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Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes!

Granola Girl bakes :: Strawberry Cheesecake cupcakes 11

So, who wants to join me for a Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcake?! 🙂 It had been literally weeks since I baked anything new and I had this recipe going through my mind. So the weekend found its way to me and I found myself in the kitchen! From my posts y’all probably know I have a weakness for a couple few things; coffee, cupcakes, and cream cheese icing. 😉 Strawberries are in season and it had been quite some time since I baked cupcakes so it only seemed natural to combine the two and add a few of my favorite things to the mix. 😀 For the frosting I made a slightly cream cheesier icing with a bit of salt and topped it off with lightly toasted graham cracker crumbs. The result, simply delicious! Y’all will have to give it a try for yourself and see! 🙂

Strawberry Cupcakes 6

Yields 24 cupcakes

Cake Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 sticks butter{softened}
  • 4 oz cream cheese{softened}
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract{optional}
  • 1 1/2 cups white flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 pint fresh strawberries diced

Icing

  • 1 stick butter{softened}
  • 6 oz cream cheese{softened}
  • 3 cups powder sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract{optional}
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Topping

  • 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line muffin tins with paper!
  2. Cream butter, 4 oz cream cheese, and sugar in an electric mixer on high-speed for 3 minutes.
  3. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each egg. Stir in Vanilla & almond extract and scrape sides.
  4. Turn mixer on low and slowly add flour 1/2 cup at a time and salt until completely combined!
  5. With a rubber spatula, gentle fold in strawberries. Place 1/4 cup batter in each muffin cup. Bake for 14-17 minutes or until golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean!
  6. Allow to completely cool while you make the icing!

For the icing:

  1. Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat on high for 3 minutes. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl and mix for another minute!
  2. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with graham cracker crumbs!
  3. Enjoy!!

 

Granola Girl bakes :: Strawberry Cheesecake cupcakes

Granola Girl bakes :: Strawberry Cheesecake cupcakes 3

Granola Girl bakes :: Strawberry Cheesecake cupcakes 7

 

Strawberry Cupcakes15Granola Girl bakes :: Strawberry Cheesecake cupcakes 10

Granola Girl bakes :: Strawberry Cheesecake cupcakes 8

  How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!-Ps 119:103

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Espresso Floats with Caramel and Whip!

Espresso Float 2

Spring is here and it is getting warm! 🙂 No longer the season for hot lattes but rather iced Americanos… and Espresso Floats. 😉 These floats were originally created by my highly caffeinated sister but after many many days seeing her drink them it was time I try one! Perfection! 🙂 Like a frappuccino but SO much better. Be warned, cut back on the espresso if you don’t like your coffee too strong!

Yields 1 float

Ingredients:

  • 2 Shots Espresso or 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
  • 2 large scoops Vanilla Ice cream
  • 2 TBS Caramel
  • Fresh Whipped Cream

Directions:

  1. Drizzle 1TBS caramel on the inside of a glass.
  2. Add Ice cream then pour espresso over the ice cream.
  3. Top with whipped cream and remaining caramel!
  4. Enjoy! 🙂

Espresso Float

Espresso Float 1

 

“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him. ”
Psalm 34:8

 

1 Comments

Whipped Cream Sweetened with Maple!

Fresh Whipped Cream 1

Okay, I know what y’all are thinking, “whipped cream isn’t that hard to make!” True. 🙂 But I often post pictures of my coffee creations on instagram and am always asked for my whipped cream recipe. So, here it is! About 3 years ago we decided to move away from refined sugar as much as possible and started using pure maple syrup for much of our baking and sweetening. At first I was extremely skeptical but since the first taste I can say it doesn’t get much better than pure maple in freshly whipped cream! Delicious on coffee, fresh strawberries, or(if your like me) just by the spoonful! 😉

 

Yields 2 or more cups whipped cream

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Fresh Heavy Cream
  • 3-4 TBS Pure Maple{I use 3 but if you prefer less/more sweet adjust accordingly!}

Directions

  1. Place cream and maple syrup in mixer bowl and beat on high until fluffy and stiff peaks form!
  2. ENJOY!

Fresh Whipped Cream

Fresh Whipped Cream 2

3 Comments

Delightfully Fluffy Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Fluffy Cookies Granola Girl Bakes 3

Some like them crispy, some like them soft, I like them fluffy! 🙂 Chocolate Chip Cookies have never been my specialty and considering I don’t use crisco/shortening to keep things a bit more healthy when baking it makes perfecting a cookie all the harder. I usually mix up a batch, carefully scoop the dough on the tray with high hopes of a fluffy outcome, put them in the oven, then 10 minutes later they have run all over the tray and the smoke alarm is making it’s delightful noise! 😉 But, I finally found a recipe that turns out fluffy and soft EVERY TIME! The creator boasts that this recipe creates the “puffiest” cookie and, though they aren’t the fluffiest I have seen, they definitely hit the “fluffy cookie” spot for me. 🙂 So, what makes this recipe different than others? Chilled butter & baking powder! Most Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes just have baking soda and call for “softened” butter. These simple modifications definitely did the trick! 🙂 How about you? Do you prefer them crispy or soft?

