THE GREATEST COOKIE EVER CREATED!

Here’s the deal, kiddos. I have developed a fantastic, rich, delectable cookie. My dad asked me to create a new cookie from Christmas. I’ve been dreaming of the “millionaire bar” that I ate in Liverpool and the salted caramel macaroon that graced my mouth in London and came up with an amazing recipe! It only takes about 45 minutes in total and is very easy.

If you are anything like my family, you’ll try to eat one of these cookies in one or two bites. Don’t do it. These babies need some sweet lovin’. Three or four bites at least. They are rich and need to be savored. I swear, these cookies are just music to my ears…uhh…mouth? Yummy.

Chocolate Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies with Salted Caramel

Ingredients:
1 stick of salted butter, softened
3/4 cup + 2tbs of flour
1/8 tsp of salt
3/4 cups of powdered sugar
1/4 cup of cocoa powder
1 tsp of vanilla
2 tbs of cool water
14 caramel squares (like Kraft; you can find them in the candy isle)
2 tbs of milk
About 1 tsp of sea salt

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2.)Cream butter in a medium sized bowl.
3.) Add flour and salt and mix on low. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. The dough will be very crumbly at this point.
4.) Mix in the vanilla and water.
5.) Spoon dough onto a cookie sheet, about an inch apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes.When the cookies come out of the oven, use the underside of a 1/2 tablespoon to create a “thumbprint” center. Cool on a wire rack.
6.) While the cookies are cooling, melt the caramel squares into the milk, using a double boiler.

7.) Spoon the caramel into the thumbprints and let set for about 5 minutes.

8.) Sprinkle the sea salt on top of the caramel centers.

Eat up!! Makes about 16 cookies.

Alright, so I did it again.

I’m what one might call a “moron.” The first time I was in London, I didn’t have a camera, because it broke while I was in Assisi a few weeks beforehand…so obviously, I only have stolen pictures from my travel buddy. This time, I just stupidly forgot my camera when we went into the city the first day. No pictures from that day. The second day (our last day) in London, I brought my camera and was super stoked to get it out. Then we spent hours running around Harrods and by the time we were outside and wandering, it was dark and we had about 2 hours to get dinner and head to the theatre. I did manage to get photos of one thing. The most important thing to see in London.

Big Ben? No.

Westminster Abbey? Definitely not.

Buckingham Palace? Hah. Yeah, right.

That’s right. You got it, smarty pants! The Peter Pan statue. Oh yes. We ventured into Kensington Gardens in the dark because I couldn’t stand to miss it a second time. I had to see it since I was in London again.

In all seriousness, though, it’s pretty cool. Trust.

Such fun detail, I think.

Despite seeing London’s most important statue, the best part of our few days in London was our time spent in the West End. We saw The Lion King, which was great. The costumes were really inventive and visually fabulous. We also saw Les Miserables. If you haven’t seen it, you need to. This was my second time seeing it (the first time was probably 10 years ago) and, I’m telling you, it is AMAZING! Everything about it is engaging. Absolutely worth your time and money. Plus, who doesn’t want to look at this iconic face on a huge scrim before the curtain rises?

I certainly did.

All the lonely people, where do they all belong?

While in England, we took a trip up to Liverpool to see a ton of Beatles stuff! But before we saw it all, we had to stop for the humped zebras.

I didn’t know that runners were called humped zebras in the UK.

After letting them cross, we took the Magical Mystery Tour. Yes, I’m totally serious. We saw bitchin’ things, such as Strawberry Fields, their childhood homes, and the cemetery where Eleanor Rigby was buried (even though the song isn’t supposed to be about her…but it totally is), and drove down Penny Lane.

The tour bus.

Duh.

Double duh.

After our Magical Mystery Tour, we went to a museum that was dedicated to the Beatles. And it was awesome.

What up, Shakespeare?

Sorry I’ve been so terrible about updating the past few weeks. Europe leaves little internet time. But–I’m back in the US so posts will be annoyingly frequent now. You’re welcome.

We’re playing catch-up now so I’ll let you know when we get current.

A couple of weeks ago, our travels included Stratford upon Avon, which is where my boy, Billy Shakespeare, was born and finished out his days. It was really small, but also really lovely!

Shakespeare’s birthplace/family home

Just so quaint!

Apparently, we use the phrase “sleep tight” because back in the day, kids would sleep on a trundle bed (from under the parent’s bed) and it consisted of a thin mattress on a weaved rope base that had to be tightened every night before being used. I thought that was pretty interesting, though I’m sure it’s pretty lame information to everyone else.

Shakespeare had an oh-so-scandalous (hah) shotgun wedding (Anne Hathaway was preggo). I think that’s pretty funny. Fun fact.

Anyway, he’s buried in a Church. And it was lovely.

His grave

Cool, huh?

Damn toilets!

I’m not sure if you’re aware if this, but the train I took in England informed me that toilets can get engaged. Presumably, they can get married too.

Should we have wooed and clapped for it’s engagement? Perhaps. Did we? No. Because that would have been absurd. Toilets can’t love, Great Britain. They just can’t.