Year of the Dragon Cookie

 

In 2024, Tết (the Vietnamese Lunar New Year) falls on February 10 and it's the Year of the Dragon, considered the most powerful of all Asian zodiac animals.  It's no coincidence that birth rates in these years are higher than other years because dragon children are supposedly destined for wealth and greatness.  I don't know if there's any data to support that theory but my oldest niece Sophie is a dragon so for her sake I hope it's true.

 

It's become somewhat of a tradition of mine to bake and decorate cookies in the shape of the lunar new year animal.  I love passing the favors out at my family's large Tết gathering.  I didn't have a dragon in my cookie cutter arsenal so I ordered this one from etsy.   To decorate the edible dragons  I went the super simple route and brushed a thin layer of red-tinted royal icing on top.  To add a bit of character to the face I drew on an eyebrow using a food coloring pen.

 

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới 2024!!!!

 

Pizzelle

My last post of 2023 and I present to you Pizzelle.   I confess that the inspiration to make these Italian waffle cookies was anything but divine.  In reality it was the cutest video of a nonna making them for her grandchild that came across my Instagram feed.  

Undoubtedly you'll already have all the cookie ingredients on hand in your pantry, but the required  equipment is the pizzelle iron.  I've had mine for ages, bought years ago at Sur La Table, but you can easily source one online. 

The pizzelle batter comes together really quickly and to make portioning easier I like to place it in a decorating bag fitted with a plain open tip.  The cookies take literally seconds to cook in the grill and you end up with stacks of golden brown, crispy cookies.  Once cooled you can add a light dusting of powdered sugar on top if you'd like, but I tend to prefer mine plain.  

 

Season's Treatings from me to you.  See you in 2024 for more delicious treats!

 

Lime Meltaways

Wanna know a surefire way to get me to bake for you?  Present me with a challenge, coupled with an intimation that I'll most likely fail, and I take the bait every single time: hook, line and sinker.  When it comes to baking chalk it up to my competitive and perfectionist tendencies, which makes me predisposed to fall for the dare.  I refuse to accept defeat! 

 

Such was the case recently when a lime-lover lamented that they'd never had a cookie that successfully captured the taste and essence of the verdant citrus fruit.  While there were dozens of cookie recipes devoted to its well known lemon cousin, the overlooked lime continued to be cast in the shadows.  I set about to rectify the situation with these Lime Meltaways.

I remembered seeing this Martha Stewart recipe years ago but had never bothered making it.  Now was the perfect excuse to give it a go.  The only tweak I made to the original recipe was replacing vanilla extract with lime juice.  In the end my dough boasted more than three tablespoons of freshly squeezed juice.  If that didn't make you pucker up I don't know what would!

 

Once formed into a log the dough was chilled until firm and then sliced and baked.  (The dough also freezes beautifully.)  A final dredge in snowy white powdered sugar and you have a symphony of perfectly crisp, buttery cookies that build to a crescendo of tart lime flavor.   (Pardon the hyperbole..ha!)

 

2023 Holiday Cookie Box

 

For the 2023 Holiday Cookie Box I stuck to the tried and true classics that everyone seemed to love along with the new addition of vanillekipferl.  Year after year I vow to cut back on the different types of cookies I make to save myself the time and effort, yet every year I never do.  I can't help it, baking is my love language and what better way to show someone you care than by gifting them a box of homemade treats?

 

Ginger Molasses

Walnut Snowballs

Vanillekipferl

Viennois

Checkerboard Sablés

Italian Rainbow 

Gingerbread 

 

Packaging (Item 851445940P)

Checkerboard and Marble Sablés

 

French butter cookies are a personal favorite of mine and this year I made them as Checkerboard and Marble Sablés.  Don't be intimidated, the checkerboard pattern isn't as difficult as it may appear.   I made two batches of Cook's Illustrated sablés recipe, one flavored vanilla and the other chocolate, to create these beauties.  For the design I turned to this King Arthur's video which was super helpful.  As you cut the rods of dough to make the checkerboard you inevitably end up with many scraps.  Don't throw them away!  When you smoosh the scraps together you get the marbled cookies.

  

These cookies will impress anyone and they taste fantastic too.  Not too sweet, buttery and crunchy.  They will be the stars in this year's holiday cookie box.

Vanillekipferl

 

Vanillekipferl are crescent-shaped almond shortbread cookies traditionally made at Christmas time in many European countries, e.g., Germany, Austria and Switzerland. They're a very close cousin to nut snowballs or Mexican wedding cookies, but the dough is much smoother with the addition of almond flour.  I love that they aren't too sweet so you don't feel guilty eating so many.  I'll be including them in this year's holiday cookie box.  

