Look at what I made!  I know these little French beauties have been the obsession on blogs for a while now, but I didn’t have the courage to try making them.  So I sat and admired everyone else’s macarons.  The beautiful colors and the tempting fillings became too much.  I got tired of admiring and wanted to eat so in December I poured over recipes and found my courage by reading Tartlette’s instructions.  My macarons turned out perfectly.  The stack pictured are clementine with chocolate ganache filling.  I also made chocolate with salted butter caramel filling but those didn’t stick around long enough for pictures.

I must admit, macarons are a little fussy but if you stay calm they are very simple to make.  One of the things I would like to do this year is to try cooking or baking at least two new things a month.  Having accomplished making the fragile macaron has definitely set me off on the right foot.

Gretchen, Momma, and I spent most of the afternoon decorating cookies for my baby shower.

Squirrels and baby shoes of course.  The shower was on Saturday and it was so wonderful to see everyone.  Thank you for sharing a part of your weekend with me and for all the adorable gifts!  I can’t wait for this little girl to meet you all.  Thanks especially to Momma for having The shower at your house- it meant a lot to me.

Now it is December 1st and with it has come a layer of snow and quiet excitement.  I am in full nesting mode and I want to get all those little sweaters and booties knitted up.  The paint is here, the crib should be coming shortly, and I have lots of cute clothes to wash and put away.  It feels like it won’t be long now.

My cousin Clarissa had made these one year for her little boy’s birthday party and they were so good.  I made them last week to take to work and they were all gone by the end of night.  The recipe is from Taste of Home’s Dessert Lovers Cookbook but I’ll share it with you because a good bar recipe shouldn’t be kept secret.

Cookie Dough Fudge Brownies

Brownie Layer: 

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. 

Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Cool slightly.  In another bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Stir in melted chocolate.  Combine flour and baking soda then add to batter.  Stir in walnuts.

Spread the batter into a greased 9×13 inch pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool.

Cookie Dough Layer:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tbls milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Cream together butter and both sugars.  Mix in vanilla and milk.  Gradually add in flour then stir in chocolate chips.  Drop spoonfuls of dough onto cooled brownie layer then spread evenly.  Cut into squares and eat.

These need to be stored in the refrigerator.  You might want to explain to your husband that the dough stays soft on the top and does not become a brownie/cookie super duo, so when you offer him a bite of the finished product he doesn’t look at it and ask “Are you sure you cooked it long enough?  it’s still doughy.”

Enjoy!