I’m not a huge macadamia nut fan, but throw it in buttery, chewy dough filled with shaved white chocolate and white chocolate chunks . . . and you will see me eating one after another until I realize I should probably stop after downing half a dozen.

Since the overexposed photo set of these cookies, does not quite show off the goodness of these bad boys – I will say, that after polling my co-workers which three cookies they like best of mine, the most popular answer was these  over my chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal pretzel cookies.

I decided to share these afterRussell of Endless Simmer asked me for a white chocolate macadamia cookie recipe. Well nothing like mulit-tasking, so I got baking and decided that these would also be used for my portion of the cookie swap.

For The Great Cookie Swap I received a sweet and savory cookie, Rosemary Shortbread from Elizabeth; Neiman Marcus’s Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies from Erin; a sweet and salty combo cookie, Salted Cashew Cookies from Laura.

If you didn’t participate this year in the cookie exchange, I would encourage you to do so next year. There’s nothing like receiving goodies in the mail from a cookie Santa. Thank you Elizabeth, Erin and Laura for my delicious cookies and thank you to Lindsay and Julie for organizing such a great event!

To participate in next year’s event, click here for more information and to get on the mailing list.

A few notes:

• For a chewy cookie all the way through, drop the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for approximately 12-14 minutes or until just golden around the edges.
• For a crisp edge and chewy center cookie bake as directed – at 375 degrees for approximately 10 minutes.
• If you’ve been following my cookie kick since back in August, then you know I’ve been primarily using roasted salted nuts, rather than regular nuts. Two reasons for this (1) You can bypass the toasting (if you don’t use roasted nuts, make sure to toast them for maximum flavor). (2) The roasted salted nut variation allows for a sweet and salty combo that my friends, family and most people I know love so much-in other words, give it try if you haven’t already.

White Chocolate & Macadamia Nut Cookies

Makes 3 dozen 2 ½ in. cookies | Preparation: Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line bakesheet with parchment paper.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups  Old Fashion Oatmeal
• 2 cups flour
• 1 bag (12 oz.) Ghirardelli Chocolate, plus 8oz. white chocolate
• 10 oz roasted and salted Macadamia nuts
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, slightly packed
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder

Instructions:

1. Place oatmeal in a food processor or blender and pulse until oatmeal resembles granola like mix (some of it will end up like powder from being at the bottom). Add in flour into oatmeal and pulse to combine. Set aside.
2. Place 12 oz of chocolate into a food processor or blender and pulse to a coarse ground; transfer to a bowl and set aside. Place macadamia nuts into food processor or blender and pulse into small c chunks. Add in white chocolate and whisk to combine.
3. Add white chocolate and macadamia nut mixture to flour and oat mixture and whisk to combine. Set aside.
4. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter to a bowl and beat on medium high until well blended. Add in egg, egg yolk and vanilla and continue to beat on medium high for two minutes. Turn mixer up to high and beat for an additional two minutes. Add in salt, baking soda and baking powder and continue to beat on high for about 3 minutes or until fluffy. Switch mixer speed down to low and gradually add dry ingredients and beat until just combined.
5. Drop 1 heaping tablespoon an inch apart onto parchment lined bakesheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool.
6. To store cookies place them in an airtight container.

Pecan Sandies

Can someone tell me who has pressed the speed-it-up button on the calendar? How is it that it’s already December 7^th? I’m a bit panicked since I don’t have Christmas cards sent, much less written.

I’m sorry to be so brief today, but I need to get cracking on the cards and these cookies boxes for everyone-so see you all tomorrow for the Holiday Bark Series.

A few notes:

• It’s all about the nuts in this cookie, so don’t skip toasting the nuts or you will miss out on a robust and deeply flavored pecan cookie.
• If you don’t have a blender or food processor to make the pecan flour skip step 2 all together and keep the ratios all the same.
• If you want to skip making square shaped cookies for the more traditional round shape ones, chill the dough and pinch off a heaping tablespoon size of dough and roll it into a ball.

