Category: Cookies

Bite Size Desserts
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

By | | Comments 0 Comment

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.

Print Pin

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)

By | | Comments 0 Comment

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.

Print Pin

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.
Print Pin

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.
Print Pin

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

By | | Comments 0 Comment

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!

Print Pin

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)

      By | | Comments 6 comments

      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.

      Print Pin

      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)

      By | | Comments 0 Comment

      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.

      Print Pin

      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

      By | | Comments 5 comments

      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!

      Print Pin

      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)

       

       
      NO Bake Peanut Butter Cookies, Pssst….You Got 5 Minutes?

      NO Bake Peanut Butter Cookies, Pssst….You Got 5 Minutes?

      By | | Comments 2 comments

      This past weekend we had a retreat for our political action group.  I know what you are thinking. This is a fun, food, foto, blog.  You promised NO politics Deb.  Not to worry.  I only mention it because I was once again tasked with bringing desserts including a vegan one to the retreat.

      First, I made the butter, sugar, and flour dessert, a delicious Tunisian Orange Cake (next post) from Zingerman’s. Which did not leave me with much time to crank out a vegan dessert.  What to do, what to do.  I went straight to the blog site Minimalist Baker, an amazing site filled with simple, quick, plant-based food to find a recipe .  The last time I looked there, I found a yummy  Banana Pecan Shortbread that knocked my socks off.  

      Second, I found another gem.  3 Ingredient-No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies.  5-10 minutes is all you need to put these bad boys together.  Yep, from the pantry to your mouth, 5-10 minutes.  In fact, it will probably take you longer to read this post than to make these cookies.  You will find this recipe in the STUPID EASY category.  I almost feel like creating a new tag, INCREDIBLY STUPID EASY or STUPID  SQUARED-stupid easy and stupid delicious.

      The first step, whirl the oatmeal in your food processor or blender until it resembles coarse flour.  Add (PITTED-ya never know) dates, make sure your dates are soft and moist. It will help keep the cookies together.  Pulse to combine, add the peanut butter and let her rip.

      Scoop up approximately 2 tablespoons of dough and form into balls. Press with a fork, just like classic peanut butter cookies, and…DUNZO. That’s it.  Well, not quite done, take it to the next level.  Melt chocolate chips and dip these babies into it to cover half the cookie.  Then you’re done. Too much work to melt chocolate?  Add 1/4-1/3 cup mini chocolate chips to the dough right before shaping the cookies.

       

      Chill the cookies and serve to everyone…not just your Vegan friends.  Think of these as a cross between peanut butter cups and an oatmeal cookie.  Delish.

      Print Pin

      3 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

      Delicious peanut butter cookies made with just 3 ingredients! No baking required, stupid easy to make, cross between a cookie and a peanut butter cup! Vegan!
      Course cookies
      Cuisine American
      Keyword NO Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
      Prep Time 10 minutes
      Total Time 10 minutes
      Servings 12 cookies
      Author Adapted from Minimalist Baker

      Ingredients

      • 1 cup rolled oats old fashioned gluten-free
      • 1 Pinch sea salt optional
      • 3/4 cup medjool dates pitted // measured after pitting
      • 1/2 cup natural salted peanut butter creamy or crunchy

      CHOCOLATE GLAZE optional

      • 1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips "accidental" vegan chips
      • 1 tsp vegetable oil

      Instructions

      • Add oats and salt (optional) to a food processor and blend into a flour. Add dates and blend for 30 seconds more or until finely chopped.
      •  Add peanut butter and blend until a dough forms.
      • Scoop out 2-Tbsp amounts of dough and carefully form into mounds. Place on a parchment-lined pan or tray. 
      • Use the back of a fork to create a cross hatch on the top of the cookies 
      • Place chips and oil in a heatproof bowl.  Melt chocolate chips in microwave at 50% power, stirring occasionally until it is melted and has a sauce-like consistency 
      • Dip the cookies in (about halfway), let excess drip off, and place on a parchment-lined pan or tray. Freeze 10 minutes or place in fridge until chocolate hardens,
      • Cookies can be kept in the refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 1 month. 
      • Optional: Instead of glaze, add 1/4-1/3 cup mini-chocolate chips to dough right before shaping.
      Muffin been the Mochi that Caught My Eye (Butter Mochi Muffins)

      Muffin been the Mochi that Caught My Eye (Butter Mochi Muffins)

      By | | Comments 62 comments

      Always searching for new and different treats, I came across an article that spotlighted Third Culture Bakery in Berkeley.  The baker is an alum of Cal (Go Bears) who chose food over toxicology (good choice) and thus Mochi Muffins made with sweet rice flour were put on the map.  Though I haven’t made it to Berkeley to try one, I found a couple of recipes online that sounded scrumptious, so it was off to the rices!  Update: I just posted a new mochi muffin recipe, Mango Mochi Muffins made with mango tea and freeze-dried mangos!  It’s small-batch baking, only 8 regular size delicious muffins.

