OK, maybe I am cheesy, but this year I decided to make something for Valentine’s. I still think if you want to express your love for somebody, you don’t need a special day to do so. But hey, let’s just ignore that and instead be happy that we get to make French macarons again. Heart-shaped French macarons that is to say. With chocolate ganache. Do I need to say more?
In case you didn’t know, I am a cookie monster. And I promised to post more cookies on this blog. So here goes: Monster Cookies!
In case you didn’t know, I love cookies. Actually, I am a bit sad that in Germany you only eat a lot of cookies during Christmas, but once that is over, people forget about them. Sadly so. There are so many good ones! I love cookies, there are so many more I still want to make. Feel free to check out my cookie category for further inspiration. Anyway, so as I was stating, I love cookies and I love to eat them all year round. Needless to say that I also love to bake cookies for baby showers. In case you didn’t notice, I am not so much the girly, pink and glittery type. That is not me. But for a baby shower I don’t mind a litte bit of cuteness. I mean, it is for a baby after all. Or to be exact, for the mom and for the baby shower attendees. Or however you want to call them.
So, how is your cookie intake? Are you already done with them for 2017? In case you didn’t know, Germans have a special name for the cookies you bake during the holidays. They are called “Plätzchen” whereas everyday cookies are “Kekse”. Does tell you something about how important cookies are during the holiday season, doesn’t it? Two words for cookies, the boring normal ones and the fancy ones for the holidays. And since I love cookies (any for that matter), the holiday season is perfect for a cookie monster like me. Welcome to the Chocolate Star Cookie. This cookie is the star of the sweet combination of vanilla and chocolate – in all its glory.
Let me introduce stained glass cookies to you. Stained what? Yes, you read right. These cookies are both, they are eatable, but they are also super pretty decoration. They will look extra pretty if you hang them in a window or put them on a branch. Because then you will be able to see through the stained glass. I think these cookies are perfect for the season and most definitely a thoughtful gift.
Yes, I am German and yes, these cookies are one of the most traditional cookies for the holidays. Yet I only got to know them as an adult. That’s because I didn’t grow up in Germany. If you want to learn more about my excuse, read on here. But when I finally had the chance to try these Linzer cookies, they became one of my favorite holiday cookies very quickly. That’s why I had to post a recipe here. I really love the dough, which contains almonds and a lot of butter, sooo good! I also like the holidays spices. Do I need to say anything about jam with a touch of rum? Yum! I can only say, if you haven’t tried them, you have to! They are delicious, I promise.
I had a little bit of chocolate pie pastry left. Originally I hadn’t planned to bake. But, you know, it just happened. So I decided to make these cute little chocolate raspberry stars. Thank God I have so many colleagues I can take my baked goods to, otherwise I would be about 200 pounds! Funnily enough, my colleagues loved them. Isn’t it interesting that the simple recipes are usually the best?
It is time for cookies! How about peanut butter & M&Ms? Perfect combination for me. Some color as a bonus. Remember, I live in the north of Germany, I need some color. So let’s have a look at these little beauties. They are soft, they basically melt in your mouth. If you love peanut butter, they are for you. Because, just in case super soft cookies are not enough, throw in some chocolate. Because peanut butter and chocolate are very hard to beat as the perfect combination. Do I need to say more?
I think I have mentioned that Germans aren’t that much into cookies. Especially not in summer. But when I brought these Summer Lemon Cookies to work the other day, they were gone within minutes. Even I was a little surprised. Maybe it was because they are full of lemon flavor and you can definitely taste the cream cheese. Since they are rolled in sugar before baking, they have a nice crunchy touch, but are soft in the center. I don’t know. But what I do know is that these cookies are really easy to prepare and do NOT need to sit in the fridge to develop their flavor. You can whip them up in about 20 minutes from start to finish.
Even if it is hot, I promise you, your oven won’t be turned on for too long. So yes, go ahead and makes these delicious friends!
If you are more of a chocolate person, you may enjoy these Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt in a medium-size bowl. Set aside. Pour about 50 grams of regular sugar in a small container. Set aside. Cream the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer for about two minutes, then add 100 grams of sugar and mix one more minute. Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and either mix on low or using a wooden spoon until combined. Roll balls of dough in the size of a walnut and roll in prepared sugar afterwards. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cookies will flatten out slightly. Gently press down each cookie with the bottom part of a glass. Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes, or until very lightly browned on the edges. Let cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cookies can be kept in an air-tight container for a few days.
Summer Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
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Notes
I am taking this cookie also to the link party Fiesta Friday.
So which cookie is your favorite in summer?
Have you ever been too scared to start anything because it was supposedly super difficult? That’s French macarons for me. They are, at least from what I know, the holy grail of cookie baking. Supposedly. But I figured, OK, I will just give it a shot and see what happens. I mean, I didn’t expect anything, I started watching videos on how to make French macarons and I just figured that I could throw away the first batch in case it didn’t turn out. So I went, I made them, and was surprised that they were as good as they were. I mean, yeah, they still need improvement. I will give you that, but they were much better than I had ever expected them to turn out.
