#sliceandbake Archives

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

By threejamigos | December 22, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

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.

(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.

Ladies and Gentlemen, This is Cookie Number 5 (Nibby Buckwheat Butter Cookies)

By threejamigos | December 18, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

One of my favorite baking goddesses (I have many) is Alice Medrich. Yes, that Alice, Chocolate Maven, Dessert Queen and creator of quite possibly the best damn lemon bars ever. Don’t get me started on her Snickerdoodles, so good. Cookie number 5 is from her book, Pure Desserts, a shortbread cookie with a twist-Nibby Buckwheat Butter Cookies.

If you have been following 3jamigos you know that I fall in the shortbread camp for my favorite type of cookie. Buttery goodness in bite-size morsels with a hint of sweetness, sign me up. Well lucky me, this cookie falls in that camp-buttery, slightly sweet, tender, nice sandy texture, and a cool, slightly bluish brown hue. The cookies get kicked up a notch with the addition of cocoa nibs. This adds a subtle hint of chocolate at the finish. The color and slight earthiness from the buckwheat and the “is it chocolate or isn’t it?” from the nibs, are a cookie mindblower.

So if you are looking for a shortbread that is a little different but still buttery delicious, put this one on your list.

Bonus: Easy to make.

Do not overbeat when creaming the butter and sugar which will incorporate too much air into the dough (I might have done this which accounts for the puffiness and soft edges). The mixture should be smooth and creamy. Add flour and beat until it comes together, don’t overmix.

The dough can be shaped into a log, chilled and finished as slice and bake cookies. The dough can be stored in the fridge or freezer so you have freshly baked cookies when family and friends drop by. Everyone will think you are a badass baking queen.

Or you can get fancy-schmancy and roll out the dough and cut out cookies for a more festive look. Put the dough in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and roll to the edges. This will give you a sheet of dough about 1/4 inch thick, perfect for cutout cookies. I used a fluted metal cutter which may work better than a plastic one as you have to cut through the nibs. To add festive bling, sprinkle the cookies with sanding sugar and a touch of flake salt (like Maldon) before baking. That takes these cookies to the “bend and snap” (Legally Blond-remember?) level of attention.

Chill the dough after cutting out the cookies, the edges won’t spread as much. I was having oven issues so the edges ended up less defined. But still yummy!

Okay, not hooked yet? Still looking for a classic shortbread, try this one, my favorite traditional Scottish Shortbread or Bouchon’s Shortbread.

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Nibby Buckwheat Butter Cookie

A delicious riff on shortbread, buckwheat flour and cocoa nibs take these cookies to a new level.

Course cookies

Cuisine American

Keyword NIbby Buckwheat Butter Cookies

Author Adapted from 101 Cookbooks (Alice Medrich)

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups 5.6 ounces all-purpose flour
3/4 cup 3 ounces buckwheat flour
1/2 pound 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cacao nibs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Whisk the all-purpose and buckwheat flours together in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, with the back of a large spoon or with an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar and salt for about 1 minute, until smooth and creamy but not fluffy. Mix in the nibs and vanilla. Add the flours and mix just until incorporated. Scrape the dough into a mass and, if necessary, knead it with your hands a few times, just until smooth.
Form the dough into a 12 by 2 inch log. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or, preferably overnight. Or place dough in a gallon ziploc and roll to the edges of the bag. Dough will be about 1/4 inch thick. Chill thoroughly before cutting out shapes. These cookies do puff and expand a bit so also chill dough after cutting to ensure crisp edges.
Position the racks in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
Use a sharp knife to cut the cold dough log into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place the cookies at least 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets.* Or follow instructions for cut-out cookies.
Optional: Sprinkle cookies with a bit of sanding sugar and an even tinier bit of flake salt like Maldon before baking.
Bake until the cookies are just beginning to color at the edges, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet from front to back halfway through the baking.
Cool the cookies in the pans on a rack, or slide the parchment liners carefully onto the rack to free up the pans. Let cool completely.

Notes

The cookies are delicious fresh but even better the next day. They can be stored in an airtight container for at least one month. My batch made about 30 3-inch cookies. Recipe states approximately 48 2-1/2 inch cookies.

A Chip Off the Old Butterscotch Block (Butterscotch Cookies)

By threejamigos | October 28, 2018 | Comments 1 comment

A second recipe from The Perfect Cookie by America’s Test Kitchen caught my eye for a different reason. I had just made a batch of Potato Chip Butterscotch Cookies from The Vintage Baker and now had a partial bag of butterscotch chips sitting on my counter. I have to admit, I am not the biggest fan of butterscotch chips so I don’t have a bunch of recipes with butterscotch. Here was an opportunity to use the rest of the bag.
Glad I did. This is another super simple slice and bake dough. Instead of chips the butterscotch is melted and creamed with cold butter. No chips just butterscotch flavor infused through the entire cookie, yummy. The trickiest part was melting the chips to create a smooth creamy mixture that could be blended with the butter. I used the microwave at half power to melt the chips and butter. Stir the melted mixture and add the vanilla. My mixture did not blend very well until I added the vanilla, so don’t worry. After chilling the dough, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices, place an inch apart and bake. As your kitchen fills with the aroma of these butterscotch gems, get your glass of milk or cup of joe ready.

