Category: 12 Days of Cookies

My annual 12 days of Cookies for the Holidays!
Happy New Year! Bouchon’s Gougeres

Happy New Year! Bouchon’s Gougeres

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Happy Gougere!

What?!  Too cheesy?

I had writer’s block when I sat down to compose this post.  Staring at my screen, fingers poised on the keyboard, sipping a glass of wine and munching on these cheese puffs I had just pulled out of the oven, I was drawing a blank. Then my cell phone rang, “Happy New Year!”  blurted a voice at the other end. Ta-da! Blogger’s block gone.

Continuing with my exploration of the Bouchon Bakery book I ooh-ed and aah-ed my way through the chapter on pate a choux (aka cream puff pastry).  Dreamy cream puffs with a crackle finish, Chocolate Eclairs, Paris Brest-all looked exquisite. I wanted something simpler plus I had a wedge of Comte cheese in the fridge so I chose his recipe for the humble Gougere.  Cheese, finely shredded, is added to choux pastry to create a savory, airy, small bite, perfect with wine or champagne.  My next happy hour nibbler board will definitely include these little gems.

The recipe is straightforward. Be sure to have all your ingredients out and prepped before you begin. Water and butter are heated to which flour is added and stirred until it forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the pot. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl, blend briefly to release heat and moisture and add eggs a couple of tablespoons at a time. NOTE: TK uses weights for measurements in this book.  Very helpful to have a scale.

The batter will look like this after adding eggs and blending.

I cheated. I didn’t have the silicon round pan so I used my non-stick donut hole pan instead (yay, I used it for something!) It worked well though they needed to sit a couple of minutes before I could remove them easily.  I also didn’t have a pastry bag handy so I used a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and snipped off a corner.  Piping directly onto parchment or a Silpat probably works just as well.

Next time I make these I may change up the type of cheese (gruyere cheddar), add chili pepper instead of black pepper and add chopped chives or green onions, yum!  The batter freezes well so you can keep a supply of shaped ones in the freezer for impromptu get-togethers.

Stretching the boundaries, I’ve decided to make this Cookie #10 on my 12 days of holiday cookies list. They’re small and bite-size just like a cookie.  I’m tackling Bouchon’s Cream Puffs one of these days!

Bouchon’s Gougeres

 

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Happy New Year! Bouchon’s Gougeres

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp water
  • 2.2 ounces unsalted butter 4.5 Tablespoons
  • 1/2 + 1/8 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.3 grams freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup + 2 1/2 tsbp all purpose flour
  • 150 grams eggs approximately 2 eggs-crack eggs into a bowl, blend eggs and weigh out amount
  • scant 1 cup aged shredded gruyere cheese
  • options: Add chopped green onions or chives to batter 2 T, sprinkle tops with additional shredded cheese

Instructions

  • Combine the water, butter, salt, pepper in a medium saucepan, place over medium heat and stir until butter is melted. Once the butter has melted, increase heat to medium-high and then bring to a simmer, then remove pan from the heat, with a wooden spoon, stir in all the flour.
  • Continue to stir for 1 1/2 minutes until the mixture has a paste-like consistency, then place over medium-high heat and stir rapidly for 1 minute, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and the bottom of the pan is clean. The dough should be glossy and smooth but not dry.
  • Immediately transfer the dough to a mixer bowl and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to release some of the moisture. Slowly begin to add the eggs, 50 grams at a time, beating until each addition is completely absorbed before adding the next one. Continue adding the eggs, mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl pulled with the paddle but immediately grabs back on again.
  • Increase speed to medium for 15 seconds to ensure that all the eggs are incorporated. Stop the mixer. When the dough is lifted, it should form a bird's peak- it should hold it's shape and turn down on itself but not break off. Add the cheese and pulse to incorporate (I used my mixer and blended the cheese in quickly)
  • Put batter into pastry bag. Pipe into molds (I didn't have molds, I used my donut hole pan) Or pipe little free form balls, slightly less than 1 inch in diameter onto a baking sheet, spread about 1 1/2 inches apart. When finished piping, I used my finger dipped in water, to push down and get rid of the little tip that is left on top of each one from the piping.
  • Freeze the gougeres for about four hours until firm.
  • If you want to bake some right away. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.
  • If you are baking from frozen: Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with frozen gougeres, leaving about 1 inch between them. Spray lightly with water. Place in the oven, immediately lower temperature to 350F and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm.

