Sexy Conversation Heart Cookies

I got the idea to make these Sexy Conversation Heart Cookies after spotting some cookies topped with song lyrics on Instagram a few days ago. Those are cute, I thought, but wouldn't it be fun to take it up a notch?

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Chewy Espresso Cookies

Thank you Domino® Sugar for sponsoring this holiday baking post. 

Did you grow up baking Christmas cookies in your family? I know it's a tradition for many, but you might be surprised to learn that it's actually not the case for me.

My mom is a great cook, but she absolutely does not bake. My grandmother used to make wonderful desserts, but very few of those involved baking. Our holiday treats and traditions consisted of Puerto Rican favorites like arroz con leche (rice pudding), tembleque (coconut pudding), and coquito (our Puerto Rican version of eggnog), the latter of which my mom would make in bulk every December for my dad to give to his coworkers.

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Guava Linzer Cookies

There's this cookie that I'm always craving. It's a giant heart-shaped Linzer cookie filled with raspberry jam and topped with big, sparkly sugar crystals. There are a lot of cookies that look like it, but the one that I want--the VERY SPECIFIC one that I want--is unfortunately, not available in NYC.

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Orange Cocoa Chip Coconut Macaroon Cookies

Growing up, classic coconut macaroons were a favorite in our house. We called them besitos de coco (coconut kisses), and enjoyed the chewy treats as often as possible. I've made several versions of them over the years, but these Orange Cocoa Chip Coconut Macaroon Cookies are definitely my new favorite.

With Easter just a few days away, I thought I'd share this simple recipe that you can whip up in less than half an hour. I've teamed up with Nestlé and ElMejorNido.com this Spring to share a few fun and easy recipes featuring some of their products that I've used for years. First up is La Lechera Sweetened Condensed Milk, which is a favorite of mine for things like making homemade dulce de leche and (my favorite!) Christmas coquito.

While some macaroon recipes call for separating eggs and baking at super low temperatures, this easy recipe uses the condensed milk as well as a whole egg (no separating!) to both sweeten and bind the ingredients in a single step. It's a trick I hadn't tried before, but now that I have, I'm totally hooked!

Like a cross between a chewy chocolate chip cookie and a flaky coconut macaroon, these Orange Cocoa Chip Coconut Macaroon Cookies have a soft cookie-like base, and the equal-parts crunchy and chewy mound of coconut on top that one expects from a macaroon.

Honestly, they're kind of magical!

Fresh orange zest and a bit of cinnamon add wonderful flavor, while a generous handful of crunchy, raw cocoa nibs, give it that "chocolate chip" like flavor. (You can also use mini chocolate chips, if you prefer, though I love the crunch of the cocoa nibs.)

The trick to these cookies is to use both large flaky coconut chips, and ground desiccated coconut. When baked, the ground coconut creates the base, while the flaky chips mound up on top in a way that almost seems like magic.

(But it's not magic. It's baking science.)

This recipe makes about 20 or so cookies, depending on how big you scoop them, and they keep well for a few days so you can make them in advance. Also feel free to play around with the flavors! Substitute lemon or lime zest, add chopped nuts or dried fruit, or even drizzle a bit of chocolate on top after they're done baking!

They're so simple to make that you can make multiple variations and serve up a whole platter to your friends and family. These are perfect for Easter (also check out these other Easter dessert ideas.)

This post is sponsored by Nestlé and ElMejorNido.com. For more great recipes and ideas, visit ElMejorNido.com. 

Orange Cocoa Chip Coconut Macaroon Cookies

Yields about 20 cookies

Ingredients
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk (such as NESTLE LA LECHERA)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups ground desiccated coconut (unsweetened)
1/3 cup raw cocoa nibs
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together egg, condensed milk, and vanilla extract.

Add the coconut, cocoa nibs, coconut flakes, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt, and stir well to combine. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, about 1 ½ inches apart.

Bake 20 - 25 minutes, or until cookies are slightly toasted around the edges, bottom, and on top. Transfer cookies to a rack and let cool completely before serving.

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Banana Bread Cookie Sandwiches with Honey Cream Cheese

 

This past weekend, I was straightening out a few things on the kitchen counter when I realized I had a giant pile of ripe bananas that absolutely-positively-definitely needed to be used up THAT VERY DAY.

It's a common thing around here. We buy the bananas for Eugene's post-gym protein shakes, but he can only go through them so quickly. I don't really like to eat bananas in non-cake-or-dessert form, and while Hudson would eat them all if we gave him the chance...we will not be giving him that chance. (Sorry, doggy!)

