Category:  Cookies, Candies & Sweets

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These Halloween treats are made of marzipan – a paste of ground almonds and sugar. Pretty simple, right? Kids of all ages will love shaping and staging these sweet ghosts.

Prep time: 10 minutes (for mixing sugar & almonds)
15 to 20 minutes (for shaping & rolling)
Makes: 20 to 25 treats

INGREDIENTS:
1-2/3 cups raw, slivered almonds
2-1/4 cups unbleached, granulated sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons rosewater (optional)
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
25 Halloween candy paper cups measuring 1-1/4 inches in diameter
50 black peppercorns (for the eyes)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a food processor, grind together the almonds, 1-1/4 cups sugar, the rosewater and 2 tablespoons water.

2. Process the mixture until it is smooth. To test: with slightly wet hands, grab enough marzipan mixture so that it sticks together.

3. If mixture is too dry, add 1 extra tablespoon water and process; set aside.

4. Meanwhile, place the remaining 1 cup sugar in a shallow bowl – you will use this to coat the marzipan balls.

5. With slightly wet hands, shape the marzipan into one-inch balls.

6. Roll marzipan balls in sugar, evenly coating them. Shake off the excess sugar and place each marzipan ball in a paper cup.

7. Place two peppercorns on each marzipan ball – set apart to resemble two eyes.

NOTE: These marzipan ghostly treats can be made a day ahead, placed in an airtight container and stored in refrigerator.
Text & Photograph ©2025 Nancy DeLucia Real

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These cookies burst with rich flavors – chocolate, vanilla and sesame. And the best part is that the cookies have a low sugar content.

Delight your guests with these Chocolate Easter Cookies on April 20th or anytime!

You can make these scrumptious cookies ahead and freeze them in double freezer bags.

Active Prep time: 30 minutes
Chill time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 9-12 minutes
Makes: 25-30 cookies

Ingredients:
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons tahini
2/3 cup all-purpose, unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 to 1 cup toasted sesame seeds (TO TOAST SESAME SEEDS: PLACE SEEDS IN A NONSTICK SKILLET AND TOAST ON MEDIUM-LOW HEAT UNTIL LIGHT BROWN, STIRRING CONSTANTLY)

Prepare Cookie Batter:
1. In a double-boiler, heat and melt the chocolate chips and butter together. Stir in the tahini and set aside.

2. In a 3-cup bowl, stir together the flour, salt and baking powder; set aside.

3. In a 4 to 6-cup mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the eggs until blended.

4. Stir brown sugar and vanilla into eggs; beat until uniform.

5. Next, stir in the chocolate/butter/tahini mixture and mix until uniform.

6. Add the flour mixture to wet ingredients and beat until combined and a batter has formed.

7. Cover and chill the cookie batter for 30 minutes.

8. After 30 minutes, preheat oven to 375°F and line a 18-inch X 16-inch cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Shaping & Baking Cookies:
1. Place toasted sesame seeds in a 2-3 cup bowl; set aside.

2. Wet your hands with water and grab enough cookie batter to shape a 1-inch ball.

3. Roll ball in sesame seeds, shaking out excess.

4. Place cookie ball on cookie sheet.

5. Repeat wetting hands, shaping cookie batter into balls, rolling in seeds and placing on cookie sheet – cookie balls should be 2 inches apart on sheet.

6. When all cookies have been placed on baking sheet, transfer the sheet to a rack positioned in center of oven.

7. Bake cookies for 9 to 12 minutes, or until puffed.

8. Cool completely. Cookies can be made a day ahead or they can be frozen in double freezer bags up to 2 months.
Text & Photograph ©2025 Nancy DeLucia Real

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Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 12 – 14 minutes
Makes: 22 to 24 cookies

These cookies are made with freshly-squeezed orange juice and topped with a lime glaze. They’re beautifully decorated with pastel sprinkles – Springtime colors! Serve the cookies as part of a dessert table or by themselves. Happy Spring, Happy Easter!

Ingredients for the Cookies:
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose, unbleached flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice

Directions for the Cookies:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two 18 X 12-inch baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a 6 to 8-cup bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. In a separate an 8 to 10-cup bowl, beat the softened butter with the sugar until mixture is creamy and uniform.

4. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well-blended.

5. Gradually (a little at a time) and alternately add the flour mixture and orange juice into the butter/sugar mixture, beating well after each addition.

6. Once the cookie dough has formed, set bowl aside.

7. Prepare a small bowl with cold water at your work area.

8. Slightly wet your fingers, grab about 1 tablespoonful of dough and shape into a 3-inch log; form into a circle, sealing it gently, and place it on a cookie sheet.

9. Continue shaping cookie dough circles, until you have set about 12 circles on each sheet, spaced 2 inches apart.

10. Bake in preheated oven for about 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, switch top cookie sheet with lower cookie sheet.

11. Continue baking cookies for an additional 6 to 7 minutes or until edges look golden brown.

12. Remove cookie sheets from oven; place them on a rack or wooden board to cool completely.

13. When cookies have cooled completely, prepare the lemon glaze:

Ingredients for the Glaze & Decoration:
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
juice from 1 to 2 limes
Pastel-colored sprinkles

Directions for the Glaze:
1. In a 4-cup bowl, stir and beat together the powdered sugar and juice from 1 lime.