Pecan Sandies

Makes 4 dozen 2in cookies | Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bake sheets with parchment paper.

Ingredients:

• 11/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 cup all-purpose flour  plus (divided use)
• ½  cup plus 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
• ¼  cup packed light-brown sugar
• ¼  cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Place pecans on bakesheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 5-7 minutes, tossing nuts half way through for even toasting. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Measure out ¼ cup of toasted pecans and place it in a food processor or blender and add two tablespoons of flour to pecans. Pulverize the mixture to a fine grind.
3. Pour pecan flour mixture into remaining mixture and whisk to combine; set aside.
4. Add melted butter and sugar into a bowl and using a hand held mixer or stand mixer beat until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes on medium high. Add in vanilla and salt and beat to combine. Slowly add in flour and beat on low until just. Add in pecans and using a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon fold in pecans. Transfer dough to refrigerator for 1 hour to chill.
5. Remove dough from refrigerator and lightly flour a work surface and roll dough into a square log. Sprinkle and press coarse sugar into all four sides of square log. Cut off 1/4inch thick slices and place on a parchment lined bakesheet 1 inch apart. Bake cookies for about 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees F. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Christmas Tree Meringue Cookies

Meringues are one of those desserts that I always associate with the holidays, even though I don’t eat them. Nope, this is one of the few desserts that I don’t like. But guess who does?

Matt, the p-i-c-k-i-e-s-t eater I know. Seriously, five out of ten meals gets a no-pass, as in it never sees a second breathe of life.

So how is it that he likes meringue? I have no idea, but thank goodness someone in our house likes meringues to test them for me. I’m happy to say these got a huge thumbs up from him, so from my kitchen to yours I hope you guys like them just as much.

A few notes:

• To color the meringue, I used Americolor’s Electric Green, but any green will work. Just make sure that you start slowly with the color by adding in one drop at a time. The meringue may start fall, but keep mixing it will come back to form shortly.
• Make sure to add in the mint extract in the beginning and not at the end or you will ruin meringue to the point of no return. The oil from the mint extract will zap it into a liquefied mess.
• Store finished meringues in an airtight container in the freezer.
• Totally unrelated: This week’s bark recipe will be up tomorrow and don’t forget to enter my KitchenAid Food Proceessor giveaway. Click here to enter.

Christmas Tree Meringues

Preparation: Line bake sheet with parchment and heat oven to 200 degrees F.\

Ingredients:

Meringue Cookie:

• 4 eggs whites
• 1 cup sugar
• Pinch of tartar
• 1/8 teaspoon of mint extract
• 2-4 drops of green food coloring

Chocolate Stars:

• 2 oz. melted chocolate

Instructions:

Meringue Cookie:

1. Place sugar, egg whites and tartar in a bowl over (not directly on) simmering water. Constantly whisk the egg whites until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Pour the egg mixture into a clean bowl and add mint extract. Using a whisk attachment on a stand mixer or a hand held mixture, slowly beat egg mixture on medium low. Once mixture is no longer opaque, add in green food coloring. Increase speed and continue to beat mixture until stiff peaks have almost formed. Mixture is ready when whisk attachment dipped into mixture leaves a curled but stiff peak when removed.
3. Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a close or open star tip and pipe ½ inch to ¾ inch wide cookies, making sure to set them one inch apart from one another.  Bake at 200 degrees F for 2 hours, then turn off oven and leave the door slightly ajar for meringues to cool down with the oven.  Store meringue cookies in an airtight container away from any heat or moisture. Alternatively, store them in the freezer where they can be enjoyed straight from the freezer without any defrosting.

Chocolate Stars:

1. Line bake sheet with parchement paper. Place melted chocolate in a pastry bag fitted with a number two round tip or place melted chocolate in a plastic bag and cut a small hole in a corner and pipe chocolate into star shape. Chill piped chocolate stars in the refrigerator until ready to use. (If you are nervous about free-handing the stars, place a sheet with a star pattern underneath the parchment paper and pipe chocolate over the outline).

