A Life, Lived

Mocha Sandwich Spritz Cookies

The other day I posted  a recipe for Raspberry Sandwich Spritz Cookies which we love. I discovered that you can use the same recipe to make another of my holiday favourites - essentially the exact same cookie but with a mocha filling. You then dip one ed of the cookie in chocolate and decorate with festive sprinkles.

To save time I doubled the cookie dough, extruded the dough through my cookie press and in no time was ready to go.  The filling is simple - butter, sugar, instant coffee (I used espresso powder to provide an added jolt), and boom (channeling Emeril here I guess) . . . you're done!

What isn't to love about that?

Mocha Sandwich Spritz Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp instant coffee granules
2 teaspoos hot water
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Chocolate sprinkles

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Using a cookie press fitted with a ribbon disk, form dough into long strips on un-greased baking sheets. Cut each strip into 2-in. pieces (do not separate). Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cut again if necessary. Remove to wire racks to cool.

For filling, in a small bowl, cream butter and sugar. Dissolve coffee in hot water. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until smooth. Spread 1/2 tsp filling on the underside of one cookie, top with another cookie to make a sandwich.

In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Place chocolate sprinkles in a bowl. Dip each end of cookies in melted chocolate, then in sprinkles. Place on waxed paper; let stand until firm. Yield: 2 dozen.

Raspberry Sandwich Spritz Cookies

I've been making these cookies for a few years now. I found the recipe in a Taste of Home Christmas Cookie collection and was intrigued because it brings one of my favourite flavour combinations (chocolate and raspberry) to a cookie. In this case a pair of buttery spritz cookies.

These are a classic. The combination of jam, buttery shortbread, chocolate and sprinkles adds up to a fancy and festive treat that everyone loves.

I love the fact that they look like they were very complicated to make - yet they are not. Another perfect combination for the harried Christmas baker!

Raspberry Sandwich Spritz Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Chocolate sprinkles

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Using a cookie press fitted with a ribbon disk, form dough into long strips on un-greased baking sheets. Cut each strip into 2-in. pieces (do not separate). Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cut again if necessary. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Spread the bottom of half of the cookies with jam; top with remaining cookies. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Place chocolate sprinkles in a bowl. Dip each end of cookies in melted chocolate, then in sprinkles. Place on waxed paper; let stand until firm. Yield: 2 dozen.

Peppermint Meringues

Well, the computer is back. It required a complete new system. The happy news was that it only cost $ 230 and the computer works like new. The bad news is that all my settings were lost and the programs that I had loaded were lost. It's going to take me awhile to find everything again.

However, today the glass is half full!

There is a first time for everything! LOL

Moving on . . .

I've seen recipes like this one all over the place each December for years and have always though 'I'd like to make those . . .'

Yet I never did.

Until today.

Let me tell you that they are quick, easy, look impressive, and taste good. There isn't anything better in a recipe than that is there?

Peppermint Meringues

3 large egg whites 
pinch cream of tartar
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 cup sugar
red and green paste food colouring

In a bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Beat in the peppermint extract. Gradually beat int he sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form.

Fit a pastry bag with a 1/4 inch star tip. Using a clean, smal paintbrush or cotton swab, brush the inside of the bag with 2 stripes of red food colouring paste and 2 stripes of green food colouring paste opposite of one another.

Spoon the meringue into the bag. pipe 1-inch meringues, about 1 inch apart, onto parchment-line baking sheets (do NOT use sil-pat). Bake in a 200 degree oven for 90 minutes. Turn off oven and let stand in the oven for 30 minutes. Transfer to racks. Cool

Jerry Style Cookie 'Logs"

I am sure that everyone has seen those logs of uncooked cookie dough in the grocery store. All that the harried cook has ot do is to bring them home, fire up the oven slice, and bake. Fresh cookies in the jar in less than 30 minutes.

Now over the years I have made many disparaging comments about these logs of cookie dough - said dough is full of additives and doesn't taste like much of anything at all. Yet they fly off of the shelf quicker than bags of pork rinds in Alabama.

Why?

Because not everyone has time to measure ingredients, read recipes, beat, mix, portion, bake, and cool, THAT is why!

Allow me to show you a wee secret - I too am a busy cook. I make my own version of Pillsbury dough 'logs':

These logs reside in my freezer just waiting for the moment I need some fresh cookies. There are no additives or preservatives in these - nothing but fresh, premium ingredients. YUM

Each has a label with the name of the cookie, the over temperature, and the length of required baking. All I have to do is to heat the oven, slice, and bake.