Bien Cuit Shortbread

Four simple ingredients: butter, powdered sugar, flour and kosher salt.  Basic staples found in any pantry that triumphantly come together in these delicious Bien Cuit Shortbread.  I've never been to the eponymous New York bakery where the recipe comes from but, fortunately, now I don't have to make the cross-country trek. 

I first saw the shortbread featured on Food 52's Instagram account.  To be honest, it was their finger-like shape that really caught my attention.  When I read Amanda Hesser's testimony that they were the world's best shortbread I couldn't not make them.  Indeed, she was absolutely correct...the cookies were so delicious: short, buttery and just a hint of sweetness.   I think they will be a strong contender for this year's holiday cookie box.

Cal Berkeley Sugar Cookies

The month of May heralds the start of commencement season, graduation from high school and college/university.  Can you hear the notes of Pomp and Circumstance in your head?  My friend Bibsy commissioned these Cal Sugar Cookies for a dual celebration in her family: her youngest child's recent acceptance into Berkeley, as well as her oldest's graduation from the esteemed university.  Talk about a smart family!

 

The cookies aren't too hard to make, as long as you have a good stencil.  I got this "Cal" one from U-Stencil.  They have a wide range of college and universities to choose from.  I started with my tried and true vanilla sugar cookie and applied a base coat of royal icing until it was completely dry.  With the aid of the stencil I applied a thin layer of colored royal icing in the shape of the school's logo.  The consistency of the royal icing for the logo is key; it needs to be thick, like toothpaste.  

 

Be forewarned, though, that stenciling can be a messy affair, especially when working with a darker icing color as I was.  After I finished stenciling one cookie I had to thoroughly wipe and dry the stencil before moving on to the next.  But I think the end result makes it worth it.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2023!

Platinum Engagement Ring Cookie

 

Recently my friend Jesse commissioned a cookie order to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of her soon-to-be sister-in-law.  I suggested a Platinum Engagement Ring Cookie as the design, selfishly on my part because I haven't made or decorated that shape before.  I bought this cookie cutter set from Amazon and used my favorite sugar cookie and royal icing recipes.  

Aren't the packaged favors so cute?  They would be beautiful for a bachelorette, bridal shower or wedding reception.

Valentine's Day Italian Rainbow Cookies

 

Having grown up in Manhattan my friend Maria would rave about the delicious cookies and desserts she would get when she was a kid, but couldn't find in the Bay Area after having moved to California decades ago.  One of her favorites were rainbow cookies, also known as tricolor or seven-layer cookies that were sold at all the Italian bakeries.  I'd never paid much attention to rainbow cookies before because I was team black & white cookie (after watching that famous Seinfeld episode). Never one to pass on a delicious cookie I was open to giving them a try.

 

 

On a recent trip to NYC I made sure to get my hands on some rainbow cookies so that I could have a taste for myself.  Per Maria's recommendation I headed to Veniero's Pasticceria & Caffe, in the Lower East Side, who are famous for their rainbows.   While the cookies were delicious, at $22 a pound (cookies are sold by weight), I thought they were a bit on the expensive side.  When I got back to San Francisco I challenged myself to come up with a worthy replica.

 

I had made rainbow cookies once before, but because the results were less than stellar I never made them again.  Maria had success with this NY Times recipe and so I gave it a try.  With February 14th just around the corner I thought it was a great excuse to make Valentine's Day Italian Rainbow Cookies in pink tones.  

 

A word of caution though if you decide to make them: while the cookies taste really delicious, the process to make them is rather tedious and you end up with quite a lot of dirty dishes to contend with.  I don't see myself making rainbow cookies often, but I would definitely make them for holidays and special occasions.

Ricciarelli

 

One of my close friends is gluten-intolerant and when the holidays roll around I'm always on the hunt for  flour-less cookie recipes that she can enjoy.  Given that the majority of the baking I do involves wheat flour this can be quite a challenge.  In the past I've just substituted gluten-free flour, in place of all-purpose, in a "normal" recipe.  Unfortunately that trick doesn't always yield stellar results because of the chemistry involved in baking.  My preference is to make cookies that are naturally gluten-free so you don't even miss flour. 

Normally I would go with macarons but I had no desire to make them because it would have been an arduous and multi-stepped process.  I wanted something quick that still tasted great.  Enter Ricciarelli, the Italian almond cookie that originated in Siena.  They're similar to amaretti cookies, except softer and chewier.  I'd never heard of ricciarelli before until I saw them on Thida Bevington's Instagram stories. She used this recipe from Italian chef Silvia Colloca and they looked so intriguing I had to make them for myself.

