Carrot Cake Cookies (Allergy-Friendly and Vegan)

Sooo what do you do when you realize you bought waaaaay too many carrots?  This was my silly little dilemma last week.  I know, I know.  I should've known better.  Who in their right mind buys TEN POUNDS OF CARROTS?

Fudgy Triple Chocolate Cookies

"Do what you love."

Four little words that carry a powerful message.  Now, I know this sounds like one of those inspirational quotes you've seen on Pinterest, and I'm pretty sure that's where I found it or somewhere on Instagram or Facebook.  Either way, it really resonated with me and it got me thinking of what those words meant to me...

White Chocolate and Cranberry Shortbread Cookies

Christmas is just a few days away and I've been busily putting together boxes of goodies to give to friends and family.  But I thought I'd take a moment to share this quick recipe.  They're my shortbread cookies drizzled with melted white chocolate and topped with dried cranberries.  It's my simple yet festive way to dress up these classic cookies for the holidays :-)

Egg-Free Snickerdoodles

Every time my family and I go to Disneyland, we make it a point to go to Snow White's Wishing Well.  We went there on our first visit and now it's become sort of a tradition.  We all close our eyes, make a wish and drop our coins into the well.  This year, Hubby smiled at me and whispered, "I think I know what you've been wishing for...because I've been wishing for the same thing too..." 

Allergy-Friendly Jam Thumbprint Cookies (Vegan)

Can I just take a deep breath and...whoooooooooo!  It's finally done.  We just finished renovating and it feels w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l.

Late last year, Hubby and I decided that we were ready to update our kitchen.  It was something I always wished for since we moved into our house, but we had to put it off until we had the money and the time to do it.  So after spending lots of time researching for materials and figuring out the cost and timeline, we decided to go for it.

Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan)

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

As much as I love being creative in the kitchen, sometimes trying to figure out how to make a recipe allergy-friendly can drive me downright crazy.  I try my best to make desserts taste just like the "normal" ones, but when a test recipe doesn't quite meet my expectations, I become almost obsessed with getting it right.  It practically consumes me.  Sometimes it even keeps me up at night.  I sit in bed thinking of what I could've done differently or what other ingredients I could've used.  It's kinda annoying really.  

Lemon and Lavender Shortbread Cookies

I've kinda been daydreaming lately.  Hubby and I have been talking about redoing the backyard this year.  We haven't really done much to it since we moved in.  We have a nice lawn and some shrubs on the slope, but I think we're ready to give it a makeover.

Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I can't believe I'm saying this...but I think I'm starting to warm up to pumpkin.  Well, just a little.  I'm still steering clear of pumpkin pie.  I've tried it a few times over the years and even with a mountain of whipped cream, I just don't enjoy it.  I'm sorry.  I just can't.  It's not you, it's me.  Something about it's texture and taste just doesn't make me happy.  BUT I'm not dismissing pumpkin entirely.  I did try to make pumpkin spice cupcakes before and they were deeeeelicious!  So I'm gonna give pumpkin another try.  This time, I made cookies!

Peppermint Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

If you're looking for me for the next few days, I'll be in my kitchen...baking cookies and making truffles.  I kinda had a late start this year (read: procrastinate), so friends and family, if you're reading this, yes, I am sending you a box of goodies...soon (I hope). 

Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Aaaaaaaaah...yes I'm back.  It's been a while since my last post and you might be wondering, "What happened???"  Well, if you've been following me on Twitter or Facebook, you already know what's been going on.  But for the rest of you, I've got some awesome news to share.   After months and months of looking, stressing, crying, crying some more, holding my breath and crossing my fingers - FINALLY, we did it!   We bought a house :-)

Quick Fix Microwaveable Chocolate Chip Cookie (aka PMS Cure in a Cup)

Okay, let's face it ladies.  When it's around that time of the month, you're not a happy camper...and everybody knows it.  You're cranky, tired, emotional, indecisive, irrational and sometimes just downright psychotic.  Everyone and everything bothers you and nothing seems to be right in the world.  And to top it off, you've got these crazy cravings.  You're constantly looking for something sweet, salty, gooey and crunchy.  Admit it, you've stood in front of that fridge (which is packed with food by the way), whining like a baby,"There's nothing to eat. Waaaaaaaaah!"  And then you cry in despair (and don't you dare deny it because it's true!). 

