Caramel apple coffee cake combines tender spiced cake, fresh apple chunks, crunchy streusel, and a rich caramel drizzle with a subtle, aromatic infusion of fresh rosemary.

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If you recall my Peach-Basil Coffee Cake this Rosemary-Caramel Apple Coffee Cake is it’s fall counterpart. Baking sweet treats with herbs in the mix is one of my favorite things to do and the aromatic, woodsy rosemary really complements the sweetness of the caramel and apples. I really am not sure what else to say about it. I ate slices of this caramel apple coffee cake for breakfast, as a snack, and even as dessert – it can do it all!

The only thing left to say, I suppose, is to sign off for Fall Flavors week. To recap, we enjoyed some molasses chocolate chip cookies and savory scones earlier this week, and even more showcased by other bloggers who participated in this food event. Find the rest of the recipes for the final day listed before the recipe for this rosemary-infused caramel apple coffee cake.

• Pear Fritter Loaf Cake by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Apple Squares by Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Pumpkin Chili with Roasted Poblano Peppers, Black Beans and Corn by A Little Fish in the Kitchen
• Yogurt Dill Dip by Art of Natural Living
• Apple Crumble Muffins by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Crock Pot Beef Stew by Blogghetti
• Deviled Eggs with Basil Pumpkin Seed Pesto by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Sweet Potato Waffles with Cranberry Topping. by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Lentil Sweet Potato Salad by Magical Ingredients

• Five years ago: Single Serving Buckeye Scone
• Seven years ago: Lemon Cookies with Caramelized Milk Jam
• Ten years ago: Weekly Meal Plan #30
• Eleven years ago: Mesquite Chicken Sausage and Pepper Pizza
• Twelve years ago: Cheetos Cheeseburgers
• Fourteen years ago: Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Browned Butter Sauce

ROSEMARY-CARAMEL APPLE COFFEE CAKE

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Yield: 1 cake Prep Time: 35 Minutes Cooking Time: 55 Minutes 55 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

STREUSEL

• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt

COFFEE CAKE

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp freshly minced rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1-1/2 cup chopped fresh peeled apples (about 2 medium)

GLAZE

• 1/2 cup thick caramel sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch spring-form pan with non-stick spray, set aside.
2. In a small bowl add all the streusel ingredients and cut in sugar until it resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, rosemary, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl mix the buttermilk and vanilla. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until just incorporated. Alternate adding in the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, mixing just until combined. Gently fold in the apples until evenly distributed.
6. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with streusel, pressing lightly to make it stick*.
7. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs. Let cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely on a wire rack.
8. Drizzle caramel sauce over cooled cake. Slice and serve.

Notes

*It's going to seem like too much streusel, but I promise it's not.

Source: Adapted from my Peach-Basil Coffee Cake.

Chewy chocolate chip ginger molasses cookies are the gateway chocolate chip cookie to embracing fall flavors.

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Now that it’s September and past Labor Day weekend I can finally start posting fall recipes, right? I’m not waiting for a response because it’s happening. Especially since several other bloggers are standing with me in solidarity as today marks the first day of #FallFlavors Week

Do I lust for winter and cold weather? No, but I do love the idea of the outside temperatures not being above 90F, especially when I work in an ice box and have to wear long pants and sleeves every day. I am sure I look like a crazy person when I run errands after work. My summer attire gets so little use that my legs stay pasty white year round. But enough about my vampiric glow.

As the name implies, this week is all about fall flavors and one of my favorites is molasses. I love it so much that my year-round chocolate chip cookie recipe uses more dark brown sugar than white sugar. As such it wasn’t too hard of a decision to make a chocolate chip version of my ginger molasses cookies.

These chocolate chip ginger molasses cookies are exactly as advertised – a chewy ginger molasses cookie base with chocolate chips mixed it. Tasty enough to still find reason to enjoy them year-round, but festive enough to be in included in the rest of the fall recipes shared today.

