Candy Corn Macarons

These Candy Corn inspired french macarons are both festive and delicious, making them the perfect sweet treat for Autumn celebrations and my personal favorite, Halloween parties. 

I even think they taste better than real Candy Corn which is pretty much just straight up sugar and corn syrup mixed with artificial colors and flavors. Instead, I decided to cut the sweetness and fill these with vanilla buttercream.

I was able to make the white and yellow macaron shells from a single recipe by splitting the batter just after incorporating the dry ingredients into the meringue but before starting the macaronage or folding process.

Here's how:
Candy Corn Macarons 

180g ground almonds, sifted
270g powdered sugar, sifted
150g egg whites, aged 2 to 4 days in the fridge and then brought to room temperature
100g granulated sugar
Yellow food coloring

Line four heavy baking sheets with good quality parchment paper and set aside. Also, set aside two pastry bags for the piping of the macarons.

Sift together your ground almonds with the powdered sugar and set aside.

Whisk the egg whites (at room temperature) on medium high speed to glossy firm peaks adding the granulated sugar gradually in four parts. You don't want to whip the egg whites too quickly, this should take a good 5 to 7 minutes.

Incorporate the dry ingredients into the beaten egg whites using a large rubber scraper and mix just until everything is combined then stop and divide the batter in half. Tint one half of the batter with yellow coloring.

The half of the batter that I'm going to tint yellow.

I added quite a bit of gel coloring since macarons always lighten after baking.

Fold each of the mixtures with a rubber scraper by pulling down the sides and flipping the mixture over. Do this until you have a smooth mixture that falls like a “ribbon” off the scraper.

How the batter looks after folding.

Transfer the mixtures into separate piping bags. Use rubber bands to close the piping bags. Clip the tip of the bags, one at a time, and pipe small quarter sized rounds, leaving 1-inch of space between each because they spread as they set.

Leave to set for about 30 minutes or until the top has formed a crust and is not sticky to the touch.

While they are setting, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. A convection oven is preferable. 

Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for about 12 minutes or until the cookie is firm, matte and doesn't wobble when touched.

Leave on the baking tray until cool then lift them all off the parchment carefully. You may need to use a thin knife to help lift them off.

Sort into pairs and fill with Vanilla Buttercream.

The baked macarons, sorted and ready for filling.

Vanilla Buttercream
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup powdered sugar
pinch of sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Orange food coloring

In a stand mixer combine the butter, sugar, sea salt and vanilla. Whip until smooth and light, this takes about 5 minutes. Tint with orange food coloring.

All done! Store the macarons in a sealed container in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

Chocolate Dipped Espresso Shortbread

I found a way to make my Espresso Shortbread cookies even better — Dip them in Dark Belgian chocolate!

I know this isn't that genius of an idea since chocolate makes just about anything and everything better, but these cookies really are extra special. They were among six kinds of cookies I made for a recent special coffee hour at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and they were the first to disappear, by a mile.

The best thing though is that they are a breeze to make using the "icebox cookie" method of rolling the dough into logs, chilling and then slicing the cookies for baking.

Here's the recipe:

Chocolate Dipped Espresso Shortbread

Espresso Shortbread
(makes about 5 dozen)
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons espresso powder
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup raw sugar, optional (for rolling the cookies in before baking)


Cream together the butter, espresso powder, vanilla, sea salt and sugar until smooth and creamy.  Add the flour and mix until combined.

Divide the dough into thirds. Wrap each third in a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a log about 1.5 inches in diameter. If you are having trouble shaping the logs, just do your best and then let the dough chill for 30 minutes to firm up — then re-roll and re-shape the logs. Let the logs chill for at least 2 hours before slicing.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If desired, roll the logs in raw sugar (I do this extra step because I like the crunch and look that the sugar gives the cookies), and cut 1/4-inch thick rounds from the logs. Place the cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 2-inches of space between them. Bake for 18 minutes or until the cookies are golden on the edges and set. Let the cookies cool completely before dipping.


Dipping the Cookies:
10 oz. dark chocolate, divided (I like Callebaut brand Belgian chocolate best)


First off, have your cookies at hand, ready to dip and a counter or sheetpans lined with parchement paper before you prepare the chocolate. You have to have a place to set your cookies after dipping.

Place 8 oz. of the chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl. You need to use a bowl that adequately holds the chocolate but is small enough so that the chocolate isn't too spread out. You need depth for the dipping.

Microwave the chocolate in intervals of 30 seconds, stirring after each until the chocolate is thoroughly melted. Immediately add the remaining 2 oz. of chocolate and stir until it's also thoroughly melted. This is called the seeding method and is a simple way to temper the chocolate.

Dip a cookie about 1/3 into the melted chocolate and give it a gentle shake to remove any excess. Place the cookie on parchment and keep working quickly until all the cookies have been dipped. Leave the cookies on the parchment until the chocolate is completely set.