And so, there was baking to do.

I put out a call on Facebook asking people what they recommended I make with them (and got some pretty fantastic ideas!), but the truth is that I already knew even before I asked.

I wanted to make banana bread cookies!

I was picturing a soft cookie--somewhere in between chewy and cake-y--studded with walnuts and filled with whipped honey cream cheese.

NOT cream cheese frosting, mind you...just real cream cheese, lightly sweetened with honey and a bit of cinnamon for that perfect combination of sweet banana and salty-sweet cheese.

Basically, I wanted a dessert version of one of my favorite breakfast treats (that would be toasted banana bread with cream cheese...oh yes!)

And so, that's what I made, and I couldn't be happier with the results!

This recipe makes some pretty giant banana bread cookies, which then become giant banana bread cookie sandwiches.

You could make them smaller, but I think the giant-ness is part of the charm here, wouldn't you agree?

And...I think it goes without saying that these are TOTALLY acceptable breakfast cookies.

Happy baking!

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Loved this recipe? Let's connect so you can find out the next time I post! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. Thanks so much for reading!    

Banana Bread Cookie Sandwiches with Honey Cream Cheese
Yields about 8 giant cookies sandwiches

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 very ripe banana, peeled and mashed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup walnuts (optional)

For the filling
8oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat together butter and both sugars for 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, mashed banana, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg for 1 minute.

Add the flour mixture and mix well until evenly combined. Fold in the walnuts, if using.

Use a cookie scoop to scoop out about 1/4-cup sized spoonfuls of dough and arrange 2-3 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes, or cookies have spread, puffed slightly in the center and are golden brown.

Let cool on pan 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

While the cookies cool, prepare the filling by using an electric mixer to whip the cream cheese with the honey and cinnamon.

Once the cookies are cool, spread half of them with the filling and sandwich. Serve immediately, or wrap each one in plastic wrap to store.

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Thin & Chewy Smoked Brown Sugar Cookies

I don't usually try to urge you to buy specific specialty ingredients, but today I'm going to make an exception. This incredible Thin and Chewy Smoked Brown Sugar Cookies are made with smoked brown sugar, which is a thing that I didn't even know existed until a couple weeks ago.

Golden brown and moist like regular brown sugar, this sugar is smoked, giving it a woodsy, smoky richness reminiscent of barbecues and bonfires.

It's incredible!

Just the sort of thing you might want to rub on meats or sprinkle on popcorn. And it is also amazing baked into cookies.

(Think about trying it in your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!)

Wanting to make it all about the amazing smoky sugar with no competition from other ingredients, I made these simple thin and chewy brown sugar cookies. It's an easy recipe, but it's the awesome ingredients that make them super special.

I love how these have just the tiniest bit of crunch around the very edge, and then the perfect amount of chew all throughout.

Try these for your next cookie exchange or party; people will be begging you to find out how you made them!

BTW, if you can't get the smoked sugar, this recipe also works using all brown sugar. It won't be smoked, but you'll still have a pretty fantastic cookie on your hands!

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Loved this recipe? Let's connect so you can find out the next time I post! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. Thanks so much for reading!   

Thin and Chewy Smoked Brown Sugar Cookies
Yields 2 dozen (adapted from Epicurious)

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup smoked brown sugar (I like this kind)
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Flaky sea salt (use smoked Maldon salt if you can find it!), for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat together butter and both sugars for 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla for 1 minute.

Add the flour mixture and mix well until evenly combined.

Use a spoon or cookie scoop to shape small balls about 2 tablespoons each. Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet, and press down lightly with finger tips.

Sprinkle with flaky salt, if using, and bake 8-9 minutes, or until flat and just slightly golden around the edges.

Let cool on pan 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Note: Cookies will crisp slightly at first as they cool, but will regain their chewiness once stored together in an airtight container for a few hours or overnight. (They're also amazing warmed up for just a few seconds in the microwave!)

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Guest Post: No-Bake Cranberry Nut Clusters by Connie of Urban Bakes

Hi, I’m Connie from Urban Bakes. When I’ve asked others why they don’t cook regularly, more often than not their answers are along the lines of ‘I want to but don’t have time’ or ‘the recipe(s) sounds/looks complicated.’ My goal is to bring to the table quick, easy-to-read recipes minus the intimidation for any beginner or veteran foodie with a busy schedule. In addition, I use baking as part of my therapy from my day job, which goes well with my sweet tooth, especially when it comes to chocolate. 

