Tag: butter
Strawberry Vanilla Shortbread Day 4 Holiday Cookies

Strawberry Vanilla Shortbread Day 4 Holiday Cookies

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Day 4 of the 12 Days of Cookies is a keeper.

I LOVE shortbread, it is hands down my all-time favorite cookie.  During the holidays I usually bake a batch of classic Scottish Shortbread.  This year, I am adding Strawberry Vanilla Shortbread Cookies from Use Real Butter to the rotation. Sweet strawberries and a hefty dose of vanilla add a one-two punch to a buttery, tender cookie. I made a batch and the fam scarfed them down in no time flat.

I almost didn’t try this recipe. The first part of Jen’s post is a how-to on drying strawberries.  It’s winter, where am I going to find fresh sweet strawberries to dry?  Not happening in my house, even if it’s the height of strawberry season, I’m way too lazy.  Luckily, at the very end of the instructions, she adds “If this is too much of a pain…you can always grab a bag of freeze-dried strawberries at Trader Joe’s.  Bingo, I am all over that idea.

I should have cut the strawberry pieces smaller for better distribution.  I used vanilla paste in place of the pods and part of the extract.  Once the dough is made, place it in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and roll the dough flat using the Ziploc border to create a square.  You can also shape the dough into a log for slice and bake cookies.

I used a fluted cookie cutter, chilled the dough to help keep its shape.  It was a little tough cutting through the bits of strawberries but still doable.

This is an absolutely delicious cookie.  If you like buttery, sweet-tart strawberry, and vanilla, bake this cookie.

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Strawberry Vanilla Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 cup 3.5 oz. or 100g powdered sugar
  • 2 vanilla beans split and seeds scraped
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp of vanilla paste can be subbed for the pods and reduce extract to 1/2 tbsp
  • 1 tbsp Grand Marnier or orange liqueur
  • 2 cups 9 oz. or 260g all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup 4 oz. or 115g chopped dried strawberries (recipe below) or 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries

Instructions

  • Beat the butter with a paddle attachment until smooth.
  • Add the powdered sugar to butter and beat on medium speed until blended.
  • Add the vanilla bean seeds (use the pods for something else) or vanilla paste, vanilla extract, and Grand Marnier to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated.
  • Mix the flour and salt into the butter mixture until the flour is absorbed and no dry flour remains.
  • Stir the chopped strawberries into the dough. Scrape the dough into a gallon-size ziploc bag and roll flat with a rolling pin until the dough fills the bag in an even layer.
  • Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  • Preheat oven to 325°F and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper. When the dough is chilled, peel off the plastic and slice the dough into desired shapes or use a cookie cutter (circles show the least deformation) and re-roll scraps to use again.
  • Arrange your raw cookies 1.5 inches from each other on the baking sheet and dock them (prick them) with a fork three times across each cookie.
  • Bake 16-20 minutes (18 minutes worked well for me) until the bottoms are golden. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

Notes

Makes about 36 2-inch round cookies or 42 1.5-inch square cookies.

 

 

 
Shortbread with Grapefruit & Thyme Day 3 Holiday Cookies

Shortbread with Grapefruit & Thyme Day 3 Holiday Cookies

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Day 3 and once again I reached into the 2018 vault.  I went straight to a shortbread riff I posted in March, Grapefruit Thyme Shortbread.  I absolutely love these cookies.  The recipe is from my classmate, JJ, also known as KidDoc JJ.  She has a wonderful site, KIDDOCJJ that not only has delicious recipes but, healthy living tips (she is a pediatrician turned chef), guest celebrity interviews, cooking classes for those of you who live in LA, and so much more.  I want to be JJ when I grow up!

This is a lovely cookie flavored with grapefruit zest and fresh thyme and finished with an icing made with grapefruit juice.  So GOOD-tart, sweet, herby, buttery… I am in shortbread heaven just thinking about them.  After she posted this absolutely yummy cookie recipe. I baked a batch, went bonkers over them, and then baked a second batch. The first time I made cut-out cookies. The second time, I shaped the dough into a round (like traditional shortbread), baked it in a pie pan and cut it into wedges. Both ways were equally delicious.  Add this recipe to your holiday baking list, really.  Go jot it down, bookmark it, or print out the recipe right now…I’ll wait, they’re that yummy.

