Desserts

I haven’t been as excited to post anything to this blog in a long time as I am these Movie Theatre Cookies. They started out as just an inkling of an idea when James and I went to the cinema to see Tron: Legacy (visually beautiful, but not so much the plot).

I don’t know about you, but I can’t go to the movies without popcorn. With butter. It makes me sad to sit through a film without it. Oh, I know it’s horrible for you. I really do. But I love it. James prefers to have sweets when we go to the film. A “Super Squishy” (ICEE) or some Raisinets. And that’s where this idea first popped up. James got Raisinets that day we saw Tron. And he said to me, “Wouldn’t Raisinets be awesome in cookies?”. Yes, yes they would be.

It happens to the best of us, with the best of intentions: black bananas. Some weeks James and I go through a bunch of bananas in record time. Other weeks, we’re left with 3 or 4 getting well past their prime. I don’t know about you, but there’s only so much banana bread I can bake! That’s where these Banana Ginger cookies come in.

When it comes to shortbread, I’m a purest. I don’t really pander to things IN it other than butter, sugar, flour and salt. I don’t even like it dipped in chocolate. I’m weird, I know. But there’s just something reverent in those 4 ingredients that come together into a perfect, crisp, buttery biscuit that I would choose over a chocolate chip cookie every time.

Okay, so Strawberry Heart Cake isn’t the most complicated of things to make. But I can’t claim to be the world’s best cake decorator. That title can be battled out between my friends Amanda and Kristan. But maybe you’re like me. You wish you could make the beautiful things those talented women make. Plus, I think we can all agree strawberry cake can overcome a lot of homeliness.

I’m sorry, but are Candy Cane Kisses pretty much the bomb diggity of Christmas candy, or what? Look at the center of that cookie bite. Just look at it! An entire kiss, wrapped in dark chocolatey cookie goodness, people.

I pretty much buy Candy Cane Kisses in bulk when they show up at Target. White chocolate and peppermint? I’m so there. Luckily, so is my bestie, Maggy.

Despite their name, Mexican Wedding Cookies are popular in San Antonio for more than just weddings. In fact, I’ve long thought of these delicious little morsels of win as a Christmas cookie, not a wedding one.

Now, there are lots of different versions of this little cookie. In fact, I think Russian Tea Cakes are pretty much identical, bar one thing: the nuts. Russian Tea Cakes call for Walnuts. Mexican Wedding Cookies call for Pecans.

I made this gluten free apple and pear cobbler for Lucas. Who is Lucas, you ask? Lucas is my cousin. I was 18 when Carson was born, and 20 when Lucas was born. For a time I helped my aunt out a few days a week with both the boys. My favorite memory of Lucas …

I cannot claim to know Julie Potter, but I sure do know her Pumpkin Bread (although I am an authority on how lovely she is via email, since I wrote to ask her if I could post her recipe and got the most beautiful of replies – thanks again, Julie!). I think we all have …

Who doesn’t love a pumpkin empanada? Or an empanada of any kind, for that matter? Call it what you will: pasty, pocket, pie, or kolache, pastry enclosed pockets of food have been around probably almost as long as bread has. There’s not a single cuisine I can think of that doesn’t have some riff on …

Do you love pumpkin? Of course you do! (Well, unless you’re Annie from With Sprinkles On Top.) I love pumpkin so much, I’d marry it if I were a polygamist. Too much? Way back in August (sheesh, way back? waaah!), when I went to the Big Summer Potluck, I got to meet Abby Dodge, who …