Vanilla Bean French Butter Cookies (Sablés)

I feel like Christmas always springs up on me each year. I cherish the Christmas season with all of the beautiful lights, poinsettias, candlelight service, and celebrations with loved ones. And of course, I love all of the baking, especially the cookies! It’s Christmas Eve and if you’re looking for a quick yet elegant and delicious cookie recipe, these Vanilla Bean Sablés are for you!

This year was my second year participating in Food52’s Holiday Swap and I had so much fun thinking of a variety of delicious cookies to include in my basket! The concept behind this international holiday swap is that you send a package of homemade and/or curated gifts (food is highly recommended – this is a swap between people who love food after all!) to someone either in your own country or abroad and excitedly wait for them to receive it. In return, you also receive a lovely packaged gift from someone else! The swap also provides funds to Action Against Hunger, which helps fight global hunger. If you’re interested, sign up for reminder emails to receive notifications for next year’s swap using the link above!

These Vanilla Bean Sablés are one of my favorite cookies because I am a purist and these cookies really highlight the vanilla and butter with a subtle hint of lemon. The cookies melt in your mouth and I love the slight crunch of the sugar-coated edges, which I think also dresses up the cookies and gives them a nice sparkle. And perhaps the best part of all is that the dough can be made in advance so all you have to do is slice and bake them right before your guests arrive or whenever you’re in dire need of some buttery cookies asap!

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and Healthy & Happy New Year! 

Lavender Honey – Earl Grey Whoopie Pies

The thought of snuggling up with a cup of tea is so cozy and perfect for this chillier fall weather that I have been adding tea to almost all of my baked goods lately. Another reason may also be because I recently bought huge bags of loose-leaf earl grey and organic lavender buds (because… value, and I also tend to go a little overboard) so I hope you don’t mind seeing a bunch of recipes with these flavors!I have been baking lots of thank you treats for dear friends of mine who have made generous donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) in honor of my mother who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma earlier this year. Each fall, the LLS hosts Light the Night events around the country to honor, remember, celebrate, and support those affected by blood cancers and the money raised goes towards cancer treatment research. I am attending the one in Queens this Saturday and leading up to it, I wanted to give my friends baked goods that would hopefully convey how much I appreciate their donations and support. Since I find that adding tea and lavender to a dessert instantly makes it more special and sophisticated (as well as delicious), I made a batch of these Lavender Honey-Earl Grey Whoopie Pies to hand deliver to my friends.These whoopie pies are basically my Lavender-Honey Cupcakes infused with earl grey and in sandwich form. Those cupcakes are some of my absolute favorites so I knew they would be perfect to transform into these cute, old-fashioned whoopie pies with a modern twist! The cakes are moist, buttery, and have a subtle undertone of earl grey, which pairs wonderfully with the creamy, floral lavender buttercream. These whoopie pies are also so easy to make and a yummy alternative to cupcakes, especially if you can’t find your cupcake pan, don’t have cupcake liners on hand, or need a treat that is easy to transport!

I am so happy that my friends loved these Lavender Honey-Earl Grey Whoopie Pies and I hope you enjoy them too!

If you wish to donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to advance cancer treatment research that improves the quality of life for cancer patients, you can donate here. Thank you in advance for your support!

Paprika Peach Pie

So, somehow it is already more than halfway through September… can someone tell me how this happened?! This month has been a blur so far – I can barely keep track of the date, let alone the day of the week. I know it’s no longer summer or peach season but I have still been itching to share this delicious recipe for peach pie from last month! For those of you who are confused to why someone would ever add paprika to a sweet pie, trust me – or rather trust the genius sisters from the Brooklyn pie shop, Four & Twenty Blackbirds. They have yet to fail me with their creative, delicious recipes! The paprika in this pie adds just some subtle warmth and coziness, as well as a beautiful hue that complements the peaches amazingly. Trust me when I say you will want to add paprika every time you make peach pie from now on.

This pie came about thanks to a hike at Tallulah Gorge State Park in Georgia. On our way back to Atlanta after the hike, my friends and I passed Jaemor Farms, which is extremely well-known for having some of the best Georgia peaches. And although I am just writing this post now, it was mid-August so it was still prime peach picking and for anyone who knows me, I cannot resist stopping by these farm markets! Jaemor Farms carries so many varieties of peaches (and a ton of other fresh produce, jams, baked goods, and more!), and even though I sampled a bunch of sweet, aromatic peaches, I was overwhelmed by the choices. Fortunately, after telling him I wanted to bake a pie within a day, the friendliest man who works there hand-selected baking peaches that were perfectly ripe and ready to be used that day!