Coconut Palmier Hearts

On a previous post, I mentioned that I made these coconut palmiers for a family get-together and they absolutely loved it. Well, I'm finally sharing the quick and easy recipe with you.  And I'm also going to show you how to make them into these cute little hearts.  They're just perfect for Valentine's Day!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

This weekend my youngest son had his very first chocolate chip cookie...and then his second...and then his third...and then more.  After he drank his rice milk, he looked up at me and gave me a big thumbs up.  My heart...just...melted.

Coconut and Lime Macaroons (Vegan with Gluten-free Alternative)

It's been a cold and rainy weekend and I'm not liking it too much. There was a little break of sunshine today but the clouds rolled back in by the end of the day. Tomorrow's forecast is even more rain.  This kind of weather just makes me want to stay in bed all day and dream about some tropical island somewhere.  Wouldn't it be nice to just relax on a large hammock under some coconut trees near a white sand beach?  Aaaaaaaaaah...that sounds so perfect right now.  Instead I'm sitting in front of the computer with a space heater directed at me.  Brrrrrrrrrrr

Cookie Exchange 2011 Roundup

Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone for sharing all your wonderful cookie recipes! To be honest, I was a little nervous about this.  This is the first time I've ever hosted a virtual cookie exchange and I wasn't sure if anyone was going to respond. My stomach was in knots for the past two weeks.  I basically just crossed my fingers, my toes and my eyes, hoping for a good turnout.  So I'm very happy and very grateful to all of you who were so sweet to take time out of your busy holiday schedule to participate in this event.

Not-So-Nutty Fruitcake Cookies (Vegan, Nut-free and Soy-free)

I may have doomed these cookies for life by naming them after a much despised holiday treat.  And I know a lot of you will dismiss them just because of their namesake.  You might even think I'm nuts for picking such a horrible name for these delicious cookies, but I don't think so.  If you like fruitcake, then these Not-So-Nutty Fruitcake Cookies will definitely remind you of it.  But if you don't like fruitcake, I still think you'll like these cookies because, unlike the infamous fruitcake, they're not basted with booze and they're not cloyingly sweet with candied fruit.  Laugh as you may, crack a few jokes or two, but after you take a bite, you just might think I'm not-so-nutty after all.

Egg-Free Sugar Cookies with Egg-Free Royal Icing

Photo Credit: Ryan Rivera

Every Christmas Eve, my family and I would make sugar cookies together.  We'd decorate them and, of course, eat them.  But my son would always make sure that we leave a plateful of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa before we go to sleep.

Egg-Free Cranberry Thumbprints

My son had a Thanksgiving celebration at his school yesterday.  All the kindergarten students dressed up as Pilgrims and Native Americans and sang all sorts of songs, including "This Land is Your Land."  It was absolutely adorable.  Immediately after their performance, they feasted on popcorn, baby carrots, apple pie, pumpkin pie and juice. 

Simple Shortbread Cookies

These cookies are like potato chips to me...I can't eat just one.  But I do make it a point to share them or else I will end up eating them all. What I love about these simple shortbread cookies is they're so buttery and they have such a nice tender crumb. Another reason why I love them so much is they're absolutely effortless to make. And since I always have these ingredients on hand all the time, these cookies have quickly become my standby favorite.

Bird's Nest Cookies

When I was a little girl, I bought my very first cookbook at a book fair. I remember how excited I was when I got home from school.  I couldn't wait to try out one of the recipes and proudly declare to my parents that I can cook.  The funny thing was most of the recipes in the cookbook didn't require any actual cooking or baking.  After all, it was a kids' cookbook. Nevertheless, I was still excited to try out a recipe. As I was thumbing through the pages, I saw a picture of these adorable little bird's nest cookies and was completely enamored by them. Who knew several years later I would be inspired to make these cookies again.