Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies #FilltheCookieJar during #PumpkinWeek

We are still celebrating Pumpkin Week, hosted by Terri of Love and Confections.  This annual event has been so much fun and, sadly, it is almost over.  We will be sharing our final recipes with you today and tomorrow and then put away our love of pumpkin until next week, or at least a day or two.  After all, we still have Thanksgiving coming up and pumpkin is mandatory at Thanksgiving!

I intend to come back and revisit all these wonderful recipes over the next few months. There are so many that I cannot wait to try.

Today, I am joining forces not only with the other Pumpkin Week bloggers but also with a group of friends that share their favorite cookie recipes each month as we Fill the Cookie Jar.  This great group is led by Cynthia of Feeding Big.

We meet up on the first Thursday of each month to Fill the Cookie Jar with cookies that match the theme chosen for the month.  I was happy to see that pumpkin was this months selection.  Life is so good!

This recipe that I am sharing today makes a ton of cookies.  I had enough to take for dessert when invited to a friend's house for dinner, supply cookies at a party for 40 people and still stick 3 dozen in the freezer to be enjoyed later.

They are so delicious.  If you like traditional oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, you are going to love this version with the addition of pumpkin and cinnamon.  They were a huge hit with kids and adults alike.

You will find links to both the Pumpkin Week recipes being shared today and the Fill the Cookie Jar recipes being shared this month following my recipe.  You are in for a treat!!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from Allrecipes, submitted by Ken Sherer

1 1/2 c. butter, room temperature

1 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

4 c. flour

2 c. rolled oats

2 t. cinnamon

2 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

pinch of salt

1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars in the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla, beating until smooth.

Combine the flour, oats, cinnamon, soda, baking powder and salt.  Gradually add to the creamed butter mixture, using the low speed on your stand mixer, until combined.  Add the chocolate chips and fold in with the mixer still on low speed.

Drop onto baking sheets lined with silicone mats or parchment paper using a small cookie scoop.  Bake in a preheated 375* oven for 12-14 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool.  Print Recipe

More Pumpkin Recipes

Here are today's #PumpkinWeek recipes:

Savory Pumpkin Recipes:

Pumpkin Farrotto from Culinary Adventures with Camilla.
Pumpkin Habanero Salsa from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen.
Pumpkin Quesadilla from Making Miracles.

Sweet Pumpkin Recipes:

Cinnamon Pumpkin Muddy Buddies from Love and Confections.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Macaron from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles from The Crumby Kitchen.

Pumpkin Chip Cookies from Palatable Pastime.
Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting from Daily Dish Recipes.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish from It Bakes Me Happy.
Pumpkin Cream Puffs from The Redhead Baker.
Pumpkin Creme Brulee from Kudos Kitchen by Renee.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies from A Day in the Life on the Farm.
Pumpkin Struesel Bar from Cookaholic Wife.
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter from Mildly Meandering
Spiced Pumpkin Mini Cakes with Mulled Cranberries & Brandy Brown Butter Glaze from Bacon Fatte.

More Cookies to Fill the Cookie Jar

• Pumpkin Chip Cookies from Palatable Pastime  
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Ginger Snap Crust by That Recipe 
• Pumpkin Pie Tasssies by Cindy's Recipes and Writings 
• Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oat Squares from Join Us, Pull up a Chair 
• Pumpkin Streusel Bars From  Cookaholic Wife   

Toddler Time starring The Little Angel Face #FilltheCookieJar

I had so much fun being able to keep my Little Miss Melody for 5 days while her Mama had a well deserved vacation in San Diego.

We spent a lot of time at parks and in the pool.  We watched Moana or Frozen at least once each day and sometimes both on the same day.  She helped me with dusting, dishes, laundry and pulling weeds.  We had a lot of fun but the most fun was when.........

We worked together in the kitchen.  She loves sitting on the counter and helping with whatever I am making.  She loves to measure and can already differentiate the different size measuring cups, handing me the correct size that I need when asked.

So when Cynthia of Feeding Big asked us to use a Halloween or Fall theme this month for Fill the Cookie Jar, I knew I wanted to have Melody help me make Witches Hats.  My kids used to love making them when they were young and, no surprise, so did she.  

