vanishing oatmeal raisin cookies

So, one week into my month long vacation in the country and I am exhausted. Partly due to the fact that I spent three hours working from home, partially due to the fact that my husband went back to the city to do a job and won't be back upstate until Friday - the longest time we've been apart.

With all the trouble of getting things ready for my leave taking I forgot all about the Leftovers Club. So, I made some oatmeal cookies and sent them from here to Norma over at Allspice and Nutmeg. Recipe was from the oatmeal box (adapted, of course) and package was sent from the local post office, just two blocks walk away.

You may be saying, Oatmeal cookies again!? I know, I know, but they are sooo good and have become my go-to treat: healthy, just enough sweetness to stave off that craving... and I made these cookies in mini muffin tins. I think it adds something to them, don't you?

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Makes 30-35 mini muffin cookies, adapted from Quaker Oats Quick 1-Minute Oatmeal container

Ingredients

• 1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 white whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1 cup raisins

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light. 
2. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.
3. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Combine well.
4. Add oats and raisins.
5. Drop one tablespoon of dough in each ungreased mini muffin tin.
6. Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes, or until browned on the edges. Cool completely. 

An InLinkz Link-up

chocolate scones

Friday was one of those days. You know the ones. It poured all morning and my clothes were drenched. Then I sat in an air conditioned office for hours on end becoming a human popsicle.

But then... a ray of sunshine. I had a free facial at Aveda scheduled at lunch time. I went in with a sour attitude. The air was on in the store and I immediately stated that I would not be able to stay for my appointment due to the frigid conditions in the store. But the woman behind the counter said very sweetly, "We can turn it off if you'd prefer." 

What?? I was taken aback. I didn't want to make anyone else uncomfortable. But she assured me it was no problem. And I had the most luxurious 20 minutes in recent memory. No purchases required.

So, if you are having a horrible day schedule a ray of sunshine for your lunch time. So worth it! Even when you get drenched all over again on the way home.


Chocolate Scones
Makes 8 scones, from Peas and Crayons

Ingredients

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 
• 3/4 cup unbleached white-wheat all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 cup cacao powder 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter 
• 1/2 cup soy milk  
• 2 Tablespoon instant espresso powder 
• 1 large egg 
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  
3. Grate butter with the largest setting. This is such a great way to get the butter incorporated.
4. Add the espresso powder to your dairy and stir to dissolve. 
5. In a small bowl, whisk your egg and combine with the espresso milk and vanilla.
6. Use a fork to move the flour mixture to the sides of the bowl, making a hole in the middle, then pour the egg mixture into the center. Stir until just moistened, then fold/knead in the chocolate chips. With the dough still in the bowl, knead for 3-5 strokes.  At this point the dough will seem less crumbly and more like a typical dough.  Grab a sheet of parchment paper and lightly sprinkle with flour to prevent sticking.  Gently knead your until smooth, trying not to exceed 10-12 total strokes if possible.  Shape into a 7 inch circle on your baking sheet and cut into 6-8 wedges.
7. Bake on the center rack at 400F for 10-20 minutes, using a toothpick to test the center.  

almond chocolate biscotti {leftovers club}

I lived in Amsterdam for a summer and fell in love with the way they serve coffee or tea.

True it was always 2 Euro a cup (I was not yet ensconced in the Starbuck's trend of  $2-$4 per cup) but every time you order one it came with one or two small cookies.

Without fail.

AND, you could sit at your outdoor café seat for hours without anyone bothering you.

How civilized is that?

So, make sure to have your coffee or tea AND your cookie. You'll thank me.

The Leftovers Club is a wonderful way to share your treats with total strangers. I sent these lovely biscotti to Elizabeth @ Cooking With Milton.

Check it out... it's addictive!

Almond Chocolate Biscotti
Makes , adapted from Biscotti, by Lou Seibert Pappas

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole roasted almonds
• 1/3 cup butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 2-1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Cut nuts into two or three pieces. Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and zest.
3. In separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Add creamed mixture, mix until blended. Mix in almonds and chocolate chips.
4. Divide dough into two parts and roll each half into 8 inch long, 2 inch wide flattened logs. Place on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Take out of over and, with a serrated knife, slice logs diagonally, making 1/2 inch slices. Place slices on their sides and bake another 5-10 minutes on each side. Place on a cooling rack. Enjoy!

