Aaah, sorry I was a little bit MIA this week but school and life got in the way and basically led to me dropping all maths – yes I am proud of my life choices (:D 😀 😀 😀 😀 :D) but I did miss this! Now, on to the post…
How I used to feel… hehehehehe
***********************************************************************
Now I know I am not the only one who has had a friend who is… kind of awesome at everything. You want to hate them but you just can’t because they don’t brag, aren’t spiteful and basically, they are a pretty fabulous human being 🙂
This friend is CG. Honestly, if I managed to make a list of what this girl was good at it, it would be equivalent to one of those cartoon scrolls that rolls out of the room and you see it do a lap of the earth before returning back to you. Hehehehehehehe that skit always makes me smile!
Seriously the list just keeps
Going…
And going…
And going a little more 😛
In all of the 5 years out of her now-17 year life I have known CG, she has never, not once, boasted about the fact that she runs like a cheetah or that she has the ability to do those fancy piano key skids and that makes her all the cooler because of it! 🙂
Also do you remember this cookbook?
Yes, my latest obsession when it comes to baking, I try and only bake from this book these days considering it is the one I intend to grow old with and pass down through the generations. It was a birthday present to me from CG 🙂
Obviously, that meant I had to make CG something from this book and hopefully without it becoming the unmitigated disaster which was her 2011 brownies… oh the memories 😉
Considering this book has more ideas that I can even begin to fathom, I decided to go for something traditional and easy to transport for school. But as classic as CG’s tastes are, she is definitely not boring.
So a classic with a twist was needed. And a classic with a twist was found 😀
Sweet, melting biscuits with a nice crumb and buttery texture combined with sweet, vanilla buttercream is nice. Normal. Delicious even.
But when jam gets involved and then coconut joins the party, it becomes this crazy sugar hit of ultimate decadency, indulgency and the foundation of goodness 😀
See the difference?
Happy 17th CG! Hope you splurged on these cookies and had cake for breakfast too 🙂
*My changes are in bold
Monte Creams
Source: Mastering The Art Of Baking
Makes: 18 biscuits (I made 20 meaning 10 sandwich cookies)
Ingredients:
Biscuits
- 125g unsalted butter (I used salted), softened
- 110g caster sugar
- 60ml full cream milk
- 225g self raising flour (SRF)
- 35g custard powder (vanilla pudding mix) + extra, for dipping
- 30g desiccated coconut
Filling
- 50g unsalted butter, softened
- 60g icing sugar (icing mixture because sifting the hard chunks of icing sugar takes too long :P), sifted
- 2 tsp full cream milk
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 115g raspberry jam (I used strawberry – just remember to get any jam which has a lack of chunky fruit in it – if cannot find that, just warm up very slightly to make easier to spread)
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line two large baking trays with baking paper (non-stick)
- Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until pale and creamy.
- Add in the milk and beat until combined
- Sift together the SRF and custard powder and add to the butter mixture
- Add in the coconut and mix with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms
- Roll 2 tsp (1 tsp was enough for me) of mixture into a ball and place on prepared tray. Repeat with the remaining mixture, leaving 5cm between each bowl to allow for excess spreading (not much if any)
- Dip a fork into the extra custard powder and then tap off any excess, before using to flatten the balls to about 5cm (mine were roughly 3-4cm) – Dip the fork into the powder occasionally to prevent it sticking to the dough
- Bake the biscuits for 18 minutes, swapping the trays around halfway through cooking or until lightly golden
- Leave on trays to cool completely
- Filling: Beat butter and icing mixture until pale and creamy. Add the milk and vanilla, beating until combined
- Spread one biscuit with ½ to 1 tsp of icing
- Spread one biscuit with ½ to 1 tsp of jam
- Sandwich together and repeat with remaining biscuits
And that is the way the cookie totally doesn’t crumble 😉
Hope to see you all more regularly mes cheris, au revoir!
I can’t find the like button. But i like like like this. No, i love this.
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I’ve been such a space cadet of late. My end of year exams are looming too and there’s that end of year frenzy which is starting to happen. Big big congrats on your first year blogging birthday. An amazing achievement and one with which you should be most proud indeed!
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I am sure you friend enjoyed those for her birthday!
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Great post! And you’re such a great friend. We should all celebrate by having a cookie, don’t you think? 😉
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Haha- I have a friend just like this- love your description of her! Coconut, jam and buttercream- yum!!
