122112 Sugar Cookie Cutouts

I made this recipe the same day I made the Gingerbread snowflakes. Very good sugar cookie recipe and, again, the royal frosting was perfect for these cut-outs. Simple flavor as expected from these traditional treats. I did not freeze the cut-outs prior to baking (freezer was full). A definite go-to recipe when cut-outs are needed.....including the icing!

122112 Gingerbread Snowflakes

This recipe has a strong molasses flavor - not surprising with the 1.5c the recipe calls for. The dough is very pliable after refrigeration. I did not freeze cut-outs prior to baking (turned out fine). I'm not a big fan of gingerbread cookies so I'll probably not make this recipe again. Time consuming but very pretty! The royal icing was perfect for this "gift" cookies.

120912 Chocolate-cherry Thumbprints

The recipe actually called for Strawberries but I thought tar cherries always go well with chocolate & cream cheese - plus, strawberries are out of season. The specified oven time of 10-15 minutes was a bit too long, and it's difficult to see the bottom of the cookies darkening. Must keep an eye on the cookies. Yummy but cookie is not soft;more on the crispy side. Not bad but probably won't repeat.

112112Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

Excellent pumpkin cookies - soft, cakey pumpkin with a not-too sweet icing. Fun to pipe cookies followed by piping the icing. The icing was very pliable and not runny. My niece was a quite a helper with this recipe- which we took to our Thanksgiving gathering (was a hit). A keeper for the holiday season! Fun for the kids to make.

112412 Brandy Snaps

Hmm...don't really care for the ginger flavor in this recipe. And, they're a bit involved to make - have to work quickly before the cookies harden. Somewhat plain tasting...not too happy with the recipe. Will not be revisiting.

110312Anzac Biscuits

Hands down, this is probably the easiest recipe in the entire MS Cookie book!! No mixer, no eggs.....and not a bad tasting cookie/biscuit! Leaves a wonderful aroma in the kitchen. I used a rich maple syrup my mom had brought back from Maine last month...yummy! Will likely make again if I'm in a pinch!

102112 Double Chocolate Brownies

This is a very good brownie recipe, especially if you like them chewy.A cinch to make and very decadent! Basic ingredients, but it's the process that makes the recipe. Very forgiving and makes for a nice "beginners" brownie recipe. Excellent all-around recipe.

101312 Pecan Tassies

What an Excellent Recipe!! I made it twice within a week. Super easy and the tassies are super delicious! The mascarpone cheese in the dough adds such nice texture to the crust. I was extremely generous with the pecans....not too sweet, either. This recipe can be made within an hour, easily! A keeper for sure.

100612 Chocolate Cherry Crumble Bars

This recipe was a little involved from simmering the cherry filling, to making the cocoa crumble, whisking the kirsch mixture, and double baking...whew! A bit on the sweet side but not too bad. Could have been a bit more moist. Not sure if I would make this again...ROI not good. Plus, the picture I took didn't turn out too good.

092312 Sand Tarts

These cookies are very simple tasting - rather on the plain side. It's an easy recipe and doesn't require any exotic ingredients. Not much to blog about thesecookies

and more than likely will not be repeating the recipe.

090812 Fruit and Nut Cookies

This recipe becomes exceptional when you start with Trader Joe's Simply Best Trex Mix, which has most, if not all, the listed ingredients wrt fruits and nuts. I used 2lbs of the mix and threw them in the food processor for a few seconds. Easy drop cookie recipe with a very delicious flavor (especially because the TJ Trex Mix is one of my favorites!). And, I did add the required coconut for a little sweetness.

090312 Vanill Malted Cookies

I went to 4 different stores looking for the malted powder and finally found it at Target! Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Vons and Ralphs did not have any malted milk powder. Pretty easy recipe to put together but took some muscle to pipe onto pan. The cookies tasted like vanilla short bread cookies - pretty yummy and easy to pop into your mouth due to the shape. My son's friends found them very delicious!

082512 Mocha Shortbewad Wedges

Very, very easy recipe with a strong coffee and chocolate flavor -- more on the coffee side since I used freshly ground Puerto Rican coffee. I used a springform pan lined with parchment paper (a little difficult spreading the dough evenly in the pan-parchment kept sliding). The cookies came out just like the picture with a nice texture.

081912 Classic Shortbread

Hands down, these were the best shortbread cookies I have ever baked! Not only is the recipe easy, it only takes 1c of butter. I went out and purchased a fluted tart pan w/ a removable bottom for this recipe - well worth it since I'll be making the recipe again and again and again! Very delicious butter cookie and not dry at all!!

