Category: Twelve Days of Cookies

Holiday cookie recipes
Mrs. Singer’s Eggnog, The Real Deal

Mrs. Singer’s Eggnog, The Real Deal

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How many of you have had REAL eggnog?  Not the ultra-pasteurized, homogenized version of eggnog found in every supermarket during the holidays.  Who drinks that stuff?

Context

I did a bit of sleuthing on the origins of eggnog.  It has been around since medieval England (1300s), that’s a LONG time.  Its lineage starts as a posset, a milky, warm ale-like drink.   Fast forward to the 1700s, eggnog came along for the ride to the new colonies in America. Farmland was plentiful for cows and chickens which in turn provided lots of milk and eggs.  Rum, the inexpensive alcohol of the time, rounded out the nog.  Thus, eggnog became the festive drink of choice for the everyday man.

Unlucky for us,  the advent of supermarkets and technology led to the eggnog so many of us know.  As soon as pumpkin lattes disappear after Thanksgiving,  red and green cartons of super sweet, weirdly thick (like slime) non-alcoholic eggnog pop up in its place on supermarket shelves.  Whenever I volunteer to make eggnog for a holiday soiree’ I am invariably met with a chorus of yucks and eewwws.

The Eggnog Caper

To which I launch into my oratory, on the much-maligned REAL eggnog.  It starts with the story of Mrs. Ethel Singer.

When my brother and I were babies we were taken care of by a family out in the Sunset, the Singer Family.  Mrs Ethel Singer was the sweetest, most amazing woman, who ran a nursery for babies.  A friendship was born from our stay there and it became a tradition for us to visit them every Christmas. As I admired their gorgeous Christmas tree with an entire miniature town around the base, she brought out her homemade cookies and eggnog.

Not Your Mama’s Eggnog

We would sit sipping our eggnog merrily chatting away. Much to my chagrin, I often found myself getting very sleepy while listening to the conversation. I fought hard to keep my eyes open. How could I be so rude?!  Finally, during a visit I happened to ask for her eggnog recipe. She went over the recipe step by step,  “A quart of milk, 12 eggs (my arteries spasmed), sugar, heavy whipped cream, milk, and make sure to use a CUP of GOOD brandy, like Christian Brothers, lol.   My dear Dr. Watson, the mystery is solved regarding my annual, ill-timed bouts of narcolepsy.  Blame it on the alcohol, the alcohol…

Yes, roughly 15% alcohol, masked by sugar, milk, heavy whipping cream, and eggs. A smooth, creamy, sweet, calorie-laden, festive, delicious, diabolical drink.

Our Annual Cookie Swap

So, for our annual preschool holiday cookie swap, I pulled out Mrs. Singer’s Eggnog recipe.  Martini glasses filled with eggnog seemed a fitting way to toast 25 years of cookie swaps that began with toddlers in tow. Back then we were new moms who could not imagine those toddlers becoming adults making their way in the world.  It seems like in the blink of an eye we have arrived at that point.

Remember When…

2000

2001

2002

2015

2023

Happy Holidays!

Feel free to HALF this recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Ethel Singer's Eggnog

(from an add for Yellowstone Whiskey in SF Chronicle, circa 1952)   Note: You should prepare at least 12 hours before serving
Course Drinks
Cuisine American, English
Keyword brandy, Eggnog, eggs, holiday drink, whipped cream
Prep Time 20 minutes
Chill Time 12 hours

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 3 large bowls, 1 should be your serving bowl, like a punch bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 dozen eggs 12 eggs
  • 1 pint heavy whipping cream 2 cups
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brandy / bourbon/rum
  • 1 quart milk 4 cups
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Nutmeg for garnish

Instructions

  • Need 3 mixing bowls (2 chilled), and one punchbowl
  • Separate egg whites into 1 chilled bowl, and yolks into room-temp bowl (make sure no yolk is in the egg whites or they won’t beat).
  • Using a stand or hand mixer, beat egg whites until they are firm and peaked.
  • Add 1 cup sugar and 1 cup brandy/bourbon to egg yolks, use mixer to blend completely
  • Pour 1 pint of heavy cream into 2nd chilled mixing bowl, beat until firm – add 1 tsp vanilla
  • Combine beaten egg whites, yolks/sugar/brandy mixture, and beaten cream into a punchbowl, and then add 1-quart milk – mix thoroughly, garnish with nutmeg, and chill overnight.
  • Step 6 Enjoy

Notes

1/2 recipe
6 eggs
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup (100gm) sugar                   
1/2 cup brandy, or rum, or Bourbon
2 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
Nutmeg for garnish
Nubby Granola Shortbread…More Than Cookies

Nubby Granola Shortbread…More Than Cookies

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Me.  The cookbook addict missed a book signing at Omnivore Books.  Literally, took my eye off the book and completely missed Natasha Pickowicz’s More Than Cake book signing event.

In my effort to curtail my cookbook acquisitions, I have limited my cookbook buying to books by POC authors.  There are exceptions of course, anything by Dorie Greenspan and if you own a restaurant in the middle of nowhere, Maine, and pub a new book, iykyk 😉, I’m all in.

Here is my weak defense.  Pickowicz, at first glance, is not an Asian last name, so the fact that she is part Chinese escaped me.  The title, More Than Cake also threw me off.  I’m not a big cake person, more of a cookies and pies gal.  As soon as I saw the word Cake…I tuned out, the MORE THAN got by me.

