Malted Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal Achievement Unlocked

These are the perfect peanut butter cookie. Malted milk powder to deepen the peanut flavor and temper the sweetness, oatmeal for chew, and the perfect texture (slightly crispy edges and a soft chewy center). Looking for a peanut butter cookie with big peanut flavor that’s not too crumbly, doughy, or sweet? You’re in the right place. These Malted Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies were the result of a lot of experimentation, five batches worth, and this final batch was so yummy my family ate them all up in one day.

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Lingonberry Shortbread Bars

I recently posted a recipe for Scandinavian Heart Basket Cookies where I referenced my Swedish roots. I immediately received several gentle reprimands from Danes, who pointed out that those paper heart baskets are Danish, not Swedish. As much as I hate the spread of misinformation, I really do associate those baskets with my family’s Swedish Christmas traditions. To make up for how gauche I am, I’ve made some holiday shortbread bars with an unequivocally Swedish ingredient, lingonberries! Take that Denmark!

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Chewy Orange Gingerbread Cookies

Crisp at the edges and chewy orange-gingerbread cookies with orange extract and white pepper. These store and ship well, so they’re perfect for gifting!

Sometimes I really want gingerbread but I don’t feel like roll-out cookies or cake. I was pondering this (super serious) problem and decided to try adapting my classic chewy molasses cookies. After all, they both have ginger, molasses, cinnamon and cloves. In fact the only big difference is the nutmeg. I also use orange extract and white pepper in my gingerbread, so I threw that in there too. The result are these chewy orange gingerbread cookies and they are THE BOMB.

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Cabin Fever Brownies

Less Is More.

I’ve heard through the grapevine that when you’re looking for a recipe, it’s aggravating to have to read through an entire epic description and wade through umpteen photos. Because there’s a pandemic and I don’t want to further irritate you, I am presenting this Cabin Fever Brownies recipe without much commentary. Also, I am homeschooling, working, wife-ing and generally losing my mind so I don’t have time to inspire you with the fancy words.

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Mulberry Matcha Tart

I normally write up a big long description, especially for foraging posts so that folks who are new to foraging will feel confident to give it a try. But when I posted pictures of this tart on a wild edibles Facebook page, I had so many requests for the recipe I decided to just get the recipe part up and circle back to fancy pictures and a detailed explanation later. Hope you give this a try, I’ve gotten rave reviews from my family and neighbors!

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Chocolate Brownie with Chocolate Goat Cheese Frosting and Candied Walnuts

I wasted about a week making a string of disastrous sheet cakes.  A vanilla rhubarb cake that was tough and spongey with weeping, semi-curdled frosting.  An earl grey-lemon one that was simultaneously bitter and bland.  The last bright idea I had was a lemon-thyme cake with a goat cheese frosting.  But I just couldn’t face another failure so I skipped it.  But I had already bought the goat cheese.  So I gave it a hard think and in the spirit of Reckless Experimentation decided to make a Chocolate Brownie with a Chocolate Goat Cheese Frosting and Candied Walnuts. Continue reading “Chocolate Brownie with Chocolate Goat Cheese Frosting and Candied Walnuts”

Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

I love the vibrant flavor and tartness of strawberry and rhubarb.  A strawberry rhubarb pie is one of the best things about spring.  That and the end of another soul-crushing Chicago winter of course.  I wanted to see if I could pack all that spring flavor into a tart resembling a lemon meringue pie, using rhubarb as the filling and adding strawberries to the classic Italian meringue topping.  This Strawberry Rhubarb Tart does it all.  It’s bursting with juicy flavor, rich and tart, and topped with pillowy swirls of strawberry meringue. Continue reading “Strawberry Rhubarb Tart”

White Chocolate Blueberry Buttercream

This white chocolate blueberry buttercream is as versatile as it is beautiful.  Loaded with real blueberry flavor and no artificial color, it’s an excellent accompaniment to lemon curd and lemon cake.  I’ve used it two ways here, but there are so many possibilities. Continue reading “White Chocolate Blueberry Buttercream”

Chewy Thin Mint Cookie Recipe

These cookies are chewy, satisfying version of the much beloved Thin Mint girl scout cookies.  This thin mint cookie recipe is extra chocolatey with a just-right amount of mint, half-dipped in rich dark chocolate.  If you are prone to eating a whole sleeve of the originals, this is the cookie for you.  One or two of these and you’re all set.  Best of all, this recipe couldn’t be easier.  No mixer needed, just a couple of bowls and a fork.  I like adding little green sprinkles to give it a St. Paddy’s Day/Girl Scout vibe, but that’s totally optional. Continue reading “Chewy Thin Mint Cookie Recipe”