Today I made a special dinner for a lawyer friend of my daughter’s in exchange for some excellent legal advice. I’d asked what her culinary preference was since I’m familiar with several. She suggested Middle Eastern and mentioned having had Iranian cuisine frequently at home while growing up, perhaps a nanny, so I decided to … More Roundabout Middle Eastern Dinner
My cousin grows Royal Velvet culinary lavender and decorative lavender on the farm she and her husband share along a river in southeastern Idaho. She suggested that I might use the culinary lavender in my cookies and specifically in a cookie like the one I made today as the first experiment. Since I’ve a taste … More Lavender Mini Teacakes
This cookie came about during the Christmas baking season and there was a leftover bag full of the Hershey’s Dark Mint Truffle-filled Kisses. My lovely niece Alexa and grandniece Miley are moving to Kauai at the beginning of March, AND they missed out on this cookie when I sent the whole tin full of them … More Valentine Snicks with Kisses
My boldest self got out the Stanley 12′ measuring tape, calculated the distance to the roof between the tip of my hand holding a camera and the top of a chair with a booster on it, then climbed up and took this pic. Landlord’s refusal to make this place safe? I’m providing assistance to county … More Why no divinity candy? Rot on Roof.
This chewy cookie — which thinks it’s a candy — is the second of the Molasses Trio. They began life with raisins, which I love with molasses, but Mother changed my recipe, put dates in them because she’s not a raisin fan. For wider distribution, no fruit. Always with a lime glaze or, as above, … More Molasses Chews with Lime Glaze, a Star
My “Chews” are a blend of cookie and candy. Some people can’t tell the difference, especially with these. I make them in two forms: the quick, as above, in bar form. The version which takes a little more time is drop cookies. Both are frosted with the seasonal Hershey’s Mint Truffle Kisses. The bars, with … More Chocolate Mint Chews, another Star
My daughter asks for these every year as a selection in the Christmas cookie mix. She used to make them, too, as her contribution to the holiday baking. I don’t prefer to put them in the gift boxes because they are big. It’s impossible to make them small or all you get is a few … More Haystacks. Someone thinks they’re a star
My mother gave me the 2007 Taste of Home Annual Recipes Book not long ago and I decided to give these a try. A layer of crushed Oreo cookies mixed with some butter, baked 10 minutes and cooled is topped with melted caramels and masses of pecans (which I roasted) and then a glossy fudge. They’re very … More Caramel Pecan Candy, a Star
It may be a good thing that today I sent a big handful of the wrapped Molasses Caramels to my mother and a few to my downstairs neighbors. Why? All the rest of the wrapped caramels are going to be unwrapped and repurposed. The caramels are indeed intensely flavored, which means that their appeal is … More Ginger Snicks with Molasses Caramel Filling, Star of The Day
There is a peanut butter fudge fan club in my family. There’s even a fan of a bowl of peanut butter frosting as a snack (not mentioning any names) in the family. Of the several kinds made over the years, this is the star, made from a Reese’s recipe I found online. Takes awhile. It’s … More Peanut Butter Fudge, Star of the Day
Ms Chef in Seattle 