T is for Tea: Earl Grey and Lavender Tea Shortbread Cookies (Jennifer)

Hello readers!

Every now and then I get inspired by new kitchen gadgets. Have I introduced you to my new favorite yet? It's the Mr. Coffee Coffee and Spice Grinder, available at your local Target (or favorite housewares retailer) for the reasonably low price of $16.99. What a deal! Trust me when I say, this is the most useful item I've picked up at Target in a long time. Because really, when you visit Target, don't you usually end up with a cart half full of non-essentials that you thought you needed, but turns out you really have plenty at home already (ahem, candles, picture frames, stationary, shower curtains, and other items that tend to jump into my cart)? Happens to me all the time.

Despite Mr. Coffee's name, I plan to use this gadget strictly for spices and teas, like this week's recipe using Earl Grey and Lavender tea. I wouldn't want the coffee residue and flavor overpower my teas and spices, you know? Enjoy these sweet little shortbread cookies--I did!

Q is for Quaker Oats: Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies (Jennifer)

Hello readers!
A few months ago, I was at Anthropologie and spotted a neat book called "Milk and Cookies." It's a book about, you guessed it, milk and cookies. Eighty-nine recipes to be exact of sweet and pure cookie goodness. I finally had a chance to crack open this book recently to really pour over the recipes in hopes of finding a nugget of inspiration for this week's letter.

And whadd'ya know? Nestled in the pages between Milk Chocolate Caramel Cookies and White Chocolate Macademic Nut Cookies was this little gem of a recipe for Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies. Now, I know what you're thinking...wasn't my secret ingredient this week for Quaker Oats? Well, yes. Yes, it was. Now allow me to explain how this all comes together. It works. I promise. : )

K is for Kit Kats: Kit Kat Cookies (Jessica)

Happy Almost New Year!

It seems hard to believe that tomorrow is the last day of 2011 and the day after that, we have to start writing 2012. When I was a kid, all the adults always talked about how fast time was going and I never believed it. It seemed like it took forever to get older or to finish that particular year of middle school, or whatever it was. Now that I'm (maybe?) an adult, I can definitely relate to that "time-flying" perspective.

This fall, in particular, has gone amazingly fast. I took some time today to look through the recipes Jen and I have made each week just to verify that all of those weeks between September and December really happened. (They did!). Take a minute and look through our archives, we've got quite a collection of recipes by this point!

This week's recipe doesn't need much of an intro (hence me going on about the impending year switch...), just a quick way to make cookies a bit more interesting!

I is for Irish Cream: Double Chocolate Irish Cream Cookies (Jennifer)

Hello readers!

Well, I'm awfully embarrassed to share this with you, but I've got not-a-one final product picture this week--gasp! I know, right?? Terrible! In the hustle and bustle of the week, I made these cookies, threw them in the oven, let them cool, and then quickly packaged them up into their containers and took them to work to share with everyone. Sorry! As soon as I can make another batch, I'll replace the Mr. Milk Carton photo with a legit photo of these awesome cookies. Until then, you'll just have to trust me!

G is for Ginger: Gingersnaps (Jessica)

Oh my!

Have you all been blown away in the last 24 hours?

If you don't live in the LA area, you may not know, but on Wednesday night there were crazy-strong winds gusting through these parts.
Now, sometimes I really like the wind. It feels fresh and clean and you just know it can blow away problems and bring new hope. But other times, like Wednesday, it just blows over trees, causes power outages, and brings debris to your streets.  Luckily, no one was hurt!

I moved here for the better weather, and while I can't dispute that, it does seem that Southern California has dramatic problems of its own! Luckily, tonight it's quiet and calm, perfect for eating some gingersnaps!

B is for Bacon: Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies (Jessica)

Hello there!

Yes, you there, come closer! This week, I made a recipe that featured bacon. Good thing I don't keep kosher! Anyway, I started thinking about bacon as part of the expression "bring home the bacon." If you know me, you know that I am kind of terrible at expressions. They never make sense! Oh I can use them as well as the next gal, but I bet none of us REALLY know what we're saying.

In order to remedy this tragedy, I've done some research for you into the origin of the saying, "bring home the bacon." First off, here's what it means: to earn money, especially money for one's family; to be successful, especially financially successful.
Origins: it is a 20th century phrase that was coined in the USA in relation to boxing. Joe Gans and 'Battling' Oliver Nelson fought for the widely reported world lightweight championship on the 3rd of September, 1906. In coverage of the fight, the New York newspaper The Post-Standard, 4th of September, 1906, said that the winner would "bring home the bacon." After that, the saying increased in popularity as it was printed in other papers covering other boxing matches. (http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/bring-home-the-bacon.html)

*Disclaimer: even though I found this information on the internet, that doesn't necessarily mean it's true. And I didn't cite using APA 6th Edition format. So what.*

So now, let me bring you this interesting bacon cookie recipe!

Z is for Zucchini Bread Cookie Sandwiches (Jennifer)

Hello readers!