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Great gift for a great friend
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omggggg, what a FAaaaaB gift. Can I give you my address? Haaa.
you rock like Gaga. Xxxxx
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What a beautiful beautiful post!! Your friend is so lucky :)) As usual, love thos ebites. Absolutely.
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That looks like one very delicious cookie and you are very sweet friend 🙂 The coconut in it is wooing me to try a bite. I just might. Going to bookmark, my friend.
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I love friends like that. They make all the ups and downs worth going through.
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these little cookies look delicious! i automatically become a fan of anything involving coconut, but these have even more to love. 🙂
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I nominated you for the Sunshine Award! Congrats! http://at350degrees.wordpress.com/2012/11/17/sunshine-award-take-2/
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You are absolutely much too sweet thank you very very much for this 😀
Cheers
CCU
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No problem, I love reading your blog!
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No!! Don’t give up on the math! It gets way better once you take calculus, I promise. I would do it on my free time :p
But what a perfect gift! This looks fantastic!
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You are such a sweet friend Uru – I would be over the moon with a treat like this in my Birthday!
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Mmm yum! What a lovely gift and I just love these kind of bikkies 🙂
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What a marvellous gift for a wonderful friend! Bet she didn’t share!
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What delightful cookie sandwiches! I would be tempted to swap out the vanilla for a peanut butter frosting though… Who could resist a super-sweet PB+J? 🙂
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Well we could always divide cakes and cookies, nice math. Sorry I haven’t had time to catch up lately these look fab 🙂
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What a sweet present for your BFF. She’s a lucky girl to have a wonderful friend like you, and a wonderful baker.
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These remind me of macaroons …they like delicious!
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Because you are a true star … have I nominated you to “ ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ – http://wp.me/p293Pw-4c9
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You are very very kind, thank you my friend 😀
Cheers
CCU
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whoa looks awesome! That’s so sweet you made these for your friend. You two are so lucky to have each other!
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It seems like your amazing friend is lucky to have a friend like you, too!!!! These look incredible, darlin’!
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These look like pure heaven CCU! 🙂
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Wow,
These cookies look incredible! That is so sweet of you to bake for your friend. I am sure these cookies must have been a big hit!
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Love love love getting food presents! Your friend is so lucky to have a fantastic baker friend who also believes in food presents 🙂
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This is a wonderful gift: made with love and stunning! Your firend is lucky!
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Uru, I’d say you mastered one perfect cookie. They look just like the ones pictured in the book- beautiful! I wouldn’t mind having one (or five) of these delicious looking filled treats. Hmm, I’m imagining myself pulling the cookie apart, licking the center, then eating the cookie. Yum!
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I have an Anneka Manning cookbook but not that one. I think the one I have is called ‘Seasons’. I use it all the time. Her recipes are so reliable. Love the biscuits xx
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mhmm, there is coconut in those biscuits, awesome and I bet super delicious. I d love that for my birthday. =D I think so I have to drag you to goa Uru.
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Haha no dragging necessary I will go willingly 😀
Cheers
CCU
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What a lovely gift idea, they sound and look delicious! Hugs, Terra
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These biscuits look so delicious! And what an amazing birthday gift. Something sweet and homemade always makes people happy! Great choice 🙂
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Congrats on your big decision! Everything will work out 🙂 These little biscuits look so cute, AND delicious!!
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Happy Birthday to your bestie — I wish I had my friends baking me this delicious treats on my birthday 😉
Can you sense the envy?
ps: Don’t ever be sorry for not blogging. There are priorities in life, and blogging shouldn’t be an obligation. Just have fun doing it, whenever possible 🙂
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These sandwich cookies are delicious. The addition of coconut make them terrific!! I understand what do you mean about your new recipe book: I’m like you, I have to try all the recipe of my new books and bookmark the best recipes.
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Just so you know, my birthday is in March 🙂 Just kidding! What a wonderful birthday treat for your friend. I can tell you are both lucky to have each other as friends.
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It’s sounds like you’re a pretty terrific friend & person too!
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What a way to celebrate ! I tried making custard cookies a while ago, as part of a blog challenge, and I have to say yours look so much better than mine!! All fluffy and gorgeous 🙂 Way to go my friend
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what a fabulous birthday gift – i would love a tin of these cookies 🙂
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Oh, that’s too funny – CG’s gift to you was actually a gift to herself too! These birthday treats look so delicious – a very lucky friend you have 🙂
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These are like tasty biscuit whoopie pies. I need that cookbook. You are a great friend!
