Lemon Curd Tarts with Fresh Blueberries

These tart, delicious treats flew off the plate! I had to hide one away inside so that I wouldn't miss out on dessert when I was putting Audrey down for the evening.

Lemon Curd Tarts
Kelley Gondring

Makes 36 tarts

Lemon Curd
4 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup strained lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt

Place egg yolks in a small bowl. Gently whisk to break up the yolks. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch and salt. Bring to a simmer. Whisk constantly for a minute or two so that all of the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is dissolved, reduce the heat to medium low. Remove 1/2 cup of the lemon mixture and whisk into the bowl of egg yolks. Once combined, pour the egg yolks into the saucepan and whisk constantly until the mixture begins to thicken, about two minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, placing plastic directly on the surface of the lemon curd (this prevents a rind from forming). Let cool completely before piping into tart shells.

While lemon curd is cooling, prepare tart shells.

Tart Shells
6 ounces cream cheese, chilled
16 tablespoons unsalted butter butter, chilled
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons heavy cream [only if necessary]

Place cream cheese, butter, flour and salt into food processor. Pulse together until a coarse meal forms. If dough is too dry (will look like sand and not hold together when pinched between two fingers), drizzle one tablespoon of the heavy cream over the dough. Pulse 5-10 times. If dough is still too dry, use remaining tablespoon of cream. Remove the pastry dough and form a large ball. Place in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Form 36 individual balls. Press into greased mini-muffin pans. Because we are going to bake these tarts before filling them, you'll need to weigh them down with aluminum foil and beans. It is kind of a pain in the butt, but it will be well worth your efforts.

Bake 15 minutes.

Let cool before removing foil and piping in lemon curd.

Garnish with blueberries.

Eat up!

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

So I was shooting pictures of Audrey at the six week mark (two weeks ago), when my camera suddenly died. I was extremely irritated and had a really bad feeling that it wasn't gonna be an easy fix. I tried finding a camera repair shop in town, but the best I could do was a general electronic repair store in a sketchy ass shopping mall. It took them a week to look into the problem, only to conclude that they didn't know what the problem was. This left me with only two choices: 1) Buy a new camera, or 2) Send it to Texas and pay nearly $300 to have Sony fix it. Neither of these choices sounded like anything I wanted to do, so I decided to think on it. Meanwhile, I posted a message on Facebook inquiring whether anyone knew of a camera rental store. I did get a couple of suggestions about rental possibilities, but I also got a number of kind, generous friends offering to let me borrow their cameras so that I wouldn't miss out on photographing Audrey during the several weeks that I'd be camera-less.

Even though I was sans camera and figured I wouldn't be able to blog about it, I decided that I wanted to make a lemon poppy seed cake for no reason in particular other than I like making cakes. So yesterday between Audrey's wakeful periods and excellent visits with friends, I made cake. [Aside: Baking a cake with a baby is actually better for me because I don't just sit there and wait for the cake to cool before frosting it. No, I am required to wait because Audrey doesn't much care that I have a kitchen project when she wants to eat, play, or poop :)]

After the cake was complete, I hacked off a quarter of it and gave it to Natalie + Carol (who ate it with a shared plastic spoon as they walked home from their visit). I gave a generous slice to my friend and co-conspirator in new motherhood, Rachel. Then I ate a slice myself and thought, This is heavenly. I have got to give more of it away if I ever want to fit in my skinny jeans again. So I put two more hefty slices into two tupperware containers and walked one over to my neighbor, Karen, and the other to my neighbor Ann.

When I handed the tupperware to Ann, she remarked about how she sees me taking pictures of my food for this blog on my back porch periodically (the light in my kitchen makes it really tough to take a decent picture sometimes). I sighed and shared with her that my camera had broken, so I wouldn't be able to post about the cake. Her response? You can have mine. I told her that my friends were going to let me borrow their camera so it wouldn't be necessary. She shrugged me off and said, No, no. Mine just sits in the corner of my room. I haven't used it in ages. Stay right there, let me go get it. Ann is my elder, so I did as was told and stood in her foyer as she went to fetch the camera.

And what a camera it is! In fact, it is a nicer camera than the one I own. I spent the better part of the last two days learning how to use it. And as luck/fate/irony would have it, my best friend, Erica, and her boyfriend, Ben (an excellent photographer), came to visit us today, so I even had a private tutor help me start to figure it out! (Check out Ben's work here.)

I haven't decided the best way to proceed - I can't possibly accept such a generous gift outright - but for now I am going to photograph the heck out of food and babies and be thankful for all the wonderful people in my life.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
adapted from Technicolor Kitchen

Preheat oven 350º

In a large electric mixing bowl, combine:
3 cups cake flour
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
zest of one large lemon, minced
Mix for 30 seconds.

