Here's an important thing to know about the non-dieting Miriam: she loves ice cream. And she loves cookies. And she thinks the combination of the two is about as awesome as it gets. Here's an important thing to know about the dieting Miriam: she really wishes she were the non-dieting Miriam. And a part of her must be an idiot to make something like this that so desperately tempts the non-dieting Miriam to come out of hiding. Am I confusing you? Let's sum it up like this: I suddenly realized that I have never posted a cupcake recipe here, and can't think of a more awesome cupcake to get things started than one that basically imitates one of the world's most delicious ice cream flavors: … [Read more...]
Snickerdoodles
Every now and then, I make a dessert recipe which is an enormous success, and half of me winds up regretting it. Why, you might ask, would I regret an amazingly successful dessert? The answer, my friends, is simple. I enjoy being creative with my baking. I enjoy playing around, adapting recipes, trying new things, etc. And for the most part, people around me are happy with that. I say for the most part, because when I make one of these disastrously successful desserts, I spend weeks, and, depending on just how successful it was, even months, hearing people respond to my delightful treats with comments such as "but what about your Snickerdoodles?" Or "these cookies are delicious, but you … [Read more...]
Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies
Let's talk for a minute about dieting willpower. I know, the title doesn't seem to introduce a post about diets, and the recipe certainly isn't intended for someone on one, but hear me out, there is a point here. There are different kinds of willpower people have when dieting and losing weight. There's the minor form of willpower. That's the kind that is generally found in skinny people who want to lose a pound or five. They can't figure out why they can't stay motivated to lose weight. I can. They don't need to badly enough. The second kind of willpower is the kind you find in someone with a significant amount of weight to lose. These people know how much depends on their weight … [Read more...]
Tiny Pecan Pies and a Pie Crust Tutorial
Until a couple of months ago I was absolutely terrified of making my own pie crust. Any and all desserts that involved pie crust started with one out of the freezer aisle in the grocery store. Then one of my coworkers asked if he could order a pie as a treat for his family for Rosh Hashanah. My first instinct was to say no, after all, I had never made a pie crust, and didn't want to try it for the first time on a customers. But as I have mentioned before, I never like to turn down a customer, so I did some research, and I said yes. I explained that it was going to be my first time making a homemade pie crust, and he agreed. I spent a long time searching the internet for advice and … [Read more...]
Cream Cheese Swirled Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake
Generally I only find out about Nation [insert-delicious-treat-here] Day at the end of it, as I sit down to read through the day's blog posts and I see that everyone else commemorated it with a delicious dessert and mouthwatering pictures. Luckily, that won't be the case for my favorite dessert in the world: National Bundt Cake Day. Strictly speaking, bundt cakes may not be my favorite all-time dessert, but they sure are my favorite to make: minimal design, gorgeous looks...what's not to love? Back to this most glorious of all national holidays. The banks and the postal service may not be closed, but thanks to The Food Librarian and her month-long bundt campaign, I knew about this day … [Read more...]
Peanut Topped Peanut Butter Cookies
If you've read my about me page, (c'mon, you know you're curious!) you know that I sell homemade cookies and other treats. It's a very side business, and I don't push it much, mostly because I simply have no time. I don't, however, like to turn down an order, as the money is going to a special fund for my SLR camera. Imagine how cool it will be to take pictures for the blog on something other than my iPhone? In general, I love to bake, and I am super happy to take an order. The problem is that sometimes a customer orders something that I am simply not in the mood to bake. That's what happened the other day. Someone emailed me asking if I could bake them a couple dozen peanut butter cookies. … [Read more...]
Maple Sandwich Cookies with Toasted Pecans
This post is dedicated to all of my awesome friends and followers on twitter, and the exploration of just how helpful twitter is in day-to-day life. And no, this isn't sponsored by the Twitter folks (like they'd care about lil 'ol me!) nor is it a fishing expedition for new twitter followers. (Although you should totally follow me.) Here's what happened. I was in the middle of baking cookies, and couldn't decide if I liked the rough shape or the smooth shape. I made a tray with half of each, figuring I would decide how they looked baked. They came out of the oven, and I still wasn't sure. So I took a picture, and I tweeted it, asking people which they liked better. I was amazed at the … [Read more...]
Nutella Crinkle Cookies…and I Survived a Blackout!
I often wonder what life would have been like had I been born a hundred and fifty years earlier. Maybe I shouldn't admit to this, but I sometimes think I would have sat in the darkness, staring at a candle, pining for an iPhone. Sure, iPhones wouldn't have existed in those, days, so I wouldn't have known what an iPhone would be, but still, I like to think I'd have wished for one. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but I do love my electronics. I am happier in front of a computer than almost anywhere else, and I would pick a shiny touch screen device over a shiny piece of jewelry any day. Future husband, take note. And so, had you told me a week ago that I would survive close to 36 hours … [Read more...]
Double Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies
I had a very difficult time naming these cookies. Even before I made them, I was coming up with names in my head, trying to figure out a clever title worthy of these clever cookies. It all started when I was walking down the cereal aisle in the local grocery store, and I saw this: Image via Wikipedia A little light flashed in my brain. How awesome would it be to bake chocolate cookies with little chocolate chip cookies in them? Naturally, I had to find out. I bought a box and brought it home. Then a month of Holidays got in the way, and it wasn't until last week that I had time to bake for fun and try new recipes. That's when I finally made these. Then the naming dilemma really kicked in. I … [Read more...]
Apple Cherry Layered Crumb Cake (Kugel)
Remember the Kugel Quandary I had recently? Well, in case you were not yet confused about kugel, here we go. Honestly, I am highly uncertain about posting this recipe as a kugel. It's a cake, really. But when it comes down to it, a sweet kugel (such as this one) is really nothing but a great excuse to eat dessert halfway through your meal. And how can anyone not like that? To avoid confusion, I am going to call this a cake, going forward. Call it a sailboat if you want. The important thing is that you make it and thoroughly enjoy it. Now, a little bit of background on this cake. A number of years ago, just before a holiday, my father came down with a nasty infection and had to be … [Read more...]