Category: Cookies

Bite Size Desserts
World Peace Cookies-Let’s Do the Cookie Wrap Now

World Peace Cookies-Let’s Do the Cookie Wrap Now

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Christmas is over, but that doesn’t mean the cookie baking has stopped.

After all, we still need to ring in the new year and what better way than with delicious sweet or salty nibbles? Need a savory bite to go with cocktails, try Parmesan Shortbread or Bouchon’s Gourgeres.  Didn’t finish that bottle of bubbly Rose’, the perfect answer, Christina Tosi’s Champagne Shortbread.

To usher in 2020, I looked for the perfect bite-sized treat when you have a cocktail or a glass of the bubbly in your grasp.  I kept in mind my slice and bake theme and decided the perfect cookie to have for New Year’s Eve or Day, DRUM ROLL PLEASE…

Dorie Greenspan’s World Peace Cookies

A fitting cookie to celebrate the end of a decade and bring in a new one.

This cookie, a Pierre Herme creation,  was originally called the Korova cookie and was published in Dorie’s Paris Sweets. It was the first book of Dorie’s I purchased. This cookie “made me buy it”.  My reaction the first time I popped one in my mouth was, “WOW, this is REALLY, I mean REALLY, GOOD.”

I’m not a big fan of chocolate cookies so it took me by surprise.  So delicious, Dorie’s friend renamed this chocolate wonder, World Peace Cookie.  If everyone shared these we could achieve global peace.  The cookies are chocolatey and sweet with bits of Fleur de Sel providing a surprising hit of saltiness.   The chunks of bittersweet chocolate temper the sweetness and give the cookies a 1-2 chocolate punch. Yep, like a champ.

Ok.  This cookie does pop up on a zillion feeds.  So why am I re-posting?  Well, you can never post the perfect chocolate cookie too many times and more importantly, on the off chance YOU haven’t made these, how could I not?  I would be remiss if I didn’t, a dereliction of blogger duty.

There is another reason. I came across Dorie’s updated version of the World Peace Cookie in her book,  Dorie’s Cookies (of course I own a copy, silly).  Bakers often commented on the original recipe about the crumbly dough and how difficult it was to form a log.  Her updated version has a little more butter, a little more sugar, and a smidge less flour.  I noticed the updated dough was softer than the original recipe and came together easily.  Perhaps her changes came about from baking them in ring molds for their cookie pop-up or maybe to address the crumble rumble.

I think the original recipe is much more like a sable’, a little drier and shortbread-like while the updated version is softer and a tad moister (wow, this was an auto-correct).  I fully intend to bake the original soon for comparison.  The bottom line is both versions are DELICIOUS.

The dough comes together in a snap.  Butter is beaten with sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.  Then chopped dark chocolate is folded into the dough.  Natural or Dutch-process cocoa can be used.  I used King Arthur’s Triple Cocoa Blend (all-purpose cocoa) but use your favorite.  For the chocolate, I like Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Dark Chocolate that comes in a big honking bar. You can use fancy designer chocolate to up the wow factor or you can use chips when you are in a hurry.  I like the jagged, rough pieces you get chopping the chocolate.  Use bittersweet chocolate, especially with the updated version which is a little sweeter than the original.

Roll the dough into logs, wrap in parchment or wax paper and chill.  Use a serrated or sharp knife to cut 1/2 inch pieces.  The dough will crumble but it is an easy fix, just smoosh it back together.  No sweat.  See?

Bake the cookies for twelve minutes.  Don’t check them and don’t open the oven door.  Just relax until the buzzer goes off.  “Bake and take” them out-Dorie’s rules.  Let them cool to set. They’re delicious slightly warm or at room temperature.  Get out the milk or get out the bubbly and ENJOY.

Happy New Year!  Wishing for World Peace in 2020!

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Dorie Greenspan's World Peace Cookies

These chocolate cookies will satisfy any chocoholic. Similar to a sable' these cookies are from Dorie Greenspan's Cookie book and are absolutely addicting.
Course cookies
Cuisine American, French
Keyword chocolate cookies, Dorie Greenspan, korova cookies, world peace cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 170gm
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder Dutch-processed or natural 30gm
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 tablespoons plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, (1 stick + 3 T) at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar 134gm
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50gm
  • 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small bits 142gm or 5 ounces
  • Fleur de Sel optional, to sprinkle on cookies before baking

Instructions

  • Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking soda together and keep the bowl close. Put the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until the butter is soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt, and vanilla extract and beat for another minute or two. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the sifted dry ingredients. Mix only until the dry ingredients are incorporated — the dough will look crumbly, and that’s just right. For the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.
  • Turn the dough out onto a smooth work surface and squeeze it so that it sticks together in large clumps, don't be afraid to smoosh it together. Gather the dough into a ball, divide it in half, and working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) in diameter. (Cookie-dough logs can end up with hollow centers, so as you’re shaping each log, flatten it once or twice and roll it up from one long side to the other to get the air out)
  • Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and chill them for at least 1 hour. (Wrapped airtight, the logs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 1 month.)
  • Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Working with a sharp thin-bladed knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick. (Don’t worry if the rounds break; just squeeze the broken-off bit back onto the cookie.) Place the cookies on the parchment-lined sheets, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) spread space between them.
  • If you want to up your salt game, sprinkle a tiny bit of Fleur de Sel on each cookie before baking. It adds a tiny wow factor to the look of the cookie too.
  • Bake one sheet of cookies at a time, and bake each sheet for 12 minutes. The cookies will not look done, nor will they be firm, but that’s just the way they should be. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies stand until they are only just warm or until they reach room temperature.
Cultured Club with Girl Deb (Cultured Butter Cookies)