      My Sweet Rice, Oh My Rice

      For the uninitiated, mochi (sweet rice flour) is a cornerstone of Asian treats.  Sweet rice is PULVERIZED into flour to which water and flavorings are added.  It ends up looking like the BLOB, really.  It can be flavored, baked, steamed, fried and made into countless delicious treats both sweet and savory.  During New Year’s, Japanese families gather to pound mochi in a tradition called Mochitsuki. Just for your viewing pleasure here is Mitsuo Nakatani, Japanese Mochi Master.  Enjoy. 

      Traditional mochi starts with steamed rice and is pounded and shaped into sweet or savory rice cakes.  Mochi muffins and Hawaiian Butter Mochi start with sweet rice flour, mixed with liquids, and baked.  Since I don’t foresee any of us pounding mochi, let’s make muffins and Hawaiian Mochi. Infinitely easier and pretty darn tasty.

      Back on the Muffin Trail

      If you have ever had Manju from Shuei-Do Sweet Shop in Japantown in San Jose, or Butter Mochi from Hawaii and liked it…you’re going to love these.  If you haven’t had mochi, this is a good introduction.  Not quite as gooey as Manju and definitely not cakey like a muffin, it’s a delicious hybrid of the two.  A touch of sweetness, crispy on the outside, dense and chewy on the inside, and crunchy from the generous sprinkle of sesame seeds on top.  It’s different but delicious.  If that wasn’t enough, they are GLUTEN-FREE.  You’re welcome.

      Rice, Rice, Baby

      The most important item in the pic is the Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour by Koda Farms.  This is the go-to brand.  You can definitely find it in any Asian store (along with the sesame seeds), and if you’re lucky, at some of your larger local markets.  Take a walk down the international/ethnic food aisle.

      I found quite a few recipes for Mochi Muffins online and finally settled on one from a beautiful blog called Snixy Kitchen.  Her batch made 12 muffins, which made her recipe the frontrunner as most made 24.  As yummy as they are, what am I going to do with 24 muffins?!

      Mochi muffin batter

      The batter comes together in a snap:  melted butter, coconut milk, egg, brown sugar, and rice flour.  Stir together and pour into a muffin tin.  Boom, done.  My batter was thicker than some of the posts I’ve seen.  This may account for the slight dome mine had.  I also found a recipe from Saimin Noshrat in the NYT.  I think I may try a couple of her tweaks the next time I make these.  Trust me, there will be a next time.  I will use light brown sugar, substitute evaporated milk for some of the coconut milk, and brown my butter.  Not to worry, a full report will follow.  Hmmm, can’t wait to make another batch.

      The longer you leave these in the oven, the less gooey and more cake-like they will be.  The first batch was baked for 60 minutes.  I think I should have pulled them out sooner, I like gooey.  Now I check at 40 minutes and pull them out around 45 minutes.  To test them, use a knife to poke the center of a muffin.  It should come out fairly clean with a bit of crumb.

      More Mochi Madness

      After making these muffins if you like the chewiness, definitely try the Hawaiian Butter Mochi Muffins, inspired by Aloha Kitchen by Alana Kysar.  A little less flour and a bit more liquid kick up the gooey, buttery, lusciousness of these bites.  Bake them in a muffin tin for crispy edges.  I ADORE both of these muffins.

      These are soooo good, a little more squishy, very buttery, topped with shredded coconut.

      Also check out Peanut Butter Mochi from A Common Table by Cynthia Chen McTernan. Delish! LOVE, love, LOVE

      If you would like to try traditional Japanese Mochi, here are my recommendations:  Fugetsu-Do in Little Tokyo in LA, the oldest family-owned Japanese Shop in the US, Shuei Do Manju Shop in San Jose, and in my hometown of SF, Benkyodo Company in Japantown (now closed😢😢😢 ).  All family-owned artisan shops.

      Mochi Muffins
      Print Pin
      4.50 from 18 votes

      Butter Mochi Muffins

      Course Dessert
      Cuisine Asian-American
      Keyword coconut milk, Gluten free, mochi muffin
      Prep Time 15 minutes
      Cook Time 45 minutes

      Ingredients

      • 1/4 cup (2 ounces )unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing pans sub brown-butter
      • 2 cups (320 grams) mochiko sweet rice flour Koda Farms
      • 1 cup (200 grams) organic dark brown sugar* light or dark brown sugar will work
      • 2 teaspoons baking powder
      • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 tsp sea salt
      • 1 13 ounce can full-fat coconut milk Sub evaporated milk, half to all
      • 2 large eggs room temperature
      • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
      • 1 teaspoon molasses optional, added for flavor or use Golden Syrup or honey
      • 1½ tablespoons each black and toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

      Instructions

      • Preheat oven to 350°F and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
      • Grease the sides and top of a 12-cup muffin tin well with soft butter.
      • In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweet rice flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
      • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, coconut milk, eggs, vanilla, and molasses.
      • With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until completely combined.
      • Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup all the way to the top.
      • Sprinkle the tops with black and white sesame seeds.
      • Bake 45-50 minutes until the top is brown and crispy and the muffin springs back when poked with a finger.  Bake for less time. for muffins that are chewier and less cakey. Muffins are done when a skewer comes out relatively clean and the tops are brown.
      • Let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
      • Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.  Can be frozen and thawed at room temp.

