Peach Crumble Bars

Just Peachy
I have a problem. A peachy problem—my peach cup runneth over. And, now I have to figure out ways to use or preserve the peaches, so they don’t go to waste.

The obvious solutions of eating them as a snack, slicing them up for the freezer, as well as handing them out to friends have already happened. I have made a cobbler or three. And, this weekend I will be canning some of the peaches in light syrup. I might also be making ice cream. But there are still some left…and more on the tree.

What to do with the leftovers? Sure, I could make a pie. But, the thought kind of makes me tired. I’m thinking this situation screams for a bar cookie—Peach Crumble Bars. I figure if it can be done with apple pie and pecan pie, why not peaches?

Peach Crumble Bars Recipe
Adapted from Pastry & Beyond
Yields 16 bars Read more…

Guittard Chocolate

Close to perfection!
Guittard chocolate is our favorite for baking and candy making. With its rich, creamy mouthfeel, genuine chocolate flavor, and smooth texture, we use it whenever our recipes call for chocolate—it takes your baking to new heights. Read more…

Medaglia d’Oro Instant Espresso

Unusually rich and aromatic.
Medaglia d’Oro Instant Espresso is a true Italian coffee with a bold, dark taste that is never bitter. It is delicious hot and also dissolves instantly in cold water making a fantastic iced coffee in no time at all.

Add it to condensed milk with ice Read more…

Mocha Chocolate Chunk Cookies

C Is For Cookie
Recently, I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about cookies. It’s not that I have a raging craving, though I am always up for a tasty cookie. The reason is that I am finding it harder to find a really great cookie that I don’t make myself. I’m talking about cookies you can bring as a hostess gift or that work well on a pretty plate for an easy dessert for a dinner party. For years, Taste of Denmark (a.k.a Neldam’s), had some of the best tea cookies around. But alas, they are gone.

Here at the store, we used to carry multiple vendors’ cookie tubs and we still have a couple, but the others have disappeared. Not sure if they were just victims of the pandemic or simply went out of business. (For example, Gianna’s. It happens…)

Many large chain grocery stores are packaging their on-site bakery cookies in convenient economy sizes which can be great for those times you need to bring a treat for a crowd. Do they blow me away flavor-wise? Not really. Although, with apologies to my beloved Oreos and Walker’s shortbread, they are a step up from the everyday boxed cookies on the shelf.

Nowadays you are no longer limited to the grocery aisles to cure your cookie craving. If you have been anywhere near a suburban strip mall recently you will no doubt have seen or at least heard about a certain cookie chain that has taken the country by storm. I have tried their cookies a few times. And, for me, the cookies are too sweet and underbaked. I know that I am very much in the minority with that opinion.

So, for the next few weeks, I’m going to be presenting cookie recipes for everyday eating. These are cookies that, while tasty enough to be considered for the Christmas cookie box, are really for your lunchbox or that three o’clock afternoon snack.

First up, these beauties, Mocha Chocolate Chunk Cookies. I have a hard time refusing anything that has the flavor of coffee in it. Add chocolate to the mix and you have my full attention. These cookies are gooey from the oven but cool to something that is a bit chewier—like a brownie. One of these cookies with a latte in the afternoon can change your whole outlook on life!

Mocha Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe
Yields 18 large cookies
Adapted from Cookies: The New Classics by Jesse Szewczyk Read more…