Homemade Graham Crackers

I was intrigued when Sassy Radish posted the pictures and recipe for these honey graham crackers. Graham crackers are a staple snack in our home but the thought of homemade crackers sounded inviting. The recipe was fairly simple. The butter, honey and sugar were beaten for a few minutes. Then the dry ingredients were added. I made the dough one day, refrigerated it, and then baked the crackers the next. The dough was a little crumbly but once it was fully warmed it was much easier to work with. I cut them with a cookie cutter so they'd all be a uniform size and docked them with a fork. Then I refrigerated them for about 15 minutes before baking them. They came out beautifully browned and subtly flavored, just like graham crackers should be. These would be delightful, as Sassy Radish suggests, as gourmet s'mores complete with dark chocolate and homemade marshmallows. Maybe another post!

Pinched Orange Macaroons

The December issue of Martha Stewart's Living had so many activities and recipes in it that appealed to me but these little cookies sounded and looked delicious so I put them on my to-do list. One free afternoon I finally got around to making them. It was all pretty easy. All I had to do was whip up some egg whites with some almond paste. Add a little orange zest and juice (in place of the Grand Marnier) and some powdered sugar. The most difficult part was getting my hand dirty as I rolled each small bit of dough in egg white and then in powdered sugar. By the time I'd rolled each cookie my hands looked like they were covered in concrete! These baked up puffier and bigger than the ones in the picture so I'm not sure what I did wrong. They were really tasty though. Very sweet and very orange-y. Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Really, I could only eat one at a time they were so rich. These are a great gluten-free cookie to serve to any of your gluten-free friends.