The deep flavor of ripe peaches are really able to shine in this pie, and the spices and sweetness balance each other out so well. The filling holds up just enough so that you can cut it without all the filling running out but it is still juicy and perfectly complemented by the flaky, buttery crust. It is also a fun pie to make for others and have them try to guess that the secret ingredient is paprika!

I am already looking forward to making this Paprika Peach Pie again next summer! Next time, I will not put the pie in the oven at 11 pm before a work day – I increased the oven temperature towards the very end to speed the browning of the crust so I could go to sleep sooner… which explains why there are some singed bits of crust. Learn from my mistake and just stick to the directions! Nevertheless, the pie was delightful and my friends still happily helped me devour this since I was leaving town in a few days and I really should not be eating a whole pie by myself. No one will ever say no to some homemade Georgia peach pie!

Pecan Sandies

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

Almost impossible to not have an abundance of cookies during this time of the year. These pecan sandies always make an appearance during the holidays – albeit a quick one because they are devoured so quickly! They are so simple to make, especially with a food processor, and the dough can be prepared in advance so all you have to do is slice and bake before your guests arrive! 

The pecans give the cookies an amazing nutty flavor and a pretty golden brown color. These cookies are super buttery and simply melt in your mouth. Fair warning that these are really addicting! You’ll definitely want to keep a log of dough in the fridge for yourself so you can enjoy a few cookies fresh from the oven whenever the craving hits! 

Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful, delicious holiday and Happy New Year!

Pappardelle with Kale, Sausage & White Beans

So I know it’s been forever since I’ve updated my blog…

I made a whole commitment that I was going to share heaps of recipes this summer. And it’s mid-November so you can see how well that turned out. This doesn’t mean I haven’t been baking or cooking – it just means that there are lots of delicious things that I’ve been unfairly withholding from you but I am slowly but surely finding time to share them with you!

Ever since I took a handmade pasta-making workshop early this year, and subsequently convinced myself that I needed a pasta roller, I have been itching to make fresh pasta. I finally made some fresh pappardelle this past weekend and it was so much fun and quite therapeutic with the kneading, rolling, and cutting. Sorry, I didn’t have time to include the recipe and directions in this post but hopefully it will make an appearance on the blog soon!

I wanted to make a hearty fall pasta dish but at the same time, I didn’t want to make a sauce that would outshine the delicate ribbons of pappardelle. I landed on the perfect combination of kale, sausage, and white beans that has a ton of flavor from the spicy sausage, salty Pecorino, acidic red wine, and fresh herbs. It was so delicious that I’ve literally been eating this every day since I’ve made it! So simple but super satisfying and perfect for keeping you warm as the temperature starts to drop. If you use store-bought pappardelle, this recipe can come together quickly for those days you are craving a nice big bowl of pasta!

Speaking of bowls, I’m obsessed with my new stoneware from Carthage.Co, especially the beautiful Zaghwan collection! Such great minimalist pieces for everyday use, as well as entertaining guests. I also love that the company is committed to supporting local manufacturers of the stoneware in Tunisia who employ and empower people within their community. Definitely check out their gorgeous products, especially as the holiday entertaining season is upon us!

[This post is sponsored by Carthage.Co]

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies

Life has been busy these past several months but in a good way. I had the chance to visit friends and travel before settling into a new apartment and job. With things slowing down a bit, I’m so excited to cook, bake, and share my experiences with you!

I absolutely love infusing the flavors of tea into baked goods. I’ve made matcha green tea macarons, dirty chai cinnamon rolls, and earl grey waffles, just to name a few. I find that tea adds a nice earthiness yet elegant touch to a dish. Drinking loose-leaf Chinese tea was so common for me growing up that the tastes of tea, especially the simple black and green varieties, has become very comforting and familiar.

