Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 tbsp bacon grease
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon maple extract
• 1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter, bacon grease, brown sugar and white sugar with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add one egg and beat until well blended into the butter mixture.  Add the remaining egg and the vanilla and maple extracts.  Beat until well blended and slightly fluffy.  Stir in the flour mixture a little at a time, mixing gently until combined. Stir in the bacon and chocolate chips.
3. Scoop the dough in rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.  Bake in the preheated oven until edges turn golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Share this post:

Ingredients:
Makes approximately 20 cookies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup finely ground almonds (2oz)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Confectioner’s sugar (optional)
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam

Directions  

In a small bowl combine flour, almonds and cinnamon then set aside.  In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla and mix well.  Add flour mixture—mix only until incorporated.  Divide dough into two pieces—press into discs about 1 inch thick.  Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours until firm.

Preheat over to 350F. On a floured surface roll out one disc of dough to 1/8 inch thick (keep remaining dough chilled). Cut half the dough into rounds—this is the bottom and cut the other half with an insert (star), this will be the top.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes or light golden brown.  Cool on cookie sheet for two minutes.  Remove from sheet and cool completely.  Invert bottom cookie and spread with a teaspoon of raspberry jam.  Dust top cookie with confectioner’s sugar and gently sandwich together.

Share this post:

See Amy’s suggestion of tools and tricks to speed up your salsa making and help keep it fresh.
Helpful Kitchen Tools:
Collected Recipe Book
Garlic Rocker
Herb Grinder
Corn Stripper
Baggy Rack

Recipe: Amy’s Corn and Black Bean Salsa
1 (15 ounce) can yellow corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups fresh diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 medium avocado, diced
Chili powder, salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Stir together corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, garlic and olive oil in a bowl. Add lime juice and gently mix in the avocado. Add spices to taste. Refrigerate for a few hours to blend flavors.

Share this post:

The Solutions creative team put together some Valentines cards just for you! Just click on your favorite image below and a print-quality PDF will download to your computer. Happy Valentines Day, from Solutions.

Variety Pack of Valentine

A2 Sized Folding Valentine

A2 Sized Folding Valentine

Share this post:

At Solutions we’re always looking for ways to help reduce our customer’s stress levels and help with organization (these two may just go hand in hand).  For this holiday season, we brought back an old holiday favorite: our gift checklists.

Below are two colorful spreadsheets, one to keep track of the gifts you’ve purchased, and the other to keep track of gifts you’ve received from friends and family. Just download, print and start getting organized.

Happy Holidays from the Solutions Web Team!

Click on image to download

Click on image to download

Share this post:

It was a cool, rainy evening when I found this wonderful comfort food recipe for my husband Joe and I, “Risotto Butternut Squash With Cheese.” It was a perfect choice for fall, and we paired it with some skinless chicken breasts and a glass of Chardonnay. It turned out to be a delicious spontaneous meal—and a romantic evening!

Read more »

Share this post:

Give your fridge a makeover with this essential guide. Just download and print.

Download Checklist >

While your refrigerator is empty, it’s the perfect time to keep your fridge organized with Fridge Binz. Check out these handy products at Solutions.com and see our customer reviews. 

Share this post: