Pistachio Bites

Hi y'all! This here is one of my favorite cookies to make! If you love pistachios and short bread these are the cookies for you!! I use to make these for my co-workers and they would call them the "happy cookies" because they would all be super happy after eating them.. I usually make them around Christmas to hand out, but they are good anytime!



Pistachio Bites:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup coarsely chopped shelled pistachios

Topping:

6 ounces vanilla-flavored candy coating ( almond bark), chopped

1 teaspoon shortening

1/2 cup coarsely chopped shelled pistachios

Combine butter and brown sugar in large bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour, almond extract n vanilla. Beat until well mixed and dough forms. Stir in 1/2 cup pistachios until evenly distributed in dough.

Divide dough in half; shaped each half into 10-inch log. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate until firm (at least 3 hours or over night).

Heat oven to 350. Cut 1 log at a time, keeping remaining log in fridge, into 1/4-inch slices with sharp knife. Place onto ungreased cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Place candy coating and shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir; continue microwaving, stirring every 15 seconds, until candy coating is melted and smooth.

Place waxed paper onto flat surface. Dip each cookie halfway into warm coating; shake off excess. Place onto waxed paper. Immediately decorate with pistachios.

This cookies are awesome. The girls at work call them happy cookies and claim I put something in them to make everyone happy.. They are just that good!!



Eat and Enjoy!

 

Book Tuesday's

Hi y'all! Oh how I am getting behind in my reading!  I had to return unread books to the library to keep from getting a huge fine.. So sad.. I am finally starting to get caught up though. My TBR pile is a bit smaller and all those books are not due until well into April.

What I read:

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
I really enjoyed this book! I can't wait to read the next in the series.. Sadly thats one of the ones I had to return to the Library..

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

I enjoyed this book as well.. I'm starting to get into the whole Faery books. They are quite interesting!

What I got from the Library:

Shimmer by Alyson Noel
Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen
The Forrest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

What I'm Reading Now:

How big is your TBR pile?

Winner

Hi y'all! Well.. my giveaway didn't go as planned.. I only got one person to enter..

 So the winner is

Jennifer Marquez!

Congrats! I will get your gift set out to you as soon as possible!

Coconut Macaroon's

Hi y'all!  Continuing with the bake something new week.. Once again I have another baked good that the hubs said I could make better. He's been wanting something with coconut in it, so we decided to try coconut macaroons.

Coconut Macaroons:

 2-2/3  cups  flaked coconut (7 ounces)

2/3  cup  granulated sugar

1/3  cup  all-purpose flour

1/4  teaspoon  salt

3    egg whites

1/2  teaspoon  vanilla extract or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

4  ounces  semisweet chocolate (optional)

1  teaspoon  shortening (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour a large cookie sheet or line with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl combine coconut, sugar, flour, and salt. Stir in egg whites and vanilla extract.

 Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

 If desired, in a small saucepan melt chocolate and shortening over low heat. Dip bottoms of cookies in melted chocolate mixture.

Makes about 30 cookies

Tip: To drizzle chocolate over macaroons, place melted chocolate mixture in a resealable plastic bag. Snip a small hole in the corner of the bag. Pipe chocolate mixture across each cookie in a crisscross pattern. Unless you have on of those fancy piping bags that I long for..

  

 Eat and enjoy!

Is there an item you've been longing to bake?