Legos!  Legos, Legos and more legos.  This actually has nothing to do with the 3 batches that I have made this month so far, but it is the current obsession in this household.  And maybe I would have made more cookies this month so far if we weren't so busy building Legos. 

Legos are seriously the best toy.  I feel like no other toy is geared as equally to both boys and girls, are great "STEM" toys and after 60 years, is still the basic toy that it once was.  Although as I was building with my now 5 year old boy, Legos do look a bit different than they did when I was little.  Pretty much every piece would fall into my classification of "special pieces". 

My mom has thousands of Legos (that mostly my brother and I collected throughout her childhood).  I convinced her that she should let us divvy them up; as she likes having Legos but generally doesn't let the grandkids play with them because we have SOOOO many and they make a huge mess.  So for the last 3 or 4 weeks, every chance I can get over there and build my sets to bring them home, I do.  But with 3 kids (and one being a crawling infant that puts everything in her mouth); this project may take a while.

What set off the obsession?  A Lego birthday party for my now 5 year old boy.

 So what does this have to do with cookies?  Nothing really.  Except normally I would make cookies to go in the goodie bags.  This year however I bought Lego molds and made Lego crayons and Lego gummies.  And the kids got to make their own racecars and bring those home.

So nothing to do with LEGOS, but Batch number 328:

Almond Pie Bars:

Another cookie for work. Pretty much as described.  Like almond pie but as a bar.  

#329 Mocha Cookie Pretzels
These were fun to make.  It looks like a pretzel, but is a chocolate, coffee cookie.

And 330 Cherry Shortbread Hearts
For Valentines Day.  We didn't have "enough" with the dozen doughnuts I ran out and got in the morning and the candy I requested my husband to go buy the day after.

The Almond Pie bars were probably the best recipe out of this bunch.  So here's the recipe:

2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cold butter, cubed
FILLING:
2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped almonds
2 tbs flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp almond extract

For the crust, combine flour and powdered sugar.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Press into greased 13 in. x 9 in. baking pan.

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine sugar, almonds, and flour; stir in remaining filling ingredients.

Pour over crust.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until center is almost set.  Cool on a wire rack.  Cut into bars.  Store in refrigerator.