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Bourbon Pecan Oatmeal Cookies Recipe + Happy Holidays!!

December 22, 2016 by Brandon Matzek 5 Comments

This is my last recipe before Christmas, so I wanted to take a moment and wish everyone Happy Holidays!!

Let’s be honest. Oatmeal cookies can often be lackluster. OR, they’re over-sweetened to make up for the fact that they’re often lackluster. OR, they have raisins (womp womp). Well today I’m sharing some oatmeal cookies that you can really get excited for. Here’s what makes them special:

Bourbon!! Provides a deep note of smoky warmth. Pure magic when paired with vanilla.
Chopped, toasted pecans tossed in butter, brown sugar and smoked sea salt. Tasty little morsels that lend big pops of flavor throughout.
Cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper added to the dry ingredients. Upping the cozy factor.
A mix of butter, shortening and heavy cream. Butter mainly for flavor while the shortening and heavy cream keep the cookies light and tender.
Sweetened with 100% brown sugar. Rolled oats + brown sugar = a perfect pairing.

These Bourbon Pecan Oatmeal Cookies are a balanced mix of sweet and salty with, thanks to the bourbon, brown sugar and vanilla, an incredibly deep caramel flavor that develops as you chew. Oats and pecans offer some contrasting crunch against the softness of the spiced crumb. Enjoy these cookies warm with a big glass of milk, a mug of spiced eggnog or a chilled Old Fashioned. Continue reading for the recipe.

Rosemary Toasted Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe

December 16, 2016 by Brandon Matzek 7 Comments

Hello friends and Happy Friday!!

I love to cook with rosemary year-round, but to me it just feels so right for the Holiday season. Perhaps it’s because the herb looks and smells similar to pine (it’s actually in the mint family though!). Rosemary might not be the first thing that comes to mind when making a dessert, but it’s truly magic when paired with sugar and butter. In this shortbread cookie recipe, I’ve created a simple dough infused with fresh rosemary, toasty brown butter and chopped golden hazelnuts. The marriage of these three flavors is one you’ll surely fall in love with. Sweet, rich and buttery, these cookies have a tender, crumbly texture. They’re a dream with coffee, and would be a perfect addition to any Holiday cookie lineup. Continue reading for the recipe.

Triple Ginger Cookies Recipe + Happy Holidays!!

December 24, 2015 by Brandon Matzek 13 Comments

Happy Holidays everyone!! Things have been a bit quiet over here, since I’ve been struggling with the flu recently. Thankfully, I’m over the worst of it now (so the doctor says!).

My last Holiday recipe for the year is this one for Triple Ginger Cookies, and oh MAN are they good. Like my Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies (noticing a theme here?), I’ve been making these ginger cookies for many years now. The dry ingredients are laced with ground ginger, the wet ingredients with fresh ginger, and the finished dough is studded with a sizable amount of crystallized ginger. Star anise, lemon zest and blackstrap molasses all pair beautifully with ginger, creating warming depth of flavor. These glittering little nuggets are crispy on the outside, and tender and caky on the inside. Each bite packs a pleasant burn (from the crystallized ginger) that will add intrigue to any Holiday cookie tin. Continue reading for the recipe!

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

December 11, 2015 by Brandon Matzek 28 Comments

This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.

I’ve actually been making these chocolate studded beauties since 2007! Over the years, I’ve tried and enjoyed many other types of chocolate chip cookies, but these are still my favorite of the bunch. Made with butter, shortening, white sugar, brown sugar, three types of chocolate, vanilla, and chopped pecans, these cookies really have it all. They’re soft and tender inside while slightly crispy at the edges. Flaky sea salt balances out the chocolate and caramel notes from the brown sugar. Oh yeah, these guys are HUGE too. Size does matter here, because you want each cookie to have plenty of the tasty mix-ins. Continue reading for the recipe.

Mocha Brownie Cookies

December 1, 2015 by Brandon Matzek 21 Comments

Holiday cookie season is upon us, so it’s time to get your game face on.

Throughout the Holiday season, cookies are integral to a number of special traditions and occasions. They’re the treat left out for Santa, the festive dessert at the end of a Holiday party, the gifts for friends and family bundled in bubble wrap, and the late night sweets enjoyed with a cold glass of milk. Nestled in a tin or fanned out over a large platter, cookies help conjure up memories of past Holidays spent with loved ones. So it’s important to have a few stand-out cookie recipes at the ready that can be easily whipped up for any Holiday occasion.

These slice and bake Mocha Brownie Cookies are a crowd-pleasing confection that can be made mainly from pantry staples. Cocoa powder, instant coffee and vanilla extract work harmoniously together to form a sweet cookie rich with notes of dark chocolate brownie and roasted coffee. Glistening sprinkles on the outer edge provide satisfying crunch, a pleasant contrast to the tender, cakey center. Continue reading for the recipe.

Peach Gingersnap Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe

July 25, 2015 by Brandon Matzek 36 Comments

It has been so HOT in San Diego recently.

