipe! Thanks for stopping by.

 

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Easy Cinnamon Apple Crisp

By Kendra

This easy apple crisp or apple crumble recipe (depending on what part of the country you live in) Is perfect for chilly fall mornings! It can be made sweet or tart depending on the type of apples used.

It’s near the end of a long hot summer here in New England, but I am yearning for an early fall. Lately I have been craving one of my favorite fall dishes: Apple Crisp!

I love the beach, but there is nothing like fall in Connecticut! We get the best of both worlds with endless views of beautiful fall foliage along the coastline.

One of my favorite breakfast recipes is apple crisp! The smell of warm apples and cinnamon baking in the morning while I have my morning coffee is heavenly. Fresh sliced apples are topped with a buttery cinnamon oat crumble topping that slightly crisps while baking.

 

***This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, when you make a purchase. Please, see my affiliate disclaimer for more details.***

Easy Cinnamon Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

  • 6 Golden Delicious Apples (peeled and sliced)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour

Topping:

  • 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 stick salted butter cut in small pieces
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup Bisquick or all purpose baking flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

 *Use any apple variety that you like, just remember to adjust the sugar depending on the sweetness or tart of the apples. I like to use Bisquick because it gives the crumbled topping a richer flavor. You can make many variations by adding your favorite berries, raisins, or chopped nuts into the topping.

Directions:

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  • In a large bowl add apples, then pour lemon juice over and mix
  • Add butter, cinnamon, vanilla, sugar, nutmeg and flour, then mix
  • Place sliced apple mixture into a 8×8 inch baking dish and set aside
  • In a smaller bowl add butter, oats, cinnamon, brown sugar, baking soda and Bisquick or flour
  • Mix together with a fork until all ingredients are combined or appears crumbled
  • Spread topping all over apples
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees

 

*This recipe serves 6 people and takes less than 1 hour to prepare. Apple crisp is best served warm and fresh out of the oven. Top with your favorite vanilla ice-cream for a delicious fall dessert.

For another great fall recipe see: Buttery Soft Halloween Sugar Cookies

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Buttery Soft Halloween Sugar Cookies

By Kendra

Have a spooky sweet Halloween with these fun and festive sugar cookies! They are my all time favorite holiday recipe for buttery soft and delicious cut out cookies.

I love to bake Sugar Cookies! The possibilities are endless especially for spooky season. These cookies are sure to be a hit at any Halloween party. This recipe yields about 4 dozen cookies.

Halloween Sugar Cookies

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links; should you choose to make a purchase using said link, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Ingredients:

  • 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 cup softened butter (not melted)
  • 1 1/2 cups of granulated white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions: 

  • Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add in the vanilla. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients until fully absorbed. Cover dough, and chill for 2 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. On a clean floured surface, roll out small portions of chilled dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters. You can find all kinds of cute and funny Halloween cookie cutters here.

Time To Bake!

  • Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are barely brown. Allow cookies to cool for on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes. Then move from cookie sheets onto wire racks to finish cooling. Once cooled decorate using your favorite royal icing colors and flavors. You can also use buttercream frosting for an fun and easy decorating idea for children.

These cookies will keep their shape nicely and remain soft and chewy long after being cooled. They will be a big hit at parties! They remain fresh for 2-3 weeks if kept in an airtight container.

Bake ahead and store in the freezer. They will remain fresh for 3-6 months as long as they are wrapped tightly in plastic and kept in an airtight container. I honestly don’t know who would wait that long to eat them.  Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy making this recipe, if so share it and also see my classic recipe for Easy Royal Icing!

Also see: 2022 Holiday Gift Guide

 

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Easy July 4th Flag Cake

By Kendra

Make your 4th of July celebration a hit with this easy, beautiful and delicious flag cake! There are 2 different variations, one for strawberry lovers or raspberry lovers. This cakes tastes home made and is best made with fresh ingredients!