When I realized she was Asian and that her book contained WAY more than just cake, her book landed on my radar.  Then I found out she organizes amazing BAKE Sales for Planned Parenthood and Brigid Alliance and has raised thousands of dollars (lots of thousands), so I ordered a copy immediately.  It now has a spot on my cookbook shelf.

Holiday Traditions

Thanksgiving is in the books (no pun intended) which means a couple of things in our house.  First, I play Patrick Stewart’s version of A Christmas Carol which also kicks off 24-7 holiday music in our house, I am so stoked.  Second, time to plan those holiday cookie boxes!  I pulled out More Than Cake and found her recipe for Nubby Granola Shortbread.  Shortbread, y’all know I LOVE shortbread.  Time for a test run.

These crispy, buttery bites are made in a food processor.  A little pulse magic and the dough is done. How easy is that?  Plus, shortbread cookies travel well and keep longer than most cookies. These are delicious, lighter, and crunchier than traditional shortbread, perfect with a cuppa coffee or tea.  I made a batch of Jule’s Granola which worked perfectly in these cookies.  Flecks of dried fruit from the granola added a bit of color and sweetness to the shortbread, an unanticipated bonus.

PLUS, I’ll fill cute canning jars with the remaining granola to give away.  Oh this cookie is definitely going in the holiday cookie box.

Tips

  • Use your favorite granola, store-bought or homemade. You don’t have to make your own.  I love making granola so NBD.
  • Using a food processor makes quick work of the dough.  It starts with chilled butter (yay no waiting for butter to soften).

  • Rice flour makes for a fine texture, crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth-cookie. Bob’s Red Mill has rice flour and can be found at larger supermarkets, Whole Foods, and online.
  • No rolling out dough, the dough is pressed into the pan.  The recipe can be cut in half and baked in an 8×8 pan.

  • The tricky part of this recipe is the baking time.  Rice flour produces a drier cookie than AP flour therefore try not to overbake these cookies.  After removing the pan from the oven, lightly score the dough and allow to cool.  Once cooled, cut through the score marks.  Sprinkle with flaky salt and dust generously with powdered sugar to finish cookies.

A buttery, crunchy, gluten-free shortbread cookie that keeps and travels well.  This is a keeper.

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Nubby Granola Shortbread

This breakfast-inspired shortbread is a great way to use your favorite granola. It adds a nice crunch to the buttery cookie. Sandy ultrafine rice flour makes a melt-in-your-mouth fine texture. It's delicious!
Course cookies, granola, shortbread
Cuisine American, Asian-American
Keyword granola, Shortbread
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 27 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups your favorite granola
  • 3/4 cup walnut pieces pecans or almonds would work but lack that characteristic tannic edge of walnuts
  • 2 cups white rice flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter (2 sticks) cut into 1/2-inch cubes, well chilled

Finish

  • flaky sea salt
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Fit a sheet of parchment paper into a quarter-sheet pan (9 by 13 inches). Lightly mist the parchment with cooking spray.
  • In a food processor, combine the granola, nut pieces, white rice flour, granulated sugar, and kosher salt, and pulse until the mixture is pebbly and fine.
  • Add the butter and pulse another 8 to 10 times, until the mixture feels like damp, coarse breadcrumbs. The butter should almost disappear into the dry ingredients but not be taken so far that the dough is clumping and gathering around the blade.
  • Scatter the dough evenly in the prepared sheet pan. Use your knuckles to lightly press the crumb into an even layer. It should be about 1/2 inch thick. Do not apply too much pressure, as this would make the shortbread dense and gummy.
  • Bake until the edges of the shortbread are lightly browned, and the center feels soft but cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes (see tip).
  • Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the surface with flaky sea salt. While the shortbread is still hot, use a small knife to score it into 24 squares.
  • Let cool completely, then cut the cookies, still in the pan, along the scored lines and dust with powdered sugar.

Notes

The pan of shortbread can be held in the freezer for up to 1 month and baked from frozen.
The shortbread can be stored, tightly wrapped at room temperature, for up to 1 week.
TECHNIQUE TIP: It's tricky to tell when an unfamiliar recipe is done in your oven. Never throw away a seemingly botched batch of anything — there's always another purpose for it. If the baked shortbread tastes undercooked or feels gummy, invert the shortbread onto a clean sheet pan, so the crumbs spill out. Break it up with your fingers and bake again at 325 F for 10 minutes. Now you have instant streusel. Is the shortbread overbaked and dry? Tip the crumbs into a food processor and blend until fine and add big handfuls to your next layer cake.
Nuts for Macadamia Shortbread (Cookies for Lahaina)

Nuts for Macadamia Shortbread (Cookies for Lahaina)

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It sucks to feel helpless which is exactly how I felt while watching the coverage of the wildfires in Maui.  In a twisted way, it brought back memories of a family trip to Maui right before COVID to celebrate hubby’s birthday and retirement.  We spent his b-day in Lahaina.  We grabbed shaved ice at Ululani, strolled down Front Street, and took in the majesty and beauty of the ancient Banyan Tree in the heart of town.  We finished the day with a scrumptious dinner at Lahaina Grill and a stroll on the beach.  The stark reality of the devastation in Lahaina jolted me out of my memories and morphed into a voice in my head, “How are you going to help, Deb”.