 

 
Bouchon’s Shortbread Cookie

Bouchon’s Shortbread Cookie

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This month’s Food52 Baking Club pick is Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery Book. A gorgeous, very heavy (a workout just lugging it around) opus on all things delicious. My copy has languished on a shelf for quite some time but this gave me a reason to take it off the shelf and dive in.  Let the baking games begin.

I start with a cookie recipe. After all, I still need to complete my holiday cookie list (wow, that’s embarrassing). I open the book and what do you know, the first chapter of the book is all about cookies. Fate. I peruse the chapter and settle on, drum roll, please……..Bouchon’s SHORTBREAD cookie. Surprised? Didn’t think so.

This is a tall order as I am convinced I already make the perfect shortbread.  A recipe saved from the long out of print Cuisine magazine has become a non-negotiable tradition in our house. The recipe was accompanied by the story of the author’s father making shortbread each Christmas.  An homage to her father and to traditional Scottish shortbread.  Crisp at first bite, meltingly tender, slightly sweet, and oh so buttery.  The perfect cookie.

Yep, tall order.

The trial:

I used a European butter for it’s higher fat content after reading several comments that the dough was dry and crumbly. With a little kneading (in a Ziploc bag), it came together nicely.

The The recipe calls for shaping the dough into a 5×5 inch block and chilling it before rolling it out.  I opted to roll the dough into the final 9-inch square before chilling as the dough was easier to work with at this stage.  After chilling the dough, cut it into 2-1/4  x 1-1/2 inch pieces.

Use a pizza cutter and ruler to cut the dough, you could get fancy and use cute cookie cutters instead.  Though the recipe calls for granulated sugar, I used sanding sugar which gave the cookies a nice sparkle. Sugar bling.

The verdict:

Buttery? Yes. Crisp? Yes. Sweet? Yes. The dusting of sugar adds sweetness and a delightful crunch.  Better than the shortbread I already make? No, but I am biased.  I might try this with salted butter to see if it adds even more depth of flavor. These cookies are simple and sophisticated. Totally worth making a batch to enjoy with a cool glass of milk or a hot cup of tea depending on your mood! *The flavor improved, this was a better cookie a day later than right after baking.  

Bouchon's Shortbread

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The Path of Least Resistance TK Shortbread

Buttery, sandy texture, melt in your mouth Shortbread from Bouchon
Course cookies
Cuisine American, European
Keyword biscuits, butter, cookies

Ingredients

  • 180 grams unsalted butter, room temperature 6.3 ounces
  • 90 grams granulated sugar 1/2 Cup
  • 2 grams Kosher salt 5/8 tsp-3/4 tsp
  • 5.9 grams vanilla bean paste 1 tsp
  • 270 grams all-purpose flour 1-3/4 Cup plus 3 T
  • 2 to 3 Tbsp sanding sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter with the paddle attachment on medium-low speed until smooth. Add sugar and salt and mix on medium-low for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix for 30 seconds.
  • Add half of the flour, and mix until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Repeat with the second half of the flour.
  • Place a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter, and mound the dough on top of it. Form the dough into a 5 inch by 5 inch block. Wrap it with the plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
  • or
  • Roll dough into 9 inch square in between parchment, or in a Ziploc bag. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.
  • Roll the dough out to a 9 inch by 9 inch square between two pieces of wax or parchment paper. You may have to pound it a bit with your rolling pin to get it to roll out. If it gets too soft, you can put it back into the refrigerator to firm up.
  • When ready to bake, place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
  • With a sharp knife, and using a ruler, score the dough into four 2 1/4 inch wide horizontal strips. Next, score the dough into six 1 1/2 inch vertical strips. Sprinkle the dough with sanding sugar or granulated sugar.
  • Cut the dough along the scoring into 24 individual rectangles. Place the rectangles about 1/2 inch apart on the baking sheet.
  • Place sheet in oven and bake, using convection, for 13 to 15 minutes, or if not using convection, for 17 to 19 minutes.
  • Cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes, and then move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to three days.
Salted Butter & Chocolate Chunk Shortbread (New Year’s Resolution #2: Finish 12 Days of Cookies)

Salted Butter & Chocolate Chunk Shortbread (New Year’s Resolution #2: Finish 12 Days of Cookies)

