Compost Cookies with Neal Brother's BBQ chips

I’ve never been much of a chip eater. I’ll eat it at parties or if my friends and I order nachos at a restaurant, but I rarely buy a bag of chips because they’re too addictive. I cannot allow myself to eat just a few and it's worst if there are 5 flavors, I’ll want to try them all. My fingers uncontrollably reach for the chip bowl bringing pristine crisps to my lips, their crackly sensation is like crack to me, absolutely irresistible, not to mention how their salty, sweet, spicy coating blows up all the dopamine neurotransmitter synapses from my tongue to my brain telling me to EATMOREEATMORE!! The struggle is real, I’m sure you can relate and that’s why I don’t buy chips lest I go all Hulk-like on them.

And somehow when it comes to cookies or chocolate, I can exercise some self-control. Nonetheless, when Neal Brothers contacted me to offer samples of their latest flavours, I could not decline. 

So that’s how I ended up combining one of my favourite foods (ie. Cookies) with chips. I chose the popular Compost Cookies recipe from Cristina Tosi of Momofuku’s Milk Bar and for the potato chips, used Neal Brothers's sweet and salty BBQ kettle chips. When I threw the chips into the batter, I loved hearing them crunch and break apart, a sign of good things to come. The cookies contain a combination of milk chocolate, butterscotch chips, coffee grounds, rolled oats and chips, the idea behind it is to use up leftover ingredients that’s been hanging out in your pantry. 

I’ve made cookies from Milk Bar before, and though I enjoyed those cookies, I like these Compost Cookies more. The sweet and salty flavours work well here and I love the idea of using up whatever you have in your kitchen, it makes them unique and memorable. Neal Brother’s kettle chips are a great compliment to these cookies, the chips are delicious on their own, they’re sweet, salty, and lip-smackingly good, and yet their flavors are not overpowering. And as a bonus, their thick texture doesn’t disintegrate into the batter so you still get hints of BBQ in each cookie.

I love that Neal Brothers's chips are all natural and organic. I've tried other chips from them and they're all bold in flavor yet not overwhelming. I will definitely buy other products from them, like their Srirachup Chips or Honey Mustard Pretzel Nibblers!

My dad was skeptical about the addition of chips in these cookies, but he was so pleasantly surprised at how they turned out he polished off two in immediate succession and managed to mumble “MMMHMHMHMHHHMMM!” So yeah, I guess they’re pretty good. Thanks to Neal Brothers for the chips!

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Recipe here!

Rosemary Shortbread Bars with Dark Chocolate

I made these for my birthday and they turned out to be I suppose, a happy accident. I wanted to make two batches of brownies of the same recipe, one batch that used natural cocoa powder while the other used Dutch-processed cocoa powder. I’ve always used the latter but after reading Alice Medrich rhapsodize about natural cocoa powder I wanted to try it. Unfortunately, my mind was so focused on turning 27 and my quarter-life crisis (does that exist?) that I forgot to add eggs into the first batch of brownies. By the time I realized my mistake, the pan was already in the oven. FML. 

Anyway, here is the two layer shortbread and chocolate bar. The bottom is a crumbly rosemary shortbread, it hits all the right buttery notes and the herb isn’t overwhelming and resonates throughout the cookie. The chocolate layer on top turned out like a thick chocolate wafer. It’s barely sweet and compliments the shortbread nicely; the chocolate flavour was strong too, just enough to satisfy my chocolate craving. The chocolate layer tends to separate from the shortbread after I've cut and divided the pan, but its still delicious and everyone I gave these away to as gifts raved about them.

I still have about a cup of natural cocoa powder left over, I’m saving it to use in another chocolate worthy dessert. Any suggestions? Also, this reminds me of this Rosemary and Chocolate Olive Oil Cake and the delicious combination of chocolate and herbs.

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Coconut Cake with Chocolate Cloud Frosting

What happens if you're not ready to turn 27? When you feel like your life isn't where you imagined it to be in your youth? I didn't have concrete 5 or 10 year goals, but in my head, I had hoped to make decent progress in life. But then again, what defines someone as successful? It's subjective. One person's success might not mean the same thing to someone else. But I can't help but compare myself to my peers. Some friends I've grown up with are now married, popping out babies, or devoted mothers, and/or own a home. I don't have any of those things. I don't even have a dog (something I hope to change next year--hey look, an attainable goal!). I know that those things don't define you and everyone's timeline is different, but how does that reflect about you?

