I decided to try something a little different with this post.  Instead of describing how to make them, I posted photos from each step.  If you hover over with your mouse, you can read the captions.  Be sure to head on over to Martha’s site for the complete recipe.

They are also good with a square of dark chocolate pressed into the middle.

I was planning on attending a barbecue on Saturday, so I thought it was a great opportunity to try the Raspberry Macaroon recipe I saw on Martha Stewart.com.

I went out and bought some fresh raspberries and some fancy-pants raspberry preserves.  (It was the only kind I could find made with actual sugar, instead of high fructose corn syrup.)

I should have known something would go wrong when I couldn’t find my camera and had to use my DSi XL to take the pictures for this post, but I pressed on, determined to have a plate full of beautiful and delicious macaroons to wow the crowd at the barbecue.

I pressed a handful of mashed raspberries through a sieve to make a tablespoon of fresh raspberry puree.

I gathered up all of the the ingredients.

I followed the directions to the letter, twice sifting the powdered sugar and almond meal, making the meringue, folding in the sugar almond mixture, then the raspberry puree. Then, I carefully piped the cookies on the parchment paper that I had so carefully cut to line the pans.

I omitted the food coloring, but look at the beautiful pale pink color from the puree.

I peeked in the oven window to see the lovely feet on my little creations.

But then, something went awry.  When I tried to lift the macaroons from the parchment, the soggy, sticky bottoms stuck.

I don’t blame the recipe.  I think it was a good recipe overall.  I blame the high (very high!) humidity we were having.  It was as if the insides had pulled all the moisture they could from the air.  (After I left them out for a day or two, they were actually quite perfect in texture, in fact.)

Still, I managed to salvage just a few for a photo.  Ah, this is what I had hoped they’d look like.

The cookies themselves were delicious, with just a hint of raspberry.

But, I still needed to make something for the barbecue.  And I still had a jar of expensive fancy-pants jam.  So, I made Butter and Jam Thumbprints from foodnetwork.com.  I already had everything on hand, even a vanilla bean.

They were pretty good, I’m told, though I personally thought they were too buttery, if there is such a thing.

If you missed my previous adventures in macaroon making, you can catch up here.

I used chunky peanut butter to get those little peanutty bits.

I use what I call the 1-1-1-1 recipe (don’t say the dashes).  I call it that because it makes the recipe easy to remember.

1 cup natural peanut butter (chunky or smooth)

1 cup sugar (I use half white and half dark brown)

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream peanut butter and sugar in mixer (1 – 2 minutes).  Add egg and baking powder, mix for 2 minutes more.  Shape into balls.  Place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly with a fork.  Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, so they don’t fall apart when you pick them up.  (Time based on 1 dozen cookies.  Less time, if you make them smaller.)

Try not to eat them all!

Note: Martha’s cookie recipe is a bit spicy for younger children.

Another cookie recipe from Everyday Food, this time the April 2009 issue.

You may have noticed that I make a lot of Martha Stewart recipes.  That’s because (1) the two magazines I subscribe to are MS Living and Everyday Food and (2) I have never made a Martha Stewart recipe that was not awesome.  She is great.  Her people are great.  The recipes they come up with are great.

I admit, though, there is a whole world of recipes out there I should be exploring.

On to the good stuff.

I made the Chocolate ‘n’ Cream Sandwich Cookies.  They were great.  The filling was spot on for an Oreo knock-off, except that it is made with real butter, which is double good.

The cookies were not as crunchy as they should have been, but I think that was because they needed to be cooked a bit longer.  When I cooked the scraps, they were crunchier and a good Oreo clone, but better.

Overall, this was a yummy cookie, the kids loved them, and they don’t contain any of the junk you find in store-bought cookies.

And now, the pictures.

Cutting the dough.

Cooling the cookies.

Making the filling.

Sandwich cookies!

If you love lemon, you have to try these.  The glaze is super lemony – almost too lemony for me – but the cookies are exquisite.  If you do make the glaze, you really only need to make a half recipe and you will have plenty for the cookies.

I packaged them in a tin that I found at Michaels craft store.  I lined it with parchment, cut to fit using decorative edge scissors, and decorated the tin with ribbon, also from Michaels.  They have some really nice ribbons for $1 that are great to have around for this sort of thing.

My mother is coming to town tomorrow to spend the afternoon with me and my sister.  It will be so nice to see them both at the same time, and without the kids to interrupt us while we catch up!

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother’s Day, too!  Be sure and tell us what you did.