An InLinkz Link-up

maple oatmeal cookies

Could this weekend have been any nicer?? Even the thunder storms were gorgeous. I just love a thunder storm.


We went to a really cool play by the Trusty Sidekick Theater, with the kiddo on Saturday. It was a simulation of camping in the woods, complete with campfire and wild life. My son really enjoyed it... and as soon as it was over he said, Let's go the country house.

It is kind of funny that we were sitting in a simulation of what we could have been experiencing for real. The weather was so nice we thought, Why not. And at the last minute packed our car up and away we went. And we were so lucky to have a gorgeous day on Sunday.

I hope you are not tired of oatmeal yet. Here is another recipe - these were really good... but then they all have been. Maybe I should just make oatmeal cookies every week for the rest of the year. Could be worse.


Maple Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 30 cookies, adapted from Baker Bettie

Ingredients

• 1 stick softened butter (1/2 cup)
• 3/4 cup sugar, preferably dark brown sugar 
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour (preferably all-purpose)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup steel cut oats (I like this addition - makes the cookies more crunchy)
• kosher salt (optional) 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until completely combined.
3. Add the egg and mix until incorporated. Add the vanilla, baking powder, and cinnamon and mix until incorporated.
4. Stir in the flour then the raisins, chocolate chips, walnuts and oatmeal until combined.
5. Drop rounded mounds of dough on ungreased parchment covered cookie sheets and sprinkle with salt if using. Flatten the dough mounds slightly before baking.
6. Bake at 350ºF until just lightly browned on the edges and middle still looks undercooked, about 9 minutes.

chewy banana oatmeal cookies {gluten free}

Why would a new pizza bar open up in Bushwick? It would really need to distinguish itself. It couldn't have thin crust, locally grown, farm-to-table pizzas, like the very famous Roberta's has.
It'd have to be different.

Last week, on my way home, I walked by a new pizza bar, Archie's... and I was thrilled.

I mean, Roberta's is great. But it is pretty pricey, you cannot order before 6pm, AND it sometimes takes 2 hours to receive your order. And just forget about eating there - you'll be waiting for a table longer than you eat.

We ordered from the new place and they have distinguished themselves. They serve Chicago style, thick crust pizza, beer on tap, hot subs and salads. That is all. And they are super friendly. Which is refreshing. A casual atmosphere that harkened back to my college days.

My son ate almost an entire 10 inch pie. Amazing. And the beer that was on the house didn't hurt either. If you're in the neighborhood check them out.

This is my Leftovers Club selection for the month of May. I am sending these to Bea @ Secrets From My Apron. 

She seems to be a more advanced baker than me so I hope I do not disappoint with these cookies. They are super tasty but not professional like macarons or madeleines.

Chewy Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Makes cookies, adapted from Julia's Album

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup regular granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Important note about properly measuring flour using measuring cups: The proper way to measure flour using measuring cups is to aerate it first. This is done either by sifting flour, or aerating it by fluffing it up and whisking it well, then spooning it into the measuring cup, then carefully removing any excess flour with a knife. If you just stick that measuring cup in the bag of flour and scoop some out, you will get a lot more flour than what the recipe calls for. Do aerate the flour, or you will end up with dry dough! :)
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, mash the banana. Add the egg, oil, brown and granulated sugars, yogurt, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
4. Add the banana-egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the oats, then fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Take a tablespoon of dough, form a ball and drop the cookie dough ball on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat, spacing the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart. At this point, I would refrigerate baking sheets with cookie dough balls for about an hour to chill the dough. This will ensure that cookies, when baked, will not flatten out, and that they will remain tall, so that we end up with thick and chewy cookies!
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cookies are golden brown on the top as well as the sides. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

An InLinkz Link-up

pistachio lime shortbread sandwich cookies {#BakeForACure}

My very favorite food blogger, Joanne Bruno of Eats Well With Others, asked me and a bunch of other food bloggers to join her in a cookie fund raising project for cancer research.

Each of us are making a batch of delicious cookies and offering them for sale, highest bidder takes the batch.

Mine are these refreshing shortbread cookies with lime filling. Perfect for a spring picnic, if you don't eat them all out of the box.

