Category: Cookies

Bite Size Desserts
Chew On This! Toasted Sesame Cookies

Chew On This! Toasted Sesame Cookies

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How’s the New Year’s Resolution thing going?  I’ve gotten strategic, I only make new year’s resolutions that are fun.  That way I stand a chance of actually following through on them.  One of my perpetual resolutions is to make a concerted effort to actually use the many cookbooks I have collected.  Don’t laugh, it may not sound like a resolution but it is.

Olympic Medal goes to….these cookies!

Last night, sitting on the couch, watching Chloe Kim and Nathan Chen do their thing, and flipping through a cookbook (I can multi-task) I wondered (out loud, unfortunately) how many cookbooks I have that I haven’t ever used.  The hubs laughed and said TOO MANY.

The laugh was pure motivation.  I got up, went to the kitchen, pulled out Jesse Szewczyk’s Cookies: The New Classics, and picked his recipe for Chewy Toasted Sesame Cookies.  Sooo making these now, before my resolve fades or I get distracted by Nathan Chen’s final routine.

So glad I did.  These cookies are delectable!  As much as I love SHORTBREAD type cookies, it was time to go back to fam-fav chewy cookies.  These did the trick. Chewy centers, a bit of crispness on the edges….yum, yum.

Not to say I wasn’t happy.  My current OBSESSION is sesame.  Jesse uses toasted sesame oil in these cookies, which ups the flavor game. Sesame oil, sesame seeds…win, win.

These cookies are pretty easy to make…think Snickerdoodle method. Make the dough, chill it, roll it into balls. Roll said balls in black and white toasted sesames, hit it with some sugar, bake and EAT or in my case, inhale.  Really, that good.

If this cookie is any indication…I will be baking a lot out of his book!

Seeds of Sesame Tips

It may seem fussy, I am sure it was a texture chase, the recipe calls for not only butter, but cream cheese, and oil.  A balancing act to make a moist, chewy, soft cookie with a bit of crispness on the edges.

Sesame Oil, Sesame Seeds

You want TOASTED Sesame oil which can be found easily in Asian markets.  The French brand, La Tourangelle makes a tosted sesame oil that is very good.  It’s a little pricier but generally can be found in your larger grocery stores.  I buy toasted sesame seeds at the Asian markets because I go through the stuff in no time flat.  You can buy untoasted seeds and toast them yourself if roasted seeds are not available.

I was able to form the just-made dough into round balls even though it was pretty soft.  But if you chill the dough for 30-60 minutes, makes it easier to work with.

Best thing since sliced bread, ice cream scoops for cookie dough….just saying. I used a 1.6 tablespoon scoop (#40) and sprinkled each cookie with regular granulated sugar.  Raw or Demerara Sugar would work well too.  Baking time was 11 minutes.  The cookies will puff up but fall and create those neat fissures as they cool.

The hubs is not a fan of sesame seeds so I actually baked a couple that I rolled in chocolate sprinkles.  I nixed his request for raisins (Ewww).  The sprinkles were a hit.  Honestly, this dough is so tasty, it would be good rolled in anything…except raisins.

Put these on your bucket list…like now.

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5 from 1 vote

Chewy Toasted Sesame Cookies

A delicious, chewy, buttery, sesame cookie from Jesse Szewczyk's Cookies: The New Classics.
Course cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword Chewy Toasted Sesame Cookies
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 24 cookies

Equipment

  • 1 #40 ice cream scoop If you don't have one, spoon out 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into round balls.

Ingredients

Dry Stuff

  • 21/2 cups All purpose flour (320gms)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt reg table salt, use 1/8 teaspoon

Fat Stuff

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (85gms) leave the butter on your counter for a couple of hours approximate temp 68 degrees
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, room temp (57 gms)
  • 1 tablespoon TOASTED sesame oil see post for notes on oil
  • 1/4 cup canola oil (60ml)

The Sweet Stuff

  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200gms)
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (100gms)

Wet Stuff

  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk (30ml)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

The Finishing Touches

  • 1/3 cup toasted white sesame seeds
  • 1/3 cup toasted black sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I'm a stickler, I bake one sheet at a time in the middle of the oven. To bake two sheets at a time, set your oven racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle positions of your oven. Line sheets with parchment or Silpat. Preference is for parchment as silicon mats retain more heat.
  • In a medium bowl, combine dry stuff, set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, toss in the fats, (butter, cream cheese, sesame oil, canola oil), and sweet stuff granulated sugar, brown sugar. Beat on medium speed until smooth and fully blended, about 2 minutes.
  • Turn mixer off and add the wet stuff. Beat on medium speed until light and ribbon-like, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Turn mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, mix until just blended, don't overmix. Rest dough for 10 minutes, it will firm up a bit. If it seems to soft still, chill in fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Using a 1-3/4 inch ice cream scoop (~2 tablespoons), form dough balls, hand- roll each to create smooth round balls.
  • Combine sesame seeds in a shallow bowl. Roll each dough ball in the sesame seeds and place them on parchment-lined sheets 2-1/2 inches apart. Sprinkle with the granulated sugar.
  • Bake 10-12 minutes, turning sheet midway through baking. Bake until golden brown on the edges. Cool cookies on baking sheet for a couple of minutes before removing them to a rack to cool completely.