Presto . . . cookies . . . mocha pinwheels . . .  peppermint marble cookies . . . lime meltaways . . . orange sables . . . cranberry pistachio gems . . . chocolate nut wafers . . . santa's whiskers . . . orange cranberry cookies . . . pistachio cookies . . . gingersnaps . . . chocolate/vanilla wafers . . . walnut spice rounds.

Normally I would have made the logs in November but with everything that was going on last month it didn't happen! Happily I have caught up and am getting close to being back on track with my Christmas baking.

Now to think about wrapping a gift or two . . .

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Just in time for Valentine's Day . . .

I'm not in the office on Friday so I came home today and whipped up some treats to take in tomorrow. I originally saw these featured in the Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookie magazine and thought that they would be perfect for Valentine's Day.

I must confess to having eaten MANY whoopie cookies/pies over the years. They are a staple in Mennonite communities and we often pick them up when we are in the area around Waterloo. Then when we were in Maine we discovered that they are a popular treat there too - we ate far too many maple whoopie pies than would be considered healthy.

A whoopie pie (alternatively called a gob, black-and-white, bob, or "BFO" for Big Fat Oreo) is a pastry made of two round mound-shaped pieces of chocolate cake, sometimes pumpkin cake, with a sweet, creamy frosting sandwiched between them. While considered a New England phenomenon and a Pennsylvania Amish tradition they are increasingly sold in bakeries everywhere. According to food historians, Amish women would bake these (known as hucklebucks at the time) and put them in farmers' lunch boxes. When farmers would find these treats in their lunch, they would shout "Whoopie"!

These are unique because they are made to look like a red velvet cake. A red velvet cake is a rich, moist, sweet cake with a dark red, bright red or red-brown color. It is usually prepared as a layer cake somewhere between chocolate and vanilla in flavor, topped with a creamy white icing. Common ingredients are buttermilk, butter, flour, cocoa, and either beets or red food coloring. The amount of cocoa used varies in different recipes. A typical frosting is a butter roux (also known as a cooked flour frosting). Cream cheese or buttercream frostings are also used.

It may sound 'different' but it is amazing. Mind you, I've never had the beet variety!

Combine the cake from the south with the cookie from the north and you have a perfect treat for Valentine's Day! The best thing was that they were quite easy to prepare - I was went from ingredient gathering to dishes done and a HUGE smile on Paul's face in about 90 minutes.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1-oz. bottle red food coloring (2 Tbsp.)
1 recipe Whoopie Pie Filling, recipe below

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment; set aside. In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high 30 seconds. Beat in brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beating after each addition just until combined. Stir in food coloring.

Spoon batter in 1- or 2-inch diameter rounds, about 1/2-inch high on prepared baking sheets, allowing 1 inch between each round.

Bake 7 to 9 minutes for 1-inch cookies or 9 to 11 minutes for 2-inch cookies, or until tops are set. Cool completely on baking sheets on rack. Remove cooled cookies from baking sheets.

To fill, dollop Whoopie Pie Filling on flat sides of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat sides down. Makes 60 one-inch or 42 two-inch cookies.

Whoopie Pie Filling: In medium mixing bowl beat 1/4 cup softened butter and half an 8-ounce package softened cream cheese until smooth. Fold in one 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme.

To store: Refrigerate in airtight container up to 4 days. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Mint Wafers

Believe it or not but the vast majority of my Christmas baking is done. This is a record. In the end we made 54 types of cookies and squares.

Yes. We are insane.

In case you're wondering . . . at last count we had gone through 35 pounds of butter.

People say 'dear lord, what do you do with all of those cookies?'

The reality is that we give most of it away. I donated 18 dozen to the silent auction at work and they raised $ 100 for the Kid's Help Phone. We have given 9 large tins of cookies away as gifts already and there are about 12 more to go. Today I brought 4 platters with about 12 dozen cookies, squares, and tarts into the office - they were devoured in close to an hour.

Sure, some of them manage to sneak into my mouth but not many.

Anyway. One of the new recipes that we tried this year was these chocolate mint wafers. The recipe is from Taste of Home (sent to them by a Canadian who lives about an hour from us). To be honest i've thought of making them for a few years but generally have lost steam before I got around to it. For whatever reason this year I found the energy.

I'm glad that I did for these are wonderful cookies. If you're like me and you adore the combination of peppermint and chocolate you'll want to give these a try.

Chocolate Mint Wafers

2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
FILLING:
2-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup half-and-half cream
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Green food coloring

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add milk and egg; mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.