Check out the yummy treats up for bid on her website: Bake to Cure Cancer.

Bidding starts Monday, April 21 and ends Wednesday, April 23.

Have your sweets and put your money toward a good cause at the same time. Can't beat that!

Pistachio Lime Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
Makes about 20 cookies, adapted from Epicurious

Cookie Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup natural unsalted pistachios, ground
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Filling Ingredients

•  1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 powdered sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Zest of 1/4 lime

Cookie Instructions

1. Mix flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter, pistachios, and vanilla. Using on/off turns, mix until moist ball forms. Transfer dough to work surface. 
2. Flatten dough on a wooden cutting board to about 1/4 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to make shapes. Please on parchment lined baking sheets and refrigerate for one hour.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F.
4. Bake shortbread until barely golden, about 18 minutes. Cool shortbread on baking sheets.

Filling Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Spread between cookies.

browned butter oatmeal cookies {#theleftoversclub}

I have heard about browned butter around the food blogosphere but never actually made any... Until now.

And Wow. Browned butter is such a nice addition to your normal every day cookie. It tastes like toffee.

For this month's Leftovers Club I was paired up with Charlotte Turtle, who was coincidentally in NYC last month, although briefly. These are hands down the best oatmeal cookies I have made, to date. I hope she liked them.

Browned Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 28 cookies, barely adapted from Tutti Dulci

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 scant cup raw sugar
• 1/8 cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoon vanilla
• 2/3 chopped, pitted dates

Instructions

1. Cook butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it foams, turns clear, and then turns a deep brown, about 6 minutes. Pour browned butter into a glass measuring cup and chill in the freezer until solidified, about 45 minutes to an hour.
2. Whisk together flour, oats, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat solidified brown butter and brown sugar in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until creamy. Add egg and vanilla, beating to combine. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture; beat just until incorporated. Stir in dates. Cover dough and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Form 1 1/2″ balls of dough and place two inches apart on prepared baking sheets; flatten mounds slightly. Bake for 9 minutes, until edges are set. Cool for 2 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

An InLinkz Link-up

salted white chocolate and coconut oatmeal cookies

I don't know if you noticed, but our mayor and governor are not getting along. All, or most, bones of contention seem to revolve around NYC public schooling.

I am currently embroiled in the process of looking for, and choosing, a school for my Kindergarten-bound son. It is the topic of conversation on all the playgrounds.

Where have you applied? What school are enrolled in now? What are you looking for in a school?

Between the G&T test, lotteries, and being out of district, everyone seems anxious.

Or maybe it is just me.

I toured a local charter school the other day. Charter schools has been a hot topic in the news. Publicly funded, privately run schools.

I found the school I toured efficient and super animated. I also found it very competitive; each student seemed to be up against the others to find the best answer, sit the tallest (in yoga), be the most attentive. Positive reinforcement.

The pros are: good test scores, well behaved children, accelerated learning environment, more teachers per students. The cons are: a lot of pressure, long hours, young inexperienced teachers.

Salted White Chocolate and Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 20 cookies, adapted from Averie Cooks

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil 
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch salt, optional and to taste
• 1 cup un-sweetened shredded coconut, loosely laid in 
• 1 cup old-fashioned whole rolled oats 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup Ghiradelli white chocolate chips

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the egg, coconut oil (if it's solid, briefly microwave enough to obtain 1/2 cup melted/liquid state oil, measured like you'd measure any other cooking oil), sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, optional salt, and whisk to combine.
2. Add the shredded coconut, oats, flour, baking soda, and stir to combine.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips. They'll have a tendency to slip out of the dough and fall to the bottom of the bowl, but keep folding them into the dough.
4. Form 16 equal-sized mounds, about two heaping tablespoons of dough each. Gently squeeze the mounds to ensure the dough is tightly packed and the chocolate chips are well-embedded. The dough is slightly crumbly yet oily, but comes together when squeezed.
5. Place mounds on a large plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking; no exceptions. The coconut oil needs to re-solidify in the fridge. Do not bake with warm dough because the cookies will spread and bake thinner, flatter, and you could have oil puddles.
6. Preheat oven to 350F, line baking sheets with Silpats, or spray with cooking spray. Place mounds on baking sheets, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet). Bake about 9 minutes, or until edges have set and the tops are just beginning to set, even if undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. The shredded coconut is prone to burning so keep a close eye on the cookies. Do not bake longer than 9 to 10 minutes for soft cookies because they firm up as they cool, and as the days pass they'll dry out quicker. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
7. Store cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

poppy seed kolache

My husband has been waxing poetic about this dish ever since I met him. A Romanian traditional sweet bread with poppy seed filling, served at Christmas time.

