Buckeyes

  

Peanut butter and chocolate is one of my favorite flavor combinations so making Buckeyes was a no-brainer.   I've never made these candies originating from Ohio before, but I think they'll definitely be added to my holiday cookie box repertoire.

 

The buckeyes couldn't be simpler to make and are made out of ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.  I referenced a Cook's Illustrated recipe that uses cream cheese instead of butter, which cuts down on the sweetness coming from powdered sugar.   I just love the look of the finished candies once they're dipped in chocolate because they really do resemble their namesake.

 

 

Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake

 

I had a Costco size bag of cranberries sitting in my fridge that were leftover from a cancelled Thanksgiving and I needed to make something with them fast.  Fortuitously I happened upon Meringue Design's post for a Cranberry Orange Cake...bingo!  Rather than make the cake in a square pan I decided to bake it in a small bundt pan which I thought would be perfect to grace my holiday table.

The addition of sour cream in the cake makes the crumb really tender and I love the tart bursts of fresh cranberry.  To decorate my cake I gave it an ample dusting of powdered sugar and sugared cranberries.   Sugared cranberries couldn't be easier to make.  Simply take some freshly rinsed cranberries and dip them in egg white and then roll them in sugar.  Let the fruit dry completely and then place on top of the cake.

Sugar Cookie Tree

I picked up this Wilton Cookie Tree Cutter Set from a Black Friday sale at Michael's and have been anxiously waiting to use it ever since.   To anyone who's ever said they aren't good at cookie decorating this project is for you.    It's super easy to make and the results are really professional looking.

I made a batch of my favorite sugar cookie recipe and cut out the different sized stars using the  cutters from the set. After the cookies were completely cooled I brushed on white royal icing then sprinkled the tops with clear sanding sugar.   Let the cookies dry overnight and then stack them to form your beautiful tree!  How simple is that?

Butter Cookies and a Lesson in Tempering Chocolate

When I was a kid and it was Tết or the holidays I could normally count on a relative or family friend to bring a tin of Delacre Belgian Cookies to the house.  They were such a treat and my favorite cookie from the assortment was the long butter cookie dipped in chocolate.  I'm elated to report that I think I've been able to make a Butter Cookie that is a very legitimate replica at home.

I refrained from making these types of cookies for a long time because I knew it required tempered chocolate.  Believe me when I say chocolate work is my Archilles heel in the realm of baking.  Tempering just seemed to involve too much science, not to mention all the mess that goes along with chocolate.  

But it was while watching an episode of The Great British Bake Off that I finally gathered up the courage to give it a go.  The contestants were working on a chocolate challenge and I noticed that several bakers were using infrared thermometers to temper. Yep, the kind of infrared thermometer found in a  hardware or home improvement store.  How cool!

  

From a google search I found several techniques to temper chocolate on Valrhona's website, found here.  I ended up using the "seeding" method and got fantastic results.  It is true what they say - the tempered chocolate hardened in mere minutes at room temperature and was shiny and not tacky to the touch.  Why did I avoid it for so long when it was so easy?  Even better, there was no mess to clean up, just one glass bowl.     

The butter cookie recipe is from Gretchen's Bakery and is a basic spritz cookie, a holiday favorite of mine.  To shape the cookies you need either a cookie press or sturdy piping bag and decorating tip.  Just a forewarning though that if you use the piping bag, like I did,  make sure your hands and arms are strong because the dough is stiff.   Good exercise I say!

With my newfound confidence in tempering it's like a whole new world is opening up to me.   I'll say one thing though, these cookies will definitely be making it on this year's Christmas cookie list.