Category Archives: DESSERT RECIPES

ALMOND CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE AND VANILLA BEAN PASTE WHIPPED CREAM (GF STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE)

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Strawberry shortcake is one of my all-time favorite desserts. I know, terribly plebian of me, but never-the-less, it’s the truth. And when made with either this GF cake or my Cream Cheese Pound Cake (recipe on site), I defy anyone to come up with a finer dessert! Or to find an easier cake to prepare than this amazing almond cake recipe from bobsredmill.com. (My Cream Cheese Pound Cake, not as quick and easy to build. But absolutely scrumptious! And definitely worth the effort.)

Anyway, whether you are trying to eat less wheat flour or just have a desire to produce a moist, delicious cake that everyone in your family can enjoy (except those who are allergic to nuts, of course), this cake recipe is an absolute winner. Even if you choose to eat this cake without any type of topping, you are in for a treat. It absolutely melts in your mouth. And the flavor is amazing.

As far as the strawberry sauce and whipped cream are concerned, you have only my word that they are both delicious and easy to prepare. And of course, can be used with other wonderful culinary offerings. (Think Sunday morning waffles decorated with strawberry sauce and whipped cream.) Yum!

So, while fresh strawberries are just coming into season, plus almost always available year-round, I suggest you make this dessert for your family and friends any time a tasty treat would make life better. I promise you this strawberry shortcake will be very well received. And just imagine how much joy this delicious combination would bring in say, February, when it’s been raining buckets for 9 straight days. And the wind is howling like a pack of coyotes. And just walking from your car to the door of your grocery store is less desirable than cleaning toilets!

I can only speculate that this dessert might save your sanity. And that of your loved ones. I know it would definitely make me an easier person to live with under similar circumstances!   

Peace and love to all.  

Almond Cake:  

6 T. (¾ stick) unsalted butter, room temp.

½ c. granulated sugar

2 lg. eggs. room temp.

¼ c. whole milk

½ tsp. vanilla extract  

1/8 tsp. good almond extract

¾ c. almond flour

¼ c. organic coconut flour

1 tsp. baking powder  

1/8 tsp. fine sea salt

Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. (If you double this recipe, use 2 8×8-inch pans or 1 9×23-inch pan.) (And yes, next time I make this cake I will double the recipe. The cake is just so very, very good!)

Cream butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until completely blended. Add the milk and extracts and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt together. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until creamy.

Pour batter into prepared cake pan and smooth top.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 27-30 minutes. Do not over-bake.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before serving with Strawberry Sauce and Vanilla Bean Paste Whipped Cream. See recipes below.

Strawberry Sauce

1 lb. strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and thickly sliced

⅓ c. granulated sugar

1 T. fresh lemon juice  

In a medium saucepan, combine the sliced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.    

Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened a bit, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until needed.

Vanilla Bean Paste Whipped Cream

1 c. heavy whipping cream

½ tsp. vanilla bean paste* or vanilla extract, or more to taste

2 T. powdered sugar

Whip the cream to hard peaks. Add the vanilla bean paste and powdered sugar. Whip until blended.

MALTED MILK BALL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

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Ever since I was a child, I have loved a good chocolate malt. (See recipe for a chocolate malt below.) And another thing I loved with a passion was Whoppers. (Also, maple bars, but that’s a story for another time.) But chocolate malts and malt balls, I mean really, what’s not to love? (Maple bars too, for that matter!)

But, as an older adult, having a milk shake containing malted milk powder every day is totally out of the question! (But truly, if malts were suddenly deemed health food, my blender would not only live on one of our kitchen counters, but it would also be put to use each and every day.) (And before you think to yourself that smoothies are every bit as good, keep that thought to yourself. Bananas, ice, and protein powder will never replace a truly decadent and creamy chocolate malt. Never!)

Anyway, with chocolate malts on my mind, the other day I decided to work up a recipe for a milk chocolate chip cookie with not only malted milk powder in the mix, but also crushed malted milk balls. And the result of my endeavor you now find below.

Now, to say that these cookies are OK, would be putting is mildly. To my malted milk addled brain and taste buds, these cookies are fabulous! Easy to prepare and way too easy to eat.

So, give these cookies a try. You and your family can thank me later.

Peace and love to all.