      Notes

      Organic dark brown sugar is richer and more caramel-y than conventional, but you can use regular brown sugar.
      Any muffin tin will do, but for ultimate crispy exterior, use a dark non-stick muffin tin.
      If using a light muffin tin, you may have to bake the muffins a little bit longer.
      If keeping them for longer, they'll lose their crispiness after a day or two in storage, put them in the oven for a few minutes to crisp again before eating.

      Butter Mochi Muffins
      Nutty for Almond Meltaways

      Nutty for Almond Meltaways

      By | | Comments 2 comments

      I contemplated using the tiniest font size possible when I typed “cookie #12 of my 12 days of cookies” when I realized I actually can’t change the font size. Damn! It’s the second week in January and here I am finally posting the last holiday cookie.

      At least it is a good one, Almond Meltaways.

      I would not be surprised if one of the first cookies I ever nibbled on was an almond cookie.   Every bakery in Chinatown makes a version of the egg-washed, crinkly cookie with a hallmark whole almond pressed in the center of each.  Made with lard or shortening these cookies are crumbly, sandy, crisp, and redolent of almonds. In a nutshell-yummy.  While friends pulled out sugar or chocolate chip cookies from their lunch bags, I pulled out almond cookies from mine.  Those days are a distant memory but I still love eating almond cookies.

      On my last jaunt to Los Angeles, I made a quick pitstop at a family favorite in Chinatown, Phoenix Bakery.  When we were kids, my mom, distantly related to the owners, always made it a point to stop there when we were in LA.  After catching up with the latest news of our families, they would pack boxes of Almond Cookies and Butterflies for us to bring home.  I love their Butterflies, a bow-shaped sheet of dough deep-fried to make them shatteringly crisp and covered with a sweet, sticky, gooey syrup-a dentist’s dream.  If you are ever in LA, do yourself a favor and pick up a box.  The bakery just celebrated its 80th anniversary, no small feat for a family-run business and a testament to their delicious sweets.

      I enjoy almond cookies anytime. But almond cookies are a must during New Year and an integral part of any New Year’s celebration.  Symbolizing coins, they represent good fortune and prosperity in the New Year.

      Although it would be hard to beat the almond cookie of my youth, I am always trying new recipes for almond cookies. I’m glad I tried this one.  They’re delicious.  The recipe comes from the blog The Beach House Kitchen and is a wonderful stand-in for Chinese Almond Cookies. The fine grain texture and tenderness come from the use of cornstarch, confectioners’ sugar, and shortening while the butter and almond extract provide the flavor.

      The dough comes together in a snap. Use a tablespoon ice cream scoop (#70 scoop) to portion out the dough.

      The dough is flattened with a glass dipped in sugar and a whole almond pressed in the center.  After baking, a quick dusting of powdered sugar is the final touch before serving these gorgeous cookies.

      I can’t wait to bring these to this year’s celebration, Happy Year of the Pig!

      Like Almond Cookies?  Here are  a couple of other favorites, Almond Clouds from King Arthur’s Flour and Almond Cookies from B’s Patisserie in San Francisco.

      Print Pin

      Almond Meltaways


      Course cookies
      Cuisine American
      Keyword Almond Cookies
      Prep Time 16 minutes
      Cook Time 14 minutes
      Total Time 30 minutes

      Ingredients

      • 1 1/3 cup all­ purpose flour 167 gm
      • 1/2 cup whole almonds finely ground 75gms
      • 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar 71gm
      • 1/2 cup cornstarch 56gm
      • 1/8 tsp. salt
      • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature one stick
      • 1/2 cup shortening room temperature
      • 2 tsp. almond extract
      • whole almonds for garnish
      • granulated sugar for dipping
      • confectioners' sugar for garnish

      Instructions

      • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
      • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, almonds, confectioners' sugar, corn starch and salt until well combined. Set aside. 
      • Combine butter and shortening in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, on medium speed beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add almond extract. 
      • Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the flour mixture, beating until the dough begins to clump and form a ball around the paddle.
      • Shape the dough into balls, about one tablespoon each and place on baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Flatten each cookie with the bottom of a glass that has been dipped in some granulated sugar and then press a whole almond into the center of each cookie.
      • Bake for 12­-14 minutes, until just lightly browned and firm when gently touched. Let stand on baking sheet for 5 minutes, before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
      • Shake confectioners' sugar on tops of cookies