Tag: #holidaycookies
Will Blog for Food (Easy Homemade Cookie Cookbook)

Will Blog for Food (Easy Homemade Cookie Cookbook)

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I received an e-mail from a publisher a couple of weeks ago. They had come across my blog and wanted to know if I would like to review a book they had coming out. Me? I was flattered (my aw-shucks, you really like me moment). Wait, this isn’t some ploy to get me to buy another book is it? So I asked “Do I have to send the book back?  I hate mailing stuff.  I GET TO KEEP IT?!  Sure I’ll do it!” The last thing I needed was another baking book as I am the owner of way too many cookbooks. As space on my shelf grows tight I have had to be selective about which books I get and keep.  BUT THIS WAS FREE. So what the heck!  When I did receive my copy of Miranda Couse’s Easy Homemade Cookie Cookbook I felt like I was getting an extra birthday gift.  I flipped through the book for an initial look just to size it up. I noted the extensive section on essentials, ingredients, and how-tos. Great for beginners. The cookies are organized by types such as drops, classics, brownies and bars, slice and bake and holiday treats. There are tips and variations interspersed throughout the book, very informative. Each page is user-friendly with the ingredients and quantities listed on the left and instructions on the right. Every recipe is preceded by a highlighted box with prep time, baking time, how many cookies and shelf life, love that. There are photos every couple of pages but not one for each cookie.  Bummers.  But the photos included are well-staged and close-up, you know exactly what the cookie should look like.

Now to the serious stuff. I tried two recipes, the Blueberry Lemon Shortbread and Coffee Cheesecake Swirled Brownie. Both were straightforward and easy to make, especially the shortbread. The cookie is buttery, very lemony which really creates a nice contrast with the blueberries. Dried blueberries are used which I think intensifies the flavor. Really delicious cookie. The brownies were a bit more effort with the 2 batters but worth it. They are decadent, gooey and dense. The sweetness is tempered by the hit of espresso powder. Next time I might add chocolate chips to the brownie batter just to amp up chocolate. Double yums.

Despite having a zillion cookie books, I am making room on my shelf for this one. It is easy, straightforward, well organized and more importantly, the recipes work. I know Jamie is going to love it.  Holiday baking here we come.

This would be the perfect stocking stuffer for novice bakers and cookie lovers!

 
Holiday Cookies, Already? (Book Review-Holiday Cookies)

Holiday Cookies, Already? (Book Review-Holiday Cookies)

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I love cookies and every year I look forward to baking holiday cookies to share with family and friends. The process for which cookies end up in my annual holiday platter starts..well, the day after Christmas. Throughout the year I keep an eye out for new cookie recipes to go along with my tried and true traditional shortbread and Jan Hagels that I make every year.
So of course I jumped at the chance to review a new book from Blogging for Books aptly titled Holiday Cookies by Elisabet Der Nederlanden. The collection is filled with classic, traditional cookies like Spritz cookies, green and red pinwheels and gingerbread. She does add a twist to many by varying the spices and flavors-eggnog madeleines, saffron biscotti or fig and cardamon rugelach which definitely add interest.  I chose the Malted Milk Chocolate Cookies to try. It called to the kid in me and conjured up images of Malt-o-meal, Ovaltine and Whoppers. This is the only recipe I have tried so far and unfortunately the cookie was pretty nondescript. Neither the malt flavor or chocolate were stood out. The cookies did not spread or crack as much as the cookies pictured, perhaps too much flour on my part (weights people). I will try other cookies in the book hope I find one for my annual holiday assortment. l’ll update my review when I do.  The recipes depend solely on volume measurements and not weights, bummers. I love cookbooks that contain both weight and volume measurements. I am a big fan of having a scale it is much more accurate and reliable.
The book starts with a section on how to pack cookies and decorate your cookies with a festive flair. Chapters are organized by classics, exchange cookies, spice and around the world. She also includes a chapter on candy and decorating. The recipes are organized with ingredients in the column on the left and directions on the right, very easy to follow. THE PHOTOS ARE GORGEOUS and the book is worth its weight in presentation ideas. Can’t wait to try a couple more recipes.
Variations on a Thumbprint Day 2: 12 Days of Cookies

Variations on a Thumbprint Day 2: 12 Days of Cookies

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Who doesn’t like thumbprints? Not me, my kids, my hubby, nor Santa (the thumbprints were always gone from Santa’s cookie plate on Christmas morning).  While perusing the internet for holiday cookie recipes I came across the blog, Chew Out Loud.  Their most requested cookie recipe (hands down winner)  is for Buttery Jam Thumbprint Cookies. Really, is it so surprising?  A buttery meltingly tender cookie filled with a “thumbleful” (get it? thumb + thimble) of sweet jam in the center, finished with a dusting of powder sugar.  Heavenly.

