I am a big cookie fan. I like all types, from cut out sugar cookies to biscotti and everything in between. As soon as I saw this recipe for Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies, I knew it would be an instant hit with my family.

This is such an easy recipe and perfect for when you want a delicious chocolate cookie. I love maraschino cherries, but usually only use them for sundaes and pineapple upside-down cakes. I never thought to use them in a thumbprint-style cookie. They add just the right amount of sweetness and love the color too.

Now, let’s talk about the chocolate ganache drizzle. This is seriously delicious! I love how creamy and sweet it is. The recipe says to use semisweet chips, but I think you can get away with dark chocolate chips too, since the sweetened condensed milk is so sweet. Just thinking about these chocolate cookies make me want to whip up another batch again.

Some of my favorite kitchen tools are my dishers, or ice cream scoops. I rarely use them for ice cream though. They come in so many different sizes and are perfect for portioning out batters. I use them for cookies, cupcakes, pancakes, macaroons, and even meatballs. It’s great because everything you make is uniform and cooks more evenly. I usually use a size 40 (purple) or 30 (black) disher for cookies, depending on how big I want them to be. Here’s some links to a few of my favorites – they are Amazon affiliate links, which means if you purchase them, at no additional cost to you, I receive a portion of the purchase.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Welcome to day 2 of #VanillaWeek! I hope you liked my Vanilla Bean Macarons from yesterday. Check out my intro blog post with all the details for the #VanillaWeek Giveaway! The #VanillaWeek Bloggers and I have some great recipes today, so please head on over to their blogs and check them out. We hope you join us throughout the week where we will be sharing vanilla recipes that include breakfasts, drinks, desserts and even savory dishes!

When you make these homemade Vanilla Bean Ladyfingers and take your first bite, don’t be alarmed if Angels start singing around you – these cookies are divine! They are soft and not overly sweet, unlike the store-bought ones that are a bit too crisp and sugary for my taste. Surprisingly, Ladyfingers are extremely easy to make and once you have had them, you will probably never go back to store-bought again.

I could just snack on these cookies as is. They make the perfect little treat for an afternoon snack. They fit right in at a tea party and can be the perfect accompaniment for a cup of coffee in the evening. Even Baby L&C likes them. She is learning to “bite” pieces off of larger pieces of food, and these cookies were a good little sweet that she can easily chew.

Ladyfingers are mostly known as being part of a delicious layer in tiramisus, trifles or charlottes. This recipe makes a large batch, and when wrapped properly, you can freeze them for a little while if you don’t want to make something with them right away. I hope you enjoy these homemade Vanilla Bean Ladyfingers and don’t forget to enter the #VanillaWeek giveaway!

Vanilla Bean Ladyfingers
A Love and Confection original recipe
Click here for a printable recipe
Yield: approximately 60-65 cookies

Vanilla Bean Ladyfinger Ingredients:
– 5 Large Eggs, divided and room temperature
– 1/2 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar, divided
– 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
– 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste
– 2/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill Cake Flour
– 1/8 teaspoon Salt
– 1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
– Dixie Crystals Confectioners’ Sugar for dusting

Vanilla Bean Ladyfinger Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375F. Prepare multiple sheet pans with parchment paper. If necessary, you can draw sets of guidelines 4 inches wide, horizontally on parchment paper. Remember to turn the parchment paper over so the batter does not touch the markings.
2.In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the Egg Yolks and 1/4 cup of Granulated Sugar. Whip until the mixture becomes pale, lemon yellow, thickens and falls back into the bowl in ribbons. Add in the Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Bean Paste, Cake Flour and Salt and gently mix until just combined. Place batter into a large bowl and set aside. Clean the mixing bowl thoroughly for the egg whites.
3. In the clean bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together the Egg Whites and Cream of Tartar until foamy. Using the whip attachment, whip the egg whites on medium until soft peaks form. Slowly add in the 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar and whip on high until the whites are glossy and have stiff peaks.
4. Take 1/4 of the whipped whites and “sacrifice” it by mixing it into the batter to lighten it. Gently fold in the rest of the Egg Whites, making sure not to deflate the batter. Prepare a piping bag with a large circular tip and transfer the batter into it. Pipe 4 inch long and 3/4-1 inch wide ladyfingers, leaving some room in between. Sift Confectioners’ Sugar over the piped ladyfingers.
5. Bake for 9-12 minutes, until just golden brown. Cool on the sheet tray before removing with a palette knife. Ladyfingers are best eaten the day they are made. You can store ladyfingers in an airtight sealed container in the freezer.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Disclosure: Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Bob’s Red Mill, Silpat, Quirk Books and Dixie Crystals/Imperial Sugar are providing the prizes free of charge. These companies are also providing the bloggers with samples and product to use for #VanillaWeek. All opinions stated are my own.