I've just returned to LA from a wonderful trip to see dear friends in NYC. As a "thank you" to my parents for watching our dog the past four days, I baked them these cookie sandwiches. My dad is not a big fan of chocolate, so I thought this cookie sandwich would hit the spot for him. The cookie part is delicate and light, and the creamy filling is rich and sweet. I also love that these cookies feel very "fall-inspired" even though I hear the weather back in LA didn't feel much like fall this past week. Maybe these cookies can get you into the spirit!

T is also for Twix Cookies (Jessica)

Hello again!

Somehow this week I found the time to do another T recipe. No frills here, this is just a simple cookie with a chopped Twix bar mixed in to the dough. Did I mention yet how much I love Twix? It's definitely my favorite candy bar and has been since I was a kid.

Now, if you've ever had braces, surely you know: no caramel!

Yeah, right.

So for the 4 years I had braces as a kid it just meant I had to be sneakier about eating Twix. Shhh, don't tell my parents. :)

O is for Oatmeal Cherry White Chocolate Chip Cookies (Jessica)

Dear Readers,

There were a surprising number of choices to pick from for this week's recipe. I want to pay tribute to every other kind of oatmeal cookie out there, as well as every recipe with oranges...yum! I settled on this recipe because I'm a sucker for white chocolate.
What IS white chocolate anyway? Well, first of all, it's not REALLY chocolate. Here's what Wikipedia says: it's a "confectionery derivative of chocolate". I think that's just a fancy way to say "it's candy". Read more about it and you can learn about the rules governing what can be labeled as "white chocolate" in America. Whatever you call it, I think it's delicious. I know this very sweet confectionery can be divisive; people either love it or hate it. Guess which group I'm in!

These cookies came with me to my cooking club's picnic over the weekend. Remember my very first post? Well, cooking club rolled around again and I wanted to bring something easy to snack on while we lounged outside in the park. Here's the result!

J is for Jam Filled Butter Cookies (Jessica)

Happy Father's Day!

This weekend we celebrated all those dads out there. I didn't get to actually spend time with my dad on this special day, so instead, I made cookies! This is not to say that the cookies replace him in any way. In fact I think my dad takes the prize because he has always taken care of me. In the meantime, across the country, I had to go with what was available, which, in this case, was a deliciously light jam-filled cookie. Anyway, looking forward to seeing the family for real in a few weeks! (I'm sure you'll hear more about that later).

SO...on to the cookies!

H is for Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies (Jennifer)

Hi there!

Hope you all enjoyed a glorious weekend! This beautiful weather has been mildly distracting lately, no? Despite the draw of the great outdoors, I did find some time to spend in the kitchen this weekend and I'm really excited to share the results with you.

Under most circumstances, I wouldn't count myself a fan of shortbread cookies. To be honest, I find that most shortbread cookies fall "short" (get it? haha) of what I'm looking for in a cookie--something chewy, moist, and delectable. However, after making these cookies, I may have had a change of heart. These cookies are nutty and crumbly, with just enough texture. They are soft and buttery, with just enough sweet.

After all was said and done, I found myself sitting at the kitchen table wondering if this cookie may have turned this former shortbread doubter into a believer. If you try these, which I hope you will, I hope you become a believer, too.

H is for Honey Lace Cookies (Jessica)

Hello Honey!

The lovely town of South Pasadena has an even lovelier Farmers' Market every Thursday evening. In the summer, the market draws a large crowd, but honestly, it's crowded in the winter too. Who can resist the cute neighborhood and delicious samples? Pomegranate juice and goat cheese? Yes, please!

At some point during "the winter" of my first year in Southern California, I discovered this Farmers' Market. Enjoying fresh produce outside in February was a shock! I distinctly remember realizing how far from home I really was on that night. Fast forward three whole years (how has it been that long?!) and now the South Pasadena Farmers' Market is just another part of the cute town that's become home (OK, not my REAL home, that'll always be in Massachusetts, but this is a second home). It is ESPECIALLY delightful in the summer months when the sun doesn't set until the market closes and I walk around drooling over the California strawberries.

One of the booths at the market each week is a man who makes all different kinds of honey. A couple of months ago, I had some extra time at the market and I decided to buy some of my favorite honey. This involved tasting every single kind, of course! In the end, I came home with the best and that is what went into this week's cookie recipe. The high quality of the honey made all the difference!

A is for Amaretti Cookies (Jennifer)

Hello from the kitchen!

For my letter A post, I wanted to do something with almonds. Almonds, amaretto.....amaretti! No, amaretto is not related at all to amaretti, but that was my thought process...follow? : ) I love both almonds and amaretto, and most recently, this past November, I traveled with my sister to Boston where I sampled THE most amazing amaretti cookies ever at Mike's Pastry. Oh, my, goodness...if ever you go to Boston, run, don't walk, to Mike's! You'll swoon over Mike's delicious amaretti. Promise.

So, back to the challenge and the recipe. I derived much of my inspiration from this recipe found on smitten kitchen. I also looked to the inside of the packaging for the almond paste I purchased for further inspiration, tips and advice. What follows is the smitten kitchen recipe, though I'll note where I slightly adapted it.