Boomf: Instagram Marshmallows

As much as I love fancy, elaborate desserts, I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for simple, classic sweets. It should come as no surprise then that I’ve fallen in love with these fun marshmallows from Boomf! Taking the squishy campfire treat and putting a unique spin on it, British company Boomf will turn your favorite Instagram photos into delightful gourmet marshmallows! That’s right, just select nine images from your Instagram account and Boomf will send you nine printed marshmallows in return. The marshmallows, which are vanilla flavored, measure about an inch and a half in size and cost roughly $20 per set. The service is currently only available to UK residents, but they plan to start shipping worldwide early next year. While it may be a little creepy watching your favorite snapshots melt away in a S’more or in a cup of hot chocolate, I still really like this idea. It would make a really fun gift or party favor! Click here for more info. ~Erin

Semi Sweet Designs

I recently discovered Semi Sweet Designs while researching a post on Breaking Bad desserts and, man, was I impressed by what I saw. Not only did I find some amazing Walter White cookies, but also a ton of other rad (yes, I just wrote "rad") cookies as well. I was even more impressed when I found out that Mike, the man behind Semi Sweet Designs is not a professional baker, but is, instead, a full-time aerospace engineer who bakes in his spare time! As he puts it, "By day, I’m a hard-working, cubicle-dwelling, number cruncher. By night, I’m a dough-mixing, cookie-icing machine." I love hearing stories about self-taught bakers. It gives hope to the rest of us! If you're looking for a little pick me up today, definitely head over to Semi Sweet Designs to check out more of Mike's cute pop culture creations! They are so rad! ~Erin

Sweet Testing: Lime Tarragon Cookies

I would like to start this post by stating that I hate licorice. I don't just hate it. I loathe it. If I were forced to eat  licorice by some evil, licorice loving bad guys, I'd probably make a multitude of face distortions while chewing and then, overcome with nausea, end up spitting it out, which would surely get me in trouble with the evil, licorice loving bad guys! That said, I do, for some strange reason, LOVE tarragon. That's right, I enjoy eating an herb that is often described as having a licoricelike flavor. Don't ask me to explain. I can't. All I know is that I love tarragon and I loved these cookies! They have a nice buttery flavor, which is very reminiscent of shortbread. The tarragon is subtle and the lime is refreshingly different. You know that I'm all about atypical recipes and experimenting with a savory spin on a dessert is always super fun!

One small note: These cookies are supposed to be much smaller and thicker. Mine spread out. This may have been because I used gluten-free flour or maybe because I didn't chill the dough for long enough. (Sometimes, I get impatient during the chilling and just charge ahead!) They were still delicious, but don't be alarmed if they look different than mine! ~Erin

You can find the complete recipe after the jump.