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Cookies/ Dessert/ Desserts/ Ice Cream

Coffee and Ginger Ice Cream Sandwich

A great dessert for any season.

Now that we’ve broken the 67 consecutive days of 100 degree temperatures , it almost feels like fall here in Austin.  So gearing up for fall, I thought it might be time for me to attempt my first blog post with possibly the best two (fall-ish) flavor combinations…coffee and ginger.

Both of these recipes are great as stand alone recipes, but my idea was to make the ultimate ice cream sandwich.  Smooth, creamy coffee ice cream sandwiched between two soft and chewy gingersnap cookies.  If this isn’t a flavor combination you have tried before, you definitely need to experience it!

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Cookies/ Cookies/Bars/ Dessert

Coconut Macaroons

I’ve been in search of a great macaroon for years.  Recently I tasted the best I have ever had at Katz deli here in Texas.  It was big, moist and a heavenly cloud of coconut.

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The unsweetened coconut is beautiful when it is in large pieces but not nearly sweet enough for a macaroon by itself. So you have to sweeten it with condensed milk. Have you EVER tasted anything with condensed milk that isn’t good? After making this recipe a couple of times I have since mixed the unsweetened (because I like the look) and sweetened coconut.

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Cookies/ Cookies/Bars/ Dessert

Peanut Butter Shadow Cookies

 If you like nuts, these are for you.  If you like peanut butter, these are for you and if you like chocolate and especially Nutella, you cannot walk away from these.

I found this huge can of Planter’s mixed nuts in my pantry this morning. They were left over from our anniversary party a couple of weeks ago and I started thinking “peanuts”  “mixed nuts”, what can I make today for the guys working so hard on getting our master bathroom remodeled? They need a treat to keep them motivated.

When I was a kid (I usually say when “we” were kids. Must be twin talk). We (my sister and I) would go to Memphis with our grandparents to shop. Back then (50’s/60’s) we shopped downtown. I remember how fun it was to “window shop” especially at Christmas when all the store fronts had Christmas scenes and we would stand there with our noses pressed to the window and watch Mr. Bingle do his Christmas magic. I don’t remember ever going to a mall, I don’t think there were any back then. Anyway, my grandfather always had to go to the Peanut Shoppe on Main Street. It’s still there and my husband and I went a few years ago and there, sitting on a shelf, was a peanut cup like I use to have as a kid. I want one!

I remember when walking towards the Peanut Shoppe we could smell the nuts roasting from blocks away. To this day when I see the little Planter’s guy I think of this peanut shop. My grandfather always got a bag of cashew nuts for himself and some peanuts or popcorn to feed to the squirrels in the park where he sat, forever, waiting for the “girls” to shop. I remember this little shop also selling coconut brittle which I’m going to try soon.

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I have had this recipe for Peanut Butter Shadow Cookies for about 20 years. So today I decided to try my Peanut Butter Shadow cookies, substituting Nutella for the melted chocolate chips that is usually folded into the cookie dough.  I also thought to roll them in the mixed nuts I need to get rid of. (Hard to believe but I have never tasted raw cookie dough – I would much rather wait for the finished product.)

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Cookies/ Cookies/Bars/ Dessert

Coconut Shortbreads

Tea time and the shortbreads are ready!

I got up this morning with a major decision hanging over my head.  Do I roll up my sleeves, take off my shoes, get in my 20 year old shower and start scrubbing down the walls trying to get it somewhat clean before our demo guy comes tomorrow to tear everything out for a remodel of our master bath.

Or?

Do I make coconut shortbreads which I can feed to our demo man??  That decision took me all of one second to make.  Shortbreads it is!

I have convinced myself that our bathroom marble is beyond ever looking good again and I would rather put my time to better use and that would be trying new blog recipes and feeding the workers during this 3-4 week bathroom remodeling project. So with a dining room piled high with clothes and everything we have had stored in our bathroom for 20 years, I decided to start my shortbreads. After all, I have to have a snack for whoever shows up this week to work on our bathroom. It just wouldn’t be right to NOT have some homemade snacks for them.

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Cookies/ Cookies/Bars/ Dessert

Hunka Hunka Love Cookie…….

Hunka Hunka Burning Love…..Cookie

How many of you remember that song Hunka Hunka Burning Love, written by Dennis Linde and made famous by Elvis. I do, and I remember seeing him in two concerts.

Back when I was just around 10 (in the 50’s) or so my twin sister went to Memphis with our grandparents to see Elvis’ home at Graceland and we went to one of his concerts.  He was so young and good looking then and not into his capes and glitzy clothes. We went crazy just like all the other teenagers at the concert. It almost seems surreal now thinking about it. That was our first concert ever and a few years before we were crazy over the Beatles and “I want to hold your hand”.  Boy, those were the simpler times.

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