Cultured Club with Girl Deb (Cultured Butter Cookies)

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Last but not least of the trio of slice and bake cookies, Cultured Butter Cookies from Melissa Clark via The New York Times.  On a trip to my neighborhood Trader Joes, I came across Cultured Butter.  What? “cultured butter”, my curiosity was peaked.   As if the planets had just aligned, what should pop up on my feed? An article by Melissa Clark in the NYT on the virtues of cultured butter.   A recipe for Cultured Butter Cookies was included.  Butter Cookies?  A cousin to my favorite cookie, Shortbread?  I’m on it.

Cultured butter is slightly tangy and salty.  Throw out the notion that you should only use unsalted butter to cook and bake.  Cultured butter, from Brittany, wears salt like a badge of honor.  The process of pasteurization kills the live cultures in the milk. Adding back a bacteria culture to the milk gives the butter a nice tang.  So, a live culture, salt, and higher butterfat content, what do you get? Butter on “roids”.

Trader Joe’s carries a very good Cultured Butter (according to Bon Apetit’).  Imported from Brittany, its a bargain.  Not just perfect for Melissa’s cookies, but delicious on toast, spread on a baguette or drizzled on vegetables.

The remaining logs of dough of my trio of slice and bakes are chilling in the fridge.  All I have to do is slice, bake, and arrange them on a festive plate, and I’m good to go…to any holiday party, even yours (hint, hint).

Bout’ the cookies

Beat softened butter with sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolk and combine.  This results in a lighter, crisper cookie.  Blend in the dry ingredients, do not overbeat.  The dough is then molded into a log (helpful hints for creating logs) and chilled.  Roll the logs in sugar, I like white sanding or sparkling sugar which gives the cookies a festive look and provides a bit of crunch.

Slice at least 1/4 inch thick, no less for a nice edge and then bake on parchment-lined sheet until the edges turn a nice deep golden brown.  The cookies taste even better on the second day as the flavors have a chance to develop.

These cookies are lovely.  Light, crisp, buttery perfect with tea, champagne, just about anything.  I’ll be baking a batch for New Year’s Eve too.

The trio of slice and bakes and the stamped Mexican Hot Chocolate Shortbread were the cornerstone of my #f52HolidaySwap box this year.  What’s that you say? Think…

Secret Santa  

Hosted by Food52, this is a wonderful, fun way to share the holiday spirit of giving with a stranger and donate to a worthwhile cause.  For a small donation (this year’s recipient was No Kid Hungry) you are sent a name and address of someone in the world (yep, you read that right-world, although most likely stateside) to send a package of goodies.  My holiday box went to Kim in Ohio, filled with not only cookies but spiced pecans, homemade granola, kitchen towels I trimmed myself (so easy) and a beautiful bowl made by my friend, Snook.  In turn, I received a box from Massachusetts, with cute flour sack towels, homemade cookies, and a festive spatula. 

I am already thinking about next year’s box! 

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Cultured Butter Cookies

Course cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword Cultured Butter Cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups 250 grams all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon 3 grams baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup 2 sticks salted, cultured butter, at room temperature
  • ⅔ cup 130 grams granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ¼ cup coarse sanding sugar for rolling

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
  • In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and granulated sugar until lightened in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in egg yolk until combined. With mixer running on low, add flour mixture until incorporated.
  • Divide dough half. On a clean surface, roll each halfinto a 1 ½ inch log.
  • Sprinkle the coarse sanding sugar over a sheet of parchment. Roll each log in the sugar until the outside of the dough is thoroughly covered.
  • Cover logs tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour, or overnight.
  • When you are ready to bake the cookies, heat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Use large, sharp knife to cut each log into ¼ inch-thick rounds. Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookie edges and bottoms are deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature.

Notes

Trader Joe's has Cultured Butter!
Slice, Slice Baby (Ginger Oat Cookies)

Slice, Slice Baby (Ginger Oat Cookies)

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As soon as slice and bake cookies became my “thang” this year, I thought of The Grand Central Baking Book that has been sitting on my shelf for years. It has an entire section devoted to slice and bake cookies. Time to finally pull it off that shelf and put a dent in my vow to cook or bake at least one recipe from every cookbook I own.  I’m glad I did.  I chose the Ginger Oat Cookie, a buttery oatmeal shortbread with ground ginger in the dough and flecked with bits of candied ginger.  It is absolutely delicious. The oatmeal gives it a rustic texture while the ginger adds sweetness and spice. Paired with a cup of hot tea, they are in a word, addicting.  