She took her job very seriously, as you can see.  Her job was to unwrap the kisses, without eating them (big responsibility) and place them onto the frosted center of the cookie.  She did a perfect job!!

Then she placed them onto a plate for serving.  

She was very proud of her Witches Hats.

Of course, you have to taste them for quality control.

This is a fun, easy project to make with your toddlers.  When they get old enough for elementary school, they can make them by themselves and take them to school to share with their friends.  When I was Brownie Leader this was a yearly project around Halloween. It was always a hit.

If you don't have any little goblins to help you with these cookies then just scroll on down and see what the others brought to share with us today.

Witches Hats

1 pkg. Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies

1 pkg.  Hershey Kisses

1 tube orange frosting 

Place a tip onto the tube of frosting and pipe a thick border around the center hole of the cookies. Place a kiss in the center, over the hole, squishing the frosting out to make a border for the hat. Print Recipe

More Frightful Fall Cookies

• Lemon Oreo Bars by Family Around the Table 
• Mulled Cider Cookies by That Recipe 
• Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies by Palatable Pastime 
• Witches Hats by A Day In The Life on The Farm 
• Spooky Bites by Cindy's Recipes and Writings 
• Pumpkin Snickerdoodles by Cookaholic Wife 
• Monster Eyeball Cookies by Organized 31 
• Breakfast Cookies by This and That

Cherry Pie Bars #FilltheCookieJar

Last month our daughter, Nicole, and her husband, Pierre, blessed us with two gallon size bags filled to the hilt with tart cherries from the tree in their backyard.

I went to work and the first thing I made was a wonderful Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream. Then I made this delicious Cherry Cheese Braid.  

I turned the rest into Homemade Cherry Pie Filling, returned them to one of the bags and stored them in the freezer.

When it came time to Fill the Cookie Jar this month, I remembered those cherries sitting in the freezer. The only problem was....the theme for this month is Grandma's Cookies.  

My Grandma never made cookies using cherry pie filling and if I wanted to make cookies like my Mom used to make for my kids, I would have to go to the refrigerator section of the grocery store and get busy cutting up prepared dough and putting it in the oven.

Then, I thought, "Hey, I'm a Grandma".  I think I can make my own cookies and they are going to count.  And if they don't.....oh well, I would rather apologize afterwards than ask permission before hand LOL.

I had made Cherry Pie Bars  a couple of years ago and still remembered them fondly.  I knew that I wanted to do something similar this time around, changing it up a bit to make it my own.

I made a shortbread to use as the bottom crust or bar part of the recipe.  Reserving some to sprinkle on top as a streusel.

I combined the reserved shortbread batter with some roughly chopped raw almonds.   I love the cherry/almond flavor profile and always use almond extract in my cherry confections rather than vanilla.

I spread the cherry pie filling over the shortbread crust, using about 3 cups to cover it completely.

Then I sprinkled the entire surface with the Shortbread/Almond Streusel, placed it in the oven and let it bake until golden brown.

I had lined the baking pan with foil for easy removal.  I allowed the cookies to cool right on the foil before drizzling them with an easy peasy glaze.

When the glaze was set, I cut them into bars and placed them on a platter to serve up as a wonderful dessert to my family who had been visiting from out of town.

These are a perfect cookie to take to your next pot luck or to pack in your child's lunch box.  They are easily made with canned cherry pie filling.  They look like they take a lot of work but they are easy and only take a few minutes of active participation on your part. 

Cherry Pie Bars II

3 c. flour

3/4 c. sugar

pinch of salt

1/4 t. almond extract

3 sticks butter, chilled and cut into tablespoon pieces

3 c. cherry pie filling

1 c. raw almonds

1 c. powdered sugar

2 T. milk

1/4 t. almond extract

Place flour, sugar, salt, 1/4 t. almond extract and butter in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until crumbly.  Remove and reserve 1 cup of this mixture.  Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of a 9"x 13" pan that has been lined with a 18" piece of aluminum foil.  Crimp the ends of the foil that extend past the pan into handles.  Bake in a preheated 350* oven for half an hour.

