Hearst Castle Shortbread

I baked these for my former manager who was moving back to Scotland. The recipe was used at Hearst Castle. Hearst Castle was the 127-acre estate of William Randolph Hearst near San Luis Obispo, CA. I picked the recipe because my aunt lives near and used to be a tour guide there. Although not a traditional Scottish recipe, it did meet with approval from my Scottish manager (as well as everyone else).

Mocha Macarons

 When I went to Paris with my mom and aunt I had macarons for the first time. Real French macaron not American macaron with coconut (shudder). I consider myself a reasonably adept baker but was unable to master the macaron so I was very excited when I saw a French cooking class offered. I learned a lot. Apparently a lot of French cooking is about mastering the properly beaten egg white. We made a pear tatin, marshmallows (which I will have to make and post as they are great fun) and souffles.

Chocolate-Cream Cheese-Peanut Butter Bars

Hey, guess what: I'm alive! I know it has been hard to tell based on my posting frequency, but I'm hoping this recipe will make up for it. This is a peanut butter cookie bar base with a lay of chocolate, followed by a layer of cream cheese and peanut butter, topped with more crumbled peanut butter cookies. Yeah, I know, you still love me.

Chocolate-Espresso Snowcaps

This is the last of my Christmas cookie posts and it is only February. Although you wouldn't know it in Seattle where we're on day two of sunshine and 60 degree weather. Cory and I sneaked out of work a couple of hours early yesterday to enjoy the sun. Totally worth it. He is on a plane to Boston for a week right now, so I predict lots more posts in the next week especially when the weather gets nasty again (and it will, Seattle likes to taunt us every year with a couple of days of faux Spring before more rain).

Millionaire's Shortbread

Hey guys, look more cookie recipes. I was back at my parents' house in Moscow, Idaho for over a week this Christmas and I baked a lot of cookies. I am trying to catch up with them. I realize it lacks variety but really, who can complain about more delicious cookie recipes. I promise soon there will be non-cookie recipes (interspersed with even more cookie recipes, what can I say, I love cookies).

Nutella Cookies

I first had Nutella when I lived in Germany with my family when I was 12. I remember it being called something else but there is absolutely no evidence of this so it is probably a false memory. I went ice skating with a friend and there was a crepe stand where you could buy Nutella filled crepe. It was love at first taste.

Butterscotch Cookies

Cory actually picked out this recipe and did a lot of the work. I directed him, though and cleaned up after so I feel justified in posting it. These cookies were super tasty.

Rugelach

I am back in Moscow for Christmas but before I left I got to have over some of my wonderful friends (one of whom lives in NYC and I never get to see) to eat and decorate cookies. It made me so happy to see them. I made rugelach at the request of my dear friend Sarah O. I have actually always wanted to try them but thought they seemed a little difficult. But they weren't and they were so totally delicious. The recipe is cutting in line of a bunch of other posts because my friend Rula wanted the recipe and since I think she will have more time over the break to cook then when she goes back to med school I am posting it for her. So you can thank both of them for getting this excellent cookie recipe.

Peach Shortbread

Here is another recipe from my CSA box that may be a little out of season. However I think replacing the peach slices with apples or pears or even preserves would make a delicious year round dish. Shortbread is one of my favorite types of cookies. This bar type shortbread is especially nice for Christmas cookie season because it saves time on shaping the cookies but the shortbread still delivers on fanciness and flavor.

Chocolate Chunkers

These cookies created a new record at the office: two minutes after I sent out the e-mail saying I had cookies I had to send out another e-mail saying they were all gone. Two minutes! I may have said these were the most epic cookies ever but I stand by it.

Honey Lavender Madeleines

These madeleines were delightful. Lavender and honey give them a delicate and distinct flavor. A perfect summer afternoon treat!

Peanut Butter Cookies

These peanut butter cookies are totally amazing.  I love peanut butter.  I used to eat it out of the jar with a spoon.  Okay, I still eat it out of the jar with a spoon.  But did you know that if  you mix peanut butter with maple syrup it is even better.  I mean, it seems pretty obvious once I say it because maple syrup is also awesome, but it had never occurred to me.  If you have never had maple syrup and peanut butter mixed together and baked into chewy deliciousness, you should probably make these cookies because you, my friend, are missing out.

Blondies

Or: things I have been doing instead of updating my blog

I know, that is not a picture of blondies. I have to admit, I entirely failed to take a picture of the finished blondies. I made them for a wine tasting trip; for the picnic pictured above. If you have never taken a Friday off of work, rented a limo and gone wine tasting, you are missing out because it was seriously an awesome, awesome day. You should do it. And the limo is really part of the experience.  It isn't extravagant at all.

Canadian Butter Tarts

This post is in honor of the Vancouver Canucks and all their fans (except for the ones who were lighting cop cars on fire).  For those of you (aka Americans) who have no idea what I'm talking about; game 7 of the Stanley cup (that's the hockey playoffs) happened yesterday and Vancouver lost to the Boston Bruins and some of the Vancouver fans took it rather badly.  But no reason to be sad when you've got these sweet little morsels to cheer you up until next year.

Chocolate Chip Meringues

I love meringues, so sweet and light.  It has been really hard for me to not eat the entire batch of them; I could eat them non-stop.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

Sorry for the Thanksgiving interlude in my Christmas cookie recipes.  That post has been bugging me . . . "Why haven't you posted me yet?", "It's been over a month", "I'm waiting" etc.  But now back to Christmas cookies.

Russian Teacakes

 My grandmother used to make tons of Christmas cookies every year to give out to neighbors and friends.  I remember one year I forced my way into the process (my grandmother doesn't allow for much help in the kitchen).  As I am my grandmother's only grand-daughter, I can get away with that sort of thing.  This was probably when I was in my early teens and just starting to get really into baking and I thought it was such a great tradition. After my brothers get done with this recipe though, there usually aren't enough cookies to give to friends.

Orange-Pecan Shortbread

I am still in Moscow, Idaho for one more day and the snow is just cascading out of the sky right now.  I'm half loving it and half worrying about my flight, but it is hard to beat a backdrop of flurries of snowflakes.  Christmas just isn't the same without snow.

Triple Ginger Cookies

 Merry day after Christmas.  I am finally taking the time to post some cookie recipes.  I even have recipes left over from Thanksgiving to post, oops.  I will try to be better about that in the coming year.  To make up for it, here are some amazing cookies. 

Maple Hazelnut Cookies

One of the nice things about cookies is once you've learned a few basic recipes (shortbread, spice, chocolate chip etc) most other recipes are just variations on that theme. Without spending a lot of time becoming a baking expert, you're able to quickly start modifying your own recipes. You get to be creative and almost always the results are totally delicious.