Category: Slice & Bake
NCOTB #2 Orange, Pistachio and Chocolate Shortbread (New Cookies on the Block)

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

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Yay, the Twelve Seven Eight Days of Christmas Cookies!

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

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

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

Cookie Caveat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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5 from 1 vote

Orange, Pistachio and Chocolate Shortbread

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

Ingredients

Flour Mixture

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

Butter Mixture

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

Add-Ins

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

Instructions

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

Breton_Style Palets (Buttercup Babies)

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The release of Dorie Greenspan’s new cookbook guilted me into getting on the J-O-B and writing this post.  It seems like only a nanosecond ago I made them when actually, the recipe for these Breton-Style Palets is from her newsletter a couple of months ago.  At the time, I posted a pic of these delicious morsels on IG.  The caption of course read, ‘notes, coming soon on 3Jamigos.  I do abuse the ambiguity of the word “soon” a little too frequently.

Without Further Ado

Breton-Style Palets.  Ah, one bite had me singing “Smooth like butter, like a criminal undercover, breaking into my heart like that”.  A tender buttery cookie that sits at the intersection of shortbread and Madeleine.  An absolute delight, not too sweet with a little pop of salt in each bite.

These cookies are very straightforward with a genius tweak from Dorie.  First, start with great butter, this is the cornerstone of these cookies, no skimping.  The other essential ingredients are flour, and powdered sugar, which tenderizes the cookie and gives it that sweet kick. Egg yolks which add another layer of richness, and finally, salt, for that burst of contrast at the end.  According to Dorie, you can add vanilla and or citrus zest, but I’m a purist, I didn’t.

If you start with soft, NOT melted butter, you can actually make these cookies by hand with a bowl and wooden spoon.  I used a mixer, being very careful not to overbeat the butter or the dough after adding the flour.  Overmixing the butter adds too much air.  Aim for a smooth and creamy mixture, NOT light and fluffy.  Over-beating the dough after adding the flour, develops the gluten creating one tough cookie.  So a light hand peeps.

Logging In with Dough Boi

The dough is very soft and sticky after mixing.  I leave the dough in the mixing bowl, press Saran Wrap on top, and chill it for 30-60 minutes before shaping it into a roll.  It makes life easier, trust me.  Take the dough out of the fridge and shape it into 2 logs about 6 inches long, wrap,  and then throw those bad boys into your freezer for at least two hours.  When they are thoroughly chilled, it is “slice and bake” time.

Don’t look too closely, this roll is not the butter babies of this post.  It is here to illustrate how to make a slice and bake roll round.  Roughly shape your dough into “a just short of” the size log you want. Place the dough on parchment or wax paper ( a large enough piece to surround the dough and then some), fold it over the roll, place a straight edge on top of the parchment, tucked right into the bottom part of the roll.  Hold onto the bottom edge of the parchment and pull while simultaneously pushing on your straight edge.  This creates pressure and forces the dough to form a nice round log, ta-da.  Why didn’t I make a video?  That would have been so much easier.

The Dorie Move

Here come the Dorie pearls of baking wisdom and technique.  This is a soft dough, which will spread when baking.  So to get those perfectly round, lovely cookies, Dorie bakes the slices of dough in a muffin tin, that’s right Buttercup, in a cupcake pan. Genius!  Beautiful, perfectly round, how did you do that-cookies.

Now go and make these cookies, they are a ray of sunshine to combat the coming winter weather.  Come back to this blog when you’re done, by then I will have posted Dorie’s Caramel  Chocolate Chunk Cookies baked in that very same cupcake pan you used for these cookies…  You’re welcome.

*Hmmm, made the Caramel Chocolate Chunk Cookies yesterday night, they were not up to expectations so I’ll have to tinker with the recipe a little…Stay tuned!

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Dorie Breton-Style Palets

Another delicious cookie from Dorie Greenspan in the shortbread camp. Buttery, tender, slightly sweet, with a sprinkling of salt for that Breton signature.
Course cookies, shortbread
Cuisine American, French
Keyword butter, cupcake tin, Dorie Greenspan, salt, Shortbread
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 213 grams
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 ounces very soft (but not oily) unsalted butter 226 grams
  • 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar, sieved or sifted 90 grams
  • 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt to taste
  • 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, optional

