Almond Apricot Macarons

Trust me: these wee little fellows pack quite the punch. I'd made a fairly large batch of apricot-habanero jam and after consulting flavor wizard Hallie for compatible flavors (I'd half-expected her to text back "CLAMS! CLAM MACARON! NO ONE'S EVER DONE IT BEFORE!") decided to up the almond ante and see what came of it. These sweet and spicy treats are perfect for a little midday pick-me-up, which is probably why I made quite a few bite sized ones (like those pictured here). 

Toffee Crunch Bars

As Piper so eloquently put it, these cookies are a "taste adventure." Don't be fooled by their rather uninspiring looks. These pack a wallop of flavors--there's espresso, almond, chocolate and more than their fair share of delicious rich buttery goodness. There's no actual toffee in the cookie, but something about the interplay of the coffee and the almond...ahh. I had originally made these for dessert, and kept noticing the way my family members kept casually nipping through the kitchen to grab another cookie.