When I think about how changes like subbing flours, use of fat, or even as small as reducing a baking soda amount can make a baking recipe quicker, easier, and better, then I am up for the challenge. Especially so with my ginger cookies. We can’t live without these things and since we are giving grains a break until the end of the month, I gave them a makeover. These are a chunkier, thicker paleo version of the original that has me over-the-moon-excited over how freakin good it is.
Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookie (gluten free, dairy free, nut free, soy free, vegan)
Coming from a heritage stemming from the southern part of Russia, the cultural traditions set on my family’s table have always been similar to the foods of the Middle East – especially Israeli and Persian food. Halvah was one of them; my favorite Middle Eastern confection. My late grandmother would keep plenty of halvah, individually wrapped Russian chocolates, sesame seed candies, and sweet meringues in a big crystal bowl ready for the picking. That and hot mint tea was the final part of most family meal gatherings.
Poppy Seed Hamantaschen Cookies {gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan}
Purim, the cheeriest of all Jewish holidays, begins at sundown Wednesday night (March 23). It’s when we celebrate the oppression from the evil chief minister of King Ahasuerus in Persia (more on the history here). A holiday dubbed as the “Jewish Mardi Gras”, Purim calls for lots of drinking, eating, dressing in costume and giving of food (usually sweet) gifts to others called Mishloach Manot in Hebrew. And when we celebrate with hamantaschen cookies.
Grain Free Almond Joy Cookies
I heard about the 5th Annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap back in October, on a blog somewhere – I can’t remember – where bloggers are given three names to send each a dozen cookies and also receive cookies in exchange, all through the mail. This caught my interest for obvious reasons and the idea of raising money for charity.
Chocolate Chip Cookies {gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan} + Mother’s Day gift ideas and our trip to NY
We are back home from our NY trip. It was so nice to see everyone and explore all the up and new in my old hometown. It’s also nice to be home.
Now that we are back home my three younger boys are back in school (a sigh of relief), my oldest son back to pounding away on his (first) screenplay (graduated film school May ’14), hubby back to work in solar energy and me sorting all the laundry, mail, homework, stocking fridge, cooking, dishwasher repair, you know? … I know you do.
Jam Filled Purim Hamantashen Cookies {gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan}
Since we were real good with eating our vegetables this week, let’s eat cookies. Jam filled cookies that will make your heart go pitter-patter.
Hamentashen cookies!
A classic dessert that we traditionally eat on the Jewish holiday, Purim. What is Purim all about? Click here to learn more.
Chocolate Peppermint (Brookie) Cookies
In case you have a little more baking muscle in you and not quite tired of sugar just yet (me? never) I have a chocolate peppermint cookie, more like a brookie recipe for it’s brownie like center, that I had to share with you before Christmas.
I have always admired chocolate peppermint bark at Williams Sonoma from afar, which pushed me to create my peppermint bark marshmallows, but that wasn’t enough. It never is, is it? I had to create something chocolate/peppermint in a cookie form.
Chanukah Sugar Cookies (gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, vegan)
It’s that time again for the joys of baking and the glorious cookies it brings. The perks of being in the kitchen. So many things to bake this month. We will worry about calories another month … right?!This is a sugar cookie recipe I make every Chanukah. It’s my youngest sons’ favorite cookies, mine too. We both love sugar cookies. Okay, I really haven’t met a cookie I didn’t like, neither have they (!) but for Chanukah, we bake sugar cookies. 🙂
Ginger Cookies dipped in Chocolate
Happy 2014 everyone!!! Make it an amazing one, with lots of good health, good food, and good times.
Here is the ginger cookie recipe, the last of three from my trio of holiday gift cookies that I had given for Christmas… Here are the Oatmeal Cranberry Orange Glaze and Red Velvet Crinkle cookies.
Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
(Updated 12/29/2015: After baking these red velvet crinkle cookies this week I made a few changes to the recipe to make things quicker (no more rolling balls) and better like adjusting food coloring for less of a muted color, along with recipe changes (see recipe and notes below) such as flour blend and omitting coconut yogurt. I love the “new and improved” results and not having to roll 4 dozen balls is very improved and very much loved!)