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Well don’t these look damn good! 😀
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WOW those look amazing!!! I love sandwich cookies and I love puffy, thick and dense cookies, scones, cakes, pancakes, everything. These look like everything I’ve ever dreamed of 🙂
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Happy birthday to CG!! You really honored her with these amazing cookies!
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I wish it were my birthday.. I want a batch of these! 🙂
They remind me of whoopie pies. Biscuit whoopie pies. Yummy!
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I have that book too and love it 🙂 SO sweet of CG to give it to you ~
Happy Birthday to CG!! She must’ve loved these lovely biscuits!
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I know how you feel, being super swamped with life. And seriously – I hate math. I got a C- in grade 11 math and stupidly elected to take it in grade 12. Of course, I failed with 35%. You, I know, will do MUCH better than I did! And these cookies look so delicious, especially with that amazing icing and jam filling in-between!
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Haha you make me feel better my friend, us non-mathsers have better outlets 😀
Cheers
CCU
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Yours look exactly like the book’s – and I mean that as a complement! You are truly indeed lucky to have CG in your life…and she is lucky to have YOU in her life as well! Take care, my friend!
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Gah! I just ate and you’re making me so hungry!!
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Dreamy! I love the filling! Happy Birthday CG!
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These biscuits look great…love the filling and yes with a cup of tea 🙂
Have a great week!
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You are just so clever…and talented! I love these and think they make just a wonderful gift! I have to figure out when to make them so that I get them out of the house as quickly as I can! 🙂
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Those look like the perfect mini appetizer desserts for holiday parties 🙂
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These look so great! And, so does that cookbook! I think I need this one (although my waistline probably doesn’t!)
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You’ve baked the perfect little tea biscuit. Like it 🙂
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Such a delicious treat for your friend!!She’s very lucky to have you as her friend :)Your cookies look fab and I love the filling with jam!!!
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What a wonderful friend you you. Looks delicious!
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These cute little treat are sure to please your friend. Happy birthday CG and Happy Diwali my friend!
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I have used custard powder in cookies a few times and it gives a lovely crisp taste. Love your cookies.
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Happy birthday to your friend! She sounds like an amazing person. The biscuit/cookies look delicious. The addition of the vanilla pudding mix sounds like it puts it over the top 🙂
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Happy birthday to your friend and you gave her a very sweet present!
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Birthdays are always sweeter when they involve baked goods… especially “custom” baked goods… even last year’s unmitigated disaster! (Which turned out fine in the end!) I know this sounds cliche, Uru, but that was really sweet of you!
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Happy birthday to your friend! I bet she adored this awesome-looking cookies. I could go for some right now!
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Happy Birthday to your friend! I’m sure she loved the present from an awesome baker friend! Yummy and perfect, just like the book 🙂
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They look like melting moments yummmmm. Ps congrats on dropping HSC math, it was my most hated subject haha
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oh did you cook this with your friend? 🙂 i wish to have cooking companion too!
Latest: J for Japanese
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Haha nope not with but definitely for 😀
Cheers
CCU
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What a fantastic b-day present! They’re like little, individual strawberry shortcakes! Have a great day!!! 😀
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What a lovely treat for your friend, especially since you’re so busy! You’re a gem Uru 🙂
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What a sweet birthday treat for a sweet friend! And I laughed when I read about last year’s unmitigated disaster. We’ve all had a few of those!
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Yours look a million times better than those ones in the book! Happy birthday CG!!!
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I’ve got this awesome Earl Grey jam that would be PERFECT for these biscuits!
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Wow now these sound wonderful and look beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like this with a biscuit. I will have to check out this cookbook, I haven’t heard of it before. I hope CV loved them!
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CG I meant
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Adding coconut was a great idea! You are such a good friend — you must have a wait-list!
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There’s a reason why I haven’t mastered the art of baking………. I’m looking for a wonderful baker friend like u! Hahaha! Happy belated bday to your dear friend!
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What a lovely post about your friend, she is equally lucky to have such a fantastic baker friend such as you! The cookie sandwiches looks amazing too! Yum. yum. yum
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CCU you are making me drool and I am sure your friend thought these were the best birthday gift ever. Maths!?!?!? Yuck. You excel in literature so go with your strengths. Take care, BAM
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❤ looks awesome! Yum yum yum. Excellent gift.
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URVASHIII ❤ you are the best thankyou so much for the present I love you 😀 and all of what you say is a lie you're too nice!
