Brownie Dreidels for Hanukkah!

Are you up for a rousing game of dreidel? How about of brownie dreidel? With just one sheet pan of brownies you can make dozens of these adorable 3D spinning tops to celebrate Hanukkah (or Hanukka, Chanukah, Chanuka or however you spell it). 

The idea is fairly simple - a brownie square with the ends trimmed off, a pretzel stick handle and some icing letters. For the most sophisticated look, you can dip all the dreidels completely in chocolate before pipping on the letters, or just coat one side, or leave the brownies au naturel.

You can use any brownie recipe you like, including a box mix, but I chose this particular recipe because it is fudgy and dense and sturdy enough to stand up to the dipping and pretzel handle. It is also delicious.

Mini Pumpkin Pie Cookies

This place sure looks familiar. I'm back - and I've brought with me the perfect dessert for your Thanksgiving table - or pretty much any of the other 364 days of the year. I present: mini pumpkin pie cookies. A crisp cookie shell, sweet pumpkin filling, and crumbly streusel topping in an adorable bite-sized container will be a welcome addition to any meal, snack or... breakfast. 

I used a mini-muffin pan for these to keep them in the tiny size I wanted, but if you wanted larger ones - and to save a little time - you could certainly use a muffin tin or other tart pans. I know there are a few different components to this recipe, but - like I did - you can make the dough and the topping a day or two before and store in the fridge - and the filling takes about two minutes to mix together.


Because they're so tiny you don't need all that much of the pumpkin puree - if you buy a can you'll likely have 2/3 of it leftover. What to do with that? How about pumpkin whoopie pies, pumpkin pie bars or pumpkin snickerdoodles?

 

I know I've been a bit absent around here lately, but I'm still pretty present around other corners of the world wide web: find me on Twitter or Instagram, and you can find my recipes over on the New York Jewish Week website; recent entries include a mushroom-leek phyllo tart, a feta-sweet potato flatbread and salted chocolate-drizzled popcorn.

Pretty, Dainty, Linzer Torte Cookies

When people find out that I have a baking blog, or that I took a six-month course on pastry, they very often all ask the same question: Do you also know how to cook?
The answer is yes, I do know how to cook, and I do enjoy it (and write about it as well), but baking and pastries will always have a special place in my heart. Cooking and baking are at the same time very different and very similar, but one thing that really sets dessert apart is the emphasis on aesthetics, which is one of the things I love about it. Savory foods can definitely be pleasing to the eye, but there really is no such thing as an ugly dessert. And these cookies right here? These cookies are adorable.

Perfect Passover Treats

It's that time of year again: When I have to put away all the flour and start experimenting in the kitchen. That's right - Passover starts on Monday night, but never fear, I have a bunch of recipes that will make you forget you ever thought you needed flour to make dessert.

1. First up and new this year are these Lemon Meringue Nests. This is actually a family favorite recipe that we eat all year round, which tells you how good it is! Recipe here.

2. From last year: Almond Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies - delicious and cute looking at the same time. 

3. Flourless Chocolate Cookies - I'm already dreaming about trying these cookies again - they're rich, chewy and chock full of chocolate flavor. 

4. Candied Orange Peel - So simple, so delicious, so waste-free! Perfect for Passover. 

5. Flourless Hazelnut Cake with Chocolate Ganache - A real showstopper for the end of your seder meal - also great for snacking at any time! 

6. Raspberry French Macarons with Chocolate Ganache - If you're feeling adventurous this Passover, definitely try your hand at making French Macarons. Don't worry, I'll walk you through the whole process. 

 

Lime, White Chocolate and Coconut Cookies

For most of the US, winter is not a time with a lot of fresh fruit around. Apples and oranges, sure, but those beautiful berries are mostly in hibernation until the warmer months. But that doesn't mean you 
can't have delicious pops of flavor in your baked goods! Enter citrus.