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.
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 minutesminutes
Total Time 10 minutesminutes
Servings 12cookies
Author Adapted from Minimalist Baker
Ingredients
1cuprolled oatsold fashioned gluten-free
1Pinchsea saltoptional
3/4cupmedjool datespitted // measured after pitting
1/2cupnatural salted peanut buttercreamy or crunchy
CHOCOLATE GLAZE optional
1/2cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips"accidental" vegan chips
1tspvegetable 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)
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?!
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 Mochifrom 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 Companyin Japantown (now closed😢😢😢 ). All family-owned artisan shops.
1cup(200 grams) organic dark brown sugar*light or dark brown sugar will work
2teaspoonsbaking powder
1/2teaspoonkosher salt1/4 tsp sea salt
1 13 ouncecan full-fat coconut milkSub evaporated milk, half to all
2large eggsroom temperature
1½teaspoonsvanilla extract
1teaspoonmolassesoptional, added for flavor or use Golden Syrup or honey
1½tablespoonseachblack 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.
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.
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.
Jamie is home and decided it was time to bake and bail me out, as she always does, on my attempt to post 12 Days of Cookies. I’m soooo close, this is cookie number 11. If it wasn’t for “being under the weather”, I would have posted this yesterday. We definitely needed a citrus cookie so she picked a Lemon Crinkles. The recipe comes from Fresh April Flours by Lynn. I think it was karma that Jamie picked this recipe, Lynn is a scientist by trade and a field hockey player. Imagine that? Fate.
A riff on Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, these gems are bursting with lemon flavor, a delightfully refreshing cookie that’s easy to make and sure to appeal to any citrus lover.
If you are a lemon FREAK. You could up the amount of zest or play with the amount of lemon juice (just a bit since adding liquid can effect the texture). Remember, adding zest ups the lemon flavor while adding lemon juice will increase the tartness. Baking soda also tempers sourness (which is why I add baking soda to my buttermilk biscuits, I don’t want the tang). You could play around with leaving out the baking soda and adding more baking powder…but this is speculation on my part, so you are entering the change at your own risk zone.
Using you handy dandy ice cream/cookie scoops. Use a 1.5 tablespoon scooper for a good size cookie. Roll the scoops into smooth uniform balls before LIBERALLY rolling in the powdered sugar. Some of the sugar will be absorbed by the moisture in the dough. For that nice white jagged snowy cap, keep on rollin’.
Cookies spreading too much? Chill-out and chill the dough well. This means on warm days, chill the dough, scoop out the balls, if they are soft, chill again.
Bake these bad boys off and sit down with a nice cup of tea and enjoy! Or tease your Dog…
A citrus riff on the classic chocolate crinkle cookie. A refreshing change of pace.
Course cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword Crinkles
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
1 hourhour
Total Time 25 minutesminutes
Servings 18cookies
Author April Fresh Flours
Ingredients
1.5 cupsall purpose flour
¼teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonbaking powder
⅛teaspoonbaking soda
½cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature= 1 stick
1cupgranulated sugar
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1large eggroom temperature*
1.5 tablespoonsfresh lemon juice2 T for more tartness
zest of one lemoncan increase for more lemon flavor
Instructions
In a medium size bowl, toss together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (approximately 2-3 minutes). Beat in vanilla, egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.
Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. If chilling longer than 1 hour, allow to sit at room temperature about 15 minutes before rolling into balls.
When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
Pour the powdered sugar onto a large plate. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop the dough out of the bowl and roll into a ball with your hands. Dough ball does not need to be perfect. Roll the ball of dough generously in the powdered sugar. Place no more than 8 balls of dough on a baking sheet at one time (4 rows of 2). Chill dough you are not using.
Bake cookies for 13-14 minutes or until cookies look mostly matte (not wet or shiny). Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 10 days. Baked cookies freeze well, up to 2 months. Rolled cookie dough can be frozen up to 3 months. Roll in powdered sugar before baking and bake frozen. Add another 1-2 minutes to baking time.
Forward Progress…courtesy of Jamie….an Instagram Story on making Lemon Crinkles! It gets a little loss in translation on the blog but it’s a start..onto 2019!
