Cookies & Baked Goods

There is nothing quite as delicious as a chocolate chip cookie straight from the oven! Hot and delicious, the chocolate still melted and the center of the cookie so soft and delicious it breaks apart in your hand. My mouth waters just thinking about it!

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This post was posted in Cookies & Baked Goods, Recipes

Grab a cup of coffee (or tea), sit down with a good old fashion newspaper, and enjoy the simple pleasure that is coffee cake. In this very hectic and digitalized world it is nice, on occasion, to put it all aside and reflect on the simple pleasures. Now don't get me wrong, I couldn't live without my iPhone, computer or camera, and nor would I want to, but every once in a while the hectic, fast-paced digital world that is our lives needs a rest -- a time to breathe and think about how quickly time passes, and how we sometimes forget to appreciate the small things that can bring so much pleasure.

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This post was posted in Breakfast and Brunch, Cookies & Baked Goods, Recipes

Roses are red, violets are blue, Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, I’m ready--are you? Dinner reservations, store bought candy and jewelry are certainly appreciated and show us that you care, but nothing is sweeter than homemade cupcakes!

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This post was posted in Cookies & Baked Goods, Desserts, Recipes

Beanilla carries a large selection of extracts and flavorings that any chef or home cook would love. From almond to lavender the choices are extensive! Cool, refreshing and a perfect complement to rich chocolate; Peppermint, one of my personal favorites!

Peppermint brownie tarts begin with a base of chocolate fudge brownie, a middle layer of cool peppermint filling and a top layer of rich dark chocolate ganache. They are a small but decadent dessert that is easy to make and guaranteed to disappear faster than you can make them.

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This post was posted in Cookies & Baked Goods, Recipes and was tagged with Peppermint

Whoopie pies are a classic lunch box treat. Growing up it was always a treat to find whoppie pies, swiss cake rolls or oatmeal crème pies in our lunch nestled amongst the frozen juice boxes and the flattened tuna sandwich! (Courtesy of the frozen juice box)

Times have changed; the classics are delicious and bring back happy memories of child hood but parents these days are much more aware and concerned about what their children are consuming. Highly processed snacks and treats are being replaced with whole foods and nutritous snacks. Baking from scratch allows parents and health conscious persons to regulate the amount of refined flour, sugar and fats we introduce into our diets.

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This post was posted in Cookies & Baked Goods, Recipes

Warm, soft, buttery snickerdoodles are one cookie my husband just can't resist! I have his recipe written in the front of an address book, although I'm sure he knows it by heart by now. My children love the recipe so much that I have finally transferred it to a digital recipe book for them to take with them when they leave and have families of their own. This year we were able to enhance his cookie by rolling it in a mixture of cinnamon and vanilla sugar.

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This post was posted in Cookies & Baked Goods, Recipes and was tagged with Vanilla Sugar

When I think of raspberries, I think of my in-laws. In the early to late fall, there is a beautiful "u-pick" raspberry farm close to their home that has the most delectable raspberries known to man. My mother-in-law introduced me to them a few years ago on one of our visits back home. Picture a long winding drive, a couple of dogs greeting you with excited barks and a middle-aged woman smiling as she tends to her stand. The stand is stocked full of treasures such as homemade breads, jams and the most exquisite raspberry flower honey I have ever tasted. She greets you with a smile and a basket to collect the berries, points you in the direction of the most plentiful bushes and sends you on your way. Once you arrive at the raspberry bushes, you notice how peaceful it is and you begin to collect the sweet red berries. Most of the berries make it into the basket, but a few are so beautiful and ripe, they beg to be eaten right then!

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This post was posted in Cookies & Baked Goods, Recipes and was tagged with Raspberry, Tahitian Vanilla

In our family, holiday tradition dictates that Santa is left a plate of cookies and milk on Christmas Eve. As parents, we drink half of the glass of milk and take a bite out of a cookie and place it back on the plate. For many children, part of the wonder of Christmas is seeing the half eaten treat that they left for Santa and believing that he was there.

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This post was posted in Cookies & Baked Goods, Recipes and was tagged with Christmas

There are two different variations of macaroons; French and American. American macaroons are usually coconut based, sometimes dipped in chocolate and are delicious. French macarons are light and crunchy but with a soft interior. They can be filled with just about any flavor of buttercream you can create.

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This post was posted in Cookies & Baked Goods, Recipes

Are you looking for a holiday gift for a teacher, personal trainer, landscaper or even your neighbors? Nothing is more appreciated than a homemade gift of cookies. Everyone loves cookies, and the fact that you took time out of your busy schedule to create a gift especially for them makes it even more special.

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This post was posted in Cookies & Baked Goods, Recipes and was tagged with White Chocolate