Ever bought a box of cereal certain you were going to love it? 

Thought it was the perfect breakfast for your diet only to discover it wasn’t what you imagined. Now you’re stuck with a box of cereal you don’t really enjoy and mentally struggle with the idea you may have to waste food by throwing it out; yet, if you save it, you have no idea what to do with it. Every now and then this happens to myself. 

It was much easier as a child eating any sugar-filled cereal, but these days while trying to be a bit more health conscious, I sometimes encounter products that weren’t what I expected. 

So now what do you do with unwanted cereal? How about an upgrade?

After all, this is exactly what we do with Rice Krispies, transforming this cereal into delicious marshmallow treats and what about the plain ol’ Chex Mix? I often see this cereal used as a base for an assortment of ‘puppy chow’ flavors. So why not do the same to your cereal flakes? This is exactly what I did to the left over Fiber One Honey Clusters that was sitting on top of my fridge for a month.

This treat is packed with a sweet and nutty flavor and a crunchy bite that will have you leave wondering how is it possible to have a cookie for breakfast or cereal as a snack.

With its perfect proportion of cranberries and variety of nuts, this is one treat you may never get enough of.

As an added benefit, if you opt for a brand such as Fiber One, one or two cookies will leave you feeling satiated (due to its high fiber content).

Not bad huh? In general, this is one of the quickest and easiest recipes I’ve ever made. From start to finish in less than 30 minutes, and you can transform your unwanted cereal to one of the most delicious sweet and nutty cookie clusters without ever touching the oven!

Not bad for this unpredictable change of weather into the turn of a new season. Call it breakfast or a snack, it’s one you can certainly make all year round.

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Love this idea for transforming unwanted cereal? Visit Connie's blog, Urban Bakes, friend her on her Facebook page, or follow her on Twitter at @urbanbakes.

No-Bake Cranberry Nut Clusters
slightly adapted from Betty Crocker Pockets: Fall Baking. Yields 1 dozen

Ingredients
2 cups Fiber One Honey Clusters cereal or any cereal flakes
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/3 cup cashews, chopped or halved lengthwise
6 tbsp packed brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/8 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions
In a large bowl, mix cereal, cranberries and cashews; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, mix sugar, syrup and peanut butter.  Bring to a boil for one minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla.

Pour syrup over cereal mixture and mix until evenly coated.

Drop 1/4 cup of mixture onto waxed paper and allow the clusters to cool completely.

Tips

• Recipe can be doubled.

• If you don’t have this brand or flavor at home, try using other cereals such as Corn Flakes, Total, or Grape Nuts.

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Buttered Popcorn Blondies

A few weeks ago, I was asked to contribute a sweet treat to a charity bake sale. I quickly agreed, and then spent FOR-EV-ER trying to figure out what to make.

I finally decided to go with blondies.

Blondies are unfairly underrated. They're looked upon as brownie's milder, less-delicious sister, which I understand, but simply don't accept.

Blondies shouldn't be compared to brownies; they're their own wonderful treat! A perfect blank canvas that can be customized and transformed to every taste or season. And even when left alone, plain and simple, they can be absolutely sublime. Hints of butterscotch and vanilla. A thin crackly crust. And that melty, almost cookie-dough like texture (because blondies, like many sweets, are best served slightly underdone).

Yes, a blondie is a beautiful thing.

For this batch I decided to add popcorn. I had to buy a lot of popcorn for another recipe project I'm working on, and so the boxes and bags of popcorn kernels have been sitting on my kitchen counter for weeks just begging to be played with. While standing there trying to figure out what to put in my blondies, I saw them and knew it had to be done.

A quick Google to see if anyone else had the same idea came up empty, but I did discover some popcorn cookies from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook via the lovely Joy, which gave me the confidence to go ahead with my plan.

Salty, buttery microwave popcorn, folded into that salty, butterscotch-y batter.

Baked just a couple minutes short of complete, then left to cool at room temperature for a few hours until the popcorn softens a bit into the batter.

The result is delightfully chewy and sticky, with hints of popcorn balls and a bit of toasted corn. It reminded me a little bit of that cereal, Corn Pops! Sweet. Salty.

I actually ate four of them before I realized what I was doing and packed the rest away.

