Category Archives: Dessert

Spicing up the Christmas cookie assortment

9 December 2012

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chaicookies

I’m in the middle of my baking test runs, the annual tradition of testing out new recipes to make for Christmas Eve. So far I’ve tried cherry shortbread dipped in chocolate, chocolate mocha sandwich cookies, chocolate gingerbread and chai spice cookies.

I came across the chai spice cookies on Better Homes and Gardens a month or two ago and bookmarked it as a holiday baking idea. I regularly enjoy Bigelow’s Vanilla Chai at work, but had never thought to use it in a cookie. I was on the hunt for a new spice cookie for the assortment this year and this looked like a promising option.

Whenever I test a recipe, I only make a half batch so, in case I don’t like it, I’m not stuck with a lot of it. I should have made a whole batch of these chai cookies. They were like shortbread with chai thrown in, topped with a drizzle of icing. But chai isn’t for everyone, so I took it to work to gauge the reaction to the cookies. My coworkers loved them.

Better Home and Gardens had this labeled as one of its newest recipes. They hit it out of the park. These will be making an appearance on my tray of Christmas cookies this year. I hope they’re as well-received by my family as they were at work.

Ingredients
2 spiced chai-flavored tea bags
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons molasses
1 recipe Powdered Sugar Icing (see recipe below)

Remove tea bag contents (3 teaspoons); discard bags. In medium bowl combine tea, flour, and
pumpkin pie spice; set aside.

In large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and molasses. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can; stir in remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and refrigerate about 3 hours or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. On lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time until 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough with 4-inch gingerbread girl cutters.

Bake 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheets 2 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely. Decorate with Powdered Sugar Icing. Makes 18 to 20 cookies.

Powdered Sugar Icing
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
3-4 teaspoons milk

In a small bowl stir together powdered sugar, vanilla or almond extract, and enough milk (3 to 4 teaspoons) to make icing drizzling consistency.

A triple-threat cookie for Christmas

2 December 2012

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cinnamon swirls

I discovered one of my now-favorite Christmas cookies in the 2010 edition of America’s Test Kitchen Holiday Cookies. I tried many of the recipes in that edition, some failures and some successes, but this one stood out. I could make the dough ahead of time, something that really helps when making a large number of cookies.

Some of the cookies I make for Christmas are elaborate — chocolate cookies with homemade caramel, carefully decorated sugar cookies, chocolate-dipped mint cookies — so I need a couple that are less involved. These Cinnamon Swirls were exactly what I wanted. They’re simple, beautiful and tasty, what you might call a triple threat in the world of baking. They’re like a sweet shortbread, one with cream cheese mixed into the dough; and the cinnamon not only adds a bit of spice, but a nice design as well.

One thing to note when making these is to make sure to roll them tight enough. On my first attempt a couple years ago, the rolls were too loose, so there were gaps in the baked cookies. Be sure to refrigerate the dough for the proper amount of time, too, because they’ll spread out too much if the dough is at room temperature before it goes in the oven.

I really do love this recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup super-fine sugar, plus 3 tablespoons for filling
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces and softened
2 tablespoons cream cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

With electric mixer on low speed, combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt, and butter, and mix until crumbly and slightly wet, 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and vanilla and mix until dough just begins to form. Finish kneading dough by hand to form large cohesive mass. Divide into 2 disks of dough, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Whisk remaining sugar and cinnamon together. Roll one disk between two large sheets of parchment paper to a 12-by-7-inch rectangle. Remove the top layer of parchment and sprinkle dough with half of the cinnamon-sugar, leaving a 1/4-inch border along the edges. Spritz the filling with water, and roll dough into a 7-inch log, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about two hours. Repeat with remaining dough and cinnamon-sugar.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place rack in the middle position. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Trim the edges of each log, then cut each log crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake until edges are golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes, switching baking sheets halfway through baking time. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

Get ready for holiday baking

25 November 2012

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pbblossoms

Thanksgiving is over and I’m already thinking about what to bake for the Christmas Eve cookie platter. For the past few years, I’ve been the designated baker for the annual holiday get-together at my grandma’s house. Every year on Christmas Eve, my mom’s side of the family gathers at my grandma’s house and exchanges gifts. There are typically about 30 people, so each person draws a name and buys something for that person. It keeps it manageable. Everyone gets a gift and no one feels bad for not getting something for everyone.

Each year I’ve spent weeks testing new recipes I’m considering before deciding what will make the tray. I like to change what I make each year, with the exception of sugar cookies. Over the years, thin mints, ginger snaps, window cookies, cranberry layer cookies, coal cookies, cinnamon swirls and others have found a place next to staples such as sugar cookies and peanut butter blossoms.

I’ve had several people ask me for my recipe for peanut butter blossoms. I use the recipe from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook because it has the best flavor and holds together better than other recipes I’ve tried. The key is not to cook them too long. Take the cookies out when they’re puffy and lightly browned so they’re flexible enough to accommodate the kisses without crumbling. Let them sit long enough for the kisses to soften and the cookies to cool. It’s worth the wait.

For the next few weeks, I’ll be posting some of my go-to Christmas cookie recipes. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter or shortening
54 milk chocolate kisses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine butter (or shortening) and peanut butter. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.

Place the 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll balls in sugar to coat. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie.

Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool.

