Tag: Shortbread
Shortbread with Grapefruit & Thyme Day 3 Holiday Cookies

Shortbread with Grapefruit & Thyme Day 3 Holiday Cookies

By | | Comments 0 Comment

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 love these cookies.  The recipe is from my classmate, JJ, also known as KidDoc JJ.  She has a wonderful site, KIDDOCJJ that has delicious recipes, healthy living tips (she is a pediatrician turned chef), guest celebrity interviews, and cooking classes for those 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 icing made with grapefruit juice.  So GOOD-tart, sweet, herby, buttery… I am in shortbread heaven just thinking about them.  After she posted this 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.  Go jot it down, bookmark it, or print out the recipe right now…I’ll wait, they’re that yummy.

Merry Baking!

Print

Grapefruit Thyme Shortbread

A thymely twist on shortbread with the addition of grapefruit
Course cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword grapefruit thyme shortbread
Prep Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • - 1 stick unsalted butter softened
  • - 2 TB finely grated grapefruit zest save the fruit juice
  • - 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • - 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
  • - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • - 1 cup all purpose flour
  • - 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  • 2. Into the bowl of a food processor, stand mixer, or if you're in for a little workout, a regular bowl, place the butter, vanilla, salt, grapefruit zest and chopped thyme.
  • 3. Add the powdered sugar and pulse (if using a processor), or beat on medium with a paddle (if using a stand mixer), or mix with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth.
  • 4. Add the all purpose flour and mix just until flour is incorporated.
  • Your mixture should look - a little on the dry side, but well blended together.
  • 5. Butter a springform pan or pie tin.
  • 6. Using an offset spatula, spread the dough evenly in the pan.
  • 7. Prick the surface of the dough with a fork. This is called "docking."
  • 8. Refrigerate for an hour (or put it in the freezer for 30 minutes).
  • 9. While your dough is getting cold, squeeze out about 2 TB of grapefruit juice into a bowl. Add 3/4-1 cup of powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Whisk until smooth. 10. Once the dough is cold, put in the oven for 15-18 minutes until the edges are golden and the center is firm.
  • 10. Once the dough is cold, put in the oven for 15-18 minutes until the edges are golden and the center is firm.
  • 11. Remove the collar from the pan. Immediately cut the shortbread into 8 or 16 wedges.
  • 12. Transfer wedges to a cooling rack set over a plate.
  • 13. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the shortbread, and gently spread to the edges with an offset spatula. Once cool you can serve it!

Notes

See post for making cutout cookies instead of wedges.
Banana Pecan Shortbread (You Butter Believe They’re Vegan)

Banana Pecan Shortbread (You Butter Believe They’re Vegan)

By | | Comments 4 comments

Every now and then my political leanings sneak into a post. Nothing overt, a line, a sigh, a one-liner although I’m pretty sure my feelings are pretty obvious, oh well.  After the election I found myself feeling like that chicken running around screaming “the sky is falling, the sky is falling!  In order to not drive myself crazy, I decided I had to somehow channel that energy.  I had to stop lamenting over my latte’ and do something.

March for Science
March for Science

I went to marches and rallies, dressed Sammy up, and took him to marches.  Attended lectures, started reading books that didn’t have recipes, and subscribed to a bunch of podcasts.  Finally, I took the leap and joined a political action group organized by 3 amazing women in my community.  From there, I have met so many AMAZING people that I would not have met otherwise if not for the outcome of THAT election.

See, there is a silver lining to everything

One of which is meeting T&H. I adore them.  They are genuine, smart, funny, a little quirky (love that), compassionate, passionate…I could go on and on.

Wait, what the heck, they’re VEGAN? Dealbreaker

Just kidding.  The other night it was my turn to host our advocacy dinner meeting.  Most of the meal was pretty easy, spicy sesame noodles, a nice toss green salad, fresh berries.  Roasted salmon on the side for non-vegan, meat-eating folks (ME).  Easy peasy until…DESSERT.