• Pumpkin Parmesan Drop Biscuits by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Sweet and Sour Chicken Meatballs by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Glazed Pumpkin Spice Scones by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Cinnamon Roll Apple Monkey Bread by Magical Ingredients
• Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs by Blogghetti
• Beet Pesto by Art of Natural Living
• Spiced Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies by Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Easy Clam Chowder by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Country Apples by A Little Fish in the Kitchen
• Apple Cornbread Muffins with Cinnamon Icing by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

• Three years ago: Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler
• Four years ago: Nine Course Italian Dinner
• Five year ago: Apple Cider Caramel Dip
• Six years ago: Buffalo Chicken Pizza
• Seven years ago: Cheesecake Buckeyes
• Eight years ago: Supreme Pizza Fries
• Nine years ago: Sweet Thai Chile Sauce with Ohio Pork
• Ten years ago: One-Pot Sausage & Swiss Chard Pasta
• Twelve years ago: Single Serving Cake Batter Popcorn
• Thirteen years ago: Vegan Buckeye Pancakes with Peanut Butter Syrup
• Fourteen years ago: Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese
• Fifteen years ago: Peanut Butter Hummus

CHOCOLATE CHIP GINGER MOLASSES COOKIES

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Yield: Approximately 30 cookies Prep Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes Cooking Time: 12 Minutes 12 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1-1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the butter and sugars together on medium-low speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the yolk and beat until incorporated, then add the molasses and vanilla, beating until smooth.
3. Add the dry ingredients and on low speed, mix the dough until the flour is just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
4. Shape dough into walnut-sized balls (I used my medium cookie scoop to ensure they were all the same size). Place on a tray, cover, and chill dough in refrigerator for one hour or overnight.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.
6. Place balls of dough on prepared cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between each ball of dough.
7. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes - should be lightly set around the edges and softer in the center. Let cool on cookie sheets for 15 minutes before removing from pan and placing them on racks to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from my Snickerdoodle Ginger Molasses Blossoms.

Layers of fudgy brownie, peanut butter cheesecake, chocolate pudding, buckeyes, and whipped topping make this Buckeye Brownie Trifle worthy of prime time.

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Week two of the 2026 Buckeye Football Season and we are already on the road to a big game versus #4 Texas. It’s hard to feel confident on predicting the outcome of this game so I am just hoping for a good game. Even though the Buckeyes are ranked #1 many commentators have chosen Texas to win by a narrow margin.

Naturally that means I am going to see some comfort food to make it through was is expected to be a close game. Enter the Buckeye brownie trifle with layers of fudgy brownie pieces, peanut butter cheesecake-like filling, chocolate pudding, chopped buckeyes, and whipped topping.

It felt very sacrilege to chop up hand made Buckeye candies but I wasn’t about to use a cheaper and less delicious kind – not at the risk of making a sub-par brownie trifle. I actually used some of my most recent crunchy buckeyes for this creation but you could use the classic or any other variety you prefer.

You could also make your brownies, chocolate pudding, and/or whipped topping from scratch instead of from a box but sometimes it’s nice to have a decant and easy halfway homemade dessert option. Literally, not including the brownie mix additions, you only need seven ingredients to make this beautiful thing.

Would it have looked a little prettier with cleaner, thicker layers if I have only done two layers of each instead of three? Yes, but then you would have to dig really deep to make sure you got every layer.

I brought this to a Tailgate themed pot luck at work, celebrating the start of the Buckeyes football season, so I wanted to make sure everyone was able to get every component even if they only took a smaller portion. Considering how well demolished it was despite all the other sweets available I would say it was a success.

• Four years ago: Italian Braised Beef with Parmesan Polenta
• Five years ago: Whipped Feta with Honey
• Six years ago: Buckeye Milkshake
• Eight years ago: Gluten-Free White Chocolate Covered Strawberry Vanilla Wedding Cake
• Ten years ago: Grilled Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Eleven years ago: White Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshakes
• Twelve years ago: Bacon Wrapped Mac & Cheese Jalapeno Poppers
• Fourteen years ago: Carrot Cake Batter Dip
• Fifteen years ago: Strawberry Mojito

