Valentine's Day Cookies and Cupcakes

I call bullshit on Valentine's Day. Yep. You read that right. Bullshit. I happen to think it's a pseudo-holiday that exists for two reasons and neither of them is love. The first reason: the creation of order and control. A long time ago, society realized they could exploit the chemical reactions that occur in people's brains when they think about sex (among other things) to control people. Valentine's Day just helps solidify that control. The second reason: money. We can always use another excuse to boost the economy whether the individual can really afford it or not.

All that said, I never turn down a reason to bake, so even though I'm calling bullshit, I'm still baking my heart out.

Using your favourite shortbread cookie recipe (or sugar cookie recipe if you like to go that way - blech), these pretty little cookies take hardly any time at all. When you mix up your shortbread, just add red food colouring to part of the dough. Chill then roll out the white dough and cut it out with a scalloped circle cutter. Place the cutouts on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then cut out the centre with a heart shaped cutter. When you're finished with the white dough, roll out the red and cut out hearts using the same cutter you used to remove the centres from the white dough. Place a red heart inside each circle and bake.


With two heart shaped cookie cutters and the same technique, you can also make these gorgeous cupcakes.

Roll out some gum paste, cut out your hearts and use them to top your Valentine cupcakes. Adding some disco or pearl dust to the gum paste decorations gives them a little extra festive sparkle.

Book Review: Chloe's Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli

Awhile ago I bought a book called Chloe's Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli. If you're a fan of Food Network's Cupcake Wars (and really, who isn't), you might remember her as the vegan baker who won her episode. Her book is full of vegan recipes - which look absolutely mouthwatering! - including one of the recipes she used on Cupcake Wars. Because this is a baking blog, I focused on the baked section of the book for my review, but I've also tried recipes for real food.

The first recipe I tried was a chocolate cake with mocha icing and almond slices. I baked it as a cake in August with the icing recipe included in the book the first time, then I turned it into cupcakes with different icings the second and third times. I guess telling you I've used the recipe three times in six months probably means I'm stating the obvious when I say I loved it. The cake has a rich cocoa flavour without being too sweet and it's so moist! The price of the book is worth it for this recipe alone!

The next recipe I tried was for yoga cookies. These little treats use agave syrup instead of sugar and lots of yummy but healthy ingredients to make a cookie that tastes amazing without pushing the indulgence meter too high.

The third dessert recipe I chose for this review was for the cupcakes that won Cupcake Wars. The texture of these vegan cupcakes was a bit different from a traditional cupcake in that it was actually something I wanted to put in my mouth. I also liked that they weren't overpoweringly sweet, making them balance nicely with any icing you choose to pile on top. Moist. Delicious. Perfect. Now wonder these were winners!

Based on the other recipes I tried and the face that this book makes vegan food that is delish with ingredients that are easy to find and affordable, I recommend picking up a copy for yourself! And if you want to check out some of Chloe's recipes before you buy the book, her website has some freebies for you.

Note: I purchased this book on my own because I found it interesting. I was not compensated for this review in any way. I just love to share amazing food finds with my readers!

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning can be hectic. Nobody wants to wait around for breakfast to cook, but having presents to open doesn't mean empty tummies don't get hungry. Putting together a Breakfast Basket will give you and your family something to nibble on while you celebrate.


Breakfast Cookies
Cookies are great for Breakfast Baskets. You can make them in advance and easily snack on them while you're opening presents, watching your favourite Christmas movie or just curling up by the fire with your loved ones. Here is a recipe for cookies worthy of breakfast time.

Maple Bacon Breakfast Shortbread Rounds
Quick and easy to prepare, these cookies can be made a couple days before Christmas and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until the big day.
1    c butter
1/2 c powdered sugar
2    c flour
3       strips of bacon, cooked and chopped

Cream butter and sugar. Stir in flour. Add in bacon.
Form into a log and refrigerate for two hours.
Slice and bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown.

Elf Tip: Mixing a bit of powdered sugar with water and maple syrup makes a nice maple glaze for the tops of these cookies. Add a small piece of bacon on top of the glaze for added decoration.