Merry Baking!
Rice Krispy Treats (Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun)

Rice Krispy Treats (Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun)

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Oh Snap

It’s the last day of January and in order to avoid total embarrassment… here is the last cookie to complete my 12 Days of Cookies list. I give you the stupid easy, childhood favorite- Rice Krispy Treats!  Wait, do not roll your eyes and think “lame”. This is not your mama’s, on the side of the Snap, Crackle and Pop box, recipe. This is Rice Krispy Treats with a twist that is not for the faint of heart.

Little Crackle

No, there isn’t booze in these treats.  The recipe comes by way of Smitten Kitchen (love that site).  I had been looking for a way to jazz up this childhood favorite (not just add multi-colored sprinkles) and bring a bit of pizazz to them.  I found a couple of recipes that were just crazy, too much stuff, too complicated, just yuk. At the end of the day, a riff on Rice Krispy Treats should still transport you back to the ones you ate as a kid but at the same time your brain should be going “holy cow-what did she do to these!”

The Pop

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you…

SALTED BROWN BUTTER RICE KRISPY TREATS

Yep, the exact same ingredients as the original recipe plus a sprinkle of flaked salt and well, DOUBLE the amount of butter. Yep, mo’ buttah, mo’ betta.

And if that wasn’t enough, you kick it up another notch by browning the butter!  Great balls of butter!  You end up with a Rice Krispy treat that is gooey, sweet and salty, nutty and buttery.  YES, scream it from the rooftops, DOUBLE BUTTER!

Up your Krispy Game, reserve half the salt to sprinkle on the treats at the end.  Use Fleur de Sel or grey salt, your hipster friends will ooh and aah.  Oh, snap.

That’s it folks, cookie number 12. Drop the mic, done.

Brown Butter Rice Krispy Treats
These went to a Bake Sale for a Bird Sanctuary that would be obliterated by Trump’s stupid wall. Jason renamed them Double Buttah “R-aah-ce”  (he’s from Tennessee!) Krispy Treats.
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Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispy Treats (Smitten Kitchen)

Not your mama's Rice krispy treats! Brown butter and more marshmallows madke these devilisly delicious
Course bar cookies, cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword rice krispies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 stick unsalted butter 4 ounces
  • 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon flake salt such as Fleur de Sel or Grey Salt or coarse kosher salt
  • 1 10 ounce bag of miniature marshmallows DO NOT BY FANCYSCHMANCY ONES, they don't work
  • 6 cups Rice Krispy cereal

Instructions

  • Butter a 9x9 inch square pan, set aside.
  • In a large saucepan or pot, melt butter over medium heat, The butter will begin to foam and the milk solids will start to brown. Watch it like a hawk, you don't want it to burn. It will smell nutty and toasty. Serious Eats has a great tutorial on brown butter
  • Remove pan from heat, add marshmallows and salt. Stir continuously until the marshmallows melt and blend with the butter into a homogenous mixture.
  • Add Rice Krispies and stir until well coated.
  • Pour into 9x9 inch prepared pan and press firmly to compress. If you want, decorate with Sprinkles on top.
  • Cool, run a knife around the perimeter of the rice krispies, invert pan and tap the bottom. The rice krispies should release fairly easily from the pan. Cut into approximately 2 inch squares.
  • Enjoy!
Bouchon’s Shortbread Cookie

Bouchon’s Shortbread Cookie

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

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

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

Yep, tall order.

The trial:

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

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

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

The verdict:

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

Bouchon's Shortbread

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The Path of Least Resistance TK Shortbread