1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

1⅓ c. brown sugar, packed

2 lg. eggs, room temperature

4 tsp. vanilla extract

3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

½ c. malted milk powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 c. milk chocolate chips, chunks, or callets (I use Callebaut milk callets) (Amazon)  

1 c. coarsely chopped malted milk balls*

In the bowl of your mixer, cream the soft butter and brown sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla extract.

Whisk the flour, malted milk powder, baking soda, and salt together, then stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix in the milk chocolate chips and chopped malt balls.

Using a small ice cream scoop (I use a #40, 1½ tablespoon ice cream scoop), drop balls of dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. (The balls can be close together at this point.)

When ready to bake, place the cold dough balls 2-inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 13-14 minutes or just until the edges become a light golden brown. Do not overbake.

Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  

When completely cooled (the chocolate pieces are set) store in an airtight container.

*We are huge fans of malted milk balls. So, I go all out and order them on Amazon. Our favorite malt balls are from The Amish-Buggy. Triple Dipped Malted Milk Balls. Spendy but worth every penny.

CHOCOLATE MALT

2 c. really good vanilla ice cream (I like vanilla bean the best)

½ c. whole milk, add more if desired

2-4 T. chocolate sauce (We like Ghirardelli Chocolate Premium Sauce) (Amazon)

2 T. malted milk powder (I use King Arthur Malted Milk Powder) (Amazon)

whipped cream, garnish, opt.

chocolate sprinkles, garnish, opt.

Whirl the ice cream, milk, chocolate sauce, and malted milk powder in your blender. If you prefer a thinner malt, add a bit more milk.

If desired, garnish with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.  

PEANUT BUTTER REFRIGERATOR COOKIES  

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In my ever-ending quest to make life easier for myself and others, I decided long ago that refrigerator (slice and bake) cookies are the answer to every baker’s dream of building easy and less time-consuming cookies. But, in all my years of baking cookies, I had never found a recipe for a peanut butter refrigerator cookie. So, I decided to work up a recipe myself. (I’ll wait while you take time to applaud my effort.) And I decided to use vegetable shortening instead of butter. Shortening tends to trap more air bubbles and has a higher melting point than butter, so recipes that use shortening tend to produce a product that rises higher, holds its shape during baking better than when using butter, and has an interior texture that is softer or lighter. But in some cookies, especially lightly flavored cookies, there is no substitute for the flavor of butter. But for these peanut butter babies, shortening is definitely the way to go. Because what I wanted was a crisp yet slightly chewy cookie. And that’s exactly what I got.

So, is the taste of this cookie a lot different than any other peanut butter cookie? Nope. Was it easier to shape into a couple logs rather than rolling dough balls? Yup. And like every other cookie I bake, this dough is going to spend some quality time in the fridge. So, the easier I can make this whole process, the more likely I am to make these cookies again.

Now the reason I am baking cookies today is for the faculty concert at Warm Beach this evening. Mr. C. has been working with the rhythm section during a weeklong jazz band camp for adults. I thought it would be nice to offer an after-concert treat to the concert attendees. And of course, to the fine musicians attending the camp and the faculty for all their hard work.

In addition to these cookies, I am serving Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies (recipe on site) and another new cookie (Malted Milk Ball Chocolate Chip Cookies) that I worked up for the occasion. If the malted milk cookies are a success, you will find the recipe posted within the next few days. If the cookies are not as tasty as anticipated, the recipe will be relegated to the “try again” pile. (It’s a huge pile already, so what’s one more recipe that didn’t quite hit the mark!) Anyway, I hope all three cookies are enjoyed. Since I know a good many of the faculty and have met some of the camp attendees over the years, it should make for a fun evening. And I do so love to feed people. So, a great concert to attend, renewed friendships to anticipate, new acquaintances to make, and cookies to seal the deal. What better combination could this old gal ask for? Well, maybe, that you enjoy making and eating these cookies as much as I do.

As always, peace and love to all.  

1 c. vegetable shortening

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1 c. creamy or crunchy peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

2 tsp. baking soda

In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, sugars, and peanut butter; beat in vanilla and eggs until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda; gradually beat flour into the creamed mixture until combined.

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a log.

Wrap each individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Slice the dough and place 1½-inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Flatten in a crisscross pattern with fork tines and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 11-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Do not overbake.