Meanwhile, add the almonds to the food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Combine with reserved shortbread mix.

Remove bottom layer from the oven.  Cover with the canned cherries.  Sprinkle the streusel over the top and return to the oven for another 40-45 minutes, until golden brown.  Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Lift out by using the handles of aluminum foil and let cool completely.

While bars are cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and almond extract.  Drizzle over the cooled bars.  Let glaze set before cutting into 24 pieces. Print Recipe

More Amazing Cookies

• No Bake Date and Nut Cookies by That Recipe 
• Cherry Pie Bars by A Day In The Life On The Farm 
• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies by Cindy's Recipes and Writings 
• Molasses Cookies with Whiskey Buttercream by Cookaholic Wife 
• Hermit Cookies by Palatable Pastime

Clean the Cupboard Cookie Bars #FilltheCookieJar

Our theme for this month's Fill the Cookie Jar is Back to School cookies.  Didn't summer just start? The kids around here have only been out of school for 2 weeks and don't go back until after Labor Day.

Evidently, some of the other States have year round school and the kids are getting ready for the upcoming school year already.  I'm not sure how I would have felt about that as a parent of school aged children.  I know that many parents have to work and it is probably easier for them to have school year round with smaller breaks throughout the year instead of having the entire summer to worry about finding daycare for the kids.

Are your kids still in school?  How do you feel about year round classes?  I was lucky enough to be a stay at home Mom until my kids were old enough to stay home without me.  I liked having them home during the summer but I think I would have equally liked having them home more throughout the year.  It will be interesting to see if this trend comes to Michigan and how it works out.

Okay.....enough of the rambling.....so anyhoo, the theme is Back to School cookies.  This is a pretty broad field so I opened the cupboard to see what I had on hand.  And found this.........

Does your cupboard look like this? Half a bag of this, quarter of a bag of that, couple Tablespoons of something else.....ridiculous.  Faced with this and the task at hand, I decided to make some bar cookies and just dump all my odds and ends into the mix.

I had some milk chocolate morsels, some white chocolate morsels, some peanut butter morsels and some mini M&M's.  I had just enough butter flavored coconut oil on hand for these but you could use plain coconut oil or butter or margarine.  Whatever floats your boat makes your cookie crumble.

I know my kids would have loved to find one of these cookie bars in their lunchbox.  It would have been packed right next to their PBJ sandwich.  Of course, I understand that those are no longer allowed.  Probably not my cookie bars either with the peanut butter chips, maybe you should leave those out.....or just save these cookies for your kids to have as an after school treat before homework. My kids were always famished when they got home and while much has changed in this 20 years, I'm pretty sure that hasn't.

Make sure you stop by and see what the others are sending with their kids back to school.....I'm going to enjoy mine, with my Little Miss, poolside and say a prayer of gratitude that she is not yet in school.

Clean the Cupboard Cookie Bars

2 1/4 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 cup coconut oil

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar, packed

1 t. vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 c. assorted chips and candies (whatever you have in the cupboard)

Place the flour, baking soda, salt, coconut oil, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs into the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on low speed until combined.  Add the chips and candies and stir in until evenly distributed.

Spread into a 9x13" pan that has been treated with baking spray.  Bake in a preheated 375* oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the cookie removes cleanly.

Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Print Recipe

More Lunch Box Favorites

• Giant Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies by Family Around the Table 
• No Bake Brownie Energy Bites by Join Us, Pull up a Chair 
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies by Jolene's Recipe Journal 
• Teachers Rule Cookies By Palatable Pastime  
• Clean the Cupboard Cookie Bars by A Day In The Life On The Farm 
• Trail Mix Cookies by Home Sweet Homestead 
• Orange Anise Cookies By This and That
• Monster Reese's Pieces Cookie Bars by Cookaholic Wife 
• Oatmeal Blueberry Cookies by Organized 31 
• Apple Date Cookie Bars by That Recipe 
• Cherry Pie Tassies by Cindy's Recipes and Writings 
• Sesame Balls by Feeding Big

Lemon Bars #FilltheCookieJar

A tender butter cookie crust covered with a creamy, bright, lemon filling with the top having just the right amount of crunch makes these bars perfect for our Summer themed Fill the Cookie Jar event.

