More Kissing Cousins

Expand The Recipes section below to go to the sources for these delicious “kissing cousins.” Who knows? One of them may become a tasty addition to your own list of must-have cookies.

Almond Cinnamon Cookies. When I was in high school a friend gave me a recipe for French Breakfast Puffs that became an obsession with me. I finally came up with a cookie version of those delicious puffs. Imagine a cookie that tastes like a delicate coffee cake, coated with melted butter and dipped in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, where the cinnamon far outweighs the sugar. Breakfast in a cookie. Get my recipe here.

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars. When I bring these bars to a potluck or family gathering they disappear almost immediately. My mother used to make them every Christmas and now my nephew requests them for our holiday gatherings, too. The bars are full of cinnamon, cloves, and other warm spices and the tart lemon glaze complements them perfectly. Get my recipe here.

Homemade Protein Bars. I was always curious about how to pack nutrition into a cookie and these protein bars are as delicious as a cookie, but nutritious as well. The best of both worlds. Nicole Hunn is an inspiration to me...her whole website is packed with recipes I want to try!

Peanut Butter Protein Bars. This recipe for protein bars from Well Plated by Erin proves that nutrition can be delicious and easy to make. I put these together in 10 minutes and they set up in the refrigerator (yes, no baking!) in about 45 minutes. They taste yummy and don’t need to be refrigerated so it’s really easy to take them with me on those days when I have no time to eat my “real” breakfast. Did I mention that they’re delicious?

Madeleines (aka Magdalenas). I ate my first magdalena in Madrid and I was hooked. These pretty shell-shaped teacakes are addictive. They are so airy and the light dusting with confectioners’ sugar make them taste like a bite of heaven.

Chewy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies. This cookie is pure chocolate goodness...no nuts to distract you from the dark chocolate. The first time I made them they spread quite a bit so I substituted a small amount of butter with vegetable shortening and didn’t cream the butter and sugar as long as suggested. They turned out perfect and are now on my list of most-requested cookies.

Pecan Praline Blondies. Wow! That’s the best word to describe these bar cookies. They are rich and sinfully sweet with crunchy pecans and loads of butter and brown sugar. One bite hits every note: sweet, gooey, salty and a little crunch from the pecans. Heavenly.

Dark Chocolate Brownies. These brownies are so rich and fudgy that I know I should say a small one will be all you need. But when it comes to chocolate, small is not in my vocabulary.

Best Fudgiest Brownies. I can’t praise this Cafe Delites brownie recipe enough. Karina’s description on her blog says it all: “World’s Best Fudgiest Brownies is my best brownie recipe! Perfect crisp crackly top, super fudgy centre, chewy or gooey in all the right places, studded with melted chunks of chocolate.” You have to try these...right now. Stop reading and go bake them!

Salted Caramel Sandwich Cookies. I used the cookie recipe from A Spicy Perspective for the cookie part of these sandwiches and added the caramel and buttercream “dam” to make the sandwich version. They are rich, nutty, soft, brown sugar cookies with an intense depth of flavor and a buttery, salted caramel filling. There is a hint of cinnamon in the butter cream “dam” that keeps the caramel filling from running out. These cookies are heavenly.

Whipped Shortbread. The combination of European butter and vanilla with the cornstarch makes this shortbread cookie light enough to melt in your mouth. I spoon the soft dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and then pipe the cookies onto a cookie sheet. Sometimes I garnish them with a toasted pecan half and sometimes I make a well in the cookie and fill lit with raspberry jam.

Caramel Chip Pecan Cookies. These are really yummy, with crisp edges and chewy centers and a nutty flavor. I made some changes to the recipe by using brown butter in place of the melted butter and toasted the pecans before adding them to the dough. These changes increased the flavor significantly. I often use this recipe to make chocolate chip cookies, too, by substituting the caramel chips with dark chocolate chips.

Almond and Lemon Curd Buttons: These are wonderful cookies ...buttery, crunchy on top from the sliced almonds, and delicate, with a soft, lemony center. They’re a bit fussy to make, but well worth the effort.

Trail Mix Cookies. These cookies are delicious and good for you. They have become my personal “comfort cookie.” The dough is a combination of wheat flour, oats, and a small amount of all-purpose flour. But they are also packed with dried fruit, seeds, nuts, and chocolate chips. The brown sugar gives them a deeper flavor and a bit of cinnamon makes them unique.

Here are the sources for the recipes of most of these delightful cookies and bars. I’ve made some changes to some of them to suit my own tastes, but I highly recommend the originals.

