Holiday Shortbread

I heard about these cookies on the radio when I was hungry so I made them a couple of days later. I prefer plain shortbread, but they weren't bad. After reading the comments I decided to only use orange zest (plus I didn't want to buy orange oil or flavoring), and they were still very orange-y.

The Brass Sisters' Shortbread from All Things Consider's Found Recipes

Williams-Sonoma Mexican Wedding Cookies

I really really like Mexican wedding cookies. Eric made chocolate chip cookies for the people he home teaches, so I decided to make these for the people I visit teach. Instructions are copied verbatim from the book Cookies by Williams-Sonoma.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup ground blanched almonds

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, cream the butter until fluffy and pale yellow. Add 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and salt and beat on low speed until blended. 

2. Sift the flour and cinnamon together onto a sheet of waxed paper. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed or stir with a wooden spoon just until blended. Stir in the almonds. Cover and refrigerate until the dough is chilled, but not hard, and is no longer sticky to the touch, about 15 minutes. 

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready 2 ungreased baking sheets. Sift the remaining 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar into a shallow bowl. 

4. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. 

Bake the cookies until just golden on the bottom, 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes before removing them one at a time and rolling them in the sugar. Let cool completely on wire racks. 

My Notes

I hate rolling things in sugar. 

These were good, and the cookie part did have that Mexican wedding cookie taste, but I think almonds are the worst nut (except for peanuts) and I didn't grind mine finely (I was afraid of getting to almond butter) so there were little bits of almond throughout. Next time I make these I'm going to make them with walnuts. I feel like that's how I've had them before, anyway, and walnuts are just a better nut. 

Williams-Sonoma Sugar Cookies

This is the second sugar cookie recipe I tried. It's from the book Cookies by Williams-Sonoma. I've made 4 other cookies from this book, so at this point I trust it (not like that The Perfect Finish book!). Instructions are copied verbatim from the book.

These were crispy/crunchy, light (but buttery/rich), and very tasty but rolled thin enough that they probably wouldn't withstand toddler frosting.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

Sugar for sprinkling, such as granulated, decorating, turbinado, maple or confectioners' 

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, cream the butter until fluffy and pale. Add the granulated sugar in 3 additions, beating on low speed for 2 minutes after each addition. Beat the egg yolk and vanilla into the butter mixture until well blended. 

2. Sift the flour and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed or stir with a wooden spoon just until blended. 

3. Scrape the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 4 equal portions. Shape into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for up to overnight. 

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment (baking) paper. 

5. Remove the dough disks from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out between 2 sheets fo waxed paper to a thickness of 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Using cookie cutters, cut into circles or other shapes. Repeat with the remaining dough portions, then gather up the scraps and reroll them. If the scraps of dough have become sticky, refrigerate them for 10 minutes before rerolling. For best results, do not roll the same dough more than twice. 

6. Using an offset spatula, transfer the cookies to the prepared pans. Sprinkle with sugar. (If using maple or confectioners' sugar, bake the cookies, then sprinkle with sugar while still warm.) If using an intricately shaped cutter, refrigerate the cutout cookies for 15-30 minutes before baking. 

7. Bake the cookies until they are lightly golden brown on the bottom, 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool briefly on the pans on wire racks before transferring them to the racks to cool completely. 

My Notes

Like I've said before, I just whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl instead of sifting them.

Sugar Cookies

I volunteered to make sugar cookies for a spouse's club Valentine's Day activity so I used the event as an excuse to try a couple of recipes. One of my favorite cookies is the sugar cookie with cream cheese frosting from Smart Cookie, so I'd love to someday find a cookie recipe that's close to theirs.

The first one I tried was just from the Internet. I read some reviews and made a few changes (adding more sugar and vanilla), and I adjusted the recipe for only 30 servings (15 was too few, and anything between 15 and 30 required me to use a fraction of the second egg).

I wasn't happy with how these turned out, and after baking up these and the ones from the other recipe I just ended up buying some at the store on the way to the activity. I was looking for a cookie that would puff up a bit and hold its shape well, but this wasn't it. The ones I got at the store were almost exactly the same, though.

I wonder if I need to start using high-altitude adjustments. Maybe it's because I don't that I so often feel stupid when I'm baking.

Here's the link to the recipe. Below is the ingredients/instructions I used.

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight). 

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. 

3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely. 

Pecan Toffee Bars

I've been wanting to make pecan pie since about Thanksgiving, but Eric doesn't like pie crust so I didn't get around to making it just for me to eat. This recipe promised to be "like mini pecan pies in bar form," so I decided to try it. It's from The Perfect Finish by Bill Yosses and Melissa Clark. Instructions are copied verbatim from the book.

