Peanut Butter Lovers’ Dream Cookie

My college sweetheart loves peanut butter. Actually, I don’t think the word love does justice to the adoration my ex-boyfriend has for the creamy peanut concoction. Not long after we started dating he revealed that for nearly 20 years his mother made him the same birthday cake… from scratch. He called it the Peanut Butter Butterfinger Cake. Whenever we would stroll by a bakery or eat at a restaurant he’d talk about his favorite cake. By our first anniversary I could have probably made the recipe from memory (it was a triple layer angel food cake with peanut butter, chocolate, … Continue reading

Cookie Exchange: The Nanaimo Bar

There is some speculation as to the origins of the Nanaimo bar. But it’s thought to have been named after Nanaimo, a city in British Columbia. It was submitted to a magazine in a national recipe contest by a housewife and when it won, it garnered national attention. Some other stories suggest that the bar originated in New York. Regardless, apparently, the city mascot of Nanaimo is known as the Nanaimo Barney and has the appearance of a giant nanaimo bar. There is even an official recipe of the city although various variations exist. Essentially, a nanaimo bar consists of … Continue reading

Carob Christmas Cookies

The holidays can be a cruel time of the year for my best friend Lisa. She is one of the millions of people who cannot eat chocolate. (Yes, they do exist.) In Lisa’s case chocolate triggers incapacitating migraines. Others avoid the sweet treat due to allergies or they are forced to avoid the milk or the caffeine found in chocolate. For Lisa (and people like her) the word carob is an important part of her vocabulary. Carob is a substitute for chocolate that’s higher in natural sugar, lower in fat and is caffeine-free. It comes from the dried pulp of … Continue reading

The Great Cookie Debate: Crispy vs. Chewy

I love chewy chocolate chip cookies. However, my mother loves her cookies crispy. Not burnt–just crunchy. This time of year she is busy whipping up dozens of batches of cookies she wouldn’t dare eat herself. Not because they don’t taste great, but because most people prefer traditional chewy cookies (particularly oatmeal and chocolate chip), which she’ll bake but won’t eat. My mom will also tell you that there aren’t very many recipes for crispy cookies out there. Rather, there are a number of recipes, which call for you to cream the butter and sugar extra long. Doing so releases more … Continue reading