This time of year I'm always on the lookout for a good lemon recipe to use up all our fresh Meyer Lemons. This recipe for Glazed Lemon Cookies is a keeper!

These lemony little cookies bake up to a nice soft and cakey texture with a slightly crisp edge. I use Meyer Lemons and add a little lemon oil extract to give an extra lemon kick.

The glaze is a simple powdered sugar-lemon juice-lemon zest-lemon extract mixture that really enhances the entire lemon taste of the cookies. I topped it off with a little yellow sanding sugar for some shine and sweet crunch.

These cute little cookies are great with a cup of tea and a perfect way to use up all those fresh lemons coming in. Here is how you can make your own:

You can find the entire recipe for Glazed Lemon Cookies here. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and placing parchment paper or silpats on two baking sheets. Set the sheets aside.

Zest the lemons then squeeze the juice and set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and lemon zest.

In an electric mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, lemon extract if using, and lemon juice. Beat until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until combined.

Using a medium scoop (#50), scoop out balls of dough and place on baking sheet about an inch apart (these cookies don't spread very much). Bake 15-20 minutes until the cookies are browned on the edges. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. While cookies are cooling make the glaze.

You can find the entire recipe for the Lemon Glaze here, but I made my glaze by simply pouring 1/2 cup powdered sugar into a bowl with 2 tablespoons lemon zest and adding enough lemon juice mixed with 1/8 teaspoon lemon extract to create a nice, slightly runny paste. This made just enough glaze for all 24 cookies.

When the cookies are cooled sparingly spoon the glaze over the tops of the cookies and place on wire rack to catch drips. Let the glaze set for 5 or 10 minutes then top with sparking sugar if using. Let cookie glaze dry completely before stacking or storing.

Speaking of lemons, isn't this lemon amazing looking?? It's called a Buddha's Hand Lemon and the first time I saw one was in a cooking class about lemons!

It's not used much for cooking but is more decorative and very aromatic. Jaron bought my dad this tiny tree a few years ago and each year we get two or three of these interesting lemons.

This a real sweet/tart of a cookie! I love the idea of giving a little tang to a sweet cookie and these Sparkling Cranberry Gems really deliver. The coarsely shredded dried cranberries along with my addition of a little lemon oil extract give these cookies the perfect tart flavor component.

The cookie bakes up slightly chewy while the coarse sparkling sugar gives a nice satisfying sweet crunch. These cookies are so pretty to look at...all the little red flecks from the cranberries and the pretty sparkle of the coarse sugar coating truly make these cookies "gems". Here is how you can make your own.

You can find the entire recipe here. I followed the recipe as shown with the addition of 1 teaspoon of lemon oil extract for some extra tartness.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment or Silpat liners. Set aside.

In a food processor, coarsely shred the dried cranberries with the flour until the cranberries are in little pieces. Whisk together the cranberry/flour mixture with the sugar, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer mix the flour mixture with the vanilla, butter and my addition of 1 teaspoon of lemon oil extract for an extra tart kick. Mix until the butter is well distributed with some pea sized chunks remaining. Dribble in the milk while mixing until a dough comes together.

Place 1/2 cup coarse white sparkling sugar or raw sugar into a plastic baggie.

Using a small cookie scoop (i used a #50 scoop and made around 24 cookies), drop the dough balls a few at a time, into the baggie of sugar and shake to coat. Place the coated balls on the cookie sheets about 1 inch apart. Using the bottom of a glass, gently press down each ball to approximately 1/4" thick.

Bake the cookies for around 16 minutes until barely set and very barely beginning to brown around the edges. The tops shouldn't be brown at all. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

A good fudge recipe is hard to find. Most are too sweet, some are too grainy and others taste like, well, frosting instead of fudge. I finally found a recipe that does away with all those problems and offers up a smooth, light yet sinfully delicious chocolate treat.

I decided to go with a Rocky Road Fudge to use up all my homemade marshmallow scraps from my S'mores post. I used some kitchen shears and cut up the marshmallow scraps into little bite sized pieces.

I also added some salted cocktail peanuts coarsely chopped and some semi-sweet chocolate chips to round out the mixture. Chocolate lovers will adore the rich chocolate flavor that comes from a generous helping of unsweetened chocolate in addition to semi-sweet chocolate. The unsweetened chocolate cuts that overwhelming sweetness that is often found in homemade fudge recipes. The addition of some baking soda gives the mixture a lighter texture and mouth feel.

Here is how you can make your own:

The basic recipe for the fudge can be found here. Start by lining an 8"x 8" baking pan with aluminum foil. There should be about an inch over-hang of foil so that you can easily remove the fudge after it has set up. Spray the foil with some Pam and set aside.

In a heat-proof bowl, toss together the semi-sweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, baking soda and salt so that all the chocolate is evenly coated in the baking soda.

Stir in the condensed milk and the vanilla. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the mixture is smooth and almost fully melted. Remove bowl from heat and continue to stir until all the chocolate is melted and no lumps are left.

Stir in walnuts or if you are making the Rocky Road Fudge, swap out the walnuts in the recipe for: 1 cup mini-marshmallows, 1 cup chopped salted peanuts and 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Mix until all is thoroughly coated and pour into prepared pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours until completely set. Remove fudge from pan using the foil overhand as handles and cut into squares. Enjoy!

While looking for more Valentine goody ideas I came across these really cute Heart Shaped S'mores on the Neiman Marcus website.

The tiny s'mores are made by a local bakery right here in San Francisco called Two Hearts Bakery. I decided to make my own variation of these little bite-sized s'more hearts. My version is bigger, about 3 1/2 to 4 inches each. Because I made a larger cookie I made the marshmallows thinner to make them easier to bite into.

Speaking of the marshmallows, I decided that marshmallows are so much better when toasted so I pulled out my little culinary torch and toasted up the marshmallow hearts before inserting them between two buttery, crunchy homemade heart-shaped graham crackers that I had dunked in dark chocolate...whew... and for a little extra flair (the Neiman Marcus s'mores are topped with a tiny piece of gold leaf) I stenciled on a swirly design with a dusting of edible gold luster dust.

These s'mores are such a fun treat to give to all your favorite Valentines. Here is how you can make your own:

Marshmallows: Marshmallows need to dry out overnight, so make them the night before you will be assembling the cookies. You can find the recipe for the marshmallows here.

Prepare a half-sheet pan with aluminum foil, dust with powdered sugar and set aside. I used a half-sheet pan so I could get a nice thin layer of marshmallow to cut-out. Make the marshmallow as directed and transfer to the prepared half-sheet pan using wet hands to smooth the sticky marshmallow evenly into the pan.

Dust the top with more powdered sugar and let sit overnight to dry out. The next day, turn the pan over onto a powdered sugar dusted cutting board. Carefully peel off the aluminum foil. Spray a 3" heart-shaped cookie cutter with Pam and cut out heart shapes from the marshmallow and set aside. (save all those marshmallow remnants for hot-cocoa or make some rocky-road fudge.)

Graham Crackers: You can find the recipe for the Graham Crackers here.

After making the dough, roll it out flat to around 1/4" thickness and freeze until firm. Using a 3" heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts from the dough.

Re-roll, freeze and re-cut until you have all your hearts finished. Return the cut-out hearts to the freezer until solid, about 1/2 hour.

While the hearts are freezing, go ahead and preheat the oven. After the oven is preheated, bake the heart cookies for around 10-12 minutes. Watch carefully, you only want them to be nice and lightly brown, not black! Let the cookies cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate: I used Guittard Dark Chocolate Candy Melts for my cookies because it doesn't require tempering and it dries to a nice shiny, crisp finish that doesn't easily melt after it has dried.

Melt the candy in a double boiler over lightly simmering water until melted and smooth. Don't let it get too hot or it will become thick and lumpy.

Using a fork, dunk the graham cracker hearts into the melted chocolate, letting the excess drip back into the bowl and transfer to a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. When all the cookies are covered with chocolate, place baking sheet into fridge to set up the chocolate for around 15 or 20 minutes.

Decorate: After the chocolate on the cookies has chilled and set, you can decorate the tops of the hearts. I used a simple swirl stencil and some gold luster dust.

Place the stencil on top of the cookie and lightly pounce a brush with luster dust over the stencil. Pull the stencil straight up when finished. Continue until all cookie tops are decorated.

Assembly: Arrange all chocolate-dipped cookies so that each "top" has a corresponding "bottom. Turn all the bottoms upside down. If you are using a culinary torch, make sure that it is adjusted to the on position and ready to use. Take a marshmallow heart, place on a heat-proof plate and lightly toast the sides and top.

Use a metal spatula to quickly transfer the toasted marshmallow to the upside-down "bottom" cookie. Top with the top decorated cookie and lightly press down to adhere. Continue on with all cookies until finished, then place in fridge to set, around 15 minutes. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Packaging Idea: Use a decorative punch to create a lacy border on pieces of waxed paper or tissue paper. Place a layer of waxed paper in a cello bag then add a s'more. Top with another piece of waxed paper, then another s'more. Tie with a pink ribbon and add a cute tag! Happy Valentine's Day!

If you've ever ventured out to the Napa Valley you might have stopped at a little place in Yountville called Bouchon Bakery. The small town of Yountville is considered a foodie mecca and Thomas Kellers Bouchon Bakery is famous for all kinds of delicious baked goods, like these amazing Nutter Butter Cookies.

Just one of these 4 inch sandwich cookies from the bakery will set you back $3, but its totally worth it! The perfect blend of goodness: a slightly crisp yet tender peanut butter cookie with a creamy peanut butter filling...

I tried to replicate them at home using a recipe from the New York Times claiming to be THE Bouchon Nutter Butter Cookie recipe. While these cookies are very good, they just aren't the same as the real deal! These cookies bake up kind of soft, unlike the Bouchon cookie which is slightly crisp, but the flavor is fantastic and perfect for any peanut butter lover. Of course, I probably made 24 cookies for the price of one from the bakery.

So, no, they aren't Bouchon, but they are pretty good. And here's how you can make some, too:

You can find the entire recipe for the Nutter Butter Cookies here. Start by whisking the flour, baking powder and baking soda together. Set aside. In an electric mixer, cream together the butter and peanut butter. Add the sugars and beat for around 4 minutes until combined.

On low speed add the eggs and vanilla then add the flour mixture and beat until well mixed. Add the peanuts and oats and mix well.

I let my dough rest in the fridge for a couple of hours to make it easier to scoop out for baking. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a 2" scoop place dough balls around three inches apart on a lined baking sheet (I used a Silpat but parchment paper works fine).

These cookies will spread a LOT so make sure to give them the full three inches in between. Bake the cookies until light golden brown, around 10-15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

While cookies are cooling make the filling. Cream together the peanut butter, softened butter and powdered sugar until smooth. When the cookies are completely cooled, spread a dollop of filling on one side and sandwich with another cookie.

I went out to Bouchon Bakery in Yountville last weekend and picked up a real Nutter Butter so I could compare. Even though the weather was cold and drizzling the bakery was packed. The Napa Valley was shrouded in beautiful misty grey rain clouds low on the surrounding mountains, so I took a few pics for you to see, I even took one of the bakery!

Coffee Cake is great but coffee cake to-go is even better. These delicious Coffee Cake Muffins take all the things you love about coffee cake and pack them into easy-to-serve muffins.

The cake is moist, light and flavorful. The streusel topping is spicy and rich with brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. These muffins even have the "surprise" of another layer of streusel filling just like regular coffee cake. Everyone that tried these muffins loved the texture and flavor.

The secret to light, moist muffins is to carefully fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined. The other trick involves the streusel: place a 2 3/4" round cookie cutter over the muffin-tin cup filled with batter and sprinkle the topping inside, carefully lift the cookie cutter then gently pat the streusel down onto the batter. Voila! No mess!

Here is how you can make your own:

Coffee Cake Muffins (adapted from the Cook's Illustrated Holiday Baking '09)
Makes 12 muffins

Streusel
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
4 Tablespoons butter cut into 1/2" pieces and chilled
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts

Muffins
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons butter, softened

For the streusel topping & cinnamon filling:

Pulse 5 tablespoons sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter in food processor until just combined. Reserve 3/4 cup of this sugar mixture for Cinnamon Filling and set aside.

Add nuts and remaining sugar to the food processor with remaining sugar mixture and pulse until the nuts are coarsely ground. Transfer to bowl and set aside for Streusel Topping.

For the muffins:

Line a 12 cup muffin tin with muffin papers and spray with Pam. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 365 degrees.

Whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla and set aside. Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in food processor until mixture resembles wet sand.

Transfer to large bowl. Using rubber spatula gradually fold egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Do not over mix.

Place 1 tablespoon batter into each muffin cup. Top each with 1 tablespoon Cinnamon Filling and press lightly into batter with back of spoon then top with remaining batter.

Sprinkle with Streusel Topping: place a 2 3/4" round cookie cutter over the muffin-tin cup filled with batter and sprinkle the topping inside, carefully lift the cookie cutter then gently pat the streusel down onto the batter.

Bake muffins for 22 to 28 minutes until golden brown and tester comes out with only a few crumbs attached. Cool in tin for 30 minutes then transfer muffins to rack and cool completely. Muffins will keep in airtight container for 3 days.

These biscotti are the perfect cold weather treat. Pair a few of these crisp, sweet, nutty cookies with a latte or hot cocoa for a delicious flavor pairing. The perfect seasonal combination of toasted pecans, rich maple syrup and brown sugar create a delightfully crunchy cookie that is a twist on the typical biscotti, but sure to please. Here is how you can make your own:

The entire recipe for the biscotti can be found here.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.

Toast whatever nuts you are using and let cool, then chop coarsely and set aside. This recipe calls for walnuts but I had a bunch of leftover pecans in the freezer so I toasted them up instead.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs, sugars, maple syrup and maple flavoring (the maple flavoring is optional but I used it to get an even more intense maple taste).

Add melted butter and beat until well combined. Mix in the flour mixture and the nuts until combined and a dough forms. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and shape each piece into a 10" x 4" rectangle on the prepared pan.

Using a dough scraper and damp fingers, smooth the top and the sides of each rectangle. Sprinkle the top with maple sugar (I used regular granulated sugar). Place pan in oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for around 10 minutes. Cut each rectangle on the diagonal to form 1/2" thick slices using a serrated knife. Place the slices close together on the baking sheet, balancing them upright so that you don't have to turn them over during the second bake.

Bake for the second time, around 20-25 minutes, until the biscotti are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool before storing in an airtight container.