040713 Ginger Cheesecake Bars

I used ginger snap cookies from Trader Joes - very strong ginger flavor in the cookie crust!! I sprinkled some cookie crumbs on top, too. Very easy recipe to assemble. However, I'm not a big fan of ginger and these ginger snaps area bit overwhelming for me. The cheesecake was pretty common and simple. Maybe next time I'll use ginger snap cookies that are a bit more mild.

033113 Prune Rugelach

This was the first time I made any rugelach recipes.....and it was wonderful!! Quite a bit of work, but the cookies are well worth the effort!! You have to plan ahead for these cookies since the prunes have to soak in the brandy overnight, along with chilling the cream cheese dough. Lots of small bowls to be assembled with the various sprinklings - it was fun to make and the cookies are very yummy!! I'll have to make these again when my sisters are in town!!

033113 Umbrella Sugar Cookies

As you can see, I used bunny cut-outs instead of umbrellas - more fitting since today is Easter. The recipe has a nice lemon zing and the royal icing adds a bit of sweetness -actually, a little too much sweetness. Next time, I'll cut back on the icing. Very easy to assemble...a nice sugar cookie recipe.

032313 Icebox Spirals and Bulls-Eyes

This recipe is a bit too simple and plain tasting. Somewhat involved since you have 2 doughs to work with....I only made the bulls-eyes since I halved the recipe (good thing). Make sure that the dough is rolled out to 1/2" thick otherwise the dough starts to tear if it's too thin. Probably won't repeat...

030213 Whole-Wheat Date Bars

These are very delicious date bars...reminds me of the fig bar recipe. The whole-wheat adds a nice crunch! The recipe is a bit involved but worth the effort. Multiple dough chilling and you have to take out the food processor for the date filling - serious clean-up time.

022413 Peppermint Meringue Sandwiches with Chocolate Filling

This recipe was a bit more involved than I expected. I added a tad of cream of tartar to help stiffen the meringue. The ganache was a bit runny - maybe I needed to use better quality chocolate (?). So, I improvised and concocted an apricot filling since the ganache just wasn't staying put. Not bad. I skipped the red food coloring, too. Probably won't be repeating this cookie recipe....

021713 Chocolate-Ginger (Leaves and Acorns)

I used a heart cookie cutter since I didn't have any leaves or acorn cut-outs. Easy to assemble and dough is pliable. However, I'm not a fan of ginger or molasses - so this recipe won't be revisited. The cookies taste like a chocolate ginger snap...interesting.

021013 Cassis Crisps

This recipe was a pleasant surprise!! I used Chambord raspberry liqueur in place of the black-currant liqueur......and the cookies were excellent!! There's a subtle hint of raspberry with every bite and the cookies are just a tad on the soft side...very nice! I will be making these again in the near future...not too sweet and perfect with tea/coffee.

020913 Chocolate Malt Sandwiches

Pretty easy to assemble once the not-so-common ingredients are gathered. I had to make a run to the store for Creme fraiche, half-half, cream cheese .....I actually had malted milk powder. The cookies puff up in the oven and then flatten out. The filling is a bit on the sweet side....making it a must to have a glass of milk or cup of coffee with the decadent cookie.

012613 Fig Bars

Oooohhh! These are excellent!! A bit involved to assemble but well worth it! I used Calimyrna figs from TJs. My cousins Lori & Erin helped me out in the kitchen. Quite a bit of refrigeration stages but I suggest making the fig filling while the dough is chilling. The fig filling is delicious and fills the kitchen with a wonderful aroma! I made this recipe 2 weeks in a row and plan to make it again....