BUCKEYE BROWNIE TRIFFLE

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Yield: 24 Servings Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 (18.4 oz.) box brownie mix, plus ingredients on box to prepare
• 1 (3.4 oz.) box of instant chocolate pudding mix
• 2 cups cold milk
• 16 ounces whipped topping, divided
• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 12 oz. Buckeye candies, chopped + 8 whole for garnish

Directions

1. Prepare and bake the brownie s according to the directions on the box. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, cut into 1-inch squares; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, prepared the chocolate pudding according to the directions on the box (using the 2 cups of cold milk). Place in fridge until ready to use.
3. In a large bowl, blend together the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Carefully fold in 8 ounces of the whipped topping until incorporated.
4. To assemble, place 1/3 of the brownie pieces in the bottom of a trifle dish. Spoon 1/3 of the cream cheese filling on top, spreading with an off-set spatula, followed by 1/3 of the pudding. Sprinkle 1/3 of the chopped Buckeyes on top and spoon and spread 1/3 of the remaining whipped topping. Repeat the layers two more times, leaving a rim around the edges for the final layer of whipped topping. Garnish with whole Buckeye candies and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source: Adapted from Tastes of Lizzy T.

Buckeye candies are a staple this time of year but have you ever had crunchy buckeyes with crunchy peanut butter and crispy rice cereal?

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It’s the first day of The Ohio State Buckeyes football season which means #PBchocSat is back! To start the season I decided to unveil my 2026 buckeye variety right off the bat instead of waiting for the first Big Ten game. I guess I don’t have a true tradition when it comes tot he timing of that but I sometimes do.

Not to be confused with my buckeye rice crispy treats which are balls of peanut butter rice crispy treats dipped into chocolate like a buckeye, these crunchy buckeyes have puffed rice cereal mixed in to make them even crunchier – or maybe they are actually crispy? I ended up sticking to “crunchy” because I did also make these buckeyes with crunchy peanut butter.

Why the addition of puffed rice cereal? When you add all the butter and powdered sugar to the crunchy peanut butter the crunch factor decreases. At first I considered adding chopped peanuts but worried about being able to stab the buckeyes with a toothpick if they had that many crunchy bits inside. If you just want to make peanut butter balls that are fully covered with chocolate then this won’t be an issue, but for me they need to have that eye!

After a little bit of recipe researching I landed on adding puffed rice cereal – they are a crispy crunch while still being able to stab them with a toothpick. As you can see int he photo below, you will get bits of both peanuts and crispy rice cereal inside and they are a delight.

Game Day Tailgating Recipes

• Chicken Fajita Sliders from Creative Cynchronicity
• Grilled Tequila Shrimp Skewers from That Recipe
• Hawaiian Roll Sliders from Art of Natural Living
• Pig Shots from Jen Around the World
• Sausage Bites from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you’re at it, join our Pinterest board, too!

CRUNCHY BUCKEYES

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Yield: 8 dozen Prep Time: 1 Hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 oz. (~3 cups) puffed rice cereal
• 1 lb. (~4 cups) sifted powdered sugar
• 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate candy coating*
• Wooden toothpicks, preferably round

Directions

1. Line two baking sheets with waxed paper; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter and butter until blended. Fold in the puffed rice cereal until evenly distributed, then mix in the powdered sugar one cup at a time to reach desired consistency.
3. Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball (or a small cookie scoop). Place on prepared pan, insert a wooden toothpick, and place in the freezer.
4. Melt chocolate in a double boiler (or metal/glass bowl over a pot of lightly simmering water). Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.
5. Remove balls from freezer. Dip into melted chocolate leaving a small circle uncovered at the base of the toothpick. Return to wax paper, chocolate side down. Repeat with remaining balls.
6. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set. Remove toothpicks and if desired, carefully smudge the holes left behind with fingertip.

Notes

*Chocolate chips will not melt as well as candy coating.

Source: Adapted from my Potato Chip Buckeyes and Food Network.

Family-style dulce de leche crème brûlée has entered the group chat. Without the need for ramekins this dessert is ready to party.

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Was anyone else lost with their extra time yesterday without any soccer to watch? I’d like to say I don’t know what I will do with all my extra time once it’s all over in 10 days but I definitely have no problem filling my time, mostly because my to-do list is always growing faster than I can check things off.

