Okay...we might need one minute- thirty seconds, but really, a cake to curb your cravings can be yours in no time flat. 

Have you heard of mug cakes? or maybe I mean cake in a mug? Well, if you're like me, you might have dismissed the validity of this treat. I tend not to discriminate between my sweets so I still can't explain why I wasn't a believer in the cake from your microwave trend. BUT I'm a bandwagonner now! BECAUSE CAKE FROM YOUR MICROWAVE IS AWESOME! 

Apparently, there are all kind of variations of this magic dessert. Like these, or these, or whoa, these.

Let's chat about the recipe that's led me to the dark side. It's simple. It's chocolate-y. Well, maybe, extra chocolatey is more accurate. After a little whisking and waiting, you have a rich and warm and utterly delectable cake. Even if you're not a true cake person like me (gasp! I know...), this is a winner. 

Chocolate Mug Cake
Recipe from our favorite Trisha Yearwood 
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ounce chocolate chips, dark, semi-sweet, or milk- your choice!

1. Whisk all ingredients except chocolate chips together in small bowl until well combined. Batter will be thick.
2. Pour batter into a favorite mug and sprinkle those chocolate chips on top.
3. Pop the mug in the microwave and set for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. I ended up at about 1 minute, 8 seconds. (I wanted a little gooey cake to remain.)
4. Let cool for a minute. For a little more indulgence, top with whipped cream. 

Yep, that is it. Enjoy this cute little single-serving cake when ever your sweet tooth strikes, especially when there's not much time to bake.

We've made it. Christmas Eve greetings to all! I hope today finds you with your shopping done, the stockings hung, and the holiday plans made. If not, godspeed. It's likely nutty out there in the shops and stores.

If you're still trying to decide which cookies to leave out for Santa, boy, do I have a treat for you. These chocolatey, toffee-studded, slightly salty cookies are sure to be just the sugar fix Santa needs to finish his route. (Plus, it makes a ton so you can sneak a few too.)

Here's the scoop on a new favorite. It's a recipe from Smitten Kitten.  I've actually made these cookies twice this holiday season (remember that one batch of cookies I'd made at the time of my last post.) The flavor combo is spot on. They're pretty easy to make which is always a bonus. 
​

Chocolate Toffee Cookies 
What you need:
1/2 cup AP flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped (could also use bittersweet)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups (packed) brown sugar (light or dark, either will work)
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars, coarsely chopped (I used Heath)
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped (I toast them on 350 for just a few minutes, until you start to smell them)
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (SK says optional, but I think it's a must!)

What to do:
1. In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt). Set aside.
2. In a double boiler, heat butter and chopped chocolate, until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat. Let cool.
3. In stand mixer bowl, beat brown sugar and eggs. Beat until mixture is thick, about 4-5 minutes. 
4. Mix vanilla and melted chocolate into brown sugar mixture. I usually put a little chocolate in the brown sugar and mix until well-combined just to temper the combo. Then I add all the remaining melted chocolate. 
5. Stir in dry ingredient mixture.
6. Fold in toffee pieces and walnuts. 
7. Chill batter in fridge for about 45 minutes to an hour. 

After chilling:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
3. Scoop spoonfuls onto cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. (I tend to arrange in 3x4 rows).
4. Top each dollop with a pinch of flaky salt.
5. Bake one sheet at a time for 12-15 minutes. (Both times I've pulled mine out at 12 minutes). The tops will just begin to crack.
6. Cool on sheets for 5 minutes. Then remove to wire rack.
7. Store in airtight container. 

If you leave these out for Santa, he may just leave you extra present under the tree. 

Now, from my Born Daily home to yours, wishing you the gladdest tidings of good cheer this season! May your holidays be filled with all things that warm the heart and soul.

Until next time--
xo

Hold the phone. Today is National BROWNIE Day! How did we not have this day off work? Call your Congressman!

Naturally, I have to break the all the blogging rules you might have heard, because today calls for TWO posts. Since we're nearing the close of the day, we can file this under "better late than never." If you read my new About page, you know brownies are my jam. I can't diss them. For the sake of all that's holy, let's make some brownies so we don't have to live with the regret of not celebrating this day. 

The recipe I have for you is killer. 

But we have to get one thing straight. Boxed brownies are not inferior. Actually, #boxedbrownies4lyfe. Uh huh, I'm a blogger who abandons any purist or absolute notions. I like semi-homemade. I like from scratch. I like real. And sometimes, you just need a dang shortcut. There is no shame if you're making and baking for the enjoyment of yourself or others. And when it comes to brownies from the box, we (even the haters) really need to admit they're usually pretty spectacular. 
Okay, now we can proceed. 

These brownies start with a mix  and are then zhuzhed up with buttermilk, chocolate chips, and chocolate frosting. Need I say more? 