Original recipe from bunsinmyoven.com with a few modifications from me!

Yields 12 large cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick cold butter, cut into small cubes
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 large egg, cold
  • 1 TBS vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 heaping tsp salt
  • 1 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place parchment on large baking sheet.
  2. Beat the cold butter and sugar until barely combined (not creamed, not fluffy, not runny- still very cold) Then beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
  3. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, then add them in 2 batches to the wet dough. Once mixed together, add in the chocolate chips, and be liberal with them! You only make puffy chocolate cookies for the first time once 🙂
  4. Using an ice cream scooper, scoop out the cookie dough onto your baking. Bake your cookies for 11-13 minutes or until the outsides are lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes or as long as your willpower holds.
  5. Then devour!
Fluffy Cookies Granola Girl Bakes
Fluffy Cookies Granola Girl Bakes 2
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Nathanael’s famous Ice Cream Sandwiches

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One of the 10,564,245 blessings of having so many siblings is there is always somebody to bake when your in need of a sweet treat! 😉 I have a sweet tooth. Okay, it’s a HUGE sweet tooth! When Nathanael{age 10} said he wanted to make Chocolate Chip Ice cream Sandwiches I doubted whether he would really follow through and make them. He planned and searched allrecipes for the “perfect” chocolate chip cookie recipe and I still doubted. He double & triple checked our ice cream supply{yep, I was still a little doubtful}, he patiently waited for Friday to come and then he conquered! Needless to say, I  was shocked. 😉 And a little more than slightly surprised by how exquisite these cookies looked. But proof is in the bite, right? Well, they tasted even better than they looked! Bravo Nathanael! 🙂 So, today’s recipe is brought to y’all by Nathanael. I think he is a keeper! 😉

Yields 12-13 extremely large Cookie Sandwiches!

Original Cookie recipe credits go to AllRecipes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 gallon Vanilla Icecream

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
  2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
  4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
  5. Slightly soften icecream and scoop a healthy scoop onto 1 cookie. Then top it off with another cookie!
  6. Repeat with remaining cookies. Place back in freezer and allow soft icecream to harden!
  7. Gather your favorite people and ENJOY!!

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“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.
O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him.”
Psalm 34:8-9

3 Comments

Homemade Marshmallows! { no corn-syrup? no problem! :) }

Marshmellows GRANOLA GIRL BAKES 9

I started searching frantically for a homemade marshmallow recipe last year that didn’t take corn-syrup and preferably didn’t use refined white sugar! I tried and failed more than a few recipes and was on the verge of giving up…. THEN my favorite food blogger, Sarah, posted a recipe! Homemade Marshmallows made simple, sweet, and {happy day!} cor-syrup & refined sugar FREE! It was almost as if she was reading my mind. 😉 I have since made her marshmallow recipe over a dozen times and it hasn’t failed me. Only change made is pure maple syrup instead of agave nectar as we don’t keep agave nectar on hand! White fluffy shares of delightfully goodness. On Hot cocoa, in a s’more, or by themselves, you won’t be able to stop eating them! 😉

Recipe credits: Sarah // CheffingIt

Yields 9×9 inch pan

  • 3 pkg. unflavored gelatin
  • 1/2 c. water
  • 2 c. organic cane sugar
  • 2/3 c. organic agave nectar
  • 1/4 c. water
  • 2 t. ground cardamom
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • powdered sugar
  1. Preparation – oil plastic wrap and use it to cover a 9×9 square cake pan. (Double the recipe for a 9×13 pan.) I found the easiest way to do this is to lay the wrap on a flat surface, rub the oil in your hands, then onto the wrap, making sure to coat every bit that might hold marshmallow. Lastly, place the wrap over the pan. Don’t worry about getting the plastic wrap in the corners. The marshmallow will help with that. Oil one more sheet to place over the top and set aside.
  2. Combine gelatin and 1/2 c. water in mixer bowl and let sit for a few minutes.
  3. Mix sugar, agave, 1/4 c. water and cardamom in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil one minute.
  4. Start the mixer and beat on low as you slowly pour the hot sugar mixture into the bowl of gelatin. Add salt, drape a towel over the mixer to catch any drips and turn to high speed. Beat for 12 minutes.
  5. Using a heavy spatula, scoop the mixture into the waiting pan, pressing into the corners and spreading evenly. Cover with the oiled sheet of plastic wrap and press smoothly over the top.
  6. Let sit for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you make them a day ahead.
  7. Prepare a bowl of powdered sugar. Lift the marshmallow out of the pan onto a flat cutting surface. Dust surface with powdered sugar. Using a large knife, cut into squares, coating in powdered sugar as you go.
  8. Stack in an air tight container and store for up to 3 days.

