The Pleasure of Showing Some Baking Tricks

Over the holidays Sweetie and I were blessed to have not only our wonderful daughter at home, but also her Sweetie and his 10 year old son, Raine. The whole time together was a delight, but I particularly enjoyed showing Raine some baking tricks and skills.

He was an enthusiastic companion in decorating gingerbread cutouts and also in making the pastry for Christmas morning. In particular, we made choux paste and he produced the lightest choux paste topping yet. Next time we'll do eclairs.

His part was stirring the butter into the water and bringing it to a boil, then adding the flour and stirring until a ball of the paste formed and a film coated the bottom of the pot. He seemed fascinated with the process and watched carefully as I gradually added some egg to the slightly cooled paste until it was just the right consistency...which left some of the egg unused. I think that may have been my mistake in the past...using too much egg. I really got a kick out of his interest and questions and skill building. Everyone enjoyed the Christmas pastry so much that there was only one piece left by the time breakfast was over.

Here is a photo of the plate showing some of cookies we decorated. I particularly like that the gingerbread girl turned into an angel. I look forward to further cooking and baking adventures with Raine.

The recipe links can be found HERE for the pastry and HERE for the cookies.

Almost New Years

Amazing how quickly days fly by, especially during the holidays. Had a great Christmastide with family, especially Sweetie, our daughter, and Straight Shooter, and with friends/family and with friends/neighbors and with friends/friends. Lots of baking and cooking and festivities.

The photo above is of some of the Christmas cookies I baked. Katherine helped decorate the gingerbread ones, including the Ugly Christmas Sweater series she did. On this plate it's right in the middle, looking festive. Actually one of the cookies (on the right with the mini peanut butter cups) isn't one of mine, but a regifting when I needed just one more cookie for the plate. The rest of the gifted cookies were delicious and quickly eaten. No recipe for that...sorry.

This is the only new cookie I made this year - Gluten Free Chocolate-Dipped Almond Crescents. Found the recipe in the newspaper and it uses almond paste and almonds and the ends get dipped in melted chocolate. Awesome and delicious. Here is a photo of the last piece! The whole cookie is shown on the cookie plate at the top. This recipe only makes 1 dozen cookies, which really isn't enough, so plan on making two batches once your friends and family get a taste. Recipe is below.

Wishing you and yours a delightful New Year dear reader!   XO, Elle

Gluten-Free Chocolate-Dipped Almond Crescents
from Kim Laidlaw, a Petaluma, CA-based food writer. Reach her at kim@castironmedia.com

1 cup sliced almonds
7 oz. almond paste (I used and 8 oz. package and it was fine.)
2 oz. almond flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (optional but good)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the sliced almonds into a shallow bowl and lightly crush them with your hand.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the almond paste, almond flour, sugar and salt on medium speed until the mixture becomes grainy, about 3 minutes.

Add the egg white and beat until the mixture smooths out, about 2 minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, each about 1 oz.  Roll each piece into a log that is about 4 inches long. Roll the logs into the crushed sliced almonds, then place on the prepared baking sheet, forming each piece into a U shape. Space the cookies apart on the baking sheet.

Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes, checking at about 12 minutes to make sure nuts are not getting too browned. If they are, place a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the cookies.

Let cool on the pan for about 5 minutes then transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

Melt the bittersweet chocolate chips (in the microwave or the top of a double boiler with the bottom simmering with a small amount of boiling water) and stir until smooth. Dip the ends or the base of the cooled cookies into the chocolate. Let dry on parchment or waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.

Popular Cookies To Bake For Christmas

Yesterday I received a lovely letter from a niece and in it she asked about Christmas cookies I might recommend. I was touched that she would ask. Today I sent her a few links and it occured to me that you, my dear readers, might want some suggestions, too.

If you read this blog on your phone or tablet you may never see the side bars. These include the calendar with direct links to past posts and more, but my favorite is the link to my recipe index. Unfortunately I haven't kept this up to date, but there are still hundreds of great recipes, organized by type. To get to web wies, scroll down to the bottom and click on Web View. That should take you to the view that has side bars.

In web view, to the right, near the top, there is a photo of a set table with rust colored table cloth. If you click on that it takes you to a recipe index. Scroll down to cookies and have fun seeing what interests you.