These were a definite hit with the work peeps. Rich, deep caramel overtones in a light, crisp cookie. Big bold flavor in a plain jane package. Like they say, never judge a book by its cover.

I found an adaptation of this cookie on A Baker’s House, instead of the slice and bake method, the dough is scooped up and formed into balls and baked. This yields a chewier in the center with a crispy edge cookie. I love both versions.

Bake a batch of these Butterscotch Cookies and watch them disappear.

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BUTTERSCOTCH COOKIES

An easy and delicious slice and bake cookie for butterscotch lovers!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butterscotch chips
3 tablespoons unsalted butter plus 9 tablespoons cut into 9 pieces chilled
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the butterscotch chips and the first 3 tablespoons of butter into a glass bowl and microwave in 30-second increments until melted. Stir every 30 seconds. This should take one minute to one and a half minutes. Add the vanilla and stir until smooth; let cool for 15 minutes.
Beat the second amount of measured butter (9 tablespoons) with the sugar and salt. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the cooled butterscotch mixture and continue to mix until combined. Add egg yolk then reduce to a lower speed to add the dry ingredients of flour and baking powder. A dough will come together and that is your signal to stop mixing.
Form dough into a log approximately 2 inches in diameter and 9-10 inches in length. Chill until firm (min 30-60minutes). Slice 1/4 inch thickness and place on parchment lined baking sheet approximately 1 inch apart.
Alternate method: Pinch off enough dough to make approximately one inch balls ( or use a 1-inch ice cream scoop to measure out dough). Place on a parchment lined baking tray approximately 2 inches apart.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges just start to brown. Cool on wire racks.

Coco-Nuts for Washboard Cookies

By threejamigos | October 23, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

My grandma had a washboard she kept next to the bathtub in a round, white tin basin. For those of you thinking “washboard?”, picture a rectangular wooden frame holding a corrugated metal sheet about the size of a full sheet pan. As a kid, I watched my grandma rub wet soapy garments along the metal ridges to clean them. All I can say is…THANK GOODNESS WE HAVE WASHING MACHINES NOW.

So much for nostalgic moments. These delicious coconut cookies derive their name from that very same washboard that has gone the way of manual typewriters, record players, and cassette tapes. Luckily this cookie hasn’t followed suit.

Cuckoo for Coconuts

I spent most of my life hating coconut. Shredded, flaked, milk, you name it, my immediate reaction was “yuck”. But somewhere along the line, I did a 180 and now I am making up for lost time. Coconut recipes now seem to jump out at me. I imagine those little white shreds, waving like a kindergartener with his hand up in the air telegraphing “pick me, pick me”. As I was perusing America’s Test Kitchen’s The Perfect Cookie book-I came to a screeching halt at yep, these Coconut Washboard Cookies.

These cookies remind me of Pepperidge Farms Bordeaux Cookies. Crisp, light, buttery with the added bonus of coconut. I might try replacing the milk in the recipe with coconut milk to see if this heightens the coconut flavor but they’re still pretty darn good without this tweak. The dough is shaped into a rectangular roll and chilled until firm enough to cut. Press the tines of a fork, well floured, into the dough slices to create the ridges grooved into the top of each cookie. The perfect imitation of that old washboard.

These delectable bites are perfect with a steaming cup of coffee or tea. Tasty and easy to make they deserve a spot on your cookie list.

This recipe is from America’s Test Kitchen’s The Perfect Cookie. Get the Kindle edition right now! Besides this recipe gem, the book is filled with info, tips, advice and a wonderful photos.

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Washboards Cookies

Coconutty, crispy, buttery cookies that look like Grandma's washboard!

Course cookies, desserts, sweets

Cuisine American

Keyword buttery, coconut, Coconut cookies, Crispy, washboard cookies

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 15

Total Time 40

Servings 30

Ingredients

The Dry Mix-Combine and set aside

2 cups all-purpose flour 10 oz
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

The Wet Stuff

8 tablespoons 1/2 cup or 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar 7 oz
1 large egg room temperature
2 tablespoons milk sub coconut milk

The Add-In Star

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut 3 oz
1/4 cup finely diced dried pineapple optional to pump up the island factor!