What is a no-holds-bar, butter-obsessed, whipped cream-eating, dessert lover (ME again) to do?

So, being a “Big Tent” person, I went on the hunt for vegan desserts.  The first Vegan recipe I tried was an Olive Oil Shortbread with Rosemary & Chocolate Chunks from Smitten Kitchen. Pretty good…for a vegan cookie (ahhh, the qualifier). This time around I found a recipe for a Banana Pecan Shortbread on Minimalist Baker.  This looked promising.

Guess what, they are yummylicious (no qualifier).

Vegan Banana Pecan Shortbread

The secret ingredient? Coconut oil.  The cookie has a nice fine crumb and a bit of crispiness at the edges. These definitely give traditional shortbread a run for its money.  The pecans and banana add both sweetness and a buttery finish, you really don’t miss the butter.

I used refined organic expeller pressed coconut oil from Whole Foods.  Refined coconut oil has very little flavor and is a great substitute.  I threw it in the fridge for a couple of minutes to make sure it was completely solid and creamed the coconut oil with the sugar, just like butter.  I saw a couple of comments with regard to using coconut oil in the liquid state, but nope.  I’ll leave it to others to experiment.  I molded it into a cylinder, slipped it into my trusty PVC pipe (the secret to perfectly round cookies), and chilled it for a couple of hours. The cookies took closer to 15-18 minutes to bake in my oven, so start checking a little earlier than the stated baking time.

You could probably substitute a gluten-free flour mix to make this not only vegan but gluten-free.  Next time I might try substituting almond flour for part of the flour to see if it makes it a touch more tender cookie.  But honestly, it’s pretty darn good the way it is!

Print Pin

VEGAN BANANA PECAN SHORTBREAD

Vegan and gluten-free banana pecan shortbread cookies. Crisp with a slight tenderness, nutty and sweet. You won't miss the butter
Course cookies, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword banana, coconut oil, cookies, Shortbread, vegan
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 30 cookies

Ingredients

Creamed Ingredients

  • 1 cup refined coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup mashed ripe banana 1 small banana yields ~1/3 cup
  • 3/4 cup organic cane sugar or granulated sugar

Flavor Bumps

  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

Dry Mix

  • 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup pecans finely chopped
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon optional but I do add it

Instructions

  • Cream oil, sugar and banana. Add vanilla, and salt, blend until incorporated.
  • Add flour and blend. (If you are adding cinnamon, add it to the flour). Add pecans and mix once more. Do not overmix.
  • Transfer to a large piece of parchment paper and roll into a tight log, ~ 2 inches wide. Freeze for 15 minutes to harden. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Unroll paper and slice cookies into slightly less than 1/2 inch rounds. Use a sharp or serrated bread knife. If it’s too soft, freeze it a little longer. If the dough has become too hard, let it rest for a few minutes at room temp to soften.
  • Place on an un-greased baking sheet approximately 1/2 inch apart. They won’t spread much. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until light golden brown.

Notes

With all the wonderful gluten-free flours now.  You could probably sub for the all-purpose flour to make this not only vegan but gluten-free!
Enhance the pecans by toasting them first.  Place pecans on a small baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes.  When you notice the aroma of the pecans they are done!
 
Olive Oil Shortbread with Rosemary & Chocolate Chunks, A Tale of Two Wedges

Olive Oil Shortbread with Rosemary & Chocolate Chunks, A Tale of Two Wedges

By | | Comments 0 Comment

Last week was a busy work week and several evening commitments were on my to-do list. One of the realities of living in the Bay Area is the exceptionally ugly commute (up 1.5 hours to go 25 miles-yeah-go figure) so my commute has taught me to ALWAYS VOLUNTEER TO BRING DESSERT since I invariably run late.  So my plan was to make cookies,  I could make them in advance, bring them with me to work, go directly from work to each function, and be forgiven for being late because who gets mad at anyone who brings homemade cookies?!