 

I dare you to find a cookie that's easier to make than ricciarelli.  Almond flour, sugar, lemon zest and egg whites are mixed together by hand into a stiff dough.  Then tablespoonfuls of the dough are shaped, dusted in powdered sugar and finally baked.  How simple is that?  I shaped half the cookies into the traditional rectangle and the other half into thumbprints filled with raspberry jam.  I couldn't believe how similar the baked ricciarelli smelled to macarons.  One taste of the cookie and they could easily give their French cousin a run for their money.  Anyone, gluten-intolerant or otherwise, will love these cookies.

Iced Chocolate Star Cookies

 

I've had this set of Nordic Ware cookie stamps for a while but never really used them.  That is, until I  was inspired by this post on Beyond The Butter's blog and made these Iced Chocolate Star Cookies.  One glimpse of the gorgeously iced chocolate cookies and I was motivated to bring out the stamps from hiding.  The stamp does all the work, and with very little effort you get the most beautiful cookies.  That's a win-win situation in my book!

Beyond The Butter calls these cookies "Oreos" because they are jam-packed with chocolate flavor, similar to the famous filled sandwich cookie.  But I actually think these cookies taste even better because they are nice and soft.  They almost remind me of a brownie, in cookie form.  I'll definitely be adding these beauties to my holiday cookie list.

  

Raspberry-Filled Viennois

 

Here's another recipe to add to your holiday cookie arsenal, Raspberry Filled Viennois.  The cookie recipe comes from pastry chef extraordinaire Pierre Hermé so you know it's absolutely fantastic.  Last year he published the recipe on his Instagram account and I saved it straight away.  I shaped my cookies into stars and embellished them further by adding a dollop of raspberry jam in the center. 

The main tip I would offer when making these cookies is to ensure the dough is really soft.  You'll pipe the dough by hand using a decorating bag and tip so you want it to be as pliable as possible.  Otherwise your hand will be aching, trust me on that!

These viennois are utterly delicious - so buttery, with a tender crumb and a burst of fruit in the center.   Everyone I know loves them.  Make them as a gift and your recipient will be forever thankful.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

 

Ginger Molasses Cookies are definitely in my top 3 favorite holiday cookies.  I love the warmth of the cinnamon spice, the crackly tops and the chewy texture.  Utterly delicious!   My favorite recipe comes from Mandy at Baking With Blondie.  

Here's the part where I diverge from my normal baking protocol.  To ensure I get a great chewy texture on my cookies I tweaked Mandy's recipe slightly by replacing the butter with butter-flavored Crisco shortening.  What?!  Shortening instead of butter? Yes way!  Now, before you cast dispersions on me, hear me out.  I find that using shortening reduces the likelihood of these cookies spreading too much during the baking process.   Nothing worse in my opinion than a super flat ginger molasses cookie.

Normally I roll the dough balls in turbinado sugar before baking, but this year I left some without the sugar coating because I wanted to dip them in melted white chocolate.  I was a bit worried that the addition of white chocolate would render the cookies too sweet, but I'm happy to report I was wrong.  I only dip a small portion of the cookie in the chocolate so it's not overwhelming.  Plus, nothing beats the appeal and aesthetic of the green and red holiday sprinkles.

Mackles'mores

 

It's rare for me to stray from my go-to chocolate chip cookie (Jacques Torres's recipe published in the New York Times), but I recently discovered a new take on the all-American classic that had me wondering if it was time to reconsider.  Over the years I've visited the Pacific Northwest many times but never had I been to Hello Robin Cookies.  

 

 

Until a few months ago I'd never even heard of the cookie shop until I was FaceTiming with my friend Evelyn who lives in Seattle.  While we were chatting her family just so happened to come home with a dozen cookies from the aforementioned bakery.  They're favorite cookie being Mackles'mores, chocolate chip dough studded with marshmallows, baked on a graham cracker and finally topped with a chocolate square.  Intrigued, I immediately went online to find out more. 

 

Luckily there were plenty of websites that not only published the Hello Robin recipe but also videos showing how it was made.  The only adjustment I made to the recipe was omitting the cinnamon.  I scooped out the dough into 2 tablespoon size balls and froze them to bake off later.  This method worked liked a dream because I found the frozen dough baked beautifully. 

 

 

After the baked cookies came out of the oven I topped them with a square of Dandelion Chocolate's Gola Rainforest chocolate.  With its hints of brownie, marshmallow and roasted almonds I thought the chocolate would pair beautifully with the Mackles'mores.   The chocolate chip cookie on its own is fantastic, nice and chewy with caramel hints, but the addition of the graham cracker really takes it over the top.  So good! It wants for nothing, except maybe a cold glass of milk.