My two favorite cookies for Christmas are Santa's Whiskers which is a refrigerator cookie shaped in a log, chilled, sliced and baked. The nice thing is that you can leave the log in the fridge or freezer and slice and bake as needed, plus it has seasonal colors and is delicious. The second is for a rolled gingerbread cookie that you cut out, bake and decorate. Usually rolled cookies are tricky but this dough works easily and the cookies have just the right amount of seasonal spice. You can use purchased icing to decorate or make Royal icing yourself. Katherine and I enjoy being creative with icing and sprinkles and last year (I think) she also purchased a powder that gives a metallic glow. This is a long standing tradition, as you can see from the first photo.

Here are the links for the Santa's Whiskers without coconut (barbered). .http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2006/11/inner-elf-2-barbered-santas.html

I make them without having the log rolled in coconut (the whiskers) because not everyone here likes coconut. To do the whiskers, just roll the fresh log of dough in dry coconut (can be found at health food stores & many groceries) or shredded moist coconut. Wrap, refrigerate and proceed as usual.

Here is the link for the Swedish gingerbread cookies. http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2009/12/ginger-cinnamon-molasses.html

Here is the link for Royal Icing. http://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/2011/04/crafty-bites.html

Here is the link for the blog in general. https://feedingmyenthusiasms.blogspot.com/

Have fun!

Half Way

Two days ago we hit the half way mark - the winter solstice. We have reached the darkest day of the year after that day more light each day returns to the world until around the 21st of June, when days begin to grow shorter again. Since it was a cold, damp, rainy day it wasn't really obvious. It was sort of dim all day.

 One of the fun things to do on a rainy day is bake cookies. Since it's been blessedly rainy (remember, we are in a four year long drought) for days now, I've been baking for a few days, too. One of the things I baked was a gluten-free, dairy-free version of Santa's Whiskers cookies, so that I can have some at Christmas. I also made a dairy-free and gluten-free molasses cookie which is tasty but not as chewy as I had hoped. The last recipe is for a cookie that seems very seasonal to me, but this one has butter and regular flour, so I won't have any. Sweetie, on the other hand, can eat pretty much anything. He enjoyed these white chocolate-dried cranberry cookies and I can recommend them as easy to make, although not particularly photogenic.

 I looked at a number of recipes, so I don't have attribution for these, having borrowed a bit from here and a bit from there. I think you could add in some nuts if you like and they would probably be even better.

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white chocolate morsels or chunks
1/2 cup dried soft cranberries

 In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

 Blend in the egg and vanilla
.
On a sheet of waxed paper, or in a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture and beat to combine.

Stir in the white chocolate and dried cranberries.

Drop 2 tablespoonful dollops of the dough about an inch and a half apart on baking sheets that have been lined with silicone mats or with parchment paper
.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about nine minutes. The edges of the cookies will be golden brown.

Cool the cookies on a rack, then store in an airtight container.

This recipe makes about 18 cookies, but it can be doubled for about 3 dozen cookies.

Seasonal Treats For You - Cookies

Still very little cooking or baking going on, but this is a good time to think about the holiday season and some of the recipes you might want to make for yourself, family and friends.

For starters, there are always Christmas Cookies. You might not want to bake sweet things to have in the house if you have little or no self-control as I do, but this is the season for indulgence. More importantly, it is the season for gifting. It never hurts to have a few choice cookies, already on a small paper plate and sealed into a plastic bag, ready to be given as a 'small token' gift. When your favorite mail carrier shows up at the door with a package, or a neighbor comes by and shovels you walk for you or helps you move something heavy or bring in the tree, you have something sweet to give them, along with your thanks. Any of the cookies mentioned in this post will make a nice addition to such a plate.

Christmas Cookies also make great gifts for friends and family who have no time to bake. That's probably quite a few of the people you know. You don't have to tell them that cookies like slice-and-bake Santa's Whiskers or speedy bar cookies like

Raspberry Cookie Bars and

 Nut and Cranberry Shortbread Cookies didn't take you long to make. Let them think you slaved over them for hours in the kitchen!

Some cookies do take some time and care, like

  Macarons, those delicate and delicious French sandwich cookies.

Pfeffernuesse need to be made ahead, but are worth the wait.

Some cookies become a family tradition.

In my family those include my Mom's Crescent Cookies,

my favorite Swedish Ginger Cookies

and my daughter's favorite Santa's Whiskers.

 Does your family have one or two favorite cookies you always make for Christmas?

Going With the Flow On Christmas Cookies

Well, we made it to December, safe and sound. With Christmas only 23 or so days away, I've started to think about what I'd like to bake and cook for the season. Topping the list is Christmas cookies. Somehow the smell of the molasses and spices of gingerbread cookies gets my inner elf going, so the prospect of holiday shopping and wrapping and shipping (to say nothing of decorating the house) seem less daunting.

