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Paula’s Spicy Apple Bars
I often find myself paging through Cookies by Bess, reading recipes, and deciding which cookie I’m going to make next. As I page through all the recipes, I always stop on those named for all the women in the Hoffman family. Paula’s Spicy Apple Bars is named for my cousin Paula. She is the oldest…
Chocolate Almond Surprises
Each week I try a new Cookies by Bess recipe, and each week I am amazed at how great each recipe is! Chocolate Almond Surprises are no exception! Recipes with “surprise” in the name are intriguing to me…usually it means something is hidden inside the cookie. Again, Chocolate Almond Surprises is no exception! This time…
Little Butter Balls
This is my kind of cookie! I’m not sure why it took me so long to make these Little Butter Balls, but I’m sure glad I finally did! There is just something about butter, brown sugar, and vanilla…I LOVE IT! Add a nut on top and you’ve got perfect Little Butter Balls cookies! I’m rating…
“Cookie lady writes a book”
On Thursday, June 12, 1980, The Milwaukee Sentinel published an article on page 1, part 4 (the Food section) titled “Cookie lady writes a book”. The article highlights Bess Hoffman on her come back tour for her famous cookie cookbook, Cookies by Bess. The Milwaukee Sentinel article is one of many showing up in newspapers…
Chocolate Nuggets
Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate…if you love chocolate, this is the cookie for you! To be honest, I’m not the biggest chocolate fan, but I REALLY like these Chocolate Nuggets! OMG, they are so good! Cookies by Bess has pages and pages of cookie recipes that include chocolate and I’ve made several of them. I love that…
Almond Cinnamon Crescents
I really love cookies that are rolled in powdered sugar…especially when right out of the oven! The sugar almost melts in to a sweet frosting. This is one reason I decided to make Almond Cinnamon Crescents. I’ve been baking Grandma Bess’ recipes every week for over a year now. After about 70 to 80 recipes,…
Mom’s Butter Cookies
I love that this recipe is called Mom’s Butter Cookies! It makes me think this may be one of my Great Grandmother, Anna Lazar’s recipes! I don’t remember meeting my Great Grandmother, Anna Lazar…but, I do remember meeting all my great aunts and uncle (Lillian, Lee, Fanny, Bess [my Grandmother], Molly, Harriet and uncle Sam)!…
Macaroon Surprises
As I was paging through Cookies by Bess looking for the next cookies to make, my husband mentioned he was craving macaroons…the super coconuty type of macaroon. So, I looked up macaroons in the index and was surprised to find only one recipe…these Macaroon Surprises. I just assumed that there would be several macaroon type…
Chocolate Drop Cookies
I was looking for an easy to make drop cookie recipe I could whip up for a party I was hosting. The Chocolate Drop Cookies seemed perfect because I know everyone loves chocolate and frosting and chopped nuts. A perfect cookie combination! After tasting the finished cookies, I thought the they were good, but I…
Banana Bars
Whenever I have over ripe bananas I think about baking. I looked through Cookies by Bess and found a Banana Bars recipe, perfect for my ripe bananas! The recipe is written for bars as well as for cookies. I actually ended up making both! I started with the Banana Bars, because I’ve never made a…