Peanut Butter and Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

I love homemade peanut butter cookies with the little fork marks on top.  And those puffy ones with the hershey kiss plopped in the center.  Those are the best honestly.  But when I bake I’m always looking for ways to make classic flavors and recipes conform to my rather strict visual standards.  I like things to have a consistent, clean shape and tidy edges.  I especially like to make things one level fancier than is necessary.  These yummy peanut butter sandwich cookies do just that. Continue reading “Peanut Butter and Chocolate Sandwich Cookies”

Eggnog Snickerdoodles

Over the next month I will be on a mission to post every cookie that’s ever been a standard in my Christmas cookie boxes.  I try each year to send a box of cookies to our relatives that we won’t be seeing during the season.  It’s a special tradition for me because deep down, way way deep down, I’m sort of a softy.  And nothing says Merry Christmas From Your Secretly Sentimental (emphasis on mental) Relative like a box of cookies. Continue reading “Eggnog Snickerdoodles”

Gingerbread Birdhouse Cookies

Sometimes I like to overly complicate things.  For instance, I once based an entire dessert around a Caramelized Spruce Syrup that gets brushed onto the cake layers and is made by collecting spruce tips in the spring and tenderly caramelizing them.  Then I coordinated the rest of the cake around an IPA palate, frosted it twice and covered it in gold leaf, oversized gold-plated sprinkles and chocolate work.  I’m low-key like that. Continue reading “Gingerbread Birdhouse Cookies”

Orange-Cardamom Snowflake Cookies

These beauties always pop into my mind as I wait for the first snow of the year to fall.  They’re sweet and crisp, crunchy and buttery, with just the right amount of orange and cardamom.  And they are EASY.  My friends like to say, “Oh, maybe for you that’s easy!  Mine wouldn’t look like that.”  But I swear to sweet baby carrots, these are the most straightforward sugar cookies you are ever going to meet.  And because no snowflake is alike, variations and “mistakes” just make them more charming.Orange-Cardamom Snowflake Cookies Continue reading “Orange-Cardamom Snowflake Cookies”

Glazed Apricot-Pistachio Cookies

I have drop-cookie issues.  I know they’re tasty and easy and much beloved. But I really can’t handle the uncertainty inherent in a cookie that just gets plopped onto a cookie sheet with a spoon.  I need cookies to be precisely scooped or rolled or cut out, not “dropped”.  Making chocolate chip cookies leaves me deeply unsatisfied.  I’ve been thinking about a cookie with dried fruit and nuts but all my internet research led straight to drop cookies. So I got to work cooking up some delicious fruit-nut cookies that could be rolled out and cut into precise circles.  No blobs allowed!

Continue reading “Glazed Apricot-Pistachio Cookies”

Soft Chai Snickerdoodles

Soft Chai Snickerdoodles

I used to work for a wedding photographer back in the day, before digital photography was a thing.  He was very eccentric, had a lot of odd habits and some very strong opinions.  He once leapt from a moving train that had gone express mid-route to avoid being late to class.  He woke up the next day in the hospital with a nasty head injury then ran a marathon 3 days later.  To save time while eating he would mash entire slices of bread into dense balls he called “cowboy bread” which he washed down with as much milk as he could safely drink in one sitting.  He was unapologetically hostile towards new trends in photography, such as color film.  He was fond of saying, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”  I thought he was a curmudgeon and a bit daft at the time but it turns out that’s exactly how I feel when it comes to the almighty PUMPKIN SPICE. Continue reading “Soft Chai Snickerdoodles”

Weezy’s Honey Cake

 

I love my little weirdos.  All of my three kids have special talents and hilarious quirks.  My son has an insane amount of energy, charm, musical ability and dramatic flair.  If the entire cast of a cruise ship musical production could be crammed into one person, that would be Simon on a slow day.  My middle daughter, Ramona, is artistic, soulful and passionate.  Her art teacher once told me, “She’s like a conduit, the ideas and inspiration just pour out of her.”  I wish this were a kids’ art blog because she is truly gifted. Continue reading “Weezy’s Honey Cake”

Blackberry Bramble Bars

Blackberry Bramble BarsDespite my own personal views, apparently cupcakes are not the solution to every problem.  Sometimes you need to bake something for a brunch, for a potluck, or for a weekend treat and for some reason cupcakes just won’t work.  Sigh.  You don’t have to like it, but you do have to have a go-to, delicious, and simple recipe that will still get rave reviews.  This is it.  Plus, they have fruit in their name, so I’m thinking they’re probably very healthy. Continue reading “Blackberry Bramble Bars”

The Perfect Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting

It’s handy to have a basic frosting for every occasion and this Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting is a decorator favorite. It holds it’s shape perfectly to show of ornate designs.   It smooths easily for a finish as crisp as fondant and is sturdy enough to weather warmer temperatures.  And the flavor! Yum! Continue reading “The Perfect Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting”

Rich Chocolate Almond Buttercream

Rich Chocolate Almond ButtercreamThis week I’ll be posting three of my best frosting recipes, a basic frosting for every occasion.  Today’s topic:  Rich Chocolate Buttercream made with cocoa powder.  Some recipes call for melted chocolate.  But melting chocolate just adds more bowls to wash and more steps.  This recipe is insanely delicious and is finished in minutes.  Super chocolatey, super rich.  The almond extract and hint of salt put it over the top.  It is my most-requested frosting, hands down.  Continue reading “Rich Chocolate Almond Buttercream”