Double Chocolate-Orange Cupcakes

Remember those chocolate oranges that were also flavored orange? I vaguely remember seeing them a lot when I was a kid (apparently this was because Anthony was a big fan so Mom would always get him one for his Christmas stocking).

Like most fruit, orange just goes great with chocolate. So I've wanted to make something chocolate-orange for a while. I decided that the Labor Day BBQ at my parents' house (side note: it's been 4 years and I'm still not used to not calling it my house) would be the perfect time to make something chocolate-orange. Since I hadn't made cupcakes in a while, I decided on those. I chose a recipe from one of the Simply Sweet magazine, a dessert magazine from the same publishers as Southern Living and Cooking Light (among others).

Oh, and if you're wondering where I got that chocolate orange pictured above, I found it partially hidden in a display at a sweet shop I adore called Lolli & Pops. There are several locations in the Seattle-area (two of which I can get to via transit - not exactly a good thing).

Marshmallow Stuffed Cookies

Over the past few years my parents have had friends and family over for a Labor Day BBQ. This year my mom asked me to bake a dessert, something easy to grab like cookies. Since I had mini marshmallows leftover from some s'mores bars I made last month, I decided to look for recipes with them so I could try and use up the bag (didn't succeed; I still have about half the bag). I eventually found a recipe for Marshmallow Stuffed Cookies on Smart School House. Who doesn't like finding a surprise in their cookie?