cookies and bars Archives - East of Eden Cooking

2018/10/22

Toffee Bar Cookies

Toffee Bar Cookies are fabulous. These Bar Cookies are a blondie type bar cookie with toffee bits folded into the dough. A plus, the recipe comes together quickly. Even the crumbs will disappear.

“The afternoon was golden, for the yellow dust in the sky gilded the light.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

I was planning on sharing an autumn salad but the recipe for Toffee Bar Cookies landed in my in-box. I almost forgot about the recipe (I found it in my trash folder) until I saw a vendor at the local farmers market selling toffee. Not just toffee, but bags of broken pieces specifically for baking. Oh, are you making cookies, he asked? Sure! I answered. Obviously this is a regular occurrence at the toffee makers booth. Making toffee laced cookies is not a regular occurrence in my kitchen. But my goodness, these Toffee Bar Cookies are special and worthy of the calorie splurge. Can I say I’m recipe testing for the holidays? READ MORE . . .

2017/08/082018/01/25

Raspberry Brownies

More than just Brownies

I remember the five-fingered ferns growing under the waterfalls, bobbing their green fingers as the droplets struck them. And I remember the smells of the hills, wild azalea and a very distant skunk and the sweet cloy of lupin and horse sweat on harness.
East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Brownies, why yes! Summer raspberries, of course! Yes to summer bliss in every bite. With such an unassuming recipe title it might be easy to ignore this compelling summer treat. This is a brownie with just enough chocolate to share the stage with in-season raspberries. A bittersweet chocolate glaze drizzled over the brownie takes these brownies from snack worthy to dessert. This is such an easy recipe to make, well worth the results. Just fantastic with summer berries. We went berry picking at Live Earth Farm, coming home with red and golden raspberries, a flat of blackberries too. I took a few photos for Instagram, made lots of jam and these brownies. Walking around the house barefoot is a favorite part of my summer, but intensely flavored summer berries might be even better.

Essentials

I thought the recipe was light on the chocolate, but this is not a dusky, dark chocolate brownie. This brownie is perfectly matched to complement sweet, summer raspberries. A drizzle of bittersweet chocolate adds the pop of flavor I crave in my favorite recipes. READ MORE . . .

2017/06/092018/01/26

Jammy Fruit Bars

June!

“The green lasted on the hills far into June before the grass turned yellow. The heads of the wild oats were so heavy with seed that they hung over on their stalks. The little springs trickled on late in the summer. The range cattle staggered under their fat and their hides shone with health. It was a year when the people of the Salinas Valley forgot the dry years.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

I love June. The explosion of summer fruit has arrived! Peaches, nectarines and plums, I want them all. Melons, grapes, cherries and berries, it’s so good. This is a perfect recipe to use up an overabundance of seasonal fruit and any jars of last years’ jam. No one will have a clue that you are cleaning out the pantry with these lush bar cookies. This is such a no-fail recipe. I’ve made strawberry with strawberry jam, apricot with apricot jam and for this batch, nectarines with apricot jam. I really want to try plum with plum jam and a batch with mixed fruit, maybe apricot and peach. Baking with ripe, seasonal fruit doesn’t get any better than these Jammy Fruit Bars. READ MORE . . .

2017/05/202018/02/09

Stroopwafels

Always about the Caramel

“Then there was his education and reading, the books he bought and borrowed, his knowledge of things that could not be eaten or worn or cohabited with, his interest in poetry and his respect for good writing.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

I arrived early for an appointment in Monterey. Traffic between Salinas and Monterey can be easy or horrendous, I got lucky and had time to spare. Instead of heading to the shopping mall, I made a stop at a Monterey thrift shop, Branches. There was a time I made the rounds of thrift stores every week, now I drop in every once in a while. I’m never looking for anything in particular, it’s more about finding something fabulous, especially vintage cookbooks. This trip, there was a Toastmaster, Pizzelle and International Cookie Maker. Although it wasn’t in its’ original box, it looked new. Along with the instruction manual, there was a Baking with Julia booklet, Program #112 with Nick Malieri, titled Italian Specialty Cookies. I certainly didn’t need another kitchen appliance and went to my appointment. READ MORE . . .

2017/03/092018/02/09

Lime Snowball Cookies

Sweet Limes

“ At noon on March 15 Tom sat on the bench outside the forge. The sunny morning was over, and gray water bearing clouds sailed over the mountains from the ocean, and their shadows slid under them on the bright earth.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

It took me almost three weeks to score these organic, tree-ripened Bearss limes. So yes, I do have more #CitrusLove to share. If you prefer lemons over limes, I know why. The dark green limes at the grocery store are so sour they often are bitter. These limes are picked before they mature. If limes are left on the tree to ripen, they are less bitter, similar to a tangy lemon. Ripe limes often are yellow too. A tree ripened Bearss lime is sweeter, seedless and often pale yellow. A Bearss lime can also be known as a Tahitian lime or Persian lime. If you can find sweet limes, take them home with you. It’s quite the winter surprise. READ MORE . . .