Add:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
Mix on low until butter has moistened the dry ingredients.

While mixer is still going, slowly add:
1 cup buttermilk
Increase speed to medium high and beat for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl and beat for an additional minute to aerate the batter.

In a small bowl, combine:
5 egg whites
1/4 cup buttermilk
Use fork to break up whites and mix with buttermilk. In three additions, add egg mixture to the batter. Mix on medium for 20 seconds and scrape down bowl after each addition.

Pour batter into two 9" cake pans that have been greased and lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for 10-15 minutes. Remove and let cool completely on cooling rack before glazing and frosting.

Lemon Syrup
In a small bowl, combine:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
juice of one large lemon
Microwave for 30-60 seconds or until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Lemon Zest Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large electric mixing bowl, combine:
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup salted butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
zest of one large lemon, minced
Beat on high until ingredients are well combined.

One half cup at a time, beat in:
1 pound confectioners sugar (This is a rough estimate; I usually just add sugar a couple of spoonfuls at a time until the consistency seems right.)
Periodically, scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Assembly
Place one cake layer on serving dish. Use basting brush or carefully pour half of the glaze on top of the first layer. Frost first layer using roughly one cup of frosting. Place second cake layer on top of the first. Use basting brush or carefully pour remaining glaze over cake. Frost sides and then top of cake. Garnish with poppy seeds. (I had leftover frosting - about a cup and a half - which I froze for later use.)

Eat up (+ share with your neighbors, of course)!

Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Squares

I made these little bites for our office party this year. They are not terribly difficult to make - they just take a little time and practice.

First, you'll make a cheesecake of your choosing. I chose to go with peppermint cheesecake because it felt appropriately festive. If you have a square springform pan, use it, as you'll waste less cheesecake. I only have a regular circular 9" pan, so I made do with it.

After your cheesecake is has been chilled for at least 6 hours, place it in the freezer for at least 60 minutes. Run a large butcher knife under hot water for thirty seconds to heat the blade. Use a clean towel to dry and immediately use knife to cut the cheesecake into 1" squares (If you started with a circular pan, first cut the cake to make a square. I placed the extras in a Tupperware container and put them in the fridge for late night snacking!). You will have to clean the blade after every couple of cuts. The colder the cheesecake and the warmer the knife, the cleaner the cut. Don't be afraid to reheat the knife blade and/or place the cheesecake back in the freezer periodically.

After the cheesecake has been cut into 1" squares, place back in the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make chocolate ganache.

~

Chocolate Ganache
The Joy of Cooking

In a small saucepan, bring to a simmer:
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Add:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Turn off heat and cover for a minute. Whisk together chocolate and cream until chocolate is completely melted. Cover to keep warm.

~

Working in batches, place cheesecake squares on cutting board and even up top and sides. Place squares on a wire cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet (choose a cookie sheet with a lip).

Use spoon to pour ganache over the top of each square so that cakes are evenly coated (if you've made petit fours before, this is the same concept). Carefully transfer the cakes to serving dish. If there is a lot of ganache collecting on the cookie sheet, use a spatula to scoop up and place back in the saucepan where it can be reheated.

Repeat until you've all the cheesecake squares are covered (or you're tired of doing it; I got tired of doing it. I ended up coating about half of them in chocolate; the other half I topped with a thin layer of red cream cheese frosting and then sprinkled diced Candy Cane Hershey Kisses over top).

Decorate as desired.

Eat up!

d

Peppermint Bark

Today I am thankful.

Thankful for a dreary, rainy Sunday that started when Sydney woke us up at 7:30 in the morning instead of letting us sleep in.

Thankful for a warm shower followed by the happy success of fitting into an outfit for church.

Thankful for my off-key singing of Christmas hymns.

Thankful for my Eggs Benedict brunch where we celebrated our friends' recent engagement.

Thankful for seeing my nephew, who will be a year old (!!) next Sunday, happily chomping on rice puffs and cantaloupe, haphazardly experimenting with talking gulps of water from his mom's water glass.

Thankful to come home and be bored with nothing to do but watch bad Christmas movies and chew on Tums to ward off the joys of acid reflux.

Thankful to eat leftover pizza for dinner and spend the evening making peppermint bark and other holiday sweets.

Thankful for taking a break from the kitchen and watching football with Jason, as he explains yet another rule I never knew (and probably could have gone my entire life without knowing).