For the dough, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy then add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Fold in the candied ginger.  The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of candied ginger if you like your cookies “gingery” you can add a smidge more.  Gather the dough with a bench knife (pastry scraper), and divide it in half.  Place each portion on a sheet of parchment paper and pat into a long rectangle.

To form a round log, I fold the parchment over the dough, place a ruler or straight edge on top of it at the base of the dough.  Hold the bottom edge of the paper taut, and push the straight edge into the dough.  To prevent your cookies from having a flat bottom, place each log in PVC tubes (I got mine from Tap Plastic) so they are not resting on a flat surface while chilling.  You could use a paper towel tube, but who keeps those around?

Chill the dough until firm.  The recipe calls for rolling the dough in sugar.  I use just egg white to brush the logs as I’m not a fan of the color imparted by a whole egg wash.  Cut the logs with a sharp or serrated knife.  Don’t worry if it crumbles a little, just smoosh the dough back together. NBD

Since I had two logs, one went in the freezer to save for a rainy day.  Love slice and bake cookies.  Easy peasy.

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Grand Central Bakery Ginger Oat Shortbread Cookies

This buttery brown sugar oatmeal shortbread is a double hit of ginger with pieces of candied ginger and ground ginger infused in the dough. A delicious sweet and spicy cookie perfect with a cup of tea.
Course cookies
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 -2/3 cup AP flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 -2/3 cup rolled oats old fashioned
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2 tablespoons candied ginger coarsely chopped
  • egg white wash 1 egg white beaten with 1 tsp water
  • turbinado sugar for rolling

Instructions

  • Combine flour, salt and ground ginger into a bowl and whisk to combine. Stir in rolled oats.
  • Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  • Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Fold in candied ginger with a sturdy spatula and divide dough in half. Place each half on a 12 to 14-inch length of parchment paper or waxed paper. Shape the log into a rectangle by flattening the top and sides with your hands. Use the paper to help roll and shape dough into 2 logs, 10 inches in length and roughly 2 inches in diameter.
  • Twist the ends of the paper to seal the log and chill until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
  • (Logs of shortbread dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.)
  • Preheat oven to 325°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly brush each log with egg white wash. Roll log in turbinado or similarly coarse sugar, using some pressure so that sugar adheres to the dough.
  • Slice cookies 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and place 1 inch apart on prepared pans. Bake 16 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. The cookies are done when they begin to brown slightly around the edges and the centers are still light.
Jan Hagels, Anyway You Slice It, That’s the Way I Want It

Jan Hagels, Anyway You Slice It, That’s the Way I Want It

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Bah Humbug, for some reason I have not been able to get into holiday “drive”.  Maybe I’m still jet lagged from our trip to New Orleans or I am still in a Creole butter coma.

The Cookie Cure

Gotta Snap Out Of It. Maybe baking tried and true recipes might work.  I dug out my Christmas cookie journal to peruse and get in the cookie mood.  A binder filled with cookie recipes from magazines, photocopies of recipes from books along with my own notes, and pictures drawn by my kids when they were little.   It’s my cookie bible.

I flipped to “Our Favorite Cookies”, from an old issue of Ladies Home Journal.  Ninety percent of you are thinking, what? It’s a Women’s magazine, think, Better Homes and Garden with dresses and makeup tips. Raise your hand if you remember it (seriously dating yourself now). This is the epicenter of my annual holiday cookie extravaganza.

Jan Hagels are on the “gotta make them every year” part of the list.  Which is always a good way to start to find your cookie groove.  These little Dutch gems are thin and crispy, spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and allspice, and flecked with sliced almonds.  They are my mom’s favorite and the first one she will reach for on the cookie platter.  How can I not start with these?

Options, roll out the Jan Hagel dough and emboss the dough for traditional Jan Hagel OR form the dough into a log, chill, slice, and bake.  Yeah, picking option #2.  Chill the dough well, which makes it much easier to slice into the prerequisite 1/8-inch slices.  Bake on parchment as the cookies will stick to the pan as they cool.  Trust me on this one.

This recipe makes quite a few cookies and the finished cookie keeps very well.  Stash a log in the fridge or freezer for freshly baked cookies at a moment’s notice.

Just Can’t Put My Finger On It

The Walnut Thumbprints from the same article also find their way onto my annual baking list.  They’re buttery, nutty, tender, a little bit crumbly, and absolutely delicious. Last year I switched hazelnuts for the walnuts, a genius move.  Find toasted hazelnuts at TJ’s, which makes life infinitely easier.  As much as I love pecans, they aren’t a good choice, they don’t have that pronounced bite walnuts and hazelnuts have.

Slice, Slice Baby

On a roll with slice and bake cookies.  Next up, Ginger Oaties from Grand Central Bakery cookbook, a book that has languished on my shelf for years.