Remove from oven and allow to stand for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

PEACH PIE

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OK, I know, everyone who makes peach pie has a favorite recipe. But in case you don’t have a favorite recipe, I am going to share mine with you. Because I strongly believe that peach pie is one of God’s greatest gifts to the human race. And that peach pie should be made as simply as possible. No gilding the lily in the preparation of this pie. But, of course, served with vanilla bean ice cream.

But no pudding over the peach slices, or streusel on top, or other fancy enhancements. Just a great crust, not too much sugar, a touch of good almond extract to bring out the inherent almond like flavor of the peaches, and a bit of cinnamon. Because cinnamon always makes most fruit or berry pies taste better. I don’t know why that is. But give me a piece of apple pie without any cinnamon in the mix, and I’ll give it right back to you!

So, without further ado, my recipe for a peach pie for the masses.

Now don’t get me wrong. There are other perfectly wonderful recipes for peach pie worthy of your time and energy. Of course, there are. But I have been basically making this pie since I was 20 years old. And every time I would pull one of these babies out of my oven, a good friend of mine would magically appear on my doorstep. How he knew I had just made his favorite pie will forever remain a mystery. But there he was as sure as God made little green apples.

So, I’m just sayin’, if you want company, this is the pie to make.

Well, today is a day for both Mr. C. and me with no commitments. And believe it or not, that is a rare occurrence. Because of all the musical adventures Mr. C. is involved with, and at our ages the myriad doctor’s appointments, follow-ups, shots, and other medical and cosmetic requirements to keep our bodies in good working order and acceptable to be seen in public, we are rarely allowed a day off. So, I am taking advantage of this delightful hiatus to catch up on my blog posting and make Pork Paprikash Stew with Egg Noodles for dinner. I made this stew while we were on vacation and it turned out to be not only easy to prepare, but quite tasty. So, look forward to finding it on this site in the next couple of days.

In the meantime, stay happy, stay healthy, and stay committed to making your own life and the lives of those around you better.  

And as always, peace and love to all.

pie crust for a 9-inch two crust pie (see my favorite pie crust recipe below)

7-8 fresh peaches, peeled (see my method of peeling a peach below) and sliced  

¼ tsp. good almond extract

½ c. granulated sugar  

¼ c. brown sugar, packed

½ tsp. cinnamon

1/3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

3 T. unsalted butter

Place the peach slices in a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir in the almond extract. In another bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together. Gently mix the flour mixture with the peaches.

Place the bottom crust in the pie pan.  

Pour the peaches into the pie shell. Dot with butter and cover with the top crust and crimp the edges as desired. Cut small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Cover edges of pie crust with strips of aluminum foil.

Bake in a pre-heated 425-degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove the foil strips for the last 5 minutes or so before the pie is ready to come out of the oven. The pie crust should be a very light golden brown and the filling should be bubbling a bit into the slits in the top crust.

Remove pie from oven and let sit at least 25 minutes before serving. Great with vanilla bean ice cream.

BTW, I recently made this pie using frozen peaches. For whatever reason, the peaches remained crunchy. And there was a lot of liquid in the bottom of the pie plate. And I had baked the pie for at least 30 minutes longer than usual! I either did something wrong, or those peaches were as hard as rocks when they were picked and packaged. Lesson learned for me. Use fresh peaches or make apple pie!

PIE CRUST

¼ c. + 2 T. very cold water

2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

1 tsp. salt

heaping 2/3 c. Crisco

Step 1 – Pour cold water into a small bowl. 

Step 2 – Measure flour and salt into a mixing bowl. 

Step 3 – Take 1/3 cup of the flour back out of the mixing bowl and stir it into the water. Make a paste. Set aside. 

Step 4 – Add the Crisco (heaping 2/3 cup) to the flour and salt mixture. Mix together. (I use my KitchenAid mixer.) 

Step 5 – Add the water/flour paste to the flour/shortening bowl and mix just until blended. Do not over-mix.

Roll out a little less than half of the dough and place in pie plate. Then roll out the top crust to be about an inch all-around larger than the pie pan. This recipe makes enough dough for a double crust 9-inch pie.

Best way I have found to peel fresh peaches:

Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Carefully add your peaches. (I lower the peaches into boiling water with a slotted spoon.) This technique, officially called blanching, helps to loosen the peach skins so they peel easily using either your fingers or a paring knife. The process is quick (about 30 seconds), so take care not to leave the peaches boiling for too long.