So of course I included thumbprints in this year’s 12 Days of Cookies.    My favorite recipe comes from an old copy of Ladie’s Home  Journal (yes, I am that old).  I have made these every year for as long as I have been baking Christmas cookies.  The addition of ground walnuts to the dough gives these cookies a nutty edge and a slightly sandier texture.  I like filling the centers with raspberry jam, its rich ruby red color playing off the surrounding cookie. The sweet and tart flavor of the jam compliments the cookie perfectly.  You can substitute pecans for the walnuts although I prefer walnuts which have a bit of a bite that works really well.   Did I mention they are super easy to make?  Run, don’t walk to your kitchen and make these cookies now.

Over the years I have found little tricks that help when making cookies.  Ice cream scoops are the secret to uniform sized cookies and definitely speed up the process of scooping out the dough.  I make the indentation for the jam with my wine opener (nifty huh) and creates the perfect sized circle in the middle of the cookie, much better than my thumb!

You can use any flavor jam you like.  Put jam in a squeeze bottle and shoot approximately 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation made. As the cookies are cooling, you can add a spot more jam in the center if you wish.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  I use a wire mesh tea strainer for my powdered sugar, works like a charm.

 

And for your listening pleasure the King-Blue Christmas

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Variations on a Thumbprint Day 2: 12 Days of Cookies

Ingredients

Ladies' home journal 12/93

    Prep time: 20 minutes

      Baking time: 10-12 minutes

      • 1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
      • 1 cup butter at room temperature
      • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
      • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
      • 1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves
      • Powdered sugar
      • Dash of salt

      Instructions

      • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
      • Chop nuts in food processor until very fine. Beat butter, nuts, salt and granulated sugar in mixer bowl until light. Beat in flour into blended.
      • Shape dough into 1 inch balls.
      • Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets and flatten to 1 1/2 inch circle.
      • Press into centers with a fingertip.
      • Fill each indentation with 1/4 teaspoon preserves.
      • Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden.
      • Cool.
      • Sift confectioner's sugar over cookies.
      • Makes 6 dozens.

       

       
      Its a Dog’s Life

      Its a Dog’s Life

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      I was so confident I would plow through my Holiday Cookie List.  After all, I usually make a ton of holiday cookies.  But blogging about each recipe threw me for a loop..that and 20+ people for Christmas dinner!  But I am doggedly determined to complete my 12 days of Cookies even though Christmas has passed.  Finding myself in the doghouse for not completing my list made me think of Sammy which of course made me think of dog biscuits.  I found a really easy recipe on a favorite site, Use Real Butter.  Urb was one of the first blogs I started following and has definitely served as inspiration for my blog.  Absolutely gorgeous photos, great recipes and entertaining writing, it has it all.  A bonus of the blog are posts about their beautiful dogs, first Kaweah and now Neva both black labs.  If I were a dog I would want my family to be Jen and Jeremy, well, after us of course.

      IMG_1254 These treats contain pumpkin, peanut butter, whole wheat flour and eggs thats it.  Simple, just four ingredients. Your mixer does all the work.  The dough is easy to roll out and cut.  Pop them in the oven and 20-30 minutes later you have treats for your favorite four legged friend.  Some dogs have allergies and this recipe does have wheat flour-just a heads up.  Various followers on Use Real Butter have used oat flour or rice flour with success.
      Sammy, being part lab gobbles up almost everything we give him, these were no exception!  We baked them for 30 minutes for a nice crunchy biscuit.  Baking them less would yield a soft chewy biscuit that lasts approximately 3-5 days.  The drier version will last a bit longer.