Assembly:

1. To place the stars on the meringue cookies, squeeze a dallop of cooled melted chocolate on top and then place chocolate stars in it.

Caramel Popcorn and Cashew Cookies

You guys asked for cookies, you got cookies. This is the start of an onslaught of cookies that you can bake and give. This particular one holds up real well, so it is a good contender for shipping.

I should also mention, I will try to keep the posts as short as possible since I’m sure there is eating, shopping and a merriment of things you would rather be doing than to read my ramblings.

A few notes:

• For the cashews make sure to use salted, not just plain  cashews for that added sweet and salty combo.
• For the caramel corn I used Cracker Jacks.
• To crush or not to crush the caramel popcorn is completely up to you. I tried the first batch with whole pieces but found it too lumpy, so I crushed.
• Let cookies cool completely before storing or you will have chewy caramel popcorn rather than crisp caramel popcorn bits in the cookies.

Caramel Popcorn and Cashew Cookies

(Cookie base is adapted from Cooks Illustrated)

Makes about 30 2 inch cookies | Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees F and line bake sheet with parchment.

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 14 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 ½ cup crushed caramel corn
• ½  cup salted cashews, chopped

Instructions:

1. Whisk flour and baking soda; set aside Heat 10 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat until melted about 2 minutes. Continue stirring for another 1-3 minutes until brown and there is a nutty aroma. Remove from heat. Pour heated butter through a sieve into a heat proof bowl. Stir in remaining butter until completely melted.
2. Transfer melted butter to a bowl and add in both sugars, salt, vanilla and whisk until fully combined. Add egg and egg yolk, whisk until mixture is smooth and no sugar lumps remains, about 30 seconds.
3. Let mixture stand for 3 minutes then whisk for another 30 seconds. Repeat this step 2 more times until mixture is thick and shiny.
4. Stir in flour until combined. Stir in caramel popcorn and cashews and combined.
5. Drop on heaping tablespoon of cookie dough onto parchment lined bakesheet one inch apart.  Bake and until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, about 10-11 minutes.

Pecan Pie Cookies

Here’s the thing-I like tweaking traditional and classic things be it baked goods or pretty much anything. It might be because I have been gifted with impatience and I’ve been bestowed with easily getting bored.

Hmm . . .  or maybe it’s all the coffee I drink that keeps me so amped I can’t focus on things like the “traditional”. Well, whether, its caffeine loaded hands or wandering hands, I like getting topsy-turvy with things.

Pecan Pie Cookies

Although I should mention I’ve never been a huge pecan pie fan. I generally find it tooth achingly sweet. That is unless it has chocolate in it to break up the heavy sweetness of the corn syrup. With that in mind I wanted to add one more dimension, a spiced layer-enter cardamom.

I’m glad I did and I think you will too.

Now drop the fork and get ready to go hand to mouth with this classic pie turned cookie with a few sideways tweaking. And since it’s a cookie you can totally have three of these babies before it equals a slice of pie.

A few notes:

• As always your palate your preference, skip the cardamom if it’s too untraditional for you. For those that don’t have or like cardamom but still want a spiced kick try replacing with cinnamon.
• Toasted nuts make a huge difference in baked goods, so don’t skip it or else you’ll miss out on some deep robust flavors. To toast the pecans: lay them on a bake sheet at 425 degrees for F for about  5-7minutes, tossing nuts half way through.
• For the chocolate, I used dark 65% cacao chocolate since that’s my preference, but milk chocolate will work just as well.

Pecan Pie Cookies

Makes approximately  two dozen 2 inch cookies

Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line bake sheets with parchment.