081212 Dulce De Leche Bat Cookies

My sister and I went looking for a cute cut-out in lieu of the bat - to no avail. Not only did we not make a cut out, but my sister recommended using Fleur de Sel salted caramel sauce instead of Dulce de Leche. All in all, the cookies turned out yummy... a bit gooey but delicious! It's a sweet cookie with the filling - I'm sure it would have been just as sweet with the Dulce de Leche.

080412 Sarah Bernhardt Cookies

These were the most time consuming cookies to make thus far...and somewhat challenging! Spooning the melted chocolate on the barely warm cookies was difficult - the chocolate kept hardening too fast (I wasn't working quick enough as the recipe calls for). The almond cookies were just ok and the truffle like filling was a bit too sweet. The picture and recipe sounds wonderful but my version of Sarah Bernhardt's didn't come close to being enjoyable. I'll have to find a bakery that bakes them right!!

072912 Chocolate-Orange-Espresso Thins

This recipe was easy to assemble. I brushed on OJ instead of water - it left a nice subtle orange flavor that went nice with the coffee and chocolate cookie. I thought the cookies were a bit dry but maybe they're suppose to be that way being "thins".

072212 CHocolate Ginger Brownies

Easy recipe to assemble....with a very ginger aroma lingering in the kitchen. No mixer necessary;all ingredients stirred into the saucepan! The batter doesn't pour into the pan- it's more like a dough ball (?). All turned out ok - I'm not a bi

g ginger fan but my mom loved it!!

071412 Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Peanut butter and chocolate are always a great combination, and so it's no surprise that this recipe was sensationally yummy! However, I have made a similar recipe starting from a brownie mix...much easier, faster, and the end results is pretty close. The recipe is pretty easy to assemble;the peanut butter filling is delicious and a keeper for future recipes (like chocolate cupcake filling).

071412 Lemon-Apricot Sandwiches

This dough is very delicious - nice tart lemon zing!! I used a 1.25" round cutter and thought that was too small (the recipe called for a 1.125" round cutter). The cookies are a good bite size tea sandwich and go very well with tea or coffee. Since the cookies are thin, you need to keep an eye on them in the over (burn fast). I didn't freeze the dough as recommended and I thought the cookies came out fine. I thought the jam through the sieve was too thin and ended up using the jam straight out of the jar.

070112 Chocolate-Almond-Marsala Cookies

This recipe was very easy to make;patting it into a log was effortless provided adequate flour was used. Regrettably, I opted out the orange peel,which I think would have provided a whole new dimension to the cookie flavor. I'll definitely have to repeat this recipe w/ the orange peel. However, the cookies were delightful w/o the orange and had a nice chocolate-almond combination. The aroma in the kitchen due to the Marsala and chocolate was quite pleasant.

062412Blueberry Bonanza Bars

For this recipe I used a cherry preserve (not blueberry jam) from Trader Joes and pecans for the granola (instead of almonds). The Cherry Bonanza Bars turned out awesomely good! At first I was going to use store bought granola but I ended up making the granola recipe - I'm glad I did because there was extra granola to enjoy with milk-yummy! The bars were a bit sticky to cut but manageable after the peripheral bars were removed. The recipe is pretty easy to assemble and uses the food processor (not mixer). I think the tart cherry preserve limited the sweetness of the bar - which made the cookies very delightful to eat!

061712 Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

These cookies were very easy to assemble, especially since you mix & chill the dough overnight. Interesting combination of chocolate and molasses...I would replace the peeled ginger w/ something like tart cherries. The cookies are very moist and chewy. I'm not a big molasses fan but my foodie friend loved the combination of flavors - she thought there was a good balance.

060312 Butter Twists

These cookies are very easy to assemble - and the ingredients are in everyone's cupboard. Simple, butter cookies that have a nice twist to them! It's a recipe one can make in a pinch - perfect with tea or coffee!

052012 Chocolate Meringues

These meringue cookies were very easy to assemble and they don't require a long list of ingredients. I used castor super fine sugar which made the cookies very smooth. The cookies need sometime to cool and dry out, otherwise they tend to be tacky. I'm not a big meringue fan but these bite size cookies were easy to pop-in the mouth and enjoy!

052812 Coconut Cream-filled Macaroons

I couldn't readily find any unsweetened coconut and so I used the sweetened coconut flakes. The cookies weren't all that sweet to me but to some, they needed a good cup of java to wash it down. The cookies took a bit of time to assemble - after I flattened each one, I found myself shaping each cookie so that there weren't any loose flakes poking out on the sides. Not a bad recipe

but one really needs to love coconut to enjoy these cookies!