Speaking of giving myself too many things to do lets make dessert! A thing I have been trying to eat less of (as in less than once a day) so when I do make something it’s usually for a crowd event. The most recent of which was when our neighbors had us over for carnitas and margaritas on the 4th of July and requested I bring dessert. So in honor of what is now two of the remaining eight teams, Argentina and France, I created yet another World Cup inspired recipe – dulce de leche crème brûlée!

The origins of both dulce de leche and crème brûlée are disputed. Argentina and Uruguay both claim dulce de leche but historians believe it traveled from the Indonesia with Spanish colonists. Meanwhile crème brûlée is fought over between France, Spain, and England but it is most often associated with France as they hold the earliest known printed recipe. But did you know that traditionally the caramelized sugar was achieved by using a hot iron?? That’s freaking cool but I understand how the average person is not going to want to mess around with a hot brand and now most use a kitchen torch or broiler.

Now that our history less is over, back to this dulce de leche crème brûlée. Instead of being served in individual ramekins, because while I have 8 of those hidden in a kitchen drawer I don’t expect everyone else to, I served this family-style to better feed a crowd. I assume most people have a rimmed baking sheet and a baking dish that fits inside of it to make the water bath in which it bakes.

FAMILY-STYLE DULCE DE LECHE CRÈME BRÛLÉE

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Yield: 8 Servings Prep Time: 6 hours 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 55 Minutes 55 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 6 egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 1 tsp good vanilla extract
• 3 cups heavy cream, room temperature
• 1 cup dulce de leche
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• 1/8 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300F and line the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet with a damp kitchen cloth; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks and vanillas until smooth; set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. While water is boiling, combine cream, dulce de leche, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until steam rises, about 4-5 minutes.
4. Slowly drizzle hot cream into yolk mixture, a little at a time, whisking constantly, until all the cream is incorporated. Pour mixture into an X baking pan.
5. Place baking pan on towel in baking sheet and move to the oven with the door ajar. Pour boiling water into the outer baking sheet until almost full. Cover whole pan loosely with foil.
6. Bake 40-45 minutes, until center is barely set and instant read thermometer placed in the center reads 170-175F. Allow to cool slightly before chilling in refrigerator 4-6 hours or overnight.
7. Before serving, sprinkle 1/4 sugar over the custard. Use a kitchen torch* (or broiler placed 3 inches away) to brown top, 2-3 minutes.

Source: Adapted from my Crème Brûlée and Family-Style Crème Brûlée from Smitten Kitchen Keepers by Deb Perelman.

Biscoff stuffed chocolate chip cookies don’t need much of an introduction but just in case – these dark chocolate chip cookies are filled with a molten core of spiced cookie butter.

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I decided to take a break from all my soccer ball-inspired recipes… and instead I am sharing a Biscoff stuffed chocolate chip cookies in honor of the USA vs Belgium game tonight! You thought I was done sharing recipes for the World Cup weren’t you?

Not to be confused with Biscoff chocolate chip cookies where the cookie butter is mixed into the dough (and I will make eventually as well), these are dark chocolate chip cookies with a little hint of cinnamon in the dough and a molten center of Biscoff cookie butter spread. I’ve made peanut butter, pistachio, and Nutella stuffed cookies so I figured it was time to spread the love. Pun intended.

In all seriousness though, Biscoff is a Belgium brand so I pulled a card from my recent #PBchocSat creations which were inspired by the opponents state desserts. I suppose I could have stuffed the soccer ball morsel chocolate chip cookies with Biscoff cookie butter but I had already used them in brookies – and honestly prefer my cookie dough over store bought.