This recipe comes from Ina Garten.  She sprinkled hers with powdered sugar which would probably make for a prettier presentation.

However, I, personally, love the look of that tender top crust that forms when you make lemon bars. These bars are perfect to take to a potluck picnic this summer.  They are sure to be a hit.

Our friend, Cynthia of Feeding Big, invites us all to post our Cookie recipes on the first Thursday of each month.  You will find a lot more Summer cookies following my recipe.

Lemon Bars

slightly adapted from Ina Garten

2 sticks butter, room temperature

3 1/2 c. sugar, divided

2 c. flour

pinch of salt

6 eggs

zest of 3 lemons

1 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

1 c. flour

Cream together the butter and a 1/2 cup of the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the flour and salt.  Mix at low speed until incorporated.  Increase speed and mix until combined. Press the dough into the bottom of a 9x3x2" baking pan.  Place in refrigerator while oven preheats to 350*.  Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.

Whisk together the eggs, 3 cups of sugar, zest, lemon juice and flour until smooth.  Pour over the crust and return to the oven for another 30-35 minutes, until the filling is set.  Cool to room temperature before cutting.  Print Recipe

Make sure you take some time to see what the other home bakers have been creating. 

•  S'mores Sandwich Cookies by Jolene's Recipe Journal 
• Pink Lemonade Cookies by Palatable Pastime 
• Lemon Bars by A Day In The Life on the Farm 
• Double Strawberry Hazelnut Cookies by Cindy's Recipes and Writings 
• Red White and Blue Striped Tuiles by That Recipe 
• Easy Whoopie Pies with Ice Cream by Organized 31 
• Red, White and Blue Cookies by Cookaholic Wife 
• Basil Lime Cookies by Join Us, Pull Up a Chair
• Orange Drop Cookies by Big Rigs n' Lil' Cookies

Almond Orange Cookies #MexicanRecipes #FilltheCookieJar

I am combining two events again today.  It is day 4 of our Cinco de Mayo party where we are sharing a week's worth of Mexican Recipes in an event hosted by Sue of Palatable Pastime.  It is also the first Thursday of the month.  Our friend, Cynthia of Feeding Big, hosts a party each month inviting us to Fill the Cookie Jar and share a cookie recipe with our readers.

Our theme for this month's Fill the Cookie Jar is Mother's Day.  My mother was not Mexican.  She was Swedish and Czechoslovakian.  I needed to share a Mexican Recipe.  What is a blogger to do??

I decided to not worry so much about the origin of the cookies and concentrate on the ingredients. My Mom loved nuts and her favorite nut was almonds.  If you wanted to put a smile on my mother's face you would buy her a Hershey's Chocolate Bar with Almonds. It also put a smile on our face because she would break off the pieces containing almonds and then distribute the plain chocolate amongst us kids.

So when I was flipping through a cookbook by Jane Milton, titled simply "Mexican", and came across these Almond Orange Cookies, I knew that my Mom would have loved them.  My decision was made.  The perfect recipe for both events.

My Bonita Senorita was my sous chef for these amazing cookies.   I know that Grandma Great was smiling down from Heaven as Melody and I whipped up this batch of light fluffy cookies.

I adapted this recipe by making them drop cookies instead of rolled and cut.  I used crisco instead  of lard and almond flour instead of grinding my own almonds.  They are slightly sweet with most of the sweetness coming from the sprinkle of cinnamon sugar covering them.

You will find many more Mexican Recipes and Cookie Recipes following mine for these light, fluffy cookies that are the perfect ending to your Cinco de Mayo gathering.

Almond Orange Cookies

adapted from Mexican by Jane Milton

1 c. vegetable shortening

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

zest and juice of one orange

1 3/4 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1 3/4 c. almond flour

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 t. cinnamon

In large bowl of stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, beat together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Beat in the orange zest and juice.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and almond flour.  Gradually, add the dry ingredients into the batter on low speed.  When incorporated, increase speed and mix until a dough is formed.