I needed a vegan option as well as a regular sweet bite for the meetings.  I decided the Grapefruit Thyme Shortbread (it’s my flavor of the month cookie) would be my non-vegan cookie.  The vegan option was going to be a bit trickier, I am a butter-believer.  As luck would have it, a recipe for Olive Oil Shortbread with Rosemary and Chocolate Chunks from Smitten Kitchen Every Day Cookbook popped up on my feed.  Hmmm, now how did Facebook know I needed a vegan dessert recipe?

Not funny?  Too soon?

Olive Oil Shortbread with Rosemary and Chocolate Chunks

Surprisingly (at least to me), the rosemary and chocolate meshed well.  The flavors really stand out and I didn’t think about the no butter factor. The sprinkling of turbinado sugar on top provided a nice crunch while the cookie itself had a nice fine crumbly texture.

Olive Oil Shortbread with Rosemary and Chocolate Chunks

I changed the baking method for the Grapefruit Thyme Shortbread, my non-vegan option.  Wanting a more traditional shortbread and keeping with my wedge theme, I baked it in a round pan and cut it into wedges right out of the oven.  Unlike the first time I made them, this version had a casual, rustic appeal.  While the cutout version had a fine crumb and crisp edges. These are a bit softer, almost cake-like, without the crisp edges. Still delightful, just different.  Putting on my ATK hat, made sense due to the differences in baking methods. I consider this a bonus, 2 cookies for the “dough” of one.

Grapefruit Thyme Shortbread Post

Grapefruit Thyme Shortbread

Print

Olive Oil Shortbread with Rosemary & Chocolate Chunks

Ingredients

  • Smitten Kitchen /every Day by way of Food52
  • 1 1/2 cups 195 grams all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup 60 grams powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons 25 grams, plus 1 teaspoon (5 grams) turbinado (raw) sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup 120 ml mild olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1/2 cup 85 grams semisweet chocolate, chopped into small chunks
  • 1 egg white beaten until loose (optional not vegan 🙁 )

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 325° F.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, and the salt.
  • Add the olive oil and rosemary and stir to combine.
  • Add the chocolate chunks and stir again.
  • Gather the dough with your hands into one mass.
  • Roll out the dough to an 8- to 9-inch roundish slab between two sheets of parchment paper. Remove the top sheet and use the bottom to slide the cookie round onto the back of a large baking sheet.
  • If desired—it merely provides a little shine—brush the cookie with the egg white. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
  • Slide the cookie round carefully onto a cutting board while the cookie is still totally hot. Cut with a sharp, thin knife into desired shape(s). Let cool completely, then separate.
  • Do ahead: This dough keeps well in the freezer. Baked cookies keep for 2 weeks in an airtight tin at room temperature.
  • Note: For a milder flavor, replace half of the oil with a neutral/flavorless one. You can cut this into shapes with cookie cutters, too, but the chocolate provides a little resistance.
JJ, Good Times, High School Daze

JJ, Good Times, High School Daze

By | | Comments 2 comments

Back in high school, there were certain kids everyone gravitated towards, the student body president, quarterback, class clown, their sheer exuberance for life attracted people to them. My classmate, Jeanette, falls in that envious category.  JJ for short, she lit up a room when she walked in.  Her energy and her smile were magnetic.  She was smart, sassy, outspoken, boisterous, a total gas to be around.  (Wow, that’s dating myself).  After we graduated from high school we lost touch only to reconnect at our 5-year high school reunion.  Promises to keep in touch and get together tumbled out our mouths…well, fast forward to our 40th reunion, the next time we would see each other again and catch up. That’s how life goes but thanks to social media we won’t have to wait for another reunion to reconnect. Anyways…

She became a bum. JUST KIDDING.  Not surprisingly she approached grown-up life with the same zest she had in high school.  She became a pediatrician, TV personality (a regular on the Hallmark Channel’s Home and Family show), Water Advocate, Mom…I give up..let’s just call her Superwoman.  What can I say?  KIDDOCJJ – We were high school buds.

