These little cookies are soft and tangy. They are a great addition to any cookie platter- anytime of the year! Here is what you are going to need for these:

Makes 45 cookies

1 ¾ cup white flour + 2 TBS

½ tsp. salt
2 TBS cornstarch
¾ cup softened, unsalted butter
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 TBS lime zest
2 TBS lime juice – preferable freshly squeezed
1 TBS vanilla extract
FOR THE GLAZE:
½ cup confectioner’s sugar
2 ½ TBS lime juice
Green food coloring – optional

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Cream together the butter and confectioner’s sugar. Add the lime zest, lime juice and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix well.
Form two balls with clean hands. Roll cookies out into two logs. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove cookies from fridge and cut 1/4th inch wide cookies. Place on a lined baking sheet – one inch apart. Bake cookies until just starting to brown for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cooling on baking sheet for a few minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool down completely.

Whisk the confectioner’s sugar, lime juice and green food coloring until uniform. Glaze the cookies using a spoon. Return to rack and allow glaze to harden. Serve and enjoy!

3 cookies no glaze – CALORIES 171.44; FAT 9.37 grs (sat 5.86; mono 2.40; poly 0.411); PROTEIN 1.72 grs ; FIBER 0.48 grs; CARBS 19.89 grs; CHOLESTEROL 24.42 mg; IRON 0.74 mg; SODIUM 79.44 mg; CALCIUM 6.12 mg

Print the Lime Cookies Recipe Here

These little cookies are also known as Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Tea Cakes or Italian Butter Nuts or Southern Pecan Balls. Whatever you call them, they are a melt in your mouth delicacy! This particular recipe is doubled so feel free to split it in two if you would like. Here is what you need for these:

Makes about 60 cookies

1 1/3 cup walnuts
4 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
2 cups unsalted, softened butter
½ cup confectioner’s sugar + more for rolling
2 tsp. vanilla

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast them for about 6 to 7 minutes – shaking the pan occasionally. Once lightly browned and fragrant, remove from oven and allow cooling.

Place the walnuts and 4 TBS of flour in a food processor. Process until fine. Set aside.

Add the salt to the remaining flour. Cream the butter and the sugar. Add the vanilla. Mix. Add the flour and mix. Finally add the walnuts and mix.
Form 4 balls of dough, wrap them in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees again. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicon liner.

Remove the dough from the fridge. Tear off a piece and roll it into a ball. Do this with all the dough. Place the balls on a cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes – until bottom is lightly browned and cookie hardens a little. Remove from oven and allow cooling on pan. Place the cookies into a bowl with some confectioner’s sugar and roll them. Once covered in sugar place them on a wire cooling rack.

Place some more confectioners’ sugar into a small sifter and sift over the cookies. Serve and enjoy!

2 cookies – CALORIES 215.39; FAT 15.75 grs (sat 8.11; mono 3.65; poly 2.92); PROTEIN 2.62 grs ; FIBER 0.79 grs; CARBS 16.74 grs; CHOLESTEROL 32.56 mg; IRON 0.92 mg; SODIUM 40.92 mg; CALCIUM 11.16 mg

Print the Snowball Cookies Recipe Here

These little cookies are very pretty and a great addition to any Christmas platter! They are also quite easy to make. Kids love to make these so make sure to include them in the project! Here is what you are going to need for these:

Makes about 30 cookies

½ cup unsalted butter – room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1 egg
2 cups of flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
About 30 fruit candies – chopped

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.

Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl. Add the almond extract and the egg. Mix until completely uniform. Add the dry ingredients. Mix until the dough resembles thick bread crumbs.

Press the dough together to form a ball. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Take dough out of the fridge. Tear 1/3rd of the dough and roll out – on a floured board – to 1/8th of an inch. Use your favorite cookies cutter shapes and cut the cookies. Carefully place cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Using a sharp knife – cut a triangle of circle in the middle of your cookie, depending on the shape you picked. Make sure to reuse the dough. Place a few chopped candies in the hole.

Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for about 10 minutes – until the candy has melted and the cookies are very light brown. Do not over bake them as the candy will start to bubble and get ruined.

Remove from oven and allow cooling on sheet for about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer cookies onto a wire cooling rack. Serve and enjoy! These cookies will last for a week in an airtight container, at room temperature.

