CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES

After tweeting and posting about my adventures in Holiday Cookieland, I had lots of requests to post the recipes of the cookies I made.  Of course you don't have to wait until December to whip up these delicious treats.  Cookies are good all the time!

A couple of things to know when baking: It's an exact science, so be exact with your ingredients and measurements.  DO NOT USE IMITATION VANILLA.  You deserve the real thing.  Mexican vanilla is my personal favorite.  It adds that certain je ne sais quoi that makes the cookies special.  If you don't have time to jaunt down to Mexico for spices, it can usually be found at Fiesta grocery stores or specialty baking shops.  Chill the dough overnight for best results.  Resist the urge to eat too much raw cookie dough.  It's good, but the baked cookies are much much better.

Please know that I didn't create all of these recipes, but I have mastered them.  My favorites among those pictured below: Chocolate Peanut Butter Thumbprints. Though they're all ridiculously good.  Enjoy!

 Left to right: Magic Peanut Butter Middles, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, Russian Tea Cakes, Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Peanut Butter Thumbprints

Curry Chickpea Salad

Chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, are a great kitchen staple.  They taste delicious, are high in protein and fiber, are excellent nondairy source of calcium, and they're cheap.  I love the flavor of chickpeas, and they pair very nicely with curry seasonings.  And I love curry.

I created this recipe on a whim, and LOVED it!  It's light and very delicious and combines some of my favorite flavors.  If you're a follower of the Paleo movement or don't like garbanzos, you can easily substitute boneless, skinless chicken breast for the peas/beans.  This recipe is easy to make.  It requires no cooking, so it could easily become a summer favorite.  This dish is also very versatile.  Scoop onto of a bed of lettuce for a salad, no dressing necessary.  Stuff into a whole wheat pita or wrap in a spinach tortilla.  Or do like I did and just grab a fork and dig in.