       

       

       

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      Pumpkin Peanut Butter Treats

      Ingredients

      From Use Real Butter

      • 2 1/2 cups whole Wheat flour
      • 2 eggs
      • 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
      • 3 Tablespoons peanut butter

      Instructions

      • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place ingredients in mixer bowl, blend on low speed until dough comes together and forms clumps. Remove from mixer and knead until it comes together. Add a little more flour if it seems too sticky.
      • Roll to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake on parchment or a silpat 20-30 minutes. 20 minutes will yield a soft chewy cookie while 30 minutes will a drier crunchy cookie. Store soft cookies in refrigerator or freezer. Drier cookies can be left out overnight to insure dryness and then stored in a container.

       
      A Cool Minty Riff for #10 on the Holiday Cookie List

      A Cool Minty Riff for #10 on the Holiday Cookie List

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      Only 2 more cookies after this post for my holiday cookie list and COINCIDENTALLY there’s only 2 more days until Christmas.  Yikes, I’m cutting it pretty close!

      When I’m in a grocery or cookware store I feel like a kid in a candy store.  I go bonkers.  It’s really not my fault, there is just too much STUFF out there to entice me.  Take chocolate chips, for example.  Back in the day you had  semi-sweet chocolate chips and that was it.  Now the chocolate chip universe has expanded to include milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and bittersweet.  They come mini, midi and maxi size, in chunks or bits.  It’s easily a 15 minute decision in the supermarket just picking chocolate chips!  And to make matters worse there are peanut butter chips,  butterscotch chips, and EVEN candy bars that come in chips.  The other day I found Andes Creme de Menthe Chips (the holy grail for mint and chocolate lovers), and it would have taken a stronger person than I to walk out without a bag…..or two.

      And so, I give you Cookie number 10, The Andes Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie, right off the back the bag!  The dough is fairly soft and the cookies will spread quite a bit if not chilled before baking.  I used a tablespoon ice cream scoop to make cookies approximately 2.5 inches in diameter.  Bake the cookies on a Silpat to minimize spreading.  Baking time was around 9-10 minutes.

      And a song to listen to while you’re baking these minty morsels, 12 Days of Christmas as sung by The Disney Princesses!

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      Andes Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

      Ingredients

      • Andes Crème de Menthe Chunk Cookies
      • Servings: 4 Dozen
      • Preheat oven to 350
      • • 1/2 cup salted butter softened
      • • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
      • • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
      • • 1 teaspoon baking soda
      • • 1 teaspoon baking powder
      • • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
      • • 2 eggs
      • • 1 package 10 oz Andes® Creme de Menthe Baking Chips
      • • 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

      Instructions

      • Blend butter, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and eggs until mixed.
      • Stir in baking chips or chopped candy and then flour.
      • Chill at least one hour in refrigerator.
      • Measure out approximately 1 ounce of dough.
      • Raise oven rack one level above middle and baking on non-stick cookie sheets.
      • Bake at 350-degrees for approximately 8-10 minutes.
      • Cool on pans for two minutes before removing.
      Bam! Raspberry Lemon Thumbprints

      Bam! Raspberry Lemon Thumbprints

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      The kids are home!  These cookies disappeared crazy fast (which makes me happy).  Who doesn’t like a buttery, crumbly, tender shortbread-like cookie with a hint of citrus and filled with sweet, tart jam? Bah humbug if that’s you!

      Here is Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas to launch this post!

       

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      Bam, I LOVE Jam

      I have a weakness for toast with butter and jam, PBJs and day-after-Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches with stuffing and cranberry jam.  Ok, so I’m cheating, it’s cranberry sauce but if it’s between slices of bread it’s jam to me.  My first-holiday cookie post highlighted Dorie Greenspan’s Jammers.  While they are worth the effort, there are times when you just need to bust out a batch of yummy cookies.  These thumbprint cookies fit the bill.  The recipe comes from Food Network, Emeril’s Holiday cookies.  Yes, THAT Emeril, BAM! Delicious cookie.  The original recipe calls for raspberry jam surrounded by a tender buttery cookie kicked up with lemon zest and juice.  Like many recipes, this one lends itself well to “alterations”.  I used orange zest and juice.   I’m sure just about any citrus juice and zest will work.   Dancing in my head?  Not sugarplums but visions of thumbprints made with lime + strawberry jam and lemon + blueberry jam .  Let me know if you come up with a winning combination.  Use your “jamagination”.

