Yesterday afternoon I was working around the house when the front page of the Food section of my paper totally caught my eye. I saw a headline “Luck of the Irish Coffee” with a photo of a familiar fluted mug filled with dark brown coffee and a creamy whipped topping. Yum. Even better was the photo to the right of it…

This wasn’t the exact photo obviously, but it was of this recipe for a simple shortbread cookie that morphs the flavors of coffee and whiskey…and lots of butter.

I never realized making shortbread was so easy. I am one who usually is in awe of beautiful desserts featured in magazines and blogs, but that’s pretty much as far as it goes. Awe. I don’t bake. I mean, I bake, but it’s a huge effort for me because I really really don’t like working with flour, and measuring, and tons of butter and sugar. It’s just not my thing. But yesterday, while making this unbelievably simple recipe that included only a few ingredients (butter, sugar, flour, coffee, more butter, Irish whiskey) I couldn’t help but think maybe I actually do like to bake, I just have to change my attitude about it. I baked these up in no time, and it actually brought me a little joy too. I’m starting to get it. I cut them up, packaged them up and sent them off with my husband to work this morning. We sampled a couple of cookies last night (these are grown up cookies I should tell you..unless you want your children to sleep really really well, kidding kidding) and they were so good…crumbly, buttery and with a distinct flavor of coffee and subtle taste of whiskey.

So if you have a few minutes to spare and need a quick dessert to share with friends, try these out.

Happy baking and Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Espresso Shortbread Cookies with Irish Whiskey Glaze

Recipe from Orlando Sentinel, adapted from a recipe by cooking teacher Janine MacLachlan

2 sticks unsalted Irish butter, room temperature (I used non-Irish Land O Lakes, its all I had)
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon course salt
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon ground espresso or coffee

Glaze:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Irish whiskey (I used Jameson, if you don’t want to buy a big bottle, look for a nip at your liquor store)
2 tablespoons butter

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Stir together butter, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Mix in about half the flour; stir in the ground coffee. Stir in remaining flour; combine thoroughly. Using damp fingers, press into two buttered 8 inch round cake pans.

Bake in center of the oven until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven. Immediately cut each pan into 8 wedges but leave in pan. Cool completely.

For glaze, pour sugar and half of whiskey into a small saucepan. Heat to a boil over high heat; boil rapidly 1 minute. Remove from heat, whisk in butter. Whisk in remaining whiskey. Let set to thicken slightly, about 1 minute. Spoon over shortbread, using the back of your spoon to cover evenly. When glaze is set, carefully remove cookies from pan.

Would be delicious served with small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

PS…I added a Fitness tab to my menu bar above. In addition to food, I have a passion for keeping fit and feeling good. I really try to do some form of exercise everyday, not only to keep my weight in check but really because it helps keep my whole world in check. Happy Mom Happy Life, right?

I am a huge follower of many healthy living blogs (Carrots ‘N Cake, Kath Eats Real Food, Healthy Tipping Point, Healthy Ashley & Meals and Miles) and over the last few years reading these blogs and keeping up with how active these girls are has really motivated me. I’m spending a lot of time running these days so here I will share with you running programs I’m using, as well as races I’m participating in or have done in the past. I also love to swim and practice yoga so I plan to update include links on them as well…the page is still a work in progress and if there is something you’d like to see on there, please send me a note!

I am no expert, but just like the rest of this blog, my goal is to inspire.

I’m exhausted people.

I have been a baking machine the past few days and have loved every minute of it.  I have never baked so many cookies in such a short time in my life.  I’m taking my time, measuring all the ingredients like I know I should be and things are tasting good.  I get it now…I get why you all love baking so much.  Not sure if I’m up for it all year long, but for the time being I’m having fun.  I’m thinking eventually I’ll be able to get all my pictures taken and upoaded and recipes shared with you all…

In the meantime, enjoy these little guys.  I made these last year and again this past week.  I wouldn’t consider these little bourbon balls cookies…but more so spiked “no-bake” yummies.  They are a fun treat to add to any cookie plate or to bring to a holiday party.  They pack quite a little punch in a such a little bite.  Everyone I’ve given these to have loved them…so if you are looking for a little something different and fun to make, these are them.  And you don’t have to turn on the oven for them either.  Which could be a good thing if you are totally baked out.  Oh, and be sure to keep them away from the kiddos.

Bourbon Balls

Recipe slightly adapted from Southern Living Best Loved Cookies

1  (12-oz.) package vanilla wafers, finely crushed
1  cup  chopped pecans or walnuts
3/4  cup  powdered sugar
2  tablespoons  cocoa
2 1/2  tablespoons  light corn syrup
1/2  cup  bourbon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered  sugar

for sweet potatoes.

Right?

