I firmly believe that all people in this world can be divided into two categories: 1) Those who love chocolate, and, 2) Those who don't yet love chocolate. Needless to say, I fall distinctly into the first category. I also believe that we first category dwellers are happier creatures. We live secure in our knowledge that there's a magic potion called chocolate Professor Snape's big secret, promise not to tell? that can make everything better. Well, everything except broccoli. But that doesn't really count. To you second category folks, all I can say is...I hope your epiphany moment comes soon, and you join us happy people in the magical world of chocolate cravings. Until then, don't make … [Read more...]
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
The other day I was talking to one of my coworkers about...what else? Cookies. He was mentioning his preferences in cookie flavors, when he made a shocking statement. "I don't like chocolate. And I don't like peanut butter." I opened my mouth in shock and horror. "My wife," he continued, "always says-" and at the exact same moment as he finished his wife's statement, I was verbalizing the exact same sentiment. "What is wrong with you?!" This may be insulting to some, especially to said coworker who had such nice things to say about my blog, but I truly believe that it's difficult to be happy without chocolate. Throw in some peanut butter? That's pretty much bliss. Assuming you are among … [Read more...]
Mocha Chocolate Chip Bars
I'm in love with a dessert. This dessert. I know, it shouldn't happen, especially to a gal who doesn't try her desserts, but...well, I can't help loving this recipe. For starters, it has coffee. In multiple forms. In my book, coffee=awesome. A dessert recipe with coffee? Double awesome. Then there's the matter of how absolutely quick these are to make. The first time I made these, I stuck them in the oven and looked at the clock in amazement. The entire thing had taken just minutes from start to finish! I mentally swore off every other kind of cookie besides for bars, then, because I am crazy that way, I set out to make super complicated cookies. Because making such an easy recipe was like, … [Read more...]
Chanukah Style Peanut Butter Blossoms
***Before we start – have you signed up for my email newsletters? You’ll get new recipes, cooking tips, menu suggestions, kitchen deals – and more! Click here to signup.*** Who is ready for some chanukah cookies?! I've had this idea for ages. There are many cookies that involve pressing a chocolate or some other candy into the finished cookie, and a while ago I realized that a Chanukah chocolate coin would be the ultimate item to finish off a cookie for Chanukah. I waited for ages until the local stores started their seasonal displays of Chanukah merchandise. I happily purchased a couple of pouches of these delicious coins, and settled into my chair with a stack of cookbooks to … [Read more...]
Glazed Raspberry Cookies
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...]