      Jest Jammin’

      The original recipe mixes liqueur with the jam, I skipped this step.  But a Chambord or Framboise would work well.  Just stir the liqueur, 1 tablespoon, into the jam before filling the cookies.  Chill the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour before forming cookies.  Form the cookies, place them on a cookie sheet, and chill again for approximately 10 minutes so that the sheets are cold and the dough is firm.  This helps the cookie from spreading too much.  I used a 1-ounce ice cream scoop to measure out the dough.  I might make them a little smaller for holiday gift-giving.  The cookies did not need the full 20 minutes of baking time.  Start checking at 13-15 minutes.  They will brown quickly.

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      Raspberry Lemon Thumbprints

      Bam! Raspberry Lemon Thumbprints adapted from Emeril!
      Course cookies, Dessert
      Cuisine American
      Keyword Almond Cookies, emeril, jam, thumbprints
      Prep Time 15 minutes
      Cook Time 8 minutes

      Ingredients

      Recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse

        Dry Ingredients

        • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
        • 1 teaspoon baking powder
        • 1/4 teaspoon salt

        Wet Ingredients

        • 2 sticks 1 cup butter, at room temperature
        • 2/3 cup sugar
        • 2 large egg yolks
        • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest feel free to substitute orange zest
        • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
        • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

        Jam Finish

        • 1/2 cup raspberry jam or jam of choice, anything works

        Instructions

        • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
        • Line baking sheet with parchment or silpat sheets
        • In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients, whisk to blend.
        • Using a mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla and beat until well combined.
        • Add the flour mixture in 2 additions and beat just until moist clumps form.
        • Gather the dough together into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap.
        • Chill for 30 min-1 hour until dough firms up.
        • Pinch off the dough to form 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1-inch apart. Use your floured index finger or 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon press center of each ball making a depression. I use the end of a wooden spoon.
        • Fill each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon of the jam mixture.
        • Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
        • Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

         

         
        Day 7: A Walk on the Savory Side (Parm shortbread)

        Day 7: A Walk on the Savory Side (Parm shortbread)

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        Jamie is back from Houston–the first one home for the holiday break!  Kids coming home means its time to stock the fridge and pantry.  Food 24-7!  I decided to make a big pot of soup to chase away the winter chill that has settled in.  One of Jamie’s favorites is Potato Leek Soup.  Flavorful, filling and easy to make plus there are infinite ways you can tweak this soup.  For this batch I added kohlrabi that not only sweetens the soup but gives it a slightly earthy finish. Think of kohlrabi as a cross between cabbage and broccoli.  You can also change up the stock.  I used chicken stock this time but you could use a vegetable stock, fish stock or clam juice and garnish it with crab meat for a “gussied up version”.

        To keep up with the holiday cookie countdown, I made a savory cookie to go along with the soup.  I found a Parmesan Rosemary and Thyme Shortbread on Savory Simple,  adapted from an Ina Garten recipe.  This savory bite starts out much like a shortbread cookie but takes a turn with the addition of herbs, salt, a generous grind of pepper and parmesan cheese.  Variations include using different herbs, use all thyme, or add a dash of cayenne pepper or some lemon zest–infinite possibilities!  The cheese adds a nice finishing crunch to the cookie giving it the snap of a cracker.  This cookie not only goes well with soup but would be great on a cheese plate with a fig jam or pepper jelly as a foil.  Another holiday winner.  So for cookie number 7 Parmesan Herb Shortbread with Potato Leek Soup.  Enjoy!

        And for your listening pleasure as you enjoy a hot bowl of soup and shortbread crackers…I Love the Winter Weather sung by the incomparable Tony Bennett!

