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If you’re ready for a seriously healthy (yet delicious) holiday detox recipe, then check out my post about this Moroccan-Spiced Root Vegetable Barley Stew on Marcus Samuelsson’s blog!

But if you want just one more cookie fling before the pre-holiday diet sets in…then keep reading!

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We didn’t do this whole holiday cookie tray thing when I was little.  If my mom baked cookies, they were from a stick of cookie dough that we purchased at the supermarket.

And let’s be honest.  A whole tray full of chocolate chip or straight up sugar cookies, while delicious, is not much to look at.

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No, no.  Part of the wonder and magic of the cookie tray is all the variety.  There are rum balls and barks and cookie bars and meringues and linzers and truffles…

I would go on but I’m veering close to that dangerous state of mind where I convince myself that it’s a good idea to head straight to the kitchen and devour every single ounce of leftover dessert that is on my kitchen table.  (And trust me…there’s a lot.)  You know…to make room for the impending cookie tray.  Obviously.

Anyway.  To make up for lost time, I’ve decided to take part in FOUR cookie swaps this year.  F.O.U.R.

Please send bigger jeans.  And help.

And a portable dishwasher.

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Where to begin in this cookie baking extravaganza?  Cookiepedia, of course.

This adorable spiral-bound book (making it SUPER easy to keep your page open!) is filled with tons of delicious recipes, ranging from crinkles to thumbprints to black-and-whites.  Basically it’s got all of your cookie bases covered.

I made both the lemon chewies with honey and the chocolate chip cookies from this book (because really, how can you judge a cookie cookbook without making some CCC’s?) and both were delicious.  The lemon chewies were tart and sweet and a bit salty, resulting in a burst of flavor whenever you popped one in your mouth.  And the CCC’s?  Timeless.  Chewy, warm and exactly what you need to come home to after a long day at work.

Two down.  Countless more to go.  What are your favorite cookies to find in the cookie tray?

Inspire me.

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Lemon Chewies with Honey
Makes 3 dozen cookies, adapted from Cookiepedia


Ingredients

  • 2 cups AP flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup honey

Instructions

  1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set it aside.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar until they look light and fluffy.  Add the lemon zest and mix to incorporate.
  3. In a separate bowl, crack in the egg and add the honey.  Stir them together until they’re fairly well mixed.  Then add it to the butter mixture and beat until combined.  Add the flour mixture a third at a time and let it mix in fully each time before adding the next batch.  You’ll see the dough start to come together.  Blend just until it looks smooth.
  4. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.  Scoop teaspoons of the dough and roll them gently into little balls.  Place them on the sheets about 2 inches apart and flatten slightly with the tips of fingers or a fork.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are set ad bottoms are golden brown.

For the glaze: Mix 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar with 1 tsp water and mix until a thick glaze starts to form. If the mixture is not runny enough, add more water, a half teaspoon at a time.  If mixture gets too loose, add more powdered sugar and continue mixing.  Drizzle over the cookies with a spoon and let dry.

Disclosure: While I received this book for free from the publisher, I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post.  My thoughts and opinions are my own.

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You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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54 Responses to Moroccan-Spiced Root Vegetable Barley Stew…and a Review of Cookiepedia!

  1. I’m a fan of most cookies…but come holiday time I can’t get enough of the combo of chocolate and peppermint in cookie or brownie form! Love your lemon chewies with honey…they sound super flavorful!

  2. Foodycat says:

    The cookie tray seems to be an American thing – I like the sound of it but I’ve never encountered it! The stew you made looks like an excellent antidote for all the rich holiday sweets.

  3. In my mind, I have a whole tray (or several) of cookies made from Cookiepedia! These sound like an awesome addition to any tray.