Now here's the thing: popcorn being popcorn means that there are going to be a few little hulls in your blondie. The soft corn part softens into the batter, but that tiny bit o' hull will still be there. I didn't mind, and even enjoyed this, but Eugene was not a fan. (That said, Eugene won't eat oatmeal or farro because they have "plastic-y bits," so he's very particular about texture.)

Just a fair warning.

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!  

Buttered Popcorn Blondies

Ingredients
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted
1 1/2 cups tightly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 bag microwave popcorn, popped [NOTE: use something buttered and salted or about 1/4 cup kernels, popped then buttered and salted if you prefer to pop your own. Be sure to sift through and remove the unpopped kernels!]
Flaky sea salt for garnish (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with foil so that it overhangs, and grease the sides.

Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the base of a mixer and beat until creamy and evenly combined. Add the salt and flour and continue to mix. You should have a creamy, loose batter. Now use a spatula to fold the popcorn in a few cups at a time until it's fully coated in the batter. (Make sure there are NO unpopped kernels left; you don't want to lose a tooth!)

Spread the batter out on the prepared pan (it will be thick) and use fingers dipped in cold water to even it out. Sprinkly with a bit of flaky sea salt, if using.

Pop in the oven and bake for about 18 - 20 minutes, or until the edges are a little bit darker and the top is all set and glossy looking. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan 10 minutes, before lifting out onto a rack to cool further. (You can also pop it in the fridge.)

Once completely cool, slice into squares and serve. Will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for about 3 days. 

Basic blondie base recipe adapted from Inspired Taste.

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Springtime Italian Rainbow Cookies with Lemon Curd

I'd like to introduce you to one of my absolute all-time favorite sweets.

It's my bright and breezy spring twist on the classic Italian Rainbow Cookies, which you already know I'm obsessed with.

I call these Lily Pullitzer beauties my Springtime Rainbows, and I think they are just perfect for the season!

Brightly colored layers of moist, dense almond cake are filled with tart lemon curd and seedless raspberry jam. Instead of the usual dark chocolate, I cover them with a crackling shell of sweet white chocolate which is perfect against the cool tartness of the lemon curd.

Sliced into one-inch bites, these are fantastic with a cup of tea or a glass of refreshing strawberry thyme limeade. They're also gorgeous and would be a welcome treat at any spring or summer brunch or tea party.

I developed this recipe nearly 5 years ago when I briefly ran a mail order business selling and shipping these cookies all over the country. I specialized in rainbow cookies in a variety of flavors and colors. I also made this amazing Italian Rainbow Cookie Cake.

It was a success, but exhausting since I was also maintaining a full-time job as a magazine editor. After a few months of no sleep (and permanently pink and green fingertips!) I realized that it wasn't the life for me.

Now I just bake up a few batches of these cookies for my friends, parties, and a few select special occasions.

Such an occasion came up this past weekend, when I was asked to participate as a blogger baker for the Sweet Sensations dessert tasting benefiting C-CAP or The Careers Through Culinary Arts Program--a wonderful organization that works with public schools across the country to prepare under-served high school students for college and career opportunities in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

I'll be sharing more about the event later this week when I get the photos in, but for now I want to share this cookie recipe with you. 

I made 100 of these cookies to share with the guests on Sunday, and they were definitely a hit. 

FYI: From the photos you can see that the white chocolate shattered a bit--that's because I forgot to bring along a proper knife to the event location (a good sharp chef's knife is best), and had to use a small ceramic knife that was a little too thick to get a nice clean cut. They still tasted amazing, though!

I'm not typically a white chocolate fan, but I really love the way it pairs against the tart lemon curd in this recipe. Even if you don't like white chocolate, I urge you to try it. It's honestly just the thing!

P.S. I recently added a feature to make it easier for your pin any of my recipes on to Pinterest. Just mouse over the photo and a button will appear for you to click and pin to your favorite boards. 

Let me know what you think, and thanks so much for sharing--it really does mean the world to me! 

You can follow me on Pinterest here. 

xoxo

Alejandra

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!  

Springtime Italian Rainbow Cookies
Depending how you cut them, this makes between 20-40 cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
1 cup granulated white sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
8oz almond paste, grated (this is flexible--you can use between 6-10oz with same results)
1 tablespoon pure almond extract
Zest of one whole lemon
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
hot pink, green, and yellow liquid food coloring
1 cup lemon curd (I love Dickinson's or use a homemade curd)
12oz (1 bag) white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate (use the delicious kind!)
1 teaspoon Crisco or coconut oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three 9" square baking pans with parchment paper. You can also just do one layer at a time if you don't have multiple pans.