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        Parmesan, Thyme and Rosemary Shortbread

        Ingredients

        Adapted from Savory Simple and Ina Garten

          Parmesan, Thyme, Rosemary Shortbread

          • 1/4 pound 1 stick unsalted butter
          • 3 ounces grated Parmesan
          • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
          • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
          • 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
          • 1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary
          • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

          Potato Leek soup

          • 3 leeks rinsed, white part only, thinly sliced
          • 1 yellow onion diced
          • 2 cloves garlic minced
          • 3-4 potatoes diced
          • 6-8 cups of stock chicken, seafood, or water
          • 1/3 - 1/2 cup heavy cream or sour cream
          • S&P to taste

          Optional:

          • 2-3 kohlrabi peeled and diced or broccoli stems from 1 bunch peeled and diced
          • chives
          • lump crab meat or sautéed wild mushrooms for garnish
          • pancetta or bacon salute until crisp and reserved for garnish

          Instructions

          For Shortbread:

          • Cream butter in mixer until smooth. Add Parmesan, flour, salt, herbs* and pepper and combine until dough begins to clump. Do not over mix.
          • *Experiment with different herbs. Decrease the amount of rosemary and increase thyme. Add grated lemon peel (1/2 tsp.) with rosemary.
          • Add a dash of cayenne pepper
          • Pour the dough onto a lightly floured board and roll into a 13-inch long log. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden or chill in fridge until firm.
          • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
          • Cut the log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices. Place the slices on a sheet pan and bake for approximately 22 minutes.

          For soup:

          • Over medium heat, add 1 T oil + 1 T butter to 8 quart pot. Saute' onions until soft and transparent add garlic and saute' for additional minute. Add leeks, potatoes, kohlrabi if using, and stock. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to simmer. Partially cover pot and simmer until vegetables are completely soft, about 45 minutes.
          • Using a hand blender or blender, puree soup until desired consistency. Completely smooth for a classic version or leave it a little chunky for a more rustic soup.
          • Add cream heat to warm through (for a lighter version omit cream.)
          • If soup is to thick, add broth to desired consistency
          • Salt and pepper to taste.
          • Garnish with bacon, pancetta or chives and a dollop of creme fraiche' or crab meat if a seafood stock is used.

           
          Halfway There! Pecan Sandies Day 6 Holiday Cookies

          Halfway There! Pecan Sandies Day 6 Holiday Cookies

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          Day 6 of #holidaycookies!  Another one bite wonder, this time brought to you by the delightful blog Smitten Kitchen.  I have to admit, I love SK but she is making me feel like a slacker.  As I struggle to get my 12 days of holiday cookies completed, multiple posts pop up daily from SK.  She must have a band of elves that help her every night or perhaps she spent summer trying winter holiday recipes that she is now posting.  I have this vision of her baking gingerbread in July in her apartment in one hundred degrees and the AC is broken.  I think the Holiday Cookie Countdown is turning me into Grinch.

          The recipe is from The Last Course by Claudia Fleming which unfortunately is not in print anymore. If you ever see a copy grab it, the Caramel Chocolate Tarts are worth the purchase alone.  Smitten Kitchen + Claudia Fleming + Pecans = Appointment baking.

          The key to these cookies is toasting the pecans.  It’s a good cookie not great.  Like many shortbread cookies they may benefit from sitting a day for the flavor to develop. I sprinkled some sanding sugar on them but I think I may make a blend of Fleur de Sel and sugar to sprinkle on my next batch (my sweet salty fixation) or maybe dip them in chocolate.  The cookies are cut into 1 inch squares and 3/16 of an inch thickness.  I would prefer the cookie a little larger, say 1.25 inches square and 1/4 inch thick just to give the cookie a little more substance.  My little cheats call for using a ziplock bag to roll the dough in for straight edges and a pizza cutter to cut the squares, nifty huh.  Still a lovely cookie to present on a platter with other nibbles.

          Smitten Kitchen in July + Sand-ies which makes me think of beaches = a tropical holiday song! Mele Kalikimaka by the Brothers Cazimero.  Enjoy!

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          Pecan Sandies

          Ingredients

          • 1 cup about 110 grams pecans
          • 2 cups 250 grams all-purpose flour
          • 1 cup 225 grams or 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
          • 2/3 cup 80 grams confectioners’ sugar
          • 2 teaspoons 10 ml vanilla extract
          • 1 teaspoon salt
          • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
          • 2 tablespoons 25 grams turbinado (raw) sugar (I used white sanding sugar)
          • 1 teaspoons of Fleur de Sel