Ingredients:

Cookie portion:

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup confectioner sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups flour

Pecan Filling:

• 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 4 ¼ oz  chocolate, 65% cacao, melted
• 1 tablespoon of corn syrup
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon cardamom

Drizzle Finish:

• 2oz. chocolate, melted

Instructions:

1. Cream butter, brown sugar and confectioner sugar until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl lightly beat egg, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Add egg mixture to creamed butter mixture and mix to combine. Using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula fold in flour. Chill dough for at least 45 minutes.
2. While the dough is chilling, place pecans, melted chocolate, heavy cream, corn syrup, and cardamom in a bowl and mix to combine.
3. To assemble: Scoop out approximately 1 ½ tablespoon of dough and flatten it into one hand, then scoop out one heaping teaspoon of pecan filling and place it in the center of flatten dough. Bring the edges of the dough  to the center press dough together so that it seals the filling in. Place dough stuffed cookies, seam side down on parchment lined bake sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and allow cookies to rest  on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
4. Using a mini whisk or spoon or fork, finish cookies with chocolate drizzle.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

You may have or may not have noticed that I was a bit light on the posting last week with only three posts. But life was busy piling on me like stack of cards. So for those of you who have emailed and asked how I manage family, a full-time job and a blog. Let me tell you, I don’t always manage all three so well all the time.

But here’s what I can tell you, if you are passionate about what you do you’ll find a way. It’s not abnormal for me to run on 5 hours of sleep. I often bake or blog from 10-12pm and then wake up at 5:30am to blog or photograph before work. Then there are the weekends in which I always carve out 4 hours to do blog work. Fortunately, Matt is always great about taking Cole so that I can do that.

But last week was crazier than usual, in the midst of regular blogging, I also had two recipe development projects due and then I had corset cookies and cupcakes to make for a bachelor party.

I might have a slight problem with over committing myself. But since the bachelor party was for a co-worker, I couldn’t say no. Yes, bachelor not bachelorette party. But I’m thinking he had it right. It was him, one other guy and the rest of us were all females. How smart is that?

Hello tangent. Sorry.

My point is I don’t have a good answer for how I manage blogging time into life, other than I make time because it’s my passion and creative outlet. That said, I do wish I could squeeze running a vacuum through my home a little more often, maybe find time to blow dry my hair and maybe cultivate a fashionable sensibility beyond jeans and a tanktop.

Lucky, for me I love to bake and a good cookie like this one seems to make things like forgotten house cleaning and failed fashion inconsequential.

A few notes::

• It’s not necessary to brown the butter, but I like the added flavor it gives to cookies, so as a rule I generally brown my butter when I need to melt it.
• I added quick cooking oats to this recipe for a crunchier and chunkier cookie. If you don’t have any available, replace that portion with ¼ cup of old fashion oats (in addition to the 1 ¼ cup).
• The add-ins are optional, so take it or leave it. Additionally, your palate your preference so add in what you like. If I had dried cranberries on hand, those would have been added for a fruity layer.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Makes 48 11/2 inch cookies | Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees and line bake sheet with parchment paper.

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼  cup old fashion oats
• ½ cup quick oats
• ¾ cup flour
• ½ cup unsalted butter, browned
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup pumpkin puree
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon baking soda

Add-ins:

• ¾ cup mini chocolate chips
• ¾ cup almonds, toasted
• ½ toffee bits

Instructions:

1. Add old fashion oats, quick oats and flour into a bowl and mix to combine; set aside.
2. Place butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook until butter starts to turn brown and is nutty in aroma. (To minimize the foaming, whisk continuously). Set aside.
3. Add sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and egg into a bowl and mix to combine. Add in cooled browned butter and mix to combine. Add in baking soda and mix to combine. Then fold in flour and oat mixture until combined.
4. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Corset Cookies

Well I figured no better time than the present to put all her tips and tricks to work for these fun cookies I made for a bachelor party.

Let me start by saying working with royal icing is all about finding the right consistency. Get it wrong and you will struggle like a car driving in first gear on the freeway. You can do it, but you might end up dropping the transmission. With cookies the struggle can result in hand cramps, stuttered looking lines and/or broken lines.

So next to practice, practice, practice, consistency of the royal icing is the most important thing.

Now here’s why Callye’s tutorial resonance with me so well. I’ve done the counting method that works great for many people, but not for me. I’m always worried I am counting too fast, too slow, what number was I at, you know, all the things an A.D.D person suffers from.