Notes

Store in an airtight container.
Old School Almond Cookies

Old School Almond Cookies

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Growing up in Chinatown the standard plate of cookies found on our table was not Chocolate Chip Cookies, but Almond Cookies.  Found in every Chinese Bakery, these were my favorite cookie, well except for the almond in the center, which I ate around, kids, what do you do.

Phoenix Bakery

Last Roadtrip

One of my favorite Almond Cookies comes from Phoenix Bakery in Los Angeles Chinatown.  It’s been there a long time, three generations of the Chan family (hopefully there is a fourth generation) cranking out cookies and cakes.  Theirs is the quintessential Almond Cookie, crumbly not crisp, nutty, dense but not tough, and distinctly almond-flavored. Growing up, every family trip to Los Angeles included the prerequisite stop at Phoenix Bakery for those pink boxes filled with almond cookies and sweet, sticky butterfly cookies. Right before COVID hit, I drove down to LA for my favorite auntie’s birthday and of course, I stopped at Phoenix Bakery.

An Homage

Every Christmas my brother-in-law’s mother baked boxes and boxes (pink cake boxes of course) of cookies.  We were one of the lucky recipients.  My favorite, her almond cookie. With that first bite, I was transported back to the Chinatown of my childhood.

As a testament to how much I like Almond Cookies, I have multiple almond cookies on 3Jamigos.  The first time I wrote about Mrs. F’s Almond Cookies, I actually included the Almond Cookie recipe from B’s Patisserie in San Francisco.  It’s a luscious almond cookie, buttery, crispy, filled with almond flavor, delicious in its own right, but texturally different from the classic Chinatown Almond Cookie.

Finally, Mrs. F’s Almond Cookies

Why didn’t I make Mrs. F’s cookies from the get-go? Embarrassingly, I had misplaced her recipe.  After an all-out hunt, I finally found it (or did I ask my brother-in-law?).  Well, bottom line, I have it now my little duckies.

After the first batch, I tinkered with the recipe just a little.  The cookies texturally were spot on.   Here is the secret, the texture comes from using lard or shortening.  Yep, no butter in these bad boys.  Hmmm…butter-flavored shortening?  Why not.  This was my inaugural use of butter-flavored Crisco in place of regular shortening.  Judging by the response to these cookies, it worked!  If you have an aversion to butter-flavored shortening, use regular shortening.  If and when I try lard I will report back.  I have no problems using lard, it’s more of an access issue.  I prefer leaf lard which is less processed than the stuff in supermarkets.

Shortening is easy to work with and inherently a little softer than butter. I keep my shortening in the fridge. Beat the dough until light and fluffy 2-3 minutes before adding dry ingredients.

Let’s Go Nutty

The other tweak MORE almond flavor.  I upped the amount of almond extract cause in my book, you can never have too much almond flavor. JK, but I did think the cookies benefitted from a smidge more.

Year of the Tiger

Don’t think cookie season is over!  Chinese New Year is right around the corner and these would be purr-fect in an assortment of goodies to ring in the Year of the Tiger!

Part of the Holiday Cookie Parade
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Almond Cookies -like the ones in Chinatown!

This recipe was generously shared with me by my brother-in-law's family. Made with lard or shortening, these are the quintessential Chinese Almond Cookies found in Chinatown bakeries and restaurants. Crumbly, almond-forward, delicious
Course cookies, Dessert
Cuisine Asian
Keyword Chinatown Almond Cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 5 cups sifted flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups Shortening, either reg or butter-flavored 40T (35 T will do)
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten
  • 1.5 tsp almond extract Use up to 2 tsp
  • 1/4 tsp potassium carbonate liquid or 1/4 t baking soda

Finishing Touches

  • 1 egg beaten for egg wash
  • almond halves or sesame seeds garnish

Instructions

  • Combine flour, baking soda and salt, set aside.
  • Cream shortening and sugar till fluffy. Add egg and blend thoroughly. Add almond extract and k+Co3 and blend well.
  • Gradually add flour and stir until well combined. Form round balls (size of small walnut, I use a 1 tablespoon+ ice cream scoop to portion out the dough. At this point, if the dough seems a little soft, chill in fridge for 30-60 minutes.
  • Using a flat bottom glass, dip in a little bit of flour and press dough flat on a cookie sheet to about 1/2 inch thickness. Leave about 1.5 inches between cookies. Brush each cookie with egg wash. Place almond or sesame seeds centered on top.
  • Bake 350 degrees 15 minutes or until slightly golden in color.