It’s officially #VanillaWeek! I am so excited for day 1 of our week-long event. Check out my intro blog post with all the details for the giveaway!. The #VanillaWeek Bloggers and I have some great recipes today, so please head on over to each of their blogs and check them out. We hope you join us throughout the week where we will be sharing vanilla recipes that include breakfasts, drinks, desserts and even savory dishes! Also, don’t forget to enter for our big #VanillaWeek giveaway!

I love macarons! Yes, the little cookies with a single “o”, not the sweet coconut concoctions your grandmother makes. These little French treats are gloriously delicious and packed with so much flavor in a few small bites. The flavor combinations are endless, as are the fillings.

I chose to go with some simple Vanilla Bean Macarons and Vanilla Bean Chocolate Macarons. These little beauties can cost upwards of $2 per cookie in some patisseries and boutiques, so it’s more cost efficient to make them at home. Even though there are a million different recipes online, as well as techniques, photos and videos on how to make them, they can be fickle little beasts. If the conditions aren’t right, the measurements are just a bit off, or the pastry chef happens to be sick, while taking care of her sick yet constantly moving, just-learned-how-to-climb-the-stairs toddler in a house without a baby gate that fits the stairway, then you  might get a failed batch and want to go cry in the corner of your pantry. Not that I would know anything about the latter…

I have had my fair share of macaron flops, these beauties included. Half of my batches came out good, the other half didn’t. It’s a hazard of baking macarons – sometimes they won’t come out smooth and with perfect little feet. Sometimes they will be cracked or hollow or have sharpie marker ink on the bottoms because you had “mommy-brain” and forgot to turn the parchment paper over before piping. Yeah, that happened.

Luckily with the Macaron Silpat Mat, most of my batches didn’t have to worry about getting inked up. This mat fits my jelly roll pan perfectly and has easy guidelines for piping. It is definitely something I am going to take full advantage of when making macarons in the future. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Vanilla Bean Macarons with Whipped Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Ganache
Macaron adapted from Martha Stewart
Whipped Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Ganache a Love and Confections original recipe
Click here for a printable recipe

Vanilla Bean Macarons Ingredients:
– 1 cup Dixie Crystals Confectioners’ Sugar (117 grams)
– 2/3 cup Almond Flour (71 grams)
– 2 large Egg Whites, room temperaturer (80 grams)
– 1/4 cup Dixie Crystals Super Fine Granulated Sugar (53 grams)
– 3 tablespoons Cocoa Powder, for chocolate macarons only

Vanilla Bean Macarons Directions:
1. Sift together the Confectioners’ Sugar and Almond Flour, discarding any large pieces left over. Repeat again and set aside. If making chocolate macarons, add the cocoa powder while sifting.
2. Heat oven to 375F. Place parchment or macaron mat on cookie sheets.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the Egg Whites and Granulated Sugar and whisk by hand until frothy and combined. Using the whip attachment, gently increase the speed until stiff, glossy peaks are formed.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the meringue and gently fold to combine. The macaron batter should take about 35-40 strokes and flow like lava when ready.
5. Prepare a piping bag with a medium round tip and fill it with the macaron batter. Pipe batter into 1/2 to 3/4 inch rounds, about an inch apart, with the tip about 1/2 an inch from the baking mat while piping. Tap the tray onto the counter 2-3 times to get any air bubbles out. Let the macarons rest for about 30 minutes or until their shell is slightly firm to the touch.
6. Bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes. Once done, let them cool completely before taking off the mat. Store in a container and refrigerate or freeze.