I am not stranger to poppy seed pastry, growing up on the Lower East Side - before it was chic - with a plethora of Jewish bakeries around the neighborhood. Plus a Jewish grandmother, serving pastries up during our weekly Sunday visits. I have very few memories of her that don't involve baked fare: noodle kugel, sponge cake, apple pie. It may be where I get my baking genes. Lord knows they didn't come from my mom.

Kolache seemed to resemble hamantaschen, until I actually made them. These little sweet breads are more like rolls than cookies. Super fluffy light with a yummy dense center of poppy seed goodness. As my grandmother would say, What's not to like?

And we started filing our taxes. I have no words. I hope yours were less aggravating than mine.

Poppy Seed Kolache
Makes 16 pastries, from Simply Recipes
Ingredients

• 4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace or ground nutmeg
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Canned poppy seed filling (or make your own*)
• Raisins (optional)
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp milk

*Poppyseed filling (if you want to make your own filling, otherwise, you can use canned)

• 1 cup poppy seed
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/3 cup chopped dates
• 1/3 cup chopped nuts
• Dash of cinnamon

Instructions

1 In a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups of the flour, the yeast, and nutmeg or mace; set aside.
2 In a medium saucepan heat and stir the 1 cup milk, the 1/2 cup butter, the granulated sugar, and salt just until warm (120 degree F to 130 degree F) and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to dry mixture along with the two eggs and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping side of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and as much of the remaining flour as you can.
3 Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes total). Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease the surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size (for 1 to 1-1/2 hours).
4 If you are making the poppy seed filling from scratch, combine the filling ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until it thickens, stirring often. Set filling aside to cool.
5 Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Grease 2 baking sheets.
6 Roll each dough half into a 16x8 inch rectangle, about an 1/8 inch thick. Cut each rectangle into 8 4x4 squares. Place a large, heaping tablespoon of poppy seed filling onto the center of each square. If you want, add a few raisins to the top of the filling. Brush the four corners of each square with water. Draw the corners up and gently press together. Secure with a toothpick. Place on parchment lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Cover; let rise in a warm place until nearly double (about 35 minutes).
7 Brush with an egg wash made with one egg beaten with a tablespoon of milk. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely. Remove toothpicks. 

in search of the perfect chewy oatmeal cookie

Lately I've been hankering for some chewy oatmeal cookies. The kind I can feel good about eating a whole plate of.

These are pretty good. Chewy, for sure. Nicely sweet, not too much, not too little. Plus they have chocolate chips. Can't beat that. Not sure if they are the perfect ones. I will try some others and decide. Are you with me on my adventure? I hope so. Should be yummy one.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 24, adapted from Heart Mind & Seoul

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter , softened
• 1 cup raw sugar
• 1/8 cup molasses
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. In a large bowl cream together sugar, molasses and butter. Beat in one egg at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in oats and chocolate chips.
3. Drop heaping spoonfuls onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to coll before transferring them to a plate since they will fall apart before they have set.

bite sized cocoa meringues {leftovers club}

What do you crave on a blustery day, while cuddled up in a blanket, reading a good book? Well, hot cocoa, of course. And don't forget the marshmallows.

I really wanted to send Marissa, over at Pinch and Swirl and my Leftovers Club partner this month, a cup of warm goodness, but the postal system being as it is I settled for bite sized cocoa flavored treats which are a remarkable mixture of marshmallow fluffiness and melt in your mouth crispness, definitely a hot cocoa sensation. I hope they help to keep her warm, if only by association.

The perfect Valentine's Day treat - just enough to satisfy that chocolate urge, but not too much to overwhelm (molten lava cake I am looking at you).

The Leftovers Club is a super cool way to have your blog noticed by other bloggers. It is a way to see what other people are making AND it is a great way to score some yummy treats and share the love at the same time. So, what are you waiting for... join the club!