Instructions

  • Whisk the flour, baking powder and baking soda together; set aside.
  • In an electric mixer on low-medium speed or with a flexible spatula (if your butter is soft and creamy, the dough is very easy to make by hand), beat the butter, sugar and salt together until very smooth. If you’re using a mixer, go easy – try not to beat air into the mixture. One by one, add the yolks and beat to blend. Beat in the vanilla, if you’re using it.
  • Add the dry ingredients in two additions, beating each until just incorporated. The dough will be soft and sticky. Cover dough with Saran Wrap and chill for 30-60 minutes.
  • Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a log that’s about 5 1/2 to 6 inches long (get the length and the width will be fine). Freeze the logs for at least 2 hours.
  • Just before cutting and baking, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. The rack should be in the center of the oven.
  • Working with one log at a time, unwrap the log and score it so that you can cut 12 rounds. If a round cracks or slivers when you cut it, just press the pieces back into shape. Drop each slice into each cupcake hole of a standard-size muffin tin.
  • Bake the cookies for 18 to 20 minutes – rotating the tin front to back after 10 minutes. Bake until the cookies are beautifully golden around the edges and just firm to the touch in the centers. Remove the tin from the oven and place on a rack, carefully run a knife around the edge to loosen each cookie, invert the pan onto a cooling rack to release them. The cookies are very fragile, so be gentle with them. Cool to room temperature on racks before serving.

Notes

Storing: Packed in a covered container, the cookies will keep for at least a week.
In a Peanut Pickle with these Cookies (Peanut and Bittersweet Chocolate Cookies)

In a Peanut Pickle with these Cookies (Peanut and Bittersweet Chocolate Cookies)

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I have mentioned this before, when it comes to cookies we are a divided family.  Shortbread cookies are my favorite, crumbly, buttery, crisp, not too sweet, perfect with tea or coffee.

My family disagrees.  Hubs and kids prefer chewy cookies.  While Hubs favors oatmeal cookies (like his Good Cookies), Jorge, freshly back from a year in Korea, will remind me (almost daily) that I have yet to make his favorite chocolate sprinkle cookies or even CCC.  All classic kid cookies-chewy, sweet and deliciously dunkable in an ice-cold glass of milk.

So, much to Jordan’s chagrin, the cookies that came out of the oven the other day were the Peanut and Bittersweet Chocolate Cookies, a slice and bake that is much more similar to shortbread.  I found the recipe in the LA Times (a boss cooking section, the reason I maintain a subscription) a few years ago.  The winner of their holiday cookie contest, it immediately went on my gotta make Cookie Bucket List.  It is delicious, buttery, crisp, not quite as dense as shortbread, and filled with peanut umami.  The cookies contain both peanut butter and finely chopped peanuts, a double nut hit.  Mr. Planter would be proud.  The bittersweet chocolate gives it an adult twist, a not too sweet hit of chocolate, yum.

I knew it was a winner when Jorge unconsciously kept eating the cookies all the while complaining about not liking peanut butter or crisp, short cookies and still asking “When are you going to make Sprinkle Cookies?” as he polished off the last one.

Necessity is the mother of invention and quite often, a good thing.  Stashed in the pantry, a jar of honey roasted peanuts that subbed for the salted peanuts I did not have.  To offset the sweetness from the honey, I sprinkled the cookies with Fleur de Sel before popping them in the oven.

The peanut butter, sugar, and butter are beaten until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and combine, don’t overbeat.  Fold in the nuts and chopped chocolate.  The dough is very soft, transfer the dough to wax paper or parchment and shape into a log.  Place in the fridge and chill thoroughly.  Use a sharp knife or a serrated knife to cut the dough into 1/4 inch slices.  I rotated the dough while slicing to keep the cookies round.  If the dough crumbles, just smoosh it back together. Sprinkle the slices with Fleur de Sel and sanding sugar.

If you wanted to make a kid friendlier cookie, you can use semi-sweet or even milk chocolate for the bittersweet chocolate.  If you like peanuts, you are going to love these cookies.

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Peanut and Bittersweet Chocolate Cookies

Course cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword Peanut and Bittersweet Chocolate Cookie
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup 1 stick cold butter
  • 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup finely chopped roasted peanuts or honey roasted peanuts
  • 1 cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
  • Fleur de Sel for sprinkling
  • Sanding Sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
  • Beat the butter until creamy in a stand mixer. Beat in the peanut butter until blended. Beat in the sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Beat the egg and vanilla into the sugar mixture until combined. Add flour mixture and beat until thoroughly mixed. Stir in chopped peanuts and chocolate until evenly incorporated.
  • Divide the dough in half. Shape it into two logs about 9 inches long and wrap each log in plastic wrap, waxed paper. Twist ends to seal. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the logs and cut into one-fourth-inch-thick slices. The dough is soft so rotate while slicing. If dough crumbles due to peanuts or chocolate just press it together to reshape.
  • Place the slices on parchment-lined baking sheets, and bake 10 to 13 minutes until lightly browned around the edges.
  • Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Store the cookies in an airtight container.

Notes

Each cookie: 66 calories; 1 gram protein; 7 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 5 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 7 mg. cholesterol; 38 mg. sodium.
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.

 
Waiting to Bakehale (Salted Butter & Chocolate Chunk Shortbread) Day 7 Holiday Cookies:

Waiting to Bakehale (Salted Butter & Chocolate Chunk Shortbread) Day 7 Holiday Cookies:

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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.

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

Ingredients

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

Instructions

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