Today, amid the ruins, that Banyan Tree is struggling to survive.  Arborists are hopeful that the tree will survive, emblematic of the resiliency of the people of Maui.

I resorted to what I do when I am sad or stressed and feeling helpless, I baked.  For a box of homemade goodies, I asked friends and family to donate any amount to either Chef Hui Maui Relief to help feed folks displaced by the fire, and to Hawaii Community Foundation/Maui Strong to provide immediate and long-term resources for recovery.

A Big Mahalo

We raised over 1,500 dollars which was split between the two organizations ❤️❤️❤️.  Thank you for your generosity and for giving me a reason to bake!   👏👏👏.  It is greatly appreciated.

The Box

I wanted the box of cookies to feel connected to Maui.  I turned to cookbooks and blogs written by folks from Hawaii like Top Chef Sheldon Simeon and Alana Kysar. Sheldon has two restaurants on Maui, Tin Roof and Tiffany’s, and recently published his cookbook, Cook Real Hawai’i.  Alana is a blogger and the author of Aloha Kitchen Cookbook.  Her cookbook evokes the islands’ spirit and her Butter Mochi recipe is amazing.  Find these books at Bookshop.org which supports independent bookstores.  I also culled recipes that use my favorite tropical ingredients like pineapple, macadamia nuts, and coconut.  The baked goodies included in my Maui box are on 3Jamigos and can be found via the links below.

Starting at the top right:

Travel Bites

Shortbread is perfect for a box, they travel well, keep longer than drop cookies, and happen to be my favorite kind of cookie.  I found the perfect recipe in Nick Malgeri’s Modern Baker.  Using your food processor for these cookies makes it quick and easy.  This is one bowl (albeit, a food processor bowl) territory.

Process the nuts with the sugar until FINELY ground, add flour and baking powder, pulse to combine, add cold butter, and pulse until the dough is powdery then STOP.  Pour this mass into your prepared pan and press it down with a lightly floured flat glass or your hand.  Use a spray bottle to mist the dough with water which will help the nuts adhere to the dough.

Use either lightly salted or unsalted macadamia nuts.  I bought macadamias at Trader Joe’s, a bag of each, salted and unsalted. I used a 2:1 ratio of salted to unsalted nuts in the cookie and on the top.  Cut the recipe in half and bake in an 8×8 pan as I did…cause I would eat the whole damn pan if given the chance.

Grind nuts by pulsing in a food processor or chopping by hand.  You want the pieces fairly small, but not pulverized. The nuts provide both flavor and texture.  Line the pan with parchment.  The OG recipe calls for lifting the cookies out of the pan using the parchment but that’s pretty hard to do and not crack it.  I let them cool for a couple of minutes and then used a bench scraper to cut the still-warm shortbread into squares before removing them from the pan.  Easy-peasy.

The finished cookie should be crispy.  If they aren’t, return the shortbread to the oven set at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  I love these cookies, sweet, crispy, infused with macadamia nut flavor, and just delightful.

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5 from 1 vote

MACADAMIA SHORTBREAD

Adapted from Nick Malgeri Modern Baker, an easy, delicious Macadamia Shortbread. Buttery, nutty, crispy with a crunchy top of nuts and sugar. Simply divine.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword butter, Crispy, macadamian nuts, Shortbread
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 food processor
  • 1 9x13 pan
  • parchment paper to line pan

Ingredients

Shortbread Base

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100gm
  • 1-1/2 ounces unsalted or lightly salted macadamia nuts, chopped 42gm
  • 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour 270gm
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces 170gm

Topping

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar 67gm
  • 3/4 cup unsalted or lightly salted macadamia nuts, finely chopped 111gm

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9″x 13″x 2″ baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving a couple of inches hanging over each short side. Butter the lining.
  • Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 & 1/2 ounces macadamias, (I use both salted and unsalted nuts in a 2:1 ratio) in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Add the flour and baking powder. Pulse until mixed. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is combined and powdery.
  • Using a lightly floured, flat bottom glass or hands, press the dough firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top of the dough with water. Sprinkle the finely chopped macadamias and then 1/3 cup sugar on top of the dough. Press firmly into the dough.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cookies are golden and firm.
  • While the cookies are still warm, use the overhanging lining to remove the cookies from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut into squares, using a sharp knife.
  • Let the cookies cool completely. They should become crisp as they cool. If they aren’t crisp after cooling, place them back in the pan and bake for 10-15 minutes at 300°F.
Gochujang Caramel Cookies Sweet & Spicy-Winner, Winner from Eric Kim-mer

Gochujang Caramel Cookies Sweet & Spicy-Winner, Winner from Eric Kim-mer

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My favorite cookie this past holiday season was Eric Kim’s Gochujang Caramel Cookie.   I worked my way to writing about it by posting my two other favorite new cookies for the season first, Sue Li’s Orange, Pistachio, and Chocolate Shortbread and Rose’s Almond Crescents. Yep, just like the ones your Grandma, Abuela, Oma, or Nonna probably made.

