I’ve recently found all of Mom’s handwritten recipe books in that “safe place” I’d put them 10 years ago and then promptly forgot where that was! Now if I could just do the same with the myriad of other things I have put in safe places… So I’ve decided to share these deeelicious recipe gems with you! Photos will be added as soon as humanly possible.

(I got this recipe from my friend Anja and I think she got it from chefkoch.de. See also the post cantuccini - the story for more cantuccini information.)

Cantuccini or biscotti, are a twice-baked cake originating in the Italy. The cakes are large almond biscuits, made dry and crunchy through cutting the loaf of dough while still hot and fresh from baking in the oven and then putting it back in the oven to further dry.

I was checking out some of my favorite blogs and found a great recipe for spaghetti squash on chocolate and zucchinis blog with links to other blogs and on one of these (http://verysmallanna.com/) I found a recipe for macaroons (or macarons depending on where you live). So instead of doing spaghetti squash (promise to do so later), I am going to do a piece on macaroons that involves amongst other things, lunch with friends and the French gendarmes / police…

I continue with my series on German Christmas biscuits and want to tell you about the most famous cookie in Schwaben or Schwabia, the area in which my in-laws, Karl and Leni, live. Any housewife who has any self-respect whatsoever puts a lot of effort into her Springerle and it is a highly talked about cookie. As always, the recipe is to be found at the end of this post.

Today’s recipes: Hazelnut meringues and Coconut meringues

I saw it up ahead. It was something I had never seen before and I raced forward to get a better look. And sure enough, my worst fears were confirmed. Driving in the slow lane was a BMW sports car, its taillights tucked beneath its bumper. I kid you not. I mean, would one joke about something as serious as this?

Today’s recipe: German Christmas cookies / Vanilla crescents / Vanillenkipferl

Today I send you greetings from Germany where I will be spending the next 5 weeks and where I hope (WILL) to catch up on this blog. The last couple of months have been so hectic and I have neglected my beloved blog something terrible. But all that is bad history and the future holds all things good – including German Christmas cookies/biscuits. My mother-in-law makes 10 to 20 different types each year and each one is a little masterpiece.

When my famous friend, Marieke, the Dutch ex-prima ballerina and current ballet teacher, asked me to make savory biscuits for her annual Ballet Show, I immediately said YES. Being in charge of the nibbles means I get to stand behind the bar with the food and drink at my fingertips – a slice of heaven.