Archive for the ‘Cookies’ Category
Cream puffs, profiteroles, pate a Choux…they all sound so distinguished. Fancy dancy, which can mean disaster in my kitchen. Thankfully with a bit of patience and a watchful eye, these babies will be popping out of your oven in no time. Cool them completely before filling with cream. You can also use pastry cream, if you wish. [...]
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I miss Istanbul. I miss the crazy bus drivers, the open bazaars, and the amazing street food. I miss the sweets- Turkish delight, and authentic baklava. Then again, sometimes you have to improvise. Turkish baklava is traditionally made with pistachios. That can get expensive, so a mix of almonds, cashews or walnuts are also delicious. [...]
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Honey is amazing, especially if you find the good stuff. Personally, I get tired of the honey bear tube of sugar syrup that they sell at the grocery store. But not so long ago, we had the good fortune to meet a honey grower right here in Orange County. Their honey is the real stuff. [...]
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Pumpkin is a wonderful vegetable that is too often limited to the fall months. With the advent of commercial canning, home cooks everywhere can enjoy the wonders of pumpkin-y baked goods any month of the year. Which actually makes more sense, since pumpkin is low in fat, high in nutrition, and gives baked goods tons [...]
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I love making cookies. I find rolling little balls of sugar dough between my hands is like free therapy. Nowadays I’m into more distinguished cookies, straying away from the standard chocolate chip guys. Note, even though the browning of the butter is an extra step, the nutty aroma makes these almost like caramel cookies- so [...]
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Happy 2011, everyone! May the next year bring all your goals to realization, and may your cookbook collection get ever bigger. Amen. I was first introduced to Thumbprint Cookies in the fourth grade. That was my bookworm stage. As in, six hour, non-stop, novel devouring stage. There was a recipe for thumbprint cookies on the [...]
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Some foods are best homemade. Others are best left to the experts. I’ve found that the more specialized and ethnic a food, the harder it is to replicate in the home kitchen. But that doesn’t keep us from trying, does it? These cookies are classic Korean cookies. Made from a sweet cookie dough that is [...]
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I made these Almond Tassie Tarts over the weekend. Mr. Bear said exactly what I had been thinking. “These taste like baklava!” Bingo. Nevermind that there’s no honey anywhere, and not a single pistachio in sight. Forget the fact that cream cheese is a primary ingredient in the pastry versus the phyllo leaves of a [...]
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This Christmas, a rolling pin fell on my head and my electric mixer threw a stick of butter at me. Not even kidding. Kitchen hazards aside, our wee family made sugar cookies and gathered around with bags of royal icing and tubes of sprinkles. Lot and lots of sprinkles everywhere. One of our friends made [...]
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I grew up in Southern California. I still whine every time the temperature drops below 70, and run under the blankies whenever there is a rainstorm. But don’t get me wrong, I’m a winter idealist. I love the thought of merry snowmen, sledding children, and hot chocolate on the porch where you can see your [...]
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