Classic Frosted Brownies (aka your new favorite)
Brownies
Brownie Mix (use your favorite family-sized boxed brand)
6 tablespoons melted butter
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 9x9 pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.
2. Mix brownie mix, butter, egg, buttermilk and vanilla in large bowl using a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon. It's going to be thick. Once well mixed, stir in chocolate chips. 
3. Spread batter into pan evenly.
4. Lick the spoon. (<--yes, that's a requirement)
5. Bake for 37-42 minutes. The center should be barely jiggly to set.  I like to slightly undertake our brownies so I tend to start checking around 35min. 
6. Once done, let cool about 20-30 minutes.

Frosting
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons whole milk 
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 
What to do:

1. In a small sauce pan, melt butter. 
2. Stir in cocoa powder and milk. Keep stirring until it begins to thicken and barely begins to boil. 
3. Remove from heat. Whisk in powdered sugar. It's likely going to look a little rough, but keep whisking. It'll come together. 
4. Pour over brownies before the frosting sets up. 
5. Let the brownies come to room temperature. (this is the hardest part of the recipe.) If you want to have nice cleanly cut brownies, chill the brownies for an hour or so in the refrigerator. Then you can lift the brownies out with the foil and cut with a sharp knife. 

​
​Now it is time to share with your family. Or hoard them. Either way, it's a win.

This recipe comes to us from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. But, I halved it and added the chocolate chips. She's the genius behind your enjoyment. 

My work here is done. 

Until next time,
--xoxo

Holy moly! Today marks this little blog's first anniversary. Cue the parade and candle-blowing. We shall celebrate with exciting ramblings and a killer Salted Caramel Cheesecake recipe. Yes, we're doubling up on the goodness. 

First, I want to thank you all for jumping in on this journey. I wasn't entirely sure what I signed on for when I launched this blog while sitting on the kitchen floor in our wee rental house. You, the awesome readers of the blogesphere, have been encouraging and forgiving. You've come back despite my inconsistent posting schedule. You've made recipes that were depicted in lackluster photos (I promise to get better!). You've shared that you enjoy my rants and words. You've inspired me to be a better cook and baker. You've built my confidence to keep putting forth posts. I now know that blogging is the second best creative release I have. It's a closeclose second to cooking. Hmmmm, I guess this is why Born Daily is primarily a blog with food. And for the record, I find myself on the same pillow on my kitchen floor tip tap typing this post. Oh, the delicious, sugary serendipity of it all.

You might have noticed it has been basically a month (ahem...sigh) since I posted last. Well, life has been busy. Like really busy. I previously posted that we were on the hunt for a house. Well with the help of our main man Saint Joseph and our rockstar realtor, Keely, we found a house, made it through negotiations, etc., AND got our rental sold all within a few weeks of each other. (The rental was only on the market 3 days!) Yes, she's really that good. So just firm that up, yep, next week the Borns are buying a house!! I've been hesitant to write about this because despite my intuition I am a teeny superstitious. So, just for good measure we still have Saint Joseph in his place of honor. 

Accordingly, you should expect many adventures in homeownership to fill the coming installments of this blog. More details, and hopefully minimal mishaps, await.

Second, remember that birthday bucket list of sorts I put forward in February...I am slowly working through it. Next week we'll officially cross of #6 (see paragraphs above). I can also cross off #4 since I ran my second half marathon this past weekend! WAHOO! I went in with an unspoken goal and disappointingly didn't meet it BUT the entire run felt better than my first half. That's something, right? And, I might be crazy enough to try to train for another one...er, did I just type that? Chalk that up to a runner's high... Anyhoo, I'm pretty proud to have completed it and got to run it with a longtime bestie (and when I say run "with" I mean we both performed the activity but she's much faster.) 

Now, I promised you a kick-butt cheesecake with trendy salted caramel sauce. It is rich, seemingly fancy, and totally something you can make at home. Create some special occasion that warrants a serious dessert (i.e. a blog-versary). It comes to us from Joy the Baker. (Joy was one of the first bloggers I started to read regularly. She mixes humor as well as she does butter and sugar. Check her out.)

I have to confess I originally made this cheesecake for the hubster's 25th birthday, last year. This was weeks before this blog entered my brain as a serious outlet. Thus, I have only one picture of the final result. And, I've already revealed its wonder at the top of this post. So instead of typing the recipe for you, I want to drive you to her site, the original. 

I picked this recipe because it didn't require a springform pan. I've gone twenty something years and never acquired a springform pan. Seriously. That probably eats at my baker credit a bit... But nevertheless, I made this in all its flavorful glory and it stands up as a pretty legit cheesecake. And don't fear the caramel. You can do it! BUT if you don't want to do it, it is completely acceptable to melt the caramels and add salt. This treat was the perfect way to usher in his milestone. It lasts a while if there are only two of you. 