Notes

The recipe is easily halved.  A large beaten egg is approximately 3.25 tablespoons, use half for the dough and half for the egg wash.  You have some play with the amount of egg in the dough. I have used a whole large egg in a half recipe and it turns out fine, the cookie is just a bit more fragile. I'd use a small egg in a half recipe.
I like the butter-flavored Crisco in the cookie. Gives a bit more flavor without sacrificing the texture of the cookie.
 
 
Chocolate Mochi Brownies (Rice, Rice, Brownie)

Chocolate Mochi Brownies (Rice, Rice, Brownie)

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Mochi Ado about Something.  I tried quite a few mochi recipes this year so it seems fitting that 2021 should end on a sweet rice note.  2021, the year of Mochi muffins, donuts, and now, brownies.  Mochi brownies are delicious!  I found quite a few recipes that were fairly similar and picked one from Kirbie’s Cravings as my starting point.  There are a plethora of recipes out there including one from Fix, Feast, Flair whose cookbook I have and love, Aloha Kitchen.

The Mochi Brownies are not too sweet, have that hallmark stretchy, elastic texture of mochi, intensely chocolate, and just darn delicious.  If you like fudgy, chocolatey brownies, you are going to love these.  Bonus, they’re GLUTEN-FREE and super easy to make.  We are talking spoon, whisk, 2-bowl, done.

Look at that, office clips to hold your parchment in place

Cast of Mochi Characters

Mochi– Sweet Rice Flour aka Glutinous Rice Flour.  NOT to be confused with rice flour.  Go-to brand,  Koda Farms Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour.  Found in most big supermarkets, all Asian Markets and online for an arm and a leg 🤷🏻‍♀️. Bob’s Red Mill also has a Glutinous Rice Flour that can be used.

Cocoa-You can use any kind of cocoa powder in this recipe, natural or dutch-processed.  The Dutch-process cocoa will give you a deeper, darker brownie color.  King Arthur carries both types.  Hershey’s is natural cocoa.

Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda- I used baking powder. I’m not sure it makes a difference.  My logic, since I used  Dutch-processed cocoa which has a neutral pH, I did not have an acid to kick start baking soda.  Baking powder needs heat to activate it not acid.  If you use natural cocoa you could use either baking powder or baking soda.

Liquid- I used whole milk, I haven’t tried it but I’m thinking this recipe would work with milk substitutes, evaporated milk, or coconut milk.  It may change the texture a little.

Chocolate-The brownies are not too sweet and pretty chocolate-y.  Try different chocolates to sprinkle on top, milk chocolate or semi-sweet, chopped from bar form.  Chips don’t melt well and don’t look as nifty as shards of chocolate.  I hit the top at the end with my secret sprinkles, a mix of Maldon Salt, Demerara Sugar and Chocolate Sprinkles.  For a festive look, you can use multi-colored sprinkles!

The Setting: Two Bowls, One Spoon, One Whisk

Literally, the ingredient list is the hard part of this recipe.  Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the liquids in another, then add the dry to the wet, mix with a spoon or whisk, bada bing bada-boom, done.  No need to worry about overmixing as Mochiko flour doesn’t have gluten.  The batter will be like a runny pancake batter.  Pour batter into your parchment-lined pan and bake.  That’s it!  An hour later you’re pulling mochi brownies out of the oven.  Cool completely before cutting with a sharp knife.  If it sticks put a little oil or butter on your knife.

 

Rewarded with delicious ooey-gooey chocolate brownies! Cookie #7

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Chocolate Mochi Brownies

A gluten-free alternative that is so good you may never go back to traditional brownies!
Course bar cookies, brownies
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword chocolate brownies, Dark chocolate, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Mochi, sweet rice flour
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 16 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mochiko flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder Dutch-processed or Natural is fine. Dutch process will give you a deeper, dark brown color
  • 1/2 tsp Instant espresso powder Optional, highlights chocolate flavor
  • 1 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder you could actually use baking soda in equal volume, if using natural cocoa which is acidic and will activate the baking soda
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter melted If you use low fat milk or milk substitute increase butter to 6 T
  • 2 large eggs
  • 12 oz whole milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tbsp chopped dark chocolate sweeter brownie, use milk chcolate or semi-sweet chocolate
  • Sprinkles! optional but festive!

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, add mochiko, cocoa powder, sugar and baking powder and espresso powder (optional). Whisk together until evenly mixed.
  • In a large bowl, add melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until evenly combined and no egg streaks remain. Add in dry ingredients. Mix until blended.
  • Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle surface with chopped chocolate.
  • Bake 60 minutes or until mochi is set, there should be no jiggle. A toothpick inserted should come out mostly clean. Remove from oven and top with sprinkles. Cool completely before cutting.