Go Big or Go Home Day 10 of 12 Days of Cookies (CCC Skillet Style)
The best thing about cruising the internet right now is the plethora of Top Ten or Best Eats of the Year lists that are popping up everywhere. In between furiously publishing holiday recipes, everyone digs into their 2018 archives and comes up with The Best of 2018.
I scrolled through Favorite Desserts of 2018 on Ktchn and landed on a cookie recipe and I mean A cookie. My stomach grumble meter went into overdrive, a ginormous chocolate chip cookie baked in an iron skillet.
It’s New Year’s Eve. I need a dessert that’s EASY to make, a show stopper, sharable, and has universal appeal.
This pops into my head.
Enter the Skillet Zone. Julia Child in a suit and tie, sans glass of wine, starts to speak, she’s a bit stiffer than normal but hey, this is a mash up…she starts to speak…
Imagine if you will, a Cast Iron Skillet, ebony from years of cooking and love. A warm GIANT Chocolate Chip Cookie cooked in the aforementioned skillet and a quart (or more) of Vanilla Ice Cream.
The Oohs and Aahs as you bring this to the dinner table. Cause who doesn’t succumb to the aroma of a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie?
You cut into the cookie-the chocolate chips are gooey, melted perfection, the cookie is soft, cakey in the middle, you work your way to the edge, the texture changes to that of a cookie with a crisp, caramelized edge. You place the wedge of cookie on a plate.
Everyone is holding their breath in anticipation, mesmerized by the chocolate oozing and the aroma of the cookie and then…
BAM! You hit it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream which immediately begins to melt over the cookie.
Everyone goes crazy.
Yes, you have entered the Skillet Zone.
Unfortunately, I do not have a cast iron skillet. Lost, in one of the many moves we have made. I used an All-Clad skillet. My cookie was relatively even in height. I think that if baked in a cast iron skillet, the additional heat of the black pan would cause the sides to bake quicker, rise a little higher than mine, possibly be a bit crisper. Hmmm, yummy. Feel free to add nuts if you like. I CHEATED, I used chocolate chunks and pistoles instead of chopping chocolate. Definitely try to find chunks and not use regular sized chips.
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375°F.
Place the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine; set aside.
Place the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer and large bowl.) Beat at medium speed until lightened in color and creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the eggs and vanilla. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Beat in the flour mixture on low speed until just combined.
Set aside 1/3 cup of the chopped chocolate. Add the remaining chocolate and nuts if using, to the dough and fold to combine. Transfer the dough to a 10-inch cast iron or oven-safe skillet. With damp hands, press the dough in an even layer to the edges of the skillet. Sprinkle the reserved 1/3 cup chocolate over top and gently press into the dough.
Bake until the center is set and the edges are golden-brown and slightly pull back from the skillet, about 25 minutes. Set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.
Notes
Add nuts if you like. I use pecans. Ok, I cheated, I didn't chop chocolate but used chocolate chunks and pistoles I found. I am all about the path of least resistence.Will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.Use only vanilla ice cream. NO bubblegum flavor, peppermint or anything else but Vanilla...just saying.
Thumbprints: Thumbs Up for Day 9 of 12 Days of Cookies
Only 3 more cookies to bake for my 12 days of cookies 2018. Cookie no. 9 is a riff on my go-to thumbprint cookie. I decided to use toasted hazelnuts in place of walnuts. Ok, not earth-shattering but enough of a twist that the hubster noticed (he is a thumbprint afficionado) and loved the nuanced change. The hazelnut MO? More assertive than other nuts such as almonds or pecans, buttery and sweet. It’s flavor shines in these thumbprint cookies. I filled the center with a berry-lime jam I had made at the end of summer and added a tease of vanilla to the dough to complement the jam. Yummy!
Measure the amount of nuts needed before grinding them. You want the nuts to be finely ground but not to the point where it starts to get pasty.
Take out your trusty ice cream/cookie scoop. I use a tablespoon scoop and line up the cookie dough balls, assembly line mentality, on a sheet. Place dough balls on a cookie sheet approximately 1.5-2 inches apart. Press each one to flatten to 1/4-3/8 inch thick (thicker if larger). Use the end of a wooden spoon or utensil of similar size, to create a depression in the center of each cookie. I use a hand blender to puree my jam (no fruit lumps!) and a squeeze bottle to squirt the jam into the center of each cookie. How easy is that?
