Drunken Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

These are not your grandma's snickerdoodles!  Our cocktail twist on an old fashioned favorite: Drunken Pumpkin Snickerdoodles.  You've seen my "Old Fashioned" Snickerdoodles from a few years ago.  This time around, I used the same vintage cocktail flavors and brought them more modern and swingin' with the addition of that fall baking favorite, Pumpkin.  

Jacqueline shared some snickerdoodles with me last week and I loved how her addition of applesauce made them soft and not thin and crumbly like in some snickerdoodle recipes.  The apple was so subtle, but just a nice nuance.  I have wanted to make a pumpkin version of my "old fashioned" snickerdoodles, so the time was right with the cooler temperatures and the age-old hankerin' for the smell of cinnamon and pumpkin in the kitchen.  

These are light and fluffy and almost cakey.  If you like your snickerdoodles more chewy, you can reduce the number of eggs.  There are lots pumpkin snickerdoodle recipes on the Internet that have no eggs and the result is very chewy.  Also, as these have less cream of tartar than more traditional snickerdoodles, they won't have that distinctive taste...Something for which I was down graded on my entry to last year's state fair.  The judges just didn't get my play on words, either, noting the name "Old Fashioned" meaning my twist on cocktail meets cookie.

A combination that's sure to please both young and young at heart...The addition of the pumpkin makes them almost feel 'healthy,' while the addition of the white chocolate chips makes them a bit more elegant. 

Who doesn't enjoy a good oldie but goody, right?

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Chocolate Heart Sandwich Cookies

Happy Valentine's Day!   These little cookies are chocked full of deep chocolate flavor with just the right amount of fresh raspberry filling to melt your heart...And, the hearts of those you love.  

Ahhhh...

Super easy dough.  Super easy filling.  You can make your own raspberry puree like I did when I made these cupcakes.  Or, you can just use raspberry jam.  You can do this!  

I found this recipe in this month's issue of Martha Stewart Living.  Not a magazine I really enjoy but am receiving because Martha canned my favorite food magazine, Everyday Food.  That was the BEST food magazine ever created...Simple recipes...Recipes that worked every single time.  

Alas...I am so grieving the loss of my Everyday Food mag...Almost bereft, even.

And, yes, chocolate heart sandwich cookies do help...

These cutie little cookies were a big hit at work this week.  And, hey, who doesn't like heart cookies with sprinkles?

Enjoy a few of these with those you love...Or, with those you'd really, really like to love...

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Limoncello Raspberry Cream Sandwich Cookies

Pillowy lemon cookie sandwiched with luscious tart raspberry filling...Yes, I died and went to heaven.  I never knew a sandwich cookie could be this easy and this decadent. 

The pudding in the cookie helps keep them soft and adds richness.  The raspberry filling is kicked up a few notches with the addition of raspberry puree and Frambroise.  We wouldn't be bakin' it with booze, otherwise!

An elegant cookie, yet so easy to pull together.  Heaven.

This recipe is from my super creative and ever imaginative blogger buddy, Dorothy at Crazy for Crust.  She comes up with some very special treats like...Avocado Frosting, Cherry Icee Cupcakes, Cakeball Cookies and PB&J Tart.  She also runs a weekly party, Crazy Sweet Tuesday, where lots and lots of food bloggers show their creative wares.  Her Whatever Friday features a weekly wrap-up of her recipes and what's happened in her life.  She is The Iron Blogger!  :)

I've learned so much from Dorothy and thankful that I met her in blogger land...

Please check out Dorothy's blog when you can...You won't be disappointed.  Ever. 

Creamy lemony cookies with tart raspberry centers. 

Heaven. 

I'm sharing this over at Cake of the Week's Baking with Spirit Challenge for May: Limoncello! 

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Chocolate Stout Cookies

We've all heard of chocolate stout cupcakes, but I really wanted to try some stout in brownies.  But, brownies seem like such a big commitment of sorts...A whole pan...Just too tempting for me these days.  So, cookies sounded about right in the portion control department.   And, I could freeze them.  Always a plus!

Freezing cookies and having a stash in the freezer solves a few issues:

1. I have a ready source of cookies for my morning coffee.  Yup, I start every day with a cookie.  How bad can that be?
2. If someone comes to the house to do work, like the guys who came to prune trees, I have some for them to munch on while they are here. 
3. I will always have some for my dad when he comes over.  My dad LOVES cookies.  His motto:

There are no bad cookies, some are just better than others.

I love my dad.

These cookies are super EASY to mix up and bake.  They hold up well too with adding this and that.  I added salted peanuts because I love peanuts and chocolate.  Get a little protein boost in your cookies, too!  I especially like that these cookies have a shininess to them.  Almost festive. 

Great with a cup of coffee or as a quick snack.  I would imagine that any sort of booze could be added.  Go ahead, experiment!

Moist and chocolaty and peanutty...All my favorites in one cookie!

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Limoncello Sugar Cookies

Are you ready for the Easter Bunny?

Light and lemony and a little bit of Spring!

