I’m on Martha Stewart’s “daily cookies” mailing list and that probably explains why I make cookies several times a month (sometimes even more than once a week!). I end up bringing the majority of every batch into work with me to avoid eating them all myself, and luckily I have coworkers who not only love cookies but who aren’t watching their weight too much . . . and therefore are still happy to have me bring in fattening snacks at 8:30 am on a Monday.

For this batch of cookies I needed a recipe that didn’t call for eggs because, as mentioned in my last post, I somehow managed to run out of eggs and repeatedly forget to buy some. In fact, here it is two weeks later and I’m still out! I’m not sure I’ve ever gone two weeks without eating eggs . . . but I digress. No-egg cookie = shortbread to me, and I had pecans in the cabinet so these Pecan Shortbread cookies from Martha were the perfect solution. They actually taste better a day later so they’re perfect for bringing along to work or a party!

Pecan Shortbread Cookies
Adapted from Martha’s recipe

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 ounces pecan halves
• 2 tsp almond extract

Cream together butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until mixture is light in color, 3 to 4 minutes. Add flour, pecans, and almond extract, plus a pinch of salt, and mix until combined and the pecans start to break up.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour (or longer). Heat oven to 325 degrees.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out cookies with a round cookie cutter and place on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes.

I realize it’s been a month since I posted and I admit that’s pretty shameful. That said, I’m sure it’s obvious to anyone reading this blog over the last 6 months or so that I’ve been going through some gigantic life changes. I think I’m on the other side now and intend to GET BACK TO BLOGGING! The last month has been full of “tying up loose ends” and getting settled into my new place, and I’m happy to say that I’ve been cooking again. This month’s issues of Martha Stewart Living and Bon Appetit had inspiring recipes in them that lit a fire under my ass . . . hopefully some of you are still reading this and will enjoy!

What you see above is the very last cookie out of this batch of Blueberry “Scone” Cookies. I absolutely adore this recipe and literally every single person who’s tried them has taken a bite and then immediately looked up and said “what’s IN these!?!” (and yes, in a good way). They’re super easy to make and the fact that there’s fruit in there instead of, say, butterscotch, makes you feel less guilty eating way too many of these (which you totally will). Keep in mind that these take longer than regular cookies to bake so if you’re making them last-minute plan ahead. Click to the “continue reading” link for the recipe . . . and stay tuned for carnitas in the next post!

Blueberry “Scone” Cookies

• 12 oz blueberries, washed and slightly smashed (use a spoon to crush them a bit)
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine blueberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a bowl and set aside. In a larger bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining sugar. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in berry mixture.

Drop tablespoons full of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, 24 to 25 minutes. Let cool. Cookies are at their peak served immediately, but if you store them in an airtight container they get softer and chewier, which is also delicious.

I’m so sorry I’ve been MIA folks! There has been a lot going on in my life and I haven’t even had the desire to cook in the last few months, let alone take photos and write up a proper blog post. This past Saturday was the first time in a while that I felt like baking something, so maybe that’s a good sign. I came across this biscotti recipe in the current issue of Real Simple magazine and immediately ripped the page out and ran out to buy the ingredients! I’m so glad I did, too: baking cheered me up immediately and having a big stack of delicious biscotti didn’t hurt, either. My coworkers appreciated the bounty, too!

The recipe in the magazine actually calls for Almond extract, not Amaretto, but I had Amaretto on hand and I thought that sounded like a nice twist. The flavor is really subtle and delicious!

I’ve never made biscotti before but I knew the basic idea: you bake a big cookie, then slice it up and bake the slices again. As my coworker said to me when I brought them in, “aren’t biscotti basically like dried-out cookies?”

Next time I make biscotti I plan to make each “log” bigger so that the individual cookies are longer once they’re sliced. These came out a bit on the stumpy side and it’s kind of awkward to dip them in coffee (which is the best part of a biscotti IMO!).

After slicing the logs, you lay out all the cookies in a single layer on the same sheet:

Don’t they look awesome like this? I had a lot of fun photographing them and I think they would make an awesome print! I lucked out when it came time to take these pictures, there was tons of light streaming into the window so all the pictures came out great.

How’s this one for a print?

Next time I make these I’ll bake them for a bit less time after slicing so that they don’t end up so dark. The texture and flavor is totally fine even though they’re dark, they’re just not as pretty! I wanted the green of the pistachios to come through (the way it does in these pictures) but they came out so dark that you can’t even tell what’s in them. That is, until you bite into one! I lucked out with this batch of pistachios from Trader Joe’s, they’re some of the most delicious pistachios I’ve ever tasted! I keep sneaking a handful of the leftovers whenever I go through the kitchen . . .

Amaretto Biscotti with Cranberries and Pistachio
Adapted (slightly!) from November 2009 issue of Real Simple

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp Amaretto
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup shelled roasted (non-salted) pistachios

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add Amaretto. Add flour mixture and mix only until just incorporated. Fold in cranberries and pistachios.

Divide the dough in half and shape each piece into a log about 2″ thick and 10″ long. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving a few inches between logs (they will spread!). Bake for 22-25 minutes, until just gold around edges. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes.

Lower oven to 300 degrees. Slice logs into 1/2 inch slices using a serrated knife. Be deliberate and go slow so that you don’t break the cookies! Lay out cookies in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake until dry and crisp, 15 to 18 minutes per side (I did 15 minutes per side and mine came out quite dark, keep an eye on them if you want them less brown!).

Enjoy with a nice cappuccino!