BISCOFF STUFFED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

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Yield: 2 Dozen Prep Time: 3 Hours Cooking Time: 10 Mintues 10 Mintues

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup creamy Biscoff cookie butter spread
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups dark chocolate chips, half chopped

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dollop teaspoon-sized mounds of cookie butter onto the baking sheet (about 2 dozen total) and pop in the freezer until firm, at least 2 hours.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Add both sugars to the bowl of the mixer along with the cooled melted butter. Beat on medium speed until blended, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla, mixing until incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in two additions, beating just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed.
4. Using a medium cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons), portion the dough into balls. Working with one ball at a time, use your thumb to create a well in the center of the ball. Add a dollop of frozen cookie butter to the well then seal the cookie dough around it so it's completely enclosed. Repeat with all of the dough and cookie butter.* Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and set (the centers may look underdone). Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks, allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet then remove to the wire racks.

Notes

*The cookie butter may soften as it sits at room temperature. If necessary, you can throw it back in the freezer to firm up.

Source: Adapted from my Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Who knew somethings as simple as baking cookie dough on top of brownies could be so amazing? And these brookies have soccer ball chocolate morsels for the World Cup!

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Sometimes I make over the top recipes like chocolate chip cookie and peanut butter Oreo fudge brownies and other times I just smash together two store-bought items and it still creates something equally as magical. I am usually on team homemade but sometimes you just need something super quick and easy – like when I decided to bake these brookies in time for the USA vs Turkey game tonight.

Originally when I saw the limited edition Nestle Toll House cookie dough with soccer ball morsels I did not buy them because I was convinced there was no chance for the little soccer balls to maintain their soccer ball texture. But I caved when I realized they would be cute made into a soccer brookies.

Yes I know I have already shared recipes for soccer cookies and a soccer ball cookie cake but this is clearly different. Grab a box of your favorite brownie mix, prepare the batter as indicated on the box, spread into a greased and lined 9×13-inch baking pan, top with cookie dough, add some flair via sprinkles, and bake. That’s all it takes to get these adorably fun brookies on the table in time for the game – assuming you can find the cookie dough.

I hope you are not tired of World Cup soccer recipes because I am not finished. My next recipe is a savory one so we will take a break from all the sugar if you are tapped out and move on to chopped cheese stuffed pull apart bread that looks like a soccer ball!

WORLD CUP SOCCER BROOKIES

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Yield: 24 Servings Prep Time: 40 Minutes Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 (16.3 oz.) box brownie mix, plus indicated ingredients
• 1 (14 oz.) package of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough*
• Sprinkles**

Directions

1. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly coat with nonstick spray; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, prepare the brownie batter as indicated on the box.
3. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Top with crumbled cookie dough, pressing down slightly.
4. Add sprinkles on top if desired** and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes.
5. When center is set, remove to cool completely on a write rack. Once cool, use the overhanging parchment paper to lift the brookies from the pan and slice into 24 squares.

Notes

*I used the Tollhouse limited edition cookie dough with the soccer ball shaped morsels. **I used colors for USA for the the World Cup game today but any color can be used based on the occasion.

Source: Adapted from various sources across the internet.

Make a soccer ball cookie cake worthy of the 2026 World Cup that resembles the new Trionda soccer ball design.

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While watching soccer for a week straight I realized something – the classic soccer ball shape we all associate the sport, the 32-panel truncated icosahedron originally introduced by Adidas for the 1970 World Cup, was updated to a 14-pannel ball by Adidas for the 2006 World Cup improve accuracy and hasn’t been seen since in professional play. And yet we still all envision that 32-panel black and white ball when we think of a soccer ball. To be fair it is still used for recreational use so it’s not completely gone.

Now that you’ve had a little soccer ball history lesson, I will explain why it is relevant to this recipe. At first I was looking to create homemade soccer cookies since a few people have been having trouble finding the Pillsbury soccer ball cookie dough that I used in my World Cup Soccer Cookies. But then I thought about making a jumbo soccer ball cookie cake that would essentially look like a life-size, albeit flattened, soccer ball!

But then while scrolling Instagram I saw that Kelly of Just A Taste had already beat me to it! I could have gone ahead and still done mine but I decided to give myself a challenge and make a soccer ball cookie cake that looks like the Adidas Trionda used in the 2026 World Cup. It’s not that much harder to make but it was much harder to describe in the directions as you’re not just simply creating round balls of dough and pressing them flat. I hope you are able to figure it out based on my photos.