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Awwwwwww nope lovely no lies 😀
Cheers
CCU
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Uru, are you the most popular girl in your school? I bet everyone wants to be your friend! 🙂
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What a wonderful birthday gift!! They look just beautiful 🙂
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Yum! So sweet of you to spoil your friend 🙂 I’m getting more and more into baking presents for friends rather than buying them!
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lovely cookie tin! Life often gets in the way of blogging 🙂
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mmm, a perfectly delicious birthday present!
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Happy birthday to your friend, who is really blessed to have you making such lovely biscuits with yummy jam and cream for her!
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Happy birthday to your friend who is very lucky to have a friend like you to make here this yummy cookies!
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Happy Birthday to your friend! She must be feeling good munching these goodies…
Totally understand that exams can be extremely stressful! Baking and eating can be very therapeutic to relieve stress… :p
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I will keep that in mind Dr Zoe 😀
Cheers
CCU
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How lucky CG is to have such a pal as you! The Monte Creams sound so wonderful and I definitely would enjoy them for breakfast as well as dessert. 🙂 CG sounds like a wonderful gal and totally deserves all the goodies you bestow on her!
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CG sounds about as amazing as you are! Good job on the cookies and I love the cookie tine!
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We all get by with a little help from our friends! And I could get by a bit better with some of these treats!
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Mmmmm! These look wonderfully delicious! Your friend is very lucky!
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Uru you are such a clever girl!! And these cookies look just perfect!
Love them!
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You did such a beautiful job! I wish I had friends that baked for me 🙂 Yum.
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I’ve just bought this baking book. I love it, full of ideas and things I’ve not made before. Love those cookie sandwiches, I’ll have to look them up. GG
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A very thoughtful friend you are. I am sure you are just as gifted as CG and you are not bragging about it.
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These are great birthday treats! How thoughtful to use the book that was your gift. She must have loved these cookies.
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I LOVE sandwich cookies. Yum. And I’ve never tried custard in cookies. Brilliant! What with the pretty holiday decorations on these and all the x-mas stuff coming up, I am totally wishing all of us foodies could attend a virtual cyber cookie swap and trade! 🙂
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Oh wow a virtual cookie swap would be so cool – in the future soon 😀
Cheers
CCU
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Yum! Happy Birthday to CG. What a perfect gift — homemade is always the best :)!
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These look like perfect tea cookies!
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Cookies and cake, that’s my kind of morning! These are adorable and look delicious! Happy Birthday to your friend!
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You are a sweet friend Uru! And don´t worry about maths, you´ll always have baking!
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What lovely little morsels–happy birthday to a very lucky friend! I can imagine being friends with you is just delicious!!
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What a delicious birthday gift for CG! You are such a nice friend!! You make up for your difficulty with maths skills with your beautiful writing and baking talents!
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These look like pure creamy goodness! Happy Birthday to your friend! 🙂
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You’re so good with your baking – you could beat any pastry chef. You make it look so tempting and delicious too – photos goes straight into “want now”-software.
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These are beautiful & I love that cookie tin … Happy B-Day, CG 🙂
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They look irresistible!
Happy Birthday to your friend!
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Delicious in taste and in appearance.
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I think you would also have a scroll that runs around the earth of your accomplishments. Birds of a feather… you both must give your parents such pride. It’s so nice that you baked something for CG out of her cookbook gift to you. It looks beautiful and I love how you presented it to her in the tin. Well done. 🙂
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*blushing like crazy* thank you so so much!
Cheers
CCU
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Yes…some of us just can’t help but be awesome at everything 😉 I jest! This is a lovely tribute post and I bet these are the perfect birthday treatos! YUMMY!
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Sincere friends are not easy to come by and you sure have one. Beautiful cookies and si hi to your great friend on my behalf.
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Those cookies look delicious, especially with the jam filling!
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Very beautiful cookies and a great bday gift! Both you and your friend are super talented!
(Love that last photo – cookies have come to life 🙂
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You are an awesome friend. CG is very lucky and we should all thank her for giving you the book also. Hope you had a great day CG!
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Oh my gosh, these Monte Creams are so cute!! I’ve never even heard of these. It seems like they are a shortbread-biscuit like cookie with delicious filling–what could be better than that?!
