Crackity Crackers! Rosemary, Pecan and Cranberry Raintree Crisps

I'm not much of a cracker type these days. When the mixed box comes out, I tend to want to spread my creamy cheeses on the digestive biscuits which, lets face it, are more cookie than cracker. However, I always circle around for two or three of these raintree crisps when they are out for free samples down at the grocer's. I think I like them because they are mostly nut and dried fruit held together by a negligible amount of cracker.

Nobel Prize Winning Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Dear Battlestar Galactica, I am watching s02e10 of you right now and you're AWESOME!

A while back I suggested that I would share some of what I consider to be 10 out of 10 cookies. Given a choice between this and every other chocolate chip cookie recipe I have ever made or tried, I would pick this one every time, and I've made and eaten a LOT of chocolate chip cookies. I'm open to the idea of better ones, I just haven't found them yet.

Christmas 2012

I figured I'd share some of my Christmas 2012 goodies before it got too ridiculously late. 

Gevulde Speculaas, Coconut Style

I was pleased with January's Challenge of Gevulde Speculaas. I'm always looking for something to add to my list of cookie recipes that is as delicious as my go-to chocolate chip or lemon bar recipes, but is also has a unique look and flavour. When I make (or, really, imagine making) piles of Christmas cookies, I like the cookies to be distinct. This is definitely now on the list.

Panettone with Citrus, Fig, Apricot and Walnuts

The Italians make better fruit cake than we Brits.

Panettone was the December Daring Bakers Challenge and I was very pleased about it because not only had I never heard of it, but it was the perfect combination of "time consuming" and "bread making" that makes me feel like I've completed something really fancy and challenging, even though it wasn't terribly difficult. On top of that, it was lovely and delicious.

Shepherd's Pie, Cattle Rancher's Pie

Comforting Christmas shepherd's pie. Technically the challenge was Pate Chinois,
but a rose by any other name still smells as delicious and all that.

Way back in December, I made a couple of shepherd's pies for the Daring Cooks Challenge. Proper shepherd's pie, I think, should be made with lamb because shepherds didn't watch cows, they watched sheep. The beef version should be called something else like. . . Cattle Rancher's Pie. God, that's a mouthful. 

So Many Christmas Cookies

It's time for a Christmas cookie photo extravaganza!

Brining Chicken

Crispy chicken skin, crispy crispy chicken skin!

Am I late? I'm not late. If I get this up within the hour, I'm not late.

Chocolate Mille Feuille

Not quite Mille Feuille. Cent Feuille?

I totally failed October's Daring Bakers' Challenge, which was Mille Feuille.

Paella, no seafood

I can't say I loved this paella, though I could see the paella potential. The first problem was that my doctor forbade me from eating any more experimental seafood until I've seen an allergist. Since I live in the land of snail-slow health care, that will be never. (I miss the days of medical nepotism in which my pa made a call and I immediately saw whichever specialist was best. I didn't even know what I had!) So I was already sub-enthused about my paella options while admiring everyone else's lovely shrimp and mussel dishes. What's a paella without a big, whole, kinda-creepy-looking shrimp sitting in the middle?