Speaking of which, I failed to properly give him a blog post for his birthday earlier this month. (And I didn't make him a cheesecake this year either. He requested a DQ ice cream cake (yes, it's true love when you a baker buy a loved one their birthday treat.)) So, husband, happiest belated birthday blog inclusion. May this year be filled with the best adventures, delicious foods, cold grapefruit shandy, and a well-organized bigger garage! Love you for being you, awesome, handsome, talented, you. 

You all rock. You really do. Thank you again for making Born Daily part of your online reading habits! It is my sincerest hope that we can continue to grow this blog together. And goodness knows, there's plenty of content ahead! #food24/7 #homeownership :)

Have a great week, friends! 
Until next time. 
-xoxo 

Wow. Time got away from me. It's been a week since we've connected...But, fret not. Today, we're back on track. And, in honor of the first weekend of summer, let's indulge in one of the best breakfast treats one can chew: donuts!! These donuts are a bite of the sunny season- light, bright, and full of citrus.
(Now before we get lost on spelling and semantics, I traditionally spell this word "doughnut" but sometimes "donut" just fits. In case you'd like more info on the spelling variance, get a quick history here.)

 Our dear niece and her parents came to visit us this past weekend. Though she's little, like her auntie, she has a sweet tooth. I took advantage of the opportunity to bake for her. (And to make up for my lack of posts this week, I'm going to include a bonus recipe from our visit at the end of this post!) While she was here we got loads of love and chatter and managed a visit to the zoo. Here's a brief gallery of our fun! 

Sweet girl was most excited when we visited the flamingos. I guess it's fitting that this recipe produces pale flamingo-colored donuts. They're super simple. Let's get started.

Glazed Grapefruit Donuts 
(recipe based from Sprinkles and Style)
Makes 8-12 donuts* 
To make the donuts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt 
zest of one grapefruit
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk (almond, whole, whatever you have on hand)
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

*I made 11 donuts but wish I'd made 8-9 so they would have been fluffier)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, and grapefruit zest in a mixing bowl until just combined.
3. Add egg, milk, and oil. Mix until just moistened.
4. Spoon the batter into prepared donut pans sprayed with baking spray. (Try to fill about halfway or a scoosh more)
5. Bake for 8-12 minutes. (I baked for about 11 minutes). Remove from pan after a minute or two. Let cool on a cooling rack. 

To make the glaze
juice from one-half of the grapefruit
a splash or two of lemon juice
about 2 cups powdered sugar

6. Whisk together the grapefruit and lemon juices and powdered sugar in a bowl. (Use your judgement on the amount of liquid you need. You do want this to be a bit runny...it's a glaze not frosting.)
7.  Dip cooled donuts in the glaze. Let excess drip off and back on the cooling rack. they go. (I put a piece of parchment paper underneath the cooling rack so clean up would be easier.) 
8.  If planning to double dip (which is recommended!), let the glaze set in between each coat.

These donuts are best enjoyed the day they're made but can be stored in airtight container once dry. They are a great start to any day or a nice afternoon pick me up. 

BONUS RECIPE!
Our niecey LOVES her some Oreos. This bonus recipe was made with just her in mind! It's super simple semi-homemade dessert. Trust me it might not the prettiest but it'll suck you in and before long the whole pan will have vanished. 

Now the inspiration for this dessert came from Cookies and Cups blog but I didn't have all the key players so we made our own version, now affectionately named, Oreo Mess.

Ingredients
1 box  fudge brownie mix (I typically favor Betty Crocker)
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 eggs
1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 -3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
12-15 Double Stuf Oreos, chopped/crushed

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Prepare brownies according to box directions.
3. Pour into prepared 9x13 baking pan. Bake for 24-26 minutes (I tend to like our brownies a bit underdone so I baked mine for 22 minutes).
4. Let brownies cool in pan completely. 
5. In stand mixer, cream cream cheese until smooth and semi-fluffy. 
6. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix. Add teaspoon of vanilla. Mix. Add more powdered sugar if needed to reach desired consistency. I like it to be a little on the thicker side so I added about 3/4 cup additional powdered sugar.
7. Fold in 12 chopped/crushed Oreos. You could drag out the food processor but I just put mine in a ziptop baggie and beat with a rolling pin until the cookies were broken down.)
8. Spread frosting on cooled brownies. 
9. Top with 3 additional chopped/crushed Oreos. 

I hope you'll give both of these recipes a try when the occasion presents itself. And, by occasion, I mean any day that ends in "y". Happy official start of the summer season! Here's to sandals, tan lines, sweet tea, ice cream, watermelon, and loads of grilled food! Talk to you soon! 
-xo