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Jan Hagels

Lovely slice and bake Dutch cookie made with almonds, butter, and brown sugar. Flavored with allspice, cinnamon, and ginger. Sweet, spicey, crisp, perfect with a cup of tea.
Course cookies
Cuisine Dutch
Keyword Dutch Almond Cookies, holidays, Jan Hagel
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

Da Dry Stuff

  • 1-1/2 cup All purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp allspice

Cream the Following:

  • 1/2 cup butter reg salted (its an old recipe), if using unsalted increase salt to 1/2 tsp, 1 stick or cube
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Da Wet Stuff

  • `1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Adds

  • 3/4 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

  • Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and allspice in medium bowl. Beat butter and sugars in mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture until blended. Stir in almonds.
  • Gather and shape dough into 8x2-1/2 -1-12 inch brick. Wrap in wax paper or parchment and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut brick crosswise into 1/8-inch thick slices. Line cookie sheet with parchment and bake 8-10 minutes until firm.
  • Cool on wire rack. Makes 3-1/2 dozen
Beta Testers (Lemon Poppy Seed Shortbread, Mexican Hot Chocolate Shortbread, Pistachio Shortbread Cookies)

Beta Testers (Lemon Poppy Seed Shortbread, Mexican Hot Chocolate Shortbread, Pistachio Shortbread Cookies)

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With the reprint of Claudia Fleming’s “The Last Course”, I reached into the archives for a post on a trio of shortbread I “tested” on friends and family.  A delectable triple play of cookies that would be lovely in a holiday cookie tin or a festive platter for the annual swap.  Fleming’s Lemon Poppy Seed cookies are buttery, tender, lemony with a crunch from the poppy seeds while Back in the Day’s  Mexican Hot Chocolate Shortbread are rich, chocolatey, and spicy.  Bake em’ TODAY.  I love pistachios for their color and flavor, both shine in Macrina Bakery’s Pistachio Shortbread.

Without further ado, a trio of tasty cookie bites from “back in the day” that you should bake today!

Human nature always prevails and I am no exception.  Every New Year’s Day I make a couple of resolutions…lose weight, get more sleep, test more cookie recipes for next year’s holiday box, one out of three ain’t bad!  If I were a major leaguer with a 333 batting average I’d be batting clean up.

DSC01290

So from my collection of cookbooks, I pulled out Back in the Day Bakery Book and made the Mexican Hot Chocolate Shortbread,  Lemon Poppyseed Shortbread from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course (re-issued!) and Pistachio Shortbread from More From Macrina Bakery.  I don’t like to rely on my taste buds only, so my trusty crew friends, nieces, & family were my “beta testers”.  Consensus was there was no consensus!  Although I might have to give the edge to the Mexican Hot Chocolate shortbread, me and Joe Biden..here to cast the final vote.

A successful beta test since these three recipes would all make the cut for the holiday cookie basket.

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Mexican Hot Chocolate Shortbread

These cookies taste like a mug of rich hot chocolate. The deep mocha-flavor is followed by a kick of cayenne pepper. Don't let the heat put you off; it only enhances the flavor.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Author Back In the Day Bakery

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients #1

  • 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup almond flour

Creamed Mixture

  • 1/2 pound 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

Dry Ingredients #2

  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder or finely ground coffee
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

The Finishers

  • 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar for dusting

Instructions

  • Line two cookie sheets with parchment.
  • Whisk the flours together in a medium bowl and set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), cream the butter, vanilla, and almond extract until the mixture is pale in color, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the speed down to low, add the brown sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, espresso, salt, and cayenne pepper, and continue to mix until the mixture is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture in thirds until just combined. With the mixer running, sprinkle in the chocolate chips, mixing until just combined.
  • Transfer the dough to another bowl and finish mixing by hand to make sure no bits of flour or butter are hiding on the bottom of the bowl and the dough is thoroughly mixed.
  • Use a small ice cream scoop to form the cookies, about 1 rounded tablespoon each, and place on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving 1 inch between the cookies to allow for spreading.
  • Flatten each cookie with a cookie stamp dusted with granulated sugar, or gently flatten each cookie with the palm of your hand and then dust the tops with sugar. They will have little cracks in the top. Refrigerate the cookies for at least 1 hour, or up to 5 hours. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time for even doneness (see Tip). Cool the cookies completely on wire racks. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
  • Tip: It is really difficult to tell when dark chocolate cookies are done. Pull them out when they are firm to the touch on the edges and the sweet smell of chocolate has begun to fill your kitchen.
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Lemon-Poppy Seed Shortbread (Claudia Fleming, The Last Course)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth, about two minutes. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla and beat well.
  • In a bowl, combine the flour, poppy seeds, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Form the dough into a disk and, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
  • Preheat oven to 300° F. Roll the dough between two sheets of wax paper to a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. return dough to refrigerator for an additional 30 minutes. Cut the shortbread into shapes with a two-inch cookie cutter, or use a knife, and place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Do not reroll scraps, if using cookie cutter. Prick shortbread with a fork and bake until pale golden all over, 23 to 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
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PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for the work surface
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup shelled raw or roasted pistachios
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 stick 4 ounces unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar sanding sugar, or raw sugar, for garnish