What makes this cake easy is that it’s made from a box mix. What makes it taste home made is the altered ingredients. I never use water in any of my box cake recipes because water does not add any flavor. I also like to add butter to the recipe because butter just tastes better.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links; should you choose to make a purchase using said link, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 boxes Pillsbury Moist Yellow cake mix
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 cups of milk
  • 1/2 cup olive oil, canola, or corn oil
  • 2 sticks melted butter
  • 1 pint or 1 cup of fresh blueberries
  • 2 pints or 2 cups of fresh strawberries
  • 2 pints or 2 cups of fresh raspberries
  • 2 packages of cool whip
  • 1 can of whip cream

Directions:

  1. Prepare a large nonstick 13×9 baking dish or sheet pan by lightly coating bottom of pan with butter.
  2. Add  flour to dust the pan then place into the freezer.
  3. In a large bowl add cake mix, eggs, butter, milk, and oil.
  4. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Remove baking dish from freezer, then fill with mix.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 29 to 33 min.
  7. Insert toothpick in the center of the cake to check and see if it comes out clean, your cake is done.
  8. Cool 10-15 minutes before removing cakes from the pan or leave in pan to decorate.
  9. Once cooled, add cool whip topping and decorate with fresh blueberries, strawberries or raspberries in the shape of the American flag.
  10. Pipe cool whip or whip cream in the can on top of blueberries and in between the lines of the strawberries or raspberries.
  11. Keep cake refrigerated until served. Serves 15-20, enjoy!

Invited to a 4th of July barbecue? Bring this delicious home made tasting cake with you! I have been making this cake for years and it’s always a hit! Also see my recipe for Coconut Malibu Rum Cake. Happy Fourth!

 

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Easy Air Fryer Steak & Potatoes

By Kendra
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Have you ever tried cooking steak and potatoes in the air fryer? Air fried steak will be your new favorite way to cook steak! This recipe gives you that crispy crust seared outside and a tender juicy inside, best of all they’re easy to make! Now steak can be the main dish any night of the week. I admit when I first bought my air fryer, it stayed in the box unopened because I was afraid to use it! lol now I’m almost a pro.

This post contains affiliate links, see my full disclosure here.

Ingredients:

  • 2 10-oz steaks ribeye, steaks
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 Kosher salt
  • 1 Pepper, fresh ground
  • Italian seasoning optional
  • Steak seasoning optional

Air fryer baked potatoes have a crispy skin and fluffy middle.

  • 2-4 Russet potatoes
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp Sea salt, coarse

Instructions for Potatoes:

  1. Start with 2-4 clean and dry potatoes russet potatoes.
  2. Rub with olive oil for crispy skin, then sprinkle with sea salt.
  3. Place in the air fryer and cook the potatoes at 400°F for 15 minutes, then flip and cook for and additional 15 minutes totaling 30 minutes.
  4. Slice in the center, and add seasonings of your choice.

 

Instructions for Steak:

  1. Remove steaks from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking.
  2. Pat steaks dry again, rub with a bit of olive oil, then season the steak on both sides with a generous pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper.
  3. Arrange the steaks in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
  4. Cook at 400°F for a total time of 15 minutes, flip the steaks once halfway through or about 7 min after.
  5. Add a small pat of butter to each steak, then rest 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

If you don’t have an air fryer or have never used one I recommend buying the Dash Tasty-Crisp Air Fryer below. It’s small, compact and won’t take up too much space on your kitchen counters. Plus it’s great for one or 2 people and comes in several colors!

 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe, this will now be your favorite go to meal! enjoy!

 

 

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The Best Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

By Kendra

Classic Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

***This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, when you make a purchase. Please, see my affiliate disclaimer for more details.***

Warning: You won’t be able to stop eating these classic peanut butter cookies. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes! They are easy to make and only take about 10-12 minutes to bake. This recipe yields about 4 dozen and the prep time is only 15 minutes. You will need to chill the dough for about 1 hour. Total prep time is 1 hour and 25 minutes. The cookies will be soft and chewy once cooled but are most delicious when served warm with a glass of milk. Servings: 24

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  • Cream butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar and white sugar together in a bowl, then beat in eggs.
  • In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt then stir into butter mixture.
  • Place dough in refrigerator for 1 hour.
  • Roll dough into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until cookies begin to brown.
  • Serve while still slightly warm, Enjoy!