Notes

You can replace whole milk with other milk substitutes. Keep in mind that different milk substitutes may change the texture of the brownies.
Don't even try to cut the brownies before they cool completely!
Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.
If you want to make sure you have a nice layer of sprinkles, sprinkle brownies before baking.  Sprinkle flaky salt and sugar when the brownies come out of the oven.
M&M Cookies For the Kid In You (Day 2)

M&M Cookies For the Kid In You (Day 2)

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Cookie Number Two-Twelve Days of Cookies

Last year my absolute favorite cookie was Eric Kim’s Grocery Store Cookie.  I called it my Marie Kondo cookie, it brought me JOY.  The original Lofthouse cookies, a cakey blob, packed in plastic trays covered with copious amounts of fake frosting and sprinkles…elevated to a wondrously delicious cakelike, buttery, tender cookie topped with raspberry buttercream frosting.  The only thing the two cookies had in common was the SPRINKLES.

Guess which one is the Grocery Store Cookie?

As soon as NYTcooking posted this year’s Holiday Cookies, I looked for Eric’s cookie.  It wasn’t hard to find, his was first on the list.  For the kid in all of us, Eric developed a recipe for festive M&M Cookies. (Bonus: Video of Eric making these!)  Simple, nostalgic and YUMMY.  A hint of crispiness on the edge, surrounding a chewy cookie dotted with M&Ms.  The M&M’s are cut into pieces so you get this really nice distribution of the candy coating and chocolate center.  With the first bite, I was transported back to my 9-year-old self.

M&Ms aren’t easy to cut and not bounce around! My dough bowl and mezzaluna came in handy!

Cookie Workout

The cookies can be made with one bowl, whisk, and spatula (or wooden spoon) with the caveat that you start with soft butter (not melted) butter.  If you have a thermometer, it’s around 65-68 degrees.  You will also need some arm power as the recipe calls for beating the mixture for one minute to smooth and fluffy.  One minute, whisking a dough by hand is pretty long. Opt for your mixer unless you haven’t done your workout for the day.

Geeking Out

The baked cookies ended up with crevices that weren’t apparent in Eric’s batch.  I have a theory, I chilled my dough overnight which meant the dough was pretty cold, the butter had solidified and the dough had additional time to hydrate.  The chilled dough is a tad more resistant to spreading and collapsing thus creating fissures.  Here’s a great geek article on chilling your dough from Buzz Feed.  Next time I’ll bake them off with just a short chilling time to see if they don’t develop cracks.  I don’t think it impacted the flavor or texture too much.  If you try different M&Ms please leave a comment! I think it would be amazing with peanut M&Ms or almond M&Ms.

I like these, I LOVE the Grocery Store Cookie. I’ll be making both for the holidays.

So, make these cookies, pour yourself an ice-cold glass of milk, grab a cookie and enjoy the holidays.  I’m going to watch BIG, the perfect movie to go with these cookies!

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M&M Cookies by Eric Kim

Straight back to childhood, M7M Cookies, are chewy and a delight to eat.
Course cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword Almond Cookies, ERic KIm, M&M Cookies, NYTcooking
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (115 grams) unsalted butter very soft
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • ¼ packed cup (57 grams )dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal or ¾ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ cups (185 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (96 grams) M&M’s

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 large sheet pans with parchment.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla and salt by hand until smooth and fluffy, at least 1 minute.
    Whisk in the baking soda, then switch to a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Add the flour, then carefully and coarsely chop the M&M's, and add them, too. Gently stir to combine. Place the bowl in the refrigerator while you wait for the oven to finish heating.
  • Using two spoons or a cookie scoop, plop out 2-tablespoon/50-gram rounds spaced a couple of inches apart on the sheet pans. (You should get about 8 cookies per pan.) Bake until lightly golden at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on the sheet pan; they will continue to cook as they sit.

Notes

If you really want to use your ixer.  The key is not to overmix.  On a Kitchen-aid when making cookies I rarely go above setting 4 (medium) when mixing cookie dough.  YOu don't need turbo which would increase the chance of overbeating.
YOu might want to fold in the flour and M&Ms to avoid overmixing.  If not, set mixer to stir and mix until you don't see any flour and stop.  Finish it off with a spatula.
Almond Cookies-TOC (Tournament of Cookies) Day 1

Almond Cookies-TOC (Tournament of Cookies) Day 1

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Here we go, Twelve Days of Cookies to kick off the holiday season!.  From one of my favorite cookbooks this year, Kristina Cho’s Mooncakes and Milk Bread, her Grandfather’s Almond Cookies.  If you are looking for a great holiday gift, her book is amazing.  Literally, recipes of your favorite Chinese Bakery goods, Pineapple Buns, Cocktail Buns, Cha Siu Baos, Egg Tarts.  I was over the “moon” when her book came out.

Hoping for a return to a bit of normalcy (thankful for vaccines), I headed to my favorite bookstore, Omnivore Books in the City, for an in-person meet and greet with Kristina. She came with a batch of Almond Cookies to share.  My first bite, buttery, crispy edges, almond-ny, absolutely delicious, I made a mental note to put this cookie on my bucket list.

These cookies can be made entirely by hand.  Classic cream butter and sugar until smooth.  Don’t overmix.  Add egg and almond extract and then dry ingredients. Chill the dough as these cookies tend to really spread.  Paint them liberally with the egg wash.   I bake them on parchment.