 

The Easter Bunny hasn't been at my house in YEARS, but I still love this holiday.  And, if you really think about it, Easter is the mid-point between Halloweens.  Better than Christmas because there is no big crazy shopping frenzy.  Plus, it really is what it's all about in terms of Christianity, right?  With no rise, there would be no need for Christmas.  All the more reason to celebrate the coming of Spring and The Bunny!

In case you haven't notice, I have this fascination with almost anything Italian...Food, clothes, jewelry, landscapes, art, wine...And, Limoncello.   I first discovered baking with Limoncello when Jacqueline made these cupcakes and I made this cake.  All good.  All Limoncello.  Makes a killer lemon drop BTW...Just sayin'. 

So, with the coming of Spring and the ~still~ abundant California lemon crop, I decided to make the Italian liqueur version of my favorite sugar cookie recipe.  Same great recipe, new and refreshing lemony twist!

And, as you can see, I like the rustic-Italian look to my frosted sugar cookies...
We all know that Italians LOVE sprinkles!

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Old-Fashioned Snickerdoodles

Big, moist centers, crispy-cinnamony outside. 

Warms the heart and brings back many happy memories...

These cookies are everything you want your snickerdoodle to be, trust me.  This recipe is based on two sources: The Boozy Baker and From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens.  I tweaked both recipes to develop this one as I wanted a really BIG cookie with lots of flavor, a nice rise and a super soft interior.  Give these a try and you won't be disappointed. 

So, what's in a name...

First, the drink...The Old-Fashioned is a cocktail made by muddling dissolved sugar with bitters, then adding whiskey or bourbon and a twist of citrus rind. It is traditionally served in a short, round, tumbler glass.

Second, the cookie...The snickerdoodle is one of the oldest American cookies known.  Snickerdoodles have a cracked surface and can be crisp or soft depending on your preference. Today, the leavening agent is typically baking powder (a combination of cream of tartar and baking soda).  In the old days, the traditional leavening agents were baking soda and cream of tartar.  I use all three. 

Third, the origin...According to The Joy of Cooking (the culinary bible for most...), it states that snickerdoodles probably are German in origin, and that the name is a variant of the German word Schneckennudeln ("snail noodles"), a German pastry.

Can you see the orange zest?  Can you smell the cinnamon? 

Yeah, trust me, these cookies are THAT good!

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Shamrock Sugar Cookies with Whiskey and Baileys Frosting

Moist and soft, green-tinted, whiskey-infused sugar cookies with smooth Baileys frosting...Wearing o' the green never looked so good!

These are my favorite sugar cookies and are mildly adapted from my favorite cookie book, Cookie Mania.  It is out of print, but if you're lucky, you can find a gently-used copy on the Internet.  It is my secret recipe book for the majority of my Xmas cookies.   Shh, don't tell anyone. 

I don't make sugar cookies often, well, almost never really.  This recipe is very forgiving and makes a very moist cookie that holds up to frosting.  They are very plain on their own, so I highly recommend at least sugar on top.  I tried to tint them green, but alas I goofed.  No problem, I adapted.  They still turned out yummy and soft.

The addition of Jameson Whiskey really helped crisp them up and I think it was necessary as they can tend to get really soft once frosted.  Not this time!  Soft, yet still a nice chewiness.  The Baileys frosting was a BIG hit at the office.  Each time I opened the Tupperware container to share, the waft of Baileys helped the day go by so much better.  :) 

Easy recipe, cuz I don't make cut out cookies unless they are EASY! 

Erin-go-Bragh, ya'll! 

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Cucidati, Italian X Cookies

Everything just seems better when there are Sprinkles!!

Pin It  Soft pockets of sweet dough surrounding moist fig filling full of complex flavors.  All this in a cookie?  If you've been following BIWB, you know that this is the cookie that started it all for me on this blog idea.  I made these last year, for the very first time, at Christmas.  I did the same again this year.  Winner!  I make ~literally~ a TON of xmas cookies each year for friends and family.  These cucidati I make for myself.  These are MY Christmas tradition.   

Lemon Thumbprint Cookies with Cassis-Laced Raspberry Jam

What is Cassis, or creme de cassis, anyway?  There was no ingredient list on the bottle.  I found this explanation via the web, my new source for all things baking related.  It's made of the juice of blackcurrants*, or in Latin: Ribes nigrum.  Blackcurrants are berries, right?  I'll let you read about all the hoity-toity French pedigree of blackcurrants.  And, yes, it's "blackcurrant" and not "black currant."

I found this recipe looking for cupcake recipes on the FoodNetwork.  Huh?  It's a cookie called Raspberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies.  From Emeril Lagasse, the "BAM Man."  It called for Chambord or kirsch, neither of which I had.  I didn't want to buy more booze.  This recipe only called for a bit, and driving to the store and purchasing it just wasn't in the cards at 7am on a Saturday morning.  No company, no shower, just me and the cat.  Nuf said.

So, I embraced the Jacqueline mantra: Substitution is Key.  And, then I proceeded with cassis!