November is here so that means frosty mornings, scraping ice from windshields and baking yummy goodies to warm us up. I’ve always liked Snickerdoodle cookies because of the cinnamon coating of course!  But what if you added all the warm spices like cardamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg to the mix?  And what if you browned the butter first?  Well I experimented and the result was wonderful.  That soft pillowy texture of a Snickerdoodle with the deep flavour of the browned butter and spices was just about perfection. So let’s make this a thing and call it Winter Spice Snickerdoodles.

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I’ve seen a few recipes lately that include crushed cereal in the list of ingredients so of course I was intrigued.  I took one of my basic cookies recipes and added crushed corn flakes and this is the result: Crunchy White Chocolate Chip Cookies.

For this version I used white chocolate chips but they would be just as wonderful with milk or dark chocolate or even nuts and coconut. Sometimes I just like having one or two star items, the crunch of the flakes and the sweetness of the white chocolate ( my favourite) make this cookie a winner.

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Lemon and lime are two of my favourite flavours and when they are combined in this Citrus Glazed Sugar Cookies it is heavenly.  This cookie is just another variation of the Frosted Sugar Cookie recipe that is one of my staple cookie recipes.  For this version I added some lime zest to the cookie dough and rolled the cookies instead of slicing and glazed instead of frosted.  The finished cookie is polished and delicious. What more could one ask for in a cookie?

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The quintessential smell of Christmas baking is Gingerbread Cookies at least according to my nose. The spicy ginger and the warm cinnamon combine to smell like holiday happiness.  Gingerbread Cookies still have that beautiful Christmas aroma days later when you take the lid off the cookie tin where there is hopefully at least one left to have with your tea.

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Doesn’t it seem like you are always searching for the perfect cookie recipe? For oatmeal cookies I like them chewy in the middle and crispy on the edges with lots of raisins. This recipe for Soft Oatmeal Raisin Cookies might just be the one!  The trick is the cornstarch which keeps the cookie tender in the middle but doesn’t change the outside crunch.

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Citrus Ricotta Cookies are fluffy and almost cake-like and then with the addition of a citrus glaze they are almost mini-cupcakes! If you aren’t sure about using ricotta cheese in cookies believe me you won’t taste the cheese, it just gives a very rich and fluffy texture. I used both lime and lemon zest in this recipe but you could just use one of the other or even any type of orange. Change it up and try and them all. That is what I like to do with recipes, change them up. My son gets quite irate with me when I change the add-ins from the original especially if he really liked it.

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Lately I have had a bit of an obsession with Browned Butter so I have been experimenting with substituting it in some of my favourite recipes. This cookie recipe for Brown Butter Pecan Cookies turned out divine if I do say so myself. The spices the butter is simmered in lend a dept of flavour to the dough plus the crunch of the pecans and toffee bits combines to make a really good cookie.

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Chocolate Sugar Cookies are the perfect cookie treat for the chocolate lover for Valentines Day. These chocolate cookies are like a brownie in cookie form- very chocolaty. Did I already mention they were very chocolaty? They also make a great cookie for making cut-out cookies as the dough firms up nicely once cooled and keeps it’s shape once baked.

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Oatmeal cookies are definitely up there on the favourite list for me. I love the texture and the satisfying feeling of biting into an oatmeal cookie.Whether they are crunchy or soft I appreciate a good oatmeal cookie.  These Decadent Oatmeal Cookies hit all of those targets and way beyond – they have chocolate and toffee bits hidden inside! Plus the smell of freshly baked cookies, there really isn’t much better than that smell. That is why they make candles that smell like that, but then you can’t eat them can you? Much better off with actually making the cookies then you can enjoy both the taste and the smell.

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This week I discovered Spiced Brown Butter in a recipe for  Brown Butter Spice Cake in the December 2016 edition of Food & Drink magazine. I made the cake for dinner with friends and it was a hit and since then (7 days ago) I have browned and spiced 2 pounds of butter! The aroma of this browned butter is incredible- so incredible that I think it would make an amazing scent for a candle. If you want to make your house smell Christmassy just put a pan of this butter on to simmer. Spiced Brown Butter could be used in any recipe as a replacement for regular butter that also calls for similar spices. One of the my co-workers thought it would also be yummy as a spread for fresh muffins or on pancakes…the ideas are endless.

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