Christmas Morning Breakfast Basket

The trick to a good Breakfast Basket is including treats that are festive, healthy and appealing to everyone. Start with the cookies above then add fruit, granola bars, single-serve cereal and oatmeal, or your favourite breakfast foods, and of course drinks. Hot chocolate with special marshmallows (the ones pictured came from Chapters), assorted single serve coffees and teas, and clementines are making it into my basket this year.
Arrange all of the shelf stable items in a basket in advance. When you wake up Christmas morning, just add in the refrigerated treats and you're ready to go!

Elf Tip: Gather dishes, mugs, napkins and whatever else you might need the night before and place them with the basket so everything is ready.

Holiday Cookie Swaps

Cookie  swaps are a wonderful part of the holidays. They give you the opportunity to get together with friends and family, share recipes and enjoy food. And it doesn't hurt that when it's all over you'll have a variety of tasty holiday treats that you didn't have to find the time to make yourself. Since cookie swaps are my absolute favourite type of party - holiday or otherwise - here are some tips and ideas to get you started on the road to cookie swap bliss.

The Basics 
Invitations
Invite your guests early. The holiday season is a busy time of year. The more notice you give people, the more likely they'll be able to make it.

Guests
Invite about 6-10 people. Asking your guests to bake for more than 10 people can be a bit much.

Instructions
Tell your guests to bring one dozen cookies for each participant (plus an extra dozen for sampling if you choose to go that way). Ask them to tell you what they'll be baking so you can avoid duplicate recipes. Also ask them to print out a copy of the recipe for each participant. If you're cookie swap has a theme (see below), let your guests know. 
 
The Set-Up
Cookies
To sample or not to sample? There are two schools of thought on this. Some cookie swaps offer a variety of treats to eat during the swap, but the cookies that guests bring are left for taking home. Others ask guests to bring an extra dozen to sample at the party. I definitely prefer sampling! Part of the fun of baking for someone is watching how much they enjoy eating it. So eat it! An extra dozen isn't too much of a burden for your guests and they'll appreciate being able to try everybody's goodies and talk about them at the swap. 
If you choose to sample, set aside a table specifically for these cookies. Arrange them on attractive platters and cake plates to achieve different heights and don't forget to take lots of pictures. If you're having a sample table, you can ask your guests to package the take-home portions of their treats in advance so you and your guests don't have to worry about wrapping up cookies at the party.
Still on the topic of cookies, don't forget to provide labels for the cookies. Larger labels are better so you can ask each guest to write out the name of the cookie, who made it, and why they picked that recipe to share. 

Packaging
Not sampling? Don't want to ask guests to spend money on all that packaging? Include a packaging station at your party. You can ask guests to bring their own containers, boxes or bags to put all of their cookies in or you can provide cardboard cake boxes, dollar store plastic containers, or cellophane bags. Put these items on a table of their own so guests can pick them up throughout the party and package up their take-home dozens.

Sips and Nibbles
Even if you are sampling the cookies at your party, you'll want to give your guests something to eat and drink. It doesn't have to be an over the top sit down meal, just some snacks and nibbles. Plan your menu according to the time of day you're hosting your party. If it's mid-morning to early afternoon, try breakfast or brunch foods like quiche squares, fruit and hash browns (kick these up with some Parmesan or a sprinkling of traditional holiday flavours like cranberry and cinnamon). If it's later in the afternoon, what about tea sandwiches and veggie sticks? For an after dinner party, choose a few appetizers and some savory nuts.
When it comes to drinks, time of day doesn't matter much. Coffee, tea and hot chocolate always go well with cookies. Add some snowman marshmallows (stack three marshmallows on a skewer then use royal icing or melted chocolate to add a snowman face, hat and scarf), chocolate covered spoons with candy can pieces, and cinnamon sticks to give the drinks a festive touch. If you're feeling really ambitious, you can bake some mini gingerbread houses that will fit over the rims of mugs. You can also provide some cold drinks, spiced cider, or even an alcoholic option (morning mimosas, anyone?).

