WWDH: Macaroons

B needed something sweet this week. These were easy, quick, and nice and sweet. Just what The Man ordered.

chocolate macaroon sandwiches.

Not to be confused with Macarons which are NOT easy and quick but are nice and sweet.

A nicely browned cookie made of egg whites, sugar and coconut. Filled with a simple chocolate ganache.

You can find the macaroon recipe here. Just don’t use the ice cream. The whole recipe is from Donna’s flavours. (page 112)

What did Kayte and Gaye make for Wednesdays with Donna Hay? Check out their posts.

 

{EWE} Picnic Day!

Summer is the perfect time for a picnic – unless you live in Louisiana.  But picnicing we went – down to the pond with the kids and a fan. And it was a perfect time because Gaye’s theme this week was Picnic Day.

Hamburgers, hotdogs, and cookies.  That was all we needed.  The cookies were Ellie’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies.  

And they were so good.  I could have eaten all 2 dozen.  Sweet but not as sweet as usual because the chocolate in them was only 60% – 70% chocolate.  Just a hint of sweet.  The brown sugar added a great flavor and texture to the cookie.

There are none left.  Wonder why?  Because they were great cookies.  Crispy on the outside.  Soft in the middle.

The recipe is from Ellie’s Comfort Food Fix (page 257).  If you want to try them, I found the recipe on Kitchen Flavours.

For more picnic treats visit Eating wit Ellie.

 

{TWD/DC} Chocolate Haystacks

Actually, they are supposed to be Chocolate CORNFLAKE Haystacks but we don’t have a lot of cereal in the pantry so I used CORN CHEX instead.  Dorie said we could change the recipe around because it is a “DIYer’s dream”.  Thank you, Dorie.  I changed a lot.  Not because I wanted to but because I didn’t get to the store this week.  WEATHER!!!

So let me show you my Chocolate Corn Chex Haystacks instead

 

I have been making Haystacks for years – the stove top kind – and usually with chocolate and peanut butter {Imagine these with chopped peanuts and PB chips!}.  They are some of The Man’s fave cookies.  He was happy when he saw these.

I did make a FEW subs.  I used Semi-Sweet chocolate instead of Milk Chocolate.  Dried Cranberries instead of Raisins {EWWWW!!}.  Chopped Almonds instead of Pecans.  Dorie said we could…..

GOOD STUFF!!

The recipe is from Dorie’s Cookies on page 174.

For more cookies -> Dorie’s Haystacks!  This week’s cookie for Tuesdays with Dorie

 

{EwE} Apple Cookies

This week’s theme for Eating with Ellie is Apples.  We’ve been cooking with Ellie for so long that we, or at least I, are running out of yummy recipes in some categories.  Like apples.  I had planned to make the Apple Crisp from Comfort Food Fix but we were invited to a Church Supper and I made dessert and I still had some left so I had to make something LESS sweet and less like dessert.  Too many sweets in the house means trouble.

Enter Ellie’s Harvest Breakfast Cookies. These cookies are huge and more like a muffin in cookie form.

Each cookie uses almost 1/2 cup of batter so they are quite large.  And they are chock full of apples, cranberries blueberries {because I couldn’t find my cranberries} along with pecans and dried cranberries.  They are supposed to contain rolled oats as well.  I noticed my cup of oats on the counter just as I was putting the cookies in the oven.  oh, well.

They are sweet but not too sweet.  The only sweetener is 1/2 cup of Maple Syrup.  These are on the menu for breakfast in the morning.

The cookies are in Ellie’s you have it made.  page 45

More apples -> An Apple a Day…

We would love to have you join us for Eating with Ellie.  The themes are listed on the right of the Eating with Ellie page.  We don’t print the recipes.  We’d rather you bought Ellie’s books.  She has 6 out now.  And they are all good.

 

{TWD/DC} Lots of yummy Cookies!

This week I have two cookies for you.  For some reason the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays just snuck up on me.  April 4th I remembered it was DC day about 10:00 – right before bed.  That’s okay, I’ll make them for NEXT time.  So I did.  Then this week, This morning I remembered it was DC day again.  I don’t know where my head is these days.  BUT I got the cookies made today and now I have TWO cookies for you.