Instructions

  • Pulse the flour, granulated sugar, salt, pistachios, and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor for 1 to 2 minutes, until the pistachios are finely ground. Scatter the butter pieces in the food processor and pulse several times to cut the butter into the flour. Stop pulsing when the ingredients just come together and cling to one another. (Watch carefully, as food processors work very fast and can easily overmix the dough. At first the mixture will have a coarse, crumbly texture, but then if you’re not careful it will quickly turn into a paste.)
  • Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a log about 2 inches in diameter and 10 inches long. (If the dough is too sticky, toss it in the fridge for 10 or so minutes to make it easier to work with. Dampening your hands ever so slightly with cold water also helps.) Place the log on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Tightly roll the wrap around the log and twist the ends to seal them securely. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days. (This dough also freezes well for up to 3 weeks if wrapped tightly in plastic.)
  • Position 2 racks in the center of the oven and preheat to 325ºF (163ºC). Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Cut the chilled cookie dough into 1⁄2-inch-thick coins and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Lightly brush the top of each shortbread cookie with water and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden brown on both top and bottom. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store the pistachio shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

 
Pecan Tartlets-The Perfect Little Nutty Bite

Pecan Tartlets-The Perfect Little Nutty Bite

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We were invited to Rosh Hashanah dinner the other night and I volunteered to bring dessert.  It’s usually a no brainer since our host LOVES Lemon Bars.  But then I remembered I had promised to post Mrs. S’s Pecan Tartlet recipe.  The Lemon Bars would have to wait for another occasion.

Mrs. S, for all of you that have not read my Toffee Bars post (hint, hint), is my baking muse and mom of my BFF, Joy.  Every Christmas, since I met Joy in middle school, I have been the lucky recipient of a plate of Mrs. S’s holiday cookies.  They were delicious and beautiful.  She was meticulous and something of a control freak (I can SO relate) so she would shoo us out of the kitchen when she started her holiday baking.  Occasionally she would let us help with just the finishing touches, placing the pecan halves in her chocolate thumbprints or rolling her meltingly tender almond crescents in powdered sugar.  But mixing the cookie dough itself, nope, that was her domain.

My Favorites

Her Toffee Bars and Pecan Tartlets.  When I became interested in cooking and baking and not just eating, I asked for her cookie recipes and she was gracious enough to share them with me.  For Mrs. S making these cookies became second nature.  Details and how-to’s were committed to memory, not to paper.  Over the years I have figured out the little extra steps she took that elevated her cookies, especially her Pecan Tartlets, above the rest.  I’ve also added my tweaks to make the process easier and faster.

How-Tos:

The tart crust is butter and cream cheese-based and similar to a cookie dough.  It does not include any liquids so it won’t shrink much.  I make the dough in a food processor, much like tart dough.  The dry ingredients are placed in the food processor bowl and pulsed a couple of times to combine.  The original recipe includes up to half a cup of sugar in the dough, way too much.  I often don’t add any sugar but if you like a sweeter crust, add a MAX of 1/4 cup.  Note that the more sugar you add, the quicker you will need to roll out the dough as the sugar makes the dough stickier and tougher to work with.  Add the butter and cream cheese and pulse until the dough just starts to clump.  Do not overprocess.  Gather the dough and chill for approximately 2 hours. 

You could scoop out dough, roll it into balls and press each into tiny muffin tins which is pretty easy, but then you wouldn’t get those cute scalloped edges.  Mrs. S’s method was to roll the dough out approximately 3/16 inch thick and cut it with a flower petal cookie cutter.  I know, lots of work but, look at how nice they look.  The genius of using the petal cutter is the shape makes it very easy to press the dough into the muffin tins.

Next Step:

Make the filling while the dough chills in the fridge.  Here’s the cheat.  Pour the filling into a squeeze bottle.  I replace the top with the lid from the honey I buy at TJ’s.  The spout is bigger which allows the filling to flow easily…a nice squirt into each muffin cup.  How EASY is that?  Ingenuity being the mother of invention, my cheapie wine opener works perfectly for pressing the dough evenly into the muffin tin.

Fill the tarts to where the petals meet and sprinkle the pecans on top.  Walnuts or a mix of different nuts would be delicious too.  Follow the baking instructions.  When slightly cooled, dust the tarts with a nice layer of powdered sugar.

Enjoy these little bites of bliss.  Don’t wait until the holidays to make them!

