Mocha Crackle Cookies with Walnut and Pecan Chips

I am back from the New York trip. It was an amazing experience. The best part of the trip was that I got to meet a lot of new faces who are my hubby's close pals but whom I met for the first time in life. Besides socializing, what appealed to me about NY are its cultural diversity and the vibrant spirit. It has copious similarity with Mumbai, the financial hub of India. Like Mumbai, it is overpopulated throbbing round the clock with the hustle and bustle of people from all across the globe converging on the same location, some as tourists, some on business and some for earning livelihood. While taking a walk down the footpath of Manhattan, finding people brushing by in a hurried manner is very typical of the experience encountered in the busiest thoroughfares of Indian metros.

Another amusing thing to catch my notice was while waiting in a queue, be that for tickets to a ferry or for a climb up to the crown of Rockefeller Centre or the Empire State Building, the people standing in front and behind all were speaking different languages and not English. This multi-lingual multifarious aspect of NY allured me most. Then the presence of cycle rickshaws and horse carriages in downtown Manhattan was another characteristic redolent of Kolkata. A feeling of nostalgia gripped my mind momentarily then.

Aside from Manhattan, we visited Jackson Heights in Queens which is another enchanting city of New York. While dining with our Bengali friends at Jackson Heights, I felt that we were, as if, eating out in Kolkata with so many fellow diners cooing in my mother tongue, some even attired in kurta pajama and salwaar kameez. The footpaths along the heart of Jackson Heights were lined with apparel stores exclusive to saree and salwaar. We stayed there hardly for 5 days and within such a short span of time, New York cast its magic spell on me and I was feeling morose while returning back to our marooned sleepy town of Perrysburg where without the possession of a driving license, I feel handicapped with my eyes longing every minute for the mere sight of people in the lonely desolate streets where seeing a passerby is nothing short of a piece of good luck.

Okay, now coming back to the recipe, these gorgeous mocha crackle cookies served a great deal to us throughout our trip. We often forget to take our meal on time while travelling which sometimes sends the system our bodies are accustomed to in total disarray resulting in sickness or bowel complications. To avoid ailment of that nature which could spoil the fun of a trip, I baked these wonderful looking scrumptious mocha cookies that work a good deal in quickly quenching the hunger pinch. These cookies are very useful for long road trips when halting every now and then for food becomes troublesome.

Cat's Eye Sandwich Cookies

I love cookies and these cat's eye sandwich cookies just make a perfect supplement to a cup of tea. The beautiful fragrance of vanilla essence warms up the environment of the evening get-togethers. That these goodies were baked at home will leave your guests in awe of your culinary skill. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yesterday I went to our family physician who had a cute looking dog walking behind her into the room we were seated. I could not help but taking her on my lap and cuddling behind her ears and beneath the chin...the two most sensitive spots of dogs....her eyes closed basking in the shower of my affection. It was a moment that made me relive one of the many moments I had spent with my late pet Bonnie. Only someone who has a pet knows the pain of losing it to death. It's like losing a close family member. The void created by their demise is not easy to fill in.

There is a therapy called Dog therapy in which dogs are assigned into the work of comforting the destitute, lonely, homeless, depressed and old people. I had applied this therapy on myself when my life was staggering under the shock of a sudden betrayal of trust by a friend. It was one of the worst phases of my life when I literally went into depression for a period of time, losing all faith in the world. One of my favourite activities during those days was to spend as much time, as was possible for me to save after working in school, with my pet and with the stray canines loitering in our garden. Being with them made me realize that the humans might not take a second to shatter trust and trample on the feelings of those close to them, but dogs, the faithful lot will never leave your side no matter what happens.

Butter Cookies

It seems wonderful to have a cup of tea or coffee accompanied by a plate of decious cookies. Though I drink neither but I can imagine the feeling of waking up to the scent of fresh-baked cookies served with a cup of tea. Yummmmm....nothing can kick-start a morning better than this.

Peanut Cookies

I love peanuts. Peanuts are enriched with many beneficial nutrients, anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals. Peanuts are essentially helpful in lowering LDL (bad cholesterol) and increasing HDL (good cholesterol). Research studies have shown that a kind of anti-oxidant present in peanuts prevents stomach cancer. For more to know about peanuts and related health benefits, please view the following website:

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/peanuts.html

However, people allergic to peanuts must avoid them at all costs.