Happy New Year 2016 + White Chocolate Apricot-Pistachio-Espresso cookies you NEED to make!!

Happy New Year 2016! Another year has gone by and I cannot believe it! I have been pretty absent from this blog again and that is because I have been enjoying every minute I can with my toddler. She finally has been sleeping better at night and taking somewhat longer naps during the day. I feel less like a walking zombie in the daytime, since we both are getting more sleep. Yay! While becoming a parent has certainly been the hardest job I've ever had, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Watching a tiny human everyday learn and grow is incredibly fascinating to me.

I'm hoping to add a feature on the blog for 2016 that includes a few posts about my favorite baby finds over the last year. There is SO much "stuff" out there marketed towards babies and parents. Some things are great and are really helpful and then there is just "stuff" that you don't really need. I found myself turning to blogs for some help when I was pregnant so I hope to do the same for new moms and parents. We'll see if it happens, it is on my to-do list!


I don't make new years resolutions, it's just not my style. Instead I make cookies! I made these cookies earlier this year and they are AMAZING! They were so good I had to make them to leave out for Santa Claus this year (lucky guy!). This recipe is adapted from the famous Seattle Macrina Bakery (I've never been but it is on my visit list). The hardest thing about this recipe is that you have to let the dough sit for an hour or overnight before baking. Do it though! Don't skip this step because it gives the cookies a fantastic buttery taste. So just make sure you plan ahead and know that you may not get to taste these cookies until the next day!

WHITE CHOCOLATE APRICOT-PISTACHIO-ESPRESSO COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon finely ground espresso or coffee
• 10 ounces white chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup unsulfured dried apricots, diced
• 1 cup chopped pistachios
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and espresso in a medium bowl. Mix with a whisk until evenly distributed. Add white chocolate chips, apricot bits, pistachios and mix well. Set aside.

Combine the butter and sugars in a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and pale in color. Add 1 egg at a time, mixing until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then add the vanilla. Continue mixing until butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla are all incorporated (about 1 minute). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions. Mix on low speed for no more than 1 minute. Remove bowl from mixture and do a final mix with a rubber spatula.

Remove from bowl and chill for at least one hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

Scoop dough with a medium-sized ice cream scoop to form 1-inch balls. Leave at least an inch and a half around each cookie to allow for some spreading.

Bake cookies for 15-18 minutes, turning about halfway to ensure even baking. Cookies should be golden at the edges but soft in the middle.

These cookies will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container. 

Cookies for Santa along with a shot of Nespresso and Reindeer Food :)