Callye includes the counting method, but along with that she compares the right consistency to everyday familiar things like toothpaste consistency for the outlining and shampoo consistency for the flooding.

Ever have that light bulb moment? Well those two small details brought it home for me because guess what? I’ve never been more at ease with making sugar cookies with royal icing.

Of course I should preface, I am not a sugar crafter in this area. In fact, I am pretty sure I’ve mentioned before that I reserve sugar cookies for the holidays and special occasion. They are labor intensive and require the kind of patience I do not generally have.

The other part of it is I’m perfectionist and my piping skills kinda suck-okay, more than kinda so I end up throwing away a lot of imperfectly piped cookies.  Although this time around, I not only kept them, I photographed them to show and tell where I went wrong to save you some time and frustration.  And selfishly, I’m trying to break my need for perfection.

See the not-so-perfect picture above. The outlining on first cookie looks almost like a glaze consistency. Here’s why-I left the icing in the pastry bag overnight and didn’t mix or fluff it in any way before using it the next day. I just grabbed, squeezed and piped-don’t do this. Store your icing properly. As you can see it makes for sloppy lines.  See the middle cookie – the icing was too stiff, not quite “toothpaste” consistency, so the outlining is uneven because it kept breaking. That’s what happens when you don’t follow directions. After learning from a few ugly cookies, I finally got the consistency right.

 For Callye’s royal icing recipe click here To get your piping skill primed for your holiday baking head over to The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle. Read this post and this post before you get started and you will have a much easier time with decorating sugar cookies with royal icing.

Caramel Apple Cookies

This started out as an apple pie cookie, but the strueusel proved to be too sweet for the cookie. I removed the streusel but kept everything else intact. In doing so, the cookie resembled a caramel apple more than a apple pie.

Which as it turns out worked out great for my family. Funny thing is I love apples, but I’m not a huge fan of apple pie unless it’s stacked with a nice crumble of streusel. Along with that I’m also not really a caramel apple fan. But as it turns out Matt doesn’t really care for apples period unless it’s a caramel apple.  Confused?

Well from mixing bowl to oven, I found a way to iron out all that apple confusion slash silliness in my family. Now I can serve baked apples in a way Matt can enjoy and I can have a caramel apple in a way I can enjoy. Lucky for me my little guy will take an apple any way, even dipped in ketchup. Yes, it’s as gross as it sounds, but he loves it..

So note to my son: Sorry, babe, I just couldn’t find away to work the ketchup into the recipe.

A few notes:

• You can certainly use a cheese grater box to shred your apples instead of dicing them, but the first test run in which I did that, I found the apples disappeared into the cookie too much. They also ended up turning soft and sweet much like what you would find in an apple pie. And since I flipped the cookie from an apple pie to caramel apple cookie, I wanted to keep the firmer texture of a raw apple. Along with that I wanted to keep the acidity of a raw apple to balance out the sweetness.
• Variation:  Use pears if apples are not your thing. For an even less sweet cookie, skip the toffee bits.
• To keep cookies chewy store them loosely covered or the moisture from the apples will zap the chewiness out of them.
• For the almonds I recommend Blue Diamonds Roasted Salted Almonds (easily found in the grocery store).  The salt gives the cookie that well balanced sweet and salty combo. You can use regular almonds, but the cookies won’t have quite the same flavor.

Caramel Apple Cookies

Makes 36 two inch cookies | Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cookie base adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 14 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 cup diced apples, 4oz.
• ¾ cup chopped salted roasted almonds
• ½  cup toffee bits

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Whisk flour and baking soda.
2. Heat 10 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat until melted about 2 minutes. Continue stirring for another 1-3 minutes until brown and there is a nutty aroma. Remove from heat. Pour heated butter through a sieve into a heat proof bowl. Stir in remaining butter until completely melted.
3. Add  both sugars, salt and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully combined. Add egg and egg yolk, whisk until mixture is smooth and no sugar lumps remains, about 30 seconds.
4. Let mixture stand for 3 minutes then whisk for another 30 seconds.
5. Repeat step four 2 more times until mixture is thick and shiny.
6. Stir in flour until combined. Stir in apples, roasted almonds and toffee bits combined.
7. Use an ice cream scoop to form cookies. Place dough 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
8. Bake cookies one tray at a time, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking. Bake until cookies are golden brown and still puffy. Approximately 10-14 minutes.