And now she has set her sights on the food world-teaching cooking classes, blogging, writing, advocating for healthy lifestyles. She has combined her knowledge of science and medicine with her passion for food.  Check her out at KIDDOCJJ.  Her recipe for Grapefruit Thyme Shortbread popped up on my FB feed and of course, I had to try it.  All I can say is, they are DELICIOUS and a snap to make. The hint of citrus with a slight bitter tinge from the grapefruit plays well with the buttery cookie and the sweet icing made of powdered sugar and grapefruit juice.  This recipe is a keeper.

Grapefruit Thyme Shortbread

The recipe calls for using a food processor.  If you don’t have one, a mixer will also work.  But the food processor does make quick work of this dough.  Though the recipe calls for softened butter, if you use a processor you can start with cold butter.  Pulse the butter, zest, thyme, and vanilla until blended, add the powdered sugar, process till combined and then add the flour.  Process just until the dough clumps, try not to overprocess.

Grapefruit Thyme Shortbread Dough

My first go around I decided to tweak her recipe just a bit.  Instead of spreading the dough in a springform pan, I rolled out the dough and cut out the cookies, just a bit more work than smooshing it in a pan.  I scooped the dough into a Ziploc bag and rolled it into an 8 x10 rectangle (a Dorie Greenspan trick), roughly 3/16 inch thick, and tossed it in the fridge to chill for an hour. A scalloped edge cutter did the trick to create the just too cute finished cookies.  Since the cookies were cut out they required less baking time, start checking at 10-12 minutes.

The cookies were light, tender and packed a nice grapefruit punch, definitely not timid in flavor.  Perfect when you need a “fancy-schmancy” cookie.  I also made them as JJ suggested in a pan and the results were surprisingly different which you can find in my next post.  Either way, these cookies are delightful.  Put them on your baking list.

Grapefruit Thyme Shortbread

Print

Grapefruit Thyme Shortbread

A thymely twist on shortbread with the addition of grapefruit
Course cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword grapefruit thyme shortbread
Prep Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • - 1 stick unsalted butter softened
  • - 2 TB finely grated grapefruit zest save the fruit juice
  • - 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • - 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
  • - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • - 1 cup all purpose flour
  • - 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  • 2. Into the bowl of a food processor, stand mixer, or if you're in for a little workout, a regular bowl, place the butter, vanilla, salt, grapefruit zest and chopped thyme.
  • 3. Add the powdered sugar and pulse (if using a processor), or beat on medium with a paddle (if using a stand mixer), or mix with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth.
  • 4. Add the all purpose flour and mix just until flour is incorporated.
  • Your mixture should look - a little on the dry side, but well blended together.
  • 5. Butter a springform pan or pie tin.
  • 6. Using an offset spatula, spread the dough evenly in the pan.
  • 7. Prick the surface of the dough with a fork. This is called "docking."
  • 8. Refrigerate for an hour (or put it in the freezer for 30 minutes).
  • 9. While your dough is getting cold, squeeze out about 2 TB of grapefruit juice into a bowl. Add 3/4-1 cup of powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Whisk until smooth. 10. Once the dough is cold, put in the oven for 15-18 minutes until the edges are golden and the center is firm.
  • 10. Once the dough is cold, put in the oven for 15-18 minutes until the edges are golden and the center is firm.
  • 11. Remove the collar from the pan. Immediately cut the shortbread into 8 or 16 wedges.
  • 12. Transfer wedges to a cooling rack set over a plate.
  • 13. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the shortbread, and gently spread to the edges with an offset spatula. Once cool you can serve it!

