Hot Cookie - the Archive

Almonds are real work-horses in gluten-free baking. They are the basis for these rolled out cookies. You don't have to be on a gluten-free diet to like them. They are a stunning blend of the nuts, chocolate and spices (cinnamon and cloves). Bonus is that they roll out easily for cutting into shapes. I didn't find the dough sticky as the recipe suggests. These roll out easily between sheets of wax paper. They do want to sit for 3 hours before baking. They are meant to be crisp! These cookies, originally from Switzerland, have a firm consistency that holds up to handling. Add to these features the subtle spices (cinnamon and cloves) that most people don't combine with chocolate, and these are winners. They remind me of Mexican chocolate used for hot cocoa. The one drawback is that the sugar in these cookies gives a gritty consistency. I would try a superfine sugar next time. Ingredients storage note: The dough gets mixed in a food processor, and because you sta

Remember these books? Waldo, the character in the red and white striped shirt and hat is hidden among dozens of busy characters on each page of these picture books, and you have to find Waldo. He is surrounded by a flurry of activity everywhere you look. The last two months, I've lived in Waldo's world. Each trip to clean out my mom's home I was surrounded by a cast of characters and a list of errands. Even after I hired a property manager (a most empowering thing to do, if it is a good one, and I have a good one), I had decisions to make every time I turned around. On my last trip alone, I chose a new garage door, hired someone to conduct an estate sale, recycled medical equipment, exchanged emails with an electrician, posted furniture for sale online, met with a chimney sweep, and met with a color consultant about house paint, indoors and out. I forget what else. The main work of sorting mom's stuff, of choosing which mementos to keep, which memories to treasure m