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Gung Gung’s Almond Cookies

From Kristina Cho’s Mooncakes and MIlk Bread, delightful, crisp, buttery almond cookies.
Course cookies
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword Almond Cookies, Kristina Cho
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 125 g 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 113 g 1/2 cup; 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 130 g 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 15 sliced almonds
  • Flaky salt for topping

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In another bowl, combine the butter and sugar with a spatula or wooden spoon until smooth. Add the egg and almond extract and continue to mix until fully incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and mix until a thick dough is formed (it will be sticky). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until slightly firm but scoopable, about 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Using a 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop, measure out 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and place on the prepared sheet. (Or use a spoon to
  • scoop and roll the dough into a smooth ball, wetting your hands if the dough is still sticky.)
  • Repeat with remaining dough, spacing them 3 inches apart. Wet your fingers with water to prevent dough from sticking and gently press down on the dough balls with your fingers until they are 1/2 inch thick.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and use to lightly brush the tops of the cookies. Place an almond slice on each cookie.
  • Bake until cookies are golden brown and crisp around the edges, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack, sprinkle with flaky salt, and allow cookies to cool on the sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to the rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Directions to make cookies with a mixer.  The key is to not overbeat!  
As easy as these are to make by hand, some of us just love our mixers.  Combine butter and sugar in mixer bowl.  On medium speed, beat mixture until smooth and creamy.  It should not reach the light and fluffy stage! Add egg and almond extract and beat on medium until combined.  Add dry ingredients, combine on stir or lowest speed until the flour mixture is incorporated and you don’t see any dry spots.  You can always stir in the flour by hand.  
The cookies spread quite a bit so don’t crowd them on a baking sheet.  Use an ice cream scoope to portion out your dough.
 

 

So, let the TOC begin!
Pao de Queijo (Jeremy’s Cheese Bread-Food from the Heart)

Pao de Queijo (Jeremy’s Cheese Bread-Food from the Heart)

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Earlier in the year as I was clicking through my Instagram, perusing what my favorite bloggers and IGers were up to, I landed on Two Red Bowls.  A black and white photo of a young man hugging Luke, her son, and Luke gazing up at him. It was and is a beautiful photo. As I read her post, my chest tightened and my heart sank, the young man was her brother, Luke’s uncle, who had just passed away from colon cancer, far too young. It was so sad and so brave of her to share this with us, strangers, who feel a connection to her through her beautiful writing and wonderful recipes.

A few months later she posted a recipe for Pao de queijo, a Brazilian cheese bread. This was her brother’s contribution to holiday feasts.  She described how he made these savory bites in the afternoon for everyone to enjoy while prepping for the evening feast.

I made a mental note to make his Pao de queijo for Thanksgiving. I did, and as I watched my family gobble them up, I hoped her family was also together for Thanksgiving and finding comfort in the shared memories of her brother.

How to describe Pao de queijo?  They look like Gougeres, those airy, light, cheesy, French puffs. The KEY difference is these puffs are made with tapioca flour which gives them an elastic, stretchy quality, kind of like mochi.

Let’s Starch Here

These puffs are incredibly easy and quick to make. I did a little sleuthing for background on these savory Brazilian morsels. Recipes called for Tapioca Starch or Cassava Flour.  Both forms come from the cassava plant, cassava flour uses the entire root while tapioca is only the pulp and therefore contains very little protein or fiber. This recipe calls for tapioca starch or flour (same thing) not cassava flour.  Bob’s Red Mill offers a Tapioca Flour and most Asian markets carry multiple brands of Tapioca Starch/Flour. Bonus, it is gluten-free!

Traditional recipes for Pao de queijo call for heating up the liquids and then adding the starch which becomes a dough that is kneaded and formed into balls before baking.  This recipe is an easy but no less delicious version.

Throw all the ingredients, sans cheese, in a blender and pulse to combine.  The tricky part is the tapioca flour which gets gooey really fast.  Add your tapioca flour after putting at least some of the liquids in the blender.  Blend well.

Say Cheese

Add the shredded cheese last.  Pulse the blender a couple of times and you are done.  Don’t pulverize the cheese.  I like the combination of Parmesan and Mozzarella, it provides a nice balance of flavor and texture.  Use any cheese you like, cheddar, pepper jack, Farmer Cheese.  Adjust for the saltiness of your cheese.

Pour the batter into mini-muffin tins, it reminds me of making popovers.  It should be just the right amount of batter to fill the 24 cups equally.  Watch them rise as they bake.  Serve immediately.  I plan to make a batch for Christmas too.

I made a batch with butter just to satisfy my “butter is better” mantra.  Straight substitution, 1/4 cup melted butter for 1/4 cup oil. I added 1 tsp of oil (very arbitrary) since butter is 80/20 fat to water.  I warmed the milk a little (not hot) to keep the butter from solidifying.   The puffs turned out fine, they seemed a little heavier than the all-oil batch.  The butter did give the puffs a fuller flavor (built-in butter bias perhaps). Your choice. Whatever you do, make them, they’re lovely.