Instructions

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg together in a bowl. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and milk and beat until well combined. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and coconut, and mix until just incorporated.
Transfer dough to a counter and, using your floured hands, roll dough into 15-inch log, then flatten top and sides to measure 3 inches by 1 inch. Wrap log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 45 minutes or up to 3 days.
Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Slice chilled dough into 1/4-inch-thick rectangles and space them 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Using floured fork, make crosswise indentations in dough slices. Bake until toasty brown, 15 to 18 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cook on sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Let cookies cool completely before serving.

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

By threejamigos | January 2, 2018 | 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!

(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.

(Coconut Cookie Sticks) Cuckoo for Coconuts by Alice Medrich

By threejamigos | September 6, 2016 | Comments 0 Comment

I snappd this photo at Black Sand Beach on the Big Island. When I saw the sign on the tree, one of my favorite cookies just popped into my head, Alice Medrich’s Coconut Sticks. Hmmm….I wonder why? I love her coconut sticks. A riff on biscotti, they often end up in a holiday cookie tin or in a cellophane bag with a cute ribbon as an appreciative thank you gift.

Nowadays I often find myself using coconut in my cooking & baking. This is SO surprising since for as long as I can remember I have HATED coconut. As a kid the sight of coconut anything, cake, cookies candy elicited an automatic “Ewwww!” The feeling persisted well into adulthood. Maybe it’s age, but I have grown to like coconut right along with brussels sprouts and naps.

With my changed coconut conviction. I have jumped off the deep end. Curries without coconut milk, not happening. My Ranger cookies and World’s Best Cookies are made with shredded coconut, definitely bumping up the chewiness and flavor. And of course, every batch of homemade granola has flaked coconut for that extra zing and crunch.

It’s like a new found secret weapon

I love making and nibbling on these Coconut Sticks. Thin, crispy and buttery with shreds of coconut dancing through, they are the perfect foil for a steaming cup of tea or that morning latte. This recipe comes from Alice Medrich’s book Chewy, Crispy, Crunchy Melt-in-Your Mouth Cookies. If you love cookies add this book to your collection.

Did I mention these crunchy wonders are EASY to make? Well of course they are, you can make the dough by hand or in a food processor (ah, yes-thereby upping them to the STUPID EASY category). Another wonderful slice and bake refrigerator cookie. Press the dough into a loaf pan. Chill. Slice. Bake. Eat. Donzo. Easy Peasy.

What took me so long to become a coconut convert? I don’t know. Guess I will have to make up for lost time.

Life is good, dream coconuts.

Cuckoo for Coconuts (Alice Medrich's Coconut Sticks)

Buttery coconut cookie sticks.

Course cookies, desserts

Cuisine American

Keyword Coconut Cookie Sticks

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups 5.625 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup 4.625 ounces sugar
1 cup ~3 ounces shredded dried unsweetened coconut
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

Prepare: A 5-x-9-inch loaf pan, lined on the bottom and sides with foil or plastic wrap
Put the flour, sugar, coconut, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend.
Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives until the butter is reduced to small pieces.
With the fingertips of both hands, lightly toss and rub the mixture together until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Combine the vanilla and cold water in a small pitcher or cup.
Stir the flour and butter mixture with a fork while drizzling the water and vanilla into the bowl. Continue to toss and stir lightly with the fork or your fingers until all of the dry ingredients are slightly damp. The dough should remain crumbly and stick together only when pinched.
Food Processor method: Place flour, sugar, coconut and salt in food processor bowl. Pulse 2-3 times to combine.
Cut butter into 1/2 inch cubes and scatter on top of flour mixture. Pulse until mixture reveals coarse meal. Small lumps are okay.
Combine water and vanilla extract in small cup. Continue to pulse the flour mixture and drizzle water into processor bowl.
Pulse into mixture starts to clump. It should not come together completely but will still be crumbly. It will stay together if pinched.
If using a loaf pan, dump the mixture into the lined pan and spread it evenly. Press it very firmly, making a thin layer. Or dump the mixture onto a piece of foil on a baking sheet and distribute it evenly over an area about 4 by 9 or 10 inches. Press it firmly, squaring up the edges, to make an even compact layer about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Fold the foil over the dough and wrap it tightly. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
Unwrap the dough and transfer it to a cutting board. Use a long sharp knife to cut the dough crosswise into 1/4-inch (or thinner if possible) slices. Use the knife to transfer each slice to the lined or greased cookie sheets, placing the slices 1 inch apart. The slices will be fragile and require the support of the knife in transit; the results will be worth your careful effort.
Bake for 11 to 14 minutes (baking time will vary depending on thickness of cookie), until the cookies are golden with golden brown edges. Rotate the pans from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.
For lined pans, set the pans or just the liners on racks to cool; for unlined pans, use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to racks. Cool the cookies completely before stacking or storing.
May be kept in an airtight container for several days.