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Let’s get the apology over with first. Yikes, I wasn’t able to complete my 12 days of cookies. I started early, had help from Jamie and still came up short. Shouldn’t make excuses BUT, I am going to.  A family trip to Vegas is the clear winner of excuses and reasons why I stumbled. Of course, if I included cookies sampled at Bouchon in Vegas, I would have easily made 12, but not quite within the rules.  Second, a faulty oven. When the oven takes over 45 minutes just to reach 325 degrees, Houston, we have a problem. The last time my oven went on the fritz (a few years ago), I was baking Thanksgiving pies. Now that was a disaster.

BUT, I am determined to complete the list, after all, cookies can be made and enjoyed year around. So, without further ado…
#7 of the 12 Days of Cookies: Salted Butter & Chocolate Chunk Shortbread

After seeing this cookie pop up on various sites and blogs I knew it was destined for the 12 Days of Cookies list.  The recipe comes from the book Dining In by Alison Roman (what do you know, I am not buying this book-have I turned a new leaf? Nope, it is currently out of stock). This was a no-brainer.  Butter. Chocolate. Shortbread.  Like I was going to be able to ignore this recipe.

This is a slice and bake cookie, my favorite kind of cookie.  You can make the dough in advance and bake off as few or as many cookies as you like. You can freeze some of the dough for a rainy day, which in California, might not happen for awhile.

The dough was a bit crumbly straight out of the mixer so I kneaded it a couple of times until it came together.  Shape the dough into logs using parchment paper. Form the dough roughly into a log on the parchment, fold parchment over the log, and with a straight edge (ruler) placed up against the log on top of the parchment, gently pull the bottom piece of parchment while pushing the straight edge into the dough. This creates a round log. Wrap each log in the parchment and slide into a round tube (I use 3-inch diameter PVC pipe) and chill in the fridge.

You can use raw turbinado sugar for the Demerara Sugar.  Don’t skip this step as it adds a nice crunch to the cookie. I would use semi-sweet chocolate which results in a sweeter cookie.  There is quite a bit of chocolate in this cookie which can make slicing the dough a bit tricky.  It’s okay if it crumbles when cut, just smoosh the dough back together, it will bake up fine.

An utterly delicious cookie, buttery, sandy, chocolatety (my new word), and sweet with a surprise pop of salt.  It hits every taste sensation, and if that wasn’t enough, a crispy edge from the demerara sugar.  Cookie Heaven.  The keys to this cookie are salted butter, a sprinkling of Fleur de Sel, an edge of Demerara Sugar and of course CHOCOLATE chunks.  Hmmmmmm.

I made a batch for a friend’s New Year’s Eve Party, but unfortunately, I was too tired to attend.  I ended up in my jammies, on the couch, ringing in the New Year with a glass of milk in one hand and a cookie in the other and then promptly fell asleep.  Oh well, there is always next year.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Dilemma-A bit of bubbly or milk?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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(Salted Butter & Chocolate Chunk Shortbread) New Year’s Resolution #2 Finish 12 Days of Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons 2 1/4 sticks salted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 6 ounces semi- or bittersweet dark chocolate chopped (but not too fine, you want chunks)
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • Demerara sugar for rolling
  • Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

  • The cookie dough can be made ahead and stored, tightly wrapped in plastic, up to 1 week in the refrigerator, or 1 month in the freezer. Cookies can be baked and stored in plastic wrap or an airtight container for 5 days.
  • 1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • 2. Using an electric mixer and a medium bowl or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, both sugars, and vanilla on medium-high till it’s super light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and, with the mixer on low, slowly add the flour, followed by the chocolate chunks, and beat just to blend.
  • 3. Divide the dough in half, placing each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic over so that it covers the dough to protect your hands from getting all sticky. Using your hands (just like you’re playing with clay), form the dough into a log shape; rolling it on the counter will help you smooth it out, but don’t worry about getting it totally perfect. You can also do this using parchment paper, if you prefer, but I find using plastic wrap easier when it comes to shaping the log. Each half should form two logs 2 to 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Chill until totally firm, about 2 hours.
  • 4. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • 5. Brush the outside of the logs with the beaten egg and roll them in the Demerara sugar (this is for those really delicious crispy edges).
  • 6. Slice each log into 1/2-inch-thick rounds, place them on the prepared baking sheet(s) about 1 inch apart (they won’t spread much), and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating them all.
Soft Gingerbread Tiles with Rum Butter Glaze: Day 6, 12 Days of Cookies!