This turned out to be a delish version of thumbprint cookies. Perfect during the holidays and especially nice with a bit of the bubbly to bring in the new year!
This year I joined in on Food52’s Holiday Gift Swap. It was simple, all I had to do was make a donation to their designated charity and promise to send a food-centric gift by Dec. 10th. A couple of days later, I received my “Secret Santa” swapee’s name and address. My swappee lives in Colorado, I already had a list of go to items I wanted to send her like Jule’s granola and my cousin’s spiced pecans.
My box of goodies came from Catherine of Salt Lake City. Like a kid in a candy store, I quickly tore the box open and discovered a treasure trove of gifts, sweet and salty chocolate sprinkles, popcorn seasoning, salad toppings, a too cute kitchen towel and a delicious cereal mix- Ashure Cereal that I started munching on immediately. Luckily, Cathy included the recipe by Saimin Nosrat in the NY Times. It starts with a base of puffed wheat, nuts, and sesame seeds. Then spiced with cinnamon, cardamon and mahaleb, (a middle eastern spice from cherry seeds, think bitter almond) and finally toasted in the oven with brown sugar, honey and oil. It is addictively delicious.
After scarffing down the bag, I knew I had to make my own batch.
This is where the search begins…
I head to my favorite market, International Food Bazaar. I unwittingly thought that the spices would be the hardest to find. Surprisingly not true. Most of the ingredients and spices can also be found online.
With Mahaleb in hand, I head to my neighborhood grocery for the puffed wheat cereal…
4 STORES later, I walk out empty-handed and dejected. Not a bag or box of puffed wheat to be found. Apparently it is really hard to find puffed cereals without sugar added. Who would have “thunk” it?
I took to the internet, and found Vitacost, a supplement/health food site where I not only find Puffed Wheat, but Puffed Kamut (an ancient grain), Puffed Corn and Puffed Rice. You can find Puffed Rice by Quaker Oats in the supermarket, a great alternative for a gluten free version. I like Puffed Kamut. I would definitely cut a bit of the cereal and add more nuts and Mahaleb. Watch carefully when baking as it browns fairly quickly. I love it over yogurt and fresh fruit or straight out of hand.
So be forewarned, the most difficult ingredient to find will be the cereal. But it will be well worth it, Ashure Cereal is absolutely delicious.
Here, for you to drool over, my Food 52 holiday swap gift from Cathy!
10cups/160 grams puffed wheatsub Puffed Kamut or Rice
3/4 Scant cup/85 grams halved pecansincrease to 1 cup
1⁄3 cup/50 grams pumpkin seeds
3tablespoons/30 grams sesame seeds
1⁄2 cup/85 grams almondsvery roughly chopped, or left whole with skin
Instructions
Step 1
Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions. Heat to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
Step 2
Combine oil, honey and sugar in a medium saucepan, and set over medium-high heat. Whisk well, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
Step 3
In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients, and mix well. Once the honey mixture comes to a boil, carefully pour it over the dry ingredients. Working quickly, use a large silicone spatula to stir, turning the contents of the bowl over until everything is coated evenly with the syrup. Transfer mixture to baking sheets, and use spatula to flatten out cereal into an even layer.
Step 4
Place baking sheets on prepared oven racks, and bake for 10 minutes.
Carefully remove 1 tray at a time, and use spatula to stir cereal around. Rotate trays 180 degrees, and switch oven positions to ensure even baking. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes longer, until golden brown and well caramelized. Remove from oven, and allow to cool entirely on the trays before breaking cereal into large clusters.
Step 5
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Happy holidays and happy baking!
Waiting to Bakehale (Salted Butter & Chocolate Chunk Shortbread) Day 7 Holiday Cookies:
From the 2018 cookie annals, I give you Salted Butter & Chocolate Chunk Shortbread. Why re-post? How many cookies are the focus of a magazine article? Such is the case in this month’s Atlantic, The Rise of Anxiety Baking. Apparently, since “he who shall not be named” has unwittingly been thrust into “public service”, there has been a corresponding rise in anxiety in Americans, especially Millennials. This heightened feeling of impending doom has apparently caused a significant uptick in cookie baking in an effort to soothe the soul and calm the nerves. The one cookie that has become the poster child for anxiety baking is Alison Roman’s Salted Butter & Chocolate Chunk Shortbread. It definitely helps that this cookie is damn delicious. A buttery, tender shortbread dotted with nuggets of dark chocolate and edged with crunchy Demerara Sugar. Are you salivating? You should be.