Birthday Cookie

This cute double-decker Birthday Cookie is so simple to make, decorate and customize with a personal message. All you need to make it is cookie dough, royal icing and an edible ink marker.

When it came to cutting the parts for the cookie, I used a knife and cut them freehand. I cut a large 6-inch square for the base and for the candle, a thin strip of dough and a teardrop shape for the flame. 

The cookies parts before baking.

Candle close-up.

Here's how I decorated and assembled the cookie:

Outline and flood the base cookie with royal icing and set it aside to dry completely.

With a paint brush, paint on the dark pink and gold royal icing for the candle and the flame and let these dry completely before attaching them to the dried base cookie. I even added icing to the sides of the candle and flame cookies so that there were no bare edges to be seen after they were attached to the base. Let the cookie dry for another hour or so until the "icing glue" is set.

Then just use an edible ink marker to write a birthday greeting and that's all there is to it.

A side view of the finished cookie that's for our good friend Elise's 15th birthday.

Maple Cream Cookies

My husband chooses maple treats over anything else so I can't wait for him to taste these Maple Cream Cookies.

They are my latest creation and my version of Canada's very popular Maple Cookies. The secret to making them is using B-grade pure maple syrup which is darker and more flavorful than A-grade because it's harvested later in the season. Because it's been in the tree longer, B-grade has a stronger maple flavor and a darker color.

I also pulled back a bit on the sweetness of the filling from the purchased Canadian version which I think improves the cookie. Too much sweetness can override the maple flavor.

Before baking, I imprinted every other cookie with a maple leaf using a small cutter. This isn't a necessary step but it's cute and it lets people know that if they eat one they are in for a real maple treat.

Here's the recipe:

Maple Cream Cookies
(Makes just over a dozen 2-inch sandwich cookies)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons B-grade maple syrup
3 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 325-degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream together the butter, syrup, sugar and sea salt. Add the flour and mix just until a soft dough forms.

Roll the dough on a floured surface until it is just under 1/4-inch thick. Cut cookies using a 2-inch round cutter and lay the cookies on the baking sheets, spacing 1-inch apart.  If desired use a maple cutter to imprint half of the cookies.

Cutting the cookies.

If desired, imprint every other cookie with a maple leaf. My mini leaf cutter is from a set of Fall cutters by Wilton that I found at Michael's Arts & Crafts.

Bake for 15 minutes or until done and lightly brown around the edges. Let the cookies cool completely before filling.

Maple Filling
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon B-grade maple syrup
3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Whip the butter with the syrup and powdered sugar until it is light and creamy. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag to fill the cookies.

Adding a dollop of filling.

All done. These cookies are especially good with a cup of hot tea. Enjoy!

Green Tea Shortbread Cookies

These Green Tea Shortbread Cookies are exotic, pretty and full of flavor.

Making them using the slicing method, instead of rolling out the dough and using cookie cutters, makes them especially quick and simple to whip up.

I love that the rich green color of the cookies comes naturally from the addition of three tablespoons of Matcha powder. Packaged with a homemade tag, these sturdy cookies make a sweet gift.

Here's the recipe:

Green Tea Shortbread Cookies
(makes 5 to 6 dozen 2-inch cookies)

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
3 tablespoons Matcha powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 turbinado sugar (for coating the cookies before baking)

In a large mixing bowl whip together the butter, Matcha powder, vanilla, almond extract and salt. Add the granulated sugar and whip again until light and fluffy.

Butter and Matcha powder in the mixing bowl.

The butter, sugar and flavorings creamed together. All that's left to add is the flour.

Finally, add the four and mix until well-combined and a soft dough forms.

Divide the dough into thirds and using plastic wrap, shape each into and even-sized log or rectangle. Place the wrapped dough into the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line sheetpans with parchment paper.

Place the turbinado sugar on a clean surface and roll the dough, one log at a time into the sugar, gently patting the sugar into the dough.

Slice the logs into 1/4 thick cookies and place on the sheetpans, leaving at least 1-inch between them.  The cookies will increase in size during baking.

Bake for 18 minutes or until golden brown.  Let the cookies cool on the sheetpans before transferring to a cooling rack.

Big Batch Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

These Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies are the answer for when you find yourself in a bind, needing lots of cookies for an event, wanting to serve something delicious and homemade, but not having the time to make multiple kinds or multiple batches.

They are chewy, oaty and crowd pleasing. I've found that even people who aren't fans of oatmeal raisin cookies like these and a single batch makes more than 10 dozen cookies. I recently made them for the Wednesday Community Meal and from one batch I got 127 2.5-inch cookies.

So the next time you need lots of cookies, simply get out your sheetpans and whip up these. You'll see it's not so hard to feed a crowd.

Here's the recipe:

Big Batch Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

2 cups shortening
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 large eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
6 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
2 1/2 cups dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line your sheetpans with parchment paper. Having a convection oven is helpful because you can bake multiple trays of cookies at once. Because it has a fan, a convection oven evenly distributes the heat and you don't have to worry about burning on the bottom or top racks.

