Sparkling New Year

Last week en route to the airport, I exclaimed to E about the lack of snow and how I wished it could be a white Christmas. Compared to last year, by now we were already blanketed with several snow storms. This year, it has only been a little more than dustings and flurries. I suppose Santa Claus decided to grant my wish because upon returning 2 days ago, we were unpleasantly greeted with heaps of billowing snow.


It continued to snow into the next day and while rummaging in the refrigerator to make breakfast, I found some sugar cookies that got left behind. Sugar cookies to me are quintessentially American. I was never fond of them until I took a bite from one my sister made. They have such a lovely and comforting vanilla aroma that they have become a part of my annual baking repertoire. Glittered with sanding sugar or painted with royal icing, they are simple tasting cookies that are a delicious compliment to a cold glass of milk. Still unable to work the fine motor controls of my thumb, I decided to just decorate them the way they taste, in a very simple manner.

Sis's Sugar Cookies

Ingredients
2 cups AP flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup butter - softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Method

1. Whisk dry ingredients together; flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and egg.
3. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined.
4. Form dough into a flattened disk or square and chill until firm about 1 to 2 hours.
5. Roll out dough to an even thickness of 1/4 inch. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes.
6. To sugar the cookies with sanding sugar, brush the surface with milk and sprinkle the sugar over the top before baking.
7. Bake cookies spaced 1 inch apart in a preheated oven of 375˚ for 7 to 9 minutes until the edges start to turn a light golden colour. Depending on the size of cut out shapes it may take less time or longer. Cookies can be baked directly on ungreased baking sheets or on parchment paper.
8. Cool cookies completely before decorating with royal icing.

Badener Chrabeli - Little Claws from Baden

When looking up the Spitzbuebe recipe, I came across this recipe which had been on my to -do list and seemed easy enough for me to execute.


It has a funny looking shape resembling claws with ingredients that didn't seem terribly exciting and I am not partial to "white" food but I was pleasantly surprised when I took my first bite. Lightly crisp on the exterior and soft and chewy inside, It is marvelously light with a subtle anise aroma. It was also fun to see them rise and form little "feet" like well made macarons.


The dough is the same for making Anisbroetli which is also the same as the German Springerle. If you have the beautiful molds to form them in by all means use it but if you don't you can make Badener Chrabelis instead. You may already have these classic recipes if you don't I would be pleased to share the recipe just leave me a message and I will email you the recipe.

Chrabeli's waiting to be baked

Spitzbuebe "Bad Boys"

Feeling extremely pleased with the jam thumbprints and doing a little more than rolling balls! although forming the thumbprints still involved rolling; nonetheless I felt accomplished and inspired to make something a little more involved yesterday.


I thought of making Linzers but didn't have enough nuts and E asked what Swiss cookies are you making this year? Given the ingredients I already had and it didn't seem terribly involved other than using a rolling pin and stamping cut-outs, why not some Spitzbuebe.


These are fragile cookies that are simply delectable and my nephew loves them.This recipe comes from Malgieri's book Cookies Unlimited. It is also published online at Saveur or you can find it below. According to Malgieri, Spitzbuebe means "bad boys" he also instructs piercing 3 small holes on the top surface. They actually do resemble "facial" expressions of "oh boy - am I in trouble!".

Note: I compared the recipe between book and Saveur's and the book doesn't incorporate eggs in the dough at all. Measurements are also different. If you don't have the book, I recommend it to you and would be happy to share this recipe with you, just leave me a message and I will email you the recipe.

