If this post (hard to call it a recipe) doesn’t fall into the Easy-Breezy category, I don’t know what does! Here’s the back story; a few weeks before Connor left for his sophomore year at NAU, he bravely went with me to Costco and requested the purchase of cookie dough. I faltered and bought it for him. Upon our arrival home, we unpacked and I placed the 5-pound tub in the freezer. There it sat until yesterday when once again I was unpacking from a Costco trip and couldn’t fit another thing in the freezer due to that enormous tub. Both Marissa and Connor actually like to eat the dough more than the baked cookies, but the tub had to go! Instead of just baking up 5 dozen regular chocolate chip cookies, I added various mix-ins. Don’t fret Connor, I will be bringing several dozen up to you in a couple of weeks. [Read more →]

We left early this morning for the drive down to Tucson to pack up Marissa and move her back to Scottsdale. Of course, I love having her home, so that is the really sweet part. But I also know how eager she is to “begin” her independent life, her career, and to have a place to call her own. I remember that feeling of longing and yearning and wish all those wonderful things for her. But with today’s economy and job market, she is just one of the thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, of young adults and college graduates in the same situation. Daily she is sending out resumes, searching online, and reaching out to every possible connection; lucky to ever get a call, acknowledgment, or interview. So, we’ll store her furniture and other belongings that one doesn’t need when living with your family (meaning parents) in mini-storage and continue to give her all the love and support we can while she waits for her new beginning. And of course, if you are reading this and know of any positions or possible openings for a brilliant, beautiful, and bold graduate with a bonafide Journalism degree, (such as writing, editing, public relations, journalist, newspaper, magazine, etc.) who will move anywhere for an opportunity; please email or call right this very minute!

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One of my favorite movies is the 2002 sleeper hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I’ve seen it so many times, but I still laugh out loud in all the same places. Especially at Toula’s (the bride-to-be) father, Gus, and his love for Windex, the popular window cleaner. Toula Portokalos explains while narrating, ” My dad believed in two things: That Greeks should educate non-Greeks about being Greek and every ailment from psoriasis to poison ivy can be cured with Windex.” Throughout the film you see Gus with his beloved Windex, spraying it here and there as the remedy for just about everything. Then on the morning of the big (fat and Greek) wedding, this conversation takes place between Toula and her non-Greek groom, Ian.

Toula Portokalos: I woke up with this huge zit this morning.

Ian Miller: Where?

Toula Portokalos: [points to a spot on face] There.

Ian Miller: I had a huge zit this morning too!

Toula Portokalos: Really? Where?

Ian Miller: [points to his face] Well, it was there, but it’s gone now.

Toula Portokalos: Why?

Ian Miller: I put some Windex on it.

Too Darn Funny! If you’ve never seen the movie, make some of these traditional Greek sugared almond cookies (pronounced Koo-rah-bee-YEH-these), go out and rent the DVD, and have a fun and sweet night in.

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A quick note: Happy Birthday to my dear friend, Anne Lyons! Annie, I’ll see you this afternoon to celebrate your special day – so your “real” birthday post will be tomorrow, with pictures and all! Until then, I love you and HaPpY BiRtHdAy!!! xoxo

The theme of one of our kid’s cooking classes this week was “Mexican”. For dessert, we made these chunky quadruple chocolate cookies. What made them “Mexican” was the inclusion of Ibarra chocolate, which can be readily found in Arizona grocery stores.  If you live elsewhere and your store doesn’t have an expansive Hispanic section, Ibarra can be purchased online. What makes this chocolate special is the distinct cinnamon flavor. It is imported from Guadalajara, Mexico and the ingredients are sugar, cocoa nibs, lecithin, and cinnamon. It is primarily used to make hot cocoa or in baking. Ibarra is not often eaten like a candy bar because its undissolved granulated sugar makes a rough and gritty texture. Each package contains six 3.1-ounce chocolate tablets. Another fun aspect of these treats is the dipping of each cookie into three different chocolate glazes, making them extra festive and decadent. Muy Bien!

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For the past year, I’ve been providing 2 dozen cookies a month to the winner of an auction item I donated to a local charity.  This is my last delivery of the year and these cookies are real winners.  I have a thing for malted milk balls, Whoppers, as it were. They have long been one of my all-time favorite candies. I’m sure my mistreated baby sister, Sloane, could tell some awful stories about my mean-younger self, involving Whoppers… I’ll just leave it at that. I dearly love you, Sloane and I am truly sorry for that very mean big sister whom you had to put up with, when we shared a bedroom, all those years ago… please forgive me! xoxo

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Time to gear up for the green! Tomorrow it is finally St. Patrick’s Day, and coincidentally I need to make a couple of dozen cookies for friends, so green it is! These soft cake-like cookies would be perfect for a Tea or Brunch. The “High Tea” theme is popular for weddings and baby showers, and so are these cookies. For a wedding shower, you could tint one half of the icing color of the bridesmaid dresses and leave the other half white. For a baby shower, pink and blue are the obvious choices. No matter what color theme you choose, these cookies will disappear as fast as you put them out!

