Happy Valentine’s Day! OK, it’s still a full on 10 days until Valentine’s Days, but I like to make cookies ahead of time. And Linzer Cookies it is, because I seem to *always* make Linzer Cookies at Valentine’s Day. This year, I went with some of both my standard (raspberry) but also Passion Fruit, which is a jam that is harder to find. Search around for a bit – it’s worth it (note: I found it in a Latin American bodega… language lesson of the day is that passion fruit in Spanish is Maracuya!)
Sweet Snacks
Not sure if I have ever mentioned my love of honey. I absolutely adore it! Some of my relatives in the Black Forest have been bee keepers (as a hobby) for a few generations so it’s always a treat to visit — and sneak home a jar of good raw honey. These cookies accentuate the honey flavor, and combine that with pistachios, actually give it a bit of a Middle Eastern flavor. Yum!
Here’s a little bit of a riff on your standard peanut butter kiss cookies — Almond Butter Blossoms! While peanut butter is ok, I like almonds better, so I thought I would try these out. The Hershey’s Kisses are also the ones with almonds in them, so a little surprise inside. Easy to make and this recipe makes a bunch (it can be halved).
When life hands you beat up looking bananas, make some spectacular Caramel Rum Banana Streusel Muffins! This recipe is actually originally for banana *bread*, but I have now made this same recipe also as coffee cake and muffins. All have been great, but I do have to say that the original *bread* version is still my favorite. Happy Monday!
Remember when you were a kid and your mom would drop you off at the cinema for a matinee and *suggest* you buy a healthy bit of snack, usually suggesting Raisinetes or something, and you said “sure thing Mom” but then ended up buying the three gallon vat of artificially buttered popcorn anyway, because frankly Raisinetes were kind of a dorky snack and you didn’t want to look like a dork in Middle School? That is the inspiration for these cookies. Turns out, Raisinetes make a pretty yummy addition to your standard Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. So there you go. Enjoy.