Baking with Blaire: Haystack Cookies and Boneyard Brownies

Today’s recipe is brought to you by Blaire, one of Dinners With Dan‘s featured contributors!  

Halloween is just around the corner.  Decorations are starting to go up, invitations to parties are being sent, and the air is starting to have that familiar Autumnal crisp.  From pumpkin carving to making costumes, there are endless activities this time of year, but there’s one thing that unites them all: delicious Fall and Halloween food.

This week, in her second Baking with Blaire post for Dinners with Dan, Blaire is introducing us to two of her favorite Halloween-themed sweets.  I can’t wait to try them!

Haystack Cookies Cover

I want to be Kate Middleton.  There, I said it.  Any of my friends can tell you that I have royal fever, bad.  Since this is the season for pretend and make believe, I’m even considering being her for Halloween.  Baby bump or no baby bump, I haven’t decided.  Tiara, obvi.

What draws me to Kate, I think, is because she’s normal and yet still able to be a part of the ultra-exclusive clique known as the royal family.  I’m normal.  I’m polite.  I can wave. Why can’t I be a member too? I guess this falls in line with my undying, not-so-subconscious desire to be one of the cool kids.  Thanks for that, grade school.

Anyway, if we’re being completely honest, she’s livin’ the dream (and forgive me as I shrug off the immense responsibility of being a royal). She has the power, the looks, the clothes, the house, the money, the Prince (Albeit, not my first choice.  Team Harry, anyone?).  What I would give to be called “Your Highness,” to vacation with the Queen at Balmoral, to have my little Moo-cat frolic with the royal corgies; to work “Cheerio” and “bullocks” into my vernacular; to host a royal tea party.  The last one especially, I think I might die if I could kick it with Queen Elizabeth over some tea and tasty treats.

Now, Halloween is the time for parties, but I don’t think the Queen would tap in and join me for some tequila shots, so I’ll settle for tea as the beverage of choice.  But I can’t just serve tea, there would have to be snacks. Festive snacks.  Even us mere commoners have the problem of what to serve at our holiday parties.  What festive treats could I serve?  Scones? Boring. Crackers with caviar?  Disgusting. Cucumber tea sandwiches? Puked a little in my mouth.  After some deliberation, I finally settled on my Haystack Cookies and Boneyard Brownies.          

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Baking with Blaire: Pumpkin Patch Cookies

Today’s recipe is brought to you by Blaire, Dinners With Dan‘s newest featured contributor!  

The weather may be starting to cool down, but Dinners With Dan is about to heat back up.  Thanks to all my friends who are contributing to the blog, and for all of you for being patient these last couple weeks while I’ve gone through some big life changes.  More on that to come, but I’ll be back up and posting myself very very soon!

In the meantime, I’m extraordinarily excited to introduce the newest feature at Dinners With Dan: Baking With Blaire.  One of my best friends from college, Blaire is going to be sharing a couple of her favorite baking recipes with us each month, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. The recipe she is sharing today definitely put me in the mood for some Fall treats, and I hope when you’re finished reading, not only do you want to try this delicious recipe, but you want to bake and get out to the pumpkin patch too!

Pumpkin Patch Cookies

Fall is by far my favorite season. It has my two fave holidays, Halloween and Thanksgiving. Nature throws a party with confetti colored leaves.  I get to wear all my fall clothes and boots. But most of all, I can start making all the Fall and Winter baked goods I’ve been craving since the start of Spring.  Zucchini bread, banana nut muffins, cranberry bundt cake, and above everything else, PUMPKIN ANYTHING. Seriously guys, I’m obsessed.  I have a problem.  So, in order to feed my addiction, the first thing I bake when September 1st rolls around are my Pumpkin Patch Cookies.

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