Actually, it’s always the season for sweet potatoes…but it seems more people like to enjoy them around this time of year.  I am a huge lover of sweet potatoes, in mostly any form.  I tend to eat them pretty often…whether roasted as wedges or rounds, grilled in a salad, tucked inside a burrito or even in latkes. Yea, I like my sweet potatoes.

Now, I will say, these biscotti were a first for me as far as ways to enjoy sweet potatoes.  The nice people at the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission recently sent me a batch of Sweet Potato Biscotti and I will tell you, two dozen of these cookies lasted just a little over 2 days in this house.  I got the package just as I was leaving to pick up the kids from school so I opened it in the car to try them out.  The kids (my two and their friend) ate half a dozen just on the way home.  More for dessert that night and snack again the next day.  Daddy, a neighbor, and I even got to try some.

These cookies are just sweet enough thanks to the natural sweetness of the spuds.  What I love is that the recipe for Sweet Potato Biscotti only calls for 2/3 cup of sugar for 4 dozen biscotti!  Crazy huh?  That’s a treat I don’t feel terrible about giving my kids (or myself).  Now if you are looking for something ooey-gooey sweet then this is probably not your cookie.  These are light and perfect with a cup of tea…and they won’t kill your “diet”.

Not only do sweet potatoes taste good, they are super good for you.  They are diabetic friendly due to their low glycemic index (really, good for everyone) and are full of fiber, beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium and magnesium….all good stuff!  Try these out next time you are in the mood to bake.  Thank you to NCSPC for sending them my way!  We enjoyed them and I will definitely be sharing them again soon with my fam.

Sweet Potato Biscotti

Recipe from NC Sweet Potato Commission

(printable recipe)

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups unpeeled coarsely grated North Carolina sweet potatoes (about 8 ounces)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease large baking sheet. In medium bowl, beat together sugar and butter; add eggs; beat well. Add flour, baking powder, orange zest and salt; beat on low speed until combined. Fold in sweet potato, walnuts and coconut. Divide dough into two equal pieces; with oiled hands, shape each piece into a log about 2 inches by 11 inches; place on baking sheet. Bake until firm and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack; cool 15 minutes. Trim thin slice from ends of logs; cut logs into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place slices on 2 ungreased baking sheets with cut side down. Bake 12 minutes; turn and bake until crisp and golden, 10-12 minutes longer. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container.

Yield: about 4 dozen biscotti

Per 2 biscotti: 116 calories, 1 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 5 g total fat

Disclaimer:  Although I was treated to these delicious cookies by the NC Sweet Potato Commission, all thoughts and opinions about them are my own.  Thank you.

I love discovering new food blogs.  I must come across a dozen some days (especially since I started “channel surfing” with Stumble)…but it’s only once in a while that a new one really catches your interest and sucks you in.  You don’t realize it until you have clicked on numerous recipes or are reading each post in entirety.  And it’s usually at least 25 minutes later.  Are you following me?

I came across a new blog just the other day from reading the comments that were left on my cookbook giveaway post (which by the way is still going on until Thursday at 10pm!).  I like to visit any new reader who is nice enough to leave a comment…but I also admit, her name drew me in too.  Wonder Woman.  I have always loved Wonder Woman.

So happy I visited “Wonder Woman” because I instantly fell in love with this cookie.  For one, it’s a drop cookie and that is a HUGE plus.  But also, the combination of everything in it was just perfect.  Dried cranberries, white chocolate, oatmeal AND pecans.  Um, yea, my kind of cookie for sure.  AND she mentioned it was her newest favorite cookie.  I was sold.  Lucky for me I had everything I needed in my pantry, so I baked a batch of these babies this afternoon.  The kids loved them and so did I.  And with my new found spirit of baking and getting the sweets out of the house as soon as possible, I packed up a few cookies and will be leaving them with some friends tomorrow.

And don’t worry…I stashed a few aside for my cookie lovin’ kids..

Cranberry White Chocolate Pecan Oatmeal Cookies
Recipe from Confessions of a Wannabe Wonder Woman

3/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine butter and brown sugar in a mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, beating until just barely combined. Then stir in the cranberries, white chocolate chips, and chopped pecans.

Drop by rounded teasponfuls onto the parchment paper lined cookie sheet and sprinkle the tops with a few leftover cranberries or white chocolate chips if you want.

Bake for exactly 10 minutes. Remove from the oven – cookies will be slightly golden brown around the edges and the middles will look underdone. But trust me on this one – it will give you soft, chewy cookies once they cool. Or just slightly gooey cookies if you can’t wait. Like me. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

That’s what happens this time of year right?  Every where you turn….there’s a festive cookie recipe you want to try…cookbooks, magazines, blogs.  I’ve never been huge into cookie baking, but I can see where it can become a bit of a “sport”…I think this year I will be baking a few more than I normally do.