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MINIATURE PECAN TARTS

Bite-sized pecan tarts, sweet, nutty and delicious!
Course cookies, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cookies, holiday baking, Mini Pecan Tarts, pecans
Prep Time 45 minutes
35 minutes

Equipment

  • mini-muffin tin
  • 2 inch petal cookie cutter optional

Ingredients

Cream Cheese pastry

Mix together:

  • 3 ounce cream cheese
  • 1 stick butter salted, or if using unsalted add 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour  preferably Gold Medal but any will work

Filling

Blend together:

  • 1 tablespoon softened butter
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar light brown sugar
  • 1 egg large
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup chopped pecans substitute mixed nuts if you like, walnuts

Instructions

Dough

  • Original instructions: Combine well and refrigerate. Cut into small circles and press into mini-muffin tin.
  • My instructions: Mix the dough in a food processor. Place flour in fp bowl. Add butter and cream cheese to flour. Pulse mixture just until it begins to clump. Do not overprocess. Pour onto wax paper or plastic wrap and pat into a disc shape. Chill for at least 2 hours.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry out to 3/16-1/4 inch thickness. Cut into small circles. I use a petal cutter 2.5-inch or a plain round 2-inch cutter. Press circles into ungreased muffin tins. Chill muffin tins while making the filling.

Filling

  • Blend filling ingredients well. Pour into a squeeze bottle. I use a plastic TJ honey container that has an opening about 1/8inch. This is a quick way to fill the muffin tins. You could use a spoon.
  • Fill prepared muffin tins about 3/4 full.  Allow filling to settle slightly.  Fill each muffin tin to the top with finely chopped pecans (about 1 cup)  Chill.
  • Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 250 degrees and bake 20 minutes longer. Allow tarts to cool and carefully remove from tins.
  • Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar while still warm.  Allow to cool before removing from tins.

Notes

There aren't instructions for the prepared muffin tins.  I'm guessing at lightly greased.  I generally don't grease the tins and occasionally I lose a tartlet to sticking but for the most part a little pry with a thin bladed knife and the tarts come out of the pan.
The Joy of Cookies (Toffee Bars)

The Joy of Cookies (Toffee Bars)

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Joy is one of my oldest friends.  We went to school together and I mean that literally.  We lived a few blocks from each other, every day we would meet on the street corner halfway between our houses to walk and talk the final mile to school.  Sometimes, on the walk home, we wouldn’t be done talking so we would walk to one of our houses, turn around and walk back to the meeting point together before parting ways.  Silly, huh.  Yep, BFFs.

Holiday Highlight

Every Christmas I eagerly awaited her mom’s plate of holiday cookies.  Joy’s mom, whom I affectionately called Mrs. S, was an amazing baker (and a marvelous cook too). During the holidays, you could find her holed up in her kitchen busy baking no less than 6-8 different kinds of cookies.  Almond Crescents, Spritz Cookies shaped into wreaths decorated with red and green sugar, Chocolate Pecan Thumbprints, Pecan Tartlets, Chocolate Chippers, and Lemon Bars.  Her crescents were perfect, her scalloped-edged Pecan Tartlets were the gold standard of bite-sized pies.

In short, she was my muse for holiday cookies.  I love all of her cookies, but my favorite?  Hands down, her Toffee Bars.  A shortbread crust, buttery and sweet, painted with milk chocolate and finished with a sprinkling of chopped almonds.  Cookie Nirvana.

Attention to Detail

I have most of Mrs. S’s recipes.  Her Pecan Tartlets find their way into every holiday cookie box.  The Hubster considers it blasphemous if they are not included.  I am religious about following her recipes, I mimic each step.  I cut out each tiny pie crust with a flower petal cookie cutter. How else do you get cute scalloped edges?  I meticulously shape each ball of almond-infused dough into crescent-shaped moons. Warm from the oven, I roll each cookie in powdered sugar and place it on a cooling rack.  Then, sift powdered sugar over the cookies for that snow-capped look.  Yep, that little extra step.  Her attention to detail was what set her cookies apart and that’s what I learned from her.

It’s been a few years since she left us.  Every Christmas since, as I am perusing recipes and pulling out my butter, flour, and sugar- I think of her.  I imagine her scurrying around her kitchen churning out tray after tray of her delicious cookies.  Then I hear her voice prodding me, it’s time to get busy and bake.

A Fine Understudy

Unfortunately, I don’t have Mrs. S’s recipe for those Toffee Bars that I love so much. (Update: Found it! Mrs. S’s Toffee Squares) But Alice Medrich does.  Her Cookies and Brownies book contains toffee bars that are so good, they would make Mrs. S proud.  The crust starts with melted butter making these incredibly easy to make. Stir together brown sugar and flour with the butter, press into a pan and bake to a golden brown.  For this batch, I scattered a combo of semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips on the warm crust, let them melt, and ice the melted chips over the crust.  For the final touch, sprinkle toasted hazelnuts over the chocolate.  Next batch?  Endless possibilities, limited only by your imagination.

Kid version:  Use all milk chocolate and either toasted almonds or pecans.  Got milk?

Adult version:  Use semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate and toasted hazelnuts, finish with Maldon Salt.  Serve with some bubbly.

Sporty twist version:  Perfect during a ballgame, your choice of chocolate and salted or honey-roasted peanuts.  Play ball!

Allow bars to cool on a rack.  Use a serrated knife to cut the pan into bars or wedges.

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Toffee Bars

A buttery, brown sugar crust topped with chocolate and hazelnuts. A riff on Alice Medrich's Toffee Bars.
Course cookies, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword toffee, toffee bar recipe, Toffee Bars
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes

Equipment

  • 8x8 inch square pan or 9' tart pan with removable bottom. Any pan with roughly same area I like to use a 12x5 rectangular tart pan and cut the cookies into wedges.