 
Cookie Swap Extras
A Theme
Any cookie swap is a good cookie swap, but why not add something extra to your party this year by hosting a swap with a theme? Ask everybody to bring a traditional family cookie recipe, cookies in a colour theme (a table full of blue and white, red and gold, or shades of green looks gorgeous), or tell them to interpret a Christmas carol (you can choose one or let them choose any carol they'd like) in a cookie. If your friends are big foodies and like a challenge, you could even assign each of them a secret ingredient or two that they have to bake with.

Prizes
It's a nice touch to offer a prize or two at your swap. It can be a door prize, or after everybody has tasted each cookies, you can ask them to vote on the best cookies and provide a prize for the winner. You know your guests best, so you'll be able to pick out a prize that will suit your group of swappers, but some ideas are a cookie book, a small gift basket of baking items, a gift certificate to a local bakery or gourmet cookie shop, or an interactive prize.

Interactive Prizes
Ask each guest to bring something like a cookie cutter, their favourite kitchen utensil, their favourite cookie ingredient (example, candied ginger), or whatever you choose. Make sure to keep these items small and inexpensive (so no, you shouldn't ask them to bring their favourite kitchen appliance). Package the items up into one or two gift baskets then use them as prizes.

'Tis the Season to Give
Invite your guests to bring non-perishable food with them to donate to a food bank. Or let them know in advance that you've chosen to support a particular charity this season and invite them to make a donation at the party. Depending on the charity you choose, this could be a monetary donation, a gift of time, an unwrapped toy for a child, or whatever your charity needs - if you want to give your guests donation options, contact the charity in advance and ask them what they could use.

My Favourite Cookie Swap Recipe: Apple Walnut Cookies

1      c  butter
3/4 c  granulated sugar
1      c  brown sugar
2         eggs
1      t  vanilla
3     c  flour
1/2  t  baking powder
1/2  t  baking soda
1      c  walnuts, chopped
2         apples, peeled and diced

Stir together dry ingredients. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugars. Beat in vanilla and eggs.
Stir in dry ingredients. Stir in walnuts and apples.
Form into 1" balls and bake on parchment lined baking sheets at 350F for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Because of the fresh apple in these cookies, it's a good idea to let recipients know they should be stored in the refrigerator.
Makes about 3 dozen.

Cookie Swap Swap-Out
Want to host a party but you've already been invited to a ton of cookie exchanges this year? Why not try something a little different and invite your friends to a Loaf Swap, Candy Swap, Ornament Swap, Cupcake Swap or Tart Swap.  Do you have an idea for a creative swap?

Get in the Spirit: Green Tea Holly Leaves and a Giveaway!

Today is the first day of December! Officially time to get in the spirit of Christmas! Christmas is my favourite holiday (no, I didn't forget that I said that about Halloween in an October post; I warned you this would happen). And it doesn't hurt that it's the perfect excuse to bake. And bake. And bake. So to kick off my favourite (until Valentine's Day) festive season, I have a recipe for cookies with green tea and my very first giveaway!

Green Tea Holly Leaf Cookies

These cookies are just my basic shortbread recipe* with a little matcha added in. Super simple to make, gorgeous to look at, and great for the holidays. 

1     c butter
1/2  c powdered sugar
2     T matcha
2     c flour

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in matcha until well combined. Mix in flour (as usual, be careful not to overmix so your cookies stay tender and flaky).
Refrigerate dough for about 2 hours (though you can leave it for a couple days). Roll chilled dough on a floured surface. Using a holly leaf cutter, cut cookies and place on parchment lined baking sheets. Add red candies for berries if desired.
Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes, or until bottoms begin turning golden brown.

*Elf Tip: Mix up an extra big batch of plain shortbread and divide it into three or four separate batches. Then add flavourings - like matcha - to each batch to make a variety of tasty treats in record time.

Giveaway
What goes better with delicious cookies than equally delicious coffee, tea or hot chocolate? Nothing! So one lucky reader's next cup is on me! Enjoy it with a cookie while you do some holiday shopping. Enter below until December 7th.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Extra Bonus! Everyone who reads this post gets 10% off at OperationCare with the coupon code SUGARFLOURFLAVOUR 

Care Package Special Feature Part 3: Creative Treats

This final part of my care package feature is all about sending creative treats. Keep reading for a cookie that doubles as a letter and instructions for the best birthday-in-a-box your loved one will ever get.
 