          Instructions

          • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the nuts out in one layer on a baking sheet and bake them, stirring occasionally, until they are well browned, 10 to 13 minutes (they will smell toasted and nutty). Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.
          • In a food processor, grind the nuts with 1/4 cup of the flour. Set aside.
          • Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat well. Sift together the remaining 1 3/4 cups of flour, the salt, and the baking powder, and add it to the dough, mixing until just combined. Stir in the nut mixture. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 3 hours.
          • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Roll the dough between two sheets of wax paper to 3/16 inch thick (a rectangle approximately 10 x 14 inches). Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1-inch squares, then cut the squares on a diagonal into triangles (I skipped the last cut into triangles). Sprinkle the cookies with the turbinado sugar. Place them 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets (do not reroll the scraps). Prick the cookies with a fork and bake until pale golden all over, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
          Sesame Cookies: Day 5 of Holiday Cookies

          Sesame Cookies: Day 5 of Holiday Cookies

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          It isn’t intentional and may be a blogosphere faux pax for all I know.  Like posting multiple pics on Instagram on a single day which my kids tell me I shouldn’t do.  But after posting Sally’s Sesame Cookies I stumbled across another recipe for sesame seed cookies on of all places the Huffington Post.  I did a bit of sleuthing as I am prone to do and found that the recipe was created by Dorie Greenspan and first published in Food & Wine magazine.  That made this recipe a no brainer.  After all Cookies + Dorie Greenspan is a slam dunk as far as I am concerned.  So here it is a second sesame seed cookie!

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          This is perfect for cocktail hour.  These cookies are salty with just a touch of sweetness and would compliment any happy hour libation.  They have the fine crumb of shortbread and ooze buttery goodness.  Totally my kind of cookie plus I love the black and white sesame seeds.  To top it off they are quick and easy to make.  See? SLAM DUNK.

          I chose a duet to go along with this cookie since it has 2 kinds of sesame seeds and drinks are mentioned in the song.  Its a classic with about a billion renditions out there.  I like the version by a favorite artist of mine James Taylor.  Here it is, JT (the original one) with Natalie Cole, Baby It’s Cold Outside.

          A food processor makes quick work of the dough (snap) which is then chilled for couple of hours (time to cyber-shop).  I originally thought I would cut the dough into little bars but they look better round.   I used a 1.5 inch cutter which made them the perfect one bite cookie. Don’t be alarmed by the amount of salt, it is suppose to be salty but is not overly so.  The recipe in Huffington Post calls for adding water to help the dough clump but Food & Wine does not.  I was able to get the dough to clump without using water.  I poured the dough into a ziplock bag and smooshed the dough just until it came together.  Don’t overmix!  Roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness using the sides of the bag to create a nice straight edge.  It may not fill the entire zip-lock bag but at least you will have 3 even sides.  Chill dough until firm.  If the dough gets too soft as you are cutting out the cookies, place in fridge or freezer for a couple of minutes to firm it up. You can find almond meal in most markets now a days thanks to the gluten free movement.   Two pound bags are available at Costco and are quite reasonable.  Black sesame seeds can be found at most Asian markets and probably at Whole Foods.

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          Sweet & Salty Sesame Cookies

          Ingredients

          • From Food & Wine Magazine by Dorie Greenspan
          • 1 cup all-purpose flour
          • 3/4 cup almond meal or ground almonds see Note
          • 1/3 cup sugar
          • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
          • 1 stick cold unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch dice
          • 1 large egg beaten
          • Black and white sesame seeds for sprinkling ( 1:1)

          Instructions

          • In a food processor, pulse the flour, almond meal, sugar and salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture forms large clumps.
          • Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead gently until it comes together. Divide the dough in half and press each half into a disk. Roll out each disk between 2 sheets of wax paper to 1/4 inch thick. Slide the wax paper–covered disks onto a baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour, until firm.
          • Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one piece of dough at a time, peel off the top sheet of wax paper. Using a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out the cookies as close together as possible. Arrange the cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Lightly brush the cookies with the egg and sprinkle with the black and white sesame seeds.
          • Bake the sesame cookies for 17 to 20 minutes, until they are lightly browned; shift the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely.

          MAKE AHEAD

          • The rolled-out frozen cookie dough can be wrapped in plastic and kept frozen for up to 2 weeks; thaw the dough slightly before using. The baked cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

          NOTES

          • Almond meal is available at health food stores and at many grocery stores. To make your own, process 4 1/2 ounces blanched almonds until finely ground.

          SUGGESTED PAIRING

          • Green-appley California sparkling wine: NV Scharffenberger Brut