Soft Gingerbread Tiles with Rum Butter Glaze: Day 6, 12 Days of Cookies!

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My kitchen gadget addiction got the best of me yet again. The culprit? A beautiful holiday cookie from Ottolenghi’s latest book, Sweet, Soft Gingerbread Tiles with Rum Butter Glaze. The cookies are made with either an embossed rolling pin (which I purchased to make graham crackers not so long ago) or cookie stamps holiday or all season, which I had to have.  After my cookie stamps arrived I immediately set out to make these.

Soft Gingerbread Tiles

The dough is a snap to make. The aroma that filled my kitchen while they baked made me smile. The cookies are soft, cakey and spicy.  Just like a classic gingerbread cookie.

The recipe calls for blackstrap molasses which is the last extraction of sugar from sugarcane.  It’s pretty bitter.  The first extraction produces cane syrup (like Golden Syrup), the next produces molasses and the final extraction, with even less sugar left, produces blackstrap molasses.  I wanted to be faithful to the recipe so I used blackstrap molasses.  The cookies are not very sweet at all. I learned that regular molasses is about 70% sugar whereas blackstrap is about 40%, BIG difference.  I plan on trying this recipe with both cane syrup and regular molasses just for the added sweetness.

The most difficult part of the recipe is stamping the cookies.  During baking, the cookies will rise and the pattern blurs a bit so be sure to press the cookies well so the imprint is really bold and defined in the dough.

I tried two methods for stamping the cookies. For the first method, the dough is rolled into a sheet about 1/4 inch thick, stamped and cut out with a round cookie cutter.  For the second method, the do/ugh is rolled into a ball (about 1.5-2 tablespoons of dough) which is then pressed with the stamp to create a cookie.  Both methods worked well.

I love the rum butter glaze. It was really easy to put together and added a sheen and sweetness/flavor to the cookie.  Though I brushed the glaze on, I think dipping the cookie or spreading the glaze with a spatula would make a nicer finish.  The cookie does need to be warm when glazing.

These cookies are a showstopper.  I can’t wait to bake another batch.

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Gingerbread Tiles with Butter Rum Icing: Day 6, 12 Days of Cookies!

A delicious and festive gingerbread with rum glaze from Ottolenghi
Course cookies, sweets
Cuisine American, British
Keyword gingerbread, holidays, ottolenghi, Peanut and Bittersweet Chocolate Cookie
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

Dough: Da Wet Mix

  • 6 tbsp 85 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/3 packed cup plus 2 tbsp 90 g dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup 100 g blackstrap molasses (can substitute golden syrup or reg molasses 1:1 for sweeter cookie)
  • 1 large egg yolk*

Da Dry MIx

  • 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (235 gms) plus extra for pressing
  • 1 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Rum-Butter Glaze:

  • 2/3 cup 80 g confectioners' sugar
  • 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp 15 g unsalted butter, melted and warm
  • 1 tbsp dark rum or lemon juice
  • 1 tsp warm water

*On Food52 it was suggested to use extra-large egg yolk or add 1 teaspoon-1 tablespoon of water to dough if it doesn't come together. I added about 1 teaspoon water. It won't come together until you knead it). Makes 12–14 depending on the size of stamp and cutter

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
  • Place the butter, sugar and molasses in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment in place.
  • Beat on medium speed until smooth and incorporated. Add the egg yolk and continue to beat until fully combined.
  • Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt and pepper into a bowl. Turn the speed of the mixer to low, and add the dry ingredients to the butter and molasses. Once the mix comes together, tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently.
  • Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Forming Cookies: Rolling dough

  • Roll out the dough so that it is about 1/4 inch/ 0.5 cm thick. If the dough is very soft, you will need to chill it.*
  • Dip cookie stamp in a small bowl of flour, shake off any excess, then press them firmly into the dough, one at a time to create a deep imprint. How far you need to press to get an imprint will depend on your stamp; the patterns on some are more deeply cut than others. Bear in mind that the cookies rise a little when cooked, so any soft imprints will disappear.
  • Using a round cookie cutter that is slightly larger than the pattern, cut out the pieces of imprinted gingerbread. Transfer the cookies to the lined baking sheets, spaced about 3/4 inch/2 cm apart. Reroll the dough and continue to stamp and cut cookies until all the dough is used up.