2 cookies – CALORIES 198.03; FAT 6.73 grs (sat 4.06; mono 1.75; poly 0.38); PROTEIN 2.31 grs ; FIBER 0.67 grs; CARBS 32.39 grs; CHOLESTEROL 28.90 mg; IRON 0.89 mg; SODIUM 102.97 mg; CALCIUM 19.59 mg

Print the Stained Glass Cookies Recipe Here

These little cookies taste very much like ginger bread cookies but are soft. They are super easy to make and an absolute hit. Here is what you heed to do for these:

Makes 45 cookies

¾ cup vegetable shortening
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 egg
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 ¼ cups flour
Sugar for topping

Cream the shortening, brown sugar, molasses and egg in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients and mix until uniform. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Spread some sugar on a plate.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Form little balls – you can use a cookie scoop to have uniform sizes. Place the dough ball on the sugar and press in onto one side. Place the cookie on the sheet sugar side up. Gently press it down. Place them on the sheet an inch apart from each other.

Bake the cookies for about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove them from oven when they start to lightly brown. Allow cooling on sheet for 4 to 5 minutes. Move to a wire cooling rack. Cool down completely.

Serve and enjoy! These will keep for a week in an airtight container at room temperature.

5 cookies – CALORIES 362.40 ; FAT 16.88 grs (sat 4.23; mono 3.57; poly 8.25); PROTEIN 3.99 grs ; FIBER 1.07 grs; CARBS 48.16 grs; CHOLESTEROL 20.66 mg; IRON 2.16 mg; SODIUM 221.11 mg; CALCIUM 43.91 mg

Print the Molasses Crinkles Recipe Here

This loaf is super easy to make. The combination of bananas and pineapples is an absolute win-win. Make sure you are using very ripe bananas for this – the kind that are so black you think you need to throw them away! Here is what you need for this:

Serves 12

3 very ripe bananas – mashed
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
3 TBS vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup whipping cream
2 ½ cups flour
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 canned pineapple slices – cut into chunks (no syrup)
1 TBS brown sugar for topping

Heat oven at 350 degrees. Prepare a bread loaf by oiling or buttering it.

In a bowl place the mashed banana, sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla and cream. Whisk until smooth.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk until all ingredients are combined.

Add the pineapple and mix well. Pour the batter into the bread loaf. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top.

Place the banana bread in the oven and bake for about 1 hour – or until a cake pin comes out clean.

Remove bread from oven and allow cooling in the pan for a few minutes. Turn the pan over and cool the bread on a wire cooling rack. Cool down completely before slicing.

Serve and enjoy!

1/2th of bread – CALORIES 284.03; FAT 10.07 grs (sat 3.95; mono 4.47; poly 1.04); PROTEIN 4.37 grs ; FIBER 1.66 grs; CARBS 44.96 grs; CHOLESTEROL 49.71 mg; IRON 1.59 mg; SODIUM 214.94 mg; CALCIUM 65.58 mg

Print the Banana Pineapple Bread Recipe Here

These cookies are very easy to make and are not overwhelmingly sweet. Be careful not to eat them all in one sitting! Here is what you need for these:

Makes about 30 cookies

8 fresh or 10 dried figs
1 cup apple juice
1 cup orange juice – preferably freshly squeezed
½ cup sugar
2 puff pastry sheets – thawed

Place the figs in a pan. Add the juices and bring to a soft boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until the juice has reduced considerably and the figs are soft. Cool the figs down completely and process them in the food processor.

Place ½ cup of sugar on a board and spread it out. Using a rolling pin, press a sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar. Spoon ½ of the fig mixture onto the dough. Roll it tightly into a log. Wrap the roll with plastic wrap and freeze for at least one hour and up to 2 months.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line some cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicon mat.

Remove the dough from the freezer and allow thawing a little bit – until soft enough to cut. Using a serrated knife, cut the dough into ½ inch thick cookies. Place the cookies on the pan and bake for about 8 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and flip the cookies carefully. Bake for an additional 4 to 5 minutes until evenly browned. Remove the pan from the oven again and allow cooling for 3 to 4 minutes. Place the cookies on a wire rack and cool down completely.
Store your cookies in an airtight container for about 4 days. Enjoy!

6 cookies – CALORIES 205.77; FAT 6.3 grs (sat 1.56; mono 3.44; poly 0.89); PROTEIN 1.97 grs ; FIBER 2.33 grs; CARBS 37.22 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00mg; IRON 0.78 mg; SODIUM 41.82 mg; CALCIUM 32.83 mg

Print the Fig Pinwheels Recipe Here

Chocolate and cranberries are a perfect match! Here’s a very easy recipe for some little, chewy cookies that combine both. Here is what you are going to need for these:

Makes about 6 dozen
1 cup unsalted butter – room temperature
2 eggs – room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
½ cup dark brown sugar or ¼ cup dark corn syrup
2 ½ cups white flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line some baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.