Cream butter and sugar in the base of a mixer for 5 minutes until very light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat for 3 more minutes. Add almond paste, extract, and lemon, and beat for 2-3 more minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt, and mix into the wet ingredients until completely combined. Divide batter into three bowls and dye each a different color (I like yellow, lime green, and pink, but you can play around and use whatever colors you like!)

Spread each bowl of batter into one of the prepared pans, then bake for about 9 to 12 minutes, or until edges are a bit golden and middle is set. Transfer to cooling racks and cool completely.

To assemble: lay the yellow layer down then top with 1emon curd, spreading evenly out to the edges. Top with the pink layer, then spread with raspberry jam. Finally cover with the green layer. Wrap the entire stack tightly with plastic and cover with a heavy book or pan. Let chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours (or overnight).

Place the white chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and microwave for 1 minute or until melted, stirring until smooth. Stir in the Crisco until it melts and is evenly distributed (this will make it possible to cut the chocolate cleanly). Pour over the layered cake and spread evenly. Let chill in the fridge for one hour, or until completely set. Cut into 1" pieces and serve.

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Easter Egg Cake Cookies

One of the very first recipes I EVER created all on my own were cake cookies.

I was about 9 or 10 and just getting into experimenting in the kitchen. I wanted to make some homemade cookies, and ended up mixing up a bunch of things in a bowl--flour, eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, baking powder. I scooped piles of the resulting dough onto a baking sheet and stuck it in the oven, sitting down in front to peek in every few minutes.

What came out was, miraculously, delicious!

They weren't like any cookies I'd ever tasted--these were more like little round cakes--soft and plump in the middle, with a bit of crisp around the edges.

My brother and I ate these along with one of his friends, who I remember suggested putting butter on it (a genius idea that at the time we thought was weird, but which now I love--cake or cookies spread with salty butter is delicious!).

The problem was that since I had literally just winged the whole thing, I had no idea how to recreate it.

Years passed and I forgot about those childhood cake cookies. But then one day I tasted a black & white cookie--the New York City favorite of a soft cake-like cookie iced with chocolate and vanilla frosting.

They tasted like MY cake cookies!

I've since made black & white cookies a few time, though I've never written about them here. But while wondering what to do for Easter, I thought it would be fun to make egg-shaped cake cookies iced with a mix of white and pastel vanilla icing.

So that's exactly what I did. These are a fun recipe to make with kids--the cookies bake up quickly and then you can have a messy, drippy blast icing the cookies with colors of your choosing.

I love the Jackson Pollack-like mess that results.

These keep well for about 1-2 days, but being cake, they tend to get a little stale any longer than that.

Note that you'll also need an egg-shaped cookie cutter. I actually bent a round biscuit cutter into an egg shape (much to Eugene's horror: "But it'll never be a perfect circle again!!!"), but you can easily find egg cookie cutters all over the place these days.

And check this out from The Latin Kitchen, if you're looking for some other Easter dessert ideas for kids.

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!  

Easter Egg Cake Cookies
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Black & White Cookie Recipe
Makes about 12-14 Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups granulated white sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4-5 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup water
Food coloring in a few different colors

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheets with parchment paper or grease with baking spray and set aside. You'll need an egg-shaped cookie cutter for this recipe.

In the base of a mixer, beat together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs for 5 minutes until very light. Mix in the milk and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing just until everything is combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet. Spreading it out so that it's even and about 3/4" to 1" thick (it may not reach the edges completely). Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the edges have browned and the center of the cake springs up to the touch. Let cool in the baking sheet about 10 minutes.

Spritz the cookie cutter with a bit of baking spray and use to cut out egg shapes in the cake. (Feel free to snack on the edges!)

Set the eggs on a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the icing: Divide the sugar into 3 bowls (or more depending how many colors you are using), and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of water per bowl, whisking until very smooth. You want to go slow with this as if you add too much water it will be too thin to stick to the bowl. Leave one bowl white and then color the other to your desired shade. Use a spoon or small spatula to ice half of all the cookies white. Then color in the other half with the shade of your choice.

The icing is too thin and won't stick? Add more confectioners sugar. 

Too thick or has hardened? Add a bit more water.

Let the icing set before serving.

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Irish Rainbow Cookies for St. Patrick's Day

This is the cookie I cannot resist.