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JEREMY’S CHEESE BREAD (PAO DE QUEIJO) Two Red Bowls

Brazilian cheese bread made with tapioca flour. Stretchy and cheesy, the perfect munchie.
Course Breads
Cuisine Latin America
Keyword Brazillian, cheese bread, Pao de Queijo
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes

Equipment

  • mini-muffin tin

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (125 gram) tapioca flour or tapioca starch
  • ½ cup whole milk or milk of your choice
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil or unsalted butter plus more for greasing the pan
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup about 2 ounce shredded cheese of your choice (Parmesan and mozzarella or Farmer's Cheese or blend of cheeses)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 24-well mini-muffin pan with cooking spray or oil.
  • In a blender, combine the flour, milk, vegetable oil, egg, and salt. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed, about a minute or so. Add the cheese and pulse once or twice more, until just combined.
  • Divide the batter evenly into the greased mini-muffin pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Baking for less time will give stretchier, chewier rolls, and more will give a crispier exterior. Serve warm. Leftovers can be frozen and reheated at 400 for 5 minutes.

Notes

Using a blender helps fully emulsify and aerate the batter, especially as the tapioca flour has a cornstarch-y consistency that can be difficult to mix by hand. YOu could probably use a handheld blender or food processor.
Try different cheeses, cheddar, or Monterey Jack, Farmer's Cheese.
Replace a few tablespoons of the milk with sweetened condensed milk which nicely complements the tapioca flour’s natural sweetness. But keep the amount of egg and oil the same, as that can affect how well the puffs rise and hold their shape.

May your holidays be filled with love and laughter shared with family and friends.
Lasso Some Biscuits From Milk Bar (Ted Lasso Biscuits)

Lasso Some Biscuits From Milk Bar (Ted Lasso Biscuits)

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Yes, you are not seeing double, this is a different recipe for Ted Lasso’s biscuits! AND it’s a good one.  I am a Johnny come lately to Ted Lasso having ignored the initial buzz about the show until…

Biscuits with the Boss

…recipes and articles started popping up on the internet for Ted’s Biscuits.  That’s when I took notice.  The show is funny, endearing, cute, and a bit bawdy, just the escape we all need.  All that and biscuits, made it irresistible.

It seemed only fair that I try the “official” Ted Lasso Biscuit from Apple TV first.  The biscuits had a smooth texture, were a bit crumbly and not too sweet.  The second day brought out the buttery flavor making this a very respectable shortbread biscuit. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. I would make these again, say, if I didn’t have eggs for Christina Tosi’s version or if I wanted an easier, simpler, cookie.

I have been a fan of Christina Tosi for a long, long times since her days at Momofuku.  Her Corn Cookies, Crack Pie and Compost Cookies are iconic.  Soooo, when she posted her version of Ted’s Biscuits, yeah, I ran not walked  to my kitchen and got busy.

Tosi’s version is more typical of a shortbread recipe, beat the butter and sugar just until smooth and creamy, not fluffy.  Atypical are the addition of egg yolks to the batter.  This adds fat and moisture to the cookies making them softer, moister than shortbread.  The powdered sugar lowers the protein for a tender cookie.  Adding a touch of brown sugar gives the cookie a caramel finish.  The cookie is rich, buttery, with a super fine, tight crumb almost like a dense pound cake.

The addition of egg yolks makes for a soft dough. Try not to overmix dough, I stopped mixing once the dough starting clumping.  Press the dough into the pan.  You can dampen your hand which helps with the stickiness.  Use an offset spatula to smooth the top.

It isn’t necessary to line the pan with parchment, but I did, it’s easier to remove from the pan.  The baking temperature varied on different sites between 315 and 325 degrees.  At 325 degrees, the cookies were ready in 35 minutes.  Force of habit, I docked the dough with a fork for even baking. Unlike traditional shortbread, during baking, the holes disappeared, probably due to the egg yolks.  Docking shortbread allows steam to escape, no bubbles, and even baking, is it necessary with this recipe, not sure.

During baking, the top of the dough forms a shiny, golden brown layer, the edges will be a deeper brown.  Completely cool the cookies before cutting.  The texture is soft, and cutting was not a problem.  Cut cookies out to desired size and shape, rectangle or square.  I divided the dough into 3 then cut each third into 8-9 rectangular cookies.  Perfect pink box size.  Make these cookies now.