The first part (the crust) made me so mad. First, I was sad that I didn't have a food processor big enough to handle the dough. I started with a pastry cutter, then tried knives, then tried a fork, and then went back to the pastry cutter. Eventually I got it to the "coarse crumbs" consistency, but then I had to press it into a ball. That was a huge pain. I couldn't get it all together, so I just plopped it onto my awesome new pastry mat and rolled it out. That part was really easy, but then I noticed that the instructions said that the 9 x 13 rectangle would be 1/8 inch thick. Mine was about 1/2 inch thick. At that point I started thinking that all that butter would just be wasted and I was pretty annoyed at the recipe authors for not being more careful with their instructions (or ingredients?). I put it in the oven anyway, and after the requisite 30 minutes I lifted up the foil to check for "slightly golden." It was nowhere near there, and the dough was sticking to the foil (the instructions didn't say anything about this or about greasing the foil, though afterward I figured I probably misinterpreted "cover with aluminum foil, pressing the foil down into the corners" to mean that the foil should be against the dough). I ditched the foil and let it bake for another 15ish minutes until it was golden around the edges and faintly golden across the top.

The second part was really easy, but I had to let it cook for about 30 extra minutes before I felt it met the description "no longer moves to the side when the pan is tilted." Even then, there was still some movement but I thought, "Seriously? Twice as long?" This was annoying too because I had planned on 30 minutes and wasn't able to do something that I needed to do (go to the store to get a plastic heart-shaped cookie cutter) when I wanted to do it. I was pretty worried, too - there was a lot of bubbling around the edges and I didn't want the filling to turn too hard once it cooled (even though I knew it was supposed to "set into toffee."

A couple of hours after I took it out of the oven it was still warm and mushy. I was tired of looking at it, so I gave it to my brother. He gave it to some people who said that it was good. I don't think it turned out how it was supposed to. But by the time I realized that I had already typed in the recipe, so I'll keep it here instead of just listing this as a failed attempt. Even though that's totally what it was.

P.S. A day later I started wondering if I was being too hard on this recipe. My brother said his friends really liked it, and if it was really supposed to be like pecan pie then it makes sense that it had a soft middle (but the cookie part should have been firm/crunchy and it wasn't). I wouldn't try it again even so, though, because I didn't like the molasses taste (no fault of the recipe).

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 tsp salt

Pecan Filling

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup dark corn syrup

1/2 cup molasses

4 large eggs, at room temperature

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

2 1/2 cups pecans

Instructions

Crust

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 inch baking pan. In a medium bowl, using a fork or pastry cutter, combine the flour, butter, sugar, and salt until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 

2. Press the dough into a ball, gathering up all the crumbles. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 9 by 13 inch rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Press it into the bottom of the baking pan, pushing the dough out to the edges of the pan (but not up the sides of the pan). Prick the dough all over with a fork and cover with aluminum foil, pressing the foil down into the corners. Bake on the center rack until it has become slightly golden when you lift up the foil, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to fill, leaving the oven on. 

Filling

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, corn syrup, molasses, eggs, butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir int he pecans to combine. Spread the filling evenly over the hot crust. 

Bake and Serve

Return the pan to the oven and bake on the center rack until the mixture is set and no longer moves to the side when the pan is tilted, about 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool. Cut into bars and serve.

Williams-Sonoma Double-Ginger Snaps

From the book Cookies by Williams-Sonoma. I liked these because I appreciated the crunchy sugar outside and chewy inside, but one time I got sick after eating one (unrelated) and now I don't want them anymore. And Eric likes the Pioneer Woman ones better. And I don't love making the crystallized ginger. So I might not make these again for awhile. Anyway, instructions are copied verbatim.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup canola oil

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup dark molasses

1 large whole egg, lightly beaten, plus 1 large egg white

3/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

1/2 cup coarse sugar crystals

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment (baking) paper. 

2. Sift the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper. 

3. In a large bowl, stir the oil, brown sugar, and molasses together with a wooden spoon until well blended. Add the whole egg and beat until blended. Stir in the flour mixture and crystallized ginger. 

4. Lightly beat the egg white in a small bowl. Spread the sugar crystals in a shallow bowl. 

5. With dampened hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Brush each ball lightly with egg white and roll in the sugar to coat lightly. Place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared pans. 

6. Bake the cookies until the tops are set and crackled, 15-18 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes before transferring them to the racks to cool completely. The cookies will firm as they cool. 

My Notes

I follow their instructions for making crystallized ginger (below). I also roll the ball in the egg white because brushing it was too messy. 

