Scary-Good Shortbread Cookies

Boo! Now THIS is playing with food. Let your creativity run wild, or scary, or holiday with this simple shortbread recipe. There are endless flavor combinations. The shortbread is buttery and not too sweet which makes it easily adaptable to a range of flavors and a perfect pairing for your fall beverage of choice. For Halloween we've used Matcha to make the spooky Frankenstein and Advieh for the pumpkins, but adapt the recipe to your taste. If you smell a spice and it makes you think of cookies, bake with it!

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Kashmiri Curry S’mores with Toasted Cumin Marshmallows

These S’mores add a global flavor twist to an old favorite. The hints of savory complement the sweet with mild Kashmiri Curry. in the graham cracker and toasted cumin in the marshmallow. They smell amazing and are a great activity around a camp fire. Charring and roasting the marshmallows brings out the toasted cumin flavor. If the outdoors aren’t your thing you can achieve the same result at home using a blow torch to impress your friends.These marshmallows work with more than S’mores, use them to top your favorite cocoa or mocha, or even sweet potato casserole. This unique spin on marshmallows is fragrant, slightly savory and will add depth of flavor to your favorite recipes.The staff favorite used orange dark chocolate in the S’mores but the possibilities are endless. Once you master the toasted cumin marshmallow and Kashmiri Curry graham crackers you will be able to substitute them in all your favorite treats.

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Pecan Sandies

Our favorite secret ingredient for baking, Kashmiri Garam Masala, infuses these cookies with subtle flavor in every bite. The cookies have a delightful texture that falls apart in your mouth and not on the plate just as it should be. The recipe makes extra spiced nuts that you can serve or gobble up while the cookies bake.

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Cheddar Cheese Coins

Appetizers aren't just for parties and gatherings. Whether you just want some snacks for watching tv or something to nibble on while catching up on that novel, this is the cookbook for you. The experts at Cook's Illustrated have put together 75 "only the best" appetizer recipes to help you find something for any time of the year. All-Time Best Appetizers Cookbook makes it easy to create a spread with everything from things that can be dipped, spread, eaten by the handful or two-bite treats. These Cheddar Cheese Coins, as well as their different variations, would be perfect for a wine and cheese plate or...just to snack on. From the authors: "Why this recipe works - When it comes to homemade crackers, you need a recipe that's easy, versatile, and packs a huge flavor punch. We wanted to come up with a simple, foolproof version that would be cheesy, buttery, and just a little spicy. We started with a full 8 ounces of cheese and a touch of salt, cayenne, and paprika. We used the food processor to combine the dry ingredients and the shredded cheese, which helped to keep the coins tender by limiting the handling of the dough. Adding a little cornstarch with the flour further ensured that the coins baked up flaky and buttery. We processed the dry ingredients with chilled butter until the mixture resembled wet sand, added water, and processed until the dough came together. Next, we rolled the dough into logs, refrigerated them until firm, and then sliced them into thin coins before baking until lightly golden and perfectly crisp. With this simple technique, it's easy to vary the cheese and flavorings used to suit any taste."

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Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Pumpkin snickerdoodles are a delicious seasonal twist on a classic favorite! Pumpkin season in full swing, with all kinds of amazing spice combinations! These happy little cookies pair pumpkin with Ras el Hanout, one of our favorite "secret ingredients". The blend is an unexpected twist on traditional pumpkin spice selections. It combines just enough cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and allspice to hit the fall warm and cozy flavor profile, with some floral swirls and peppery peaks to make it unique!

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Smoky Hazelnut Chocolate Cookies

From My Two Souths and Chef Asha Gomez, we get this recipe for Smoky Hazelnut Chocolate Cookies. Her singular recipes are rooted in her love of Deep-South cooking, as well as the Southern Indian flavors of her childhood home in Kerala. This was one of the first recipes we tried. We're thrilled to share it with you. From the author: "I have no doubt that, if I allowed him to do so, Ethan would eat a jar of Nutella in one sitting. To ensure that this creamy hazelnut spread wound up as an ingredient rather than the main course, I realized I had to come up with a Nutella recipe for my boy. Given his well-practiced sweet tooth, a cookie was the obvious and easy direction to take. But, as you may have gathered, my son is his mother's boy: Ethan loves spice in every form and shape as I do. When I added a hint of sugared, smoked paprika to Nutella cookie dough, I knew I had hit it out of the park. These are now Ethan's favorite cookies, and he won't even give them time to cool before snatching them up. I think my kid has a rather grown-up sense of taste for a ten-year-old. I wonder where he got it? My favorite part of this recipe is mixing the dough with my hands, and Ethan loves to roll up his sleeves and get in on the action."

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French Macarons

Food is considered by the French to be one of life's greatest pleasures. Béatrice Peltre celebrates that with her beautiful blog and cookbooks. Her latest cookbook, My French Family Table, focuses on everyday foods that you can share with family and friends. She features healthy and creative meals that use whole grains, spices and vibrantly colorful fruits and vegetables. Bonus? They all happen to be gluten-free, too. These French macarons are no exception. Perfect for a gathering or special occasion...or just because you're craving something chocolate, you'll want to make these again and again.From the Author: "While these macarons are not complicated, they do take some time to prepare. You will feel a deep sense of accomplishment when you master them."

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Hahn Family Sweet Treats

No Thanksgiving or holiday dinner would be complete without the desserts. Pumpkin pie is par for the course, where sweet treats are concerned, but few folks stop there. Every family has their own unique preferences, and this collection of recipes has something for everyone. The applesauce cake will have even the most ardent fruitcake detractors coming back for a second slice. Perfect for the holidays, it can be made and enjoyed year round. The shortbread is recipe was adopted from a Scottish woman who lived down the street from Mom when she was growing up in Boise. We've tried other shortbread recipes, but always come back to this one. Make these and I'm sure that they will disappear as quickly as they always did in our home. These recipes brought to you by World Spice Family Favorites. Thanks, Sherrie! For more holiday treats, check out all our dessert and pastry recipes.

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Black Cardamom Pastries

Eastern European cuisine doesn't get nearly as much attention as it should Enter Mamushka: Recipes from Ukraine and Eastern Europe, by Olia Hercules! We always love to see an under-appreciated or rarely used spice get some time in the spotlight, as is the case in this recipe for Ukranian Verhuny fried pastries with Black Cardamom. This unique spice has the sharp camphor of green cardamom along side a musty, earthy flavor that complements these pastries exquisitely. A fantastic recipe! From the Author: "These are Ukrainian “angel wing” pastry crisps. Originally, they used to be fried in lard (think of Portuguese pastel de nata lard pastry). I add some ground black cardamom seeds to the sugar, but feel free to use vanilla sugar instead. "

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