Nutella S'moreos for #theleftoversclub

The theme for this month's Leftover's Club exchange was nut butters! Originally, I was planning to post a cookie recipe using homemade maple roasted almond butter (sounds yummy doesn't it?), but the recipe didn't quite turn out as I had planned and I discovered that I don't really like almond butter. As hard as I try, my mind can't seem to grasp the fact that it's just not peanut butter. I think the taste of the almonds is too subtle for me and I keep expecting to taste peanuts. I was hoping that roasting the almonds in maple syrup and adding cinnamon to the mixture would help amp up the flavor, but neh...almond butter is just not my thing.

 

So I went with plan B - Nutella! You can't go wrong with Nutella can you? Chocolate + Hazelnuts = Yum. Plus I had a huge jar or it in my pantry...

 

I debated for quite a while about what to make and decided on not one but two recipes! Homemade Nutella Puff Cereal for my exchange partner Michele's adorable son, Nicholas (he has the same name as my son!) and these decadent Nutella S'moreo Cookies for Michele. Michele does such a great job as the leader of The Leftover's Club I thought she deserved something extra special.

 

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed with the outcome of the Nutella Puff Cereal. While the dough is super easy to make, pinching the dough into tiny balls and rolling them was a little time consuming and too repetitive for me. This would be a great task for the kids to help with (hint,hint)! Also, I thought the Nutella flavor didn't really shine through enough. I'm curious to hear if Michele's son, Nicholas, gives them the thumbs up or thumbs down.

Here's the link to the recipe I tried. If you're into making your own homemade cereals (and you have someone to help you roll the tiny balls), I encourage you to give it a try. The recipe makes a small batch, enough for about 2 servings.

Now, onto these decadent Nutella S'moreo Cookies....I mean c'mon, just look at these things.

Who knew making your own homemade oreo cookies was so easy? And they totally taste like Oreos only better. Just think, you can fill them with whatever filling you want! Since the theme was nut butters, I made a creamy Nutella filling, topped it with some marshmallow fluff and graham cracker crumbs. Oh mama!

I really hope they are delivered to Michele intact and that she enjoys them! Thanks Michele for all you do for The Leftovers Club!

If you are interested in swapping yummy treats each month with fellow food bloggers, sign up over at Michele's blog, Alwayz Bakin!

Homemade S'moreos with Nutella Cream Filling & Marshmallow Fluff
Adapted from Crazy for Crust
Makes approx. 12 sandwich cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract

Filling Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup Nutella
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 jar Marshmallow Fluff
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350f and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using your electric hand mixer), cream the butter and both sugars for approx. 1 minutes scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients just until combined.

Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoon size balls onto the prepared baking sheets and bake at 350f for approx. 10 minutes or until the cookies are set and no longer look shiny. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets. Remove to a wire cooling rack.

Make the filling

Place the butter, nutella and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use your electric hand mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the heavy whipping cream and whip and med-high speed until creamy (approx. 1 minute). Place the filling in a piping bag (decorating tip optional).

Assemble the cookies

Once the cookies have cooled, take half of the cookies and place them upside down. Pipe the nutella filling around the edges of the cookies. Dollop some marshmallow fluff on top then sprinkle with some of the graham cracker crumbs. Place the remaining cookies on top of each of the filled cookies creating cookie sandwiches.

These cookies are best eaten the day they are assembled. You can bake the cookies a day ahead.

An InLinkz Link-up

Candied Flower Shortbread Cookies for #creativecookieexchange

So if you saw my recent Instagram post, you might be guessing who the special person is who inspired these cookies. Well, that person would be my mom!

I don't talk about my mom very often on the blog. I mainly focus on sharing recipes without getting too personal, because after all, you are here for the food. Well, the theme for this month's Creative Cookie Exchange was Mother's Day so I thought now would be the perfect time to say a little bit about the woman who has been a major influence in my life.

 

My mom was born and raised in the Philippines and had far from a privileged childhood. As a result, she's not a very mushy, sentimental type of person. My mom taught me the value of hard work, to earn what I have and not expect it to be handed over on a silver platter. She taught me to be tough and strong, to put my family before myself and to give without expectation. I am the person I am today because of my mother.

 

My mom has the biggest green thumb of anyone I know. She can grow anything, anywhere. Here she is with her giant collard greens! The leaves are almost as big as she is!!

This woman could literally make roses grow out of a rock (ok maybe not literally, but you get the picture). I don't know how she does it. Growing up, she had these beautiful rose bushes which she would care for and water every day. The smell of roses in our front yard was intoxicating. I, unfortunately, did not inherit her green thumb, but I can bake, and I baked these cookies for her.

These Candied Flower Shortbread Cookies are the perfect tribute to my mom. Made with pretty, edible flowers, they are beautiful, strong and not too sweet, just like my mom...

These cookies are also far from perfect, just like me...

I know your mom would enjoy them too! Why not make some for Mother's Day?

Candied Flower Shortbread Cookies

Makes approx. 18 cookies (depending on the size)

Adapted from Curtis Stone

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar + more for sprinkling
1 cup + 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
pinch of salt
Egg wash - l large egg white, beaten which 1 tablespoon water
18 edible flowers (small pansies preferred)

Directions:

Prepare the flowers

Gently wash the flowers in cold water and place face down on a paper towel to dry for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the flowers face up and allow to dry completely.

Make the dough

Combine the flour and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using your hand mixer), cream the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy (approx. 2 minutes).

Add the flour mixture and mix at low speed just until combined.

Place the dough on a piece of plastic wrap, form into a disc, wrap tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

Bake the cookies

When ready to make the cookies, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes so that it is pliable enough to roll out.

Preheat oven to 350f

Roll the dough to 1/4" thickness between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Cut into circles using a 1 3/4" to 2" cookie cutter (depending upon the size of your flowers). You can do a mixture of both sizes if needed. The size of your flowers will dictate the size you need to cut the cookies into.

Place the cookies on parchment lined baking sheets and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove from fridge and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until just lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and place the cookies on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Apply the flowers

Reduce oven temp to 325F

After cookies have completely cooled, brush them lightly with egg wash. Carefully place the a flower on the top of each cookie and lightly brush the flower with the egg wash so that it adheres to the cookie.

Sprinkle each cooking lightly with granulated sugar.

Place the cookies back on the baking sheet and bake for another 5 minutes or until the flower has dried out.

Remove from the oven and place the cookies on the cooling rack.

Store cookies in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Note: My edible flowers were pretty large and thick so I had to use just some of the petals to construct a flower. Small, flat flowers are preferred for this recipe so you can keep the entire flower intact

Mother’s Day is coming! And what better cookies to make than those either in honor of or for our mothers? You can also use us as a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:

• Classic Spritz Cookies from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Chocolate Chip Cookies (Baked) from Baking in Pyjamas
• White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies from 2 Cookin' Mamas
• Crystallized Ginger Cookies from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Candied Flower Shortbread Cookies from Live... Bake... Love...
• Oats and Nuts Cookies from Basic N Delicious
• Coconut cookies from Flours and frostings
• Brown Sugar Maple Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cherries from The Spiced Life
• Mint Chip Chocolate Cookies from A Baker's House
• Almond Crescents from A Shaggy Dough Story
• Rhubarb Sauce Cookies from Food Lust People Love

Gingerbread Shortbread #greatfoodbloggercookieswap2015

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap is an event I look forward to every year. It's right up there with Thanksgiving and my annual Cookie Bake. For this event, organized by Julie from The Little Kitchen and Lindsay from Love and Olive Oil, thousands of fellow food bloggers from across the globe, bake and swap cookies through the mail with other food bloggers, all to raise money for Cookies for Kids Cancer, a non-profit organization committed to funding pediatric cancer research.

 

 

 

For this year's cookie swap, I baked Gingerbread Shortbread. Shortbread is always a classic during the holiday season, but gingerbread shortbread is even better! Instead of cutting the shortbread into small shapes, I decided to bake them into wedges! Pretty cute, huh? Now that I think of it, cutting them into actual gingerbread men/women shapes would have been cute too!

 

 

 

My cookies were shipped to Ashley from Couture Palate, Susan from A Less Processed Life and Tracy from Pale Yellow. I hope they enjoyed them!

 

I included some Tazo Sweet Cinnamon Spice Tea to compliment the spices in the cookies. After all, what's shortbread without tea?

 

 

 

In return, I received Southern Molasses Crinkle Cookies from Rachel at A Southern Fairy Tale, Chai Spiced Oatmeal Cookies and Funfetti Biscotti from Mel Bakes Things and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies from Forty Cakes. All of the cookies I received were super yummy! Thanks Ladies!

 

I have to give a special thanks to Lindsey and Julie. Each year they spend countless hours of their time organizing this event. I personally have a lot of fun baking, packaging and shipping the cookies and waiting to see what I receive in the mail in return. But, at the end of the day, it's not about the cookies, it's all about finding a cure for pediatric cancer.

 

 

 

If you are a food blogger and are interested in participating in the 2016 Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, be sure to sign up to receive notifications about next year's event here. You won't want to miss it!

 

Now onto the recipe for these delicious Gingerbread Shortbread....

Gingerbread Shortbread
Makes 16 cookies
Adapted from BHG

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup cold butter, cut into tablespoon size pieces
2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
Turbinado Sugar for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat oven to 325F

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

Combine the flour, sugar and spices in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.

Add the butter and molasses to the flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Knead the dough to form a ball. Divide the dough in half and place one ball of dough onto each prepared cookie sheet. Pat into an 8" circle. Using your fingers, create a scallop edge.

Sprinkle each round with turbinado sugar, then prick with the tines of a fork (about every inch or so). If desired, make a heart shape on the top of each wedge using a toothpick or small cookie cutter (just make an indentation, do not cut all the way through the cookie).

Cut each circle into 8 equal wedges leaving the circle intact.

Bake at 325f for 15-18 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown and the center is set.

Remove from the oven and recut the wedges while still warm using a sharp knife.

Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Store tightly covered in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Toffee Biscotti #creativecookieexchange

So is everyone else knee deep in cookie baking this month? I know I am! I love to bake and give homemade cookies for Christmas gifts.

 

The theme for this month's Creative Cookie Exchange was biscotti. Biscotti are actually the perfect cookie for gift giving. They ship well and stay fresh for several days. I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of biscotti. They tend to be dry and crumbly, in desperate need of dunking, while I tend to lean towards soft, chewy cookies. These Chocolate Toffee Biscotti, however are different. Due to the addition of chocolate chips and chocolate covered toffee bits in the dough, they are not as dry as the usual biscotti. The chocolate coating on the toffee bits melts into the dough while baking, giving it added moisture, while the toffee bits surprise you with little bursts of caramel crunch. The chocolate glaze and additional sprinkling of toffee bits add an extra layer of flavor.
 

This batch of Chocolate Toffee Biscotti is being gifted to a special friend/co-worker for her birthday. She happens to love biscotti and chocolate. I hope she enjoys eating them as much as I enjoyed baking them!

 

 

Chocolate Toffee Biscotti

Make about 18 cookies
Adapted from

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup natural cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tablespoon espresso powder
2 tablespoons hot water
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips coarsely chopped
1 cup chocolate covered toffee bits (like Heath or Skor)
Egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons cold water)

Topping:
1 cup dark chocolate chips melted
1 cup chocolate covered toffee bits

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350f and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

In a small bowl, combine the hot water and espresso powder and stir to dissolve. Set aside.

Place flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium size bowl and whisk well to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (approx. 2 minutes).

Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and the paddle. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, at low speed, mixing just until combined.

Add the espresso mixture and mix on low speed just until combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and paddle.

Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Add the chocolate chunks and toffee beats and mix  on low speed just until distributed.

Dump the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and divide in half. Shape each half into a log approx. 8" long x 1.5" wide making sure each log is approx. 5" apart on the baking sheet since the dough will spread. Brush lightly with egg wash.

Bake approx. 25 minutes or until set and the dough looks done in the center. Remove from oven and place baking sheet on a cooling rack to cool.

Remove the cooled logs and place on a cutting board. Slice into 3/4" thick slices using a serrated knife (cut straight or on a diagonal). It is very important that the biscotti are completely cool before you cut them. Cutting while warm may cause them to break.