Last Sunday I certainly would not have been as purposely thankful for a day like today. But then, last Sunday was not juxtaposed with one of the year's most tragic man-made events. I hope that you, too, are thankful today for the often unrecognized pleasures of simply living.

Peppermint Bark
Kelley Gondring

A couple of things before you get started:

First, I adapted this recipe so that instead of using a double boiler to melt the chocolates (because I don't have one and find it annoying to use a makeshift one), I use the microwave. The key to using a microwave as opposed to the double boiler is to microwave in short increments and after each increment to thoroughly mix the chocolates. This is to assure that the heat is evenly distributed and that chocolate doesn't get so hot that it burns. If you chocolate hasn't completely melted after following the instructions below, microwave it in 15 second increments followed by 10 second stirring until smooth and melted.

Second, because buying high quality baking chocolate can get expensive, it is tempting to use chocolate chips, which are far cheaper. If you choose to do so, remember that chocolate chips are designed not to melt into a puddle but instead keep their shape when put in high heat. This means that if you are microwaving chocolate chips instead of baking chocolate, it is going to take more time, thus you are going to have to be more patient!

Keeping these two things in mind, invert a 12"x9" cookie sheet and cover with a piece of waxed paper or aluminum foil (if using aluminum foil, you can wrap it on the lip of the cookie sheet; if using waxed paper, you'll need a bit of tape). Set aside.

In a small glass bowl, microwave for 30 seconds:
5 ounces white chocolate
Use fork to mix the chocolate. Place back in microwave for an additional 30 seconds. If chocolate is completely melted, pour onto cookie sheet and use spatula to evenly spread in a rectangle.

Dust with:
1/4 cup smashed peppermint candies
Place in refrigerator for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium glass bowl, microwave for 45 seconds:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate
Use a fork to mix chocolate (it will not be completely melted yet).

Add:
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup whipping cream

Place back in microwave for an additional 45 seconds. Remove and use fork to mix together. If the chocolate is completely melted at this point, pour over the white chocolate and use a spatula to evenly spread.

Refrigerate until chocolate has hardened (about 30 minutes).

In a medium glass bowl, microwave for 45 seconds:
12 ounces white chocolate
Use a fork to mix the chocolate. Microwave an additional 45 seconds. Again use fork to mix. Pour over the hardened semisweet chocolate and use spatula to evenly spread.

Immediately sprinkle overtop of the melted white chocolate:
1 cup smashed peppermint candies

Place in the refrigerator until the chocolate has hardened (about 30 minutes).

Remove the waxed paper from atop the inverted cookie sheet and place on cutting board. Use a sharp butcher knife to cut into squares.

Keep refrigerated before eating.

Eat up!

Toasted Coconut + Lemon Curd Pavlova

For the last several months, Jason and I have had the privilege of participating in Dinner for Eight through our church. The idea behind Dinner for Eight is for eight[ish] church members (we have nine) to get to know each other over a meal, meeting four times in a six-moth period. Though Jason and I had toyed with the idea of signing up, it was actually an informal invitation from Lola that lured us in. Lola and her husband, Mike, were hosting the first Dinner for Eight in their group and asked us if we'd like to give it a try. We joined them for an excellent homemade dinner and were thrilled when we were invited to formally join their group. Meeting new people over food is exactly my forte so it has worked out wonderfully!

As our turn to host approached, I began looking for a way to "winterize" pavlova. Pavlova, as you may know from my previous post here, is dish I know and love because of my Australian family. Very few people here in the States would recognize pavlova if they saw it, which is unfortunate as it is quite tasty. So what is pavlova, exactly, you ask?

Pavlova is usually comprised of three parts: A meringue-like base, a mound of whipped cream in the middle, and a topping of fresh fruit (mostly of the summer variety). Unlike a traditional meringue, the base of a pavlova is crispy on the outside while its center is almost marshmallow-like. The end-product is a dish that literally melts in your mouth.

So for the last several weeks I've been trying to figure out how I can make it without using fruit that is out of season. I found a recipe that added a layer of lemon curd between the meringue-like base and the whipped cream, though still using a topping of fresh blueberries. I didn't want to use the berries, but thought the addition of the lemon curd was ingenious! Instead of the berries, I toasted a generous portion of coconut and sprinkled it on top.

Another idea I may try in the future (courtesy of my brilliant mother) is to make an orange curd and top the whipped cream with candied cranberries. Pomegranates as a topping may also be in my future pavlova-making repertoire.

Toasted Coconut + Lemon Curd Pavlova
Kelley Gondring

Serves 12

Meringue
Preheat oven 300º

In a large electric mixing bowl, combine:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 large egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix on low for thirty seconds so that all ingredients are combined.