For those of you in typically warmer summer climates, you may laugh at me when I say that it’s been an uncomfortable 75 – 80 for the past week. But those seemingly normal temps have been accompanied by a thick blanket of humidity, something that we rarely get here in San Diego. I used to deal with humidity all the time when I lived in New Jersey, but I’m coming up on my 11th year in SD, and I’ve completely lost all tolerance.

This uncharacteristic heat has me craving cold, sweet treats nighty. My freezer is stocked with various tubs of homemade and store-bought ice creams, including this Fresh Peach Ice Cream. Made with both a blended peach puree and macerated bits of yellow peach, this egg-free ice cream is just packed with peach flavor. Like scoopable summer.

When I’m feeling lazy, I’ll enjoy a scoop or two of ice cream with some fridge staples, including jam, caramel sauce, or ginger syrup. OR I’ll make ice cream sandwiches with store-bought cookies. When I’m feeling a bit more ambitious, I’ll whip up a fresh batch of cookies for ice cream sandwiches. Here, I’ve paired this Fresh Peach Ice Cream with dark, glistening Gingersnaps. These cookies are bursting with notes of ginger, star anise, brown sugar and molasses. Ginger pairs harmoniously with peach here, forming an addicting sweet treat. Continue reading for the recipe.

Top 14 Recipes of 2014

January 2, 2015 by Brandon Matzek 20 Comments

Happy New Year everyone!!

2014 was a taaaaasty year. While compiling the roundup below, I noticed some similar themes and ingredients amongst my most popular recipes. Particularly:

Chia pudding
Cocktails
Brown butter
Bacon
Eggs
Avocado
Grilling

YUM!! Continue reading for 14 of my best recipes on KK. What was your favorite recipe from 2014? Did you make any of the recipes below?

Five-Spice Shortbread Cookies with Candied Clementines

December 8, 2014 by Brandon Matzek 21 Comments

Let’s talk Holiday cookies.

My standards are chocolate chip cookies, and super spicy ginger snaps. But each year, I like to throw a new cookie into the mix to keep things interesting. This year, it’s these Five-Spice Shortbread Cookies with Candied Clementines.

I don’t even try to hide the fact that I love Chinese Five-Spice Powder. The five spices are: cinnamon, clove, star anise, fennel seed and Szechwan peppercorns. Traditionally, it’s more of a savory spice, but I love using it in desserts and drinks. It’s similar to pumpkin pie spice, but with a bit more intrigue. Here, I’m spiking a traditional shortbread cookie with a tablespoon of fresh, fragrant Chinese Five-Spice Powder. The rich buttery flavor of the shortbread works perfectly with the bouquet of pungent spices.

The cookies are finished with a slice of freshly Candied Clementine. Clementines just scream holiday to me, and I always have them in a bowl in my kitchen during the season. The Candied Clementines provide a mellow, sweet citrus note that really compliments the not-so-sweet cookie. They also give these cookies some contrast in texture. The cookies are tender and crumbly. The clementines are a bit more substantial with a pleasant chew. Continue reading for the recipe.

Maple Bacon Cookies

October 9, 2014 by Brandon Matzek 27 Comments

Maple Bacon Cookies start with a brown sugar-sweetened dough spiked with pure maple syrup, vanilla extract and maple extract. Tiny bits of maple-caramelized bacon are then folded in, providing a salty counter to the sweet dough. These cookies are like a warm blanket wrapped around you on a cool autumn evening. So so comforting.

Although bacon desserts are fairly widespread nowadays, I still encounter people who raise a skeptical eye at the idea. If you are one of those people, just think of these cookies as a plate of pancakes and bacon, but in cookie-form. They are so damn tasty, and completely addicting.

Be sure to use good quality maple syrup here (not maple-flavored syrup). Maple extract can be found at any regular grocery store. Finally, this dough requires a 1-hour chill, so plan accordingly.

Brandon’s 2012 Top Picks

January 4, 2013 by Brandon Matzek 8 Comments

Here’s a brief roundup of my top recipes from 2012. I’ve really grown to enjoy writing this type of article each year. Skimming through my archives, I get flooded with all sorts of fond memories. During the month of February, I posted a number of Mexican recipes that I had prepared for Valentine’s Day. I had led my boyfriend to believe that he was getting steak and salad for dinner, then surprised him with an entirely Mexican feast (he’s Mexican by the way). In June, I moved from a beautiful house to a new apartment. I find it interesting to see how my photography has changed since transitioning into the new space. In September, I started experimenting with fermentation after enjoying an afternoon with a group of lovely San Diego Food Bloggers.

I’ve found that many of my good memories throughout the year have food associated with them. I still remember the pickled quince served to a gathering of close friends for Thanksgiving. The corned beef my mother prepared my first evening back in New Jersey (after 4 years!). The citrusy walktails consumed during the Coachella Music Festival (a walktail is a cocktail you drink while walking from your car to the venue). My first bite of caramelized onion and jalapeno-topped, cream cheese-slathered, sriracha-drizzled hot dog enjoyed with an old friend on his porch in Poughkeepsie. A glorious sip of intensely flavored shrimp broth at a taco spot in Tijuana with my boyfriend. Like I said above… flooded. Continue reading for my top picks of 2012. Also, please share some of your favorite 2012 food memories.

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