Swiss Raspberry Preserve – Filled Sandwich Cookies (Spitzbuebe)
courtesy of Saveur
makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients
3/4 lb. (3 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 egg yolks
3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup seedless raspberry preserves

Method

1. Beat butter and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Increase speed to medium; beat until light and fluffy. Add yolks one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add flour 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition to combine. Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula; give the dough one last stir. Transfer dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and press it into a 9" × 11" rectangle. Cover with more plastic wrap, place on a large plate, and let chill for 1 hour.
2. Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 325°. Divide chilled dough into 6 pieces. Rewrap 5 pieces individually in plastic wrap and chill. On a lightly floured surface, work the dough piece gently with a rolling pin to warm it slightly. Keeping surface and dough floured, roll dough into a 9" square. (If dough sticks, gently run a spatula underneath it, to release it.) Using a 3" round cookie cutter, cut out 9 circles of dough and transfer them to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet about 1" apart; reserve scraps. Repeat process with remaining chilled dough pieces. Combine leftover scraps into a ball. Reroll dough and continue cutting circles. Using a 1 1/4" round cookie cutter, cut a hole in the center of half of the circles—these are the tops. Bake all cookies in batches, rotating pans halfway through, until just pale golden, about 15 minutes. Let cookies cool completely.

3. Put preserves into a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring, over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring, until thickened and reduced by about one-quarter, about 5 minutes. Transfer preserves to a bowl; let cool. Put remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar into a sieve; dust cookie tops. Turn whole cookies upside down—these are the bottoms; spoon about 1/2 tsp. of preserves onto each. Using a small spatula, spread preserves to within 1/8" of the edges. Cover each with a cookie top. Transfer remaining preserves into a plastic bag and snip the end. Using it like a piping bag, pipe a small amount of preserves into each hole. Serve cookies immediately or store between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container at room temperature.

Stick a finger in it!

A little impaired but slowly healing, I am now definitely in the mood and motivated to make more cookies! the only thing is that I've been doing nothing but rolling balls of dough. At this point I've likely rolled several hundred balls of every kind; nutty balls, ginger balls, chocolate balls and I am getting bored. As I was rolling the Peppermint Pixies, I stopped for a moment, stared at the round sphere and stuck my finger in it and thought duh! that's easy what about some jam thumbprints!


This recipe appeared in Gourmet maybe a year or 2 ago. They ran an article on Gourmet's Favourite Cookies over the years. Not sure what year this was originally published but all I know is that this simple basic recipe is one of best I've eaten and quickest to make; no fancy equipments necessary and just one bowl to wash! The crust is tender and delicate and balances well with a preserve that is not too sweet. Unable to locate the link on their site to the recipe, I've quoted it below.

Strawberry Jam Tarts
from Gourmet: This is just one of Gourmet’s Favorite Cookies: 1941-2008. Although we’ve retested the recipes, in the interest of authenticity we’ve left them unchanged: The instructions below are still exactly as they were originally printed.

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
2 large egg yolks, beaten lightly
1 cup strained strawberry jam

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, the sugar, and the salt, add the butter, and blend the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the egg yolks, blend the mixture until it forms a dough, and chill the dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Let the dough soften slightly, roll level teaspoons of it into balls, and arrange the balls about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each ball, being careful not to crack the dough around the edges. (If the dough cracks, reroll it and try again.) Fill each indentation with about 1/4 teaspoon of the jam and bake the cookies in batches in the middle of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are pale golden. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 2 minutes, transfer them to racks, and let them cool completely. The cookies may be made 1 month in advance and kept frozen in airtight containers. Makes about 100 cookies.

Orange scented chocolate bites

When I was picking up some chocolate bars for the peppermint pixies, I noticed Lindt offered an orange flavoured dark chocolate bar and I figured it would be perfect to make another chocolate bite a little more festive.


These dark chocolate bites are as easy to make as it is to pop them in your mouth. The addition of orange zest, orange oil and orange peel studded chocolate bars makes these already decadent treats just a little more special and festive. Permeated with a marvelous citrus aroma, they bring back memories of the orange groves in Andalusia intoxicated with the heady scent of orange blossoms. Because the ingredients are few and simple, it's advisable to use the best quality ingredients available.
This particular cookie has certainly been around the baking universe and it would be no stranger to those familiar with Dorie Greenspan and Pierre Hermé. I believe it was my sister who introduced me to them many years ago. Since then, it has been an annual staple and a favourtie for our family. This recipe is actually not Greenspan's but rather Hermé's which I happened upon in an article from F&W site. It differs ever so slightly but the small difference I believe in the amount of sugar and flour makes Herme's dough a little less crumbly and easier to work with. I've made both and couldn't tell the difference. I only chose to work with Hermé's recipe over Greenspan's as it is much easier to handle.