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Ted Lasso Biscuits

Christina Tosi’s version of Ted Lasso Biscuits. It’s a winner!
Course bar cookies, cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword biscuits, Shortbread, ted lasso
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 sticks softened
  • 1 ⅓ cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1 ¾ cup All purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp scant kosher salt

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 325F Line a 8x8” baking dish with parchment, grease pan
  • Using a mixer, beat butter, sugars and salt together on medium speed until smooth and creamy
  • Stir in the egg yolks
  • Add the flour and mix just until the dough just comes together. Do not over mix.
  • Press dough into an even layer in the pan. The dough will be sticky, dampen hands (just a bit) to press dough in. Spread and level dough with an offset spatula. Dock dough with a fork 2 inches apart.
  • Bake at 325F for 35 minutes or until a thin, golden brown layer forms on top.
  • Cool completely before cutting into 3 rows. Cut each row into 8 pieces.

Notes

Can be baked at 315 degrees for 45 min  or until golden brown
“Lassoed” Into Making “Biscuits” (Shortbread)

“Lassoed” Into Making “Biscuits” (Shortbread)

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In the Queen’s Language, Cookies are Biscuits

I LOVE Shortbread cookies and have quite a few recipes on 3jamigos that are shortbread-centric.  I live by the motto “more butter, more better”.   Food52 shared the recipe for biscuits from the Ted Lasso show, of course I made them. It was a no-brainer, an automatic cookie bucket list entry.  In fact, it was The “biscuits” that enticed me to watch the show.  Up to that point, Ted Lasso was not even on my radar despite friends and family buzzing about it.   Well, I started watching Ted Lasso and the buzz is justified.  Optimistic, empathetic, decent and endearing, qualities we seemed to be in short supply of these days.  Ted Lasso is the perfect escape and the biscuits are pretty darn good too.

The Premise

American football coach goes to England to coach FOOTBALL. LOL

Biscuits with the Boss

Each day Ted brings a box of biscuits (cookies) to his boss, Rebecca.  A  tiny pink box filled with buttery goodness.  Scrumptious biscuits, solid acting, a funny storyline, and Jason Sudekis, 🍿🍿🍿🍿.

The recipe is the “official one” provided by Apple TV, the distributor of Ted Lasso.  There are other “me too” recipes out there (that of course I am going to try) like Christina Tosi’s version, but I figured this was a good place to start. These are essentially shortbread cookies.  Did I like them?  Yes.  Do I think they are the be-all-end-all?  Probably not.

My absolute favorite Shortbread is from an essay in Cuisine Magazine (sadly gone), “My Father’s Shortbread”.   A Classic Scottish Shortbread–buttery, sandy texture, nice crumb, melts in your mouth and yet has some substance to the bite.  It is the cornerstone of every holiday box of cookies we give out at Christmas. It is my be-all-end-all shortbread.

My second favorite is Bouchon’s Shortbread, tender, melt in your mouth, screams butter.  It is a beautiful cookie.  A little sweeter from the dusting of sanding sugar on the cookie.

Back to Ted

Don’t get me wrong.  I will make Ted’s Biscuits again.  They have a smoother texture than classic shortbread and a softer bite.  I’m guessing it has to do with beating the butter much longer than the other shortbread recipes, the addition of powdered sugar and baking at a higher temperature than classic shortbread.  The crumb is much more uniform so you don’t get that same sandy texture.

The cookies are baked in an 8 inch pan and cut after they are cooled.  Start checking at about 40 minutes during baking.  My batch turned a nice golden brown at 45 minutes.  Cool cookies on a rack.  The cookies are cut after they cool.  Use a sharp serrated knife to keep the cuts clean and minimize breaking.  I’m not sure why they aren’t cut warm, I might try that next time.

The cookie tastes better the next day, the butter flavor shines when given the chance to sit.  Patience has its rewards.

So if you are sitting down to watch Ted Lasso, make a batch of any of these biscuits.  It will make the show that much more fun and enjoyable.  If you are like Ted, have a cup of coffee not a cup of garbage water (according to Ted).  Me, I would love a steaming hot cup of tea.

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Ted Lasso's Biscuits (Shortbread)

Ted’s a simple man as are his biscuits. A classic, buttery shortbread.
Course biscuits, cookies
Cuisine American, European
Keyword butter, cookies, Shortbread, ted lasso
Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Sanding sugar optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300℉
  • Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and set it aside
  • Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter for three to five minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar.
  • Add flour and salt and mix until the dough comes together. Do not overmix.
  • Press into baking pan, keeping the dough as even as possible. I use an offset spatula and a tamper to even out the dough. Chill for a minimum of 30 minutes in the refrigerator before baking.
  • Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until it looks golden-brown but is still a little soft to the touch. Take the pan out of the oven. Sprinkle with sanding sugar now if using. Let it cool completely on a rack before cutting them.
  • Remove from pan and use a serrated knife to cut slices to the dimensions you like. Ted cut his into squares, I cut mine into rectangle shape like Walker Shortbread. Go find some cute pink boxes too!
Breton_Style Palets (Buttercup Babies)

Breton_Style Palets (Buttercup Babies)

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The release of Dorie Greenspan’s new cookbook guilted me into getting on the J-O-B and writing this post.  It seems like only a nanosecond ago I made them when actually, the recipe for these Breton-Style Palets is from her newsletter a couple of months ago.  At the time, I posted a pic of these delicious morsels on IG.  The caption of course read, ‘notes, coming soon on 3Jamigos.  I do abuse the ambiguity of the word “soon” a little too frequently.