Using a small cookie scoop or a rounded tablespoon, drop the cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake in a preheated 400* oven for 8-10 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown.  Remove to a cooling rack, placed over parchment.

Combine the powdered sugar and cinnamon and sift over the warm cookies.  Print Recipe

More Mexican Recipes

• Almond Orange Cookies from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mexican Chocolate Bizcochitos from Palatable Pastime
• Grilled Steak Tacos w/Sweet Chili Slaw from the Frugal Pantry
• Chicken Tamale Casserole from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Salsa di Hongas from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Check back each and every day for new recipes by following along with the hashtag #MexicanRecipes on social media. Are you a food blogger interested in posting within our blogging community? Find out more by joining us online: Holiday Fun with Our Blog Friends.

More Cookie Recipes

• Jumbo Dark Chocolate Cookies by Cookaholic Wife 
• Mexican Chocolate Bizcochitos by Palatable Pastime 
• Sea Salt Caramel Chip Cookies by Jolene’s Recipe Journal 
• Healthy Oatmeal Coffee Cookies by This and That 
• Black Pepper Shortbread by Feeding Big 
• Almond Orange Cookie by A Day In The Life on The Farm
• Galaxy and Nebula Cookies by Amy's Cooking  Adventures

The Nightingale inspired Macarons #FilltheCookieJar #FoodiesRead

I just finished reading The Nightingale, a historical fiction set during the takeover of France by Germany prior to WWII.  It is the story of two sisters who are so very different and yet so very the same.  They reminded me of my relationship with my sister.  We love each other more than life itself and we agree on very little.

Before I go any further I want to just let you know that I waffled back and forth about this post and whether I should publish it.  It goes against my grain to speak out publicly against POTUS but it is exactly for this reason, my discomfort, that I am speaking my mind in this post.

I am not looking for a debate on this matter. This is my blog where I come to write about my life and my feelings.  I don't feel the need to apologize now, or ever, for what I post on my blog.  My readers are free to agree with me or not.  We are all entitled to our own opinions.  May God's peace surround us all.

This story was a very hard read for me.  Not because of the writing, which is excellent and not because it didn't hook me fast and hard and keep my attention, because it did.  This story was hard for me because of how I perceive what is happening in this Country, politically, as history just repeating itself.  This is something my sister and I see very differently as did Vianne and Isabelle.  It is also something at which I am at odds with many of my friends.  

I read in horror as France blindly allowed their President to barter a deal with Hitler saying he was doing what was best for his country.  I cringed as the French turned a blind eye to their fellow countrymen.  People who had been born and raised in France, people who had fought and died for France being persecuted for nothing more than the religion to which they were born and chose or chose not to practice.  I wept as German soldiers took risks to protect the innocent while keeping themselves and their families out of the line of fire and I raged at those soldiers and those in authority of each country who felt that they were better than others because of the station they held or the religion they professed.  

I was physically sick to my stomach when I compared what was happening now to what happened then and I truly wonder if one day, my writing these words could result in me and my family being executed for daring to speak against our Government.  

Food was a huge part of this story.  Mostly because of the lack of food for some while others had so much more than they could possibly use and chose to give the scraps to animals before sharing it with their fellow human beings.  I sit here stunned that our Government is proposing to cut funds that feed our elderly and our children as we pay millions of dollars for one child from one family to live outside of the White House so that he can attend his private school instead of the private school in Washington DC. I feel the hairs stand up on the back of my neck screaming "danger, danger".  

Please, don't get me wrong.  I love my country. There is nowhere else in the world I would rather live. However, we must remember that the French felt the same way about their country, as did the Germans, Poles and Russians.  Many Germans were blinded by that love and could not see the true picture while the others quickly learned to protect themselves and those they loved by staying silent.

I am proud of the fact that our great country fought against the tyranny in Europe but that does not mean that our Government is exempt from making the same mistakes.  Russia, too, fought against Germany in WWII and I certainly wouldn't want to live in Russia.