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

Ingredients

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

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter with the paddle attachment on medium-low speed until smooth. Add sugar and salt and mix on medium-low for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix for 30 seconds.
  • Add half of the flour, and mix until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Repeat with the second half of the flour.
  • Place a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter, and mound the dough on top of it. Form the dough into a 5 inch by 5 inch block. Wrap it with the plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
  • or
  • Roll dough into 9 inch square in between parchment, or in a Ziploc bag. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.
  • Roll the dough out to a 9 inch by 9 inch square between two pieces of wax or parchment paper. You may have to pound it a bit with your rolling pin to get it to roll out. If it gets too soft, you can put it back into the refrigerator to firm up.
  • When ready to bake, place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
  • With a sharp knife, and using a ruler, score the dough into four 2 1/4 inch wide horizontal strips. Next, score the dough into six 1 1/2 inch vertical strips. Sprinkle the dough with sanding sugar or granulated sugar.
  • Cut the dough along the scoring into 24 individual rectangles. Place the rectangles about 1/2 inch apart on the baking sheet.
  • Place sheet in oven and bake, using convection, for 13 to 15 minutes, or if not using convection, for 17 to 19 minutes.
  • Cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes, and then move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to three days.
All About that ‘Crust, No Filling (Pie Crust Recipe)

All About that ‘Crust, No Filling (Pie Crust Recipe)

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I absolutely love pie. Apple pie, Lemon Meringue Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Peach Pie and BANANA CREAM PIE. Yum.  My favorite part of the pie is the crust, all that buttery goodness in tender flaky sheets.  My current favorite pie crust recipe is from Dorie Greenspan (ok, I might still be starstruck) it is really good.  A combination of butter for flavor and shortening for flakiness.  I tweaked it a bit, little less sugar  (1/8 cup) and a little less salt (1 tsp).  The recipe calls for up to one-half cup of water.  Start with 6 tablespoons.  I usually don’t use more than 8 tablespoons which is well short of one-half cup.

I like starting with a food processor and finishing by hand, the best of both worlds.  The food processor makes short work of cutting the fats into the dry ingredients while finishing the dough by hand prevents overworking the dough and ending up with a tough crust.  By all means, try each method to see what gives you the best crust possible without having you tear your hair out.  Use the food processor throughout or make it completely by hand.  Directions for both are in the recipe.

Just remember the golden rules, keep your ingredients COLD.  If your dough gets too soft at any point put it back in the fridge to chill. Don’t overwork your dough.  This link is to Food52’s  (a great website-check it out) article on what “overwork” means…it’s spot on and now I don’t have to explain it!

And…..EAT. PIE.

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Pie Crust

Course Pie, Pie crust, Pie dough
Cuisine American
Keyword buttery, Flaky, Pie crust, tender
Prep Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • For a 9 inch Double Crust
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/8-1/4 cup sugar
  • 1-1 ½ tsp salt
  • 2 ½ sticks very cold unsalted butter cut into tbsp size pieces
  • 1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening cut into 4 pieces
  • About ½ cup ice water you should not need all of it

Instructions

  • Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and PULSE only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour. Don’t overdo the mixing- what you’re aiming for is to have some pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley.*

Food processor:

  • Pulsing the machine on and off, gradually add about 6-8 tbsps of the water- add a little water and pulse once, add some more water, pulse again and keep going that way. Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. If, after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn’t look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water as necessary, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. Big pieces of butter are fine. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto a work surface.

Hand Method: (My preferred method it allows for more control)

  • Pour dough into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle water onto dough and mix with fork to bring dough together. The dough will look a little dry but when pinched should hold together. Try not to add too much water. Pour dough onto a lightly floured flat surface and knead lightly to bring dough together.
  • Divide the dough in half. Gather each half into a ball, flatten each ball into a 1"disk and wrap each half in plastic. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before rolling (if your ingredients were very cold and you worked quickly, though, you might be able to roll the dough immediately: the dough should be as cold as if it had just come out of the fridge).

To Roll Out Dough:

  • Have a 9 inch pie plate ready to go.
  • You can roll the dough out onto a floured surface or between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap. If you’re working on a counter, turn the dough over frequently and keep the counter floured. If you are rolling between paper, plastic or in a slipcover, make sure to turn the dough over often and to lift the paper, plastic, or cover frequently so that it doesn’t roll into the dough and form creases.

Little tricks of the trade

  • Roll from the center of the dough ball out (away from you. Rotate a quarter turn and repeat. by constantly moving you insure it isn't sticking. I cheat, I had hubby get me plastic strips approximately 16 inches long and 2 inches wide in varying thickness, 1/8", 3/8", 1/4", 1/2". The ends of my rolling pin sit on the plastic strips so I roll evenly and to the right thickness.
  • If you have time, slide the rolled out dough into the fridge for about 20 minutes to rest and firm up.
  • When baking lower the rack to the lowest position in the oven. This helps crisp up the bottom crust.