Using the same slotted spoon, remove the peaches into a large bowl filled with ice water. (You should set this up before starting the boiling process.) Shocking the peaches stops the cooking process and allows you to hold the peaches without scalding your hands.  

Once the peaches are cooled, remove the peaches from the ice bath. Using your hands or paring knife, gently peel away the skin. The skin should release from the flesh with minimal effort.

I have found that cutting the peaches by making the initial cut around the middle rather than from stem to stern works best for me. And I personally like Clingstone peaches best. But I take what’s available and always remember to say thank you. I love peaches just that much!   

  

AFFOGATO (GELATO OR ICE CREAM DROWNED IN ESPRESSO)

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There are a couple of restaurants in our area that offer world-class affogatos on their dessert menu. Angelo’s in Bellevue (longtime, family-run restaurant & lounge featuring Italian cuisine) and Bistro San Martín in Arlington (stylish, art-filled cafe serving globally accented cooking). Both are wonderful restaurants, and we visit them as often as is reasonable. And inevitably, Mr. C. orders an Affogato for dessert. And of course, I always must have a taste. (Or two!)

But the last time Andy ordered an Affogato, it finally hit me that this amazing dessert was basically just ice cream swimming in a pool of expresso. With maybe a splash of liqueur (if you’ve been extra special good). Topped with a bit of whipped cream and shaved chocolate to make the whole thing look pretty. And I had to stop and ask myself – how bloody hard would that delicious dessert be to reproduce at home? Not-very-darn was my ever so logical conclusion.

Because, we almost always have ice cream in our freezer. And we own a very nice espresso machine. (Used daily BTW.) Plus, we usually have a spray can of whipped real cream on the top shelf of our fridge. (You simply can’t serve a proper mocha without whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles on top, now can you!) And as far as additives like Kahlúa are concerned, Mr. C. has that covered too. He keeps us well supplied with a variety of spirits suitable for just about any occasion. So, the other evening, we had ourselves each a small Amaretto Affogato. And there was much rejoicing here at Chez Carr.

So, if you ever need a quick and easy dessert to serve your family or guests, this is the recipe for you. OK, your young children probably wouldn’t appreciate this amazing combination of ingredients. But your teenagers, especially if they are into coffee, would think you king or queen of the planet if you surprised them with one of these babies some evening for dessert. They might even offer to do the dishes. Or at the very least, when told it was their turn to do the dishes, might not gripe about the unfairness of being forced into servitude.

Anyway, affogatos are ever so easy to prepare. And absolutely delicious. And you don’t need an espresso machine to make them. Just use strong freshly brewed coffee instead.  

Well, my work here is done for today. You have a great new recipe to play with. And because I think there is nothing finer in this world than options, I have provided you with various ways to make these delightful treats. Try them all. Not all in the same evening you realize. But over the course of a couple of months, that would certainly be acceptable.

As always, peace and love to all.

Traditional Italian Affogato:

2 scoops gelato or ice cream (vanilla bean, coffee, chocolate, etc.)

1-2 shots espresso or strongly brewed coffee (regular, half caff, or decaf) 

whipped cream, opt. garnish

grated dark, white, or milk chocolate, opt. garnish

Place gelato or ice cream in a small glass container. Pour the espresso over the gelato or ice cream. Quickly add garnish or garnishes. Serve immediately.

Amaretto Affogato: (chocolate cherry flavored)

2 scoops gelato or ice cream (vanilla bean, coffee, chocolate, etc.)

1 splash amaretto

1 shot espresso or strongly brewed coffee (regular, half caff, or decaf) 

whipped cream, opt. garnish

grated dark chocolate, opt. garnish

Place gelato or ice cream in a small glass container. Pour the amaretto then the espresso over the gelato or ice cream. Quickly add garnish or garnishes. Serve immediately.

Bourbon Affogato (caramel and vanilla flavored)

2 scoops gelato or ice cream (vanilla bean, coffee, chocolate, etc.)

1 oz. bourbon  

1-2 shots espresso or strongly brewed coffee (regular, half caff, or decaf) 

whipped cream, opt. garnish

grated milk chocolate, opt. garnish

chopped pecans, opt. garnish

Place gelato or ice cream in a small glass container. Pour the bourbon then the espresso over the gelato or ice cream. Quickly add garnish or garnishes. Serve immediately.

