103011 Brown-butter Toffee Blondies

The toffee bits add a nice crunch and sweetness to this recipe. It's a dense cookie bar but not too, too sweet. The dough does not "pour" into the pan as the recipe suggests. It needs to be spread into the lined 9x13" pan, which is actually tricky because the parchment paper tends to slide around. It's a yummy blondie recipe and pretty easy/quick to make (except for spreading in the pan). I didn't cut the cookies into various shapes as Martha calls out but they taste pretty good whether diamond cut, heart shaped, or square!!

102311 Cornmeal Thyme Cookies

The thyme sure does make a nice kitchen aroma...but I'm not too keen on savory cookies. My mom enjoyed them, but she also liked the anise cookies I made a while ago (another savory recipe). Very easy to make and they came out just like the picture in the cookie book. They're very soft and have a slight crunch due to the cornmeal. I used cranberries instead of currants but it really didn't make a difference because the thyme overwhelms the whole cookie.

101511 Orange Cardamom Madeleines

It's amazing how delicate these cookies look considering how simple they are to make. It's all in the scalloped pan!! The recipe is easy to follow and the cardamom adds an interesting fragrance not commonly found in cookies. But, it's the orange icing that really takes this cookie way past ordinary Madeleines!! And, the icing also helps cover up some of the air pockets/holes - not sure what caused these holes on some of the cookies?? I made a second batch paying special attention to the egg-sugar mixture and gentle introduction of the dry ingredients....but to no avail - some cookies still had air holes. Holes or no holes, the cookies are delicious!! I sent a box to my sister - hope she enjoys them! A "keeper" recipe and something that can be put together last minute (but allow for the 30min refrigeration time).

100811 Cigarettes Russes

This recipe was actually fun to make, even though it was quite involved. Definitely time consuming and one needs to move fast once the cookies are out of the oven. I baked 3 cookies at a time and constantly had to oil the wooden spoon handle between rolling each cigarette;otherwise, the cookie will stick to the handle and refuse to come off. Surprisingly, the batter was easy to spread on the baking sheet - must use an offset spatula. Keep an eye on the oven because they bake fast! It was easier to make short fat cigarettes as opposed to long skinny ones - I guess you can call them cigar russes (fitting for my husband)!!

100211 Old-Fashion Sugar Cookies

This is probably one of the best sugar cookie recipes I've come across in a long time!! The lemon zest and juice really adds a nice touch. The cookies are big, soft and chewy with the perfect amount of sweetness! Definitely a keeper - a recipe I will make again and again! The double application of sanding sugar adds a nice sparkle and crunch.