Favorite Cookie [051-060]

Can you believe that the last time I posted a "Favorite Cookie" post, it was just after Thanksgiving in November?! Whoaa nuts! Time flies/I don't update fast enough. You'll just have to deal with that though--both of those things. Anyway, I hope you are doing well. I hope everything is great. I hope you baked a lot of cookies and other foods. I hope that now that we're technically out of the "Holiday Season," and just about out of the "Post-Holiday Season" diet obsessions, that we can all agree it's time to start eating cookies again. No, I never stopped in the first place, but I'm just trying to get everyone on the same page here. Great! Let's review, shall we?

1st place (Blue Ribbon!): Chocolate Meringues

These were pretty fab, I'd say. What looks like a rather difficult and fancy cookie turned out to be simple and quick to make. They tasted awesome, were light and airy (as meringues should be!) and are too cute for words. Done and done.

2nd place (Honorable Mention!): Rum Balls

These were a close second! I had never had, let alone heard of, cookies like these, so they get extra points for originality. The rum tasted great too, and the coarse sugar surrounding the dense and chewy chocolate--textural perfection. They aren't gorgeous, but they ain't fugly neither! Good for fancy parties too, so dust off that vintage Givenchy gown...or just put on some sweats, gurrrlz (and boiiiz? are there any boys out there? hello???).

3rd place: White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondies

Oh yum. These just tasted really great. Plain and simple. I dare you to find someone who doesn't like these. Even if you aren't a white chocolate fan, it works so well with the ginger in this recipe. Great for shipping/packaging too, I bet!

4th place: Sweet Cardamom Crackers

So, mine didn't come out cracker-y enough, but I still thought they tasted awesome. The dough is so intensely cardamom-y, and I would probably be satisfied with eating just the baked dough without the toppings, but the coconut and pistachios on top are a perfect addition. I recommend them muchly.

5th place: Chunky Peanut, Chocolate, and Cinnamon Cookies

Definitely winners too. Even though they aren't totally drastically original, the small trace of cinnamon in them is a nice touch. Next time I might add a pinch more cinnamon, actually...either way, though, the chocolate-peanut combo is one of best in The Book!

6th place: Lemon Madeleines

So purdy, right?? These tasted really nice, but they're exactly what you expect and not much more. If you want Madeleines, you should absolutely make these! That being said, I think there were some more interesting cookies this round, that's all...

7th place: Thin and Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These were another great chocolate-chip recipe, and actually came close to my holy grail of chocolate-chip cookies (ie. the one sold at City Bakery in NYC). However, mine didn't come out as thin as I had hope, which was a bit of a let down. But it don't matter much do it? They taste great and, honestly, who's going to argue with a chocolate-chip cookie? You?! Yeah right.

8th place: Cocoa Shortbread Diamonds

Another tasty cookie, but nothing shockingly original. The title explains it, and other than that, I don't have much to say about them. Oh, be sure to bust out some crazy cookie cutters for these though! And you can practice your icing/cookie decorating skills.

9th place: Coconut Macaroons

These were also really yummy, but I don't think they're the best Macaroon I've had. Maybe I've ranked them too low--they really were quite tasty. I dunno, nothing much to say, that's all.

10th place (Brown Ribbon!): Honey Florentines

Yo, I might be at fault for this one, seeing as I used caramelized honey which might have made them be super gummy and gunky, but even still, they aren't much of a cookie. I guess you'd make them to stick into a fancy scoop of gelato or creme fraiche or some other chic dessert, but other than that, you're probably not going to crave one of these guys in the middle of the night.

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Woof, I'm tired. Are you ready for more? How about some nice Valentine-y cookies? That seems to be a popular thing. Oh HAAAAAY!!!! I JUST REALIZED SOMETHING!!! We're fast approaching this blog's FIRST BIRTHDAY! Holy cow. Holy smokes. Holy moly. Holy hell. Better do something unfuckinbelievable. You just wait.