Dear Chase:

A cookie a day makes the blues go away or at least that is what I would like to think...ha! I think cookies are the most universally liked sweet treat that kids and adults can both agree on but the best flavor is still up to the each cookie monster from within. I mean there are so many kinds to choose from.....from sugar to peanut butter to oatmeal raisin to chocolate chip, not to mention snicker doodles to shortbread to the unforgettable raisin pecan cookies I use to have as a child. The list is endless and so is the creativity you can bring to each cookie. The cookie you see above is a shortbread based cookie with a fruity raspberry jam in the middle and rolled in sugar for that extra sweet crunch. The classic shortbread cookie is a combination of flour, butter, sugar and salt and all of the flavor comes from the butter so I always use a organic, high quality butter...it does make all the different. But instead of cutting them into a particular shape, I decided to roll them into balls, dust them with some sugar and placing a thin thin layer of raspberry jam to give it a tart but sweet finish. I served these for your Birthday brunch and they were a huge hit.

The next cookie on my plate will be another jam filled cookie but this one will be rolled in walnuts and baked to perfection.. until next time.