We all have something like this. Maybe for you it's cupcakes. You go crazy for cupcakes. You'll stand in line for a tiny cake with a pretty swirl and a sprinkle of something. You daydream. You doodle. This sentence is already making you crave them.

Or frozen yogurt. You love it. You think about it and immediately HAVE. TO. HAVE. IT. You leave your desk at work in the middle of the day to walk to the shop around the corner for a cool, frosty scoop. Actually, you're getting up right now, aren't you?

Girl Scout Cookies are big, I know. I don't like them. I will never understand them. But I know that they are pretty major. People buy them by the lot and stockpile them in the freezer to enjoy during the off-season.

I don't get the cookies, but I understand the desire.

(BTW, did you ever hear this amazing story about Ryan Gosling and Girl Scout Cookies? That man...my goodness!)

My thing? My weakness? Italian Rainbow Cookies. (Some call them Venetian cookies; some call them layer cookies. You know what I mean.)

I've been obsessed with these since I was a child growing up in New Jersey, climbing up onto a chair to fish them out of the Italian bakery assorted cookie tray. I'd grab as many as I could, then run off to enjoy them in peace.

Back in 2008, I actually started a Rainbow Cookie business, selling dozens upon dozens of my signature Rainbow Cookies in a number of different flavors and colors, as well as my Italian Rainbow Cookie Cake -- a full cake-sized version of the cookie that I created to satisfy my own childhood fantasies.

It was a hit. The people loved my rainbow cookies. The orders rolled in.

"BEST RAINBOW COOKIES EVER!" they still say. I occasionally would try other bakery's cookies and think to myself, "nope...nowhere near as good as mine!"

But...it was exhausting. Juggling a full-time job and a full-time baking business meant that I was getting no sleep and that my fingers were permanently dyed red and green like some kind of weird Christmas elf. One of the boys I dated around that time mentioned that I always smelled a little bit like sugar and almonds.

I soon started to hate rainbow cookies, so I stopped. Life is too short to spend it doing things you don't absolutely love.

I still occasionally, happily, come out of retirement for a few select clients, but other than that...no mas.

That said, for holidays and for my friends? I'm on it. The pleasure is back.

For my St. Patrick's Day party this year, I decided to pull out the shades of green for an Irish twist on the NYC classic. Moist, dense, little almond cake layers sandwiched with apricot jam and topped with a crackling layer of semisweet chocolate.

Crazy bright beauty for your eyes and your mouth.

And despite the fact that I'm meant to be in a bikini on a Mexican beach in less than 48 hours, I confess that I've been slipping into the kitchen at all hours of the night for just one more bite.

Sometimes two.

I just can't help it. They're my thing.

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!

Irish Rainbow Cookie Recipe (St. Patrick's Day Italian Rainbow Cookie Recipe)
Depending how you cut them, this makes between 20-40 cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
1 cup granulated white sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
8oz almond paste, grated (this is flexible--you can use between 6-10oz with same results)
1 tablespoon pure almond extract
Zest of one whole lemon
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
green, blue, and yellow liquid food coloring
1 cup apricot preserves
12oz semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three 9" square baking pans with parchment paper. You can also just do one layer at a time if you don't have multiple pans.

Cream butter and sugar in the base of a mixer for 5 minutes until very light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat for 3 more minutes. Add almond paste, extract, and lemon, and beat for 2-3 more minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt, and mix into the wet ingredients until completely combined. Divide batter into three bowls.

Dye one bowl a bright shade of green by adding about 1 teaspoon of green food coloring.

Dye the second bowl a bright lime green by first dying it bright yellow then slowing mixing in a few drops of blue until you get the desired shade.

Dye the third bowl a pastel shade of green (about 1/2 teaspoon of color) then add a couple drops of blue to get the final shade.

Spread each bowl of batter into one of the prepared pans, then bake for about 9 to 12 minutes, or until edges are a bit golden and middle is set. Transfer to cooling racks and cool completely.

To assemble: lay the darkest shade of green down then top with 1/2 cup of apricot jam. Top with the medium shade, then add the rest of the jam. Top with the lime green layer. Wrap with plastic and cover with a heavy book or pan. Let chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours (or overnight).

Place the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and microwave for 1 minute or until melted, stirring until smooth. Pour over the layered cake and spread evenly. Let chill in the fridge for one hour, or until set. Cut into 1" pieces and serve.

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