cookies | Apple Crumbles

No Bake Nanaimo Bars

After so many 20 mile training runs over the past 11 marathons, you would think that distance would no longer be a “mental” problem. It still gets me worked up, a bit frazzled, and, I’ll admit, grumpy a day or two before. Last week I questioned my 9 mile tempo run which would have totaled 12 miles with warm up and cool down. Then I questioned doing a 20 miler the following day. Then a funny thing happened: instead of running the tempo run, I ran an easy, enjoyable 8. That run changed my outlook for the long run. I [...]

By Joanne|2014-03-10T14:45:56-04:00March 10, 2014|cookies|5 Comments

Bouchon Shortbread

Rich, buttery and simple. That is classic shortbread resulting from a Bouchon Bakery cook book recipe. My kind of cookie. You can leave it simple by just sprinkling sugar on top before baking or you might frost it for that holiday feeling. Either way, it’s a good tasting, easy to bake treat. Makes 24. *There will be slight changes to the recipe below from the one out of Bouchon Bakery cook book. My blog, my recipe. 6. 3 oz unsalted butter at room temperature 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup all purpose flour [...]

By Joanne|2013-12-23T14:15:23-05:00December 23, 2013|cookies|2 Comments

Bouchon: Chocolate Chunk Chip Cookies

Don’t you love it when you receive a package, a gift from friend or family for Christmas and it says “Open Immediately!” No waiting until Christmas eve or Morning, when ever your tradition dictates opening gifts …or…well, whenever Santa drops them off… We received such a package this past week. It was sent from Harry & David and YES – it WAS fresh fruit. So delicious! Just look at these pears! I said to Ted “Please don’t take them out of the box until I take a photo” He was ok with that but couldn’t take his eyes off the [...]

By Joanne|2013-12-15T17:43:37-05:00December 15, 2013|cookies|4 Comments

Bouchon: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Maybe the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie isn’t special enough for a holiday cookie but it IS popular enough. Almost everyone enjoys a good oatmeal cookie. This one from Bouchon Bakery’s special recipes is one of the best. See this post on Bloglovin: Follow my blog with Bloglovin Crisp on the outside, chewy in the middle. Isn’t this the perfect oatmeal raisin cookie?! Slight variations were made in the recipe below to the one found in the book. *The book suggests baking by weight as I typically do in my kitchen but I know most home cooks use measuring cups and spoons. [...]

By Joanne|2013-12-11T10:16:19-05:00December 10, 2013|cookies|2 Comments

Bouchon Bakery: TLCs

I’m still on my little running vacation. A welcome time off from the past marathon training. If it wasn’t for a grumbling hamstring and sore hips, I’d probably still be pushing the miles upward of 35 per week during off season. Right now, I don’t think I’ve been running 25. The little hiatus is needed. It has helped. I’ve been cross training and doing more stretching, incorporating yoga into a few workout routines. The later morning wake up alarm is nice. A little more sleep, a little more relaxing, a little more enjoying foods/drinks I’d normally pass up when training. [...]

By Joanne|2013-12-02T20:11:21-05:00December 2, 2013|cookies|7 Comments

Bouchon: Pecan Sandies from Thomas Keller

A couple of years ago when Ted and I went to California as winners of the Raisin Bread Contest, we visited a very well known bakery in Yountville, CA called Bouchon. It turns out there is a book of recipes for the delicious sweet treats, scaled down for the home cook. Chef’s Sebastien Rouxel at The French Laundry and Matthew McDonald, Bouchon’s head baker offer the best of their experience in the recipes. As I opened the book and began reading, even before getting to the main chapters, Thomas Keller, the books author, offers a favorite recipe from his childhood, [...]

By Joanne|2013-10-27T12:55:27-04:00October 27, 2013|cookies|2 Comments