Back to Eric’s holiday cookie for the New York Times.  His first holiday cookie, a couple of years ago was a homemade version of the Lofthouse Grocery Store Cookie.  A cakey, vanilla-forward cookie topped with real buttercream flavored with freeze-dried berries and finished with a generous amount of sprinkles.  So damn good.  Last year’s M&M Cookie, a kid favorite, is a buttery, chewy cookie, dotted with M&M’s, a precursor to this year’s cookie.

Sweet & Spicy

His Gochujang Caramel Cookie is a bold stroke of genius and gumption.  Gochujang is a fermented spicy chili paste with a touch of sweetness, a mainstay of Korean cooking.  But in a cookie?  It works! Ribbons of Gochujang enveloped in a buttery, chewy, vanilla-forward cookie. Butter and brown sugar are mixed into the Gochujang paste to mellow the chili which helps caramelize it while baking.   The trickiest part when making these is to not overmix the Gochujang butter into the cookie dough so you see the orange-colored swirls of Gochujang in the cookie. Not only do they taste fabulous, but they are visually stunning.

Easy Peasy

The key to making these is having soft butter.  Leave the butter at room temperature for at least an hour before. The butter should be soft but not melty.  Although he recommends making these by hand you can use a mixer.  Remember the golden rule-don’t overmix!  If you use a mixer,  stick to the stir and the low-speed setting.

Watch Eric make these cookies for NYTcooking HERE.

Spicy Pearls of Wisdom- Gochujang Paste is made of chili flakes for heat, glutinous rice for sweetness, and fermented soybeans for flavor.  It is a cornerstone of Korean cooking.  I use the mild paste for the cookies as it does come in various heat levels.  You can find it in most Asian grocery stores or TJ has small tubs of Gochujang made in Korea (full transparency, I haven’t tried it).

Here’s the Hard Part

The tricky part is combining the gochujang butter with the cookie dough.  Eric calls for chilling the cookie dough for a couple of minutes so it is denser than the paste.  The goal is to have streaks of the orange-red paste running through the lighter vanilla dough.  Bites vary in spiciness and sweetness if you don’t blend too much (upping the interest factor).  Spread plops of the paste on the dough and run a small spatula through it to drag the paste into the dough.  NOT TOO MUCH since when you scoop out the dough this will further blend it.  Use a cookie scoop to form balls of dough.  A #40 scoop will give you approximately 18 cookies about 3 inches in diameter with crisp edges and a chewy center.  Reduce baking time to 9-11 minutes.  These are a bit smaller than Eric’s cookie cause I don’t need to eat a 5+ inch cookie and trust me I would, lol.

Cookie Hack

The cookies spread quite a bit so allow lots of space on your cookie sheet for each cute dough ball.  This also allows room around the cookie to use my jar hack/cookie cutter to shape the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.  The chili paste will spread more than the cookie itself creating a funny-shaped cookie.  Take a cup or a bowl just a little bit bigger than the cookie, place it over the cookie and swirl the cup and cookie.  This “rounds” the cookie out.

Spicy Tip Number 2? Or is it 3?

Have friends and fam that are spice-adverse?  Tell them to pick the cookie that has the least amount of orange!

I adore this cookie for its flavor, texture, and uniqueness!

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Gochujang Caramel Cookies

From Eric Kim and NYTcooking, my favorite cookie this past year! Gochujang Caramel Cookies
Course cookies, Dessert
Cuisine Asian-American, Korean-American
Keyword gochujang, Gochujang Caramel Cookie, holiday cookies
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes

Ingredients

Gochujang Butter

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter very soft
  • 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang paste heaping

Creamed Mixture

  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (Morton's) or ¾ teaspoon if using Diamond Crystal
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry Stuff

  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour 185 grams

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon butter, the brown sugar and gochujang until smooth. Set aside for later, at room temperature.
  • In a large bowl, by hand, whisk together the remaining 7 tablespoons butter, the granulated sugar, egg, salt, cinnamon and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute. Switch to a flexible spatula and stir in the baking soda. Add the flour and gently stir to combine. Place this large bowl in the refrigerator until the dough is less sticky but still soft and pliable, 15 to 20 minutes.
  • While the dough is chilling, heat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 large sheet pans with parchment.
  • Remove the dough from the refrigerator. In 3 to 4 separately spaced out blobs, spoon the gochujang mixture over the cookie dough. Moving in long circular strokes, swirl the gochujang mixture into the cookie dough so you have streaks of orange-red rippled throughout the beige. Be sure not to overmix at this stage, as you want wide, distinct strips of gochujang.
  • Use an ice cream scoop to plop out ¼-cup rounds spaced at least 3 inches apart on the sheet pans. (You should get 4 to 5 cookies per pan.) Bake until lightly golden at the edges and dry and set in the center, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Let cool completely on the sheet pan; the cookies will flatten slightly and continue cooking as they cool. *See post for making smaller cookies. I used a #40 scoop which is just shy of an ounce. 1/4 cup is 2 ounces for comparison.
  • The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Notes

Mixing this dough by hand is highly recommended for the most defined crinkles and the chewiest texture.
NCOTB #3 Almond Crescents Old School New

NCOTB #3 Almond Crescents Old School New

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A couple of months ago I reviewed Rose Levy Beranbaum’s new book, The Cookie Bible for Net Gallery.  Long a fan of hers I was excited to take a peek at her latest work, it did not disappoint.  My favorite book is Rose’s Christmas Cookie Book, the bible of Christmas Cookies.  Her attention to detail and explanation of ingredients and techniques guarantee success for even the most novice baker.

