Vanilla Walnut Cookies

I am a shy vegan. Although I believe strongly in animal rights, and the abolition of the property status of non-human animals, I am rarely vocal about these topics unless directly asked. My "activism" exists mainly in the practice of showing people how easy and "normal" it is to be vegan, and how delicious vegan food is. Along that vein, I bring treats to work with me nearly every Tuesday to share with my coworkers. Vanilla Walnut Cookies {page 432} were last week's pick.

These little cookies were easy to throw together, and quite unique, having ground walnuts in the dough itself. Robin recommends decorating each cookie with a walnut piece, and I took that recommendation.

The cookies themselves were sweet, but not too sweet, with a pleasant mouthfeel. They were a touch biscuity, but who says that cookies can't be biscuity? I thoroughly enjoyed both the flavor and texture, and so did my coworkers. They disappeared very quickly. Which, after all, is the best compliment a cook can get.

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Hula Cookies

I recently organized an event for the German department at my university and decided to bake some cookies to take. Because, I mean, you know. The season and all. (No, well, it was just a good excuse to bake; I'm ever on the look-out for those.) The Hula Cookies (page 435) had one grad student complimenting me repeatedly between cookie after cookie. I sent some to a friend in Chicago, too, who enjoyed them just as much as I did while I was tasting for quality—a good chef has to taste first, right? Don't want to serve a dud. Multiple tastes ensures the first delectable piece wasn't an outlier. This is all pour l'art du baking, non?


Basically, they're thumbprint cookies with a tropical jam of your choice; all I could find was strawberry-mango, which resulted in a great tangy touch with each buttery bite. I chose them in particular for this because among the delightful panoply that is German wintertime baked goodies, there's a certain jam-filled kind I though could be suggested with these cookies.

Each is a pure little piece of homemade goodness; a cheerful little note from simpler times.

- - Ulpia, makes life so sweet – pour a little sugar on it! - -

Maple-Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

I'm something of a cookie fiend, so I decided to whip up some round little delights for my guests. To be perfectly honest and as much as I love oatmeal cookies, the Maple-Walnut Oatmeal Cookies (page 430) sounded slightly boring as I was making them. But the heavenly aroma wafting from the oven piqued my interest. Then I pulled them out, waited a moment or two, and picked out the ugliest one (these were for company, after all).

It was love at first bite. Tender and chewy, perfectly sweet with that warm, maple flavor calling to mind snowy cabins and deep forests, log fireplaces and softly descending snowflakes. But unlike a Thomas Kinkade painting, these are deliciously authentic. The walnutty touch brings forth memories of childhood, if yours involved large amounts of walnuts, cooked, baked, and freestyle. Why, we'd climb the trees to get at 'em. We'd spread 'em outside to dry in the sun (or eat them green, infinitely better).

These are both decadent and homey, best still-warm straight out of the oven. Or on a plate next to a cool glass of some nut-milk for whoever shoves the presents under your tree or into your socks.

The cookies were gone a day before my guests were; I'll infer that means they enjoyed them. Of course, these little darlings, yummy as they were, rather paled in comparison to the other desserts I whipped up. Especially a certain Mediterranean one. (We didn't abandon that theme, no; stay tuned.)

P.S. Can you spot the hidden bat? It's always Halloween 'round here.

- - Ulpia, the other cookie monster - -

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ever since winning awards for my baking in my younger years, I'm always drawn to a new cookie recipe. While I like my own recipe best {I'm a little snobby like that}, I can never resist trying out someone else's, so it was only a matter of time until I tried Robin's Chocolate Chip Cookies {page 428} on for size.

The ingredient list appealed to me, being slightly different from my own. However, as I mixed the dough, I realized something was slightly wrong. It wasn't coming together AT ALL. It was just a bunch of crumbs. I had to add about 1/2 cup of soymilk to get it to come together into a dough at all. It eventually did, and they baked up into delicious, moist, and delightful cookies. However, if you make them, be aware that you might need to add more liquid than is called for.

That being said, these were really good cookies. I can see myself making them again from time to time, when I need to get the regular recipe a break.

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Molasses Spice Cookies

I had a bit of a sweet tooth the other night so decided to make some cookies. I decided on the Molasses Spice Cookies on page 433.

As usual I didn't read the recipe all the way through but it wasn't all fail. I failed to realize that the dough had to be refrigerated for an hour. So what I thought would be quick cookies took longer.

But all was not lost! I did have someother things going on to keep me busy for that hour :).

These were very good. I don't have a lot of counter space in my small kitchen so had to be creative in doing the rolling.

--Gymmie