Whipped Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:
– 6 ounces White Chocolate
– 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste
– 6 ounces Heavy Cream

Whipped Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Ganache Directions:
1. Chop the Chocolate into small pieces and place in a medium bowl. Add the Vanilla Bean Paste.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the Heavy Cream until it just starts to boil, whisking periodically. Make sure you do not walk away from the cream while it is on the stove, as it can boil over in an instant.
3. Pour the Heavy Cream over the Chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes. Whisk the mixture together until all the Chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Let it sit and come to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate a minimum of 3 hours and up to overnight.
4. After thoroughly chilled, place the ganache into your stand mixer bowl and with the whip attachment, whip it until it is light and fluffy. Place in a piping bag with either a round or star tip and pipe onto half of the macarons. Sandwich them together and serve.

Here are more #VanillaWeek Blogger recipes:

Berry Vanilla and Yogurt Loaf Cake from Take A Bite Out of Boca.
Vanilla Glazed Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits from Frugal Foodie Mama.
I Love You Strawberry Cake from Hip Foodie Mom.
Slow Cooker Cinnamon Roll Casserole from It’s Yummi.
Strawberry Vanilla Cream Pie from That Skinny Chick Can Bake.
Vanilla Balsamic Roast Chicken Thighs from Pineapple and Coconuts.
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake No-Churn Ice Cream from Cupcakes & Kale Chips.
Vanilla Bean Cream Puffs from Taste Cook Sip.
Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Fresh Strawberries from {i love} my disorganized life.
Vanilla Cinnamon Candied Pecans from Big Bear’s Wife.
Vanilla Macarons from Love and Confections.
White Chocolate Dipped Snickerdoodles from Life Tastes Good.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

Disclosure: Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Bob’s Red Mill, Silpat, Quirk Books and Dixie Crystals/Imperial Sugar are providing the prizes free of charge. These companies are also providing the bloggers with samples and product to use for #VanillaWeek. All opinions stated are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

It’s that time of year… parties to attend, family gatherings, trimming the tree and holiday decorations are up – well not quite yet for me. I am late with all the festivities this year because this past weekend we celebrated Baby L&C’s first birthday! Her birthday is today and we planned to decorate after her Mickey Mouse party. We got the tree yesterday and this week is Christmas prep – cookie baking, grocery list making, gift wrapping, and tree trimming – all before family arrives Sunday. Whew, I’m tired just looking at all I have to do.

Food prep takes a lot of time during the holidays and everyone wants to be able to visit and not be stuck in the kitchen. Dessert is usually an easy course, because most of the items can be prepped and made ahead of time. Snowball cookies are perfect because you can freeze them for a few weeks and just thaw a few hours before you need them.

I love The Great Food Blogger Cookie Exchange. I participated in the first one and loved it. Last year I was very pregnant and wasn’t able to do a lot of baking so I couldn’t join in. This year, I was anxiously waiting to get all my cookies in the mail. I received Mint Crinkle Cookies from Baking Bandit, Rum Balls from Stir and Strain, and Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cookies from Alyssa and Carla. Hopefully my matches enjoyed their snowballs. Happy Holidays!

Here is the website and more information about The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. Don’t forget to follow the #fbcookieswap hashtag on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Snowball Cookies
Family recipe adapted from The Complete Everyday Cookbook
Click here for a printable recipe
Yield 40 cookies

Snowball Cookie Ingredients:
– 1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
– 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
– 1 Egg Yolk
– 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
– 2 & 1/2 cups sifted Flour
– 1/2 teaspoon Salt
– Confectioners’ Sugar, for rolling

Snowball Cookie Directions:
1. With a stand mixer, cream together the Butter and Sugar until pale yellow and light and fluffy. Add in the Egg Yolk and Almond Extract, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
2. Sift Flour before measuring, then add slowly to the butter mixture while it is on low. Add in Salt and incorporate. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes to 2 hours.
3. Heat oven to 325F. Grease cookie sheets with baking spray. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out dough, roll into a ball and place on the cookie sheets.
4. Bake cookies for 22-28 minutes, or until very lightly golden brown. Let cookies cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheet, then while hot, roll in Confectioners’ Sugar and place on rack to cool completely.
5. Once cookies are completely cool, roll once more in powdered sugar. You can serve immediately or if you want to freeze them, use wax paper and extra confectioner’s sugar in between the layers. Enjoy!

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!