Marshmellows GRANOLA GIRL BAKES 2

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Marshmellows GRANOLA GIRL BAKES

 

 

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Pecan Pie { No cornsyrup? No problem! }

Pecan Pie :: Granola Girl Bakes

Well, I hope y’all enjoyed your Thanksgiving feast immensely! I honestly ate way too much and enjoyed every bite. 😉 We truly have so much to be Thankful for. God is GOOD!

When a pecan pie was requested for our Thanksgiving Dinner a few days prior by my Dad, I very very eagerly offered up my services! I decided to do a “traditional” pecan pie with corn syrup{< and yes, just whispered that word ;)}. You see,  we gave up corn syrup a long time ago, striving to bake without it at all costs…. BUT it was thanksgiving and if my pie turned out distasteful due to the fact I didn’t use corn syrup… well, I would never live it down! So, I jotted “corn syrup” on my grocery list. Fast forward to the morning of thanksgiving, I wake up and start my pie only to find I forgot the corn syrup. 😉 I remember I instantly thought, “No worries, by the grace of God, I can make a pecan pie without cornsyrup… and if it tastes bad I will just blame it on the fact I didn’t have corn syrup.” 😉 Well, I can say God is good, and the pie was a HUGE success! A buttery crust, crunchy pecans, and sweetly rich filling baked to golden brown! If your like me, top it off with both ice-cream & freshly whipped cream, then pour a rather large mug of coffee and enjoy! 😉

Yields 1 pie! 🙂

Ingredients

  • 1 cup light brown sugar {packed}
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cup roughly chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup butter {melted}
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tbs dark rum {optional}
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • One 9-inch deep dish pie shell {unbaked}
  • 1 cup pecan halves

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar and eggs until creamy. Add the chopped pecans, melted butter, milk, flour, rum, salt and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Arrange the pecan halves on top of the pie in a circular pattern.
  2. Bake the pie for 55 minutes. Check for doneness by shaking the pan slightly. The pie should be firm with only a slight jiggle in the center!
  3. Serve with vanilla ice cream or with a dollop of whipped cream or if you like me, BOTH!!
  4. Enjoy 🙂

Pecan Pie :: Granola Girl Bakes 2

Pecan Pie :: Granola Girl Bakes 1
Pecan Pie :: Granola Girl Bakes“O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
Psalm 107:1
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Cherry Almond Biscotti

Granola Girl Bakes :: Biscotti 3

Twas the day before thanksgiving and all through the house… there was a lovely aroma of Cherry Almond Biscotti! 😉 Now, I have to admit, I was never a HUGE biscotti fan but when my mom showed me the recipe and asked me to make it I was eager to give it another try. I have to say, I now love Biscotti!! So, I sit here with a lovely cup of coffee and a  piece of crunchy sweet biscotti while I post the recipe. 🙂 Makes for a delightful afternoon! The combination of dried cherries & almonds are just perfect! Whether you Dip it in chocolate, or dunk it in coffee, eat it with icecream, or just by itself, y’all are sure to love this biscotti recipe!

Recipe source: Allrecipes
Original recipe makes 32 biscotti
  • 1 3/4 cups dried cherries
  • 1/2 cup amaretto liqueur
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup chopped blanched almonds
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar, divided

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Stir dried cherries and amaretto liqueur together in a saucepan over medium heat until the amaretto comes to a simmer; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the liquid for later use.
  3. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper. Beat butter with 1 cup sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat 3 eggs into butter-sugar mixture, one at a time, blending in each egg before adding the next. Stir reserved cherry liquid and vanilla extract into the wet ingredients.
  4. Beat butter with 1 cup sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat 3 eggs into butter-sugar mixture, one at a time, blending in each egg before adding the next. Stir reserved cherry liquid and vanilla extract into the wet ingredients.
  5. Stir flour mixture into the wet ingredients a little at a time to form a smooth dough. Gently fold cherries and almonds into dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, divide in half, and form each half into a log 12 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide. Gently press the logs with your fingers to flatten to a thickness of 3/4 inch. Transfer loaves to the prepared baking sheets, brush with beaten egg, and sprinkle each with 1 1/2 tablespoon white sugar.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven until the loaves are golden brown, about 35 minutes. Transfer loaves to wire racks and cool for 20 minutes. Use a sharp knife to slice each loaf on the diagonal into 16 pieces. Transfer the biscotti to baking sheets. Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
  7. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes; flip biscotti and bake until crisp and lightly browned, about 8 more minutes.