Cookie Letters
This is a really easy way to put a smile on somebody's face. Bake up a shortbread or sugar cookie. Roll out the dough and cut out a large rectangle. Bake it as per recipe's instructions. If you notice it's getting a little too brown before it's fully baked, cover it with foil.
Once the cookie is cooled, use food colouring markers to write a letter on it. If you seal the cookie with a vacuum sealer and wrap it in lots of bubble wrap, this special cookie will survive a trip anywhere in the world.

Birthday-In-A-Box
Not being able to see your loved one on their birthday sucks, but you can still help them celebrate! Put together a care package with the following items:

Balloon Messages
Blow up 6-12 balloons. Carefully write a heartfelt message to your loved one on each balloon. Deflate the balloons and tie them together with pretty ribbon. Attach a note with instructions to blow up the balloons for some birthday love.

Lemon Birthday Cake
Using a 9x13 inch pan and a round cookie cutter, you can make a pretty cake in a jar to send your loved one.
First, grease and line your pan with parchment then preheat your oven to 325F.
Next, mix 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons of flour, 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of milk, 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, and the juice and zest from one lemon.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Let it cool completely then use a round cookie cutter (about the size of the jar you're going to assemble the cake in) to cut 4-6 circles out of the cake.
Layer cake circles with lemon icing and top with sprinkles.

Brownie Cake
If your loved one is far away and you don't think the cake in a jar above will last, bake up a brownie (like Nestle's desert safe brownie from Part 1) in a cake pan. Cool it completely, seal it using the tips from Part 2, and send it with some canned icing (this is absolutely the only time canned icing will ever be okay to use. Ever.). It's a good idea to put the icing in a separate freezer bag just in case it pops open in the mail.

Decorations
Add a final touch to your package with some decorations like a personalized birthday banner, some streamers, and coloured paper plates and plastic cutlery (especially if you're sending a big birthday brownie overseas).

Top the package off with a birthday card, and it's ready to go!

Now that the Care Package Special Feature is over, what would you send to loved ones? What tips do you have for mailing homemade goodies?

Care Package Special Feature Part 2: Going the Distance

Part 2 of my Care Package series is all about homemade treats that will still be delicious after they sit around in a box for awhile. Nestle has a few recipes on for desert safe treats here. These recipes don't include butter (so the treats won't go rancid if the package takes a couple months to get where it's going) or other ingredients that shouldn't be sent to the Middle East, which makes them perfect for deployment care packages. I've made their desert safe brownies and they turned out pretty well. The soldiers I sent them to really liked them. But don't feel obligated to stick to recipes like these. If your soldier has a favourite goodie that you make, go ahead and send it. As long as you follow the tips below, almost anything is mailable.

Tips for Freshness
1. If you can create and airtight seal, do it! If you have a vacuum sealer, put it to good use and seal your treats. No air means your goodies will last longer before they mold or start to taste stale. If you don't have one, there are a couple hand-held models on the market that are fairly cheap. Invest in one of those if you can.
2. Can't vacuum seal your goodies? That's okay. Wrap cookies two at a time, back to back, or squares in single servings. Start by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap. Then wrap them in foil. Put them in a plastic freezer bag and squish out as much of the air as you can. Besides adding an extra layer of freshness protection, the freezer bag can be resealed once your soldier gets your treats. Otherwise they might just have to eat them all right away ;)
3. It's a good idea to put your goodies in a metal tin after you wrap them. This will help keep little critters from munching on your treats.

Tips for Packaging
1. Cushion your goodies. If you're placing your treats in a tin after you wrap and bag them, fill the tin with tissue paper. It will make everything look nice when your soldier opens it, but it will also help cushion cookies on the trip.
2. Pack your box tightly. Fill in an extra space with crumpled paper, bubble wrap, etc. This will keep things from moving around too much and help keep your goodies safe.
3. Fragile cookies generally don't ship as well as a nice sturdy cookie. That said, if you pack it properly, you can still send it. I've found that even delicate shortbread cutouts will make it if you vacuum seal them and cushion the package properly. And even if the cookies get there a little worse for the wear, your soldier will love them anyway.