First up:                                              Lemon Sugar Cookies

These were so full of lemon flavor:  1/4 cup of lemon juice + the zest from the lemon. They were so sweet/tart that they didn’t last long.  Two sticks of butter made them lovely and light and rich.  Definite keepers!

These are part of Dorie’s Cookie’s and Kindness for April so the recipe is on Everyday Dorie.

Nest up:                                                 Anzac Biscuits

In the states when we say biscuit we mean a fluffy white treat served with butter and jam or honey.  They are an addition to dinner.  But in the ‘colonies’ of Great Britain the word biscuit refers to a cookie.  In this case a cookie from Australia and New Zealand full of oatmeal and coconut.  In fact, the word ANZAC means Australia and New Zealand Army Corps which appeared in WWI.  These cookies were not for the troops but served at fundraisers FOR the troops.

They also contain Golden syrup which is not available anywhere near Podunk, USA, so I subbed in a mix of molasses and cane syrup.  About 1 Tbl of each.

Chewy, sweet, delicious.  Another keeper!

Both cookies are from Dorie’s Cookies.  The ANZAC biscuits are on page 159.  The Lemon Sugar cookies on page 171 {also HERE}.  

For more cookies from Dorie -> 1st Tuesday and 3rd Tuesday

 

{TWD/DC} Nuts and Chocolate

On page 42 of Dorie’s Cookies you will find a recipe of a cookie so luscious that it will make your head spin.  Three words – chocolate, caramel, nuts.  NUFF said!!

OK!  Maybe you need more to entice you.  A chocolate shortbread covered in chocolate caramel and covered with nuts.  How can one possibly go wrong with THAT!!!

I don’t think you can!

I only made one change, and not intentionally.  I picked up the bowl of nuts and tossed them into the caramel before I realized I had picked up the wrong bowl.  It should have been the chocolate.  So everything is mixed together.

**SIGH**

But in the end it all turned out alright.  They were just as delicious, or so says The Man.{I’m still on Whole 30, so…..}

More cookies on Tuesdays with Dorie – Dorie’s Cookies.

We don’t publish the cookie recipes.  Go buy Dorie’s Cookies.  You won’t be sorry.

 

 

{TWD/DC} Chocolate Heart

In the words of Michael Smith, “…I give you my heart.”  In this case my Chocolate Heart. My Valentine’s Day Share-a-Heart!

Don’t worry, I’m not giving up my Day Job to become a sculptor since it is evident I have no talent in that area. I did try to make a heart.  A little crooked maybe, but warm chocolate…..

If you know me you know I make minor changes.  Usually in the form of subbing in some whole wheat flour and/or the sugar.  In this cookie, only the flour.  About 1/2 and 1/2 AP and WWF.

GOOD cookie!!  Nice and crispy.  Lots of great chocolate flavor.  DUH!!  Definite keeper.

I added a little butter cream frosting and some heart sprinkles to make it look pretty.  Crooked, but pretty!!

This cookie coincides with Dorie’s Cookies and Kindness Revolution.  Bake Cookies.  Share Cookies.  Basically.  How to make people happy?  Give. Them. Cookies. Then blog cookies.  Share on social media #cookiesandkindness. You can find the recipe on Everyday Dorie,

You know you really need to add Dorie’s Cookies to your bookshelf.  Then you would have ALL the recipes at your fingertips.  This one is on page 274.

For more hearts, and probably perfectly sculptured, visit Dorie’s Cookies.

 

 

{EwE} What is your Your Heart’s Desire?

That was the question we were asking ourselves when Kayte came up with this week’s theme – Your Hearts Desire.Tuesday was Valentine’s Day.  The day for lovers.  The day for flowers.  The day for Chocolate!!  Well not for Kayte!! 