Notes

See post for making cutout cookies instead of wedges.
Bouchon’s Shortbread Cookie

Bouchon’s Shortbread Cookie

By | | Comments 5 comments

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

Print Pin

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

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

By | | Comments 1 comment

Let’s get the apology over with first. Yikes, I wasn’t able to complete my 12 days of cookies. I started early, had help from Jamie and still came up short. Shouldn’t make excuses BUT, I am going to.  A family trip to Vegas is the clear winner of excuses and reasons why I stumbled. Of course, if I included cookies sampled at Bouchon in Vegas, I would have easily made 12, but not quite within the rules.  Second, a faulty oven. When the oven takes over 45 minutes just to reach 325 degrees, Houston, we have a problem. The last time my oven went on the fritz (a few years ago), I was baking Thanksgiving pies. Now that was a disaster.

BUT, I am determined to complete the list, after all, cookies can be made and enjoyed year around. So, without further ado…
#7 of the 12 Days of Cookies: Salted Butter & Chocolate Chunk Shortbread

After seeing this cookie pop up on various sites and blogs I knew it was destined for the 12 Days of Cookies list.  The recipe comes from the book Dining In by Alison Roman (what do you know, I am not buying this book-have I turned a new leaf? Nope, it is currently out of stock). This was a no-brainer.  Butter. Chocolate. Shortbread.  Like I was going to be able to ignore this recipe.

This is a slice and bake cookie, my favorite kind of cookie.  You can make the dough in advance and bake off as few or as many cookies as you like. You can freeze some of the dough for a rainy day, which in California, might not happen for awhile.

The dough was a bit crumbly straight out of the mixer so I kneaded it a couple of times until it came together.  Shape the dough into logs using parchment paper. Form the dough roughly into a log on the parchment, fold parchment over the log, and with a straight edge (ruler) placed up against the log on top of the parchment, gently pull the bottom piece of parchment while pushing the straight edge into the dough. This creates a round log. Wrap each log in the parchment and slide into a round tube (I use 3-inch diameter PVC pipe) and chill in the fridge.

You can use raw turbinado sugar for the Demerara Sugar.  Don’t skip this step as it adds a nice crunch to the cookie. I would use semi-sweet chocolate which results in a sweeter cookie.  There is quite a bit of chocolate in this cookie which can make slicing the dough a bit tricky.  It’s okay if it crumbles when cut, just smoosh the dough back together, it will bake up fine.

An utterly delicious cookie, buttery, sandy, chocolatety (my new word), and sweet with a surprise pop of salt.  It hits every taste sensation, and if that wasn’t enough, a crispy edge from the demerara sugar.  Cookie Heaven.  The keys to this cookie are salted butter, a sprinkling of Fleur de Sel, an edge of Demerara Sugar and of course CHOCOLATE chunks.  Hmmmmmm.

I made a batch for a friend’s New Year’s Eve Party, but unfortunately, I was too tired to attend.  I ended up in my jammies, on the couch, ringing in the New Year with a glass of milk in one hand and a cookie in the other and then promptly fell asleep.  Oh well, there is always next year.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Dilemma-A bit of bubbly or milk?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Print

(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.
Ho Ho Ho! Yo-Yo’s are here! Day 2 Holiday Cookies

Ho Ho Ho! Yo-Yo’s are here! Day 2 Holiday Cookies

By | | Comments 0 Comment

Day 2 of 12 days of Cookies.  I am off to a slow start having posted the first cookie days ago.  But I promise, this cookie will make up for the wait.  Once again I found a delicious treat in Ottolenghi’s dessert book, Sweet. Yep, my new fav. I am a sucker for shortbread and their Yo-Yos are just that, buttery, melt in your mouth shortbread cookies. They didn’t stop there, the cookies are then paired with a luscious buttercream to make an absolutely delicious sandwich cookie. Perfect for a holiday cookie platter.

The cookies are made with custard powder, an English invention.  A thickening agent like cornstarch, the custard powder gives the cookies their sandy texture. The addition of annatto to the powder creates that lovely yellow-orange hue.  I found Bird’s Custard Powder at a local Indian supermarket, cornstarch can be used instead but I love the color from the Bird’s Custard.