051212 Macadamia-Maple Sticky Bars

This is a pretty good recipe - the macadamia nuts and maple syrup makes for a nice, sweet combination. The recipe is easy to assemble and if you follow the pan preparation, the bars come out easily from the pan despite all the stickiness. Since I'm not a ginger fan, I omitted the candied ginger. Also, I used raw sugar in place of maple sugar - it all came out delicious! I may very well repeat this recipe sometime in the future.

050612 Earl Grey Tea Cookies

I'm not an Earl Grey tea drinker so I used Hawaiian Hibiscus lemon tea instead. Very nice aroma and subtle flavor. An easy recipe to assemble and make ahead of time since you have to freeze the dough for an hour before slicing/baking. Pretty plain, simple cookie without complex flavor/texture. I never made cookies with tea leaves, so this was an interesting recipe.

042912 Pear, Pistachio, and Ginger Blondies

Since I'm not a big fan of ginger, I substituted pineapple for the candied ginger pieces. Also, since I couldn't readily find dried pears, I used dried mango. Given that, I'm sure I put a whole new twist on this recipe....at least I kept the pistachio in the mix. Very easy recipe to assemble. Actually, the pineapple-mango-pistachio combination wasn't too bad.....a blondie I've never experienced before. Not bad, but I'd like to revisit this recipe once I locate some dried pears.

042212 Cranberry-Pistachio Cornmeal Biscotti

Very easy recipe to make. I love the crunchiness the cornmeal adds to the biscotti cookie. And, the cranberry tartness blended with the nutty pistachios is a perfect combination! Oddly, the recipe didn't require the biscottis to be baked on both sides, i.e, after slicing the cookies, the 2nd bake is kept to one side of the cookie. For firmness, I flipped the cookies half-way through the 2nd bake time.

As with most biscottis, these were perfect with coffee/tea. My colleagues at work enjoyed them during the afternoon break.

041512 Chocolate Waffles

For this recipe, I borrowed my Mom's waffle iron which happened to be a Belgium waffle iron, i.e. deep pockets.  The recipe actually worked pretty good where it was more like a brownie cookie than a thin, soft chocolate cookie.  I omitted the chocolate icing to avoid too much sweetness - the powdered sugar was sufficient.  The cooking time was closer to 1 minute - one must be careful not to burn these cookies because we all know burnt chocolate goes in the round barrel.  Using the belgium waffle iron, the recipe only yielded 3dozen.  Very easy recipe to assemble and the iron allowed me to make 4 cookies at at time.  I'll probably revisit this recipe!

040812 Thin and Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies

My daughter chose this recipe today - simple but yet an all-time favorite! The bake time is on the high side- the cookies were ready in 15 minutes (not the recommended 20-25minute). Easy to assemble...basic chocolate chip cookie recipe except a little more butter and sugar to make it crispier and thinner. Kids love them...

040312 Rocky Ledge Bars

This bar recipe is a winner for the kids! It has chocolate chips, butterscotch chips , white chocolate chips, marshmallows and caramel! Next time, and there will be a next time, I think I'll add some nuts. The recipe is very easy to assemble and you don't need to pull out the mixer. To spread the dough in the pan, I used a plastic glove with a light spray of PAM. Excellent sweetness and great with coffee!! Another keeper recipe.

032412 Surprise Cookies

OMG!!- these are incredibly delicious! A soft chocolate cookie with a gooey marshmallow filling, finished with a nice cocoa frosting - how can a recipe like this go wrong!! A bit time consuming with the double baking and individual cookie frosting....but worth the effort. The trick to prevent the marshmallow from sliding off the cookie during baking is to really press the marshmallow piece into the center of the cookie- almost like making thumbprint cookies. Otherwise, your pan gets sticky - don't forget to use parchment paper. I also used a 1.5" ice cream scooper, instead of the recommended 1.75" - the cookie size was perfect. The picure shows a couple of cookies w/o the frosting. I used peppermint marshmallows from Whole Foods - yummy! Definitely a keeper ....

031812 Iced Hermits

If you don't care for ginger (like me), this recipe isn't for you. However, my mom and foodie friend thoroughly enjoyed these iced hermits! The candied ginger pieces apparently worked very nicely with the molasses. I found the dough very hard to spread in the pan, but it didn't matter as it expanded to the pan edges during baking. My foodie friend liked the icing as well....my mom took almost the entire batch with her to Hawaii to share with her sister...another ginger lover!

031012 Cocoa Shortbread Hearts (Diamonds)

I didn't have a diamond cookie cutter so I used my heart shaped one. This recipe is very easy with minimal clean-up - all the ingredients get thrown into a food processor until a ball of dough is shaped. Little flour is needed on the rolling board and the dough is very pliable. The drizzled white chocolate is a must- adds a nice balance of sweetness!Pretty, too!A keeper of a recipe with a quick bake time!

