Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti

A very snowy Saturday found me in the kitchen yesterday…alone…for my annual baking marathon.  “Little a” was planning to join me, but the doom-and-gloom weather forecast kept her home.  I was sad, but a marathon is a marathon and I was moving forward. I’ve made this chocolate biscotti before, but never with Andes Peppermint Crunch […]

Chocolate-Dipped Stamped Shortbread

I know…I know.  I’m leap-frogging right over Thanksgiving and making a beeline for Christmas.  Couldn’t help it, though, because I’m anxious to share my first 2014 Christmas cookie.  It’s a deliciously crisp and buttery shortbread cookie with a thin layer of dark chocolate beneath. I bought this Birkmann cookie stamp a few weeks ago at […]

Almond Creme Macarons

Thanks to my friend, Teresa, I learned how to bake up a macaron that looks, well…, like a macaron!  These French cookie gems have become wildly popular in the past few years and they have a well-earned reputation of being delicate and finicky to bake.  Much has been written about them, and expert bakers everywhere […]

Black Cherry Chip Meringue Cookies

I really ate way too many Christmas cookies.  Way, WAY too many.  (Popped them into my mouth like mini-m&m’s, and now there are clothes that don’t fit.)  Since I’m still craving a cookie fix, I thought I’d try a lighter alternative as Step 1 in my 12-step “Lay off all those sweets” program. I found […]

Mocha Nonpareil Cookies

Next up for the Christmas cookie tray?  These pretty little mocha-yummy bites.  They’re loaded with flavor, and they are so easy to put together! I bought these dark chocolate nonpareil candies at my local Stop & Shop.  They are not quite the gourmet chocolate candies that you’d find at a fancy-pants candy shop, but they […]

Chocolate Walnut Truffle Bars

The holiday cookie blitz is on, and I’m loving these little bars!  Lots of great chocolatey taste, and the soft walnuts, along with the buttery crust, add wonderful texture.  I omitted the rum because I’m not a huge fan, and I cut them into two-bite pieces.  If you like the chocolate/walnut combo, you’ll really enjoy […]

Christmas Cookie Kickoff — Bakery Italian Butter Spritz

I totally love baking cookies year round, but there is something special and magical about baking cookies for Christmas.  Happy childhood memories of holiday baking with my mom and sister, and visions of the cookie feasts that my aunts presented to their guests, flood my soul and warm my heart. I always try to add […]

Giant Ginger Cookies II

All I can say about these cookies is that they are completely and totally DELICIOUS.  I was going to a friend’s house for the weekend and thought these would be the perfect seasonal, spicy cookies to go along with a hot cup of coffee or a steaming cup of tea.  (or to munch on during […]

Snowflake-Stamped Shortbread Cookies

  In honor of the 6″ of snow that fell yesterday, I baked a batch of snowflake-stamped shortbread cookies.  How thrilling it was to see this much snow in the first week of November…and oh SO soon after Hurricane Sandy.  Joy. I purchased this Rycraft cookie stamp quite a while ago and became totally discouraged […]

Glazed Anisette Biscotti

The thin glaze on these tasty biscotti pushes them way over the top into extreme deliciousness.  Light toasting keeps them firm, but the crumb remains soft and tender.  I am not a huge fan of the super-crunchy-break-your-teeth versions of biscotti, which are great for dunking if you’re the type who likes to drench your cookies […]

Funfetti Sugar Cookies

If you don’t love-love soft, colorful, happy, pretty sprinkles, these cookies are NOT for you.  If you are like me, however, and crave them on cake, cookies, chocolate dipped pretzels and Carvel soft vanilla swirl ice cream (the best), then go ahead and take the butter out of the fridge…you are in for a treat. […]

Minty Hearts and Chocolate Coconut Bites

I have been looking for a real good reason to make peppermint patties again, and what better opportunity than Valentine’s Day.  These patties are the perfect combination of oh-so-minty and deliciously-creamy, and I couldn’t resist turning them into a sweet Valentine’s treat.  After I formed and pressed the prepared patty, I cut them with a […]

Almond Joy Cookies

I love Love LOVE Almond Joy candy bars.  So much so that I buy bags of them every Halloween knowing full well that it’s not a favorite amongst trick-or-treaters and knowing full well that there’ll be a ton left over for me.  As candy goes, I can’t think of a more perfect combination…creamy coconut, sweet […]

Annual Christmas Cookie Baking Marathon – 2011

Includes recipes for Spritz, Mom’s Best Peanut Brittle, Hazelnut Raspberry Almond Thumbprints, Pignoli Cookies, Vanilla Drop Sugar Cookies, Almond Diamonds, Susan Branch’s Lemon Squares, Sugar Crusted Snowballs, Italian Christmas Cookies, Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies, Molasses Sugar Cookies, Toffee Turtle Bars, Double Coconut Biscotti, White Chocolate, Cranberry, Pistachio Biscotti

Vanilla Drop Sugar Cookies

Crispy on the outside…..soft, vanilla wonderful on the inside.  These are goooood!! Print Vanilla Drop Sugar Cookies Ingredients 3 sticks butter 1 1/2 cups sugar 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 3/4 cups flour 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsp cream of tartar 1/2 tsp salt Instructions Cream together butter and sugar until light and […]