I feel like I haven't traveled enough, I want to eat and drink my way through Italy, stuff my face with platters of fresh pasta made by nonnas with wrinkled hands and sip homemade limonello followed by pistachio gelato. I want to visit New Orleans and blues dance with a hot stranger on the street with a saxophonist crooning in the background. I haven't read enough books! I want to lie on the beach in Santorini and read food memoirs. 

I want to own my own house and paint the bathroom a brilliant shade of pale turquoise to remind me of the Caribbean ocean, hang up a ton of photos I've taken of my friends and family to show off to my friends and family. I want a bright and open kitchen with grayish white marble countertops and host dinner parties like I used to during my Montreal days. I want to have a golden retriever and call him Brinkley (named after Tom Hank's dog in You've Got Mail) and throw frisbees for him to catch and bring back to me. That's only a tiny glimpse of the many things I want to do. I feel like I'm running out of time. Is it just me? Is this what a quarter-life crisis feels like?

Anyway, I made this layer cake for one of my best friend's birthday. I made the cake layers and froze it for a week since I knew there wouldn't be time to make it before her party. I whipped up the frosting which was definitely THE most decadent, buttery, and creamy frosting I've ever made. Other frostings I've made lean towards the sugary side or have sandier texture and who don't the words "Cloud Frosting" just beckon your name? The frosting has a high butter to sugar ratio which makes it uber smooth. I'd prefer a stronger chocolate flavour, but that didn't stop the compliments from flowing at the party. 

The cake is absolutely amaZING. It's moist and the flavour marries well with the frosting, there's just enough shredded coconut to give it some nibbly texture too. I put plenty of kosher salt in the frosting too because I can't resist that sweet and salty combination. There were no leftovers which made us sad, but I suppose it goes to show just how delicious it was. 

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Chocolate Pecan Torte (again)

I made a mistake. I baked something, took pictures of it while standing over the table and getting really really excited to share it with you, only to realize days later when I was getting ready to blog it, that I had already done it in 2012. It's no big deal, besides, it's a delicious idea for Valentine's Day if you're into that sort of thing. If not, it's still a fabulous cake to share with your friends and family, it's full of chocolate and still delicately sweet. My parents loved it, we each had a slice with a scoop of cookies and cream ice cream while watching tv. 

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Neiman Marcus $250 Cookies

I had a craving for chocolate chip cookies. I knew exactly what kind I wanted: thick, chunky, cookies riddled with generous pieces of dark chocolate and a little sea salt on top to off set the sweetness. The kind that of cookies that makes you lick your lips right before biting into them, the kind that is so full of chocolate, it melts between your fingers. Finally, I made these and viola, my cravings were settled.

I picked up work at another nursing home a few months ago. The staff are great, I'm finally starting to learn people's names (though my eyes still linger over their name tags when in doubt) and the best part, the commute is the shortest compared to my other nursing homes. I brought a box of these cookies to work and everyone loved them. I offered them bright and early at 7am to my coworkers, word spread like wild fire and they came barging into the office for more. Are these the legendary cookies with the legendary hyperbolic title? My coworkers certain think so. 

These cookies are similar to the NY Times version I blogged about here and the whole wheat version here, the main difference is the use of oat flour in this recipe, which gives it an extra textural mouthfeel. There's also grated chocolate, for extra chocolatelyness, which is never a bad thing. I used the NY times tip in leaving the dough overnight in the fridge which improves the flavour and is highly recommended.

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Mother's Day and Baked Chocolate Pudding with the Works

A few weeks ago, my mom flicked someone off. It was entertaining and mildly embarrassing. She was driving and we were leaving a busy plaza. At a two way stop sign, she slowed down when a lady in a van signaled to turn into our narrow path. My mom stayed put, there was another car coming behind us, giving us little room to move. The other lady began to make frivolous hand gestures, motioning us to back up but we didn’t budge. Soon, she began honking and even her daughter who sat in the passenger seat joined in, yelling through their window. Other cars crammed the intersection, impatiently honking. The lady finally surrendered and as they drove off, her teenage daughter, faced us and with a cold glare, twirling a forefinger to her temple, the universal sign for crazy. In prompt fashion, my mom gave her the middle finger. I beamed and couldn’t have been more proud of her.