A pecan dessert at its finest

18 November 2012

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Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Are you ready? Pumpkin pie is a staple for my family, but for those of you who don’t like pumpkin pie or may be looking for something new for dessert, try Curtis Stone’s Pecan Tart.

I have never been a fan of pecan pie, but I’ve liked every recipe from Curtis Stone that I’ve tried. When I saw this pecan tart on his website a couple years ago, I decided to give it a chance. From the smell of toasted pecans while it was baking to the last bite, I enjoyed it.

The recipe says to bake it in a pie dish and, even if you have a tart pan, go with the pie dish. The last time I made it, I made the mistake of putting it in a tart pan and, after the filling puffed up, the mixture made a solid barrier just above the crust. I had to cut it out of the pan and it fell apart around the edges. As pretty as the edges could be, it’s not worth the hassle. Use the pie dish and keep it simple.

Whatever is on your table for Thanksgiving, I hope you have a happy holiday.

Flaky Dough Crust
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter. Using your hands, combine the ingredients until they resemble pea-size crumbs.

Drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water over mixture. Mix in just until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if mixture is dry.

Gather dough into ball. Flatten into disk. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. (Can be prepared a day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out dough on a floured surface to a 10-inch round disk. Transfer to 8-inch diameter glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 3/4 inch; fold under and crimp decoratively. Set aside.

Filling
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup golden syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups pecan pieces
Whipped cream

Melt the butter in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Whisk until the butter is golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Pour the butter into a large bowl and cool to room temperature.

Whisk the golden syrup, sugar, and salt into the cooled brown butter to blend. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the pecans. Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Bake the pie for 10 minutes.

Decrease the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking the pie until the edges puff and the center is just set, about 45 minutes longer.

Cool the pie on a cooling rack for at least an hour.

Serve the pie warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

Sweet treats brought on by winter weather

28 October 2012

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Marshmallows1

Tahoe got its first snow of the season on Monday, the day I returned from my week off. I spent my vacation in rainy Portland, on the foggy Central Coast of California and finished it in warm Paso Robles. Coming back to snow was not something I was looking forward to.

The weather is out of my power, so I turned on my heater for the first time since April and made myself a cup of tea. But I get tired of tea. When winter rolls around, I like a good cup of cocoa. What goes hand in hand with cocoa? Marshmallows. Homemade marshmallows, to be exact.

I first tried making marshmallows last year. I’d never had anything but the store-bought Jet-Puffed marshmallows, so I wasn’t sure whether making them from scratch would be better. But they were, and it was easier than I expected. The only trick is that you need a stand mixer to make them.

I used to be against stand mixers until a few years ago, when my friend’s grandmother gave me hers. For months, the mixer stayed in the cupboard, unused. I felt like using it would somehow be a form of cheating.

Around Christmastime, when I was in full holiday baking mode, I remembered I had it and pulled it out to mix some dough while I was working on something else. I haven’t looked back since. While I still hand-mix certain things, having the mixer has been incredibly useful when it comes to bread doughs and other doughs that can be tough to mix well by hand, and it’s nice to have for recipes that require it.

All people taste is the final product, and I haven’t found anyone who really cares whether I took the time to mix something by hand or not. No more guilt.

Once again, this recipe comes from Joy. Most of the work is done by the stand mixer. I’ve found I can kill two birds with one stone by heating the gelatin over the boiling sugar mixture instead of over a pot of water. Make sure to watch the sugar mixture when it’s close to 244 degrees because it heats up fast, and you don’t want your marshmallows to be too dense. I’ve made that mistake before, but they still melt well in cocoa. Also be careful not to overmix. If mixed too much, a lot of marshmallow will get stuck in the whisk and it will be too thick to pour into the pan to cool. Let them cool completely and use scissors to cut them — don’t use a knife, it fails every time.

This time around, I gave mine an orange tint. Why? Because it’s Orange October. Because Halloween is around the corner. Because the San Francisco Giants are in the World Series and need to win today’s game to clinch the title.

Ingredients
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup water
4 envelopes (3 tablespoons) unflavored gelatin
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vanilla
cornstarch

Mix cornstarch and confectioners’ sugar and dust a lightly oiled 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan with some of the mixture.

Pour 1/2 cup water into the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water for two to three minutes, or until the gelatin dissolves. Set aside on the stand mixer.

Bring sugar, light corn syrup, water and salt to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring with a long-handled wooden spoon until the sugar is dissolved, if necessary. Place a candy thermometer in the pan and raise the heat to medium-high and cook, without stirring, to 244 to 246 degrees, the firm-ball stage. Remove from heat.

With the whisk attachment on the mixer and the bowl of liquid gelatin secured, turn the mixer to medium speed and slowly pour the sugar mixture in a thin, steady stream. Be careful to avoid the whisk, because the sugar mixture will stick to it and harden quickly. Beat for about 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and fluffy, but still warm and thin enough to pour. Add vanilla.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Cool completely, then cover very loosely with aluminum foil and let dry for four to six hours, or until firm enough to cut. Remove the marshmallows from the pan and, using scissors dusted with cornstarch, cut into 1-inch squares. Put the rest of the cornstarch/confectioner’s sugar mixture into a large Ziploc bag and add half of the marshmallows. Shake, then take out the marshmallows and repeat with the remaining marshmallows.

Store between layers of wax paper in an airtight container at room temperature.