Chocolate chocolate chip cookie
adapted from F&W article
The New Classic Cookies I Pierre Hermé's Christmas Cookies

Ingredients
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 sticks plus 6 tablespoons (11 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons fleur de sel
1 teaspoon orange oil
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (2 cups) for more orange intensity with orange peel - use Lindt's Orange chocolate bar.
Zest of 2 oranges

Directions
In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the cocoa and baking soda. In a large bowl, cream the butter. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, fleur de sel, orange oil and orange zest and beat until combined. Beat in the sifted dry ingredients just until blended; the dough will be fairly crumbly but will hold together. Knead in the chocolate until evenly distributed. Divide the dough in half and transfer to 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Shape each piece of dough into a 1 1/2-inch-wide log and wrap in the plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a sharp, thin knife, cut the logs into 3/8-inch slices and arrange about 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets. If the slices crumble, re-form the cookies, pressing the dough together. Bake the cookies on the middle and lower racks of the oven for about 17 minutes, or until puffed and cracked on top; shift the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months.

Peppermint Pixies

Maybe it's the season, weather or just something in the air but lately I've been having a peppermint craving, the more intense the better it is. Since it's Christmas, I decided to make an ordinary chocolate cookie a little extra ordinary so that's how these peppermint pixies came to existence.

Commonly called chocolate crackles, chocolate crinkles and chocolate snowcaps, these cookies are delicious and bursting with chocolate flavour all on their own. The addition of creme de menthe and peppermint oil elevates them to another dimension and makes them seasonally special. As a child I recall fairy tales which often portrayed pixies as short and ill tempered little creatures. Therefore it would only be fitting to call these peppermint pixies because although they are tiny, they pack an intense mighty minty punch!

Fresh and cooled after baking, they are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. They will be chewy after a day. These are a simple roll and bake cookie. You may already have your own recipe if not enjoy the one below.

Peppermint Pixies
yields about 2 dozen

Ingredients
6 oz Bittersweet Chocolate
1/2 teaspoon Peppermint oil
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
3/4 cup AP Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
3/4C Light Brown Sugar - packed firmly
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons creme de menthe (optional - omit for child friendly morsels)
Granulated and icing sugar for rolling - about 1 cup each

Method

1. Chop chocolate into small pieces and melt over a bain marie. Set aside to cool.
2. Sift dry ingredients together; Cocoa powder, AP flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Cream together butter and sugar until mixture is light and fluffy. Add in egg and beat until just combined. Stir in peppermint oil to cooled chocolate and add to butter mixture. Beat until well combined.
4. Add half of sifted dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Add in milk and creme de menthe if using and continue to mix on low speed. Finally add in remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Portion dough in two and between parchment paper press each portion into a square about 3/4 inch thick. Place in refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours.
6. When ready to form balls. Pop the chilled dough into the freezer for about 7-10 minutes. While waiting, prepare the icing sugar and granulated sugar separately in a medium sized bowl for rolling.
7. Remove dough from the freezer, using a knife cut dough into 3/4 inch squares. Since I find the dough to be of a sticky and wet consistency, I found that this method of working the dough as cold as possible helps alleviate the sticky situation.
8. Between the palm of your hands, roll each square into round balls which will be roughly 1 inch in diameter. As you are rolling, the warmth of your palms will start to melt the dough which is what you want as this will make the granulated sugar stick to them.
9. Chuck the balls into the bowl with the granulated sugar and swirl them around to be completely coated. Pick them out and set aside. Do this to all the remaining dough. You may have to wash your hands between rolling but I found for myself that working the dough in 2 portions only required my hands to be washed before getting to the 2nd final half.
10. After all the balls are formed and covered in granulated sugar. Preheat oven to 350˚. Roll the chocolate balls in icing sugar to generously coat them. Don't be skimpy here as this is what will create the black and white contrast of the cookies.
11. Place the icing sugared balls onto parchment lined cookie sheets about 2 inches apart and bake 10-12 minutes until they puff and crack. Keep in a tightly sealed container for up to a week.