Without Further Ado

Breton-Style Palets.  Ah, one bite had me singing “Smooth like butter, like a criminal undercover, breaking into my heart like that”.  A tender buttery cookie that sits at the intersection of shortbread and Madeleine.  An absolute delight, not too sweet with a little pop of salt in each bite.

These cookies are very straightforward with a genius tweak from Dorie.  First, start with great butter, this is the cornerstone of these cookies, no skimping.  The other essential ingredients are flour, and powdered sugar, which tenderizes the cookie and gives it that sweet kick. Egg yolks which add another layer of richness, and finally, salt, for that burst of contrast at the end.  According to Dorie, you can add vanilla and or citrus zest, but I’m a purist, I didn’t.

If you start with soft, NOT melted butter, you can actually make these cookies by hand with a bowl and wooden spoon.  I used a mixer, being very careful not to overbeat the butter or the dough after adding the flour.  Overmixing the butter adds too much air.  Aim for a smooth and creamy mixture, NOT light and fluffy.  Over-beating the dough after adding the flour, develops the gluten creating one tough cookie.  So a light hand peeps.

Logging In with Dough Boi

The dough is very soft and sticky after mixing.  I leave the dough in the mixing bowl, press Saran Wrap on top, and chill it for 30-60 minutes before shaping it into a roll.  It makes life easier, trust me.  Take the dough out of the fridge and shape it into 2 logs about 6 inches long, wrap,  and then throw those bad boys into your freezer for at least two hours.  When they are thoroughly chilled, it is “slice and bake” time.

Don’t look too closely, this roll is not the butter babies of this post.  It is here to illustrate how to make a slice and bake roll round.  Roughly shape your dough into “a just short of” the size log you want. Place the dough on parchment or wax paper ( a large enough piece to surround the dough and then some), fold it over the roll, place a straight edge on top of the parchment, tucked right into the bottom part of the roll.  Hold onto the bottom edge of the parchment and pull while simultaneously pushing on your straight edge.  This creates pressure and forces the dough to form a nice round log, ta-da.  Why didn’t I make a video?  That would have been so much easier.

The Dorie Move

Here come the Dorie pearls of baking wisdom and technique.  This is a soft dough, which will spread when baking.  So to get those perfectly round, lovely cookies, Dorie bakes the slices of dough in a muffin tin, that’s right Buttercup, in a cupcake pan. Genius!  Beautiful, perfectly round, how did you do that-cookies.

Now go and make these cookies, they are a ray of sunshine to combat the coming winter weather.  Come back to this blog when you’re done, by then I will have posted Dorie’s Caramel  Chocolate Chunk Cookies baked in that very same cupcake pan you used for these cookies…  You’re welcome.

*Hmmm, made the Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookies yesterday night, they were not up to expectations so I’ll have to tinker with the recipe a little…Stay tuned!

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Dorie Breton-Style Palets

Another delicious cookie from Dorie Greenspan in the shortbread camp. Buttery, tender, slightly sweet, with a sprinkling of salt for that Breton signature.
Course cookies, shortbread
Cuisine American, French
Keyword butter, cupcake tin, Dorie Greenspan, salt, Shortbread
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 213 grams
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 ounces very soft (but not oily) unsalted butter 226 grams
  • 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar, sieved or sifted 90 grams
  • 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt to taste
  • 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, optional

Instructions

  • Whisk the flour, baking powder and baking soda together; set aside.
  • In an electric mixer on low-medium speed or with a flexible spatula (if your butter is soft and creamy, the dough is very easy to make by hand), beat the butter, sugar and salt together until very smooth. If you’re using a mixer, go easy – try not to beat air into the mixture. One by one, add the yolks and beat to blend. Beat in the vanilla, if you’re using it.
  • Add the dry ingredients in two additions, beating each until just incorporated. The dough will be soft and sticky. Cover dough with Saran Wrap and chill for 30-60 minutes.
  • Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a log that’s about 5 1/2 to 6 inches long (get the length and the width will be fine). Freeze the logs for at least 2 hours.
  • Just before cutting and baking, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. The rack should be in the center of the oven.
  • Working with one log at a time, unwrap the log and score it so that you can cut 12 rounds. If a round cracks or slivers when you cut it, just press the pieces back into shape. Drop each slice into each cupcake hole of a standard-size muffin tin.
  • Bake the cookies for 18 to 20 minutes – rotating the tin front to back after 10 minutes. Bake until the cookies are beautifully golden around the edges and just firm to the touch in the centers. Remove the tin from the oven and place on a rack, carefully run a knife around the edge to loosen each cookie, invert the pan onto a cooling rack to release them. The cookies are very fragile, so be gentle with them. Cool to room temperature on racks before serving.

Notes

Storing: Packed in a covered container, the cookies will keep for at least a week.