(not) reinventing the wheel

Sorry, sorry, family visiting and much too much to do outside in my garden!! I’ve missed you, though, honest!! Didja miss me? OK, enough of apologies! Here’s a quick recap of one of the many things that I found to do recently instead of writing.

Today I took a cooking class. When I told my mom she said “You need to take a cooking class??” Flattering, but yes, yes I do, and today I learned how to make pierogies. What fun and oh mmmmmm!!

I’m not going to delve into details because Midnite Chef tells all here and as she was the teacher, well, why reinvent the meal, er, wheel? But I will tell you that we went from this:

in the beginning…

to this:

the grand finale (finally!)

and oh mmmm!!

Now that we have the main course covered, I’d like to share with you a cookie recipe. Yup. Quick, easy, gluten free, and oh so yummy… my idea for these is to layer two of them with slightly soft ice cream, wrap and freeze hard, and make ice cream sandwiches. I mean, here in Texas it will be summer before we know it (sigh) so I’m just helping those who live around here get prepared! Here’s what you do:

Flourless Choco-Almond Cookies

just add ice cream…

Preheat oven to 350F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

1 cup almond flour* (freshly ground if possible)
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons melted butter

Melt the butter and set aside. Whisk together the almond flour, sugar, salt and cocoa powder. Add the egg, extracts, and butter, and mix well.

Drop by scant teaspoonful onto parchment paper. Bake 9 to 10 minutes. Let cool on the parchment on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing to cookie rack to cool completely. Store them in an air-tight container. These will (hahahahaha…) keep several days (mine never seem to…).

Makes about three dozen roughly 2-1/2 inch cookies.
***

*Almond flour is available packaged, but I prefer fresh ground. You can buy it in bulk if you live near a Central Market, or you can grind your own in a food processor. Just stop before it turns into almond butter!! Yikes!

Mind you, you don’t have to add ice cream, I just think it’d be awfully good. On their own these cookies are slightly chewy, slightly crisp, and (my friends seem to concur) mighty fine with coffee. Mmmm…

Spring fever is not yet ebbing, but:
I will try to write more often.
I will try to write more often.
I will try to write more often.
I will try to write more often.
I will try to write more often.

I promise! Have a good (and safe) week…

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