Tag Archives: Cookies

Russian Cigarettes

Posted on March 7, 2012 | 3 Comments

Whenever I opened a variety box of Pepperidge Farm cookies, I always reached for the same cookie first.  Among the Milanos, the Chessman, the Bordeaux, and the Brussels, I made my bee-line for the cigarettes.  I loved the crunchy, yet sweet delicateness in each bite.  I loved the color and texture.  But, more than anything else, I think I just loved the fun shape.  For some inexplicable reason, I loved the idea of a tube cookie!

These cigarettes and the Pepperidge Farm variety share a common ancestry, but these lack some of the crunchiness Continue reading →

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Blondie Layer Cake with White Chocolate Icing

Posted on December 9, 2011 | 14 Comments

Caitlin celebrated her birthday last week.  And in preparation of the big day, I scanned my collection of recipes and cookbooks, searching for the perfect layer cake.  Last year I made her the pumpkin crepe cake.  The year before that, the butternut squash layer cake.

This year, I decided, it was time to stray from the harvest theme.  I was looking through my cookbooks, feeling uninspired, when I resolved to make my own cake.  No recipe.  No guide.  I would just with it. Continue reading →

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Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

Posted on October 5, 2011 | 6 Comments

You have to applaud the marketing efforts of Nutella.  Nutella is, as the box proudly proclaims, little more than sugar and a mix of hazelnuts and cocoa.  Indeed, the first ingredient listed is sugar.  Owing to its healthy mix of hazelnuts, the spread also has its share of fat.  And yet, Nutella is branded as a necessary component of a balanced breakfast – as if it contained some vital, indispensable nutrients.  In almost all of its marketing literature, Nutella is featured at the breakfast table.

In fairness, Nutella does not advocate downing spoonful after spoonful of its spread.  Instead, the company notes that without Nutella, you might forego that piece of otherwise boring whole wheat toast.  In that respect, Continue reading →

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Ritz Cracker Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips

Posted on March 3, 2011 | 13 Comments

I’m a sucker for a good recipe contest.  Cooking, for me, is already a fun and creative hobby.  So the thought of prize money is just icing on top.

One day in the supermarket, I passed a giant display of Ritz Crackers, complete with football goal posts, inflated balloons, and a nearly life-size cutout of Guy Fieri.  Drawing closer, I saw that Kraft was running a recipe contest for its Ritz Crackers.  With a grand prize of $20,000, I decided to grab a box or two, and see what I could do.

My first thought was toward a cookie.  Continue reading →

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Molasses Crinkle Cookies

Posted on December 29, 2010 | Leave a comment

In the cold winter months, nothing beats a hearty molasses cookie.  These cookies are comparable to ginger snaps, but are a little more crunchy, with a hint of molasses.  I took the recipe Continue reading →

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Salty Oat Cookies

Posted on November 21, 2010 | 2 Comments

When I find a cooking blog that I like, I enjoy taking a moment to read the author’s “About Me” page.  Some of the pages include vast descriptions of the blogger’s life.   Others include only a few passing phrases, sometimes leaving the reader with more questions than answered.  Some pages have yet to even change the default setting from wordpress.

One of the things that I’ve noticed, in looking over the “About Me” pages, is that there seems to be a much larger number of lawyers with cooking blogs than say doctors or businessmen.  It amazes me how often I find a lawyer behind a food blog or a cooking show or a burgeoning cupcake business.  The Zagats, the couple behind the restaurant surveys, started their professional careers in large law firms.  And most recently, one of my good friends quit his law firm job of a few years to start his own restaurant business.

Which begs the question: is there any particular reason lawyers seem more attracted to cooking than their confreres in medicine and business?

Being a lawyer Continue reading →

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Bloody Lady Fingers

Posted on November 1, 2009 | 2 Comments

Fingers

When you think finger food, you think small appetizers sitting on a counter top.  Maybe vegetables and dip, or cheese and crackers.

Finger Food

These scary cookies give a whole new meaning to the term “finger food.” Continue reading →

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White Chocolate- and Chocolate-Chip Blondies

Posted on June 9, 2009 | 9 Comments

A little while back, Caitlin and I were invited for a trivia night.  The invitation was somewhat last minute, so we needed to find a dessert we could make quickly.  These blondies were prepped and done in a flash.  And naturally, they were great.  That is, the blondies were a much bigger success than we were that evening.  (People definitely had more blondies than questions we answered correctly).

The next time you need a travel treat, Continue reading →

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Thin Mint Cookie Cookies

Posted on April 2, 2009 | 2 Comments

6fave

In algebra, the equation f(x) = x² describes a parabolic function that never dips below the x-axis.  For any number you can think of, be it negative or positive, be it an integer or a fraction, the graph will never give you a negative value.  With the exception of zero, squaring the unknown will only produce a positive outcome.

Which is what I thought would happen when I decided to square my Girl Scout cookies: there could only be a positive outcome.  Or so I tried to tell myself.

Batter

Taking a mallet and smashing perfectly good Thin Mint Cookies Continue reading →

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Gingersnaps

Posted on January 4, 2009 | Leave a comment

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Sometimes you just need a warm cookie.  Yesterday was one of those days.

Looking through my Cooking Light cookbook, I found a recipe with all the ingredients already on hand.  This recipe does require an hour or two of down-time, so be prepared Continue reading →

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