Recipe: Itty Bitty Brownie Bites — Recipes from The Kitchn

Itty bitty means you can eat more than a few of these brownie bites and no one will take a second glance. That’s exactly the kind of treat we like to feature on our cookie plates and holiday dessert spreads. These are especially awesome because they also happen to be gluten-free, thanks to the exclusive use of almond flour. Almond flour makes treats extra fudgy and moist, like your favorite flourless cake, but in perfect two-bite portions.

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5 Ways to Clean a Scorched Pan — Holiday Cleanup

Now that the weather has turned from chilly to cold and the holidays are approaching, it’s officially time to break out your stockpot and roasting pan. Just the idea of a savory something simmering in the oven or on the stove all day is enough to warm your bones! Unfortunately, it only takes a little recipe miscalculation or a slightly longer cook time to end up with a scorched pan — and those caked-on burnt bits are notoriously hard to get off.

Before you break out the big guns, keep this in mind: Depending on what your pan is made of (most of the ones on the market are made of stainless steel, enameled cast iron, or aluminum with or without a nonstick coating), you can damage it if you use a too-scratchy scrubber like steel wool or an ultra-strong cleanser. So start with the gentlest possible fix and work your way up to something stronger only if necessary.

Here are a few methods you can try to remove those burnt bits from a scorched pan.

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This Simple Hack Will Make Your Baking Canisters a Million Times More Useful — Organizing for Bakers

I’m all about storing things based on how I use them. For example, I keep all of my coffee and tea things together, my cooking oils and vinegars on the same shelf, and my baking items all grouped together. I have always been pretty impressed with myself — and then I found one simple hack that made me feel a little silly. It was so simple and yet, I had never thought of it or seen it before.

Here’s a hint: It involves temporary hooks and canisters.

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Recipe: Pull-Apart Challah Rolls — Recipes from The Kitchn

Rich, tender challah bread is a treat on any day, but the distinctive braiding of the loaf might be something you’re not quite ready to tackle. Instead, try these pull-apart challah rolls that are tender, rich with eggs, and baked in a regular baking dish.

Don’t be deceived by their pretty appearance; there’s actually no braiding involved when forming the rolls. In fact, if you can tie a knot, you can make these soft and pillowy rolls!

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Recipe: Chocolate-Almond Toffee — Recipes from The Kitchn

Toffee is one of the best holiday gifts you can give friends, family, and yourself! It can be made in advance, and one batch makes a lot but you only need a small piece of the crisp, rich, chocolate-y treat to be satisfied. All you have to do is cook butter and sugar together into a buttery caramel, then let it cool with a layer of melted deep, dark chocolate and toasty almonds on top until you can break it into beautiful shards. As someone who grew up buying Almond Roca as a treat, this homemade version is loads better and a welcome addition to a holiday dessert table or cookie plate.

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This Commercial-Grade Blender Is Currently on Sale and So Much Cheaper than the Vitamix — Amazon Deal of the Day

Nothing justifies a big splurge on a pricey item you’ve had your eye on like a Cyber Monday sale. But even at a steep discount, some Cyber Monday deals can still cost you a pretty penny. We get it.

And while we highlighted an awesome Vitamix blender as an incredible Cyber Monday deal (marked down 46 percent from an original price of $550!), we’re also highlighting this Blendtec blender, which is significantly cheaper and has a lot of similar features as the higher-end Vitamix.

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6 Lessons to Steal from This Unrealistic Container Store Pantry — Organizing for Bakers

Look, I love The Container Store. I could spend hours wandering the aisles thinking about which bins would be just the right size for my many disorganized zones. But sometimes their idea of how organized I could possibly be is so far off from my reality that I have to chuckle. Take this pantry, for instance: It’s modeling an elfa pantry kit that comes with all the shelves, brackets, and accessories you need to replicate this pantry in your home. But when I see this pantry, I don’t think about how it would work in my home — I mainly wonder, who has this many cake stands?

Once I get past the many pastel-hued serving pieces and enviable square footage, there are actually lots of good lessons to steal from this configuration. Even if the whole thing isn’t realistic for you either, try incorporating some of these tips to make your own pantry just a little bit better.

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Even More Things You Can Clean with Baking Soda — Cleaning with Baking Soda

You may already know that baking soda has many properties that make it an amazing cleaner, including the fact that it absorbs odors and is just slightly abrasive, so it can scrub delicate surfaces without scratching them. Plus, it’s inexpensive and probably already in your home, making it a good candidate for impromptu cleaning sessions when the mood strikes or you find yourself with a few minutes.

We already ran a list of 10 things you can clean with baking soda. Here are 10 more things.

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Recipe: Slow Cooker Pork and Cider Stew — Recipes from the Kitchn

Like any great stew should, the aroma of this hearty pork and apple stew will seep from the slow cooker and waft through the kitchen and beyond, long before you ladle it into bowls. And the anticipation is well worth it because this family-friendly stew delivers, big time. It tastes even better than that mouthwatering fragrance you’ve been smelling for hours.

It’s deeply savory with a subtle tang, and just the right balance of sweetness from apple cider and chopped apples. Serve it with a generous chunk of bread (even egg noodles or cauliflower rice) — you’re going to want something to help you savor every last drop of the sauce.

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This 20-Minute Pasta with Spinach and Chickpeas Is a Miracle Meal — Delicious Links

You cooked an elaborate Thanksgiving feast, you ate up all the leftovers (even though, by day three, you thought they’d never end), and now you’re ready for some lighter, easier meals. This spicy pasta with spinach and chickpeas is just the ticket. It comes together in 20 minutes and doesn’t taste remotely like turkey, stuffing, or mashed potatoes.

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