Frangelico Affogato (hazelnut flavored)

2 scoops gelato or ice cream (vanilla bean, coffee, chocolate, etc.)

shot of Frangelico liqueur 

1-2 shots espresso or strongly brewed coffee (regular, half caff, or decaf) 

whipped cream, opt. garnish

chopped hazelnuts, opt. garnish

Place gelato or ice cream in a small glass container. Pour the Irish Cream then the espresso over the gelato or ice cream. Quickly add garnish or garnishes. Serve immediately.

Irish Cream Affogato (creamy espresso flavored with hints of vanilla and chocolate with a nutty aftertaste) 

2 scoops gelato or ice cream (vanilla bean, coffee, chocolate, etc.)

shot of Irish Cream 

1-2 shots espresso or strongly brewed coffee (regular, half caff, or decaf) 

whipped cream, opt. garnish

chopped nuts, opt. garnish

Place gelato or ice cream in a small glass container. Pour the Irish Cream then the espresso over the gelato or ice cream. Quickly add garnish or garnishes. Serve immediately.

Kahlúa Affogato (enhanced coffee flavor)

2 scoops gelato or ice cream (vanilla bean, coffee, chocolate, etc.)

shot of Kahlúa

1-2 shots espresso or strongly brewed coffee (regular, half caff, or decaf) 

whipped cream, opt. garnish

chopped walnuts or pecans, opt. garnish

Place gelato or ice cream in a small glass container. Pour the Kahlúa then the espresso over the gelato or ice cream. Quickly add garnish or garnishes. Serve immediately.

White Russian Affogato (boozy enhanced espresso flavor)

2 scoops gelato or ice cream (vanilla bean, coffee, chocolate, etc.)

½ oz. vodka

1 oz. Kahlua 

1-2 shots espresso or strongly brewed coffee (regular, half caff, or decaf) 

whipped cream, opt. garnish

grated dark chocolate, opt. garnish

Place gelato or ice cream in a small glass container. Pour the vodka and Kahlua then the espresso over the gelato or ice cream. Quickly add garnish or garnishes. Serve immediately.

      

CHEWY OATMEAL RAISIN WALNUT COOKIES  

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OK, I already have several recipes for oatmeal cookies on my blog including gluten free and a healthier version using monk fruit sweetener. Plus, a number of recipes that feature everything from chocolate chips, dried apples, to toasted coconut. But I had yet to make a simple, chewy oatmeal raisin walnut cookie including 3 of my favorite aromatic spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

So, when our good friend Todd explained to Andy that oatmeal cookies had healing qualities, I jumped at the chance to build Mr. C. a batch of these cookies along with a big old pot of chicken soup with dumplings when a few days ago he tested positive for Covid. (It had to happen sooner or later since we don’t live in a bubble.) (And yes, we are both fully vaccinated and take reasonable precautions against contracting the disease. But still it can happen and did. To both of us.)

Now, some might argue that oatmeal cookies do not actually help in restoring a person to good health. But surely no one can reason that eating a truly great oatmeal cookie doesn’t contribute to a person’s sense of well-being. At least anyone who has had the distinct pleasure of munching on a homemade oatmeal cookie straight out of the oven. And Mr. C. never got terribly sick. So, I will always believe that these cookies helped considerably in his speedy return to robust good health.

But please don’t think that you must wait for an illness to bake these cookies for yourself or your loved ones. You can simply think of them as preventive medicine!

But regardless of how you categorize these delectable treats, I suggest you make them at your earlies opportunity. They are truly lovely cookies and very easy to make.

Peace, love, and good health to all.   

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.

1 c. brown sugar, packed

⅓ c. granulated sugar

2 lg. eggs

1 T. vanilla extract

1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

¾ tsp. fine grain sea salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground ginger

3 c. rolled oats (not instant)

2/3 c. golden raisins (if large, cut into smaller pieces)

2/3 c. chopped walnuts

Beat the butter in the bowl of your stand mixer until creamy. Add the brown and granulated sugars, then beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs until fully incorporated. Then, beat in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger together. Then stir in the oats. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well combined. Then stir in the raisins and walnuts.

Using a #40 (1½ tablespoons, orchid tipped handle) ice cream scoop, drop balls of dough close together on a parchment paper lined baking sheet that can fir in your refrigerator. Refrigerate the dough balls for at least 2 hours. (But overnight is even better.)