Love chocolate and peanut butter? Add another level of flavor by dipping half of this cookie in melted chocolate!

I hope you love this recipe, if you are a peanut butter lover like me, see my recipe for Peanut Butter Brownies! Don’t forget to Pin this recipe!

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Hello Bunny Easter Cupcakes

By Kendra

“Hello Bunny” Easter Cupcakes

These delicious homemade vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting are perfect for an Easter celebration. They are best served the same day of baking, but will remain moist for up to 48 hours when covered in a sealed container. This recipe can be made with all-purpose flour instead of cake flour, but the texture will be coarser and cupcakes will be as tender. I highly recommend using cake flour. This recipe yields 15 cupcakes, prep time is 1 hour, and bake time is 18-20 minutes.

This post contains affiliate links, see my full disclosure here.

The bunnies are made of marshmallow fondant, but if you don’t want to make homemade fondant you can cheat by using peeps! (I recommend making the fondant a day ahead.) See this handy YouTube video below I found for the easiest fondant recipe.

You Will Need

The highlighted items are linked, you can click on the links to find the items on Amazon to make Marshmallow Fondant for 15 Bunnies

Easy Marshmallow Fondant

 

Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups cake flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ½ cup milk room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cupcake pan with liners, set aside.
  • In a bowl, sift or whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, add butter and sugar. Beat until creamed and fluffy.
  • Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated and smooth.
  • Add half of your dry ingredients to butter mixture. Stir until just combined. Add half of milk, again stirring until just combined. Repeat once more, adding remaining dry ingredients, and remaining milk, stirring until just incorporated.
  • Portion batter between 15 cupcake liners, filling about halfway full.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Remove pan from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling

  • Next, prepare the buttercream frosting while cupcakes are cooling.

Easy Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  • In a large bowl, add room temperature butter and beat until creamy, about 1 minute.
  • Add confectioner’s sugar and slowly mix until ingredients are fully combined. Then, whip at high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
  • Add vanilla extract and heavy cream, then whip until fluffy, another 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Separate frosting into several bowls and add food coloring, then add to piping bags.
  • Pipe buttercream frosting with a onto cupcakes, then pipe a small circle of chocolate frosting in the center.
  • Place 3 small jelly beans into chocolate frosting.

Fondant Bunnies:

  • Roll out chilled fondant and cut shapes using mini cookie cutters.
  • Draw faces on and let dry.
  • Shape bunny hands by adding a tiny bit more fondant.
  • Place jellybean into bunnies hands, then place into the center of the frosting.
  • This will hold the bunny and jellybeans into place.
  • Place cupcakes on you favorite platter and surround with plastic Easter eggs or real decorated Easter eggs.
  • Enjoy!

 

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25 Beachy Sugar Cookie Ideas

By Kendra

Ready for summer and missing the beach? Get inspired with these 25 “beachy” sugar cookie ideas! They are perfect for any nautical themed party, kid’s birthday party, pool party, or beach wedding. Sugar cookies are my favorite! What I love is that they are not only delicious, but they can also be cut & decorated into any shape.

This post contains affiliate links, see my full disclosure here.

The secret is to start with a great recipe. See my blog post Buttery Soft Sugar Cookies with Easy Royal Icing to get started! Not a fan of baking but you still love sugar cookies? You can purchase, find baking inspiration, tutorials, and fun creative ideas from these talented cookie bakers by clicking on the links to their sites below!

25 Beachy Sugar Cookie Ideas

Nautical Celebration

1. My first favorite nautical design is from sugardotcookies.com. You can order these custom made sugar cookies right from their website.

2. Love these beautifully decorated nautical cookies with floral accents from cookieconnection.com.

 

3. I Love the aqua colors in these beautiful seaside custom cookies from lesbiscuitsjosie.com.

 

4. These sugar cookies with lobster & anchor designs from getcreativejuice.com are great for a nautical themed birthday or seafood bake party!