The dough comes together quickly.  Dry ingredients are sifted into a bowl and butter cut into it. The mixture starts out very dry and crumbly but after adding the vanilla and increasing the speed of the mixer the dough comes together nicely.

Use a tablespoon ice cream scoop to measure out portions of dough. Roll each scoop into a smooth round ball and then smoosh each with a fork.

I have a confession to make.  I couldn’t find rhubarb so I substituted strawberries instead to make the buttercream.  The berries give the buttercream both flavor and color and make very striking sandwich cookies.  No wonder they call these cookies Yo-Yos.  Can’t wait until rhubarb is in season.

and to get you into the holiday baking mood….Mariah

Print Pin

Ho Ho Ho! Yo-Yo’s are here! Day 2 Holiday Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 small stalk rhubarb trimmed, washed and cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 4 1/2 tbs unsalted butter room temperature, cubed
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbs confectioner's sugar
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Dough

  • 1 1/3 cups plus 2 tbs all-purpose flour Plus 1 tbs for dusting
  • 1/2 cup custard powder can use cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tbs confectioner's sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature, cubed
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract use 1/2 tsp if using cornstarch

Instructions
All Things Reconsidered (Raspberry Diamants)

All Things Reconsidered (Raspberry Diamants)

By | | Comments 2 comments

Not all was amazing during our impromptu trip to New York for my cousin Mike’s surprise party in January (here is the good stuff though, from my The Big Apple post).  After visiting Ground Zero, we headed to Payard’s, a well known French bakery with an outpost on Houston Street.  All I can say is maybe it was an off day, but the pastries were disappointing at best.  We ordered a lemon tart, an oatmeal cookie and a Napoleon.  The Napoleon and cookie weren’t memorable at all, which is a good thing because the lemon tart was memorable because it was NOT good.  The crust (I love crust) was so tough we had to use our knife and fork to chisel through it.

Ugh, so Disappointing

I went up to the counter (ok, never said I wasn’t obnoxious) and asked “what one item in here would prove to me that Payard is worth his reputation.  To her credit she laughed and gave me a complimentary slice of the Payard Tart.  It was ok, definitely better than the lemon tart.

DSC04409

Anyway You Slice It

When we first arrived I spied his book Payard Cookies on display and my reaction was oh nooo, not another cookbook and its about cookies!  My cookbook addiction was about to rear it’s ugly head since I seldom pass up the opportunity to add to my collection.

After trying the desserts I walked out without a copy.

You might be asking where is this story going?  Well, having put Payard Cookies out of my mind I was perusing a favorite blog, Ipso-Fatto recently and to my surprise she had posted glowing reviews of a couple of cookies from Payard.  Well, maybe we did catch Payard on a bad day. I tried the Raspberry Diamants and you know, they’re pretty darn good and a breeze to make.

It is a slice and bake cookie which I love, so flippin’ easy.  You can make the dough in advance and leave it in the fridge.  You can bake as many or as few as you want and freeze the remaining dough for a rainy day.  These cookies are a riff on sables’, the French version of shortbread cookies.  Diamont, French for diamonds, refers to the sparkly edge on the cookies created by rolling the dough in coarse sugar before baking.  Description done, let’s go make some delicious cookies!

It’s Berry Good

Adding raspberry jam makes this cookie a little softer than a classic sable’.  Which gives the cookies a sweet tart flavor and flecks of red color.  Payard adds red food coloring to the dough to make the cookies pink but I didn’t.  Use jam with seeds, it adds a bit of crunch.  You can kick these cookies up a notch by making a sandwich cookie using raspberry jam for the filling or a raspberry buttercream.  Oh snap.

Uh-oh looks like I may be adding yet another cookbook to my collection.