Rainbow Flag Cookies

As an ally to the LGBTQ+ community I wanted to show my support during Pride Month by making these Rainbow Flag Cookies.  While they may look complicated to make they really aren't.  These cookies are essentially a slice and bake cookie.  I used my favorite sugar cookie recipe and divided the dough into six equal portions which were tinted the colors of the rainbow.  Here's an easy acronym to remember what the colors are and the order they're placed in: ROYGBV (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet).

 

To shape the I dough into a flag I used a long, rectangular box that was 12" L x 2 3/4" W x 2" D in size. Each portion of color tinted dough was spread into the box and flattened as evenly as possible before adding the next layer.   An hour-long chill in the fridge ensured that I could easily slice the dough before baking.  I just love how the rainbow flag cookies turned out.  The colors are so vibrant and cheerful.  

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!

 

Raspberry Jam Shortbread Hearts

 

January came and went in a flash without much baking on my part.  To be honest I was a bit burnt out from all the holiday baking I'd done and on top of that work was keeping me busy, but now I'm back and raring to go.   First up are these super tasty and cute Raspberry Jam Shortbread Hearts which are perfect for Valentine's Day.  The crispy, buttery shortbreads are filled with my homemade, tart raspberry jam and are utterly delicious.  They actually remind me of the British "Jammie Dodgers" biscuit.  

I used a heart shaped thumbprint cookie stamp I bought from Williams-Sonoma a few years ago.  The set also comes with a rectangle and circle shape and cuts and shapes the cookie dough perfectly.  You get professional looking results with little to no effort!

For the shortbread dough I tweaked my favorite clotted cream shortbread recipe.  Since I didn't have any fresh clotted cream I just replaced that amount in the recipe with the same amount of butter.  The dough is super forgiving and you can't really mess it up.  My main tip is to roll the dough to at least 1/4-inch thickness; any thinner and it will be harder to get the nice embossed design on the cookie. 

Gift these cookies to your loved ones for the tastiest Valentine. 

 Happy Valentine's Day!

Hot Air Balloon Onesie Cookie Favor

 

My dear friend Jesse is having her first baby this autumn and I was thrilled to make the favors for her socially-distanced baby shower.  Three years ago I made Jesse's wedding cake and cookie favors so I feel especially honored to play a part in another important milestone in her life. 

 

The onesie cookies I created were designed to complement the invitation, which featured the cutest hot air balloons for the "Oh, the places she'll go!" travel theme.  Jesse's girlfriends who planned the baby shower did such a fantastic job and everything looked beautiful.  Every detail was thought out, from the suitcase lunch boxes to the wicker hot air balloons filled with stuffed animals. 

I cannot wait to meet the little one in the coming months.  I predict she will be spoiled rotten, as she should be!!

Congratulations Jesse & Tyler!

Copycat Levain Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

 

I've never been to Levain Bakery in NYC but you can be sure that the next time I make it to Manhattan (hopefully soon!) it will be one of my first stops.  For this blog I've made a copycat of their famous chocolate chip walnut cookie before but when I saw a picture of these dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookies on Mike Johnson (Mike Bakes NYC) Instagram I knew they were going to be my next baking project.  

The stark contrast of tan peanut butter chips against the dark chocolate cookie was so beautiful and stunning.  It doesn't hurt that chocolate and peanut butter is one of my favorite combinations either.  Be forewarned though, the recipe yields just four cookies, but they are MASSIVE!   Size-wise they are not for the faint of heart.  The diameter measures approximately 4" across!   I suppose you could portion them out smaller than the suggested size but then they'd lose their "Levain-likeness."

It took some major willpower to wait for the baked cookies to cool slightly so I could have a taste but it was worth it.  The chocolate cookie flavor was deep, rich and not too sweet and perfectly complemented the bursts of peanut butter.  All it was screaming for was a glass of ice cold milk.

Homemade Nutter Butters

Oreos may be the store-bought cookie of choice for many in the world but I'm proud to be in the minority with my preference for Nutter Butters, the delicious peanut butter sandwich cookies.  I'm a huge peanut butter fan so these cookies are right up my alley.  When I saw that Stella Parks had included a recipe for a homemade version of Nutter Butters in her fantastic cookbook, BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts, I bookmarked the pages for a future baking project.  No better time than the present, especially when we're still under shelter in place orders for the next few months, at least!

The cookie is a thin and crispy peanut flavored shortbread, but in my opinion the real star is the whipped peanut butter creme filling.  Made with butter, peanut butter, honey, vanilla, salt and powdered sugar, the creme is a peanut lover's dream!  I could seriously just eat the creme on its own and it would also be amazing as a frosting for cake or cupcakes.

The sandwiched cookies are pretty darn close to the original from Nabisco, if I do say so myself.  In all honesty I won't be making homemade Nutter Butters frequently because it's much easier to just buy a small pack at the store, but it was a fun project!