Our Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club is having a Cookie Exchange for this month’s theme.  The girls and I each picked a Cooking Light cookie recipe to bake, taste and feature…and here’s what made it to the plate:

Jamie: Raspberry Strippers
Shelby: Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprints
Val: Orange Walnut Tassies
Hélène: Maple Date Bars
Aggie: Peppermint Patties

Check out each member’s blog to see their cookies and recipes!

It was hard to choose just one cookie…but when I saw the Peppermint Patties I thought they were a perfect treat.  They aren’t just a cookie…they are actually an ice cream cookie sandwich and who’s not a fan of ice cream cookie sandwiches?  The cookies are crisp and chocolaty, and the crushed peppermint candy coating just makes this cookie sandwich that much better.  My little guy was quoted saying “That was awesome!” after eating his.

If you are in the mood for trying these yummy treats out for yourself visit MyRecipes.com for a printable copy of Peppermint Patties.

I highly recommend following the directions in the recipe that suggests you put back in the freezer for 4 hours before serving.  I was impatient and started photographing my yummy cookies immediately after making them and ended up with melty ice cream mess…so we had to hurry and eat them and then start filling a new batch.  No worries…we got it under control!

Aunt Maxine’s Famous Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
granulated sugar (regular or colored)

Mix powdered sugar, margarine, vanilla, almond extract and egg. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours. (you can do night before and put in fridge)

Heat over to 375 degrees. Divide dough into halves (just use a big clump at a time) Roll each half/clump 3/16 inch thick on lightly floured cloth-covered board. (I use cutting board or counter) Cut into desired shapes with 2 to 2/12 inch cookie cutters; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake until edges are light brown. 7-8 minutes.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Mexican Wedding Cookies
Recipe from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook

1 cup pecan halves
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a food processor, combine pecans with 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar; pulse until nuts are finely ground. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar-nut mixture, flour and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter and 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Add the flour mixture, and beat on low speed until the dough just comes together.

Roll dough into 3/4 inch balls; place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are pale on top and lightly browned on bottom (lift with a spatula to check), 10-12 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Place remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar in a shallow bowl, and roll cookies in it to coat completely. Cookies can be kept in an airtight container, layered between sheets of waxed or parchment paper, at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Makes about 6 dozen.

O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. In honor of Gina DePalma, author of Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen and Executive Pastry Chef of Babbo Ristorante in NYC, who was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Sara of Ms Adventures in Italy, Jenn of The Leftover Queen, and Michelle of Bleeding Espresso are asking you to donate to the:

Ovarian Cancer Research Fund

and then, out of the goodness of your hearts and to be eligible for the OFoods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Contest, please do the following:

1. Post a recipe to your blog using a food that starts or ends with the letter O (e.g., oatmeal, orange, okra, octopus, olive, onion, potato, tomato) and include this entire text box in the post;

   OR

2. If you’re not into the recipe thing, simply post this entire text box in a post on your blog to help spread the word about the event and Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

   AND

3. Then send your post url [along with a photo (100 x 100) if you’ve made a recipe] to ofoods[at]gmail[dot]com by 11:59 pm (Italy time) on September 30, 2008.

We will post a roundup and announce prize winners on October 3.

Prizes:

• 1 Recipe Prize for best “O food” concoction: $50 gift certificate to Amazon;
• 1 Awareness Prize for only publicizing event: Copy of Dolce Italiano cookbook.

———

From the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund:

• Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women; a woman’s lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 1 in 67.
• The American Cancer Society estimates that 21,650 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the U.S. in 2008 and about 15,520 women will die from the disease.
• The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often vague and subtle, making it difficult to diagnose. There is no effective screening test for ovarian cancer but there are tests which can detect ovarian cancer when patients are at high risk or have early symptoms.
• In spite of this patients are usually diagnosed in advanced stages and only 45% survive longer than five years. Only 19% of cases are caught before the cancer has spread beyond the ovary to the pelvic region.
• When ovarian cancer is detected and treated early on, the five-year survival rate is greater than 92%.

Please donate to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund
and help spread the word!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Bars
Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup white all purpose flour (you can use 1 cup white flour instead of the whole wheat flour)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup oats
1/2 cup butter softened
3/4 cup Pumpkin Butter (recipe follows)
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 8 inch square pan, and line with greased foil.

Combine brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats. Rub in the butter using your hands or a pastry blender to form a crumbly mixture. Press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the pumpkin butter to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture and pumpkin seeds over the top, and lightly press it into the pumpkin butter.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

Pumpkin Butter
Recipe adapted from Recipezaar.com

1 (15 ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin
1 cup applesauce
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp all spice

In a small saucepan combine pumpkin, applesauce, sugar and spices.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring often to prevent burning. Do this for 45 minutes or until mixtures becomes very thick.

Stir in lemon juice.

Let cool and store in air tight container in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

(Kid Approved!)