It may appear that there are many steps but don't let this deter you from attempting this recipe. It's all about ease and efficiency and being organized. You'll understand the messy and sticky situation when you start or attempt this recipe. It really is easy if you are organized and have everything ready.

Tangy & Tender Lime Cookies

Earlier this week driving home from my PT appointment, it occurred to me that making cookies could be a good form of therapy for my thumb as the putty like object the PT used for my thumb rehab has the consistency of soft cookie dough and so I started planning a list as soon as I reached home.

I begin with some ginger buttons crisps and buttery pecan balls. Feeling rather proud of myself, I decided to progress to a roll and cut cookie. Thankfully there were no mishaps wielding the knife with my left hand. Maybe the lesson for my injury is to slow down a little as I am accustomed to whizzing through anything I do and some of you know especially so in the kitchen.


The ingredients are as simple and basic as it can be. Everything is easily mixed together with the exception of zesting the lime and slicing them before baking, which was a little inconvenient with my condition. But it was worth the effort as it was a delight to smell them baking. Despite them being drowned in confectioner's sugar, it isn't tooth achingly sweet but rather a tangy and refreshing taste and melts delicately in your mouth. Perhaps you can try them and taste it yourselves.

Tangy Lime Cookies
recipe from Martha Stewart

Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks butter softened
1/3 cup Icing sugar
Zest of 2 limes
2 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
Additional icing sugar for coating cookies - about 1 cup

Method

1. Cream butter and icing sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in lime juice, zest & vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch & salt. Add to creamed butter, beat on low speed until combined.
3. Divide dough in 2. Using parchment paper, roll dough into two 1 1/4-inch-diameter logs. Chill in refrigerator for a couple of hours.
4. Preheat oven 350˚. Slice well chilled logs 1 1/8 inch thick and place on parchment lined cookie sheets about 1 inch apart.
5. Bake cookies until barely golden. 12-15 minutes.
6. Cool cookies slightly and toss them just barely warm in the additional icing sugar.
7. Cookies can be stored in air tight containers up to 2 weeks.

This is a great do ahead recipe. The dough keeps in the refrigerator for several days and up to a couple of months in the freezer. These are usually the first cookies that gets mixed right after Thanksgiving and thrown into the freezer until it they get baked just before Christmas.

Sweet Snowflakes to usher in the New Year

Annually, during this time of the year, I feel like a kid in a toy store with all the flour, sugar and baking supplies strewn all over the kitchen. I am not sure how I managed before in my tiny kitchen but I suppose necessity is the mother of all invention. As much as I look forward to baking, I look forward most to sorting out my silver dragees and sitting down and putting up my weary feet to decorate these gingerbread snowflakes.


These were actually done just in time for Christmas but I didn't have a chance to tell you about it before. So before the year is out and with all the snow we got, I think this is the perfect treat to leave you with which are spicy, satisfying and warming in the cold, and sweet and delightful to usher in a wonderful new year.


I have tried many recipes over the years and I don't know why I never tried this recipe from the cookie master himself - Nick Malgieri. They taste much better than the ones I've made over the years and the dough is wonderfully manageable and easy to work with and it is just simply delicious. Fortunately, the recipe is available on his website here. For convenience sake, it's also quoted below.