My mom is the sweetest, gentlest person you will ever meet. She’s a great shopping companion, never refuses ice cream (especially when offered a Magnum bar), and she’s always there to comfort me whenever I need a hug. She’s my biggest fan of this blog and always willing to sample any of the sweets I make. For Mother’s Day, I took her to L’Avenue Bistro for dinner. We stuffed our bellies till we couldn’t move, I regretted not wearing stretchy pants. This is my third time eating there and definitely remains as one of my favourite places to eat in Toronto. It’s a cozy restaurant with exceptional service and consistently serves memorable dishes.

To start, there was yellow gazpacho and salted cod beignets with truffle mushroom mascarpone cream. The latter didn’t look too appetizing but I could have licked my plate, looks can be deceiving. I convinced my mom to have the buttermilk fried chicken, knowing she would fall in love with the crisp, crackly chunks of chicken. It was served in a citrusy slaw with a little chilli, a good balance of heat and acid. I had the duck confit in a ridiculously good blood orange beurre blanc and green beans. I ate it all, even picking at the bone with my hands and licking my fingers. 

Without missing a beat, our server brought us the dessert menu. We settled on the triple chocolate terrine, which was milk, dark and white chocolate whipped with heavy cream and then frozen. To my surprise, the white chocolate had the most pleasing texture, much smoother and lighter than it’s counterparts. 

As if we weren’t big enough gluttons, I made baked chocolate pudding the following night. It reminds me of a dense chocolate cake with a gooey centre, sort of like a molten lava cake enriched with extra eggs and butter. I topped it with Speculoos ice cream, dulce de leche sauce and crushed nuts, pretty much the epitome of indulgence. Mom and I ate it with our feet propped up on the ottoman, watching tv and satisfying our inner fat child.

I actually finished my portion in three (!!) sittings, it’s insanely rich with a truffle-like texture and big chocolate flavor. I even ate my leftovers cold, straight from the fridge and liked it more, it makes me think of crumbly flourless chocolate cake, something you just can't say no to.

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Chocolate-Covered Caramelized Matzo Crackers

I always give away my baked goods lest I eat them all to myself, self-control is not my forte. For more than half the year, many of the goodies I’ve featured on my blog have also been shared with my boyfriend (save for one week when I forgot to pack some granola and he sarcastically bemoaned, “This is not acceptable behavior”). I’ve long understood the love that comes from cooking or baking for someone you care about, there’s nothing that makes me as elated as when my friends bring me dessert or when my mom buys me an egg tart from the Chinese bakery, so fresh it steams the plastic baggy it came in.

My boyfriend now has his own Tupperware that I put his baked treats in. When I hand over his edible gifts, he roars with excitement as if he just won the lottery, tears open the box and takes a big bite before reluctantly saving the rest for later. I think one of the top reasons I bake every week is getting to watch the way he eats followed by the giddy look on his face.

These crackers are no exception and generate the same welcome to everyone I shared it with. I’ve never eaten matzo crackers before and normally wouldn’t since they’re too bland, but covered in an irresistible combination of chocolate, toffee and nuts, you can’t go wrong. Not only is this recipe easy peasy, the result is dangerously addictive. It makes me think of peanut butter brittle minus the stone hard crunch.

I love recipes that allow you to customize it to suit your preferences or whatever you have on hand. Instead of almonds, you can sprinkle some chopped pistachios, or toasted coconut if that’s what you’re into, maybe even cocoa nibs if you’re fancy like that. I like adding flaky sea salt when I can’t decide if I’m craving for sweet or salty. No matter what you add, these crackers are transformed from bland paper-like crisps to crack-like treats. I’m warning you, these are dangerous.

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Homemade Oreos

I dreamt about my maternal grandma the other night. She had a fall or a hemorrhage, something serious. Then, there was a blur of my parents hurriedly packing a suitcase, announcing they were flying to Hong Kong to see her. I rarely see my grandma in my REM sleep, we were never close.

My strongest memories of her were the way she rapped her chopsticks on the dinner table, scolding me for holding mine improperly, or how I could never understand anything she said, her Cantonese masked in a thick village accent. I got into trouble when she asked a question that required a detailed answer, like, “What time is it?” I’d look at her dumbfounded, begin to nod hesitantly, as if I knew what I was doing, but she'd get angry because a bobbing head had nothing to do with the time. She gave up, threw her arms up in the air and let out a sigh of exasperation (in my defense, my dad also couldn't discern what she said either and got the same punishment).