Place the cut biscotti back onto the baking sheet and return to the 350f oven. Bake another 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on the baking sheet.

To glaze the biscotti - melt the chocolate chips and drizzle the chocolate over each cookie. Sprinkle with toffee bits.

Allow the chocolate to set before storing.

Store at room temperature in an air tight container for  up to days.

Biscotti (or mandelbrot or any other twice baked cookie by any other name) are one of the perfect Holiday tin cookies! They last forever, and there are so many ways to make them festive. So we’ve got you covered--sweet, savory, low fat, loaded with decadence, you name it, we’ve got it! Happy Holidays!

You can also use us as a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:

• Almond Lemon Biscotti by Basic N Delicious
• Banana Walnut Biscotti by Upstate Ramblings
• Chocolate Almond Biscotti by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Chocolate Toffee Biscotti by Live Bake Love
• Currant Walnut Biscotti by Magnolia Days
• Dark Chocolate and Pistachio Biscotti by Flours and Frostings
• Gingerbread Biscotti by Food Lust People Love
• Gluten Free Chocolate Biscotti by What Smells So Good?
• Holiday Biscotti Bar by The Spiced Life
• Honey Beescotti by Oven Delights
• Mocha Biscotti by A Baker's House
• Orange Pistachio Biscotti by 2 Cookin' Mamas
• Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti by A Shaggy Dough Story
• Peppermint Kahlua Chocolate-Dipped Biscotti by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• White Chocolate Glazed Gingerbread Biscotti by Christmas Tree Lane

Dairy Free Dark Chocolate, Cherry & Pecan Magic Cookie Bars for The Leftovers Club

For this month's Leftovers Club, our theme was chocolate! Now, don't get me wrong, chocolate has to be one of my all-time favorite things in life, but coming up with a dairy-free chocolate recipe for my partner, Ginger from Stark Raving Delicious, was a little challenging. Plus chocolate can be hard to mail in the Summer!

 

I knew I wanted to make some type of cookie bar, easy to make, easy to ship, easy-peasy, right? And what cookie bar is more classic than the iconic Magic Cookie Bar? The challenge was making a dairy free version. Everyone knows that one of the main ingredients in Magic Cookie Bars is sweetened condensed milk. It's the "magic" that holds all of the ingredients together and creates the cohesive bar.

 

So how to make dairy-free sweetened condensed milk? Well, it turned out to be easier than I thought. Just use dairy free milk! I cooked almond milk and sugar until it was reduced down to a syrup like consistency. Done deal!

 

One of the other issues with Magic Cookie Bars that I wanted to address was that they can often be too sweet. To remedy that, I used dark chocolate (dairy free of course), coconut for texture, pecans for crunch, dried cherries for tartness and Maria Cookies, which aren't too sweet, for the crust. Sounded like the perfect balance to me!

 

I hope Ginger and her family enjoys my custom version of "Magic" Cookie Bars!

 

Ginger wins hands down for cutest packaging. Check out what she sent to me and get the recipe on her blog.

 

http://www.starkravingdelicious.com/2015/08/honey-cardamom-cookies-with-chocolate.html

 

.....if you're interested in swapping homemade baked goods with a great bunch for fellow bloggers, why not join The Leftover's Club! Sign up on Food Ramblings

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dark Chocolate, Cherry & Pecan Magic Cookie Bars

Makes 12 bars

 

Ingredients:

3 cups Almond Milk

3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 package of Maria Cookies (approx. 2 1/2 cups) or sub graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cup melted Earth Balance

2 cups Dairy Free Dark Chocolate Chips

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1 1/4 cups toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup dried cherries coarsely chopped

 

 

Directions:

 

Create the sweetened condensed milk

 

Place the almond milk and granulated sugar in a saucepan. Cook or medium heat stirring constantly until the liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup and is a syrup like consistency. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temp.

 

 

 

Line a 9"x9" baking pan with nonstick foil or line with regular foil sprayed with nonstick spray.

 

When the sweetened condensed almond milk is cool, preheat the oven to 350f

 

Make the crust

 

Place the Maria Cookies in a food processer and process until crumbs. Place the cookie crumbs in a bowl, drizzle the melted Earth Balance over the crumbs and combine with a fork. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.

