Lemon Thins

/
Lemon Thins

Lemon Thins

I have a confession to make. I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to cookbooks. I don't judge the book by the cover or even the content. I judge them by whether or not they have an extraneous amount of pictures. I need pictures. I eat with my eyes before I eat with my mouth. The best cookbook ever written may hold all the secrets to the baking universe, but if it doesn't have photographs chances are I'd never give it a second glance. If the cookbook doesn't double as a good old fashioned picture book, I'm just not interested.

I told you I was a bit of a snob.

Lemon Thins

Despite my prejudices, I took it upon myself to make a recipe from a cookbook without a photograph this week. I figured cookies were pretty self-explanatory, especially in terms of what I was aiming for. Easy, right?

Wrong.

The first batch came out of the oven looking exactly like they did going in—not exactly what I was going for. They tasted delicious, but looked terrible. Is this what they were supposed to look like? Without the cookbook's illustration, it very well may have been. I should have never strayed from my picture prejudice.

I changed up the method and the second batch came out looking marginally better. I fixed those mistakes with the third batch and finally achieved the cookie I think the cookbook wanted me to make. Nevertheless, a simple photograph could have prevented my lemon cookie nightmare. To prevent any nightmares for you, here are several photographs to show you the way of this elusive lemon cookie. If only I had these to begin with.

What is your favorite cookbook? Do you also need pictures or are you brave enough to go without?

Lemon Thins

These lemon thins are light and delicate. The cookies are flavored with both lemon zest and fresh lemon juice, yet the flavors remain subtle and do not overpower. This recipe yields small, yet tender cookies. These lemon thins are the perfect complement to a cup of tea (if adventurous, you could even dunk them).

Read More

Chocolate Nests

/
Chocolate Nests

Chocolate Nests

It's no secret that I'm clumsy. My parents like to joke that they should have named me Grace. Oh, the irony. If only they had the foresight to actually do so—now that would have been truly ironic.

Unfortunately, my clumsiness (and uncanny ability to trip while standing still) extends to the kitchen. I'm a hazard to myself. I've burned myself more often than I can count. Currently, my arms and hands are host to a grand total of six burns. I honestly couldn't tell you where half of them came from. It's reached the point where I don't even notice when I've done it. Sometimes I tell people I won a battle between a renegade cupcake pan and myself. But really, who am I trying to kid? That cupcake pan kicked my butt.

I'm just glad baking doesn't require much knife work.

Chocolate Nests

After all that fuss, I decided that it might be smart to make something no-bake this week. No knives, no ovens, no chance to injure myself unless I seriously forget the function of a spatula.

In honor of spring and the upcoming Easter holiday, I thought these chocolate nests would be perfect. I remember seeing these in cookbooks as a child, but I had never made or eaten them before. I figured it was time to put my childhood curiosity to rest. Since Easter candy is rampant this time of year, it's the best time of year to make these treats.

Chocolate Nests

These Chocolate Nests are made from chow mein noodles coated in peanut butter and chocolate. I was initially hesitant to use chow mein noodles for these treats (chow mein noodles are associated more with stir fry and less with dessert in my head), but these noodles were destined for this dessert. I couldn't have been more wrong about them. They provide the perfect crunch and look with minimal taste so the chocolate and peanut butter really shine through. You can use any candy of your choosing for the eggs—mini candy eggs, jelly beans, foil wrapped chocolate eggs. The sky is really the limit here.

Read More

Thin Mint Brownies

/
Thin Mint Brownies

Thin Mint Brownies

I have a confession to make. Not too long ago, I was the little girl at your doorstep. You know her. She was the shy little girl dressed in a uniform, hair braided down the sides, nervously clutching a sheet of paper. She looked up at you with big eyes and had an even bigger question to ask.

Would you like to buy some Girl Scout Cookies?

Thin Mint BrowniesThin Mint Brownies

I was a Girl Scout for many years and loved every minute of it. I sold cookies because it was a good fundraiser for the Girl Scouts. Buying a box of cookies from me would help send me to camp over the summer and pay for the activities I participated in, opening up a world of new opportunities. Or, at least this is what I told my cookie customers. More honestly, I just wanted to sell enough cookies to win a free giant stuffed duck. Somehow I don't think this pitch would have gone over as well.

Hi! Buy cookies from me because I want a free duck! It doesn't quack, but its squishy and bigger than my head!

Luckily, my pitch didn't matter because when it comes to selling Girl Scout cookies, I wouldn't even have to utter a word to sell a few boxes. No one can say no to these cookies. These cookies have been popular so long that by now everyone has their own favorite. My favorite happens to be the Samoas (those delicious chocolate caramel cookies), but the Thin Mints come in a close second.

Because Girl Scout cookies are so loved this time of year, I thought I'd share something else you can do with them besides eating the entire box in one sitting (which has been known to accidentally happen).

Thin Mint Brownies

These Thin Mint brownies are just fun. The brownies are fudgy and moist with an undeniable chocolate mint flavor. The Thin Mints are crushed and folded into the brownie batter to give the brownies that full Thin Mint flavor. The cookies may lose their crunch, but they certainly do not lose their characteristic taste. Make these if you have Girl Scout cookies laying around. Make them even if you don't—any chocolate mint cookie will do.

Read More