Tips for Making it Extra Special
1. A tin and tissue paper go a long way to making your package look pretty.
2. Adding ribbon, gift tags, cards, or even wrapping your goodies up in wrapping paper (seasonal or just generic colourful paper), will all add an extra special touch.
3. Including handwritten letters always makes any package you send better. Adding a few pictures of yourself making the cookies is a good idea too. Your soldier will get to see you and feel even more connected to home.

These cute care package cards from OperationCare on Etsy
are a pretty way to label care package treats.

Stick around for Part 3: Creative Treats.

Care Package Special Feature Part 1: Big Batch Recipes

Baked goods can be a heartfelt gift, especially if you have loved ones living far away. Baked goods are also a big hit with deployed soldiers and with Remembrance Day upon us and my own care package for a soldier in the works, I've decided to dedicate three posts to the art of the baked care package. Today's post will cover big batch recipes - great for splitting up into smaller gifts or for sending to deployed soldiers.

Big Batch Care Package Recipe #1: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2 cups butter
1.5 cups brown sugar
1.5 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
1.5 cups oats (any kind will work in this recipe)
4 cups raisins

Cream butter and sugars. Beat in vanilla and eggs. Set aside.
Combine dry ingredients, except oats and raisins. Mix into wet ingredients.
Fold in oats. Stir in raisins.
Form into 1" balls and bake at 350F for about 15 minutes or until cookies are golden brown but still slightly soft in the centre.

Yield: 4-5 dozen cookies.

To make these cookies look more festive, swap out the raisins for holiday M&Ms or substitute half of the raisins for candied fruit.

Big Batch Care Package Recipe #2: Holiday Shortbread with Cinnamon and Black Pepper

Normally, I wouldn't even think of posting holiday recipes before Remembrance Day, but if you're baking for a soldier overseas, you're going to want to get those holiday goodies out soon if you want them to get to your loved one in time.

3 cups butter
1.5 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 cups flour
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla. Set aside.
Sift together flour, cinnamon and black pepper. Stir into butter mixture until just combined.
Form dough into two disks. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Roll out chilled dough to about 1/8" thick and cut into desired shapes.
Bake at 350F for 8-12 minutes.

Yield: 5-6 dozen cookies

Come back for Part 2: Going the Distance, where I'll share recipes that ship well over time and in hot weather, and tips for keeping things fresh.

Halloween Treats: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes and Halloween Peanut Butter Cookies

Have I told you yet that Halloween is my favourite holiday? I love it. Carving pumpkins, making spooky decorations, baking scary treats. Best. Holiday. Ever. (Of course, come December I'll tell you Christmas is my favourite holiday.) So as a treat for you, I decided to make some tasty Halloween treats and post them here!

These Halloween cupcakes are made with wrappers from CupcakeEssentials and a recipe from Canadian baking icon Anna Olson. They have a rich chocolate flavour and are spiced with tasty fall flavours like cinnamon. Yum!

Since I love Halloween, one recipe wasn't enough. So I also made peanut butter cookies. These flaky shortbread-like cookies are flavoured with peanut butter. And if that wasn't good enough, they also have Reese's Pieces baked inside!

These super easy cookies are made in one bowl, they only have five ingredients, and they're egg free. They start with butter and peanut butter.

Once that's creamed, add in powdered sugar.

Then flour.

And the best ingredient, Reese's Pieces.

The last step is to roll the dough into 1" balls then flatten slightly before baking at 350F for 12-15 minutes.

Halloween Peanut Butter Cookies
1/2  c  butter
1/2  c  peanut butter
1/2  c  confectioners' sugar
2     c   flour
1/2 c   Reese's Pieces

Cream butter and peanut butter. Beat in powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla and melted peanut butter cups. Stir in flour. Mix in Reese's Pieces.
Form into one-inch balls and flatten slightly. Bake at 350F on parchment lined baking sheets for approximately 10 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown.