The book ended, as did the war with people picking up their lives and continuing to live.  Life got better and people went about their business brushing the tragedies, deaths and atrocities under the rug to be hidden and never spoken of.  Be this due to the pain of remembering or the shame of remembering I guess depended on the person.

Back to the family in the novel. The sister who survives is now very elderly and lives in this great USofA and is summoned back to be honored for her, her sister's and  their father's part in the rescue of Jewish people and American soldiers who would otherwise have been taken prisoner.  This sister returns to France, accompanied, by her son who knew nothing of his family's involvement during this historic period. While walking down the streets of France together, she takes her son into a bakery and orders him a Macaron.  It is his first bite of France and the story his mother has to tell.

This scene, with mother sharing history with son, in the form of food resonated with me.  I decided to share some Macarons with my blogging community, my readers.

This recipe came from a publication distributed by my local grocer, Kroger.  I followed the recipe for the cookie exactly but chose to tint mine purple for Easter as this is the theme for this month's Fill the Cookie Jar.  I filled mine with a blueberry/lemon jam that our son made for us.  You can use any jam, lemon curd, caramel or chocolate ganache in the filling...whatever floats your boat.

I am linking this post to Fill the Cookie Jar and Foodies Read 2017.  You will find links to the other FTCJ recipes below mine.

Blueberry/Lemon Macarons
adapted from Kroger

1/2 c. almond flour
3/4 c. powdered sugar
2 egg whites, room temperature
1-2 drops lilac food coloring
2 T. caster sugar
Blueberry/Lemon Jam (or your favorite filling)

Sift together the almond flour and the powdered sugar.  Set aside.

Place egg whites in large bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment.  Beat on medium speed until foamy.  Add the food coloring and continue mixing until egg whites are tinted.  With the mixer still on medium speed gradually add the caster sugar and beat until glossy and holding peaks.  Do not increase speed on mixer, be patient, it takes a little time.

Sift the flour/sugar mixture over the top of the egg whites and gently fold in.  Scoop the mixture into a large pastry bag fitted with 1/2" round tip.  Pipe 1 1/2" rounds onto two large baking sheets covered with parchment paper.  Set aside and let rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.

Place in a preheated 300* oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops don't feel sticky to the touch.  Cool on baking sheets set onto wire racks.

When completely cool, spread a thin layer of jam on the bottom of a shell and top with a second shell.  Repeat with remaining shells.

These cookies are best refrigerated overnight before serving and can be refrigerated up to 3 days. Print Recipe

Let's Fill the Cookie Jar!

• Blueberry/Lemon Macaroons by A Day In The Life On The Farm 
• Carrot Oatmeal Cookies by Join Us Pull Up A Chair 
• Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chips Cookies by Making Miracles 
• Chocolate Chip Bunny Cookie Pops by Cindy's Recipes and Writings 
• Honeybee Cookies by Palatable Pastime 
• Koulourakia by That Recipe 
• Lemon Butter Cookies by Marlys This and That 
• Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies by Feeding Big 
• Loaded Oreo M&M Cookie Bars by Jolene's Recipe Journal 
• No Bake Bird's Nest Cookies by Making Memories with your Kids 
• Spring Garden Malted Milk by Famished Fish

Cinnamon Heart Cookies #FilltheCookieJar

Happy February Dear Friends.  My heart is light and filled with love.  It is, after all, the month we dedicate to love each year.  Better than that....it is only 20 more days before our vacation!!!  Yes, in less than 3 weeks we will be on the way to Dominica in the heart of the Caribbean.

Dominica is home to wonderful rainforests filled with waterfalls and hot springs.  The diving is amazing and the people are friendly and welcoming.  Frank and I were there 8 years ago and are excited about going back.

We are staying at the Fort Young Hotel which is where we stayed last time we visited.  Our room was an ocean front room.  The hotel, being an old fort, is set up high on a cliff so that you can hear the waves crashing all night long.  You can learn more about Dominica at this site which is where I got these photos to share with you.

It seems that I have had Valentine's Day on the brain for the last week or so.  I have shared a couple of recipes already that will show your Love how much they mean to you.  This Cinnamon Spice Valentini is the perfect start to a romantic evening and this heart shaped Baked Oatmeal is a perfect start to your loved one's day.