The Cookie Leap

Rose’s Christmas Cookies expanded my cookie-verse.  I went from baking chocolate chip cookies (a damn good one though) to making spritz, cut-outs, and crescent cookies-fancy-schmancy festive cookies.  Every Christmas, Rose’s Christmas Cookies is front and center on my kitchen counter.

One of my favorites from this book is Rose’s Crescents.  The fact that there are so many variants is indicative of their deliciousness and universal appeal.  Austrian Viennese Crescents, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Greek Kourabiedes, and Snowballs-all start with ground nuts, flour, sugar, and butter mixed together and baked into a buttery, blissful bite. Rose tweaked hers, instead of rolling the cookies in powdered sugar, they are rolled in a mixture of superfine sugar and cinnamon.  Sublime.

Here’s the Good Part

She includes directions on how to make certain recipes in a food processor.  Not all cookies can be made in a processor but the ones you can, simplify the process and shorten the time.  No more waiting for the butter to come to room temp.  It is essentially a one-bowl recipe, how great is that?

The Food Process

Place almonds and sugar in a food processor bowl and process until almonds are very finely ground.  Cut butter into pieces and with the motor running, add butter and process until smooth and creamy.  Scrape down the sides and add flour and salt and pulse to incorporate the flour.  Remove the dough from the processor and gather it into a disc.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour until firm.

I use a #50 or #60 ice cream scoop (1 tablespoon plus of dough). Roll dough into a cylinder about 2.5-3 inches long.  The dough softens quickly so work fast, use your fingers to roll as your palm has more heat.  As you roll the dough into cylinders, put a bit more pressure on the ends to taper them.  Pinch the ends to fine-tune the shape into points.

I have also made these smaller using a #70 scoop when I want dainty little tea cookies.

I love these cookies.  Don’t wait until the holidays to make them!

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Rose's Crescents

Buttery, tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies, Almond Crescents from Rose's Christmas Cookies.
Course cookies, desserts, holiday dish
Cuisine American
Keyword almond, cinnamon sugar, holiday cookies, Rose's Crescents
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes

Ingredients

The Creamed Mixture

  • 1 c. Unsalted Butter 8 ounces or 227 grams
  • ⅓ c. Sugar 2.25 ounces or 66 grams
  • ⅔ c. Sliced Blanched Almonds 2 ounces or 56 grams

The Dry Ingredients

  • 1⅔ c. All Purpose Flour (prefer Gold Medal or Pillsbury AP flour) 8.25 ounces or 235 grams See notes regarding flour
  • ¼ tsp. Salt

Topping:

  • ½ c. Sugar 100 grams
  • ½ tsp. Cinnamon

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 325º.
  • Place almonds and sugar in food processor or blender and process until nuts are finely ground; set aside. See notes in post for making in food processor.
  • Cream butter in large mixing bowl. Add almond mixture; beat until light and fluffy. Gradually mix in flour and salt until well blended.
  • Shape dough into a large flat disk; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
  • For topping, combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.
  • Work with one-fourth of the dough at a time; refrigerate remaining dough. Shape dough into ¾ inch balls; roll each into a 3-inch log. Place on unbuttered cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Shape into crescents.
  • Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until set but not brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes. While still warm, remove cookies from cookie sheets. Dip into cinnamon sugar turning gently to coat. Finish cooling on wire racks.

Notes

So, why did I specify Gold Medal Flour.  Rose's Christmas Cookies was first published in 1990.  At the time, King Arthur Flour and other Small Company Mills were not widely known.  The standard, easy to get flour was Gold Medal or Pillsbury Flour, bleached all-purpose flour.  The protein content of which is slightly lower than King Arthur or Central Milling.  This can impact your cookies in terms of tenderness and spread.
For cookie recipes I have that date back quite a few years, I use Gold Medal Flour.  If you have Rose's newest book, she will specify the flour to use.  Recipes these days, I check to see what the author has specified first.  More than likely I'll use King Arthur (that's what I normally have in my kitchen) but during the holidays I always have a stash of Gold Medal too!
NCOTB #2 Orange, Pistachio and Chocolate Shortbread (New Cookies on the Block)

NCOTB #2 Orange, Pistachio and Chocolate Shortbread (New Cookies on the Block)

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Yay, the Twelve Seven Eight Days of Christmas Cookies!

The best-laid plans of mice and me…sometimes need a tweak.  Actually, not to pat myself on the back or anything, I think I did pretty “good”.  In between holiday baking we took a quick trip to Seattle. Four days of eating, walking, visiting the Space Needle and the Chihuly Garden and Glass, and watching the Forty-Niners beat the Seahawks!  I still managed to bake 8 days of Christmas cookies!

Our holiday cookie box is a mix of old and new cookies.  The tried and true include Scottish Shortbread, Jan Hagel’s (my mom’s favorite), Pecan Tartlets, and the mandatory jam-filled cookie, Dorie’s Jammers (the perfect choice).