 

Assemble 

 

Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the crust. Then sprinkle the coconut over the chocolate chips.

 

Pour the sweetened condensed almond milk over the coconut/chocolate.

 

Sprinkle the pecans and chopped cherries on top.

 

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until mixture is set and crust is golden brown.

 

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting into bars.

 

Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

 

 

 



An InLinkz Link-up

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Roll Cookies for The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

For me, participating in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap is an event I look forward to each year. Swapping cookies with fellow bloggers is a lot of fun, but more importantly the event raises money for pediatric cancer research. Raising money to find a cure for cancer is a cause that's near and dear to my heart. Both of my in-laws recently lost their battle with cancer and this is my way of honoring their memory.


 

 

First and foremost, I have to give a big, heart-felt shout out to Lindsay from Love and Olive Oil and Julie from The Little Kitchen for all of the time and dedication they put into organizing this event each year. I'm sure managing a project involving over 500 bloggers is a huge undertaking. Much love to you both!

 

Now, I have to admit that swapping homemade cookies with fellow bloggers can be intimidating because you're essentially baking for other experienced bakers, some of whom you admire and follow their blogs. Deciding what to make is usually an agonizing decision for me, but one look at these Cinnamon Roll Cookies from Wanna Come With and it was love at first sight! Everything about these cookies made me want to reach through the screen and take a bite.

 

I put my own "holiday" spin on them by adding pumpkin spice to the filling. I love the combination of pumpkin, cinnamon and orange zest.

You may have already read about my aversion to rolled cookie dough from last year's swap when I made these delicious Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies with Salted Dulce de Leche Filling, but the annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap is definitely one occasion where I am willing to bite the bullet.

These babies (yes, I call my cookies babies) were sent to Kathy at Panini Happy, Preeti at The Big Fat Indian Wedding and Natasha at The Cake Merchant! Each of these women have amazing blogs and I hope they enjoyed the cookies!

 

In exchange, I received the most amazing Brown Butter Molasses Cookies from Lynsey Lou's (seriously I was obsessed with those things and I ate 3 of them within 5 minutes of receiving the package!), the softest Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies from Blahnik Baker and who wouldn't love Almond Joy Cookies from A Day in the life on the Farm. Thanks so much for the delicious cookies!!

   If you want to participate in this worthy cause, have fun and receive lots of cookies in the mail (and who doesn't!), sign up here to be notified about next year's swap. I promise you won't regret it!

 

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Makes 3 dozen
Recipe adapted from Wanna Come With

Ingredients

Cookie:
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice mix
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temp
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temp


Filling:
5 tablespoons + 2 tsp unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tsp light corn syrup
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract


Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp heavy cream or milk
dash of cinnamon


Directions:

Make the filling:

Combine all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix at medium speed using an electric hand mixer until well combined, light and fluffy. Set aside.

Make the cookie dough:

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and pumpkin spice. Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using your electric hand mixer), beat the sugars, salt and orange zest at medium speed until light and fluffy (approx. 3 minutes).

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the egg and vanilla and mix on low speed until well combined.

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until combined.

Roll and assemble the cookies:

Place dough on a sheet of waxed paper and roll into a 12" square. The dough should be easy to handle, if for some reason your dough is slightly sticky, stick in the fridge for a few minutes.

When ready to roll, spread the filling onto the dough in an even layer. Roll the dough into a log, making sure you roll tightly. Wrap in plastic and roll a few times back and forth to help shape the log.

Place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes or until firm.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375f and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a sharp knife, cut the log 48 slices that are 1/4" wide. Tip: It helps to rotate the log a quarter turn after each slice to retain the shape.

Place the slices on prepared baking sheets and bake approx. 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool a few minutes on the baking sheet then remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.

To make glaze - combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl and mix to combine. Adjust to your desired consistency (glaze should be thin and easy to spread but should not be too runny). Lightly brush on each cookie with a pastry brush or place in a pastry bag (or plastic storage bag with corner cut off ) and drizzle on each cookie. Allow glaze to dry.

Store leftovers in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 2 days.