I’ve been working in nursing homes for the past months and I love love LOVE it. The older age group is enjoyable to work with, their gratefulness and big smiles make my day. Even though sometimes they act like children, (picky with their food, refuse to sit with so and so, call each other nasty names, require a nurse to spoon feed all their meals and drinks), there's also the heartbreaking stories of families who dump their parents into a nursing home--against their will--or the seniors who rarely get a visit from their families and stay in their room, alone with a TV. It bothers me that some people could treat their parents with neglect and disrespect.

There are a few patients that I spend extra time with, they have a great sense of humour and I know how lonely they are. One lady always looks like she just came from the hairstylist, envious grey curls sit on her head and twinkly blue eyes that sparkle when she talks about her husband. She flashed me by accident once and giggled, “Oops! Didn’t mean for that to pop out!” Other days, she weeps, complaining about her pain. I know it’s not only physical pain, but loneliness too, so I take her hand and soothe her with some hot tea. Spending time with old folks makes me think of my grandparents. My grandpa died young with a sudden bout of pneumonia and my grandma suffers from Alzheimer’s disease that is so advanced, she barely recognizes my mom. I like to think being at the nursing homes make up for the time I didn't have with my grandparents.

On a happier note, I have a soft spot for Oreos: Oreo cheesecake, Oreo milkshake, crushed Oreos in my McFlurry, a plate of Oreos with milk while watching reruns of The Big Bang Theory. I’ve tried making homemade Oreos before but they ended up looking like monster whoopee pies, the cookie was too fluffy and lacked that signature snap. These cookies however, are crispy and intensely chocolatey and make a fine accompaniment to creamy vanilla filling (or a chocolate filling for a double chocolate threat).  

The filling by itself is too buttery and cloying sweet but slathered between chocolate cookies, they are perfect. My favourite part is the oozing filling with each greedy bite. They make spectacular Valentine’s Day treats too; use heart-shaped cookie cutters or add a few drops of red food coloring to the filling to make pink-filled Oreos. If I brought my grandma a few of these, she'd interrogate me, "What kind of cookies were they? What was in them? How did I make them? When did I make them?" I'd just tell her to give them a try and without a doubt, she would love them and eat two or three all at once, her blood sugar skyrocketing.

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Chocolate Pecan Torte

The best part of being invited to dinner parties is having an excuse to bake something I wouldn't normally make. Some cakes are too extravagant for a house of two and are difficult to share. Loafs, cookies or bars are easier to cut up and give away to friends. But when an occasion comes around and I have the opportunity to make something fancy, I jump to it.  

This chocolate cake from Alice Medrich is sure to please any crowd. It’s a humble looking cake with a collapsed center, and sprinkled with icing sugar, the crackly top looks even more beautiful in its imperfect way. All through dinner, I eyed the cake, counting down the minutes till we could dive into it. In fact, I saved some stomach space so I could have two pieces of cake, a very good skill to develop for dinner parties.

The torte is even better if it’s made in advance, so I’d recommend making it a day before a craving for chocolate strikes. Basically, butter and sugar are creamed together, eggs are added and beaten until you get a thick, frothy mixture to near pudding consistency. Then, ground nuts and flour are stirred in. Before pouring the batter into the pan, remember to lick the spatula just a little, taste testing is crucial and so very delicious. The torte puffs up in the oven and deflates as it cools on the rack. It’s cakey and crumbly, the middle still dense and moist. The toasted pecans lend a nutty, tender crumb, making it hard to resist having a third slice. It makes a beautiful cake for the holidays and the icing sugar makes up for the snow that has yet to arrive here in Toronto.

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Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

I once knew a boy who would prepare breakfast for me. As I roused from my lazy slumber, he carried a tray of food up the dark, winding staircase, bringing an odd mishmash to the bedside table: cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, and a bowl of rolled oats swimming in a pool of cold milk. We sat cross-legged on the bed, still in pjs, and lapped up the food as bright rays of gold light slipped through the blinds.

I haven't met anyone else who eats oats cold and I didn't mind (why complain when someone makes you food?). Besides, I don’t care for warm oatmeal, there’s a funky starchy scent that lingers and the mushy, congealed bits of gnarly grains turns me off. My nose scrunches up every morning my mom makes it.