Yep, that is me. No, not a millennial, but a no holds barred bake to relieve stress crazy person. I made batches of this cookie. I took them to work, to coffee with the moms, to the Omnivore Books Cookie Contest. (I didn’t win AGAIN). Think of this cookie as a tasty prescription. Bake it, feel better and make other people happy. A pharmacist’s advice for free. You’re welcome.
6ouncessemi- or bittersweet dark chocolatechopped (but not too fine, you want chunks)
1large eggbeaten
Demerara sugarfor rolling
Flaky sea saltfor sprinkling
Instructions
The cookie dough can be made ahead and stored, tightly wrapped in plastic, up to 1 week in the refrigerator, or 1 month in the freezer. Cookies can be baked and stored in plastic wrap or an airtight container for 5 days.
1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Using an electric mixer and a medium bowl or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, both sugars, and vanilla on medium-high till it’s super light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and, with the mixer on low, slowly add the flour, followed by the chocolate chunks, and beat just to blend.
3. Divide the dough in half, placing each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic over so that it covers the dough to protect your hands from getting all sticky. Using your hands (just like you’re playing with clay), form the dough into a log shape; rolling it on the counter will help you smooth it out, but don’t worry about getting it totally perfect. You can also do this using parchment paper, if you prefer, but I find using plastic wrap easier when it comes to shaping the log. Each half should form two logs 2 to 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Chill until totally firm, about 2 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
5. Brush the outside of the logs with the beaten egg and roll them in the Demerara sugar (this is for those really delicious crispy edges).
6. Slice each log into 1/2-inch-thick rounds, place them on the prepared baking sheet(s) about 1 inch apart (they won’t spread much), and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating them all.
Belly Up to the Snickerdoodle Bar Day 6 Holiday Cookies
A riff on quite possibly my favorite cookie, the Snickerdoodle. The Snickerdoodle is the quintessential cookie. Buttery, chewy, slightly cakey center, crispy edges, a nice hit of cinnamon, my mouth is watering as I write this. This year’s Washington Post’s favorite cookies of 2018 include a Snickerdoodle Blondie. We all know the quick and dirty route to a batch of cookies is a bar cookie. Snickerdoodles, baked in a square pan instead of individual cookies, texturally a bar cookie but taste-wise just like a snickerdoodle. Ah, two worlds collide beautifully.
Quick and easy bar cookie. The texture of a blondie/brownie but the taste of a Snickerdoodle. All that buttery cinnamony goodness in a bar.
Servings 16Servings
Calories 220kcal
Author Adapted from WAPO
Ingredients
12tablespoons1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1cupgranulated sugarplus 2 tablespoons for the topping
1/2cuppacked brown sugar
2large eggs
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
2cupsflour
1teaspoonground cinnamonplus more for the topping
3/4teaspoonbaking powder
1/2teaspoonkosher salt
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch-square baking pan with cooking oil spraythen line the bottom with parchment paper.
Instructions
Combine the butter, the cup of granulated sugar and the brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer; beat on medium speed for a few minutes, until lightened and a little fluffy. Stop to scrape down the bowl.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract; beat on medium speed until well incorporated.
Whisk together the flour, teaspoon of cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl, then add to the mixer bowl; beat on medium-low speed until well incorporated. The dough will be quite soft.
Transfer to the baking pan, then spread the dough evenly all the way into the corners. Whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar with the amount of cinnamon you prefer; we recommend 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. Sprinkle that mixture evenly over the surface. Bake (middle rack) for about 25 minutes, until golden and still slightly soft at the center.
Cool completely (in the pan) before serving or storing. It's best to lift out the slab and slice on a cutting board; discard the parchment before cutting.
Notes
I used only 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon in the topping which seemed like plenty
Going to a holiday party? Make a batch, leave it in the pan and give the whole kit-& Kaboodle of s-doodles to the host.
