Toasted Almond Cookies with Dried Fig Filling

I made these cookies for my sweetheart. Whenever I create a flour storm in the kitchen, he keeps his mouth quiet, pretending as if the counter tops were not strewn with powdered sugar and there was not a pile of dishes in the sink stacked so precariously it could rival the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Rarely a peep is heard as I run around taking pictures and get crumbs all over the living room floor. Though he is always willing to give whatever comes out of the oven a fair try (even if he might need a little push), his favorite "experiments" to taste are, hands down, the cookies.

You could say that I am dating a cookie man.

It was our third anniversary of being together this past month. Worse than a television sitcom where the clueless husband forgets an important anniversary, we both completely spaced out the date, remembering two weeks later as the calendar was flipped over to a new month. I wonder if this is how an old married couple feels, forgetting the important dates as their time together grows. Is simply being around one another enough of a celebration? With the date so far past gone and Valentine's Day right around the corner, it just seems silly to go back and observe the much belated anniversary.

Perhaps I should circle the date with a big red marker on the calendar for next year.

Even though there was no fanfare, fancy dinner, or real recognition of the special day, there were these Toasted Almond Cookies. Cut out with hearts and filled with honey sweetened figs, they rested in the cookie jar on the counter top, unknowingly appropriate and deliciously celebratory. During the few days that these cookies lasted, the boy and I would sneak them when we thought the other was not looking, trying to hide the fact that we were eating a couple more cookies than we should.

I may be dishearteningly forgetful, but there may be something to be said about a baker's intuition.

Toasted Almond Cookies with Dried Fig Filling are a twist on the traditional linzer cookie. Almonds are toasted before being ground and turned into cookies. With a dash of cinnamon, the cookies have a bold, beautiful intensity. When sandwiched together with a filling made from dried figs, honey, and brown sugar, a truly unique flavor emerges. The cookies are firm on the first day and soften on the second, providing a range of textures to enjoy.

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Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies

I have a handful of memories from when I was very young. My oldest memory comes from when I was only eighteen months old. I was laying on the table in a doctor's office as the doctor hovered above me, putting stitches in my chin, the damage the result of falling and cracking my chin open on a stone fireplace. I do not recall any pain or suffering, but I do remember my mother singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star while rubbing my foot to soothe my cries—a snapshot of tranquility in a scary world for a young child. I have often been curious why this particular moment caught in my mind, both vivid and cloudy at the same time.

Perhaps it is a reminder of my mother's love for her daughter.

On my third birthday, my mother gave me the independence to choose the outfit I would wear for my party. I remember standing in the laundry room, surveying my choices with excitement. I felt so proud of the pink, frilly outfit I chose. It may have been a simple decision for my mother, but the freedom felt so special to me on that day. I wore my polka-dotted dress with confidence, spinning around to make the edges of the gown flare up.

After my sister was born, I remember sandwiching her between my cabbage patch dolls while she slept, believing she might need some friends her own size. When she awoke, she looked to her left and right and let out a terrified wail. Not expecting her reaction, I found her frightened cries hilarious enough to send me off into a fit of giggles. The moment was amusing enough to hold onto for many years to come.

And, I fondly remember the first time I stole a chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven.

I couldn't have been older than four or five. It was a cold winter night and the house was filled with cozy warmth. My mother made a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies, leaving them to cool on the counter's pull out cutting board. After she left the room, I paced back and forth in front of them, wanting a cookie, but feeling guilty that I didn't have permission. I ended up stealing one before my mother came back to check on them. I hid underneath the table and ate my forbidden cookie in silence, hoping that if my mother came back into the room, I would be hidden from her prying eyes. I did not think far enough ahead to realize that my mother would notice that a cookie was missing, but the crime had already been committed. Even so, I was satisfied with my quiet defiance.

My early memories hold moments of independence, rebellion, silliness, love, and chocolate chip cookies—a portrait of a happy, healthy childhood.

Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies are a twist on the traditional chocolate chunk cookie. Dark brown sugar, ground ginger, and a hint of molasses lend a dark and spicy undertone, adding a new dimension to the cookies. A surplus of chocolate chunks gives these cookies a little attitude. Warm from the oven, these over-sized cookies are soft and chewy, gooey from the melted chocolate, and much too easy to make disappear.

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Gingerbread Cookies

The fireplace is roaring in front of me; the flames dancing to a song known only to them. This ballet of intertwining colors is mesmerizing to watch. Whether I'm next to a bonfire on a cool summer's eve or watching the flames next to a frosted windowpane, I have a difficult time averting my eyes from the entrancing display of light and crackling wood.

I am home for the holidays, curled up on the couch after a long afternoon's drive. With the enchanting, yearning songs from Sufjan Steven's Christmas Album filling the silence of the room (my favorite of all holiday music), a peaceful atmosphere is set. It feels good to be home. The familiarity lends a snug, comforting quality that the white walls of my apartment simply cannot provide. This is especially true around this cold time of year, as the warmth from the twinkling white and colored lights greet me as I travel around the house.

A few days ago it occurred to me I had never made (or eaten) gingerbread cookies. It was an abrupt realization, taking me off-guard for a moment. Certainly I've had gingerbread before, I thought to myself, searching for memories of taste or gingerbread men. I searched the corners of my childhood, but the memories never came. As a baker, it's not often that I surprise myself suddenly or so powerfully. More often than not, it feels like I've made everything, particularly as I'm sitting down and trying to imagine up new recipes to share with you.

The time was right to create new memories.

I assembled the ingredients from my cupboard, brought out my stand mixer, and the gingerbread journey began. With the spice of gingersnaps and the softness of a sugar cookie in mind, I created a hybrid of the two recipes—my version of a gingerbread cookie. It seemed only fitting to create gingerbread men out of the dough, as the old folktale I had heard so long ago came to mind. The cookie cutters were already in the cupboard, used to shape men out of my family's favorite honey cookies for the holidays last year. This time, however, it seemed the cutters were following their true purpose.

Whether decorated in their best attire or left plain to enjoy straight from the oven, these gingerbread men bring a little happiness into the lives of those who devour them, one limb at a time.

Gingerbread Cookies are a holiday cut-out cookie with character. The cookies have a dark undertone, furnished from the dark brown sugar and a heavy amount of molasses. Spiced with the flavors of winter and ground ginger, the cookies are fragrant with a distinctive taste. The dough rolls out easily with the aid of a little flour. These cookies are wonderful to enjoy with family or brought to parties to share with friends.

For perfect cut-out cookies, follow this set of tips!

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