  4. WOW, this is my kind of book! I think I need it!

    ?
    Camila Faria

  5. Hello Dollies. I’m addicted.

  6. Johanna GGG says:

    can’t I have stew and cookies – that is balance, you know! I love the name Cookiepedia and also CCCs – my mum wasn’t a holiday cookie type of person – she just made bikkies when she felt like it but at Christmas she made mince tarts and christmas cake

  7. Love both the recipes…those cookies looks absolutely tempting!

  8. I also am taking part in a lot of cookie swaps this year… good or bad idea? Not sure yet:-)

    This post plays to both sides of me, I need that detox soup but I want more cookies…

  9. Faith says:

    I’m a cookie-loving-girl at heart too and this time of year it really is no holds barred! I think I might need an intervention, lol. Love the sound of these lemon chewies!

  10. patsy says:

    totally adding that cookbook to my wish list! but may have to keep it a secret from my hubby since I can’t imagine he thinks I need *another* cookie cookbook!

  11. Ruth Daniels says:

    I will head over to check out the very healthy looking stew… I definitely needed a handful of cookies first. Yum!

  12. bellini says:

    Both recipes more than woprthy of the holiday cookie tray Joanne.

  13. Wow… the vegetable barley soup looks amazing! Especially we love soups in this house. And your baking extravaganza!! what can I say but LOVE LOVE LOVE ALL OF THEM!! 🙂

  14. Amy says:

    Can’t have a cookie tray without Snickerdoodles. It’s the law. Or maybe that’s just MY law…either way.

  15. Danielle says:

    I need to check out that soup – looks great!

  16. I signed up for one cookie swap this year but just got an invite for another. I hosted a swap for a few years in a row but have gotten busy. I love eating and swapping with friends. I need to check out that site as I like to try to make new cookies each year.

  17. The Lemon Chewies look amazing. I am on a cookie kick! I don’t know what I like more the actual cookie or the dough, that is so bad for you? I made the good old Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies last night and on Sunday I made cookies for the Blogger Cookie Swap. I want to be in another swap, it’s so much fun, but oddly enough out of all my friends, I am the only one that bakes. Crazy! I work with a bunch of woman and none of them cook at all. They look at me to bring in the goodies! 🙂

  18. Beth says:

    I have to try those lemon chewies. My favorite cookies? I would always choose my grandma’s recipe for ginger snaps. But every kid I’ve ever fed swears by my Chocolate Cookies ‘n’ Cream cookies (aka Ethel Mermans). Chocolate overload!

  19. SallyBR says:

    I’ve got the book too! I’ve got the book too! 😉

    Of course, I read it beginning to end, and haven’t made a single recipe from it, yet another of my virgin cookbooks – so your review is much appreciated

    once I am back in my regular kitchen, I’ll put that baby to use

    lovely stew, by the way, but the cookie photos stole the show… 😉

  20. Jenna says:

    4 cookie swaps??? The girl’s gone mad! =) If you have an excess of cookies, you can definitely ship the leftovers to me. I’m generous like that.

  21. Mary says:

    Your cookies look sound wonderful. I’m heading over to check your soup as soon as I finish here. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary

  22. Renee says:

    These cookies look fantastic! One of my favorite cookie recipes is for a caramel cashew butter cookie from Martha Stewart’s website http://www.marthastewart.com/316696/cashew-caramel-cookies

  23. Hannah says:

    What a delicate, delicious flavor combo for those cookies! The best sort of cookies are chewy ones, in my opinion, so that only makes them better. Now I want to try a lemon-maple variation…

  24. That STEW!!!! I am in love, Joanne!

  25. Wanna know a secret? Sometimes I wish my husband was a person who could eat a dinner without meat for just one day. 1 day! If/when that happens, this stew will be up! Hmm, I think he’s got a business trip coming up….perfect occasion for this stew AND a boatload of cookies. You nailed it!

  26. Stefanie says:

    Everything looks so good! I love lemon cookies! And the stew looks awesome, too. I’ve only tried a couple Moroccan dishes, but I love what I’ve tried

  27. Great cookies! Lemon and honey, nice! At least your mom turned on the oven, mine just opened the box. Going to check out the barley stew, looks amazing!

  28. The stew and the cookies look delicious!

  29. jb says:

    Those cookies kind of made me forget all about the moroccan stew, but now that I remember again, it sounds so good! Warming winter recipes are always welcome here.