Stamping Cookies: No Rolling

  • I also tried instructions from the cookie stamps, roll 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball and flatten with cookie stamp. With both methods, make sure you press firmly enough to create a bold definite pattern in dough!
  • Bake for 9–10 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until firm to the touch. They will continue to firm up as they cool, so don’t be tempted to bake them for any longer.

Rum Glaze

  • Make the rum butter glaze while the gingerbreads are in the oven, as the glaze needs to be brushed onto the cookies while they are still warm.
  • Sift the confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon into a small bowl. Add the melted butter, rum (or lemon juice) and water and mix with a spoon until smooth. The glaze will thicken slightly if it sits around, if so stir a little more warm water in if you need—it should be the consistency of runny honey.
  • Remove the cookies from the oven, leave them to cool for 5 minutes, then brush or dab the glaze all over with a pastry brush. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

If you want to keep the glaze booze-free, the rum in the icing can be replaced with lemon juice.
Make-Ahead: Once the dough is made, it can be covered in plastic wrap and kept in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking.
Storage:  These will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container. The glaze will discolor and crack a little, but this will not affect how they taste.
Mighty Mouse? No, Mighty Jamie To Save the Day (12 Days of Cookies)

Mighty Mouse? No, Mighty Jamie To Save the Day (12 Days of Cookies)

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My Christmas present arrived early this year.  The twins are home!  Lucky for me Jamie is in a baking mood and immediately tackled one of our favorite cookie books, Dorie’s Cookies.  So, without further ado…

Heeeeeere’s Jamie with Day 3, 4, and 5 of our 12 Days of Cookies

Hey everyone! Jamie here. Home for the holidays!  I got home Thursday night, so naturally, I have already baked three different kinds of cookies.  I decided that mom needed some help with completing her “12 Days of Cookies” blog posts. Between you and me, she gets MAJORLY stressed when she bakes during the holidays, so knocking out three different cookies for her is really just me trying to make my holidays a lot more pleasant. But don’t tell her I said that.

To be honest, I’m really not a cookie person. I’d much rather eat a slice of super dense chocolate cake than a gooey chocolate chip cookie. Call me crazy, I know. I will say that baking cookies is a little more enjoyable than baking cakes.  It’s SO easy! They take a 3rd of the time to bake, and once you bake them you don’t have to spend extra time making more frosting or fillings which really means I only have to do dishes once. (HUGE).  

I picked these three cookies because they looked pretty easy to me, and their pictures in the cookbook looked pretty good.  The Swedish Visiting Cake Bars are better cold and almost have a custard-like taste to them.  My dad wasn’t super thrilled about all the almonds on top, but I think they add a nice crunch.  They are more cake-like than you would expect, but they have an awesome almond flavor that I am a huge sucker for. These cookie-cake bars definitely grew on me. The Snowy Topped Brownie Drops are basically small lumps of brownies with a ton of powdered sugar on them–what’s not to like??? Unless you don’t like chocolate.  My least favorite part of these cookies is that the dough must be chilled for at least 3 hours. I tend to get impatient and want to finish baking all in one fell swoop.  But my dad did say that they are his favorite of the three, so maybe it’s worth it. Last but not least, the Coffee Malteds cookies.  I made a tiny mistake (or a huge mistake if you talk to my mom) when I didn’t sift the malted milk powder before mixing it into the wet ingredients, so my cookies have some weird lumps of malted milk powder in them. But other than that, they taste pretty good (ps. you can’t even taste the weird lumps so w/e). I dipped them in chocolate, which in my opinion makes them 10000000 times better. We are taking the cookies to our annual pre-school cookie exchange tomorrow, so we’ll see which one is everyone’s favorite!

HI CLAIRE

Ho Ho Ho! Yo-Yo’s are here! Day 2 Holiday Cookies

Ho Ho Ho! Yo-Yo’s are here! Day 2 Holiday Cookies

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Day 2 of 12 days of Cookies.  I am off to a slow start having posted the first cookie days ago.  But I promise, this cookie will make up for the wait.  Once again I found a delicious treat in Ottolenghi’s dessert book, Sweet. Yep, my new fav. I am a sucker for shortbread and their Yo-Yos are just that, buttery, melt in your mouth shortbread cookies. They didn’t stop there, the cookies are then paired with a luscious buttercream to make an absolutely delicious sandwich cookie. Perfect for a holiday cookie platter.