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Nothing I believe 😀
Cheers
CCU
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Well I think that you are awesome at being a good friend…
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Happy birthday to CG! Friends like that are priceless. Fabulous choice in dessert. I would have been one happy friend. These look delicious. I’m such a sucker for anything with biscuits. Well done CCU!
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When I was 12 and my brother 10 he gave me a baking cook book for Christmas and in it he wrote: Merry Christmas, this is really for me in the long run. I think CG might have been thinking the same thing!
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The cookies look absolutely delicious my friend! And I love the cookie tin, so beautiful!
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I wish it was mine and not a photo my friend, it is soo pretty!
Cheers
CCU
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CG might be clever at everything but I bet she doesn’t bake like you do! You’re a wonderful friend and I know she’ll be pleased with her extra special cookies from the book to grow old with.
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These biscuits look devine – CG is a lucky person!
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Hey CCU, I reckon you’re one of those girls who is kind of awesome at everything too!! Lucky friend – hope she liked the cookies. They look gorgeous.
PS. Pretty happy to see Jackie Chan heading a post! He makes me smile.
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Happy Birthday to your friend & what a lovely home-made foodie gift! I alwyas make a give home-made goodies too! 🙂 Great & cool step by step pics!
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Happy Birthday to your friend and how special to give her a homemade gift.
🙂 Mandy
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What a lovely birthday present to your friend! And thanks for the tip on parchment paper lining in the box. That’s a great idea and nice cushion for the cookies not to crumble! I’ve never had anyone giving me homemade baked goods on my birthday… I need a great baker friend like you around instead of me baking on my own! 🙂
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Haha that isn’y my box, it is a photo and I am just pretending to put my cookies into the box 😛
But yes it is always better to line a tin!
And you are a fantastic baker AND all round chef 😀
Cheers
CCU
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oh man, those cookies look amazing, something you would get an Afternoon Tea. they remind me of jam and clotted cream. 🙂 Nice work.
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omg! your friend is so lucky! those biscuits look amazing…
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Uru, can I have a box of those pretty and delicious cookies too?! 🙂 They look lovely, and I am sure your friend was thrilled… 🙂
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These are some seriously delicious birthday treats for an obviously stellar friend! Happy birthday to Ms CG!
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I am especially fond of this recipe! I could use my own strawberry jam and I think these biscuits are a little like our shortbread or butter cookies and those are my faves so I would love this cookie and I have not seen one made like these that I have liked yet – THESE, I would love!
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these look so so good–since I am your friend now, can you make these for me?
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Haha I will ship them asap 😀
Cheers
CCU
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Yum yum yum they look divine, a very tasty present I’m sure 🙂
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The criss cross made me think these would be peanut butter cookies but they aren’t and they are lovely!! I’ll take a giant plate of them, please.
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Mmmm peanut butter and jelly monte cream.s… 😉
Cheers
CCU
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Oh they look sooo good and yes, perfect that you made the monte creams from the book she gave you for your birthday. I’m intrigued by how delicious they look. I guess I’ll be making these puppies next. 🙂
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This looks awesome Uru! I’ll have to let you know when it’s my birthday! 😉
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Now I understand the math comment at my blog, CCU. Love the simplicity of this recipe. Bet the taste, however, is complex and wonderful. Happy birthday to your friend CJ.
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Happy birthday to your friend CG!
I love the vanilla pudding mix in the biscuits. And I absolutely love the filling! Delicious biscuits!
Don’t feel bad about dropping Math, many do at first. Hang in there!
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What a lovely gift for your friend. Great job Uru! Now, I’m going to look for that book…
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These look so good!!! Love the use of jam!
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Lovely gift for a lovely friend, I’m sure.
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I’m going to have to check out that cookbook, those cookies/biscuits look delicious and a very happy birthday to your friend!
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these look great!! love the addition of the coconut and jam! 🙂 and happy birthday to your friend!
and i totally understand – school is getting hectic – you have exams??
but no need to worry – holidays soon – we can cook all we want – wooo!! 🙂
(and good on you for dropping maths – im jealous 😛 )
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Yep exams coming up my friend gaaaah! But thank you 😀
Cheers
CCU
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What a beautiful friend you have.. what a joy she must be to have in your life! These cookies are the perfect homemade gift for just such a friend! I bet they didn’t last long!! xx
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Happy birthday to your friend (who is, btw, lucky to have an awesome friend like you 🙂 ). What a wonderful birthday gift… they truly look divine! Biscuity/sandwichy combos ROCK (especially when made with love… and jam). All the best with school x
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I like this
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