Granola Girl Bakes :: Biscotti 6

Granola Girl Bakes :: Biscotti 5

Granola Girl Bakes :: Biscotti 7

Granola Girl Bakes :: Biscotti 2

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Pilgrim Pies!

Pilgrim Pies :: Granola Girl Bakes 2

“Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.”
Psalm 84:5

Pilgrim Pies!…… Well, I am pretty sure the pilgrims never tasted these before! 😉 It has become a tradition that I make these at least once around Thanksgiving and then I blog about them! 🙂 So, today was the day. I spotted that delightful can of organic pumpkin in the pantry that I had been saving for this very occasion, my grandpa was here to visits, and we needed a dessert!! Decadent cream cheese frosting sandwiched between two delightfully spicy pumpkin cookies! Doesn’t get much better in the pumpkin realm than this! 😉

Original Recipe Yield 12-15 “pies”

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup softened butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 (15oz) can Pumpkin
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1tbs pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
Filling
  • 4 oz cream cheese – softened
  • 1/2 cup butter – softened
  • 2tsp vanilla
  • 4-5 cups powder sugar

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees .
  2. Beat eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, and pumpkin  in large bowl. Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, soda, powder, and salt until well combine.
  3. Using an ice cream scoop(my favorite kitchen tool) or large spoon, spoon 1/4 cup dollops onto ungreased cookie sheet 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 11-14 minutes or until bottoms are golden. Let cool on tray for 5 minutes then remove from tray and let  cool completely on parchment.
  4. Prepare filling. Combine all filling ingredients and blend on high speed until smooth and fluffy!
  5. Pipe filling onto 1 cookie and top with the second cookie. Continue with remaining cookies!
  6. Brew an extremely large pot of  coffee and enjoy!

Pilgrim Pies :: Granola Girl Bakes 5

Pilgrim Pies : Granola Girl Bakes 6

Pilgrim Pies : Granola Girl Bakes 7

Pilgrim Pies :: Granola Girl Bakes

Pilgrim Pies :: Granola Girl Bakes 1

Pilgrim Pies :: Granola Girl Bakes 3

 

 

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Spiced Eggnog Cupcakes

Spiced Eggnog Cupcakes ::GranolaGirlBakes

It’s eggnog season! 🙂 If your like me, you anticipate this season, hoping the stores see the need to stock their shelves with the creamy spicy goodness a few weeks early. And when the day finally arrives and the eggnog is lining the shelves, you buy near a gallon! 😉 Best brand I have tasted by far is Promise Land!! Seriously delicious. 🙂

So this morning I woke up to near freezing temperatures, the air was crisp, the sun was shining, and it finally and truly felt like FALL! Plus, I was super hungry and couldn’t think of anything I would rather do this fine day than bake. 🙂 So, I set out to create a recipe I had been thinking about for a few days, Spiced Eggnog Cupcakes!! An added plus was I was kid-sitting 2 little ladies who just happen to have way more energy than I do! So they both lent an overly helpful hand. 😉 A spicy pound-cake baked to golden perfection, a bit of buttery caramel, then a rather decadent eggnog cream cheese icing tops it off, but don’t forget to sprinkle the nutmeg & cinnamon and add a caramel drizzle to complete this mouth-watering cupcake! Truly, one bite will have you saying “now that’s fall!” 😉

Yields 24 decadent cupcakes! 🙂

Cake Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3 1/2 cups  flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup eggnog

Eggnog Icing Ingredients

  • 1 cup salted butter {softened}
  • 1 8oz softened cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup eggnog
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 pkg {7 cups} powdered sugar
  1. Line 24 muffin cups with liners and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter and sugars together, beating until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
  3. Add vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.
  4. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; add flour mixture to egg mixture alternating the eggnog, and beginning and ending with the flour.
  5. Pour into prepared muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes or until golden and inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool on wire rack.
  6. Meanwhile prepare the icing! Place all icing ingredients in large mixing bowl, beat(starting on slow speed and working your way up to med-high speed) until fluffy(about 4-5 minutes!)
  7. Spread about 1tbs caramel on top of cooled cupcakes. Then pipe on icing, sprinkled with a bit of nutmeg & caramel, and finish with a delightful caramel drizzle!
  8. Enjoy!!

 

Spiced Eggnog Cupcakes ::GranolaGirlBakes 18

Spiced Eggnog Cupcakes ::GranolaGirlBakes 23

Spiced Eggnog Cupcakes ::GranolaGirlBakes 11

Spiced Eggnog Cupcakes ::GranolaGirlBakes 9

Spiced Eggnog Cupcakes ::GranolaGirlBakes 3

Spiced Eggnog Cupcakes ::GranolaGirlBakes 4

Spiced Eggnog Cupcakes ::GranolaGirlBakes 6

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near”
Isaiah 55:6

 

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