To start your week off a little sweeter, here are some sugary and fun treats for you to bake for your next cookie swap, holiday party, or indulgent sweet tooth to keep for yourself.

Both recipes are simple and quick. Your sweet tooth will be satisfied in no time.

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CultureMap stories

Over the weekend, I had two stories published on CultureMap. Click below to view.

Tackling your first half marathon: Yoga & race spectators are unexpectedly vital (I don’t understand the headline, I didnt write it.)

The easy guide to baking holiday treats that will be the hit of the dessert table

Chocolate Marshmallow Logs

This is a family tradition at the holidays that I have made with my mother since I was a young child. We had weekend marathons of baking these logs and delivering them to friends or school parties. Now, my sister and I make them each year too.

Ingredients, makes two logs:

• 1 stick margarine or unsalted butter
• 1 package colored marshmallows (I can only find them at Kroger each year)
• 1 C chopped pecans
• 1 egg, beaten
• powdered sugar for dusting
• 12 oz milk chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)
• heavy duty tin foil

Instructions:

• On the stove, melt one stick of butter and the chocolate chips. Add the egg and stir quickly so it doesn’t curdle. Let cool slightly.
• In a separate bowl, combine marshmallows and chopped nuts.
• Pour the chocolate over the marshmallows and stir to combine.
• On a long foil sheet (18 inches), sprinkle powdered sugar on a diagonal. Spoon half the mixture over the powdered sugar about two inches wide and one inch tall.
• Sprinkle powdered sugar on top too.
• Fold the foil over the log and tuck in the corners. Freeze for a few hours or overnight. You can also leave in the log shape until you’re ready to slice.

To get ready for presentation:

• Take the log out of the freezer and let defrost slightly (10 minutes) so you can cut through the log.
• Unwrap the foil and cut log into ¾ inch pieces.
• Place in aluminum tin, lined with parchment paper or foil, or in plastic jar. Tie with ribbon and attach a tag.
• Tell your recipients to keep frozen so they’ll last longer.

Sugar Cookie Dough Balls

If you made the other recipe that was wildly popular in the food blog world last month for peanut butter cookie dough balls by Mama Pea, you will like these too. They are sugar cookie dough balls, perfect for sharing, making with kids, or freezing for later eating. Beware, they only make about 20 cookies. You’ll want to double. Or triple. So your guests don’t notice the dwindling number of cookies left on the plate.

The changes I made to this recipe were to un-veganize them. I don’t have vegan ingredients in our pantry, and it’s always best, and cheaper, to use what you have. So my substitutions had the same quantities, but regular margarine, milk, regular flours, etc.

Click the link above for the full recipe.