The only places I approve of oats in my food is: granola, granola bars, and oatmeal cookies. I had a hankering for cookies a few weeks ago. I ached for crispy edges, chewy middles and dark, sensuous chunks of chocolate. I wanted something like these chocolate chunk cookies or these whole wheat cookies; thick mounds of baked dough that deliver sure promise of satisfaction. After mixing the batter, I bid it good night and kept it in the fridge, letting the flavours to develop before baking them the following day. When the first batch was done, I sneaked a bite, the chocolate still hot and melting from the oven, making it very hard to share.

I packaged these beauties in tin foil, gifted them to a friend who later told me they did some serious damage to her purse, perfuming it with sweet butter commingled with chocolate and how she couldn't stop taking deep whiffs of her purse. 

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Chocolate Cinnamon Gelato with Speculoos

When I was young enough to only appreciate the flavours of toffee candies and M & M’s, my parents made the hard decision to move from Toronto to my birth place, Hong Kong, this was already my second move across the Pacific, something I had to learn to get used to. My dad got a new job in Hong Kong and my mom couldn’t leave her work in Canada, so my dad, grandpa and I packed up to go back to Asia. In the past twenty four years, I’ve endured too many painstakingly long flights, eaten bad airplane meals more times that I’d like to remember, but little did I know this would be the toughest move ever. 

We were all packed and ready to go, having arrived at the airport early with plenty of time to kill before boarding. We ate some breakfast, I double-checked that my toys were packed safely in my carry-on and went to the bathroom for the umpteenth time at my mom’s insistence. Finally, with my dad’s rough hands clasping mine and my other arm suffocating my stuffed animal, we walked to the departure gate.

I looked back at my mom behind the barrier, she looked sad, lonely and far away, questions ran through my mind: What if she forgot to lock the door? And the house got robbed? My mom would be in danger. Who would take care of her? What would happen? Who would buy me white frilly socks then? The thoughts were too much to bear, I couldn’t help but burst into tears.

But this was no ordinary crying. Oh no, I had a meltdown. It started out as trembling then tears spilled out, progressing into deep sobs and as I strugged for breath, loud, obnoxious screams exploded, “Mommmyyyy!!! MOMMMYYY!!!! Don’t go!” I was uncontrollable, my dad tried to pull me towards the horrified customs officer, but I glued myself to the rail, proceeding with hysterical and desperate cries. This went on for minutes before my dad finally pried my hands apart and my mom disappeared behind the partition.

My grandpa bought me an ice cream cone to calm me down, apparently this worked, my sobbing slowed, I found my breath again and was soon licking the ice cream dripping down my fingers, my broken heart healed. My parents love telling me this story just to prove how much I love ice cream and all things sweet. It’s still holds true, give me a box of chocolates and I’ll crown you my best friend.

I’ve been very good at bookmarking ice cream recipes but not so good at making them. With the hit of two heat waves in Toronto, nothing seems to tame the humidity but greedy scoops of milky gelato. This recipe uses only six ingredients: cream, milk, sugar, chocolate, cinnamon and cookie crumbs. It comes together in a breeze, you will wonder, like I did, why you don’t make ice cream more often and resume eating spoonfuls straight out of the container.

As you know, I’m a big Speculoos fan, it’s warm, spicy flavours of cloves, ginger and cinnamon marry well with chocolate. It’s much more subdued in this ice cream though the cinnamon helps to heighten its flavour. This is very thick gelato, much less airy than your traditional ice cream, but if you like flourless chocolate cake or chocolate mousse and other  intense chocolatey desserts, this will sure to win your heart and cool you down lest another heat wave strikes.

 

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Chocolate Biscotti and Giveaway!

One food fantasy I have is skinny dipping in a chocolate lake. I would tentatively dip my toes into the edge, testing the temperature, then I’d walk to the edge of the dock and take in a deep breath before dive bombing into the chocolate bath. I’d swim a few laps but don’t think I’d get very far because the chocolate would be too thick and besides, I’d get distracted by the gulpfuls of chocolate in my mouth. I’d be better off licking my fingers like a cat.

