2024 Holiday Cookie Box

  

I know I've done a crap job of updating my blog in the past several months but I would be remiss if I ended the year without posting my 2024 Holiday Cookie Box.  I think it's a nice variety that caters to many different tastes.  Hopefully the people who receive it will agree.

Stella Parks Gingerbread Cookies

Pierre Hermé Viennois (Raspberry Jam Filled or Chocolate Dipped Fingers)

Ginger Molasses

Walnut Snowballs

Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies

Clotted Cream Shortbread 

 

Bakery Boxes

 

 

Heart Linzer Cookies

In honor of Valentine's Day I made some Heart Linzer Cookies.  Crisp shortbread sandwiched with tart raspberry jam and showered in powdered sugar is never a bad thing in my opinion.  I used this recipe from Preppy Kitchen which includes almond flour in the dough.  These beauties will be included in a Valentine's Day cookie box that I'm planning to assemble.  Stay tuned!

 

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!)

 

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.

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.

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!

Cream Tart

 

Often times people will ask me where I get baking inspiration from and my usual answer, "anywhere and everywhere," probably sounds a bit disappointing, but it's true!  I can't pinpoint anything in particular that inspires me.  Sometimes it's tasting an amazing pastry and wanting to replicate it at home or a friend texting me to to say they've seen a particular dessert and asking if I could make it.  

 

 

In the case of the Cream Tart, it was seeing an Instagram post that was the inspiration.  If you're on social media I'm sure you've seen these cakes before, normally shaped into numbers or letters.   Apparently cream tarts have been popular since 2018, but to be honest I never really paid much attention to them.  After seeing that Instagram post I did some research and discovered that cream cakes weren't so difficult to make. 

 

 

When deconstructed, the tart was comprised of shortbread and some type of filling, then decorated with fresh fruit, meringues, macarons, flowers* and anything else your heart desired.   Once all the components were compiled the actual cake assembly was quite simple.  But you would never think that when you look at the finished cake...so visually stunning and very Instagram worthy!  [*Make sure the flowers you use are safe to put on food! For the "S" cake I mistakenly put a few sprigs on baby's breath but DO NOT DO THIS!  Baby's breath are toxic when consumed. They were immediately removed after taking the photo.]

 

 

I could easily see these cakes being the star dessert for a birthday, baby shower, bridal shower or any kind of party.  Since so many of my friends have birthdays in September (including my own!) they just might be getting a cream tart to celebrate.  

 

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!

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!

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!!!

Viennese Swirls

One of my favorite bakers to follow on Instagram is Thida Bevington.   I don't remember how I came upon her account but I'm so glad I did.  She is an unbelievable talent and I am constantly inspired by all of her bakes.  The breads, cakes, cookies and tarts she makes are absolutely stunning!    Check out her feed and you'll see what I mean.

Out of all of her amazing creations it was the Viennese Swirls that I had to attempt.   These biscuits (Thida is English, btw) are right up my alley and everything I love in a cookie - buttery and not too sweet.   I'd also seen something similar on The Great British Bake Off so that was extra motivation to give them a try.

After watching the step-by-step instructions on Thida's Instagram highlights more than a few times I had no trouble mixing the dough.  The most important thing is for your butter to be very soft, otherwise the finished dough will be difficult to pipe. 

When the first tray came out of the oven I couldn't help myself and had to have a little sample.  Mmmmm...the texture is so short (i.e., very tender) and buttery.  Absolute heaven in a bite I tell you.  To finish them off I dipped the swirls in some tempered milk chocolate which sent these cookies to another stratosphere!  

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.

Raspberry Hamantaschen

Purim is coming soon so it was the perfect excuse to make Raspberry Hamantaschen, one of my favorite cookies.  I love this shortbread cookie filled with the sweet and tart jam.  I used Sarabeth Levine's recipe for mandelbrot for the cookie and homemade raspberry jam for the filling but you can use store bought. 

Shaping the cookies in to the traditional triangles couldn't be simpler.  I cut circles out of the dough using a 3-inch cutter and filled each with one teaspoon of the jam.  Then just pinched three sides together to form the triangle shape.  Happy Purim!