030412 Rosemary Butter Cookies

This recipe was such a delight to make - crushing the fresh rosemary produced a nice, pleasant aroma. Easy to assemble, slice and bake. I actually made this recipe twice in one week. A foodie friend of mine suggested some lemon zest would add a nice touch to the rosemary. And, it did - I would definitely modify this recipe to include about a tablespoon of fresh lemon zest :) to be added along with the dry ingredients. The baking time was a little much - I reduced the time to 12-15 minutes. The perfect cookie to serve with tea or coffee.

022612 Mexican Wedding Cookies

This recipe has a delicious raw dough--no egg! Very easy to make and the toasted almonds add such a nice aroma to the kitchen. The baking time is way too long -the cookies were done in half the time. The cookie is not terribly dry considering extracts are the only liquids;nor do they fall apart when eating them. I did a single dusting of powdered sugar - more than adequate. They are nothing like Russian Teacakes, which are a supposedly a variation of this recipe. The cookies need a very slight flattening before going into the oven; just enough to hold 2 almonds.

021212Pecan Linzer Cookies with Cherry Filling

These cookies are so pretty and appropriate for Valentine's Day!. The cherry filling works perfectly with the pecan cookie. It's a bit involved to assemble and one of the more time consuming recipes. I used a round cutter with an inset heart cut out - just as pretty! I would definitely not substitute the cherry jam with any other berry/fruit flavor. Cookies are a bit fragile, so don't press too hard when sandwiching the jam.

020912 Brasteli

These cookies were so fun to make!! I got such a deal at Bed, Bath & Beyond on the brasteli iron - $9.99!! (Originally priced at $39.99 - what a deal!). The recipe calls for 7-9c of flour - I used only 6c. The cookies took around 2min/2 bratselis, with the cookie dough rolled to 1.5" diameter balls. Very simple, sweet flavor....and very pretty flower pattern! I can't wait to try variations of the recipe, such as chocolate, hazelnut, jelly filled, etc. Great investment in the pizelle iron!

012812 Lime Hearts (Flowers)

I didn't have a flower cookie cutter so I improvised and use my heart cutter....just as pretty. This is a surprisingly, wonderful egg-less cookie! It's bursting with lime flavor and has a nice crispy, crunch. Next time, I would roll dough between two pieces of parchment paper - no flour needed but I wouldn't use the counter top. Very delicate cookie and goes great with tea!

012212 Fortune Cookies

In honor of Chinese New Years, I attempted this Fortune Cookie recipe. It's a recipe that I feared when I took on this journey with Martha - it looked so complicated to assemble. But, with the help of my daughter, the adventure turned out to be so enjoyable that we decided to make Fortune Cookies every Chinese New Year! We made personal fortunes for family, friends and co-workers before any baking began. We learned that only 3 cookies can be baked at a time given the "seconds" you're given to fold the cookie (with fortune)with thumbs and fingers before the cookie hardens. I would fold a cookie and my daughter would hold it in place for 10-15secs. The batter was quite easy to make, and a cinch to spread into a 3-4" circle. To my surprise, my Gold-touch pan left a beautiful pattern on the cookie;one of my friends remarked that it looked like a tiger's print. The trick was remembering which fortune was in which cookie....

012012Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

The raw cookie dough for this recipe is Excellent!! I used sour cherries instead of raisins - what an awesome combination with the handful of chocolate chips I also threw in. I took these cookies to a volleyball tournament and they were the perfect "sugar" snack in between matches! I substituted the wheat germ with additional flour. Next time, and there will be a next time, I'll reduce the amount of cinnamon (not a fan of cinnamon in oatmeal based cookies). Very delicious recipe! Soft and chewy cookies....yummmm!

011412Buttered Rum Meltaways

These cookies were very easy to assemble;they sliced easily without falling apart. Strong nutmeg/cinnamon flavor that works very well with the buttery cookie. Recipe yields the predicted 4 dozen. A recipe easy to make in a pinch that can be stored in the freezer for up to a month.

010812Coconut Cookies with Curd

The recipe called for a passion fruit curd but had mentioned that any curd would suffice. I recently picked up a jar of Cabernet Sauvignon curd from Carmel and thought it would work nicely with the cookies. The key to cutting out these cookies is to make sure the dough is adequately chilled and firm- otherwise you'll end up using more flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin/mat. The additional flour will prevent the cookies from rising and having a soft, puffy finish. I thought the cab curd was "ok" but my husband thought it worked very well with the cookies. The cookies were a bit on the sweet side....I would cut back on the coconut. Not sure I would make this recipe again....bit time consuming for a very sweet cookie.