I don't know if you've noticed, but I am kinda sorta..alright very into how things look. A delicious cookie is a delicious cookie, and don't anyone get the impression that I undervalue a delicious cookie, but a delicious cookie that looks nice...well, that's a winner on every front. I know, some people read: guys absolutely wouldn't know the difference between a pretty cookie or a non-pretty cookie if it bit them in the nose. Just the other day, one of the guys I work with, a big fan of my cookies, invited me into his office to taste a cookie that his wife had made. And probably to get my expert opinion. It only seemed fair, he reasoned, that after all of the cookies I had given him, he … [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...]
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...]
Bakery Style Cookies
A recent comment on Twitter by my friend pointed out that the last three cookie recipes I posted involved rolling the balls in something before baking. "Too complicated", she complained. "How about a cookie recipe that uses 4 or five ingredients?" As soon as she said that, I knew I'd be posting these delicious cookies. The dough involves just three ingredients, and takes minutes to throw together. The end result is a soft, almost flaky cookie that will make you nostalgic for the sprinkle covered bakery cookies of your childhood. These cookies are endlessly versatile. While they are hot out of the oven, they are soft and somewhat pliable, so you can press something into the cookies (as I … [Read more...]
Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies
Y'know when you bite into a cookie and think "yeah, I know what this is gonna be like" but then you take that bite, and instead, you're greeted with a delightful surprise? No? Well that's because you haven't tried these cookies yet. From the outside, they look like chocolate cookies. Good chocolate cookies, mind you, but that's pretty much it. Then you taste them and... a surprise is waiting for you! A chocolate cookie is definitely a nice thing. But even a very good chocolate cookie is "just" a chocolate cookie. We've all had those. I originally saw this recipe on Recipe Girl, and just from the look of it, I knew it was going to be one of the best cookies I had ever made. Bite … [Read more...]
(Not Your Bubby’s) Honey Cookies
Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year) is coming, and it's traditional to have honey to symbolize our hopes for a sweet new year. In past years, I have made various honey cakes- for tradition's sake. The problem? My family isn't big on honey cake. So this year, I went a different route. Instead of the traditional heavy honey cake or cookies, I made a delicious and more modern style of honey cake. It's light and modern, yet still has that honey taste: i.e. it's the best of both worlds. I've been planning to make these cookies ever since I got this cookbook- almost a year ago. The dough is one of the most interesting I've ever worked with, so I have to admit I was skeptical from the moment I … [Read more...]