GSC-Style Samoas Bars

Earlier today, I was looking through the hundreds of recent posts on my Google Reader (I subscribe to some 60 different blogs -- almost all are food-related) and this one thing caught my eye: a post about Samoas bars from the kitchn. Their inspiration comes from The Crepes of Wrath, who adapted the recipe from Baking Bites. The recipe is ingenious! It's based on the Girl Scout Cookies called Samoas (although I always knew them as Caramel deLites) and it brings all the major players to the table: the cookie base, slightly salty caramel, crunchy coconut, and chocolate. I whipped up a batch and was completely satisfied with the result. It was so much easier than the alternative Samoas procedure -- cutting out rings of cookie dough would have taken me much longer. All in all, it was a big hit among the roommates, and I'll probably make them again. In fact, as soon as my guy sees this, he'll probably make me sign a contract to that effect. =)

Cosmen & Keiless

If you live in Madrid, it's possible that you have already discovered the most fantastic bakery in the city. But if not, here it is.

Cosmen & Keiless is a bakery and pastry shop situated in the Plaza de las Salesas. There, it's considered taboo to even mention frozen bread (a very common occurance in the city). They carry exclusively naturally leavened (aka sourdough) and freshly baked breads and a lovely selection of other tasty bites. They have a mixture of Spanish and American foods. This reflects perfectly the family of owner Kay Hespen. She (who is American) and her Spanish husband José Suárez are the creators of the delicatessens known as Hespen y Suarez and this store is their latest venture.






They have a delicious selection of breads (including Madrid's classic baguette-style loaf named "pistola" for only 1,20€ and also the "miche" that goes for only 0,42€ per 100 grams). They also have a myriad of sweets -- sweet rolls, cakes, cupcakes, brownies and cookies (which some people call "cookie-bars"). In addition, they sell the best American-style bagels that exist in Madrid.

If you'd like to visit the store, you can arrive from any of the following metro stations -- Chueca, Tribunal, Alonso Martinez, or Colon. Click here to see a map.

If you have yet to find this jewel of Madrid, there is no other option for you... You have to go to the nearest metro station... =)

Info tidbit : When I was studying in Madrid, I did an internship with the company that opened this bakery -- World Wide Food.

Cosmen y Keiless

Si vives in Madrid, es posible que ya has dado cuenta de la panadería más fantástica de la ciudad. Pero si no, aquí lo tienes.

Cosmen y Keiless es una panadería y pastelería situada en la Plaza de las Salesas, 8. Allí es un tabú hablar de pan congelado. Tienen exclusivamente pan de levadura madre y un montón de otras delicias. Tienen una mezcla de comida española y comida americana. Esto refleja perfectamente la familia de la propietaria Kay Hespen. Ella (quien es americana, por supuesto) y su marido José Suárez (quien es español) son las creadores de los delis Hespen y Suarez y esta tienda es su nueva ventura.

Tienen allí una selección muy buena de panes (incluyendo el clásico - pistola madrileña a solamente 1,20€ y también el "miche" que venden a solamente 0,42€ por cada 100 gr). Tienen también una selección de dulces -- bollos, bizcochos, "cupcakes", "brownies" y "cookies" (que unas personas llaman "cookie-bars"). También venden los "bagels" mejores de Madrid.

Si quieres visitar a la tienda, puedes llegar del metro Chueca, Tribunal, Alonso Martinez, o Colon. Haz clic aquí para ver un mapa.

Si ya no has encontrado esta joya de la ciudad, no tienes otra opción. Tienes que ir a la estación de metro más cerca... =)

almond linzers

I know I'm not alone when I say that there are at least half a dozen partially-used jars of jam/jelly/preserves in my fridge at any given time. Somehow, although I love jam, there are always a few tucked out-of-view, so I end up with multiple jars of the same flavor! In an attempt to minimize the amount of space being taken up by jam jars, I made some buttery and nutty almond linzer cookies. These tasty Austrian cookies are baked, half whole and half with a hole, then sandwiched together with sweet jams, jellies or preserves. Next on the list for jam-using-up: a linzer torte or linzer bars.

versatility of granola

When I'm in the mood to bake, I don't always like to do the same old - same old. I get bored with doing the same flavor combinations over and over, and I love throwing some surprises into the mix.

The other day, I was in the cookie mood, and was thinking of doing some almond- and coconut-loaded sugar cookies. However, I could not find my sliced almonds and did not really feel like toasting coconut. So I grabbed some of the almond and coconut granola I made and tossed it in. It occurred to me that since I like oatmeal cookies so much, I couldn't go wrong. And, man, were they tasty! I recommend throwing some of your favorite granola into the mix next time you're in the need of a cookie-change.

Biscotti Time!

Every year, my mom and I spend at
least a day baking biscotti, Italian twice-baked cookies. They're perfect for dipping in coffee, hot cocoa or tea. There are some flavors that we make every year, and we usually add a few new ones. This year's flavors are:

Cranberry Almond / Apple, Nut & Spice / Cranberry Walnut
Anise / Citrus Poppyseed / Cherry & Chocolate Chip
Mocha Almond / Double Ginger / Cranberry Pistachio
Chocolate & Peanut Chip / Tropical Trail Mix
Super Nutty (Almond, Walnut & Hazelnut)
Lemon Rosemary (savory)