I tested baking the cookies on both a Silpat lined baking sheet and one that was sprayed with Pam. Although I generally use the Silpat when baking, the cookies turned out a crisper on the unlined pan and in this case, a crisper is better. You can see the results for yourself in the pictures below. And thanks to my “cookie tester and model”- Connor, who is home for spring break!

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back to front: pink grapefruit, navel orange, Mexican lime, Lisbon lemon, Meyer lemon, and blood orange

In April, it will be two years since we remodeled our backyard and this winter has, literally, showing the fruits of our labor. We added blood orange, Meyer lemon, and Mexican lime tree to our existing navel orange, Lisbon lemon, and pink grapefruit – for a true citrus grove!  Last year did not produce any new fruits, but this year, the proof is in the colorful picture above and I am one happy girl! The Meyer lemon has been the most prolific of the three new trees. These cookies are delicious with regular lemon zest too, so don’t discount them if you can’t find Meyer lemons.

The almond meal can be found at most grocery stores under the Bob’s Red Mill brand and at Trader Joe’s.

Or you can make your own almond meal: For about 1 1/3 cups almond meal, place 2 cups whole, unbalanced almonds in a food processor, and pulse several times until a medium-fine textured meal forms. Do Not over-process or you will end up with almond butter! Put the ground almond meal in a clean flour sifter, sift and place any large almond particles back into the processor and pulse again, sift. That’s all it takes!

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There are some things in the world of cooking that are like money in the bank or resemble beautiful gold treasure. Things like having a really well-stocked pantry and freezer. You know what I’m talking about; when you want to make a recipe that calls for chili paste or tamarind or cake flour… there is no getting in the car and going to the market for you, just open a cupboard and there it is – smiling back at you! Pure Jubilation! Hugs, high-fives, and kisses to everyone in the house!

Or how about when your spouse comes home and tells you that last week he/she signed up to bring two dozen homemade cookies to the office potluck, by the way, the potluck – well it is tomorrow!  Sure, as you walk towards that pillow that is calling your name, you could say, “Darling, how absolutely fabulous! Now you have fun making those cookies tonight, sweetie, I’m off to bed.”  That method doesn’t work when the entire office knows you cook for a living.  Edible, in fact, delectable, cookies are anticipated and expected! So that gold treasure in this case is the “slice and bake” cookies that you have in your well-stocked freezer. Even your older kids (when they casually mention that they need fresh-baked cookies for the school carnival, that is (wait for it…) of course, in the morning.) could do the slicing and baking without you anywhere to be found.  Your home is instantly filled with Joy, Peace, and Happiness for all!

The espresso powder can be found at an Italian deli or ordered online, and I found the cappuccino chips at Trader Joe’s.  This recipe makes three logs of dough. I generally refrigerate all three for the 8 hours, then slice and bake one log. I double wrap and freeze the other two logs for up to 1 month. The frozen dough does not need to be defrosted before baking – just slice the logs and bake about 1 minute longer. Or the logs may be thawed in the refrigerator if that works into your schedule better. After all, it’s all about you – as it should be!!! Oh, and these are going in the “Easy-Breezy” category on the recipe index too because they are just a more adult version (hence the “big girl” reference) of good old Toll House cookies and nothing is easier or breezier than slice and bake!
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Connor made these pretty bars to add to our cookie collection today. He used both the red peppermint and the green creme de menthe flavors of Andes candies and then sprinkled them in stripes on the bars. Pretty and sweet! Thanks, Con.
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If you have an upcoming cookie exchange or you’re just looking for a little something different for your own cookie tray, these gingerbread blondies will fit the bill.  It’s hard to find an aroma or flavor that stirs up more Christmas memories than gingerbread. These pretty bars come together quickly and yield 2 1/2 dozen per pan. That’s hard to beat!

White chocolate can be such a pain to work with. The reason? It’s not real chocolate. White chocolate is a confection of sugar, cocoa butter, and milk solids. It first appeared in the 1930s in Switzerland and was invented by Nestle to use excess cocoa butter.  Nestle introduced it to the United States in 1948.  It burns even easier than real chocolate.  To melt white chocolate, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high for 1 minute. Stir, return to microwave, and cook on high 1 more minute. Remove and stir until completely melted. I prefer Ghirardelli brand white chocolate chips, I find them the best tasting and easiest to melt.
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