Today I am sharing an easy peasy butter cookie recipe that I cut into hearts and sprinkled with cinnamon heart sugar.  I was so excited when I found this sugar in the baking section at my grocers.  I thought I was going to have to buy those little cinnamon hearts and crush them up myself so was pleasantly surprised when they had already done the work for me.

This recipe made 16 large hearts but you could easily make them smaller if you wanted.  I think they are the perfect cookie to #FilltheCookieJar this month but if your taste runs to sweet rather than spicy or your mind turns to chocolate at Valentine's Day....No Worries...We have you covered.  Just take a look at all the other cookies being shared this month in the links below my recipe.

Cinnamon Heart Cookies

2 sticks butter, room temperature

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 T. vanilla

3 c. flour

1/2 t. baking powder

Cinnamon Sugar Sprinkles

In large bowl of stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar.  Add egg and vanilla, beat to combine.  Turn speed to low and blend in the flour and baking powder.  Place half the dough onto a piece of parchment paper of floured countertop.  Cover with plastic wrap and roll to 1/4" thickness. Using cookie cutters cut into heart shapes and place onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with second half of dough.  Sprinkle with the Cinnamon sugar and bake in a preheated 350* oven for 15 minutes, until bottom is light golden brown but before tops start to color. Print Recipe

More Valentine's Day Cookies

Christmas Around the World. Anginetti (Italian LemonDrops) #ChristmasCookies #FilltheCookieJar

Welcome to Day 1 of the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies event.  This event is  hosted by Family Around the Table and Cooking With Carlee. We will be filling the season with all kinds of delicious cookies.  Be sure to check out some of the recipes below or you can follow along on Facebook or Twitter by searching #ChristmasCookies.  We also have a 12 Days of Cookies Pinterest board where you can see all of the goodness!  May your holidays be sweet!

It is also time for my monthly installment for Fill the Cookie Jar.  A fun group hosted by Cynthia of Feeding Big.  We post each month and it worked out very nicely that this month's event coincided with the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies event.  You will find links to all the cookies in both events following this post.

I decided that I am going to travel the world during this 12 Days of Christmas Cookies event, starting with today's offering Anginetti.  Anginetti is a traditional Lemon Drop Cookie from Italy that is served during the Christmas Season.

These tender, bright morsels are actually like a bite of Spring to me.  I was surprised that lemon was the traditional flavor for these cookies.  Happily surprised, that is.  These are absolutely amazing, light and not overly sweet. The photos found on Food.com where I found this recipe actually showed the cookies served up for many occasions with sprinkles to match the season.  I decided to sprinkle mine with poppy seeds because I love the lemon/poppy seed combination.

Other than the poppy seeds I made these cookies just as written and am very glad I did as the recipe is perfect.....easy peasy and delicious.

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow when we visit Poland on our 12 Days of Christmas Cookies Adventure.

Anginetti (Italian Lemon Drop Cookies)

slightly adapted from Kim D at Food.com

1/2 c.. sugar

1/4 c. vegetable shortening

3 eggs

1 1/2 t. lemon extract

2 c. flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

dash of salt

3 c. powdered sugar

1/4 c. water

1 t. lemon extract

Poppy Seeds for garnish

Cream together sugar and shortening until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.  Mix in 1 1/2 t. lemon extract.  Add the flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix on low speed until flour is combined then mix well.  Using a small cookie scoop, drop the dough onto parchment lined baking sheet, leaving about 2" between cookies.  Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 12-15 minutes or until firm and lightly browned. Cool completely on wire racks.