  30. Elizabeth says:

    I need a cookie right now. whimper

  31. Hi Joanne! I love the lemon chewies . I think the rum balls are my favorite. I’m thinking of posting one in the next few days. Lemon is one of my favorite dessert flavors so I’ll want to give these a try as well.

  32. The name of these cookies alone is very tempting! Lemon and chewy! wowow~~great stew too.

  33. OMG Im totally making those lemon chewies! They’re fab! I’ve never actually made cookies with lemon before.

  34. tigerfish says:

    That Moroccan spiced stew of vegetables is the kind of food I enjoy. And how sweet to end it off with cookies. 😀

  35. That Girl says:

    We always did cookie trays – and we didn’t even celebrate Christmas!

  36. Debbie says:

    Love cookies…..my favorites though are bit of work and I’ve never made them…Italian Rainbow Cookies. Oh how I love them!

  37. I love the bait and switch! I came for the Moroccan stew and you gave me cookies!! I love all of the veggies in your barley stew. 🙂

  38. daphne says:

    Sneaky!!! I think having the stew first and cookies for dessert- perfect!! Joanne, are you going to share the choc chip recipe please? They look so good to be eaten off my screen!

  39. Lyndsey says:

    Can’t resist a good chocolate chip cookie…of course an oatmeal chocolate chip is awesome too, or gingerbread,or molasses cookie, or a lacy oatmeal, a good shortbread, or…

  40. marla says:

    I love the cookies and the stew. Which one do you think I could eat more of & keep a flat belly?? 😉 xxoo

  41. How about I eat a bowl of healthy soup for dinner, then have some CCC cookies for dessert? That evens things out right? ;)Oh and of course those are my favorite cookies in the cookie tray!

  42. Mo 'Betta says:

    Thanks. Now I’m seriously craving cookies and it’s waaayy to late to eat cookies. (Plus my pants are too tight, I didn’t work out at all today, oh yeah, and I don’t HAVE any cookies!)

  43. Deborah says:

    I’m just excited that I’m going to 1 cookie swap this year! And really, the last thing I probably need is another cookie cookbook, but I definitely want to run out and get this one!!

  44. Shannon says:

    ironically enough i love the sounds of those lemon cookies 🙂 (not a lemon fan as a kid). i haven’t figured out what i’m making for my swap yet… eek, i need to get on it!!

  45. Okay reading blogs when hungry is a terrible idea haha. Both those cookies look so good. And the lemon ones look perfectly drizzled. I feel like whenever I try and drizzle it looks like a gloopy mess! My favourite thing on a cookie tray would be my grandma’s shortbread (which I’m going to try and make this year)! Sounds boring but it’s really delicious and perfect. I will also go for anything with coconut!

  46. Oh my… those lemon cookies look divine!!

  47. Claire says:

    Oooo, this soup looks so good! I love barley.

  48. Monet says:

    Cookies please! I just made a batch of macademica nut cookies which are too good. I can’t get enough of cookies around here. I’m having a cookie birthday party in a week! Thank you for teasing me with this post. I’m hungry now! I hope you have a lovely end to your week. I can’t believe it is already Thursday! Hugs and love from Austin.

  49. Dana says:

    I’m glad you had success with that book. It is so adorable I wanted to love it but I did not. At all.

  50. Reeni says:

    Both look irresistible – love the lemon chewies! I still remember those rainbow pink and green apricot preserves cookies you made last year! I LOVE those! On my list for this year.

  51. Claudie says:

    Oh my 🙂 And I was stressing with my *one* cookie swap…four involves some serious baking! The people receiving your cookies will be quite lucky. The lemon chewies look extremely tempting — I’d gladly skip the Russian tea cookies (which are some of my favorites) for those!

  52. You tricked me with the barley stew. I was thinking healthy thoughts and everything and then. . . cookies. I’ve nearly given up on lemon cookies; they’re never lemony enough for my (insane) taste. These days I just make sugar cookies and slather them with lemon curd. My current favorite cookies are streusel-topped pumpkin cookies. They’re like a pumpkin coffee cake. Except cookies. So even better, really.

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