 I thought long and hard and decided it wasn’t a food that was my Heart’s Desire.  It was The Man in my life.  HE is my heart’s desire.  We’ve been married 43+ years.  We’ve had hard times and great times.  I almost lost him once.  Do. Not. Want. To. Do. That. Again!  So because of him it was easy to choose a recipe for this week.  Why?  Because his favorite small sweet treat is Peanut Butter Cookies.  And since I deny him almost nothing when it comes to food that is what I made. 

These were good.  Very good.  It is the first time I have made PB cookies with natural PB.  I usually use the name brand stuff.  You know the ones –  with lots of sugar.  Sugar we don’t need.  And while the recipe did call for 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup regular {for which I subbed in 1/4 cup Splenda and a dash of Stevia}  they didn’t need the extra sugar in the PB.  Don’t get me wrong, we love PB and eat it with jelly on sandwiches.  Or melted over ice cream or chocolate cake.  Or out of the jar!!! But we know the extra sugar is bad for us.

Make these cookies.  They will be your faves.  Crunchy! Full of PB flavor (DUH!).  Trust me on this one.

The recipe is on page 260 of Ellie’s Comfort Food Fix.  130 calories in 2 cookies.  2 gm fat.  14 gm cholesterol and 14 mg of fiber.

What, or who, is the Heart’s Desire for the rest of the EwE Group? Visit Eating with Ellie and see.

 

{TWD/DC} Shortbread Fans

You know what I like about Dorie? Besides all of her delicious recipes? She takes the time to answer questions from the people who bake/cook from her books. Simple questions.  LIke – can I used dried hibuscus flowers in the Rose-Hibiscus Shortbread Fans instead of the called for hibiscus tea leaves?  Within just a few hours she tweeted me back that yes, I could do that but use less than the two teaspoons.  Thank you, Dorie.  You rock!  I crushed the dried flowers and added them into the mix.

I also didn’t have rose extract so I used about 2 tsp of rose water instead.  That also worked quite well.  And the fragrance of the rose was heavenly every time I opened the oven to check on the fans.  UUUuummmm!!

I was excited to make shortbread fans because I had a new pan that I hadn’t used much yet.  Plus I love shortbread.  They came out perfectly.  In fact I may use this recipe and change the flavors because this recipe came out so well.  Soft yet crispy.  AND they didn’t crumble apart like many shortbreads do.  So, thanks again, Dorie!

I admit I couldn’t taste the hibiscus in the cookies but my dried flowers may have been past their prime.  Even the Man liked them which I didn’t expect with those particular flavors in them.  Sometimes he really surprises me.

I also didn’t put icing on the cookies.  Since Dorie said it was optional I just left my cookies plain.

These cookies are on page 101 of Dorie’s Cookies.  I also found the recipe on the Daily Mail Site.

For more Shortbread Fans check in with the bakers at Tuesdays with Dorie .  BTW we’d love to see more of you bake with us.  Just get Dorie’s book and bake away.  You can leave your links with us.

 

{ABC} The Browniest Cookies

I could eat brownies daily.  Good. Fudgy. Brownies.  The Man loves cookies.  Daily.  Any kind.  When I can combine the two it’s a good day.  Like today.  The Avid Baker’s Challenge made Deb’s brownies/cookies/ brownie cookies.  Whatever you call them are GOOD!!  Lots of chocolate flavor – not hard to understand since they have cocoa, chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate in them.

The Browniest Cookies

Little bites of intense!  The perfect way to end a meal  Not sweet but not bitter.  Just right!

I did make a couple of small changes.  I subbed Splenda for the 2 Tbl of sugar {the cookies also have 1 cup packed brown sugar.}  And I subbed in 1/2 cup WWF for 1/2 cup of the AP flour.  It didn’t make any difference in the taste or texture but it made me feel better about the sugar and increased ‘healthiness’ of the cookie.  LOL

These cookies are for February’s Avid Bakers Challenge.  I haven’t baked with them in quite a while but decided to join back in since all the baking won’t be JUST sweet stuff this year.  We are baking from Deb Perelman’s Smitten Kitchen for 2017.  She is one of my favorite reads and recipe sources.