2. You should form a smooth glaze with a syrupy consistency. If mixture is too stiff, add juice from an additional half a lime.

3. Using a fork, drizzle glaze over cookies. Immediately top with sprinkles.

4. These cookies can be made 1 to 2 days ahead, set on a serving platter, covered with aluminum foil. Cookies can be kept on a counter at room temperature.
Text & Photograph ©2024 Nancy DeLucia Real

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Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 13 to 18 minutes
Makes: 24 cookies

It’s lots of fun to prepare festive desserts but when your crowd keeps growing before the day of, you may need to add a sweet treat here and there. This year, along with my pies on Thanksgiving Day, I decided to make these soft pumpkin cookies. And check out that chocolate drizzle (photo is on FB/TheKitchenBuzzz and Instagram/TheKitchen Buzzz). Looks like they’re from a bakery, right?

Chocolate Drizzle Cookies are easy and quick to make. Enjoy them on Thanksgiving Day!

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
1 cup pureed, canned pumpkin
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Mix & Bake the Cookies:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 18 X 12-inch baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a 6 to 8-cup bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt; set aside.

3. In a separate 10-cup bowl, beat sugar with the softened butter until mixture is uniform.

4. Beat in the pumpkin, egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until well-blended.

5. Gradually (a little at a time) add the flour mixture, beating well after each addition.

6. When dough is mixed and uniform, drop it by rounded tablespoonful onto prepared baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart (12 per baking sheet).

7. Set cookie sheets with cookie dough on top and bottom oven racks; bake for 7 minutes.

8. After 7 minutes invert the baking sheets on oven racks (top to bottom and bottom to top); bake for an additional 6 to 7 minutes.

9. After 6 to 7 minutes, check top of one cookie. If it springs back and feels almost solid, the cookies are done. If tops are too soft and your finger leaves an indentation, bake the cookies for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

10. Make sure the bottoms are golden brown and do not become dark brown.

11. When done, set the baking sheets with cookies on a rack on counter to cool to room temperature.

Melt & Drizzle the Chocolate:
1. Place the chocolate chips in a double boiler with at least 1-1/2 inches of water in pot,

2. Bring water to a boil; melt and stir the chocolate chips until completely melted.

3. Immediately dip a fork in the melted chocolate and drizzle a cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies.

4. Serve cookies on a flat platter. Alternatively, if making the cookies a few days ahead, when chocolate drizzle has hardened, gently place each cookie in gallon-size double Ziploc bags.

5. Seal bags completely and freeze. On the day of serving, remove cookies from freezer and place them on a flat platter for approximately 2 hours. Serve.
Text & Photograph ©2023 Nancy DeLucia Real

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These green treats are like cookies, but they’re soft. Hence, St. Pat’s Green Sesame Cakes. Make these cakes ahead (you can freeze them). On March 17th, simply bring them to room temperature and serve. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Prep time: 20-25 minutes
Bake time: 12-14 minutes
Makes: 18 – 20 cakes

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unbleached or regular granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter (NOT AT ROOM TEMPERATURE)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk (whole or 2% milk fat)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
40 drops green food coloring
3/4 cup to 1 cup raw sesame seeds (not roasted)

Preparing the Green Dough:

1. Combine dry ingredients (four, sugar, baking powder and salt) in a bowl by stirring them with a spoon; set aside.

2. Cut the cold butter into five squares and scatter over dry ingredients.

3. Using a pastry cutter, blend or “cut” the butter into the dry ingredients in bowl until butter granules are the size of peas. Set aside.

4. Meanwhile, in a 2-cup bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla and green food coloring.

5. Pour the green liquid over top of flour/butter granule mixture.

6. With pastry cutter, gently blend in the wet ingredients until a green dough has formed. It will be sticky.

7. Lightly flour a wood surface; transfer the dough to the floured surface and give it a roll until it is lightly coated.

8. Preheat oven to 350°F and line two 18 in. X 12 in. baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

9. Set the sesame seeds in an 8-inch bowl with low edges (you’ll need room to roll the dough balls in sesame seeds).

Shaping the Cakes:

1. Prepare a small bowl with cold water and set on working surface.

2. Wet your hands and pull a one-inch piece of dough from large mass.

3. Shape it into a one-inch ball and roll it in the sesame seeds set in bowl.

4. Place dough ball on a baking sheet and slightly flatten it to make a thick circle.

5. Repeat, placing the dough balls two (2) inches apart on baking sheets until both sheets are full.

Bake the Cakes:

1. Place one baking sheet with raw cakes on top rack in oven and place the second sheet on bottom rack in oven; bake for about 7 minutes.

2. After 7 minutes, invert top and bottom baking sheets.

3. Bake the cakes for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until bottoms of cakes are light golden brown and tops feel firm.

4. After cakes have cooled completely, using a spatula, transfer them to a serving platter. The cakes can also be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to two weeks.

FOR MAKING AHEAD AND FREEZING – store cakes in double Ziploc freezer bags up to two months.
TO THAW – SET CAKES ON A PLATTER TWO (2) HOURS BEFORE SERVING.
Text & Photograph ©2023 Nancy DeLucia Real