Here’s the second kind of cookies I am going to make to put in the cookie box – Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. The secret ingredients of this cookie are nutmeg and cinnamon. These two spices bring out the flavor and make this ordinary cookie alive and addictive!

Our dear friend Suzi is leaving us soon to pursue a nursing degree. It’s sad that we won’t be able to hang out with her as often after she moves away. But at the same time, I am happy for her starting a new chapter in her life. Her favorite cookies are peanut butter cookies and oatmeal cookies. So I am making these for her as a small farewell gift when she comes over for dinner tonight.

Creaming butter and sugar is the standard process of making cookies, however,  this recipe calls for melted butter (!) It’s unusual for a cookie recipe. But I think the melted butter really gives these cookies the melt-in-your-mouth texture. Hope Suzi will like those cookies.

Sometimes you just like to have little something sitting around at home just so you can have a bite whenever you crave for something sweet. Rugelach is one of those magic little things can do the trick. Rugelach is a traditional Jewish food. The taste is between bread and cookies, and it’s not too sweet nor too filling. It’s a great snack food to sit on your kitchen counter.

Coconut macaroon is one of the best potluck dessert. It’s sweet, easy to share and probably one of the easiest dessert I can think of. The killer secret ingredient of my coconut macaroon is cream of coconut. Thanks to cooks illustrated magazine’s suggestion. Using cream of coconut makes this already easy dessert literally effortless. If you need something quick and easy, this coconut macaroon is your best bet.

My first encounter with biscotti was not a romantic one, but surely was love at the first sight (or at first bite rather). I bought one of those plastic wrapped Starbucks chocolate chip biscotti at my school cafe. The reason was – I have some meal plan money need to use up. I know, it’s not romantic. But after dipping it in my coffee and had my first bite – I immediately fell in love with those little things. Just like Oreo and milk, peanut butter and jelly, biscotti and coffee are absolutely a perfect match. But unlike Oreo and peanut butter, there’s NO butter or oil in biscotti. (some Americanized recipes might have butter or oil in it, but for the one I am making today. there’s no butter or oil in it.) Amazing right? Give it a try, you will fall in love with it too!

What’s your favorite dessert? I like asking this question to all my friends. My mom’s favorite is pound cake; my sister’s favorite is cheesecake; mine is mochi. As for this raspberry crumb bar, it’s Nav’s favorite. I made this as a welcome home treat for him. This crumb bar is one of the kind. The delicate butter cookie texture along with a little bit sour and crunchiness of the raspberry jam. It literally melts in your mouth. This luxury treat at Flour bakery used to be Bostonian’s privilege. Now with the publishing of this wonderful Flour cookbook, everyone around the country can make this at home too! It’s the kind of dessert that you can’t stop eating and talking about. Yes, it is indeed that great.

I like Nigella’s cooking style – cooking with shortcuts. Unlike professional chefs, home cooks don’t have lots of time to spend in the kitchen. But that doesn’t mean we home cooks need to settle for less. Nigella’s recipes teach us how to cut corners and to make cooking at home become an easy and enjoyable task. I have tried so many of Nigella’s recipes, and every time when I taste those delicious dishes, I can’t help but say, “Thank you, Nigella! You really rock!”

“What’s this, nanaimo bar?” I was talking to myself when I came across of this pretty looking dessert. Oh…so it’s a kind of Canadian dessert, also a very much loved one there. Living in new england for all these years, I have never heard of it nor saw it in the recipe books before. I can never resist of new recipes. I have to give it a try!

St Valentine’s day is right at the corner. If you want to impress your loved one. You are looking at the right recipe. Why? you asked. Reason one: It has a cool name. People usually think it’s super fancy or authentic of the food with the cool name they have never heard of, and even better, don’t know how to pronounce it. Reason two: You have to make some efforts to make this dessert. There are quite a lot of ingredients in it, but each step is fairly simple. In other words, it’s easy, but not simple. As long as you pay attention, it’s almost impossible to screw this up. Unlike chocolate soufflé or chiffon cake, your effort has no guarantee of paying off. There’s nothing worse than seeing a collapse cake on a valentine’s day. So it’s a better bet to stick with a foolproof recipe. Reason three: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Definitely the top choice on Valentine’s day. Made up your mind? Let’s make this Nanaimo Bar together!

I have a cookie jar in my office. My boss was my biggest fan. However, he left for a job in NYC a couple months ago. Our team has been crazy busy ever since, and the cookie jar has been pushed to the corner.