The NCOTB (new cookies on the block, a nod to all you boy band fans) include a couple from this year’s New York Times Holiday Cookies.  My favorite of the bunch is Eric Kim’s Gochujang Caramel Cookies (I’ve made three batches already).  Crispy edges, chewy center, buttery with a sweet kick from the Gochujang paste, it’s different and delightful. My other favorite (can you have two favorites?) is Sue Li’s Orange, Pistachio, and Chocolate Shortbread.  Buttery shortbread studded with candied orange peel, green pistachios, and dark chocolate for a visually fun and tasty cookie.

Cookie Caveat

But, the first time I read through the recipe and NOTES (ALWAYS read the notes, foodies are not shy about sharing their opinion of a dish) it became clear that there were a couple of hitches in the recipe.  My OCD-Sherlockian-Watson persona took over.  I poured over the comments and scrutinized the measurements and directions (occupatinal hazard, I’m a pediatric pharmacist).

My dear NYTCooking – Something is afoot, there are discrepancies in the volumes and weights for this recipe, where are your editors? LOL. 3 cups of flour is not 419 grams.  3/4 cup of granulated sugar is not 175 grams.  So, I set about to modify the recipe as best I could:

  • I used 375 grams of King Arthur AP Flour aligning with std measurements for a cup since there were quite a few comments that the dough was too dry & crumbly.
  • Sue Li commented once to use 175 grams of sugar, so that’s what I used.  If there is wiggle room it would be with the sugar, use 150 grams for a not-as-sweet cookie.
  • The butter is also off, I opted to go by weight not volume.
  • I added 1 tsp vanilla, which couldn’t hurt plus added a bit more moisture.

The dough came together nicely.  Do not overmix, once it starts to clump, stop and gather together.

The 8-hour chilling time in the original recipe allows the flour to absorb moisture and hold together.  The modifications result in a nice, moist dough.  You may not need an 8-hour chill time.  The dough needs to be solid enough to slice and still hold its shape.

See how “purdy” the orange, green, and brown specks are?!

The finished cookie was buttery, with a fine crumb texture, with the candied orange, pistachios, and chocolate taking it over the holiday top.  Luckily I squirreled away some dough in the freezer (the beauty of slice-and-bake cookies) that will be lovely on New Year’s Eve with a glass of bubbly!

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5 from 1 vote

Orange, Pistachio and Chocolate Shortbread

From NYTcooking, a buttery shortbread studded with candied orange, pistachios, and chocolate perfect for the holidays!
Course cookies, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Dark chocolate, orange, pistachios, Shortbread
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chilling Time 8 hours

Ingredients

Flour Mixture

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (375 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt such as Diamond Crystal or 1/2 t table salt

Butter Mixture

  • 1-1/4 cups unsalted butter (284 grams) at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (175gms) 175gms =
  • 1 large egg yolk

Add-Ins

  • 1/2 cup candied orange peel (76 grams) roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup shelled unsalted pistachios (76 grams) roughly chopped
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped

Instructions

  • Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using an electric mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer), beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is pale in color, about 2 minutes, periodically scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula (don't skip this, it makes a difference). Add egg yolk and blend until combined.
  • Add flour mixture and mix on low until combined. If there are dried bits of flour left around the bowl, use a rubber spatula to smoosh them in with the dough. Add orange peel, pistachios and chopped chocolate, fold in with a rubber spatula. (The dough will be crumbly (although with the modifications, less so). If necessary, use the electric mixer to add the mix-ins, or work them in with your hands until fully incorporated.)
  • To form the cookies, line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with plastic wrap and leave a generous amount of overhang on all sides. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press firmly to flatten in an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill dough for 8 hours or overnight before baking.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Using the plastic wrap overhang, remove the dough from the pan and cut the square into three equal rectangles. It's going to be tough to get out of the pan but just be patient and pull gently on the plastic to gradually remove from pan.
  • Cut each rectangle crosswise into roughly 1⁄3-inch-thick slices and lay them flat on the prepared baking sheets, about 3⁄4-inch apart. (If the dough crumbles when slicing, simply push the mixture together to reform the cookie.) Bake until lightly golden on the bottom but still blonde on the edges, 15 to 17 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven, allow cookies to cool on the sheets. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
The Cookie Bible from Rose Levy Beranbaum!

The Cookie Bible from Rose Levy Beranbaum!

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I have been a big fan of Rose Levy Beranbaum’s books for a very long time. I went to my bookshelf to see just how many of her books I have, I counted six. Of these six, my absolute favorite is Rose’s Christmas Cookies. I can’t recall a Holiday Cookie Tin that has not featured at least one of her cookies.  I was eager to take a sneak peek at her newest book coming out, The Cookie Bible.

See below for the recipe for Lemon Madeleines.

 The Layout

  • Intro – brief description and a memory or an anecdotal story for the cookie.
    Temperature, baking time, and equipment – organized into a table.
    Ingredients – listed in volume and weight measurements also organized in a table, easy to see and follow.
    Directions
  • Mise en place-steps that need to be done before making the dough ie. taking out butter to soften or bringing eggs to room temp.
  • Making the dough-If a particular cookie can be made in either a food processor or stand mixer, both methods are listed. I love this.  Followed by:
  • Forming cookies
  • Baking cookies
  • Cooling cookies

All her cookbooks are organized this way, meticulous and thorough. It’s like getting a Master Baking class in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Each recipe finishes with Baking Gems, MORE valuable tips, and tweaks!

