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Browned Butter Sandwich Cookies

Browned Butter Sandwich Cookies

Now hear this: these cookies are it. As in, The One. I’d marry them if I could.

As a baking blogger, I sure eat a lot of cookies, so you can take me very seriously when I tell you that these are special. Once in a lifetime. If you ever make anything I put up here, make these! Now.

Whoops, I got kind of intense there. But I had to. You see, this recipe is something I can share with you, and I love sharing. In fact, I realized the other day that I probably balance out everything I overshare with the secrets I keep forever.

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Sugar Cookie Bars

Sugar Cookie Bars

These bars were baked on a terrible, awful, no good, very bad baking day.

Some days, my kitchen is humming. Bread dough rises as it should, pie crust comes together without complaining, and frosting practically pipes itself. Those are great days.

Then, there was last Sunday. I ran out of butter without realizing it, my husband couldn’t find the chocolate candy melts at the store, and my heavy cream was suspiciously gloppy, even though it was not at its sell-by date yet. As I watched one baking project tank after another, I wondered why in the heck I do this.

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Shamrock Krispy Treats

Shamrock Krispy Treats

This may come as a shock to you who know anything about me: I’m not Irish.

But you see, kids, I love holidays. Before holidays, there was darkness and cold. Holidays bring sprinkles and light. So you can bet that Irish or not, I’m getting into my St. Patrick’s baking groove.

But before I do that, I want to take a minute to remember Mr. Spock. As you know, Leonard Nimoy passed away a few days ago, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t say anything about him. Because, though you may not suspect it, I used to be kind of in love with him.

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Hidden Treasure Girl Scout Cookies

Hidden Treasure Girl Scout Cookies

Having choices never makes life easier. It just makes life better. Think about it: 40 years ago, women couldn't do so many important jobs because we weren't considered worthy. Gradually, thanks to women's rights and some common sense, the general…

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Thin Mint Cookie Dough Sandwiches

Thin Mint Cookie Dough Sandwiches

Some people have pathological hoarding issues. They keep everything obsessively, figuring that one day in the far-distant future, whatever it is will “come in handy.” Let me tell you something. It won’t.

Earlier today, my son threw away a broken paper fan. As he was getting rid of it, he eyed the plastic casing for the fan and said, “Maybe I should keep this. It might be useful.” I, the anti-hoarder, made it pretty clear that a broken fan plastic casing would never, in any way, be remotely useful.

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Mini Chocolate Chunk Cookie Cakes

Mini Chocolate Chunk Cookie Cakes

In a week, the school where I teach will be littered with pink candy craziness. It’s really sweet to see, actually. Teenagers tend to get into the holiday a lot more than their adult counterparts, which explains why all those cheesy teddy bears and balloons get sold year after year.

In fact, when I was that age, I really wanted a teddy bear on Valentine’s Day. I got one eventually, and when I did, it took away all the mystique and appeal. I guess maybe it’s not always a good idea to get what we think we want. Turns out, a bear holding a heart is still just a bear.

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Sweet N’ Salty Cookies

Sweet n’ Salty Cookies

The best thing that has ever happened to civilization: the bed. Every night, once my kids are bathed and in their own beds, I feel a calm sense of satisfaction overtake me that another day has passed and that I can finally be reunited with my true love. Yes, my feelings for my bed are that strong.

And I feel almost the same, but not quite, about salty sweet treats. When salted caramel burst onto the food scene a few years back, I couldn’t get enough. I still can’t, but my brain has adjusted a little more. Back in those days, it was hard to find salted caramel anything. Now you can’t turn around without it smacking you in the face with its coy deliciousness.

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Fudge-Covered PB Cup Cookie Dough Squares

Fudge-Covered PB Cup Cookie Dough Squares

Yeah, yeah. There’s been a lot of peanut butter in these here parts recently.

It’s hard to resist always baking your favorite thing. Like when my brother bakes, he chooses lemon-based desserts because that’s his favorite. And when my husband bakes…nope, just kidding. That never happens.

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Flourless Chocolate Chewies

Flourless Chocolate Chewies

This post is for my buddy Sarah.

See, Sarah has been looking for a recipe for these cookies for quite a while, and I’ve been promising to get on it. Well, it’s been about a year since I said that, so better late than never. I hope.

For pretty much my entire teaching career (minus the three years I spent at my first school), I’ve spent my early mornings with Sarah. She’s the person I talk to first every day between Monday and Friday, and it’s kind of a ritual for us to catch up before heading off to our classrooms to teach.

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Peanut Butter Meltaway Cookies

Peanut Butter Meltaway Cookies

Winter break is so exhausting.

Yes, I know I’m lucky to be a teacher with a week off, and no, I’m not exactly complaining. But I maintain that there is absolutely nothing vacation-y about amusing three kids every day for any length of time.

Like today, we hit a play zone. Who doesn’t love a play zone? Bouncy houses, and bouncy slides, and car racing. It sounds great! Except my littlest one (who is in the whopping third percentile compared to all children her age) is too young to bounce. So I wound up carrying her around on my hip for three hours while my older two bounced. And I was so upset, because I really wanted to bounce, too.

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