Monthly Archives: December 2009

Candied Nuts

Candied nuts are simple, delicious and almost endlessly variable. I used pecans and walnuts, but almonds and cashews also work quite well. I made a sweet and spicy variety using cinnamon and paprika, but you can use whatever spices you have on hand.  Some other flavors that work well are ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne pepper, […]

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ButterYum - Amazing shot – may I ask what camera you use?
:)
ButterYum

ButterYum - Amazing shot – may I ask what camera you use?
:)
ButterYum

gemma - Thanks. I use an Olympus E-330. It’s pretty old by DSLR standards. I use manual lenses. It’s a pretty strange set up, but it was affordable and seems to be working okay!

gemma - Thanks. I use an Olympus E-330. It’s pretty old by DSLR standards. I use manual lenses. It’s a pretty strange set up, but it was affordable and seems to be working okay!

Peanut Butter and Black Sesame Cookies

These pretty little things are like a grown-up version of the typical peanut butter cookie.  The black sesame seeds are not only eye-catching, but they toast in the oven as the cookies bake, providing a nice balance to the sugar. Calling for just five ingredients and baking up in about ten minutes, these are a […]

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Terry B - Whoa! I’m a huge fan of peanut butter cookies. These sound like a great version.

Terry B - Whoa! I’m a huge fan of peanut butter cookies. These sound like a great version.

Gemma - Thanks Terry! They are a nice, quick cookie. I’m usually not a fan of peanut butter cookies, but I love the extra nuttiness that the toasted sesame seeds provide. And, you can’t beat the short ingredient list!

Fat Burning Furnace Review - Those look delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe! =)

Fbf System - Yum! I feel like giving it a bite…

craig - The “not natural” peanut butter seems ridiculous.

craig - The “not natural” peanut butter seems ridiculous.

Gemma - Why does it seem ridiculous? Natural nut butters and those that are manufactured not to separate at room temperature have very different properties. It would probably work with natural peanut butter, but I haven’t tried it and I suspect the cookies might just melt into thin pancakes. Let me know if you give it a try and have success with a substitution!

mary - I actually tried an all-natural peanut butter, with no additives and they turned out great!! love this recipe…so easy, not too sweet, perfect little dessert to bring to an unexpected party. Plus, black sesame seeds (Hei Zhi Ma) have tons of health benefits according to Chinese Medicine. They tonify your liver and kidneys, calm your spirit, and help relieve constipation…sorry, was that TMI? :) Enjoy!!

Gemma - That’s awesome Mary! Thanks for trying it out and reporting back. I admit I was a bit disappointed that the original recipe called for the sugary stuff. I can’t wait to make these again with healthier ingredients. Cheers!

Homemade Gifts

Homemade gifts are a nice touch during the holidays.  Last year I started a bit early in the season and made vanilla extract, infused vodkas and peppermint patty candies. But homemade gifts don't need to be time consuming.  Two of my favorite quick projects are lemon and olive oil hand scrub and vanilla coffee syrup.  […]

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Nishta - thanks so much for posting these, Gemma! I was looking for something else (preferably quick & easy) to round out my holiday packages, and this is just perfect.
a friend dropped off some neighbor-grown Meyer lemons & we have all the other ingredients, plus loads of jars to use. I’m also going to throw in some fresh rosemary since we have a ton growing in the yard.
you always pick things that are spot-on. happy holidays!

Gemma - You’re welcome Nishta. Meyer lemons would make the hand scrub extra special — and rosemary — what a great idea!
Happy holidays to you too!

Nic Jones - I’m so happy I came across your site. I’m a big fan of homemade gifts especially now it’s the holiday season, I’m thinking of giving homemade gifts and I’m glad I read your blog. Thanks for this post and keep up the good work.

Gemma - Thanks Nic! I agree, I think handmade gifts are a wonderful way to spread holiday cheer without participating in the often extreme holiday consumerism. (Great site, by the way!)

Savory Parmesan & Thyme Cookies

Winter arrived in a serious way to Chicago this week. High winds and freezing sleet have created a winter landscape that is alternating between slush and ice, causing few to venture outside without reason. It is officially the season for soups, casseroles and cookies, winter boots, noisy radiators and hot chocolate. While I’m not one […]

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kickpleat - I love the idea of a savory cookie! Perfect!

tramadol - Savory cookie? Never tasted something like that before. But I wanna try that. Hope I could make it right.

Gemma - Thanks kickpleat and tramadol! They provide a nice break from all the sugar this time of year (but not the butter!)

kasia - Oh dear. I tried to make them, and it was a bit of a disaster. The texture was awful – when you bit into them, they sort of exploded into dust. I dunno what went wrong, it was so sad.

Gemma - I’m sorry to hear that Kasia. I assumed it was obvious from the ingredient list, but perhaps I should have made it clear that these are essentially shortbread cookies, which are crumbly thanks to being based on butter without egg or milk. I’ve made them several times and the recipe hasn’t produced anything that I would consider out of the ordinary for a shortbread cookie.
I wonder if you over-baked the cookies? Home oven cooking times can vary, but they should be just slightly golden brown. Baking them longer would certainly make them dry out. Other than that, I’d be sure you are measuring your flour carefully. If you use bleached flour, try switching to unbleached as it can have a richer protein content. I’ll try to bake a batch to bring to you next time I’m in your part of the city!

Kelvin - sorry but can u convert it to metric conversion please? in grams.
thanks alot.

Gemma - Hi Kelvin,
I unfortunately do not have the measurements available. There are convenient conversion tools online though. Good luck!