Cooler days have me craving warm beverages, the cozy flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg + spice and getting back into the kitchen. But you know any time I am in the kitchen it is time for a get together with friends. The perfect excuse to host a tea party and bake up a batch of Mary’s Maine Bars.

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Tea Party Menu

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Variety of Hot Teas

Smoked Salmon + Dill Tea Sandwiches

Cucumber + Butter Tea Sandwiches

Mary’s Maine Spice Bars

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Yes, cooler weather alone is reason enough bake but when I learned about Cookies For Kids’ Cancer and the partnership between Dorie Greenspan + OXO I had to roll up my sleeves and dust off my apron. 

“Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was founded by two OXO employees when their 2-year-old son was diagnosed with childhood cancer in 2007. Larry and Gretchen Witt pledged to support the funding of research for safer, more effective treatments for children battling cancer. With the help of 250 volunteers, Gretchen baked and sold 96,000 cookies, raising more than $400,000 for research.”

Each year, OXO continues to support the organization by donating $100,000 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. This year OXO is also working with bloggers to showcase cookie recipes and will donate $100 per blog post in support of the cause. OXO is highlighting cookies from Dorie Greenspan’s new book, Dorie’s Cookies, which features over 200 recipes from classics to brownies to savory cookies. 

With the help of my OXO baking tools making Mary’s Main Bars was a breeze! I loved working with both the Glass 3 Qt Baking Dish with Lid and the Glass 2 Qt Baking Dish with Lid. Each is made from BPA-free borosilicate glass and can withstand extreme temperature changes. Generous handles and sloshproof lids make moving full dishes easier, and the clean, elegant design means you can take them from the oven directly to the family table. 

And the Brownie Spatula made cutting and serving the bars easy and the perfect size for my tea party.

However, what I did not expect is how much I really enjoyed using the Illuminating Digital Hand Mixer! No joke. Who would have thought a light on the front of a blender would be that useful!! “With a light to guide you, OXO On Illuminating Digital Hand Mixer includes intuitive digital controls to steadily increase or decrease speed. When you’re finished, the on-board beater clip, wrap-and-secure cord, and flat, stable base allow for compact, upright storage.”

For a step-by-step demo of the Mary’s Maine Bar recipe, you can watch my video tutorial below. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel and never miss a recipe or design idea! {It’s free!}

 

 

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Disclaimer Statement :: This post is being sponsored by OXO in a partnership with Cookies for Kids’ Cancer {OXO will generously donate $100 in my name during the program to reach their goal of $100,000 commitment}. I did NOT receive any compensation for this post, I received OXO baking tools to help me create Mary’s Main Bars by working smarter not harder.