Pear Spice Cookies

This morning i got up planning on spending the day in the kitchen. My beau is working all day, i already made 2 trips to the country this weekend, everyone else seemed to be spending time with someone else, and we are supposed to get a huge storm. So, what better day to spend in the kitchen? Plus i have an excuse...i got some nice new baking equipment yesterday, gotta try it out!! I had been asked by my beau's parents to bake them some sweets so they would have something to offer guests this week. I decided to make that list today. Here are pictures of my goodies; the links to the recipes within my blog are the titles below.

Brown Sugar Fudge

Last time i made it, i used 80/20 butter; this time i used half a stick of real butter and a spoonful of margarine. It was a bit greasier during the first few stirs, but otherwise turned out the same. 

Shortbread Cookies

Again, last time i made them i used 80/20, this time i used a full stick of butter (about 1/2 cup) and a bit of margarine to fill it out. 

Chocolate Fudge

Mmm, yummy. Can't change this one, it is perfect!

White Fudge

I only added half a cup of almonds, because a full cup seemed like way to many!! I also managed to toast the almonds better this time, and without a mess!! 

And finally, a new recipe for my blog, but one i have made many times, Pear Spice cookies. 

I got this recipe from another blog i follow, called Anecdotes and Apple Cores. I have changed it a bit, and everyone who has tried them has fallen in love, myself included!!

Pear Spice Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened.

1 + 1/2 cups brown sugar.

1 egg.

1 tsp vanilla.

2 cups flour.

1 + 1/2 tsp baking powder.

1 tsp each ground cinnamon and ginger.

1 pear, peeled, cored and diced.

1/2 cup chopped walnuts. 

Glaze

1 + 1/2 cups icing sugar.

1 + 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice.

Cream butter and brown sugar; add egg and vanilla, blend well. Mix flour, spices and baking powder. Blend flour mixture into sugar mixture. Add pears and walnuts, mix well. Drop onto prepared cookie sheet; bake at 350 F for 15 minutes. 

When cooled, mix lemon juice and icing sugar. Drizzle over cookies. 

First off, you can see i did not bother with the glaze. They are great without it, very sweet with a mild spicy flavour. I also omitted the nuts, i usually do not keep any on hand because they are not cheap! So i only buy them as necessary. 

As for my new Christmas baking toys, i got this super cool cookie dropper from a friend. Apparently it is only good for soft, light batters, though. You scoop the batter with the spoon, give it a squeeze and the metal slider pushes the batter off the spoon. Isn't it neat?

Also in this picture, although difficult to see due to the parchment, is my new cookie sheet. I also got two gift cards, one for the Paderno store and one for the Bulk Barn, so i can get more baking equipment or ingredients! 

My favorite gift was from my beau's parents. A little Hallmark ornament named Cookie Doe, the reindeer. It is made up of kitchen tools, potato mashers for antlers, whisks for legs, a box grater for a head, etc. I have a picture of the box below because every one i took of the actual ornament was either unfocused, to bright or to dark. 

Santa also brought me a new crock pot, can't wait to crack that one out of the box!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and were able to visit family and friends. Stay safe if you are on the roads!!