Add:
1/4 cup boiling water
Mix on high for several minutes until stiff peaks form.

Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pour meringue on cookie sheet and use spatula to make an 8" circle. (The meringue will be pretty tall at this point; it will fall while baking). Once the circle is formed, use spatula to make the edge of the meringue a bit higher than the middle.

Bake for 50 minutes (meringue should be golden brown). Turn off the oven and use a wooden spoon to prop open the oven door. Let sit in warm oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. If not serving immediately, cover with plastic wrap and place in a dry place.

Lemon Curd
In a medium bowl, place:
5 egg yolks
Use a fork to break up the yolks. Set aside for a moment.

In a medium saucepan, combine over medium heat:
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt
scant 1/2 cup lemon juice
Whisk together and bring to a simmer. Whisk constantly for a minute or two so that all of the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is dissolved, reduce the heat to medium low. Remove 1/2 cup of the lemon mixture and whisk into the bowl of egg yolks.* Once combined, pour the egg yolks into the saucepan and whisk constantly until the mixture begins to thicken, about two minutes.

Remove from heat and mix in:
1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
Pour curd into a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, placing plastic directly on the surface of the lemon curd (this prevents a rind from forming). Let cool completely before assembling.

*This is called tempering, which means that you are introducing the yolks to heat gradually. If you were to just plop them into the lemon juice, you'll end up with hard-boiled yolks.

Whipped Cream
In an electric mixing bowl, combine:
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Mix on low for 30 seconds to combine the ingredients. Increase speed to high and whip several minutes until stiff peaks form.

Assembly
1. Transfer the meringue to a serving platter.
2. Use a spatula to spread the lemon curd over the center of the meringue (if the curd has been in the refrigerator, microwave it for about 30 seconds so it is more malleable).
3. Spread whipped cream over the lemon curd.
4. Top with 1 cup toasted coconut.

Eat up!

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

Did I mention how much I love pumpkin? I found this recipe in my Foster's Market Cookbook several years ago and love to make these cookies in the fall. The original recipe is a bit sweet for my tastebuds, so I cut down on the butterscotch chips and add more oatmeal. And because I like pecans better than walnuts, I substitute the former for the latter.

Mom charged me with making a dessert for the Cousins Reunion we are having today at her house. I've learned that for these types of events, it is better to show up with a finger food-like dessert (cookies, brownies, individual tarts, etc), simply because people fill up on the lunch and think "I don't have room for a piece of cheesecake; I do have room for a cookie."

It was nice to see family members that I haven't seen in years or, in one case, haven't met at all.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies
adapted from Foster's Market

Makes ~40 cookies

Preheat oven 350º

In a large electric mixing bowl mix together:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butterscotch chips, finely chopped

Mix in:
12 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
Scrape down sides of bowl.

Mix in:
1 1/3 cup rolled oats
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (don't skip this step; the butterscotch chips make this dough quite sticky). Place tablespoonfuls of dough about an inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake about 15 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to wire racks. Let cool entirely before storing.

Eat up!

I also love these cookies over vanilla ice cream. I didn't have caramel sauce, which just sounds heavenly, so I used a little chocolate sauce in its place.

Tiramisu Cheesecake

My dad is an amazingly talented woodworker, a talent from which Jason and I have benefitted exceedingly well. Amongst other things, he made our dining room table out of a fallen cherry tree! It is a beautiful piece of workmanship and I am very lucky to eat off of it nearly every day.

As we get our home ready for the new addition, there are a couple projects that Jason and I would like to tackle but don't exactly have the skill set necessary to get them accomplished on our own. Not wanting to take an unfair advantage (let's be clear, I do want to take fair advantage) of his wood-working abilities, I sent him an email proposing an exchange. It went something like this:

Hey Favorite Daddy in the Whole Wide World:

Can we barter goods and services? In exchange for your assistance in carpentry, I can offer you both both pesto and cheesecake (not together unless that's your request).

Love,
Favorite Daughter in the Whole Wide World

Yes, I get that this is not exactly a completely even exchange, but I also know that my pops loves some cheesecake. Happily, I can report he agreed to a brainstorming session so long as it included cheesecake and a cappuccino. Thus my idea for a tiramisu cheesecake was born!

Tiramisu Cheesecake
Kelley Gondring

Preheat oven 500º

Crust
Combine in a medium bowl:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
Thoroughly mix so that all ingredients are well incorporated. Pour mixture into the springform pan. Spread crumbs evenly across the bottom, using your fingers to firmly pack. Place in refrigerator.