Bite Sized Cocoa Meringues
Adapted from Hidden Ponies
Yield: 4 dozen small cookies

Ingredients

• 3 large egg whites
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 250F.
2. Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt at high speed of a mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.
3. Sift cocoa over egg white mixture; fold in. 
4. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper; secure to baking sheet with masking tape if necessary. Spoon batter into a piping bag fitted with a piping nozzle. Squeeze onto baking sheet in small mounds. They can be very close together as they will not spread much with baking.
5. Bake at 275F for 45-55 minutes or until crisp and dry. Cool on pan on a wire rack. Repeat procedure with remaining batter, reusing parchment paper. Store in an airtight container

An InLinkz Link-up

more gingerbread cookies, lists and resolutions

Now is the time of Lists... Lists of favorites, lists of worsts, lists of all the superlatives you can think of. And lists of resolutions, of course.

Here is a very small list of the things that I highly recommend from 2013:

FIVE books my son read and loved (I am omitting the dinosaur themed ones due to their copiousness, and because there isn't a dinosaur book my son doesn't love):

The Mitten by Jan Brett
A House is A House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman
Bear's Dreams by Janet Slingsby
Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey

FOUR (yes, FOUR!!) ways I used this amazing gingerbread recipe by Deb:
House, Holiday Cookies, Number Cookies, Linzer Tortes.

THREE ways I enjoyed eating Kale:
In salad. In this dish by Joanne. In this dish by me (a very simple dish - you have no excuse not to make it):

Kale and Mushrooms over Rice
2 tablespoons oil (I suggest sesame oil)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 inch long fresh ginger piece, peeled and minced
1/2 bunch kale, stemmed and ripped into small pieces
1 cup sliced mushrooms (any variety)
1/4 -1/2 cup tamari sauce

1. Heat oil, onion in a large skillet until onion is translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant. Add mushrooms, kale and tamari and cover, stirring occasionally. Cook until kale is wilted and mushrooms are soft. Serve over rice.

TWO books I read and loved:
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett may be my new favorite novel, replacing History of Love by Nicole Krauss. It is about a pharmaceutical researcher/doctor who is sent to the Amazon to find and bring back the results of a study being done on a tribe of people whose women are fertile way past the usual time of menopause. I brings up questions about how we are treating our bodies, having children so late in life, something very pertinent to my life.

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht. I started this in 2013 but am still reading it so I don't have the entire plot worked out. Suffice it to say that I am having trouble keeping my eyes off it. Oddly enough the protagonist is also a female doctor.

ONE Television series I completed and was obsessed with for the last few months: Breaking Bad.

So, resolutions? Do you guys have some? My husband doesn't believe in them. He's the tortoise. He knows the value of slow and steady. I am definitely the hare. Quick, quick and run into a wall. This may well be why we work so well together.

Any way, back to resolutions. I have two. Lose the cheese from my diet again - even if it is not as bad as I thought, it is still not making me feel good. And get into shape... I know, I know, not very original. Ah well... what can I tell you?

One - Do some bit of exercise once every day
Two - Eat only two kinds of cheese - feta and parmesan
Three - Complete three creative projects - draw, paint, write... make jewelry?
Four - Do something just for myself 4 times a week
Five - Make 5 soups

gingerbread house with lemon frosting and happy new year!!

Isn't it nice having some time off for a change??

Feeling very lazy these days... can you tell? Only one post a week, if that. It feels good to take some time off, learn ow to use my new camera, (my old one died) and stop running around for a few days. Just to breathe. I hope you are also having a relaxing few days - to recoup, regroup, take inventory.

After reading this book to my son, he insisted on making a gingerbread house - to catch the gingerbread baby, of course. I'd already made tons of gingerbread cookies but my own curiosity prevailed. Would I be able to pull it off? So I realized that I wanted to make a house as much, if not more, than he did.

Here is my sorry attempt. Like with the cookies of Christmas, the frosting was too runny and didn't stick completely, although the house did hold up on its own, defying gravity, for the few moments it was left alone to dry, about 15 to be exact, before we all devoured it completely. It was mighty tasty, since I made the frosting with lemon juice. The lemon and ginger compliment each other nicely.

