Hazelnut Maple Cookies

It is almost two years ago that I started this blog and shared the first recipe with you. I started the blog because I needed somewhere to talk about food where I would not annoy the heck out of Michael. According to him, there are many things to talk about that are a lot more interesting than what to cook for dinner, and lunch the next day, and what cookies to make inbetween.
I can totally understand that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for thinking about cooking and talking about it, too.
What I did not anticipate back then was the joy I would get from playing with the design of this site. If you don't just read this in Google Reader, as I do with many blogs, you may have noticed that I have changed quite a few things over those two years, and you have my latest redesign before you right now. (That would be the time to come on over from Google Reader to check it out). If you visited the blog in the last few days, and on certain days during those two years that I worked on the design, you might have noticed a too large header sticking out into the blog posts, buttons in strange places or just generally parts of the blog missing.

Let's just say I haven't figured out how to do those things smoothly. I have long stopped worrying when that happens and learnt to use Photoshop quickly to fix things that went wrong.
I hope you like the new design, and I guess now that I made everything to my liking, it will actually stay this way for a long time. (no more misplaced headers in the future, yay!)
To celebrate, I made cookies for you and me. Nutty non-bake cookies that are really quickly mixed together in a food processor, rolled into balls, flattened, frozen and then enjoyed with a warm cup of tea. And I tell myself that since they are vegan and glutenfree, and only require a little maple syrup instead of sugar, they are healthy-ish.

Pistachio Cantuccini

My father's 50th birthday is coming up, and organizing and preparing the food for his party is my pleasure/task. I did the same last year for my mother, and it was great fun, but lots of work, too. I did not go the easiest route, and ended up spending nearly two days in the kitchen, preparing all sorts of appetizers.
My parents and I decided early on to keep the food mainly Italian, although we are not really strict about it, though you wont find Middle Eastern mezze on the table this Sunday. We are going to buy all sorts of cheeses and cured meat, and then I plan on making a variety of crostini, and a few other things.

Where we run into a problem was dessert. The problem is my parents fridge, to be exact. I don't know how many bottles of Prosecco are going to be stored in there, plus theres beer and maybe white wine, too.
This leaves little room for other things, which kind of makes choosing desserts difficult.
One of the things I already prepared for Sunday are these Pistachio Cantuccini. They are Italian, can be kept at room temperature and are quite easy to prepare. And they should appeal to all those coffee drinking folks my father invited.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

Last week A long time ago I made the Brown Butter Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies Joy the Baker posted a few weeks months ago. I just couldn't resist the name of it. It promised a lot, and I can happily report that the recipe lived up to the expectations. The different flavors complement each other nicely. I never browned butter before, but it was really easy, and it smelled delicious. You really have to try these! They are really easy to make, however, it takes some time to brown the butter and toast the coconut.
I didn't change the recipe, so I just post the link. The only thing I did differently is that I toasted the coconut in a pan, not in the oven. I prefer the control I have over the food. (I usually burn stuff in the oven).
Additional Note: If you, like me, have never browned butter before, just follow her instructions. It really takes some time, just wait patiently. And it really only starts to brown after the butter stops to sizzle.
I forgot to take a picture until only three cookies were left. 

Lavender Cookies

 
 These cookies must be about the easiest cookies I ever made. But their taste is pretty special, I would have never thought of using lavender in food. But the simpleness of the cookies and the lavender flavor go really well together.
Try them, even if you have to go and buy lavender just for these. I love them and think you will too!