Am I the only person who finds the thought of making batches and batches of Christmas cookies intimidating?  There is so much rolling of dough, cutting of intricate shapes, hoping those shapes don’t spread into unrecognizable blobs while in the oven, whipping up batches of different colored icing that will likely be the wrong consistency and run all over the place like a bad finger painting experiment.  Plus, everyone has a “sure fire” “perfect” sugar cookie recipe, which inevitably ends up being less-than-perfect and far from sure-fire when tested in your own kitchen.

Let me introduce you to your new best friend in a sea of holiday craziness.  They are delicious, they sport the traditional red and green holiday colors and they look terribly fancy.  The brown sugar base blends with orange zest, tangy cranberries and salty pistachios for a flavor explosion that just gets better with time.  The best news, they are beyond simple to make.  The whole batch will be finished in less than an hour, which should leave you plenty of time for the requisite shopping/present wrapping/partying/celebrating.

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The air is getting crisp and chilled, football is everywhere and good television shows have returned to prime time …. this can only mean one thing … Welcome Back Fall!!  Something about the fall season begs for all things spicy, apple-related and pumpkin-flavored.  The days are perfect for chili, tailgating, and stick to your ribs soups.

I know that I’ve been on a bit of a scone kick lately, but the change in temperature makes me want to curl up with a hot cup of tea and a homemade scone.  Unlike the almond scones which were only mildly sweet, these pumpkin scones are for those people who prefer a sweeter, more dessert-like scone.  They are tender, moist and studded with toasted pecans.  Topped with crunchy sugar they have a nice sweetness and a tangy spiced pumpkin flavor.  These pumpkin scones are a perfect way to welcome the new season.

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I may be the only person who buys bananas with the intention of letting them turn brown and squishy.  To me, a banana is nothing more than the jumping off point for moist, nutty loaves of banana bread.  Heaping piles of banana muffins.  Sweet roasted banana cakes.  This whole wheat banana muffin is a portable, travel-sized companion that packs all the punch of it’s larger banana bread alter-ego.

Whole wheat flour works perfectly with banana breads and muffins.  It basically acts like a shot in the arm to the already nutty flavor.  This recipe is especially moist thanks to the use of yogurt in the place of milk.  The toasted walnuts create a sweet level of depth to this unbelievably simple recipe.  These muffins are so easy to make that you’ll probably end up trying to speed up the ripening process so that your bananas go bad faster (Hint: Put them in a paper bag with an apple. Does the trick every time.).

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This time of year, the beginning of summer, is usually known as the Era of Competing Interests.  Interest #1: The loads of sweet summery desserts that are practically mandatory for the plethora of upcoming BBQs, picnics, and outdoor parties.  Interest #2: The ability to wear a new bathing suit/tiny summer dress to said BBQ, picnic or party.  These two interests rarely get along and are the cause of many internal battles concerning the exact calorie count in a 1-inch brownie versus the actual calories burned on the elliptical machine.  The mounds of fresh fruit appearing at the grocery stores and farmer’s markets have been known to inject in this debate an intense desires to make berry pies, cobblers and all things representing sticky sweet, summery goodness.

I don’t want to alarm you, but I may have found a solution to this annual occurrence.  How does a sweet, cakey cookie packed with fresh blueberries, lemon zest and toasted almonds sound?  Pretty darn good.  Ok, let’s make this official … Do you, Antioxidant-Packed Blueberry, take you, Fiber-Filled Almond, to be your partner in cookie making magic for summers to come?  They do!!  And now, I introduce you to the results of a marriage made in cookie heaven.

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I was fortunate enough to grow up within driving distance of the Happiest Place on Earth.  I was even more fortunate to have the chance to work during my teen years.  One of the best perks of the job was the fantastic discount on all things bought within the Park … including the homemade candy and fudge!!  Along with my dear friend Josh, I would trek down Main Street to the Candy Palace and buy a tray of freshly made Rocky Road.  Oh, chocolate!  Oh, marshmallows!  Oh, walnuts!  This was heaven in a plastic wrapper and, as we all know, there are no calories in anything consumed at the Happiest Place on Earth (wink!) so we happily indulged.  Frequently.

It has been years since I had the benefit of that discount, but when I had an opportunity to celebrate Josh’s birthday with him, I couldn’t resist a dessert that would bring back those Oh-So-Magical memories of Main Street.  Hello, Rocky Road Brownies!!  Come to mamma!

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Sometimes you feel like a nut … sometimes you don’t!  Doesn’t that little jingle bring up images of sweet coconut drenched in chocolate?  I’ve been on a bit of a candy-inspired baking binge lately, and these little guys are no exception!  These coconut macaroons taste just like an Almond Joy.  Seriously.  Just like it!  Except perhaps, with a slightly more gourmet twist.  Plus, if you don’t feel like a nut, you can leave the almonds out and suddenly it a Mounds bar macaroon!

The beautiful thing about these macaroons is how simple they are.  Toast up some coconut and almonds.  Mix in some sweetened condensed milk.  Fold in some whipped egg whites.  Bake.  Drizzle with ridiculous amounts of melted chocolate.  That could be the entire recipe!  I did you the favor of providing slightly more specific instructions below, but you probably won’t need them.

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