Combine the powdered sugar, water and 1 t. lemon extract in a small bowl.  Spread onto each cookie, sprinkling immediately with the poppy seeds.  Print Recipe

Day 1 of 12 Days of #ChristmasCookies

Anginetti from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Candy Cane Cookies from The Freshman Cook
Christmas Sprinkle Cookies from Family Around the Table
Chocolate Coconut Layer Bars from Making the Most of Naptime
Cookie Butter Crisps from Palatable Pastime
Coffee Dipped Chocolate Shortbread Cookies by Feeding Big
Crispy and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
Cuppa Cookies from Cooking With Carlee
Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies from Simple and Savory
Melting Snowmen from Cindy's Recipes and Writings 
Meyer Lemon Cookies from Caroline's Cooking
Pizelles from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Red Velvet Snowballs from The Chef Next Door
Snowday Cookies from Jolene's Recipe Journal

Let's #FilltheCookieJar

Shakrlama #CooktheBooks #FilltheCookieJar

I am joining up with a new (to me) group this month called Fill the Cookie Jar.  This group is led by Cynthia of Feeding Big who has chosen themes for each month and then invites others to post a cookie recipe that fits the theme on the third Thursday of each month.  You can learn more about it here.

This month's theme is Thanksgiving/Fall.  The possibilities for this theme are endless.  My first thought was to make a spicy cookie like these Pumpkin Spice Cookie Blossoms or Snickerdoodles. But then, I was reading the book selected for Cook the Books and found this recipe for Shakrlama and knew that it was what I wanted to share to introduce myself to this group.

Cook the Books is a fun little group that assigns books bimonthly, chosen by a new host each month. We are invited to read the book and make a recipe that was inspired by said book.  This month our host is Simona of Briciole, who also happens to be one of our fearless leaders in this group.  Simona chose the novel, Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots by Jessica Soffer.   There is still a lot of time to join us if you would like as the deadline for posting on this novel is not until November 30th.  You can read Simona's invitation post  or stop by Cook the Books for more information.

This is a novel about a young girl who is being raised (or raising, as the case may be) by a very needy, self centered and unnurturing mother.  The girl, Lorca, searches for ways to get her mother's approval without success.  Lorca so badly needs to feel something.....anything.....that she, at a very young age, learned to find comfort in pain and is now a young teenage girl who self mutilates every chance she gets.

Lorca, overhearing a conversation between her mother and aunt, goes off in search of a recipe for Masgouf, which her mother described as the best meal she had ever eaten.  Lorca finds the owner of the restaurant where her mother had eaten the Masgouf.  This woman, Victoria, has just lost her husband after a long illness.  She decides to give cooking lessons and her sole student is Lorca. Victoria is suffering guilt from the decision she made, years earlier, to adopt out a child that she had. She now believes that Lorca is the child of the one she gave away years earlier....

I will not give you any spoilers.  I did not love this book but I did not hate it either.  This book made me angry and made me sad.  It made me want to enfold Lorca in a maternal hug and ensure that she knows that she is worthwhile and loveable.

Lorca contacts Victoria after the first cooking lesson and asks to come back, stating her mother is not feeling well and she would like to make her something to help her feel better.  Victoria decides to make a recipe that was a favorite of her husbands, Shakrlama.

I googled Shakrlama and learned that it was an Arabic butter cookie with almonds, pistachios or both. I also found that the author of the book, Jessica Soffer, had printed her recipe for these cookies in the Book Club Cookbook.

I made the recipe just as written by Jessica, using slivered almonds instead of sliced.  They were lovely and a perfect recipe to Fill the Cookie Jar.

You will find the other Fill the Cookie Jar entries following the recipe for these tender, delightful little morsels.  Stay tuned at the end of November when Simona does a round up of all the recipes inspired by Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots.  I am also linking up with Foodies Read 2016.

Shakrlama (Almond Butter Cookies)

courtesy of Jessica Soffer

1 stick butter, room temperature

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 c. + 1 t. flour

1/4 t. ground cardamom

1 t. rosewater 

1/4 t. vanilla

pinch salt

48 slivered almonds

Place the butter, sugar, flour, cardamom, rosewater, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Turn to low speed and beat until combined, increase speed and beat until well mixed and a ball is formed.

Divide the ball into 12 equal pieces.  Roll pieces into balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Using a glass, dipped in powdered sugar, flatten each ball into a 2" round.  Place 4 slivered almonds on each cookie.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes before baking in a preheated 350*oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  

Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Print Recipe