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Alright all story telling aside, the cookies have a crisp edge with chewy crumb and a soft crackle from the glaze. I traded in the soft dough of a traditional cinnamon roll for a cookie crumb and the only thing I think you’ll miss are a few calories.

A few notes:

• Keep in mind the dough will be sticky, so I used wax paper to guide the dough into a roll. If the dough does not peel away from the wax paper while rolling place dough back in refrigerator to chill, this will make it easier to roll.
• The dough will not be a tight roll as the dry cinnamon mixture will keep the dough from completely sticking together. Don’t worry the cookies will form just fine once baked.
• Alternately, once the cinnamon and sugar is pressed into the dough you can fold the dough onto itself into a large mass and pinch off 1 ½ tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball for a traditional cookie form (see picture above).

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Makes approximately 4 dozen two inch cookies | Preparation: Line bake sheet with parchment paper and heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of flour, plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus 1 tablespoon for divided use
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter, softened, plus 3 tablespoon for divided use
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar, plus ½ cup for divided use
• 1 egg yolk
• ¼ cup applesauce
• 1 tablespoon of light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• For the glaze
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoon of milk

Instructions:

1. Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. Place ½ cup butter, granulated sugar and ¼ cup of brown sugar in a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until light in color. Add in egg yolk, applesauce, light corn syrup and vanilla and beat to combine. Turn off mixer.
3. Using a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon, fold in flour mixture until just combined.  Dough may have some flour streaking. Do not over mix. Divide dough in half and wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Place remaining 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and ½ cup of brown sugar in a bowl and whisk to combine. Now divide cinnamon and brown sugar mixture in two; one for each portion of halved dough. Set aside.
4. Remove one wrapped dough. Dough will sticky so place it between two large pieces of wax paper and roll out dough to 1/4inch thickness. Using a pastry brush spread 1 1/2 tablespoon of softened butter on dough. Then sprinkle half of the cinnamon and sugar mixture on top and gently press it into dough. Roll up dough, beginning with long side. Place roll seam side down on plastic wrap and cover tightly. Repeat this once more with reamining dough and 11/2 tablespoon of butter, along with remaining cinnamon and brown sugar mixture. Place both rolled doughs back in refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.
5. Remove chilled roll and cut into ½ inch slices. (*Alternately pinch off 1 ½ tablespoons size dough and roll into a ball for a cookie shape. See above picture.)
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

To make glaze:

1. Sift powdered sugar and add in 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until drizzling consistency is achieved.

Assembly:

1. Drizzle tops of cookies with glaze and let stand at room temperature until glaze dries completely. Store cookies in an airtight container

BaNilla Sandwich Cookies

Don’t these look like mini whoopie pies. I’d love to take credit for this idea, but nope, not mine. I found this idea on Pinterest and knew I had to try it. The only thing I added to the idea was the sprinkles. I think next time I will dip them in chocolate and maybe rim it with crushed peanuts.  

Banilla Sandwich Cookies

Keep in mind when I say mini, they are almost micro mini in size. These Banilla Sandwhich Cookies are a little smaller than the size of a quarter. Which makes them the perfect popable size, so don’t worry about biting into this cookie and having the banana slice squishing its way out the other end.

A few notes:

• You can’t make these too far in advance as the cookie starts to soften and the sprinkles start to bleed from the moisture of the banana. Luckily these take no time to turn out 2-plus dozen.
• Remember these are mini Nilla wafes, not the regular size ones.
• Variation: Rim with crushed peanuts. Spread Nutella instead peanut butter. Shoot there is just a whole lot you can do here, so go crazy and if you do-please, come back and share with the rest of us.