Apricot Macaroons

3 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package (14 ounces) sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup soft dried apricots, coarsely chopped (3 ounces)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar, almond extract, and salt until frothy. Add coconut and apricots; mix to combine. Using your hands, shape mixture into mounds, each equal to 2 level tablespoons; place 1/2 inch apart on prepared baking sheet (macaroons will not spread). Bake until lightly golden, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Transfer macaroons to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 1 week. Makes 16-20.

Goat Cheese Pear Tarts

2 pears
10 oz. goat cheese @ room temperature
1/2 tbsp sugar
dash of cinnamon
1 package puff pastry sheets (in the frozen foods aisle @ the grocery store)

1) preheat oven to 400.

2) roll out 1 puff pastry to a 20 x 20 inch square with a rolling pin,
and cut into 2 x 2 inch squares. grease your tins so the pastry does
not stick. press squares into tins and trim off the excess.

3) chop the pears finely with the skins on. (this adds a little color
to the tarts). stir pears, sugar & cinnamon up. you will probably have
a bit of the pear mixture leftover.

4) spoon and press down 1/2 tbsp of goat cheese onto the bottom of the
pastry and add 1 tbsp of pear mixture on top.

5) bake at 400 for 25 minutes. the edges should be golden brown.

6) take out of oven and let cool for 10 minutes. you will be able to
pop them out if you properly greased your tins.

Grandma Larsen's Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2.5 cups oatmeal
1 pkg chopped dates (optional)

Cream shortening, sugars and eggs. Add flour, soda and salt. Stir in extracts, followed by remaining ingredients. Drop onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Makes 7 dozen small.