Crystallized Ginger

Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar until dissolved. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add 1 cup thinly sliced (1/8 inch), peeled fresh ginger. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, then put the ginger in a bowl with 1/2 cup sugar and toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer on waxed paper and let cool. Store in a tightly covered jar for up to 3 weeks. 

Pioneer Woman's Molasses Cookies

This is the recipe I bought cardamom for. They're good cookies. Eric likes them better than the double ginger molasses cookies I need to post the recipe for.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/12/spicy-molasses-cookies-seriously-delicious/

Homemade Oreo Cookies

Another recipe from my cooking friend. I don't have the book, but I'm pretty sure it's Flour by Joanne Chang. Instructions are copied verbatim.

I've made these cookies three times, and the frosting just once. I wasn't that impressed with the frosting, and I think the cookies are better (and easier to eat) just on their own with milk. They're tasty. 

Ingredients

Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled slightly

1 egg

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Filling

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp milk

Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

Cookies

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter and granulated sugar until well combined. Whisk in the vanilla and chocolate. Add the egg and whisk until thoroughly incorporated. 

2. In another medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda until well mixed. Using a wooden spoon, stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. The dough will start to seem too floury, and you will find it easiest to switch to mixing it with your hands until it comes together. It will have the consistency of Play-Doh. Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 1 hour to firm up. 

3. Transfer the dough to a 15-inch square sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Using your hands, shape the dough into a rough log about 10 inches long and 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Place the log at the edge of the sheet of parchment paper, and roll the parchment around the log. With the log fully encased in parchment, roll it into a smoother log, keeping it at 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm. The log may settle and sink a bit in the fridge, so reroll it every 15 minutes or so to maintain a nice round log. (At this point, the dough log can be well wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month. If the dough is frozen, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding.) 

4. Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper. 

5. Cut the dough log into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place the slices about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. 

6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cookies are firm to the touch. Check them frequently after 16 or 17 minutes, poking them in the middle. As soon as they feel firm to the touch, remove them from the oven. You can't judge by color because they start out black. Let cool on the baking sheet to warm or room temperature. They don't have to cool completely before you fill them, but you can't fill them while they are hot. 

Filling

1. While the cookies are cooling, using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer), beat the butter on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until completely smooth and soft. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until the mixture is perfectly smooth. Add the milk and salt and again beat until smooth. Add the milk and salt and again beat until smooth. It will look like white spackle and feel about the same - like putty. You can also mix this filling by hand. Make sure the butter is very soft, and use your hands to mix and knead the sugar into the butter. You should have about 1 cup. (The filling can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature before using.) 

2. Scoop about 1 rounded tablespoon of the filling onto the bottom of one cookie. Top with a second cookie, bottom-side down, then press the cookies together to spread the filling toward the edges. Repeat until all of the cookies are filled. 

My notes

I don't know if my salt is kosher salt. 

I do this all in my Kitchenaid mixer (except that I whisk the flour, etc. in a separate bowl). P.S. - any time a recipe says to sift dry ingredients together, I just whisk them together in a bowl. 

As I was typing this, I thought that it might be pretty awesome to use a cream cheese (or cream cheese/marshmallow fluff) frosting instead of the buttercream frosting. 

The book suggests a peanut-butter cream filling as an alternative. 

Pepper and Spice Dark Chocolate Cookies

I made these for Eric because he liked the homemade oreo cookies a lot and he likes things that are spicy. From The Perfect Finish, by Bill Yosses and Melissa Clark. Instructions are copied verbatim.

Ingredients

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground ginger

Pinch of ground mace

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp pink peppercorns

12 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

1. In an electric spice grinder or clean electric coffee grinder, grind the black peppercorns and cinnamon stick to a medium-fine powder. Sift the ground spices, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, allspice, salt, ginger, mace, and cayenne onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper and set aside. 

2. Using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a knife, crush the pink peppercorns. Place the pink pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and add the butter and brown sugar. Beat until creamy and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the egg and vanilla. 

3. Add the spice-flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap and roll it into a 1 1/2-inch-diameter log. Wrap well and refrigerate overnight. 

4. The next day, position the oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick liners. Using a thin-bladed knife, slice the cookies into 1/4-inch-thick coins and place them on the baking sheets 1/2 inch apart. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of granulated sugar. Bake, turning the sheets from back to front and switching them between the top rack and the bottom halfway through, until the cookies are just firm to the touch, about 8 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes to firm up, then use a spatula to transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. 

My notes

I added a tiny bit more pink peppercorns - I had just bought them, they're pretty, they come in a big jar...it just seemed like the right thing to do. 

I didn't do the thing with two sheets in the oven. 

I don't like these as much as Eric does. They have a little bit more of a spicy aftertaste than I would prefer. But he'll sit and eat a bunch at a time, so it's not that they're not good cookies.