090711Peanut Butter Cookies

This recipe was very easy to make and the only big issue I had with it was the estimated baking time of 25 minutes - they actually only took ~12 minutes (almost burned a few). The dough is very moist and the chunky peanuts make it difficult to press in the cross-hatch pattern with a fork - which is the peanut butter cookie "trademark". I embellished the cookies with drizzled semi-sweet chocolate; makes them a bit messy to store but well worth the combo-flavor! Don't expect a soft & chewy cookie - it's more on the "soft" crisp side. Not bad....but I prefer the soft & chewy type.

082811 Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies

Bursting with chocolate and coconut, this recipe is not only super yummy but is a cinch to make!! I used both white and semisweet chocolate chips. The generous amounts of walnuts and coconut gives this drop cookie a lot of body. A keeper and will definitely repeat!'

081411 Baci di Dama

Ooooh! These are very close to chocolate French macaroons! I used fine castor sugar instead of granulated sugar, and I used blanched almond flour (baked a bit to dry it out). Cookies piped easily and the tops came out pretty smooth. However, very little "foot" on the cookie bottom (not sure why?). Overall, the cookies are very delicious and presents a nice chocolate flavor. East to eat since they're bite size! I"ll have to play with this recipe again!

081311 Raisin Bars

These raisin bars are very easy to assemble. I used golden raisins and some dates (what I had on hand). I should have followed the recipe and use half the dough on the the bottom and half on top (I used 2/3 on the bottom- the remaining 1/3 dough for the top was just enough for minimal coverage). I think the raisin filling is a bit sweet - may consider reducing the sugar to 3/4c. An "OK" recipe.

080711 Fig Pinwheels

These cookies were a but hard to put together - mainly, the dough kept falling apart even after overnight refrigeration. And, a very sharp knife is needed to slice the refrigerated dough. The fig filling is delicious and the overall cookie is pretty yummy! The end result is a very soft cookie that comes out more oblong than round (hard time shaping the cookie w/o the filling squeezing out). Browns and bakes nicely, though.

073111Milk-Chocolate Cookies

These cookies are unbelievably delicious!! I'm not a milk chocolate lover but this recipe may turn me into one. It's easy to assemble - I used Trader Joe's Milk chocolate bar. The dough is a bit wet but keeps it's shape when dropping them onto the baking pan. Don't guess with the time - bake exactly 15minutes and all will be good!! The cookies are light, soft and airy. A keeper for sure!!

072411 Cherry Almond Biscotti

Hands down, this is my favorite Biscotti recipe! The amaretto-simmered cherries add so much flavor and moisture to this biscotti - it's not your typical crusty, hard cookie that needs java dunking. The biscotti is enjoyable by itself. Aside from simmering the cherries in amaretto, the recipe is easy to assemble. Rolling the dough into logs prior to flattening on pan is a smart way to go - I actually formed a slight mound down the center to give the "curved" look. It takes a bit of oven time - bake-slice-flip - but worth it! Excellent recipe and good chance of me making another batch before the week's up!!

071611Bourbon Currant Cookies

The whiskey aroma of this recipe was wonderful as I took he cookies out from the oven...unfortunately, the flavor could not be detected in this recipe. I opted for whiskey instead of bourbon (an alternate). The recipe was pretty straight forward, and the dough easy to work with. The currants were just "ok" with respect to adding character to the cookies but, overall, the cookies remained simple and plain tasting. Though the heart cutouts were attractive with the currants peeking through, I'm not sure if I would make these again.

071011 Fresh-Peach Drop Cookies

These are the perfect summer cookies! The fresh peach flavor burst through these moist, lightly sweetened nuggets! The recipe is pretty easy to assemble once the peaches are cored, peeled and diced (the 2 large peaches yielded about 2cups). The dough is a bit wet and so, as recommended, I refrigerated the batter until they were ready to go on the pan. The bite size cookies make them easy to pop in your mouth. Must remember to make these every summer when fresh fruits are in prime season!!

070411 Raspberry Almond Blondies

This is an excellent recipe! The fresh raspberries with the almond slivers are a perfect summertime treat..an anytime treat!! It's easy to make and, except for the fresh berries, all the ingredients are "cupboard" standards. Some of the raspberries get a bit mushy and make the blondie bite a bit wet in some areas. But, the doesn't distract from the great sweet treat that it is!!