Well, look at this…a new blog post! And one with a recipe to boot. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right! It’s about dang time for a new recipe post!! There’s no real good excuse for my silence as of late other than just the ordinary busyness of life. So, I’ll skip the long stories and get down to the good stuff.

And hopefully, this is just the start of regular postings once again. I just uploaded photos for 10 new recipes, so there’s plenty of good stuff to come. Thanks for your patience with me.

Now, on to some truly awesome cookies! My six year old and I whipped up these delicious pieces of heaven during a special mama-daughter day. We were thrilled with the way they turned out. The taste was out of this world, but the texture also turned out just so perfectly. The cookies have a nice, crispy exterior with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth inside. These definitely rank up in the top 5 or so cookies I’ve ever made. (And that’s got to be saying something, considering we really like cookies around this house!!)

Citrus White Chocolate & Macadamia Cookies

• 1/2 c. butter
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 t. lemon extract*
• 1/2 t. lime extract*
• 1 egg
• 1 c. flour
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 c. white chocolate chips
• 1 c. chopped macadamia nuts

1. Beat the butter, sugar and extracts together until creamy fluffy. Add the egg and beat until combined.

2. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the mixing bowl and beat just until combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts by hand. (Note: you may have to use your hands to get the chips and nuts thoroughly incorporated into the dough.)

3. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes, until set and lightly golden brown on the bottoms. Cool on a wire rack, if you can wait that long.

We ended up with 20 cookies, which if I’m being honest, is not nearly enough, so you may want to double the recipe.

*Ordinarily the extracts wouldn’t be my go-to as I’d prefer to use freshly squeezed juice. However, since I was baking with a 6 year old who really wanted her cookies to turn out, I didn’t feel like doing too much experimenting. If I was going to use the juice, I’d probably do a 1/4 cup of each and up the dry ingredients a bit. Feel free to experiment…and if you do, please let me know what worked for you!

I first started making breakfast cookies a few years ago and they’ve become a staple in our home ever since. I love the versatility of them almost as much as I love what a quick and easy option they are in the morning. Not to mention, it’s never a struggle to convince any of the kids to eat a cookie for breakfast!

These PB&J Breakfast Sandwich Cookies are simply the next level of awesome in the breakfast cookie line-up. Layering two together with a healthy layer of strawberry or raspberry jam makes for a very filling breakfast that’s still healthy and even a little sweet. It’s perfect! Just a few ingredients and a few minutes are all you’ll need to whip these up.

PB&J Breakfast Sandwich Cookies

• 3 c. oats
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1 t. salt
• 1 1/2 c. peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 c. milk
• 1 t. vanilla
• Preserves, jam or jelly of your choice

1. In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add peanut butter, eggs, milk and vanilla. Stir until well combined.

2. Roll a rounded tablespoon of dough into a ball, place on a cookie sheet and repeat until done. With the palm of your hand or the greased bottom of a glass, press cookies into a circle.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until just firm and lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Spread jelly on the bottom of one cookie, top with another and repeat. Enjoy!

This recipe came together easily for me but the proper baking temperature had me stumped. I was really torn between cooking at a lower temperature for a longer time and cooking at a higher temperature for less time. Fortunately, I was able to try out 4 different options (everything from 325 degrees to 400 degrees) thanks to my Frigidaire Gallery^® Range with Symmetry™ Double Oven. I divided the cookies into 4 batches and then cooked two batches at a time, each at a different temperature. This was the first time I thought to do this and I’m so excited by how much easier it’s going to be when developing new recipes. I am just loving this oven!!

Full disclosure: I was provided with a brand new Frigidaire Gallery Freestanding Electric Range with Symmetry Double Ovens at no cost to me for participating in the Frigidaire Test Drive campaign. As always, all thoughts and opinions will be entirely my own.