On a floured surface, roll out dough on a floured surface to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a 1-1/2-in. cookie cutter and place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 5-6 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Combine filling ingredients; spread on bottom of half of the cookies and top with remaining cookies. Yield: about 7-1/2 dozen.

Linzer Cookies

The Christmas baking continues . . .

At one time we baked from recipes passed down from one generation to the next or from recipes given to us by friends and neighbors. Today we have access to recipes from around the world and are able to cross boundaries and bake desserts that were once unfamiliar to us. An example of this is the Linzertorte which is one of Austria's most famous desserts. Believed to have originated in the City of Linz, written recipes began to appear in the early 1700s. Traditionally this torte consisted of a crust made with flour, ground nuts (traditionally almonds), sugar, egg yolks, spices and lemon zest that was filled with preserves (traditionally black currant) and then topped with a lattice crust

Linzer Cookies use the same ingredients as the Linzertorte but present them in a different way; that is, two cookies are sandwiched together with a layer of preserves or jam. Traditionally these cookies are filled with black currant preserves but as black currant preserves are hard to find in North America we usually fill them with a variety of different flavored preserves, most notably raspberry. The top cookie, dusted with confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, has a cutout so the preserves are visible.

A few years ago I picked up a set of linzer Christmas cookie cutters but never used them. I imagined that it was a complicated thing to do so the box of cutters sat in the back of the cupboard gathering dust.

This year I seem to be ahead of myself when it comes to baking. Feeling the freedom of extra time (and plenty of vacation days) I decided to pull the cutters out from their hiding spot where they had been languishing and try this famous cookie myself. Of course you know what happened - I discovered that they were not all that hard to make and am kicking myself for not having attempted this treat sooner!

I found this recipe, based upon one by Dorie Greenspan,  online - it uses all of the traditional ingredients of linzertorte execpt for the lemon zest.

If you have a set of these cutters hiding away ( or even if you don't - I've included the instructions for what to do if you do not have the special cutters) you should pull them out and give these gems a try!

Linzer Cookies

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking

Makes about 20 to 24 sandwich cookies

1 1/2 C ground almonds or hazelnuts
1 1/2 C AP flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter
1/2 C sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
Raspberry or strawberry jam
Confectioner's sugar for dusting

If you're starting from raw hazelnuts, toast them in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Then transfer them to a kitchen towel and use to towel to rub off as much of the skin as possible. Transfer the skinned hazelnuts to a bowl and shake out the towel outside so the skins don't fly everywhere.

If you're starting with raw almonds, follow these instructions to blanch them. Squeeze the nuts out of the skin and toast them in a 350 degree oven until they are dry and lightly golden but not browned, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Cool the nuts completely before grinding them. Pulse them in a the food processor until they are finely ground.

Whisk the ground nuts, flour, cinnamon, salt and salt together in a mixing bowl, set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. In a small bowl, beat the egg with the vanilla and almond extract. Add half of this to the butter, beat and scrape down the bowl, beat until combined then add the rest of the egg mixture. Continue to beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients and continue mixing until all the ingredients have been combined.

Divide the dough in half, shape each piece into a disc, and wrap in plastic wrap and chill, 2 hours in the fridge or 45 minutes in the freezer (the dough can be stored for in the fridge for 3 days or 2 months in the freezer).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Keep one disc of dough in the fridge and roll out the other disc. Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 in thick. Cut out as many cookies as the dough can fit. Gather up the scraps with the second disc of dough and continue to roll out the dough and cut out the cookies. Cut out the centers of half the cookies.

Transfer the cookies to the baking sheet and bake for 12 - 14 minutes or until the cookies are golden, dry, and firm to the touch. The cookies don't spread so they don't have to be spaced out too far apart. Cool the cookie sheets completely before baking a second batch.

Heat up some jam in the microwave or on the stove top until it is warm. Spread about a half a teaspoon to a teaspoon of jam on the cookie and place a cookie with a cutout center on top. Lightly dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Chocolate-tipped Butter Cookies

It is beginning to seem like Christmas around here - well, except for the weather but there is no way I'll be complaining about THAT! No. Not ever.

The lights are up, the house is decorated, I attended the first of many planned Christmas parties last night, and today was the first vacation day I took off of work so that I could bake. Thank heavens I have the flexibility to take vacation time to get ready for Christmas. That is another thing that you won't see me complaining about!

I was busy today. I made David Lebovitz's incredible Chocolate Matzoh Crunch and 6 types of cookies. I do believe I know why my back hurts and I feel exhausted.

