2022 Holiday Cookie Box

  

Here's the 2022 Holiday Cookie Box roundup:

 

Walnut Snowballs

Clotted Cream Shortbread

Iced Chocolate

Jam-Filled Viennois

Italian Rainbow

Ginger Molasses

Buckeyes 

 

SEASON'S TREATINGS!

Year of the Tiger Shortbread

 

Tết 2022 marks the Year of the Tiger, which is especially poignant for me because that is my animal sign.   People born in a year of the tiger are known to be brave, competitive, unpredictable, charming and well-liked by others.  However, sometimes they are likely to be impetuous, irritable and overindulgent. I'll leave it to those who know me well to decide if they recognize these characteristics in me.

To celebrate the Lunar New Year I made some these Tiger Shortbread which I'll hand out to family and friends.  The recipe I used is a clotted cream shortbread which I especially love because it does a fantastic job of keeping the intricate designs of your design intact.  I saved two tubs of Rodda's clotted cream that I got in London specifically for this purpose.  Fresh clotted cream is difficult to find in the States (which is why I bring it back from England) so you can just substitute butter in its place. The tiger cookie cutter I purchased from Amazon.  

Wishing you all a healthy, safe and prosperous Year of the Tiger!  

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới 2022!

2019 Holiday Cookie Box

I don't know about you, but I am utterly exhausted from all the holiday candy making and baking.  I blame this year's shortened time frame between Thanksgiving and Christmas.   For four weeks straight I was either making pounds and pounds of cashew toffee or various holiday cookies.  It was a frenzy of activity so you can't blame me for relishing some down time until 2020.

Here's what I gifted to my friends:

Chocolate Crinkle (America's Test Kitchen) - a classic that is always a crowd pleaser

Zimtsterne (The Daring Gourmet) - gluten free and dairy free

Ginger Molasses (Amanda Frederickson) - mine came out flatter than hers, but they still taste great!

Walnut Snowballs (America's Test Kitchen) - my all-time favorite Christmas cookie

Brownies (Bravetart) - the BEST recipe hands down and a guarantee of the shiny top crust

Pinwheel Icebox (America's Test Kitchen) - slice and bake are super easy and convenient

Clotted Cream Shortbread (Rodda's) - the best shortbread that holds it's shape beautifully

Paper Mart boxes.

Season's Treatings to All!!!

Animal Crackers

I saw these animal crackers cookie cutters on Amazon and had to buy them because they were so darn cute.  They reminded me so much of one of my childhood favorite cookies, Barnum's Animals Crackers, that come packaged in the little red box.  

Plunger style cookie cutters are perfect for intricate designs like these animals have.  The best cookie recipe I've used that really holds the detailed design of the cookie cutter is Rodda's clotted cream shortbread.  I've had success every time I've used it so I knew it was the perfect recipe for these animals.  Lucky for me I still had some of the clotted cream I brought back from London.

Aren't they the most adorable cookies?  The shortbread is crispy and not too sweet, just the way I like them.  If you're hosting an animal themed baby shower or kid's birthday party they would be a very fitting dessert to serve.

Bacon & Maple Syrup Scones

Sometimes you go to a restaurant and there's one item on the menu that really stands out and forever sticks in your mind.  When I went to Frenchie Covent Garden this past July that thing turned out to be their snack of Bacon Scones with Maple Syrup.  

 

One bite and I was a complete goner.  Salty, sweet, smoky and savory....what more could I ask for?  They were so good, in fact, that I not only had them as my starter but later on as my dessert!  Don't get me wrong, the entire meal and service at Frenchie was fantastic, but one month on and I am still dreaming about those amazing scones.    

Lucky for me the recipe for their signature dish was readily available on the internet.   The ingredients are easy to gather and the dough comes together super quick.  Try and use the best maple syrup you can find for this recipe.  I finished off the glazed scones with a light sprinkling of smoked Maldon sea salt to further enhance the smoky flavor.    

 

While the restaurant's version will always taste best in my mind, I think these homemade beauties are a pretty good substitute - and I don't need to travel 5,000 miles to get them!

Clotted Cream Shortbread

What to do when you bring home eight tubs of Rodda's clotted cream from London, give away six and keep two for yourself?   Well, you eat one tub, of course, slathered on scones with tons of jam.   Absolute heaven!  The dilemma then became the fate of the remaining tub, which was nearing its expiration date.   I searched on Rodda's website and found their recipe for Clotted Cream Shortbread...jackpot! Shortbread made with clotted cream?  The baker in me was skeptical, to be sure.  Would the clotted cream compromise the texture of  the shortbread.  Only one way to find out.   

 

 

As soon as the dough came together I knew these cookies would be fantastic.  It had the exact same look and feel as other shortbread I'd made before and rolled out like an absolute dream.   Look how beautifully the dough held the shape and  design of the strawberry cookie cutter I used.  My toughest critics, aka my family, tried the cookies and gave them the thumbs up.   Just the right amount of crunch with a hint of sweetness.   Perfect served with ice cream or fresh strawberries and clotted cream.  

British-Style Scones

Since returning from London a week ago I've made this scone recipe no less than four times.  Yes, it's that good.   But who am I kidding?  While I do love how they taste they're really more of a vehicle for clotted cream and jam.  Yes, I am one of those crazy people who brings back 8 tubs of Rodda's in my checked luggage.   Thank goodness I wasn't stopped by customs!

Unlike the American version, British-style scones are less sweet and more fluffy and biscuit-like.  My favorite dessert after dinner when I was in the UK was having a scone smothered with a heap of clotted cream and jam.  Absolute heaven I tell you. 

This recipe from Cook's Illustrated is as authentic as any scone you'd find in an English tea salon.  They're quite simple to make and the taste will transport you to ol' Blighty, I promise.  Fresh clotted cream may be challenging to find in the States, which is why I bring a supply back with me, but these scones are just as delicious with butter and jam.  Give them a try, you won't regret it!