 

5 These nautical anchor sugar cookies from angelicamademe.com are almost to pretty to eat.

 

Summer Beach Party

6. Celebrate Fourth of July with these navy starfish & seashell cookies from sunnydaysweets.com.

 

7. Aqua and purple are a great color combination for these starfish & flip flop beach themed cookies from sunnydaysweets.com

 

8. You can find these cute and cool sunglass cookie cutters on Etsy!

 

9. This baking kit perfect for a Teen’s beach themed birthday party from globalbelly.com.

 

10. Who’s ready for a summer party? These awesome cookies can be found on whoosbakery.com.

 

Summer Pool Party

11. Make a splash at your pool party with these amazing cookies from cookieconnection.juliausher.com

 

12. Love the beach balls and flip flops in this cookie batch from cloughd9cookies.com 

 

13. These cookies  are perfect for a surfer themed pool party from giveacrafteracookie.blogspot.com

 

14. Relax poolside with these hurricane glass & flamingo cookie cutters found on Etsy, perfect for a tropical themed pool party!

15. Have the best pool party with the cutest cookie treats from jennycookies.com.

 

Beach Wedding Ideas

16. Say ” I do” with these pretty sandy starfish and seashells cookies from cookielicious.co.nz are perfect for a beach wedding.

 

17. Say ” I Love You” with heart shaped cookies from ibakeyoubake.com  perfect for a seaside wedding or bridal shower.

 

18. Starfish and lighthouse cookies are perfect for a nautical bridal shower from weddingomania.com

 

19. Love these delicate pastel coastal cookie designs, perfect for a beach wedding from Nancy Heggemeier on Pinterest.

Image credit Nancy Heggemeier

 

20. These gorgeous cookies are perfect for and ocean themed wedding found on thebearfootbaker.com.

Coastal Kids Birthday Party

21. These pretty sea life cookies from theicedsugarcookie.com are perfect for little girls birthday party.

 

22. This Summer Beach Sandcastle Cookie Cutter Set from Etsy is perfect for a kids birthday party at the beach!

 

23. Check out this Under the Sea cookie decorating tutorial from summerssweetshoppe.com perfect for babies 1st birthday party.

 

24. No time to bake? Order these beautiful custom mermaid baby girl 1st birthday cookies from natsweets.com

 

25. I love these cute cookies from lifesabatch.com, they are perfect for baby boy’s beach themed birthday party!

I hope you enjoyed this deliciously creative cookie post! If so don’t forget to save, pin, & subscribe!

 

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Blueberry Buttermilk Scones

By Kendra

Do you love blueberry scones? You don’t need to run to your grocery store or local bakery to enjoy delicious scones fresh from the oven. These light and fluffy blueberry buttermilk scones are simple to make, and the best part is you don’t need to get out of your pajamas to enjoy them. All you need are a few ingredients you likely already have in your pantry, and you can enjoy mouthwatering scones in about 30 minutes.

***This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, when you make a purchase. Please, see my affiliate disclaimer for more details.***

It’s winter here in New England and one of my favorite things to do is bake! I love to wake up first thing in the morning and turn on the oven to warm up the kitchen, especially on those extra chilly mornings. This weekend I decided to try these delicious blueberry scones. Their wonderful smell fills the air as I wait patiently to take take them out of the oven to enjoy with my morning coffee.

Blueberry Buttermilk Scones

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons dry buttermilk powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons coarse brown sugar

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, dry buttermilk powder, and salt together in a medium bowl, then add the blueberries.
  3. Whisk together the melted butter, vanilla extract, and 1 cup heavy cream in a small bowl.
  4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and lightly knead until smooth for about 1 minute.
  5. Divide the dough into two balls. Roll out each ball into 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick disks. Brush the tops of the disks with the remaining 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, then sprinkle with the coarse brown sugar.
  6. Cut each disk into six wedges. Transfer to the lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 12 to 16 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool, Enjoy!

If you like this recipe share it! For more breakfast ideas see my recipe for Easy Breakfast Quiche, & Banana Pancakes with Coconut.

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