Gingerbread Cookies
adapted from Nick Malgieri
Makes about 24 large cookies, depending on the size cutter used

Ingredients

5 cups all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)

4 teaspoons ground ginger - I increased it to 6 teaspoons for a spicier bite

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

2/3 cup molasses


2 cookie sheets or jelly roll pans lined with parchment or foil


1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda. Stir well to mix.
2. Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until well mixed, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating smooth after each addition. Scrape down bowl and beater.
3. Lower speed and beat in about half the flour mixture. Beat in all the molasses then scrape bowl and beater. Add the remaining flour mixture, about 1 cup at a time, and beat after each addition until it has all been absorbed.
4. Remove the bowl from the mixer and give the dough a final mixing with a large rubber spatula. Scrape half the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and press it to about a 1/2-inch thickness. Wrap the dough securely and repeat with the remaining dough. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours or for up to 3 days.
5. When you are ready to bake the cookies, set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
6. Unwrap one of the pieces of dough and cut it in half. Rewrap one of the halves and return it to the refrigerator.
7. On a floured surface, roll the dough until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Use a floured gingerbread "man" or "woman" cutter to cut the cookies. As they are cut, place the cut cookies on the prepared pans with about 1 inch between them on all sides. Repeat with remaining dough. Save, press together, and reroll scraps (they don't need to be chilled before rerolling).
8. Bake the cookies until they become dull and dry looking and feel slightly firm when pressed with a fingertip, about 12 to 15 minutes. If you overbake the cookies, they will be very dry. Slide papers from pans onto racks to cool.
9. Store the cooled cookies between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.

Appenzeller Biberli

After getting caught in a few nostalgic baking moments, I was determined to get back on track with another typical Swiss Christmas treat. These cookies called Appenzeller Biberli is translated as "Appenzell filled beavers" hailing from the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. Not the most wholesome sounding name translated into the English language; neither are they the prettiest looking but regardless of what anyone thinks, I like them because they simply are very very good to eat! Did I mention the oozing almond filling is also spiked with a splash of Kirsch?


Reading through the recipe I knew that it would be a tasty treat to make especially since I have a fondness for almonds and better yet it is deliciously wrapped by a honey gingerbread dough which is soft, tender and chewy. Despite the lengthy instructions, I found it very easy to put together. This is a another Nick Malgieri recipe and if you happen to have the recipe and feeling adventurous to try it, don't over bake it like I did my first batch or it will be a little on the chewy side.

Another trip down memory lane

Since I had taken a trip down memory lane with my mom's ginger buttons, I decided why not make another trip. This happened when I took a pound of butter out to soften while sandwiching the Linzers. After I was done, I realized that I didn't have the foggiest idea what I needed it for. It was certainly tempting me to cream it with sugar and make something buttery and delicious out of it. Poking around in the pantry, I found some pecans and decided to make Buttery Pecan Balls.


Some call it Mexican Wedding Cakes, Russian Tea Cakes, whatever it is, all I know is the deliciously tender crumb, nutty and buttery goodness that I came across almost 12 years ago baking Christmas cookies with my good friend A. It has since become an annual favourite of mine to bake. Either of us haven't a clue which tattered library book the recipe came from. Even though the recipe calls to roll them in icing sugar after the cookies have cooled, I prefer to roll them in just granulated sugar. It adds a sweet sandy texture when you bite into it and keeps better as the icing sugar tends to "seep" into cookie.

Buttery Pecan Balls

Ingredients
2 Sticks Butter - Room Temp
1/2 Cup Sugar and additional to complete the cookies
2 Cups AP flour
1/4 tsp Salt
6 oz Pecans
1 Tbsp Dark Rum

Method
Preheat oven to 350. Finely chop (not ground) the pecans in a food processor. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add salt and rum and beat well. Mix in the flour and pecans at a slow speed or with a rubber spatula until incorporated. Using a small scoop or teaspoon as a guide, scoop and roll the dough into little 1 inch balls and place them no less than 1 inch apart on an un-greased or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 to 15 minutes until the cookies are puffed, firm to touch with brown bottoms, not brown tops. After the cookies have cooled, roll them in the granulated sugar.

Christmas baked in a Cookie

Earlier this week as E and I were driving very late in the night, we were gifted with an amazing light show piercing the night sky. Later on we found out that the year's best meteor shower occurs during this time of the year annually. If you have a chance to watch stars shooting madly in the sky, mark your calendars next year. You can go to NASA's website for more information.