Gingerbread House
One small house
Use 1/4 of Smitten Kitchen's Spicy gingerbread recipe
You can make cookies with the other 3/4 - or trees and other things to embellish your house.

Cut the following pieces:
2 walls with peaks - cutting a door and windows
2 walls without peaks (far right)
2 roof pieces (bottom) - measure the height and length of the walls for this measurement - and add a bit for the overhang
2 chimney pieces with cut for roof
2 chimney pieces without cuts - these measure the length of the other roof pieces from point to top.

Piece can be any size - so long as they all match each other and so long as you have enough dough for them all.

I cooked the pieces I cut out in case I wanted to use them on the outside as decoration. You can be really inventive - much more than I was. I didn't have a lot of candy for the outside since we planned on eating the final result. I just used the frosting to make a shingle pattern and added some green sparkly sprinkles.

Gingerbread House Frosting
Makes one gingerbread house glue and decoration

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Juice of 1 small Meyer lemon
1 teaspoon corn syrup

1. Mix sugar and syrup. Add lemon until the mixture is all wet but still firm. My mistake was to use too much lemon. Try it while very firm, before adding more liquid. I think it may stick better that way.

2. Spread on seams between wall and roof pieces. Let sit for 15 minutes. Add chimney pieces, gluing them together and onto the roof. Let sit another 15 minutes.  The drippy frosting looks a lot like snow on the roof, so don't worry about it dripping.

flourless chocolate pecan cookies {brooklyn farm girl cookie swap}

How are you holding up?? Only one week and change to go before the BIG DAY arrives.

This year has been much busier than previous: many cookie swaps; various holiday parties; and school activities aflutter. My 4 year old is much more attuned to the season this year, be it his age or that fact that he is in Catholic school and will be an angel in the school Christmas performance (how cute is that??), he talks about Christmas all the time. It is kind of wonderful, actually. He also says 'actually' all the time (where do you think he got that from?), which is driving my husband crazy.

For yet another cookie swap, organized by Brooklyn Farm Girl, I made some flourless chocolate pecan cookies (photo above) for Shashi at Runnin SriLankan. They don't look great but the flavor is just WOW: super chocolaty, rich and nutty, with a lightness that comes from egg white batter. Sort of like French macarons, but not quite as fussy.

And Shashi sent me these wonderful flourless chocolate cookies in return.

Great minds think alike.

And I made Smitten Kitchen's spicy gingerbread cookies for our little holiday get-together. They turned out really great!! The kids decorated them and had a blast. Royal Icing generally contains raw egg white, which I didn't want to use with the kids. Although, I used a recipe I was not that pleased with - too runny - so I am looking for a better frosting recipe. Anyone know of one, please let me know... it could just be a matter of using less liquid. Ah well, live and learn. The kids had fun, in any case.

Hoping your holidays are full of friends, laughs, joy and wonder.

Flourless Chocolate Pecan Cookies
Adapted from Shutterbean
makes 2 dozen

2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 cup sweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (spooned and leveled)

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (5 ounces)

1 cup roughly chopped toasted pecans

4 large egg whites, room temperature 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in middle and lower thirds. In a large bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Add egg whites and stir until combined.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart (they spread a lot), onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until tops are dry and cracked, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

minty-chocolate shortbread cookies {#fbcookieswap2013}

It was a pleasure to be a part of the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2013, which raised well over $13,000 for Cookies For Kids’ Cancer this year, with the help of four amazing brand partners.

If you too are a cookie fanatic and don't mind a few extra pounds added to your body around this time of year join in the fun for next year here.

I received three wonderful gift boxes:

Glorious Mandel Bread from the talented cookie maker at Ellie's Bites
Deep Dark Black Forest Cookies from Brittany at Wright Kitchen
And Crunchy Buttery 100 Good Cookies from Sarah at Food, Fun & Life in Waukesha

And I sent my chocolate mint stars to the following people:

Mollie at Sprinkles of Life
Sara at Confectionary Tales of a Bakeaholic
Melissa at Fried Ice and Donut Holes

Minty-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Cookies adapted from The Monday Box
Makes about 30 cookies

Cookies:
¾ cup vegan butter
½ cup confectioners sugar
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled slightly
1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup chocolate chips and ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract (or ½ cup chocolate chips and ½ cup mint chips)

Frosting: About 1/2 cup mint chips melted

Note: I bought a bag of combined chocolate and mint chips and found that it contained 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup mint. It turned out to be exactly the right amount of mint for decorating my cookies. Now that I know how easy it is to use melted chips for decoration I will be using this method again - with, say, those butterscotch chips I have left over.