One of my favorite teas is earl grey, so I decided to use it to enhance standard shortbread cookies since it seemed like the perfect British pairing. Shortbread quite often literally only requires three ingredients: butter, sugar, and flour (and salt of course). I love how simplicity is oftentimes a strength when it comes to cooking and baking. The earl grey shortbread is still just as basic as the traditional version but there is an added depth of flavor from the addition of the fragrant tea leaves.  These cookies are buttery, tender, and perfect alongside a cup of tea or on its own.

Luscious Lemon Bars

It is finally spring!! The weather has been quite bizarre this winter but I’m ready for some sunny spring days. With the change of the season, I’ve been craving bright, fresh flavors and these luscious lemon bars are the perfect answer!

I’ve always loved lemon bars for the creamy, tart filling on top of a rich shortbread base. But sometimes I have trouble finding ones that have just the right balance of sweetness and tartness or crust and filling. After some searching, I figured it would be much easier and more satisfying if I just make them from scratch.

These lemon bars are my absolute favorite! There is a perfect ratio of buttery shortbread to luscious, tart lemon filling that makes these super addicting. I love the freshness that the tart lemon filling provides but there isn’t too much that it makes your whole mouth pucker. They are also really simple to make and you probably have all of the ingredients on hand so there’s no excuse to not make these lemon bars!

Happy Spring!

The Best Soft, Fluffy Sugar Cookies with Vanilla Buttercream

So, I originally wasn’t planning on baking anything for Valentine’s Day this year. Crazy, right? While on Instagram this past week, I’ve been drooling over all of the cute confections and treats everyone else was making, and then when I stumbled across a recipe for soft, fluffy sugar cookies (i.e. Lofthouse-style cookie), I thought of one of my best friends who would absolutely love them. I immediately knew that I wanted to bake a batch so I could send some to her in the mail and also give some to my other Galentines. And that’s all it took – I went from not baking anything to baking two dozen of these cookies plus a dozen black bottom cupcakes (recipe coming soon!) all in one night.

It’s been proven that these cookies are incredibly addicting. My friends literally finished the ones I gave them in a single sitting. The cookies are perfectly soft, fluffy, and almost more like cake than a traditional cookie, but no one’s complaining. The vanilla buttercream brings these cookies over the top and makes them more special and indulgent.

The cookie plus buttercream definitely makes for a very sweet treat, which is why I added a suggestion for less sugar in the buttercream. However even after making it with the full amount of sugar and thinking I wouldn’t like it, I was surprised that I kept on eating them because they are THAT good. What was even more shocking was my friend who has a low tolerance for sugar ate all of hers too!

Bottom line – these are the best sugar cookies ever. If you’re planning on making these to give away, be sure to make yourself a batch too otherwise there’ll be none left to gift!

Arugula Salad with Apples, Delicata Squash & Gruyère Frico

‘Tis the season of trying to eat healthier, right? Clean eating can feel like a chore but it doesn’t have to be! The key to making a salad that you will actually look forward to eating is filling it with much more than just leafy greens.

This salad is full of delicious foods that will help keep you full so you can resist reaching for those chips or that candy bar. I love the contrast of sweet-savory and creamy-crunchy in this salad. I used an apple cookie cutter to form the shape of the frico, which is basically shredded cheese that is baked in the oven until it gets nice and crispy. The addition of the salty, buttery Gruyère frico on top definitely makes this salad for me. Hey, a little cheese here and there never hurt!

Pistachio-Cranberry Biscotti

Who else has been busy baking up a storm for the holiday season? I participated in Food52’s Holiday Swap for the first time this year and it was so fun putting together a package of treats, including these biscotti and butter cookies, as well as receiving one in the mail! I love gifting homemade goodies because I think people really appreciate the love and time that goes into making them. Plus it is the holiday season so bring on all of the sweets!

This is my all-time favorite biscotti recipe. Most biscotti are so hard that you feel like you’re going to break a tooth eating them. These biscotti, on the other hand, are still crisp but have ground pistachios added to the dough to help the cookies break apart more easily. That means you can actually enjoy them whether you eat them alone or dip them into your coffee, tea, or hot chocolate!

And since ’tis the season after all, I added dried cranberries and dipped the biscotti in white chocolate with a drizzle of dark chocolate. I absolutely love biscotti with some chocolate on them because when you dunk them into your hot drink, it gets all melty and is oh so comforting.

Wishing you all a very happy holiday!