A new friend of mine was planning an event to congratulate everyone on her team for a job well-done and she asked me to make gold star cookies to honor them and recognize their efforts. I immediately thought that my shortbread recipe would be the perfect cookie and started planning “Operation Gold Stars.”

These soft, chewy, and spicy cookies are my nephew’s favorite cookies. He likes them so much that he asks for them on his birthday. And I happily grant his birthday wish.

I discovered French Breakfast Puffs while I was in high school. A friend gave me the recipe and I was hooked. To be honest, all she gave me was a list of ingredients and said, “Put everything in a bowl, stir it together and bake.” That was the way I made these for years.