This year my darling daughter was home for Thanksgiving for the first time in a long time. As part of her visit we planned a cookie decorating evening with a neighbor whose company we really enjoy. It's fun to have a chance to be a kid at heart and play with decorations the way I did when I was young. One of the ways to bring out that inner child is to have lots of options for decorating. We even did Ninja Warriors.

 Not only did we have gingerbread cookies, but I had also made some dough from a recipe I found in the current issue of Bon Appetit magazine (recipe below). The cookies are vanilla and bake up a little flatter, crisp and delicious. We started out the decorating process for both by icing them with a slightly thinned royal icing to create a canvas for painted decorations...the flow because you thin the icing enough that it flows flat to create a canvas for the painting.

 K brought some luster dust decor bottles with her in silver, copper, red, green, and blue. Combined with lemon extract, they became paint that added a wash of color and a sheen of luster that was quite pretty. I also had some regular royal icing in white, red, and green to be used for accents or to attach silver balls or sanding sugar or other decor to the cookies.

 Lots of opportunity for creativity! Most of the photos are for the gingerbread cookies, but we did bake some with the vanilla dough, too. Look for the star with the blue outline and the round one that looks like a pizza, for example.

We had a blast and I think the cookies are little works of art in many cases. One of my favorites was the little piggy. Terrible photo, but hopefully you'll get the idea. It had red flow icing as a base and AM used silver paint to delineate the various cuts of meat one could get from a pig.

This can be a fun activity to do with kids, too. If they are really young, it is recommended that you roll, cut out and bake the cookies ahead of time. If you are making the flow iced ones, do that in advance, too, so the icing has time to set. That way the kids get the fun part of painting and adding embellishments to their creations without a waiting period. A muffin tin with different decors in each section is an excellent way to corral the sugars, silver balls, small red hot candies and other embellishments.

Disposable pastry bags work well for the royal icing, either with an added icing tip or not. If not, be sure to keep the hole you cut in the tip pretty small so your icing stays small, too, and doesn't overwhelm the cookie. The tip or hole for applying the flow icing can be bigger, but the one for adding details needs to be small. K bought the Wilton brand luster dust on Amazon, but I think some crafts stores might have it, too, if they carry Wilton cake decorating supplies.

Ultimate Sugar Cookies
from Bon Appetit magazine, Dec. 2013

3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups sifted all purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place racks in lower and upper thirds of oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Whisk salt, baking powder and 3 cups flour into a bowl.

Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until well combined, about 3 minutes. Butter does not need to be fluffy. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Beat just to combine.

Reduce speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients. Mix just to combine.

Form dough into tow 3/4-inch thick disks. Wrap disks in plastic. Chill at least 2 hours.

To bake: Let 1 disk of dough sit at room temperature until softened slightly, about 5 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper until about 1/4-inch thick, dusting with flour as needed. If dough gets soft or sticky, chill on parchment until firm. Cut out shapes with floured cookie cutters. Transfer cut-outs to parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 12 - 16 minutes, depending on size. Transfer baked cookies to wire rack and let cool. Repeat with scraps and remaining dough.

Decorate cooled cookies as desired.

Cookie dough can be made 1 month ahead; freeze instead of chilling. Cookies can e baked, but left un-decorated 2 weeks ahead; wrap tightly and freeze. Makes 2 - 3 dozen, depending on size.

Royal Icing for decorating

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar and 2 large egg whites until white, thickened and tripled in volume, about 5 minutes. Add water by the tablespoonful until icing no longer holds a peak. Test some if you are going to do the flow icing to make sure that it is thin enough. Icing for adding details needs to have less water added. When icing is desired thickness, divide icing into smaller bowls and color with food coloring as desired. Once colored, put icing into pastry bags.  Makes about 2 cups.

To make paintable cookies: Follow the Ultimate Sugar Cookie directions. When cookies are cool, load a pastry bag, fitted with a plain tip, with white or colored Royal Icing.

Pipe a line around the outside edge of the cookie top, then fill in the shape. Icing should be just thin enough that it will flatten on the cookie once piped on. Let the iced cookies dry completely, allowing at least two hours.

Thin luster dust with lemon extract in a small bowl until smooth and the consistency of half and half. Use a clean small paintbrush to paint on designs. Let dry.