When ready to bake, place the cold dough balls on parchment paper lined baking sheets 2-inches apart.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven until cookie edges turn a light golden brown, about 13-15 minutes. Centers will still be a bit soft, but they will firm up as the cookies cool. Leave on baking pan for about 3 minutes before transferring to finish cooling completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container at room temperature.

SOFT PEANUT BUTTER CHIP COOKIES

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I guess I must be on a high calorie kick, because yesterday I published our dear friend Jim’s recipe for the most decadent and caloric way to serve spaghetti ever conceived. OK, undoubtedly not the most caloric and decadent recipe at one’s fingertips. But Perfectly Seasoned Spaghetti could certainly be a contender for that dubious honor. But boy oh boy is pasta tasty when prepared as directed in Jim’s recipe.   

Speaking of caloric, decadent, and easy to prepare, I came up with this recipe for a different take on peanut butter cookies. I wanted to include peanut butter cookies in the goodie packages that I send to my kids every Christmas. But not the usual peanut butter cookies. I wanted soft cookies which also included a bit of crunch. What I didn’t take into consideration was the fact that some soft cookies do not stay fresh as long as hard cookies. (Think shortbread and biscotti.) Soft cookies pack well, but when kept for several days some can start to harden a bit, which to me is not a desirable attribute in a cookie.  

Now I don’t want to scare you off making these cookies. Because these cookies are yummy when fresh. I just feel duty bound to tell you that if longevity in a cookie is what you are after, this is probably not the peanut butter cookie recipe for you. But if you want a really lovely peanut butter cookie to serve for afternoon tea or as a light dessert, these cookies would be perfect. Or if you have a family that can work their way through a batch of cookies in no time at all, by all means give this recipe a try. They really are delicious cookies.

Well, it’s semi-sunny outside. Mr. C. is happily reading his book. Miles is sleeping in the cat bed on Mr. C’s desk. His brother Max is sleeping at the foot of our bed, and I am finishing up this post. In other words, all’s right in our world.

Now if I could only come up with what to serve for dinner………

Peace and love to all.

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature  

1 c. granulated sugar  

1 c. brown sugar, packed  

2 lg. eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed 

1 tsp. baking soda  

½ tsp. baking powder  

1 tsp. kosher salt  

1 c. peanuts

1 (10-oz.) pkg. peanut butter chips   

Cream the butter and sugars together until soft. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy.

In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Add to the butter mixture and beat just until combined. Add the peanuts and peanut butter chips; mix well.

Using a #40 (1½ tablespoons – orchid colored end) ice cream scoop, plop cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (They can be close together at this point because they should spend several hours  in the fridge.*) When you bake them place them 2-inches apart.

Bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for approximately 13-15 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn color and let sit on the baking pan for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

Note: DO NOT OVERBAKE THESE COOKIES. They will not look done when you remove them from the oven. That is exactly how they should look!

And these cookies are best eaten within a couple of days. And believe me, that will not be a problem. The problem will be not devouring them within 24 hours!

* The colder and more solid the butter is, the less the cookie will spread. Plus, flour contains naturally occurring enzymes, which break down as the dough chills, leading to increased browning. The sugar in the dough absorbs the moisture from the flour, causing the cookie to brown and caramelize. Refrigerating the dough allows the flour to fully hydrate and also helps to make the cookie dough firmer.

GLAZED EGGNOG FLAVORED BISCOTTI    

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Since eggnog is a favorite of my husbands, and for him Christmas just isn’t the same without a bottle of the stuff in our refrigerator starting around Thanksgiving, I thought an eggnog flavored biscotti might just be a perfect treat for him. So, I went online to find a recipe. What I found were recipes that contained eggnog as an ingredient. And I thought to myself, what a waste of good eggnog when all the flavors of eggnog can so easily be duplicated by ingredients I always have on hand. Plus, then if he wanted eggnog biscotti in July for example, I wouldn’t have to build some homemade eggnog just for this recipe. I could basically make these delightful biscotti any old time I chose. (Or Mr. C. ever so nicely requested.)

So, the recipe below is what I came up with. And if I do say so myself, the biscotti were (they’re all gone now) delicious. And quite different from all the other biscotti I make. And yes, we love biscotti, so you will find several recipes on this site. They are all fabulous, and very easy to make.

