De Baking Psychopath

There's not much to be said about these cookies that hasn't already been said. If you Google "World Peace Cookies," you'll find that every baking blogger and his/her mother has made these cookies, loved them, and can't stop making them. And these are indeed so very good. Especially frozen . Chilled, there's a snappy crunch to them that then quickly gives way to the sandy, melt-in-your-mouth texture that everyone expects from a shortbread/sable cookie. Add the little melting moments that are the chopped dark chocolate that ripple through the cookie, and you have everything you need for a chocolate fix with an elegant flair that demands a cup of tea to accompany it. Since it's been published all over the Internet, I won't waste more virtual space with another rendition of the recipe, but instead will direct you here for a humorous commentary on the cookie's name and a printable recipe (link to print version is at end of the recipe). The dough i...

This is the queen of boozy cakes. Three-fourths of a cup of limoncello baked into the cake, then another 1/2 cup in a soaking syrup AFTER baking...eyebrows will raise at the rapidity of limoncello consumption in your household. I am a big fan of alcohol-spiked box mix concoctions. The alcohol masks/ameliorates the box cake mix aftertaste and the texture of the box mix is just so plush and moist that it's just useless to deny that such a texture is hard to replicate with from-scratch recipes. And with the myriad of liqueurs at one's disposal, the combinations are endless. Limoncello Cake (adapted from Blog Well Done and about.com ) Ingredients : 1 box yellow cake mix (probably white or lemon cake mix will work fine too) 1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix (the four-serving size, could also use lemon flavored) 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup water 3/4 cup limoncello 4 eggs 3/4 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup butter 1/2 cup limoncello 3 tbsp lemon juice 3 tbsp lemon zes...

It seems a bit late to say happy new year on January 9, but better late than never! So here's my toast to 2011, may it be a happy and prosperous year for everyone. In the spirit of cutting back on indulgences after holiday-binging, here are these *healthy* green tea (matcha) and crystallized ginger biscotti. Green tea and ginger have been eaten for millennia for their health-promoting and medicinal qualities, and I substituted out all the sugar for Splenda as well as half of the flour for whole-wheat pastry flour. Add some sliced almonds for protein, and you've got yourself a lower-carb tasty treat to go with your afternoon tea or coffee! Matcha and Ginger Light Biscotti (adapted from Leite's Culinaria ) Ingredients : 2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used half AP, half whole wheat pastry flour) 1 cup granulated sugar (I used all Splenda) 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons matcha 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 large eggs 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted 1 tea...