The Recipes

I flipped through the book to earmark recipes I wanted to try. This is where I felt like the book came up a bit short. The selection of cookies seemed just a bit dated. Today’s cookies include new flavors and spices and eye-catching colors created by using freeze-dried fruits.

Few recipes in this book jumped out at me and shouted MAKE ME!  Quite a few recipes in the book are also in Rose’s Christmas Cookies. Recipes I already make and love like Cloud Cookies, Meltaways, Lion Paws, and Spritz Cookies.  If I didn’t have Rose’s Christmas Cookies I might have been putting Post-Its on those very pages.  Recipes have been scaled back in the new book to yield smaller batches of cookies, a good thing, as it limits how many cookies I can eat.

 

Read through the recipe before making it.  I found this book even more detailed than her older books.  Explicit directions like when to take the butter and eggs out before making the dough or what type of flour to use for each recipe.

If only I had taken my own advice and read the recipe first

I plowed through the first recipe, Dream Chocolate Chip Cookies, only to be stumped when I found I hadn’t added the egg. Turns out that twenty minutes before making the dough, I was supposed to crack the egg into the mixer bowl, add the vanilla, and cover it so it can come to room temp first. The egg should have been in the mixer when I creamed the butter and sugar.

Lemon Poppy Seed Madeleines were next up.  Once again, detailed instructions produced a tender sweet-tart Madeleine.  Next time, I would reduce the poppyseeds, a bit too much crunch.  I actually liked them more the next day as the syrup had time to absorb so the cookies weren’t sticky to touch and the tartness had mellowed.

The Verdict

With all that being said. Here is my take. If you do not own a Rose Levy Berenbaum Cookbook, this would absolutely be a lovely addition to your kitchen.  This book will make you a better baker.  Filled with invaluable tips and technique information, it takes that extra step of explaining why specific ingredients and techniques work in a recipe.  Although there isn’t a photo for every cookie in the book, the photos included are gorgeous.

Happy baking!

I reviewed The Cookie Bible via NetGalley

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Lemon Madeleines

From Rose Levy Beranbaum's upcoming book, The Cookie Bible
Course cookies
Cuisine American, French
Keyword easy recipe, leomn poppy seed madeleines, madeleine, rose levy beranbaum
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 24 servings

Ingredients

Oven Temp 350f/175c. Baking Time: 14-15 min for large madeleines Special Equipment: Madeleine molds-lightly coat with baking spray with flour. Disposable pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-1/2 inch pastry tube. 2 baking sheets lined with plastic wrap and lightly coated with nonstick spray.

Batter

  • 8.5 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons, unsalted butter 120 grams
  • 2 large eggs 100 grams 1/3 cup plus 1 T, (94ml)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 5ml
  • 2 tablespoons milk 30 grams (30ml)
  • 1 cup bleached cake flour, sifted into the cup and leveled off 100 grams
  • 1/2 cup sugar, preferably superfine 100 grams
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup sugar 5.25 ounces = 150 grams
  • 2 teaspoons loosely packed grated lemon zest 4 grams (from about 2 lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds, optional 19 grams I would use a little less

Lemon Syrup

  • 1/4 cup sugar 50 grams
  • 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained 47 grams

Instructions

Preheat Oven

  • 20 minutes or longer before baking, set oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of oven. Set oven to 350°F.

Mise En Place

  • 30 minutes to 1 hour ahead, cut butter into tablespoon-size pieces. Set on the counter to soften.
  • 30 minutes ahead, into a 1 cup/237 ml glass measure with a spout, weigh or measure the eggs. Whisk in vanilla. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set on counter.
  • Wash lemons with dishwashing liquid, rinse, and dry before zesting. Finey grate lemon zest. Freeze any extra for future use.

Make the Batter

  • Add the milk to the egg mixture and whisk it in.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and optional poppy seeds on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and half the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides.
  • With the mixer off between additions, add the remaining egg mixture in two parts. Beat after each addition, starting on medium-low speed and gradually raising the speed to medium, then beating on med speed for 30 seconds, to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Pipe the Batter into the Molds

  • Fill the prepared pastry bag about 3/4 full with batter. Pipe the batter into the molds. filling them about 3/4 full (4gms for each mini-mold, 16 gms for large cavity). No need to smooth the batter. Refill the bag as needed.
  • Ok, I didn't pipe I just used two spoons and scooped the batter into the molds.

Bake the Madeleines

  • Bake the mini-madeleines for 10-12 minutes, large ones for 14-15 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the centers comes out completely clean and the madeleines spring back when pressed lightly in the centers. While they are baking, make the lemon syrup.

Make Lemon Syrup (1/3 cup/95gms/79ml)

  • In 1 cup/237ml glass measure with a spout, stir together the sugar and lemon juice. Heat in the microwave just until the sugar is dissolved. (Or use a small sauce pan over medium heat.)

Brush the Medeleines with Syrup, Unmold, and Cool

  • As soon as the madeleines come out of the oven, place the pans on a rack, poke the madeleines all over with a wire tester, and brush it with 1/3 of the syrup.
  • Metal molds, use a toothpick or pin to carefully dislodge them from molds and then invert them onto the prepared cookie sheets (this prevents sticking)
  • Brush madeleines with remaining syrup and allow to cool completely. Let sit for 2 hours for syrup to distribute.
  • STORE: Airtight one layer; room temp, 3 days; refrigerated, 5 days; frozen, 3 months.