Ingredients

Shortbread base

  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

Topping

  • 6 ounces milk or semisweet chocolate chopped, if bar or block or use chips
  • 1/2 cup toasted nuts your choice!

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position rack in lower third of oven

Shortbread base

  • Cut butter into chunks and melt in a saucepan over medium heat or place in heatproof glass bowl, loosely cover and microwave at 40% power for 15 seconds, repeat if necessary.
  • Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, salt and vanilla. Add flour and mix just until combined.
  • Press dough into a lined (parchment or foil) 8x8-inch pan or a tart pan with a removable bottom
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until well browned at the edges and golden brown in the center

Topping

  • Scatter chocolate evenly on top of warm crust. Let stand to allow the chocolate to melt. If necessary, place in the oven for a minute to help melt the chocolate. Spread chocolate evenly over the crust with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
  • Sprinkle toasted chopped nuts over chocolate. Set on rack to cool.
  • Lift and transfer bar to cutting board. Use a sharp knife (I like using a serrated knife)and cut into 2x2" squares or wedges. If necessary chill in fridge to set chocolate.
  • See story above for variations.
Snickerdoodles (Alice in Cookiewonderland)

Snickerdoodles (Alice in Cookiewonderland)

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It has been 1610 days since I sat down and penned my inaugural post, Jamigos 2.0 to launch 3jamigos.  As I reflect on that number all I can think is WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG TO INCLUDE MY FAVORITE COOKIE?  I mean, sheesh, of the 100 cookie recipes I have posted, it doesn’t include my all-time favorite non-shortbread cookie (notice how I slipped in that qualifier, shortbread=cookie perfection).  Unbelievable, and how did I discover this faux pas?

I was tasked with making cookies for an End of Summer Party for our political action group (sanity saver).   I automatically went to my blog and typed in S N I C K E R D O O D L E S in the search box and waited, NOTHING popped up.  A quick search of my cookie index revealed, what the heck, no Snickerdoodles.

Are you kidding?

I’ve never posted Snickerdoodles on my blog?  Hellooo, time to fix that.  I got busy, made a batch for the meeting, snitched a couple to have with an ice-cold glass of milk, and sat down to write this post.

EVERYONE needs a scrumptious recipe for Snickerdoodles.  Buttery, sweet and spicy, crispy edges, soft chewy center,  finished with cinnamon sugar.  The quintessential cookie.  My favorite recipe comes from the cookie maven, Alice Medrich.  Unlike other recipes I have seen, hers are made with just butter. Yep, no shortening in these bad-boy bites of sweet cinnamon bliss.  The recipe is from her small but mighty book, Cookies and Brownies, long out of print but available on the secondary market. The book is worth getting just for this and her Lemon Bar recipe. Well written with easy-to-follow directions, it’s a keeper.  My copy is frayed and tattered, well worn from use.

Cream butter and sugar together to smooth but NOT fluffy.  Add eggs, beat until blended.

Add flour and stir just until combined.  Don’t overmix.  The mixing changes the consistency of the cookie.  Fluffy butter-sugar mixture gives a cakier cookie, go for smooth and creamy.  After adding the flour mixture do not beat the dough too much or you will end up with a tough cookie.

Gather dough into a disc, shape doesn’t matter.  Keep the thickness to about an inch.  This will make it easier to scoop and form the cookies after chilling.

After chilling the dough,  use a 1 tablespoon ice cream scoop (#70) to form balls.  Shape the scoops into smooth balls and roll in cinnamon sugar.  Use a good quality cinnamon, like Penzey’s . This is a great cookie to make with the kids or grandkids, never met a kid that didn’t like to roll balls of cookie dough in copious amounts of cinnamon sugar all the while licking their fingers.

The one tablespoon scoop yields a cookie about 2 inch in diameter.  All well and good, BUT, the smaller you make the cookie the harder it is to end up with a cookie that has crisp edges and a soft center.  If that is what you are looking for, try making bigger cookies. Increase your baking time by a couple of minutes.

Bake cookies 8-10 minutes until the edges are golden brown.  I like the centers soft, if you like crunchy cookies, bake them a bit longer.  How long?  Don’t know, I don’t like them that way.