Place the butter, eggs, vanilla and sugars (or corn syrup if using) in a bowl. Mix until evenly creamed.

Add the flour, salt and baking soda. Beat until well incorporated. Do not over-beat.

Add the chocolate chips and cranberries. Beat only until it is all mixed well.

Scoop out your cookie dough – 2 inches apart – onto your cookie sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes – until lightly browned.

Remove cookies from oven and allow cooling on sheet for 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Cool down completely and enjoy!

These cookies will freeze beautifully and will keep for about 4 days in an airtight container.

4 cookies – CALORIES 315.65; FAT 16.69 grs (sat 10.04; mono 4.76; poly 0.789); PROTEIN 3.4 grs ; FIBER 1.96 grs; CARBS 41.62 grs; CHOLESTEROL 47.80 mg; IRON 1.56 mg; SODIUM 212.24 mg; CALCIUM 18.98 mg

Print the Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Here

A dark chocolate torte is a flourless chocolate cake that is rich and decadent. This cake is not something you will be eating in large quantities. But the size you do eat will be so ultra-satisfying you will not need to overindulge. We will glaze this with a chocolate ganache but you can also dust this cake with some confectioner’s sugar and top it with berries.

Serves sixteen

FOR THE TORTE:
16 oz. Bitter sweet chocolate – chopped
¾ cup unsalted butter
1 TBS coffee liquor
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 TBS water
¼ tsp. salt
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa

Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan with some buttered parchment paper. Butter the rest of the pan and set aside.
Place the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Melt the chocolate, stirring constantly. You can do this in the microwave as well. Whisk in the coffee liquor and remove from heat. Set aside and allow cooling.

Beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla, water and salt in a large bowl – until eggs are pale yellow and have doubled in volume. Carefully add in the melted chocolate. Continue beating for about 2 minutes. Add the cocoa. Mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes until an inserted cake pin comes out with moist cake crumbs. Remove pan from oven and place on a cooling rack. Let it cool down completely. Cover the cake and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Frost the cake with chocolate ganache or dust it with confectioners’ sugar. Serve and enjoy.

FOR THE GANACHE:
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate – chopped
1 TBS butter
1 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate and the butter into a bowl. Bring the cream to an almost boil – when you start seeing little bubbles you are done. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and butter. Let it sit for a couple of minutes – untouched.
Whisk the chocolate and cream until it turns even and smooth.

CALORIES 435.94; FAT 31.39 grs (sat 18.79; mono 9.65; poly 1.23); PROTEIN 5.67 grs; FIBER 4.42 grs; CARBS 40.58 grs; CHOLESTEROL 112.13 mg; IRON 3.23 mg; SODIUM 71.32 mg; CALCIUM 45.49mg

Print the Dark Chocolate Torte Recipe Here

Print the Ganache Recipe Here

Ganache refers to a smooth covering that is used to frost deserts. It is very easy to make. Here is what you will need for this:

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate – chopped
1 TBS butter
1 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate and the butter into a bowl. Bring the cream to an almost boil – when you start seeing little bubbles you are done. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and butter. Let it sit for a couple of minutes – untouched.

Whisk the chocolate and cream until it turns even and smooth.

Print the Chocolate Ganache Recipe Here

There are different ways to make this dessert but I think this is by far the easiest. The end result is so wonderful you won’t want to make it any other way! This video also contains tips on making a perfect caramel, that does not crystallize. Here is what you are going to need for this:

1 cup sugar
1 – 14 oz. can evaporated milk
1 – 14 oz. can condensed milk
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

• Add sugar to a heavy pan. Melt sugar at medium heat.
• Swirl pan as the sugar is melting being very careful not to burn it.
• Once all sugar has melted, increase heat and cook until amber in color.
• Pour caramel into a mold without scraping the pot.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Whisk until you have a uniform cream – about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Pour custard into the mold.
• Place mold in an oven proof dish with high sides. Fill it half-way with hot water.
• Place dish into oven and cook for about 1 hour.
• Remove flan from oven and cool down completely.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Place on a platter and serve. Enjoy!

Print the Flan or Creme Caramel Recipe Here