1. Place the chips in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Do NOT run the processor with the “on” setting or the chips with melt.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, cream together the butter, sugar, and melted chocolate. If using peppermint extract, add it now. Slowly add flour until a dough forms. Stir in ground chips. Dump 1/3 dough out onto parchment paper, which you have taped to a table (I do this to avoid using flour when rolling out the dough because I find that the added flour makes the dough more tough).

3.Press dough as flat as possible and then carefully roll it out to 1/2 to 1/4 inches thick. Use desired cookie cutter to form shapes. I love making fun shapes with shortbread. It holds whatever shape you use really well because the dough does not spread when it bakes. Repeat with each 1/3 of dough until you have all dough into shapes. Place shapes onto parchment or Silpat lined baking sheets. Put into fridge for 1 hour.
4. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Completely cool before frosting.

5. To frost, place mint ships into a durable, zip-lock, plastic baggie. We always have freezer bags handy. Boil a pot half full of water. Turn off the flame. Place baggie in hot water, dipping in and out. Massage the mint chips as they melt to mix them. Once completely melted, cut the tiniest hole in a corner of the bag and decorate your cookies as you like.

Cookies must be completely cool before storage. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for at least 2 weeks. Uncooked dough can be refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for 1 month.

pumpkin cookies with butterscotch chips {#theleftoversclub}

Pumpkin cookies is a misnomer for this recipe. What they should be called is BUTTERSCOTCH CHIPS (with pumpkin) COOKIES.

The first time I made these I used chocolate covered orange peel in place of the butterscotch. I was dubious of those chips. I mean butterscotch is a hard candy, not a soft chip. What could they actually be made of?

But WOW. Butterscotch chips are amazing. They filled my kitchen with that distinct butterscotch smell. So comforting. And they taste just as good.

I am still not sure what those chip are made of (I could read the bag, but then I may not like what I read) but I don't care so much now that I've tasted them.

{recipe} 

I am sending these to my November Leftovers Club partner, Lisa Marie over at Let's Give Peace a Chance. Can't wait to see what she is sending me!!

Don’t you wish you could enjoy some of these leftovers with us? You can!

To see what kinds of deliciousness everyone else baked up and shipped out, check out the following links! And if you would like to join in next month, head on over to The Leftovers Club where you can learn more about how to join in!

favorite vegan almond coconut cookies

After enjoying the lovely chocolate cake my vegan baker friend, Hannah Lemieux, from Vegan Everything Vegan Anything made for her daughter's birthday, I told her I wanted to see some more of her recipes. She sent me her off-the-top-of-my-head recipe. Something easy she didn't need to think about, but could relate quickly via email.

I finally had time to make them and wow, are they ever good. I was a bit dubious when they came out of the oven and looked exactly like they did when I put them in, but they end up super chewy, chocolatey, yummy goodness. And since there is only healthy ingredients in them, it seems like not eating them would be unhealthy!

Now I am eager for more of her wonderful recipes.

Favorite Almond Coconut Cookies

Makes 12 cookies (from Hannah Lemieux at Vegan Everything, Vegan Anything)

1 heaping cup whole almonds

1 heaping cup dry unsweetened coconut

1 teaspoon baking powder

2-3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 - 1/2 cup maple syrup

1. Combine almonds and coconut in the food processor or vitamix blender with baking powder and cocoa powder.  Process until well ground.

2. If you’re doing this in a food processor you can just leave everything in there for the next step, if in a vitamix you will have to transfer the blended ingredients to a bowl at this point.  Pour in vanilla extract and then slowly pour in maple syrup (either with the food processor running or stirring in a bowl) until the mixture holds together.  It should easily form into balls.

3. Take handfuls large or small and roll into balls, flatten slightly on greased or foil lined baking sheet, bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

4. Try not to eat all in the first half hour after baking! - We didn't even make it past the first fifteen minutes!