Custard
In an electric mixing bowl, add:
2 eight ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2 eight ounce package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
Using the paddle attachment, mix at moderate speed for thirty seconds.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and slowly add:
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons whipping cream
Mix 1 1/2 minutes so that the ingredients are smooth and creamy. Half way through, scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Over beating the batter will result in it rising too much and then falling when it cools, so set a timer if necessary.

One at a time add:
4 large egg yolks
Beat until yolk is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat.

Using a low speed, mix in:
1/2 cup freshly brewed strong espresso, cooled
until just incorporated.

Pour batter into the spring-form pan over top of the graham cracker crumb crust. Cover with a piece of aluminum foil and bake for 12 minutes. Reduce temperature to 200º and bake for 40-45 minutes, removing foil about half way through.

Turn off the oven and use a wooden spoon to hold the oven door ajar (yes, the center of the cheesecake should still be jiggly in the middle). Let the cheesecake sit for 30 minutes.

While the cheese cake is in the oven cooling, prepare Mascarpone Topping.

Mascarpone Topping
adapted from tiramisu recipe in The Joy of Cooking

In a medium bowl with a handle, beat on high until thick and light yellow:
3 large egg yolks
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Whisk in:
2 tablespoons sweet Marsala
1 1/2 teaspoons water
Place the bowl over a skillet of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the temperature reaches 160º. [I tried this traditional way and it took forever! As I've mentioned before, I like to cook at night, so after 10 minutes or so, I got impatient and placed the mixture in a glass Pyrex container and put it in the microwave for 15 seconds. I then whisked it, measured the temperature, and repeated three times. If you do it this way, you just need to make sure not to overcook the eggs.] Set mixture in the refrigerator to let cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat on high until soft peaks form:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Set aside.

After 10 minutes or so, remove egg mixture from the refrigerator and whisk in:
6-8 ounces Mascarpone cheese
Gently fold in the whipped cream mixture.

At this point, the cheesecake it probably ready to come out of the oven. Pour the Mascarpone topping over the top of the cheesecake and evenly spread. Place in the refrigerator overnight to let both the cheesecake and the topping completely cool and settle.

Decorate with chocolate shavings, cocoa powder, whipped cream, and espresso beans.

Eat up!

Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, and Pecan Cookies

Waiting for former President Clinton to give his speech at the Democratic National Convention, I decided I needed to make cookies. Today, I enjoyed them on the front porch with a cold glass of milk.

Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, and Pecan Cookies
Kelley Gondring

In a large mixing bowl, cream together:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar

Add:
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add:
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour

Mix in:
1 cup diced pecans
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup oatmeal

Place dollops of cookie dough on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Dunk in milk if desired.

Eat up!

Lemon Basil Pesto

Lemon Basil Pesto
Kelley Gondring

Thoroughly wash and dry:
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1/4 cup tightly packed lemon basil leaves
Place in food processor.

Add:
1/4 cup pine nuts*
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese**
2-3 cloves garlic
salt + pepper to taste
two drizzles olive oil
Pulse ingredients together 20-30 seconds so that they are all about the same side. Puree 60-90 seconds or until paste forms. Do not add more olive oil before pureeing, as the basil will release its own oils and moisture.

*I used almonds because I was out of pine nuts.
**I used Dubliner cheese because I had a little block sitting in my refrigerator's cheese drawer; because it gives the pesto a somewhat stronger cheese flavor I used a little less than 1/4 cup.

Use on pasta or as a base for pizza.

Eat up!

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

Armed with mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, cookie trays and cooling racks, and all the ingredients to make three different types of cookies, twelve members, myself included, of Highland Presbyterian Church headed to The Winston-Salem Rescue Mission on Saturday morning to make cookies for the residents. It was part of Highland's Helping Hands, a community service event where 100+ church members headed out into the community to participate in various service projects.

I usually pick projects with Habitat for Humanity, but given my current "condition" I figured that climbing up on a roof or smelling paint fumes all morning were probably less than ideal projects for me. Breakfast cookies, on the other hand, sounded right up my alley!

Our top-notch leader had organized everything wonderfully, as was exemplified by the recipes she chose for us. Instead of choosing to make three different types of cookies that would all have needed the oven, she picked this recipe for no bake cookies. Combined with traditional-style chocolate chip and sugar cookies we also made, these no bake wonders were perfect!

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
Food Network

In a small saucepan, bring to a boil:
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk

When the mixture has been boiling for one minute, mix in:
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups oatmeal
Remove from heat.

Line several cookie sheets with waxed paper. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto the waxed paper. Place in refrigerator to let cool. When they've hardened, they're ready to eat.

Eat up!