Baking Gems

  • Use superfine sugar for the best texture
  • After coating with baking spray with flour, brush molds with pastry brush to remove excess spray to prevent air bubbles from forming in the fluted tops of the madeleines.
  • If you do not have enough molds to bake all at once, chill batter in fridge until ready to use.
  • When done, madeleines will spring back when pressed lightly in the center even before they are done.
Anzac-ly The Delicious Biscuit (Cookie) I Was Looking For

Anzac-ly The Delicious Biscuit (Cookie) I Was Looking For

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Marching orders in hand, I gathered the ingredients to make Anzac Biscuits.   Think Oatmeal Cookie meets Oatcake or Granola Bar…you end up with a biscuit (cookie) that is buttery, sweet-salty, chewy-crispy (are these oxymorons?), and EXTREMELY delicious.

A Brief History On Anzac Biscuits

These tasty biscuits (cookies) can be traced back to World War One and the Australian-New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC).  As the story goes, moms and wives sent these biscuits to their soldiers fighting, both as a morale booster and reprieve from the dreary military rations.  Made simply of flour, coconut, oatmeal, Golden Syrup, butter, they were easy to make and tasty.   The end product was a caramel-ly sturdy biscuit that traveled well and lasted a long time.  A welcomed treat from home.

Simplicity At Its Finest

Put this biscuit recipe in your incredibly easy with huge returns file.  Very easy and perfect for little hands helping in the kitchen.  Stir the dry ingredients together in a big bowl (kids love doing this), melt butter with the Golden Syrup on the stove (you do this), add the baking soda mixture to the butter (once again, your job) and add to dry ingredients (kids love to stir and make a mess).  Scoop, bake, and eat!  Easy-peasy.

Tweaks

The recipe is from Dorie Greenspan’s (Goddess of Baking) book, Dorie’s Cookies.

I used a one-eighth cup to portion the dough (could not find my scoop of this size 🤔) which produced cookies a little over 2 inches in diameter.  Use either a #24 or #30 ice cream scoop for bigger biscuits, I would. They’re that good.

Press the dough into a puck-like disc on the baking sheet.  Gives the biscuits a running start to a nice even shape.

If I had baked these cookies for 17-18 minutes, as directed, I’d have lumps of coal for all those naughty kids at Christmas.  The first batch baked for 14 minutes at 325 degrees, which produced deep golden brown cookies with dark edges.  The second batch baked at 320 degrees for 13 minutes.  The biscuits were deep brown, carrot cake color without the dark edges.  If you like a chewier, lighter-colored cookie, reduce the baking time, personally not recommended.  If you make larger cookies, adjust baking times accordingly.

Subbing honey or corn syrup for Lyle’s Golden Syrup can be done in a pinch.  But if you can, please try to use Lyle’s Golden Syrup.  It is made from sugar cane and has a nuanced caramel flavor you won’t get with honey or corn syrup.  Lots of larger grocery stores carry Lyle’s or you can order it on Big Bad Amazon.  Don’t confuse their Dessert Syrup for the Original Cane Syrup, that’s like Log Cabin to real Maple Syrup.

These biscuits are incredibly tasty and easy to make, put them on your “biscuit” bucket list.

P.S.

Not all these biscuits came out perfectly round as pictured, lol.  As soon as they came out of the oven, I placed a glass over the not-so-round ones and swirled it in a circular motion thereby jostling the cookies into perfect rounds.  Tricks of the trade, babee.

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5 from 2 votes

ANZAC Biscuits

Iconic Austrailian-New Zealand Biscuit (cookie) created during WW1, recipe adapted from Dorie's Cookies
Course biscuits, cookies
Cuisine Australian
Keyword Anzac Biscuits, Anzacs, Dorie Greenspan, Lyle's Golden Syrup
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 cup AP flour 136 grams
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 80 grams
  • 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut 90 grams
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 grams
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar or additional granulated sugar 50gms * Not in Dorie's recipe! Add if using unsweetened coconut, omit if you like,

Wet Ingredients

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Use 1/4 teaspoon if using salted butter, Dorie's recipe uses sea salt, I thought it was a touch salty.
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick
  • 2 tablespoons Lyle's Golden Syrup

Leavening Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon boiling water
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, coconut, sugars, and salt and set aside.
  • In a small saucepan over low heat melt the butter with the Golden Syrup and remove from heat.
  • Combine the boiling water and baking soda in a small bowl to dissolve the baking soda.
  • Pour the water and baking soda into the butter mixture and stir to combine.
  • Pour the butter mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.
  • Use a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop to mold each cookie by gently packing dough into ice cream scoop and then turning out onto cookie sheet or form 1 1/2-inch balls of the dough with spoons)
  • Place cookies 1-2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake for 17-18 minutes* or until deep golden brown (the color of carrot cake). Makes 16-18 cookies.
    *Read my post regarding baking times!

Notes

These cookies should be a nice rich deep brown.  Meant to be a little dense and crispy as they historically needed to travel well.  For a chewier cookie, a little less baking time will do the trick, if that is what you like.  It won't have as much of that nice caramel flavor you get from browning but still tasty!
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.