I hate a soggy bottom, don't you?
    Quest for the Holy Biscuit

    Quest for the Holy Biscuit

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    I might have mentioned my obsessive tendencies when it comes to food.  For the most part I can control it but there are certain dishes that stay on the brain and whenever the opportunity arises, i.e. a restaurant that features it or I find a new recipe…I AM COMPELLED TO TRY IT.  This is true for cookies like shortbread and lemon bars but it is especially true for biscuits.  Having kids in the South has added fuel to the fire.  As soon as I know I am going to the South, I scour the internet looking for the best biscuits.  My current favorite in Nashville is Biscuit Love, (their Bonuts, fusion of biscuits and donuts served with fresh fruit and lemon curd, kill me now good).  A trip to North Carolina began and ended with biscuits.  No sooner had we arrived at the Raleigh-Durham Airport we made a beeline for Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen in Chapel Hill, a drive-thru that closes at 2 pm. We made it just in the nick of time for their fried chicken biscuit sandwiches, freakin delicious. Heading to the airport to fly home we took the circuitous route so we could stop at Rise Biscuits & Donuts in Durham for our last biscuit fix…delicious ending!  I have found yummy biscuits in Portland, Oregon at The Tin Shed and Pine State Biscuits and right here in California at The Nickel Diner in LA and Brenda’s French Soul Food in SF.  I love biscuits, it’s my crack.

    In my mind, there are 2 kinds of biscuits, soft tender almost cake-like biscuits, and buttery FLAKY biscuits.  My current quest is for the latter, biscuits so flaky you can peel & eat them in layers.  I came across a recipe from Dishes and Dust Bunnies that I wanted to have a go at.  My first batch accompanied me to Mom’s Monday morning coffee where they were gobbled up.  Flaky, buttery, slightly salty, tender, I inch ever closer to the perfect biscuit.

    DSC03163

    I made a few changes to the recipe….somewhere along the way I learned the addition of baking soda to biscuits made with buttermilk reduces the tangy flavor.  Despite being a native San Franciscan I am not fond of sour flavored food.  Sourdough bread, I’ll take a pass (blasphemous I know).  I used unsalted butter and reduced the salt to 1 teaspoon.  Remember the golden rules for making biscuits, keep the ingredients cold, and don’t over mix. After chilling the dough, I rolled the dough into a 1/2 inch rectangle and folded the dough like an envelope (thirds) rolled again into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle.  Repeat twice.  For taller biscuits roll dough to 1 inch thick on the final time.  Expect biscuits to about double in height when baked.

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    Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

    Ingredients

    • ¾ cup buttermilk
    • 2 cups all purpose flour plus more on the side for dusting
    • 2½ tsp baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp sugar
    • ¾ cup cold unsalted butter 1½ sticks, cut up into 1/2 inch piecs

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
    • Combine dry ingredients bowl of food processor, pulse 2-3 times to mix
    • Place butter on top of dry ingredients and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. It is ok if there are some pea sized pieces of butter left.
    • Pour mixture into shallow bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the buttermilk to the mixture
    • Combine with your hands or a dough scraper gently mixing to blend. The dough is supposed to be crumbly so don't over mix.
    • After the dough has come together, chill in the fridge for about 10 - 15 minutes.
    • Take the dough from the fridge and drop it onto a floured surface. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough.
    • Roll the dough out into the shape of a rectangle about ½" thick. Sprinkle with a little flour.
    • Fold the dough in thirds and roll it out to about ½" thick again.
    • Fold over 2 more times and roll out to 3/4 - 1" inch thick. Sprinkle with a little flour.
    • Use a circular cookie cutter (2" cutter), cut out the biscuits and place them onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Do not twist cutter when cutting out biscuits, press straight down.
    • Alternative use a pizza cutter and cut cut dough into squares.
    • Leave at least 1" of space around each one.
    • Bake for 11 - 12 minutes until tops are golden.
    • Optional - Brush melted butter over the tops of the biscuits once they come out of the oven.
    • Serve with jam or butter