Hmmm

One of the cookies that I made today was a 'new' recipe. When I was surfing about on the net I saw a picture of a cookie that looked like one my grandmother used to make. There is something about the happy festive memories at Grandma's house that made me want to attempt these. The cookies were easy to make and I hate to say it . . . better than I remembered!

Mind you - I dipped the cookies in bittersweet chocolate. As anyone will tell you - everything is better with bittersweet chocolate! I doubt that Grandma had even heard of bittersweet chocolate!

The cookies themselves are like a rich shortbread which you then dip in chocolate. Before the chocolate solidifies you sprinkle the dipped end with chopped nuts (we used peanuts) and then you set them aside to cool (if you can wait! LOL).

Lord. These were good. I think that we have a new festive tradition in our house!

Chocolate-tipped Butter Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (6 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. stir in vanilla extract. Gradually add flour; mix well. Divide dough into sixths; cover and chill dough 1 hour.

Work with one portion of dough at a time, keeping remaining dough chilled. Shape dough into 2 1/2 x 1/2-inch sticks. Place on un-greased cookie sheets. Flatten three-quarters of each cookie lengthwise with tines of a fork to 1/4 inch thickness. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 to 14 minutes.

Remove to wire racks to cool.

Combine chocolate chips and shortening in top of a double boiler; bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove double boiler from heat, leaving chocolate mixture over hot water. Dip un-flattened tips of cookies in warm chocolate to coat both sides; roll tips in chopped pecans. Place cookies on wire racks until chocolate is firm.

Arrange cookies between layers of wax paper in an airtight container; store in a cool place.

White Chocolate Dried Blueberry Cookies

The other day I was searching a cookie recipe to bake . . . I had lots of white chocolate chips that needed to be used up and had found three packages of dried blueberries (don't bother to ask how that happened!) I found a recipe that would allow me to use up some of both - how efficient is that?

These cookies were very easy to make - really they were just like traditional chocolate chip cookies except with the addition of white chocolate chips and the dried blueberries. The taste was incredible - the combination of white chocolate and the strong blueberry taste was amazing!

Enjoy!

White Chocolate Dried Blueberry Cookies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 white chocolate chips
2/3 cup dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 375F. Line  baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour mixture, followed by the white chocolate chips and dried blueberries.

Drop tablespoonfuls of dough (1-inch balls) onto prepared baking sheet. Flatten with a flat-bottomed glass (dip the base of the glass in flour so the cookie won't stick to the bottom)

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are just beginning to turn a light golden color around the edges. Cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet until cookies are completely set, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container

Makes about 4 dozen.

OBD

Have you voted in the photo contest?

Four of our trip pictures have been entered in a photo contest run by the good folks at easycar.com. Oh happy day - all four photos are currently in the top 10 out of 370 photos. You can vote for each by clicking here, (remember 10 is a good vote! *smile*)  here, here, and here.

Yes, you CAN vote for all four photos.

You can only vote once from any given IP address - this means you can vote once for EACH pic from both at home and at work! If you have two computers networked at home, you can only vote on one of them, however. If you have a Blackberry though, that is a third vote. If you send these links to friends, relatives, or people who bug you with unwanted e-mails - just think of the of votes! It boggles the mind.

Heck, do what I do - vote at every hotel, conference centre, and friend's house in which you find a PC attached to the internet. Don't be shy at all. :-)

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My pal Palma tells me that I have a disorder! ACK ACK ACK

Happily it won't kill me, at least not directly.

She claims that I have OBD, also known as obsessive baking disorder. Those of you who know Palma will smile at the thought of her calling anyone obsessive . . . hello pot . . .! Anyone who can host a sit down dinner for 48 at her house is the queen of obsessions, but I digress.

What does this disorder look like? What are the symptons?

Well, I imagine that it is different for everyone but this is a good sign that you have OBD:

32 containers of cookies, squares, and candies. All of them homemade in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

In addition, you panic that you might run out of baked treats so you have this in your freezer:

Logs of frozen cookie dough just waiting to be thawed, sliced, baked, and enjoyed. These are far tastier than any Pillsbury cookie logs, Sandi!

There you have it, two very strong indicators that you minght have OBD.

There is a third and final sympton though. This one closes the deal, in my opinion. If your Christmas cookie tray looks like this:

and you have made everything yourself, run and get help! It isn't too late.

Seriously though, there has been a lot of baking taking place in our household. We don't eat all of these cookies ourselves, instead we give most of them away. Nothing says I like you like a tin full of delicious Xmas baking!

Have a happy Christmas!