If I wasn’t in such a hurry to get this done in time for the USA vs Australia game today I should have hunted down Canada and Mexico flags to pair with USA for my photos as they are the three North American hosts this year. Instead I used Italy (whom isn’t even at the World Cup this year) and a Czechia hat because I was working with what I had at the moment. This is what happens when I bake on a whim at 6am before my day job.

WORLD CUP TIRONDA SOCCER BALL COOKIE CAKE

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Yield: 8-12 Servings Prep Time: 2 Hours 45 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Blue, green, and red gel food coloring
• Blue, green, and red sanding sugar (optional)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla until just combined. Slowly beat in flour mixture until it comes together into a dough.
3. Divide the dough into sixths (I used a kitchen scale). Wrap three dough balls in plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
4. Place the remaining 3 portions into three separate small mixing bowls. Add a few drops of blue food coloring to one, green to the second, and red to the third. Mix until blended. Wrap each color in plastic wrap and refrigerate all of the dough for at least 2 hours.
5. When ready, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and coat a 10-inch springform or cake pan with nonstick spray; set aside.
6. Take out the 3 undyed dough balls and place on a clean, floured work surface*. Roll each into approximately 1/2-inch thick and 12-inch long log; set aside.
7. Take out the 3 dyed dough balls and shape each into a lowercase "b" shape** (see photos), about 1/2 inch thick.
8. Place colored sanding sugar into separate bowls. Coat each colored dough with its corresponding color. Shake off the excess and return to the work surface.
9. Pair one white log with each colored dough, wrapping the log around the long outside edge and tucking into the short edge (shaped like a 6 around the b - see photos).
10. Arrange the three doughs in a circle so that the long arms on the outsides, underlining the "b" of the adjacent color (see photos). Lightly press together. Using a cake lifter or large spatula*, transfer dough to the prepared baking pan.
11. Press cookie dough evenly into the pan to fill the spaces, but be careful not to disturb the sprinkles***. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until center is set and dough is very lightly golden.
12. Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. Serve and slice as desired.

Notes

*Alternatively you could work on a sheet of parchment paper and use it to lift and place in the bottom of a springform pan, cutting off the excess. **If you want to get fancy, I pinched off the tail of each and swapped them to the tails of the adjacent one to try to emulate the pattern on the real soccer ball. ***I recommend placing a piece of wax or parchment paper on top to help spread evenly while not disturbing the sprinkles.

Source: Adapted from my Cut Out Sugar Cookies and Pizza Cookie Cake.

Kicking off the World Cup with these sweet earth soccer cookies that are perfect no matter who you are cheering for – we are all on this planet together!

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Today marks the first day of the 2026 World Cup and to celebrate the occasion I whipped up these soccer ball cookies last night after seeing the Pillsbury soccer balls cookie dough at the grocery store. Nothing like a last minute recipe to keep the blog alive. But sometimes spontaneity is necessary for my creative baking juices to flow. Although in this case spontaneity also paired with a desire to be quick and easy as this bake was not part of my regularly schedule program last night.

Originally I thought I would make a chocolate chip cookie cake topped with the soccer cookies but then I remembered I basically already did that with my skillet football cookie cake. Further brainstorming brought me to cupcakes topped with green frosting piped to resemble grass but I had zero desire to process two separate bakes, let alone to make frosting and deal with a piping bag. So I decided to make a World Cup version of my double decker cookies.

I had hoped the patriotic Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix would be available in stores since Memorial Day just past and July 4th is on the horizon but alas it was not. Halloween decor has been spotted but not patriotic Funfetti? Maybe they aren’t coming out with it this year? Either way I decided it was for the best because even with the sprinkles, Funfetti cake mix cookies would have been too similar in color to the soccer cookies on top. I wanted a pop of color and a pop is what we got!

Dyed to resemble our sweet Earth (round) instead of just one country to honor all of the humans living on this planet together – which also means they are perfect no matter which team you are supporting. I considered using matcha and blueberry pea flower to dye them instead but again I wanted something easy. Maybe you will appreciate that as well when you go to make these for yourself!