In a large bowl cream together the shortening and sugars. You can do this with a hand mixer or my preference is to use a sturdy wooden spoon and really do it by hand. The shortening is soft and easy to mix. Add the vanilla, eggs, baking soda and sea salt and mix again. Add the flour and mix until combined and finally stir in the oatmeal and dried cranberries.

The finished dough.

Use a 1-inch scoop or teaspoon to form small balls. Place 12 of the balls on each of the prepared  sheetpans,  being sure to space them 2-inches apart. Lightly pat the balls down with your hand and bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Be sure to space the cookies at least 2-inches apart because they will spread during baking.

Let the cookies cool for a bit on the sheetpans before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookie Crust

I decided to make a last minute batch of Magic Cookie Bars for tonight's David Bowie alternative liturgy at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral but didn't have graham crackers for the crust and didn't feel like running out to the store.

So I improvised and substituted a sweet crust recipe that I use for making tarts and it worked just fine. The only difference was that I knew that the crust would require a bit more baking time than a graham cracker one so I pre-baked the crust for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven before adding the cookie bar toppings and baking according to the Magic Cookie Bar recipe.

This simple cookie crust would also be great for cheesecakes, cream pies, really any recipe that calls for a graham cracker crust. If you want to use it in a recipe that calls for an already baked graham cracker crust, bake the cookie crust in a 350-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until done and golden brown.

Here's the recipe:

Cookie Crust
(enough for the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan or a 10-inch tart pan)

2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup unsalted butter, softened

Beat the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the flour and mix just until a dough forms.

Mix just until a dough forms.

Press this dough evenly into the baking pan or tart shell and pre-bake for 10 minutes in a 350-degree oven before adding fillings or topping and baking according to your recipe instructions.

I pressed the dough into a 9x13 baking pan that I lined with parchment.

After pre-baking the crust, I topped it with condensed milk, coconut, chocolate and walnuts for the Magic Cookie Bars.

I lined the baking pan with parchment so that the whole thing lifted out which made cutting the bars a breeze.

Bars ready to be served at tonight's David Bowie alternative liturgy.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

If you need a last minute crowd pleasing treat, these Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies are just the thing to make.

The recipe calls for shortening instead of butter which makes a chewier cookie which is what I prefer. If you want a crisper cookie you could substitute half of the shortening for butter.

A good dose of sea salt and using premium dark chocolate chips (I use Callebaut) are what makes these cookies really stand out.

Only one bowl is needed to mix them up and in no time you'll have fresh baked cookies and the best smelling house on the block. The recipe makes five dozen 2-inch cookies.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
(makes 5 dozen cookies)

1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups old fashioned oatmeal
2 cups dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl cream together the shortening, sugars and vanilla.  Add the eggs, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add the flour and mix again.

Adding the flour.

Mixing in the flour.

Finally stir in the oatmeal and chocolate chips.

Add the oatmeal and dark chocolate chips.

After stirring, the dough is ready to scoop.

Scoop 1-inch balls and place 2-inchs apart on lightly greased or parchment lined sheetpans. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Cookies that are ready to bake.

Let the cookies cool a bit on the sheetpan before transferring them to cooling racks.

Mmmmm warm cookies!

Simple Shortbread

An unlikely pair: Glamorous chocolate mousse and simple shortbread for dessert.

Okay - when it comes to cookies, plain-Jane shortbread isn't going to win a beauty contest. But as we all should know, that's not what's most important.

It's what's on the inside that counts, and in my mind shortbread wins the hospitality award every time. Its sweet buttery deliciousness is comforting, welcoming and people love it.

For a recent dinner, I put a slice of shortbread next to a fancy homemade chocolate mousse and although the latter was delicious, I kid you not, it really was the shortbread that I loved most.

The shortbread was also way easier to make that's why I'm calling the recipe Simple Shortbread.

Here's how to make it:

Simple Shortbread
(makes 16 cookies)

2 cups flour
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons granulated sugar


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly coat a 9-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Cream together the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add the salt and baking powder and mix well. Finally add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms.

Mix the dough just until it comes together.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pie pan and press it evenly into the pan.

Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan that has been lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Using your hands, press the dough evenly into the pan.

Use a sharp knife to score the dough into 16 wedges. Use a fork to prick the dough. Sprinkle the top with the granulated sugar.

Score the dough into 16-wedges.

Prick the wedges with a fork.

Almost ready for the oven.

Finally, sprinkle on the two tablespoons of granulated sugar. Now it's ready to bake!

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Following the score marks, cut the shortbread into wedges. It's important to cut the wedges while the shortbread is warm.

While the shortbread is warm, follow the score marks and cut into wedges. Let the cookies cool before removing from the pan and serving.

Let cool before serving.