Zebra-Striped Shortbread Cookies

I knew I had to make these Zebra-Striped Shortbread Cookies as soon as I saw them pictured in the December 2018 issue of Bon Appetit magazine.   Chocolate and vanilla shortbread are nothing new; I've made a checkerboard version for years each Christmas.  What I love about this version is the fresh and modern take on a classic.  The dough could not have been easier to put together and shape.  Next time I'm going to divide the two colors even more so that the stripes look super realistic!

Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread

Over the holidays it seemed like one cookie recipe was taking the Internet by storm.  The biscuits in question were these Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbreads from Alison Roman.  Instagram seemed to be inundated with posts heralding these cookies, so of course I had to jump on the bandwagon and give them a try! 

By using salted butter instead of unsalted this recipe openly defies one of the so-called cardinal rules of baking.   Would they be too salty...especially when you sprinkle additional salt on top?  The answer is NO! I can say with resounding conviction that these cookies deserve all the praise that's been heaped on them.  Buttery, crispy and just the right amount of chocolate and salt.  They are seriously delicious!

Even better, they are the ideal make ahead cookie.  I made a double batch of the recipe and divided the dough in to four equal logs that I subsequently froze.  Fresh baked cookies on demand anyone?

Millionaire's Shortbread

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

If you've never made Millionaire's Shortbread before, no better time than the present to give it a try!  Trust me, you won't regret it.  While Scottish in origin, millionaire's shortbread is basically a delicious homemade Twix bar with it's crispy shortbread cookie base, soft and chewy caramel filling all topped with rich chocolate.    

I'd seen recipes for this treat before on various UK-based sites and actually attempted making them in early 2016 with less than stellar results.  That all changed when I saw the version from Cook's Illustrated in the November issue of the magazine.   They've never failed me before and this time was no different. 

The instructions couldn't be easier to follow and I was delighted with the final cookie.   I veered a bit from the original recipe and sprinkled Malden flakes on top of the caramel layer to add a nice salty/sweet contrast.  I have to admit that my one trepidation with this recipe was in slicing the bars but in the end my concerns were unfounded.  When you're dealing with chocolate it can be a bit finicky but the method CI used to temper the chocolate worked out fantastic and I had no issues whatsoever in portioning the bars.   

I gifted the millionaire's shortbread to some friends for the holidays and they were immediately devoured.  While I do prefer bittersweet chocolate I think the next time I make these cookies I'll switch it up and use some semisweet or milk chocolate.

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.  

Alfajores

I'll start off by saying these alfajores aren't the most authentic but they are quite delicious nonetheless. I had my first encounter with these cookies many years ago when I visited Buenos Aires.  One taste of the little sandwich filled with dulce de leche and I was hooked.  

My alfajores use shortbread but the true version that you'll find in Argentina uses a softer cookie made with cornstarch.  The real star though, in my opinion, is the delicious dulce de leche.  Sure, you can make your own milk jam but since I had a jar in my fridge I took the easy route. 

TWD Hungarian Shortbread

Any time a recipe is a bit unorthodox, whether it be ingredients or technique, I'm instantly intrigued and perhaps a little skeptical.  Such was the case with this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe, Hungarian Shortbread. It didn't make sense - a shortbread that was: a) Hungarian [apparently because of the jam filling] , b) contained eggs and c) grated in to the pan?  Say what?

I'd heard of recipes where cold pastry dough was grated in to a pie pan and pressed in to place, thereby eliminating the need for a rolling pin, but this was different.  The recipe specifically said NOT to press the grated dough in to the pan..just spread it evenly.   Ok, I played along, but I definitely had my reservations.

True to its word, once in the oven the dough settled in to the pan like it was supposed to.  Although the shortbread was tasty I wish it had been crispier, like the traditional cookie.  Perhaps it was the inclusion of eggs that was the culprit since shortbread is normally just made with butter, sugar and flour?  Maybe next time I'll leave it out. 

You can find the actual recipe at 1smallkitchen and the not so exciting adventures of a dabbler.