Happy Halloween!

Apple Shortbread with Caramel Drizzle

I love experimenting with cookies. I also love fall flavours, so coming up with these cookies made for a fun afternoon. Not only are they tasty, they're really easy.

They start with butter, apple jelly and powdered sugar.

Next, spices are added.

Then some flour. The dough is formed into a disk and chilled.

 

The chilled dough is rolled out and cut into rounds.

The rounds are topped with apple slices and baked.

Once baked, the cookies are drizzled with caramel made from melted caramels and cream.

 

  
Apple Shortbread with Caramel Drizzle
3/4  c  butter, softened
1/4  c  apple jelly (or apple butter or applesauce, whatever you have on hand will work)
1/2  c  confectioners' sugar 
1      t   vanilla
1/4  t  cinnamon
1/8  t  nutmeg
2     c  flour
24       Kraft caramels
1     T  half and half cream

Cream butter, apple jam and sugar. Beat in spices and vanilla. Stir in flour in two additions. Form dough into a disk and chill until firm (about 2 hours).
Roll dough out to 1/8" thick. Cut into rounds about the size of an apple. Top each cookie with a thinly sliced round of apple. Bake at 350F on parchment lined sheets for about 15 minutes or until cookies are golden.
Melt caramels and cream in the microwave for about 45 seconds. Stir smooth. Drizzle onto baked cookies.

Perfect for Fall...Pumpkin Spice Shortbread with Chopped Pecans

I love Fall. It's absolutely my favourite time of year. The air is crisp, everything smells better, the leaves turn beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow. Yes, I know it gets chilly, but who wants to turn the oven on when it's eighty degrees outside? So in honour of my favourite time of year and the best baking weather you could ask for, here's a recipe for shortbread cookies made with a bit of pumpkin and aromatic spices, and rolled in chopped pecans.

First cream butter, pumpkin and sugar.

 

Then add spices and vanilla.

Add flour.

After the dough chills a bit, form it into balls and garnish with chopped nuts.

Bake and enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Shortbread with Chopped Pecans 
2/3  c  butter, softened
1/3  c  pumpkin puree
1/2  t   vanilla
1/2  c  confectioners sugar
1/4  t  cinnamon
1/8  t  nutmeg
1/8  t  all spice
pinch of ginger
2      c  flour
            chopped pecans, for garnish

Cream butter, pumpkin puree and sugar. Beat in vanilla and spices. Add flour in two additions, mixing gently. Do not over mix or your cookies will be tough.
Chill the dough briefly (30 to 60 minutes should do it). Roll dough into 1 inch balls and garnish with chopped pecans (you can either sprinkle a few on top of each ball if you don't like your cookies super nutty, or roll the ball in the nuts to cover completely).
Bake at 350F on parchment lined baking sheets for 15-20 minutes or until the bottoms start to turn golden brown.

The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book: Pistachio-Spice Cookies

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I didn't realize until today how much of my free time I filled with the Olympic for the last two weeks. Now that they're over, what's an unemployed girl to do? Bake of course! Today's recipe was for Pistachio-Spice Cookies from the Williams-Sonoma Baking Book. They were pretty easy to make, but I wasn't entirely satisfied with the results. These cookies are basically butter, sugar, eggs, flour, flavour and pistachios. Easy. 

First, butter and brown sugar are creamed together.

Then, molasses, flavouring and egg yolks are added. Finally, the dry ingredients are mixed 
                                                                                  in

                                                     and of course chopped pistachios.

The dough is then formed into two rectangular logs then left to chill out in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

Once they've chilled, they're sliced then baked.

I thought the cookies were a bit on the bland side while still managing to be a little artificial tasting. They also didn't hold their shape well while baking, despite the fact that I allowed them to chill for more than the minimum two hours suggested.

This one is probably not a recipe I'd make again.

UPDATE: I did try these again. This time I left the dough in the refrigerator for almost 48 hours before baking. I also left out the almond extract. The flavours blended together nicely and it was a really tasty cookie. The spices made it feel like comfort food while the texture allowed it to still be a light treat. Perfect as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee.