Pistachio Macarons

Perhaps you have heard of the macaron trend. It is one of those which has picked up after the cupcake craze. Macarons are French meringue cookies which have nut flour folded into them, and then two shells are sandwiched together with buttercream or jam or ganache in the center. When you bite into it, there is a slight crunch as you break the shell, which transforms into a chewy cookie when you hit the center, and a smoothness when you get the filling. QUITE a satisfying dessert.

The most popular flavor of macarons amongst my customers is the "little green cookie," otherwise known as the Pistachio macaron.

Pistachio Macarons in a Teacup

Ingredients: Almonds, Pistachios, White Sugar, Powdered Sugar, Egg Whites, Butter and Salt

These cookies can be found almost every Friday at Rutiz Family Farm in Arroyo Grande.

 (If the weather is at all cooperative)

Chocobloc Cookies

Perhaps one of the most asked after cookies at my business. Frequently I have customers coming up and asking, "Do you have any of those chocolate toffee things today?" I laugh because I'm so glad that people enjoy this cookie which my mother and I worked on to get just right. It probably took us 10 variations to get it where it is now.

Chocobloc

Chock full of chocolate chips, pecans, oatmeal and chopped up Heath bars, these bad boys are everything you could ever want in a cookie. They are crunchy and chewy, sweet with just a hint of salt, and the oatmeal prevents it from being too rich a dessert (if there is such a thing). I  make them so they're about 4 inches in diameter, so they aren't some wimpy cookie, they are a champion.

The picture above was taken by my friend Matthew Donnovan at Rutiz Family Farm in Arroyo Grande. You can find me there every Friday while they are open.