As I was making Linzers, the glisten of the raspberry starry centers surrounded by white sprinkles reminded me of that sparkling night. To me nothing says Christmas more than twinkling lights, white fluffy snow and aromatic spices; that's just what Linzers are, Christmas baked in a cookie. So I think it would be most appropriate to share the recipe of such a special holiday cookie by non other than Nick Malgieri. The author has so kindly offered me the privilege to share a couple of recipes from his book "Cookies Unlimited". The other recipe quoted is for the Berner Hasselnuss found here. I am sure you have your own favourite Linzer recipe but if you don't, try this one. The crust surrounding the jam is tender and nutty, it's like eating tiny little raspberry tarts and it is as delicious as it looks.

Linzer Hearts
as written from Cookies Unlimited by kind permission of Nick Malgieri pg. 276

Though this recipe calls for ground hazelnuts, almonds or pecans will work just as well. And the raspberry jam that sandwiches the rich nut dough can be changed to apricot, which would be just as good.

Makes about 18 cookies

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
16 tablespoon (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
4 ounces (about 1 cup) whole blanched almonds, finely ground in the food processor
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

2 or 3 cookie sheets or jelly roll pans covered with parchment or foil

1. In a bowl, combine the flour and spices, stir well to mix.
2. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together on medium speed the butter and sugar until soft and light, about 5 minutes. Lower the mixer speed and beat in the almonds and the flour and spice mixture, one at a time.
3. Remove the bowl form the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to finish mixing the dough. Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape it into a rectangle about 1/2 inch think. Wrap and chill the dough until it is firm, about an hour, or up to several days.
4. When you are ready to bake the cookies, set the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
5. Cut the dough into three parts and refrigerate two of them. Place one third on a floured surface and flour it lightly. Press and pound the dough gently with a rolling pin to soften it, then roll the dough about 1/4 inch think. Use a 2 1/2-to 3-inch heart-shaped cutter ( or any round one) to cut the dough. Place the cookies on the prepared pans, leaving about an inch around each in all directions. If you have a tiny heart-shaped cutter, use it to cut the center out of half the cookies, to make a "window" when they are sandwiched. Or use a small round cutter, or a pastry tube, or leave the cookies unpierced. Repeat with the remaining dough. Mass the scraps together and roll them once again to cut more cookies.
6. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, or until they are a very pale golden color. Cool them on the pans on racks.
7. While the cookies are baking, prepare the jam for the filling. Bring the jam to a simmer in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Let the jam reduce until it has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
8. After the cookies have cooled, dust the pierced cookies lightly with the confectioners' sugar. Invert the nonpierced cookies and spread each with about 1/2 teaspoon of the reduced jam. Top with the pierced cookies, sugar side up. Use a small paper cone, a tiny spoon or the snipped corner of a nonpleated plastic bag to fill the window of the cookies with more reduced jam.
9. Store the finished cookies between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.
   
   

Ginger Buttons for Santa

Ginger Button Crisps


As I was going through my baking list again, I felt a sudden pang of nostalgia. It has been fun trying new recipes but I am missing my mom's gingery buttons. They are light and crispy, a little larger than the size of a penny but packs a gingery punch. It is delicious with a cold glass of milk to quell the spiciness. The ingredients are basic and method is simple and requires no special equipment; just your good ol' hands. It's a great activity to get the family all involved. I remember being excited as a child rolling the tiny balls of dough and watching them puff in the oven. So this weekend, get the kids into the holiday mood and fill the house some Christmas aroma and spirit!

Mom's Ginger Buttons
Yields quite a bit of delectable spicy morsels

Ingredients
8oz AP flour
4oz Butter - softened
8oz Light Brown Sugar
4-6 tbsp Ground Ginger - 4 tbsp yields a mild spiciness
1 medium egg
1 tsp heap baking soda - fresh yields a crispier texture
1 tbsp milk
Pinch of salt

Method
Preheat oven 350˚. Add AP flour, sugar and ginger ( to taste ) into butter and squish with hands until incorporated. Lightly beat baking soda, salt into the milk and egg mixture just to break up. Make a well in the center of the dough and pour in the egg mixture. Mix with hands until well incorporated, a ball of dough should form together.