Side note: If you are unable to find these premade soccer cookie dough balls, I did find a video that shows a neat way to make your own soccer cookies. I had intended to make giant version but instead I decided to go from this easy recipe to one that required slightly more shaping skills and made a trionda soccer ball cookie cake!

Looking for ideas for a USMNT watch party that are more patriotic/red+white+blue themed? Feel free to dye these red and blue instead. My USA soccer ball cake is also super fun but does take a bit more skill as it has a surprise inside. To take advantage of all those seasonal summer berries you could made red white and berry shortcakes or hand pies.

Alternatively, if you are already sweltering in the heat this week and don’t want to turn on your oven, some great no-bake options are a patriotic dessert lasagna or patriotic rice krispie treats. And I even have a recipe for a red white and blue sangria!

WORLS CUP SOCCER COOKIES

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Yield: 20 cookies Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 box (15.25 oz.) white cake mix
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder*
• 2 eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• Green and Blue food coloring
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 (9.2 oz.) package of Pillsbury soccer ball shaped cookie dough

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, lightly mix together the cake mix, cocoa powder, eggs, and vegetable oil. Divide evenly into two bowls, add a few drops of green food coloring to one and blue food coloring to the other. Blend dough until thoroughly mixed and no dry pockets remain.
3. In a small bowl, place the granulated sugar; set aside.
4. Portion the dough into 3/4-inch balls (I used a small cookie scoop, size 60) then combine one of each color into one medium-sized dough ball.
5. Roll dough balls in sugar, shaking of excess, and place on the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick. Place a soccer ball cookie dough ball on the top of each.
6. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until just barely golden on the edges. Let cool 5-10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

*This helps the food coloring be richer/darker rather but it is optional.

Source: Adapted from my Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies and Holiday Double Decker Cookies.

Biscoff rice krispie treats are an upgrade to your favorite childhood treat with cookie butter blended into the marshmallow mixture and crunchy speculoos cookie pieces throughout.

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Apparently there are still people in my life that have never heard of Biscoff spread, aka Speculoos cookie butter, and it shocks me as it’s been a staple in my kitchen since 2011. It’s a food trend that has wavered over the years but it definitely has hung around enough that I thought it to be mainstream – evidently not.

I made these when friends came in town to visit Mother’s Day weekend (thank you for the distraction) and one of those friends is who I had to describe their flavor profile beyond “Biscoff” and “cookie butter”. They’re spiced but not just with cinnamon. From what I understand there is also nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, ginger, anise, and a bit of white pepper for that zing.

Thankfully you don’t need to know what Biscoff, or speculoos, or cookie butter is to enjoy these Biscoff rice krispie treats and the aforementioned friend devoured several of them. Similarly to my peanut butter version, there is cookie butter mixed into the melted marshmallow-butter mixture before blending in the puffed crispy rice cereal and chopped Biscoff cookies. For a little extra flavor and decoration I added a drizzle of cookie butter icing on top.

BISCOFF RICE KRISPIE TREATS

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Yield: 2 dozen Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 5 Minutes 5 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

RICE TREATS

• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 bag (10.5-oz) miniature marshmallows
• 1/2 cup speculoos cookie butter
• 6 cups puffed rice cereal
• 16 speculoos cookies, roughly chopped

TOPPING

• 1/2 cup speculoos cookie butter
• 2 Tbsp powdered sugar

Directions

1. Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan; set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add marshmallows, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the cookie butter. Fold in the cereal and chopped speculoos cookies until well combined and coated.
3. Transfer sticky cereal mixture to the prepared pan, pressing down until the top is level. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares*.
4. In a small heatproof bowl, place the cookie butter for the topping and heat in a microwave for 15 seconds. Add powdered sugar and whisk until blended together. Drizzle** on top of cut rice treats. Allow to set before serving, about 30 minutes. 

Notes

*You can also drizzle the topping before you cut them into squares. **Use a spoon, or a piping bag/zip-top bag with a corner snipped off for thinner/more precise lines.

Source: Adapted from my Peanut Butter Oreo Rice Crispy Treats.