In real life, if I do have chocolate on hand, I’m usually fully clothed and nibbling on a sliver of Lindt dark chocolate, preferably the sea salt or roasted almond kind. If they're on sale, I'm tempted to buy the whole box, just in case a serious chocolate craving strikes, surprisingly however, a bar will last me two weeks, I stop myself from having more than 2 squares per day, anymore and I’d feel guilty.

I already feel bad about my embarrassingly long list of recipes saved under the Must Make folder in my computer, I’m seriously behind, but at least I can cross off this chocolate biscotti off (yay, one down, only 165 more to go!). I’ve made plenty of chocolate desserts lately: cake, brownies, cookies, but they never lasted long enough for me to write and photograph, save for these biscotti which are really something to talk about. Your teeth will break under the mighty strength of these biscotti, making them suitable for some hardcore dunking in coffee, milk, tea, or all the above.

I’m not Italian, so I feel like it’s not culturally correct for me to comment on how biscotti should be, but I do know I prefer mine leaning towards the crispy side. I’ve had softer biscotti and even tried the Starbucks white chocolate almond biscotti. It was depressing, chemical-tasting and lacked that wow factor, even as I ripped apart the plastic wrapping, I should have stopped right there, knowing that I would only taste disappointment, so from now on, I only eat homemade biscotti, preferably teeth-breakingly hard biscotti. 

Texture aside, biscotti can be customized to your favourite flavour combinations, like the way pistachios and cranberries make my heart sing or the unexpected-but-it-works Parmesan and Black Pepper Biscotti. But here, I give you an uber chocolately cookie, where chocolate is the star of the show, the better the chocolate, the stronger the flavour. I used a mixture of almonds and filberts because that's all I had, and I promise these will please any kind of chocolate-lover out there. Someday my chocolate lake will come true, meanwhile, all I can do is keep baking my heart out.

And for the best part of this post, my friend Lisa had an extra set of measuring spoons and so kindly suggested I give them away here. They're super cute, each spoon have their own little saying and there's nothing like a little spoonful of love in your baked goods. All you have to do is leave a comment, sharing your favourite chocolately dessert, then on Wednesday July 11th, 2012, I'll randomly select a winner. So comment away people!

Giveaway results! So, I had some difficulty configuring the randomizer so that the random number I chose would show, but when I clicked it the number 9 showed up which means...Mandy is now the owner of a new set of measuring spoons! Thank you all for commenting, it was fun reading your favourite chocolate desserts.
 

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Brown Sugar Sandwich Cookies

In case you haven’t been following me for long, I’m a registered dietitian. I graduated about two years ago and went through a somewhat tough time doubting if what I chose as a profession was suitable to me. I knew from my internship that I love seeing patients, I love food, and I love that immense sense of reward knowing that I was helping people in need, but sometimes it's hard to control where you can release those feel-good vibes.

I’ve already vented about my unhappiness before, but I recently landed a new job and I’m happy to say I love waking up to it. You know how there are jobs out there that eternally drain you as if someone pulled the plug from a swimming pool? The job slowly and painfully tugs at your insides, exhausting you from head to toe till you don’t have the energy to do anything else when you get home. That’s the kind of job I used to have. It’s kind of a haunting, sickening feeling at the pit of your stomach.

When I graduated, I was chosen by my classmates to speak at our ceremony. At my low point a few months ago, I retrieved the speech I reminded myself: Have passion in what you do. When you love what you do, time flies by, but it also gives you a great sense of satisfaction that makes your life easier and so much better (by the way, though I’m a dietitian, the recipes and food I blog here don’t necessarily reflect my diet nor what I recommend to clients. Buttered Up is a place for me to share, explore and showcase my passion for food and all things sweet).

Anyway, enough of my preachyness. I was browsing through Heidi’s blog for interesting cookies and stumbled upon these lovelies: brown sugar sandwich cookies. The initial game plan was to ditch the chocolate filling (ridiculous, I know) but when I nibbled on a cookie and realized they were better smeared with chocolate, I hopped on the chance to chop up some dark chocolate. 

These cookies, made with spelt flour and all-purpose flour aren’t sweet at all, they carry a hint of sweet butter and graininess and the poppy seeds give it an itty bitty crunch that despite sticking between your teeth, is actually quite fun and make them very special. I imagine these would make perfect gifts for your friends, seeing as how my colleagues swooned when I brought them into work. You can make them in any shape, but it's hard to say no to heart-shaped cookies, especially when Valentine's day coming up...hint hint! 

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