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Snicker Doodles

Course cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword Snickerdoodles
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Equipment

  • Cookie sheets, lined with parchment paper or greased

Ingredients

  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (13.5 ounces)
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ pound unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
  • 1½ cups sugar 10.5 ounces
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400° Position rack in the middle of the oven.
  • Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk or fork.
  • In a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter with the 1½ cups sugar until smooth and creamy, not fluffy. Beat in the eggs just until blended. Add the flour mixture and stir or beat on low speed just until incorporated. Gather the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
  • Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl. Form level tablespoons of dough with an ice cream scoop, into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar and place 2 inches apart on the lined or ungreased cookie sheets.
  • Bake for 8 to 11 minutes, until the cookies puff and begin to settle down. To create crevices, when cookies puff, tap cookie sheet on rack. This causes the cookie to sink, creating crinkles. Rotate the cookie sheet from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking. Bake until the edges are golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Remove cookies with a spatula to a wire rack. Don't let them cool completely or the cookies will stick to the sheet. I bake on ungreased sheets to minimize spreading.
  • Cool the cookies completely before stacking or storing. May be kept in an airtight container for several days.
Tall Order for a Better Shortbread-Bien Cuit Bakery

Tall Order for a Better Shortbread-Bien Cuit Bakery

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I love shortbread and any excuse to bake a batch, I am all there.  So when Amanda Hesser posted an article on a favorite shortbread that graced their office meetings, all I could think was, do I have butter in the fridge?

Duh, of course.

The title of her article, The World’s Best Shortbread Is No Longer Sold-but We Got The Recipe.

Whaat? World’s Best?  This was added incentive to make a batch.  After all, I think I already have the perfect Shortbread.  An essay entitled “My Father’s Shortbread” found long ago in Cuisine magazine was both a tribute to the author’s Scottish father and his recipe for shortbread.  It has been the cornerstone of my annual holiday cookie platter for more years than I can remember.  Bouchon’s Shortbread is similar in texture and flavor to my favorite and is my runner up.  Can Amanda’s best these? I’ll let you be the judge.

Update 10/2023:  Yes, I love shortbread and two additional recipes I have tried that are very similar to this shortbread are Ted Lasso’s Biscuits with the Boss.  Both are delightful, Christina Tosi’s and Apple TV’s (the producer of Ted Lasso).

Let’s get busy…

shortbread dough 1

The dough comes together easily.  The dry ingredients are blended briefly in a mixer and pieces of cold butter are added and mixed at low speed just until the dough comes together.  Do not overmix.

Press the dough evenly into a PARCHMENT lined 9×13 baking pan. The parchment should hang over the sides. Cover the dough and refrigerate overnight.  The parchment will make it easier to remove the cookies after baking.

The dough should be about 3/8 inch thick. Total baking time for my batch was 50 minutes, so start checking early and rotate pan at the halfway mark.  You want a nice golden brown.  Sprinkle the Demerara Sugar on the cookie as soon as the pan comes out of the oven.  It will adhere better.  At the 5 minute mark when I tried removing the shortbread from the pan, it cracked as the parchment gave way.  Next time I might try cutting the cookies in the pan, letting it cool and then removing them.  They’re a bit fragile so you may lose a couple while removing it from the pan.  Lucky you, you get to eat those pieces.

I will admit, they’re pretty good.  The biggest difference is the use of powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar.  Powdered sugar has cornstarch and lowers the protein content of the dough.  This creates a less dense, softer cookie.  It has the prerequisite buttery flavor, but the texture is different.  The sprinkling of sugar (use Demerara or Turbinado) on the top gives these cookies a nice crunch. I love that crisp resistance you get when you bite into a classic shortbread cookie, the sugar gives that crunch. Next time I’ll try European butter to up my butter game.  After rereading Ms. Hesser’s article, with the low baking temperature, I probably could have left the cookies in for a bit longer.  This might have added some crispness and flakiness without the shortbread getting too dark.

A steaming cup of coffee or tea and a few of these biscuits make for a lovely afternoon break.  Turning on Downton Abbey would make it perfect!  Update: 10/2023 If not Downton Abbey, Ted Lasso would be a great watch!

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Bien Cuit Shortbread

Course cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword Shortbread
Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 302 grams unsalted butter
  • 93 grams confectioners' sugar
  • 3.5 grams kosher salt
  • 302 grams all-purpose flour
  • 1/8 cup regular or raw sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

  • Line a 13x9-inch baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper.
  • Cut the cold butter and reserve at room temperature to temper slightly.
  • Mix the confectioners’ sugar, salt, and flour in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix for a few seconds to combine the dry ingredients.
  • Add the cubed butter and mix on low speed until a smooth dough is formed and butter is fully incorporated.
  • At first, the dough will look extremely flaky and dry; let it keep mixing and it will eventually come together into a dough.
  • Dump the dough into the baking sheet ordish and spread it evenly to the corners. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
  • The next day, heat the oven to 300°Dock the dough every inch or so with a fork. Bake until the shortbread is golden brown, 60-75 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn the shortbread out onto a cutting board, and slice into 4-inch x ¾-inch slices. Sprinkle with raw sugar and transfer to a baking rack to cool completely. Store in airtight containers.

Notes

From a commenter on the original recipe:  
I went to King Arthur Flour's website. They have a list of ingredient conversion and I trust them, so here's what they say:
302 grams butter = 1 1/3 cup (2 2/3 sticks)
93 grams unsifted confectioner's sugar = .8 cups (a bit more than 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon)
3.5 grams diamond crystal salt = 1 tsp on my kitchen scale (Canning salt, which has a very similar texture to table salt, comes out to 1/2 tsp)
302 grams flour = 2 1/2 cups (I'm betting this is sifted but I'm not sure)