The cookies are made with custard powder, an English invention.  A thickening agent like cornstarch, the custard powder gives the cookies their sandy texture. The addition of annatto to the powder creates that lovely yellow-orange hue.  I found Bird’s Custard Powder at a local Indian supermarket, cornstarch can be used instead but I love the color from the Bird’s Custard.

The dough comes together quickly.  Dry ingredients are sifted into a bowl and butter cut into it. The mixture starts out very dry and crumbly but after adding the vanilla and increasing the speed of the mixer the dough comes together nicely.

Use a tablespoon ice cream scoop to measure out portions of dough. Roll each scoop into a smooth round ball and then smoosh each with a fork.

I have a confession to make.  I couldn’t find rhubarb so I substituted strawberries instead to make the buttercream.  The berries give the buttercream both flavor and color and make very striking sandwich cookies.  No wonder they call these cookies Yo-Yos.  Can’t wait until rhubarb is in season.

and to get you into the holiday baking mood….Mariah

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Ho Ho Ho! Yo-Yo’s are here! Day 2 Holiday Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 small stalk rhubarb trimmed, washed and cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 4 1/2 tbs unsalted butter room temperature, cubed
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbs confectioner's sugar
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Dough

  • 1 1/3 cups plus 2 tbs all-purpose flour Plus 1 tbs for dusting
  • 1/2 cup custard powder can use cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tbs confectioner's sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature, cubed
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract use 1/2 tsp if using cornstarch

Instructions
Holiday Cookies, Already? (Book Review-Holiday Cookies)

Holiday Cookies, Already? (Book Review-Holiday Cookies)

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I love cookies and every year I look forward to baking holiday cookies to share with family and friends. The process for which cookies end up in my annual holiday platter starts..well, the day after Christmas. Throughout the year I keep an eye out for new cookie recipes to go along with my tried and true traditional shortbread and Jan Hagels that I make every year.
So of course I jumped at the chance to review a new book from Blogging for Books aptly titled Holiday Cookies by Elisabet Der Nederlanden. The collection is filled with classic, traditional cookies like Spritz cookies, green and red pinwheels and gingerbread. She does add a twist to many by varying the spices and flavors-eggnog madeleines, saffron biscotti or fig and cardamon rugelach which definitely add interest.  I chose the Malted Milk Chocolate Cookies to try. It called to the kid in me and conjured up images of Malt-o-meal, Ovaltine and Whoppers. This is the only recipe I have tried so far and unfortunately the cookie was pretty nondescript. Neither the malt flavor or chocolate were stood out. The cookies did not spread or crack as much as the cookies pictured, perhaps too much flour on my part (weights people). I will try other cookies in the book hope I find one for my annual holiday assortment. l’ll update my review when I do.  The recipes depend solely on volume measurements and not weights, bummers. I love cookbooks that contain both weight and volume measurements. I am a big fan of having a scale it is much more accurate and reliable.
The book starts with a section on how to pack cookies and decorate your cookies with a festive flair. Chapters are organized by classics, exchange cookies, spice and around the world. She also includes a chapter on candy and decorating. The recipes are organized with ingredients in the column on the left and directions on the right, very easy to follow. THE PHOTOS ARE GORGEOUS and the book is worth its weight in presentation ideas. Can’t wait to try a couple more recipes.
Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies (Everything Is Better With Sprinkles)

Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies (Everything Is Better With Sprinkles)

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Is anyone else feeling like me?  Where did the year go? I can’t believe it’s almost summer!   My kids are in the homestretch at school and finals are just around the corner.  We just dropped their care packages off at the post office, nothing like some sugar and munchies for those late-night study sessions.  I remember those days well.

Care Package Contest

Wes made his Good Cookies which truly are the study cookie of choice for our kids (I’m not jealous in the least bit, nope not at all….brats).  We packed homemade granola, Hawaiian-style sweet bread buns, and dried mangos.  I almost made the usual CCC but decided to change it up.  Back in the recesses of my mind, I remembered Jordan remarking how much he liked Chocolate Sprinkles Cookies.  Just maybe I could knock Wes’s Good Cookies off that number one spot in the care package derby….as you can tell I am not the least bit competitive.