Start rolling little balls the size of tiny marbles. To get consistent sizes, I make a long dough and cut it very much like making gnocchi. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets 2 inches apart, they will spread. Do not roll them any larger than a small marble or the cookies will bake hard. Bake in pre-heated oven for about 8 minutes until golden brown and crispy. These bake fast check the cookies around 7 minutes, it may take a few minutes less or longer in some ovens. Mine bakes perfectly in 8 minutes.

Utziger Hasselnuss Leckerli

Finally I get to use the candied orange and lemon peels made a week or 2 ago. This cookie has many similarities in both basic ingredients and method to the Berner Hasselnuss in my last post.


Although, it has a completely different texture. It is fragrant from the fruit peels and has a chewy texture. This cookie can easily be made gluten free because the flour used is insignificant to the entire cookie (3 tbsp) and likely acts as a binder and can easily be replaced with sweet rice flour which will probably add to the chewy quality. Just like the Berner Hasselnuss, this recipe came from the same book. E likes this better than the Berner Hasselnuss but I like the Berner Hasselnuss better.

Berner Hasselnuss Staengeli

Swiss Hazelnut Bar Cookies from Berne.


I am not sure if these cookies are considered traditional Christmas cookies in Switzerland but it sparked my interest with it's all nut ingredient, simple components and method. These cookies were a delight to bake. It took no time to mix up with little fuss. The ingredients just consist of sugar, hazelnuts meal ( husk and all!), lemon zest, cinnamon and egg whites. Everything is just mixed together and the result is a delicious slightly chewy cookie with a crunch. I am tempted to dip these in some melted chocolate which I think would make it more divine.


In due respect to Nick Malgieri and copyright concerns I am afraid I am not able to post the recipe here. However I'll be happy to share them with you. Just leave me a message and I will email it to you. I highly recommend getting the book by Nick Malgieri - Cookies Unlimited from where this recipe came from. This book is chocked full of delicious cookies and a great addition to your cook book collection.


Edited by Sze Lin December 20

Yesterday, I kindly received the privilege to share this recipe from the author himself. Thank you Mr. Malgieri.

Berner Hasselnuss Staengeli
Swiss Hazelnut Bars from Berne
as written from Cookies Unlimited by kind permission from Nick Malgieri pg. 119

This is a typically Swiss recipe shared by my friend, cooking teacher and caterer Thea Cvijanovich. Thea was born in Berne, Switzerland, and this recipe is like many from the region. Though I don't think these were originally made without flour for religious reasons, they make a great Passover cookie.

Makes about 48 cookies

4 1/2 cups ( about 18 ounces) whole unblanced hazelnuts
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for rolling out the dough
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 large egg whites ( a little more than 1/2 cup)

2 cookie sheets or jelly roll pans covered with parchment or foil

1. In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the hazelnuts and half the sugar. Pulse repeatedly at 1-second intervals until finely ground. Add the lemon zest and cinnamon and pulse again.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites to break them up. Whisk in the remaining sugar in a steam. Add the hazelnut mixture and with a large rubber spatula combine the ingredients to form a very firm dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to let the dough mature for about 30 minutes. (This resting time is to get all the sugar melted so the dough doesn't change consistency while it is being rolled or baked.)
3. When you are ready to bake the cookies, set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
4. Scatter granulated sugar on a work surface and scrape the dough onto it. Use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough and scatter sugar over it. Roll out and press the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick – it should make a 12-inch square. Using a ruler for accuracy, cut the dough into 1-inch wide strips. Then cut across at 3-inch intervals to make 48 cookies.
5. Transfer the cookies to the prepared pans, leaving about an inch all around each. Bake the cookies for about 15 to 20 minutes, until they are slightly puffed but still soft to the touch of a fingertip. Cool on the pans on racks.
6. Store the cooled cookies between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.