Print

All Things Reconsidered (Raspberry Diamants from Payard)

Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

Adapted from Payard Cookies

  • 14 tablespoons 200gms unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup 80 gms powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk reserve egg white
  • 1/4 cup 60gms raspberry jam with seeds (I used TJ's)
  • 1-3 drops of liquid red food coloring optional
  • 1 3/4 cups 225gms all purpose flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup 200gms granulated sugar or sanding sugar

Instructions

  • In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat softened butter with powdered sugar until fully combined. Add egg yolk, raspberry jam, and food coloring. Mix until well combined.
  • Add flour and salt and mix only until dough comes together. Careful to not overmix.
  • Place dough on piece of parchment paper and roll into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Freeze dough for approximately 2 hours, or until log is chilled all the way through. You can freeze dough for up until one month.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment.
  • Remove dough from fridge. Put granulated sugar in a large rimmed baking sheet.
  • Brush the reserved egg white on the outside of the cookie dough.
  • Roll in granulated sugar until completely coated. Return to fridge for 5 minutes to chill.
  • Remove from fridge and slice roll into 1/4 inch slices. Place on parchment lined sheet approximately 1 inch apart.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies just begin to turn color and the edges are golden brown.
  • Remove cookies from oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Italian Jam Crostata

Italian Jam Crostata

By | | Comments 3 comments

I almost skipped this recipe but I’m glad I didn’t. The fancy name, Italian Jam Crostata, and its veil of preserves and almonds threw me off.  Behind the name and hidden under the jam lies a buttery, crumbly cookie crust that melts in your mouth.  A clever play on my absolute FAVORITE cookie, shortbread. So good and so easy to make!  I found the recipe on the blog site Bake or Break.  Great site, worth a visit.

The shortbread base screams of buttery goodness (did I mention that already?) not too sweet with just a hint of almond.   The dough is soft much like cookie dough and easily pressed into a tart pan (use one with a removable bottom) or a springform pan.  My tart pan has a dark finished which probably contributed to the shorter baking time than posted. Next time I’ll lower the baking temperature and check it before the suggested baking time elapses.

The original recipe calls for 1/3 cup of jam.  I used a bit more, almost 1/2 cup which covered the crust to within 3/4 of an inch from the edge. The crostata is finished off with sliced almonds and a crumble topping made from a portion of the dough.  Pick your favorite jam .   I used raspberry jam this time, next time I will try pineapple preserves with macadamia nuts and flaked coconut.  Sounds intriguing right?

DSC03796

This is really a great dessert.  Your friends will be oohing and aahing, only you will know how easy it was to put together.

Print

Italian Jam Crostata

Tender buttery shortbread crust topped with your favorite preserves and almonds. It’s easy to make and yummy to eat!
Course cookies, Dessert
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword crostata, strawberries
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 10 inch fluted tart pan or springform pan

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (12 tablespoons)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup jam use your favorite!
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds

Variations:

  • Pineapple preserves and flaked coconut

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy on medium speed. Add vanilla & almond extracts and salt to mixture. Mix until combined.
  • On low speed, add flour to butter mixture, blending just until mixture comes together. Do not overbeat, the dough should be crumbly.
  • Remove 1/2 cup of dough and press onto a plate or pan (~1/4 inch thick). Cover with Saran Wrap and place it in the freezer.
  • Press remaining dough into a 10-inch tart pan or springform pan. You can press the dough in with a glass, covered with saran wrap or with your fingers. Flour your fingertips to prevent sticking. If using a fluted tart pan, press dough to fill to fluted edge but not up the sides!  I made that mistake without thinking that I wasn't making a tart!
  • Spread jam over the dough leaving approximately a 3/4 - 1-inch border.
  • Sprinkle almonds and reserved dough (crumble it with your fingers or a fork) evenly over crust.
  • Bake approximately 40 minutes or until the edge is golden brown. Cool completely before taking it out of pan.
  • Cut into wedges.