The recipe for these kid-friendly cookies comes from Bake or Break, an absolutely wonderful site with easy, delicious recipes for all things baked.

Swap chocolate sprinkles for the chips for this riff on chocolate chip cookies. This transforms both the taste and texture of the cookie.  Chocolate flavor permeates the entire cookie rather than that burst of chocolate you get when you bite into a chip.  The edge of the cookie is crisp while the center is just a tad chewy.  Those in the No Nuts camp will be happy…not a nut to be found in this cookie.

NO Faux Sprinkles Please

The star of this cookie is the sprinkles, so please make sure you use good quality chocolate sprinkles. You know, real chocolate sprinkles not waxy pretend wanna-be sprinkles.  Guittard makes delicious chocolate sprinkles that can be ordered from King Arthur Flour or if you have an Asian market or a market that carries Dutch products, DeRuijter has a line of chocolate sprinkles that are very good.

Make these cookies soon and sprinkle some happiness and yumminess on your kids!

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Everything Is Better With Sprinkles

Chocolate sprinkle cookies for the kid in all of us. Crispy edges, chewy center and chocolate everywhere
Course cookies, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chocolate sprinkles

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Grease or line baking sheets.
  • Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined after each addition.
  • Mix in vanilla.
  • Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until almost combined. Stir in chocolate. Do not over mix.
  • Using a small ice cream or cookie scoop (2 T) scoop and place dough onto lined pans.
  • Bake 10-12 minutes until edges are golden brown. Adjust cooking time for a chewy cookie decrease baking time ~1 minute for a crispier cookie increase baking time ~1 minute
  • Transfer from pan to wire racks to cool completely.
Bailey’s Irish Cream Stands In for Day 5 Holiday Cookies:

Bailey’s Irish Cream Stands In for Day 5 Holiday Cookies:

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.I was going to stop at homemade Kahlua but a super simple recipe caught my eye in one of my all time favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen.  I trust her implicitly so I knew I was going to make this.  This is a knockoff of Baily’s Irish Cream. Yep. Super simple and delicious.  I waited until the last minute to make this as it will probably not keep very long.  As I was perusing recipes for coffee liqueur I would come across recipes for a homemade irish cream.  Most called for eggs, which made me reticent to try.  Smitten Kitchen’s contains just cocoa powder, heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.  THAT’S IT!!!  You should be really excited right now  Oh darn, one more ingredient, Irish Whiskey.  Had you for a moment didn’t I?  Unlike the Kahlua, I did spring for a bottle of Jameson’s Irish Whiskey. It’s so incredibly simple it’s nuts.  You whisk the cocoa powder with a bit of cream until it forms a paste, then you gradually add the rest of the cream, stir in the vanilla and sweetened condensed milk and Irish Whiskey, DUNZO.  Pour into cute little bottles and refrigerate.  Good for 2 weeks.  Perfect for New Year’s!  I am also going to make one with a bit of instant coffee.  Doesn’t that sound delish?  Serve it in coffee, on the rocks…yumo.

That’s it!  Please enjoy the holidays with loved ones.  That’s what matters.  Happy Holidays!

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Day 5 Holiday Cookie List: Homemade Irish Cream

Knock off of Bailey's Irish Cream. It's delicious and guaranteed to warm you right down to your toes!
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Keyword Bailey's Irish Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup 235 ml heavy or whipping cream
  • 1 14-ounce or 415 ml can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup 235 ml Irish whiskey (I used Jameson)

Instructions

  • In the bottom of a pitcher, whisk cocoa powder and a spoonful of cream into a paste. Slowly, whisking the whole time, add more cream a spoonful at a time until the paste is smooth and loose enough that you can whisk the rest of the cream in larger splashes. Once all of the cream is in, whisk in condensed milk, whiskey and vanilla.
  • Cover with lid or plastic wrap and keep in fridge for up to two weeks, possibly longer.
  • Serve in a tiny tumbler filled with ice, or splashed into coffee.

Notes

This is not for the faint-hearted.  Packs a nice punch.  If you would like to make it a little less boozy, add heavy whipping cream and the condensed milk 1 tablespoon each at a time, until desired taste.