Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I grew up eating a crisp oatmeal chocolate chip cookie that I still turn to when I’m having a cookie craving, but I do love a soft, bakery-style cookie once in a while and have been meaning to try a recipe at home with my little assistant, who (at almost 2 years old!) is now [...]

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Meyer Lemon Sugar Cookies

Every year around this time, our meyer lemon tree in the front yard becomes too full with lemons to ignore. We use them in savory dishes like Red Trout Fillets with Meyer Lemon and in baked goods like lemon bars. Next year I’d love to try making preserved meyer lemons, so we can enjoy them [...]

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Pine Nut & Orange Cookies

I hadn’t baked anything since before the baby was born.  But yesterday while Levi and Dad were taking an afternoon nap, I jumped on the opportunity, turned on the Jackie Greene Pandora station and made these pine nut and orange cookies that I’ve been eyeing in Fine Cooking because they use olive oil instead of [...]

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Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

‘Tis the season for peppermint bark! We loved the combination of buttery shortbread, white & dark chocolate, and peppermint in this festive looking cookie. Cut these into fun, irregular pieces and people will be grabbing for them. If you’re suffering from candy cane overload, or want some variety, try topping this cookie with chopped toffee [...]

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Chocolate-Black Pepper Cookies

Ah, I love the time of year when the tree is illuminated, the Christmas music is cranked up, and you can stay inside all day baking cookies. These chewy chocolate cookies with a hint of espresso are rolled in coarse sugar and finished off with cracked black pepper before going in the oven. They’d be [...]

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Roll-and-Cut Sugar Cookies

What do German Shepherds, trees, people, stars, and firetrucks have in common? Absolutely nothing except that those are the cookie cutters that my Mom and I decided to use for our decorated sugar cookies! You can sprinkle the cookies with colored sugars and add pieces of nuts before baking, or you can decorate your cookies [...]

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Vanilla-Lime Bites

These bite-sized cookies are delicate and buttery, with a burst of lime and just enough sweetness from a dusting in powdered sugar – the perfect holiday cookie. Merry Christmas from our kitchen to yours! Vanilla Lime Bites (Adapted from the Vanilla Crescents in the December 2008 issue of Food & Wine) 2 sticks salted butter, [...]

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Snickerdoodles

Now that it’s fall, I’m craving the taste of cinnamon. Snickerdoodles are Dustin’s favorite cookie. Since today was his first day at his new job (YEA!) I decided to make these to congratulate him! It’s also important to note that these are the first cookies that I’ve baked in my new kitchen in Santa Cruz, [...]

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Almond White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

In search of something different from the usual chocolate chip, I saw this recipe on the nest and was immediately drawn to it. I have to bring something to a potluck tomorrow and the old Japanese ladies are always clamoring for “American style” cookies, so I thought I’d give these a try. As usual, we [...]

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‘Tis the Season for Gingerbread Men

Decorating gingerbread men is one of my favorite childhood memories. I spent 3 days last week baking these little guys for our English school Christmas party. For many of our students, it was the first time to decorate and eat a gingerbread cookie. This is the recipe I used both this year and last, and [...]

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My Great-Great-Grandma Selma’s Best Oatmeal Cookies

Okay, it’s about time I shared my (and my family’s) favorite cookie recipe. It came from my Great-Great-Grandma’s recipe files, and my mom has been baking these for as long as I can remember. This is a damn fine recipe, and the cookies taste like my childhood (and my mom’s, and her Dad’s!) Selma’s Best [...]

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

There’s something about ice cream sandwiches that make you feel like a kid again, chasing after the neighborhood ice cream truck. I decided to bake cookies this afternoon, because it was a rainy day (and that’s just what I do). It was also a very hot and humid day, so we made a unanimous decision [...]

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