Well, that’s all for today. Mr. C. has a rehearsal this evening, so dinner needs to be on the table by 5:30, which is much earlier than when he doesn’t have a rehearsal or gig. Usually, we get around to eating dinner around 7:00 pm. Then it’s reading time for me and reading and/or practicing the piano for Andy. In other words, very sedentary after dinner pursuits, which are not only consistent with our ages but also our inclinations. And doesn’t that make us lucky people.

May you also be able to follow your inclinations and enjoy some quality down time each and every day.

And as always, peace and love to all.  

For the biscotti:

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.

1 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

½ c. whole milk

1 tsp. dark rum

1 tsp. cognac

1 tsp. vanilla paste or extract

3½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. kosher salt

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine butter, sugar, and eggs until well blended. Mix in milk, rum, cognac, and vanilla bean paste.   

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt together. Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well blended.

Roughly divide dough in half. Using buttered hands, shape each dough half into a long roll, approximately 14″ long. Carefully place rolls on prepared baking sheet, about 3-inches apart. With your fingers, lightly flatten each roll so that they are approximately ¾-inch thick.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and place pan on wire rack for about 15 minutes. Carefully move the logs to a cutting board and cut diagonal slices (approximately ¾-inch thick).

Place slices, cut side down, back on original baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn slices over and return to oven to bake for another 10 minutes or until firm to the touch and lightly browned. Remove from oven and transfer to wire racks to cool completely before glazing.

For the glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. rum

tiny pinch cinnamon

tiny pinch nutmeg  

2–3 T. whole milk

In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons milk together. If needed, add more milk to achieve desired consistency.  

Place completely cooled biscotti pieces, top side up, about a half inch apart on your large baking sheet. Drizzle the glaze over the biscotti. (You may not use it all. That’s OK.) Allow glaze to harden before storing biscotti in an airtight container.  

     

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO BISCOTTI

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I had so much fun this past December making biscotti to give to relatives and friends for Christmas. And if truth be known, biscotti is so darned easy to make, I felt a bit guilty not spending more time on these edible gifts. I quickly got over any remorse. Because dunking a biscotti in your morning coffee or tea or softening one of these Italian cookies in Vin Santo* as an after dinner or late evening treat, is just about as close to actually being in Italy as you can get. And isn’t even a temporary reminder of the joy associated with visiting Italy one of the greatest feelings on earth. At least it is for us.

So, being able to share these twice baked treasures with our friends and family helped make the holidays extra special for me.

Now, something you should know. These are very flavorful cookies. Nothing bland or quiet about their flavor. And probably a cookie your children would not appreciate. But for a chocolate lover, these are perfect.

So, next time you need an easy to prepare cookie that will make you shout yum, this is the recipe for you. I found the recipe on the cooking.nytimes.com site. I did make a couple of changes, but the inspiration was all on the Union Square Café’s Chocolate Biscotti via Alex Witchel.

Well, it’s rainy here in NW Washington. But we really have nothing to complain about. California is being hit with horrendous weather, as are other parts of the country. So, a bit of inconvenient rain is just an accepted consequence of living in this natural paradise. I can still see Barnum Point (here on the island), Port Susan Bay, and the low foothills as I write. But the snowcapped mountains are hidden under low hanging clouds. Hopefully the cloud covering is dumping snow all over the Cascades. Our state can use all the water reserves we can get.

As always, peace and love to all.

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

¾ c. plus 2 T. good cocoa powder

1 tsp. fine sea salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. espresso powder (I use Medaglia D’oro instant espresso)

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1¾ c. lightly packed brown sugar

⅓ c. granulated sugar

1 T. vanilla extract

4 lg. eggs, divided

1 rounded c. mini chocolate chips

1 T. water, for egg wash

2 T. raw sugar

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and espresso powder together; set aside.

Using a heavy-duty electric mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for 3 to 5 minutes at medium speed. Add the vanilla extract. Mix for 10 seconds. Add 3 of the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the flour mixture and mix at low speed until dough comes together, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mini chocolate chips and mix just until chips are evenly incorporated.

Using buttered hands, shape half of the dough into a log roughly 1½ to 2 inches wide. Place log on prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly. Form the second half of the dough the same way and place on the baking sheet about 3-inches away from the first log. Brush tops of logs with egg wash made from whisking the remaining egg with the water. Then, sprinkle each log with 1 tablespoon raw sugar.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven until the biscotti have spread and bounce back slightly when pressed with fingertips, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely, about 1½ hours.

Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut logs into ½-inch diagonal slices. Place each slice, cut side down on the same parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake until firm, crisp and slightly dry, about 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature or in your freezer for up to three months.

*According to winefolly.com “Vin Santo (or Vino Santo) is a viscous, typically sweet dessert wine made in Italy, predominantly in Tuscany. The wine is loved for its intense flavors of hazelnut and caramel. When paired with biscotti, Vin Santo becomes “Cantucci e Vin Santo” which is inarguably Italy’s most famous welcoming tradition. What makes Vin Santo truly special is the natural winemaking process which gives it a unique taste.”

WHITE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLED GINGERBREAD BISCOTTI    

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I thought covid and all its social restrictions was a bummer. And it was a bummer for a myriad of reasons. But at least we could still get together with dear friends and relatives at Christmas. Even if it was only for a short time in someone’s garage, responsibly spaced around a portable propane camping fire. (And yes, we actually did enjoy a bit of Christmas together exactly as described!)

But this Christmas was the pits. Both Andy and I were ill. We think we had RSV. But it could have been the flu. (And yes, we had this year’s flu vaccination!)  But hey, we could have had both of these darling infirmities at the same time! Now wouldn’t that be special! Because we had symptoms from both at various times during our illnesses. And we still aren’t 100%! Almost 3 weeks for Andy and about 10 days for me. Humbug! (That’s what we’ve chosen to call what we had/have. The 2022 HUMBUG!)

So, we missed Christmas Eve with our dear friends Jim and Margo and Christmas day with relatives and close friends because of what’s “going around”.

But you know, while I was sitting in my favorite reading chair on Christmas day feeling ever so sorry for myself, I realized how exceedingly lucky I was to have Andy to spend the day with. And how blessed we both were to have close friends and family that were able to be together. Even if this Christmas we couldn’t be there with them. I realized all of us were the lucky ones. We had a home. We weren’t being bombed by some power-hungry Russian maniac. We weren’t out in the cold with no way to get warm, stay warm, or feed either our loved ones or ourselves. We were lucky. Just plain lucky!

So what if Mr. C. and I couldn’t spend Christmas as planned. We had fresh running water. A nice cozy bed to climb into when we felt chilled. Food to eat when we got hungry. We had everything we needed to get healthy. We were safe. Whereas so many of the world’s population could not say those three little words. I am safe. And I realized how horrible that must feel to not be safe. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what that would mean.

So, did I have a great Christmas? Yes, I did. I was given the opportunity to realize how truly blessed I am. Sometimes it takes something like a brief illness to remind us of our blessings and to put our wonderful lives in perspective. Thankfully I was able to learn a valuable lesson as I was recovering. And thankfully, I had been able to finish most of my baking before my body was invaded by germs. (I’ll take my luck wherever I can find it!)

And one of the best cookies I made this year was this recipe for gingerbread biscotti. I found the recipe on theoliveblogger.com site. Delicious. I made a small change, of course I did, but the main recipe is all Melissa. So, if you too love gingerbread and biscotti, then this is the recipe for you.

As we all approach the new year, I hope we can keep the spirit of Christmas alive throughout 2023. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to find ourselves wishing each other a merry “whatever” every time we met. I’ll start. Merry 2023.

And as always, peace and love to all.

⅓ c. unsalted butter, room temp.   

1¼ c. brown sugar, lightly packed

2 lg. eggs 

2 T. molasses

1 tsp. vanilla   

2¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed 

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon  

½ tsp. ground cloves

¼ tsp. ground allspice

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda   

scant ½ tsp. fine sea salt

½ c. finely chopped candied ginger

white chocolate, for drizzle

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the butter and brown sugar together until creamy. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla and mix until well combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Stir in the candied ginger making sure each tiny piece is coated with flour.  

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, just until well combined. (The dough will be very thick).

Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On the parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into a 10×2-inch rectangle.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 20 to 23 minutes, or until a light golden brown and slightly firm to the touch but NOT hard. Remove from oven.

Cool for 10 minutes. Leave the oven on. After 10 minutes, cut each log diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices.

Turn cut side down on the baking sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes. (They should be slightly golden on both sides.)

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before drizzling with melted white chocolate. Allow white chocolate to harden before storing the biscotti in an airtight container.