• “Almond Cinnamon Cookies” — Kasha’s recipe
  Get My Recipe
• “Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars” — Kasha’s recipe; Cookie Project Photos
  Get My Recipe
• “Homemade Protein Bars” — Gluten Free on a Shoestring
• “Peanut Butter Protein Bars” — Well Plated by Erin
• “Madeleines (aka Magdalenas)” — Sally’s Baking Addiction
• “Chewy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies” — Food.com
• “Pecan Praline Blondies” — The Domestic Rebel
• “Dark Chocolate Brownies” — Kasha’s family recipe
• “Best Fudgiest Brownies” — Cafe Delites
• “Salted Caramel Sandwich Cookies” — A Spicy Perspective
• “Whipped Shortbread” — Mommy Outside the Box
• “Caramel Chip Pecan Cookies” — Ghirardelli Caramel Chip package
• “Almond and Lemon Curd Buttons” — BBC Good Food
• “Trail Mix Cookies” — The Perfect Cookie, (cookbook) America’s Test Kitchen

Cookies

Almond Cinnamon Cookies: flour, almond meal, confectioners’ sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, egg, vanilla extract, cinnamon

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars: flour, persimmon pulp, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, baking soda, sugar, dates, vegetable oil, egg, pecans

Homemade Protein Bars: old-fashioned rolled oats, protein powder, dates, maple syrup, vanilla extract, salt, milk, chocolate

Peanut Butter Protein Bars: peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, rolled oats, vanilla protein powder, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, salt, chocolate chips

Madeleines/Magdalenas: butter, eggs, all-purpose flour, cake flour, vanilla extract, sugar, lemon zest

Chewy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies: butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, chocolate chips

Pecan Praline Blondies: flour, butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, salt, baking powder

Dark Chocolate Brownies: flour, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, butter, bittersweet chocolate, sugar, eggs, extra dark chocolate chips

Best Fudgiest Brownies: butter, vegetable oil, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, salt, flour, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, premium-quality chopped chocolate

Salted Caramel Sandwich Cookies: flour, baking powder, salt, butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract

Whipped Shortbread: butter, confectioners’ sugar, flour, cornstarch, vanilla extract, pecans

Caramel Chip Pecan Cookies: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, brown butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, caramel-flavored chips

Almond and Lemon Curd Buttons: butter, flour, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, salt, ground almonds, lemon curd, sliced almonds (for garnish)

Trail Mix Cookies: old-fashioned oats, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, butter, egg, vanilla extract, brown sugar, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, dark chocolate chips

Fillings & Glazes

Praline Icing: butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, chopped pecans

Buttercream: confectioners’ sugar, butter, milk, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon

Salted Caramel: heavy cream, salt, corn syrup, granulated sugar, butter, vanilla extract

Lemon Glaze: confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice

Raspberry Jam: raspberries, sugar, water

Lemon Curd: eggs, sugar, fresh lemon zest,fresh lemon juice, salt, butter

Plate, Box or Bag?

Paper Plate. Depending on the occasion, when I’m transporting my cookies locally, I occasionally arrange them on a sturdy Chinet paper plate and wrap the whole thing in clear plastic wrap. This is a safe way to get them from my house to the event I’m attending. Mostly, though, I prefer to box them or wrap them....

Box. My favorite way to transport my cookies is to package them in a cardboard bakery box with a clear window on top that makes the contents visible to anyone who wants to peek. Depending on the size of the cookies (2½-to-3 inches is my favorite size to make), the boxes I use can hold about 12 to 18 cookies.
I like these 6x6x3" bakery boxes from amazon.com.

Bags. If I plan to use the cookies as party favors, I usually wrap them individually in clear, food-safe bags, secured with a twist tie. This also makes the cookies stackable without causing damage to the decorations. Guests can eat the cookie at the event or take it home to share with family and friends.
I like these 4x6" treat bags from amazon.com.

Mailing. Several times a year — especially on holidays — I mail cookies to my family and friends throughout the U.S. (and sometimes overseas). I always send them Priority Mail through the U.S. Post Office. I use the boxes provided by the Post Office and lots of bubble wrap! In almost all cases, the cookies arrive undamaged. (Yes, Eric, I remember the box I sent you several Easters ago that looked like it had been run over by an 18-wheeler, but that was the exception!) I know the packages are appreciated when they arrive because of the texts I get with all those smiling faces.