The Year of the Dragon~ January's Give-Away and Chocolate Almond Cookies

In eight days, on January 23rd, the Chinese New Year begins--the 4709th Chinese Year.  This year's celebration centers on the Year of the Dragon, so I have appropriately sewn an apron with whimsical dragons to honor it, as well as, created a Chocolate Almond Cookie for the sweetness of life.

Celebrating the Chinese New Year has become part of our family since the addition of our own little "Sweetness," Madison.  She brightens our life everyday with her precocious personality, sweet smile, and loving demeanor.

The Year of the Dragon is a legendary creature from the sky, which in China, means from heaven and a symbol of power.  The dragon is an auspicious animal and the 5-clawed one appears on the yellow imperial robe and nine dragons are engraved on the wall of the Forbidden City in Bejing, the imperial palace of the Ching Dynasty. 

Sweets are a part of the New Year and I remember when we were in Taipei in 2010, bringing Maddie home, the bakery cases were lined with all sorts of scrumptious desserts.  Pineapple cakes or turnovers caught my eye and I learned that pineapple means, "prosperity to come."  Today, I made a simple almond cookie, but added chocolate to the dough.  Easily you can omit the chocolate to make them more traditional, but like Maddie, these cookies are creative and different...in a good way!

Chocolate Almond Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. Almond extract
1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond flour (Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur)
1/4 cup dark Dutch cocoa
1 large egg, separated--use on the yolk in the dough and save the white for attaching the almond
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt

granulated sugar
almonds, blanched or with skins

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment and set aside.
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the both the extracts and the almond flour.  Beat on medium for 1 minute.  Add the egg yolk and beat to incorporate, scraping the sides.

Add the dry ingredients--flour, cocoa, and salt and with the mixer on medium, beat to combine.

Use a tablespoon scoop to measure out the dough.  Roll it into a ball and set on the parchment paper.
When you have the pan filled, use a tamper or the bottom of a glass, dipped in granulated sugar to press down on the cookies and flatten slightly.

Beat the egg white to break it up, then, dip the almond into it and press into the center of the cookie.

Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely. 

Remove to a rack to cool completely.  Repeat with remaining dough--you should be able to get 2 1/2 dozen cookies from this recipe.

I packaged the cookies in a Chinese take-out box to send to Maddie with a Dragon tag, wishing her a Happy New Year. 

This week, I'll be coming up with more sweet treats for the New Year to share. Enjoy!

Winter Citrus Pound Cake

It's been a tough season for the flu--I know from first hand having just had a bout during the holidays.  Today, with this in mind, I decided to do a pound cake loaded with Vitamin C to give us all a boost :-)!

Citrus fruits are believed to have originated in Southeast Asia and the best known are lemons, oranges, grapefruit and limes.  I chose to do all four of these fruits, zest and juice, in this moist pound cake, loaded with flavor.

My mother thought lemon was the most useful and not only made us a hot toddy with a squeeze of the juice, but added it to honey and rye for a cough syrup.  Oh, and later she made a lemon chicken soup that was guaranteed to cure the common cold...at least that's what she told us.

Since we still have the rest of January and the dreaded February to get through with the weather, citrus might be our best bet in warding off illness--at the very least, enjoy a piece of cake with a cup of tea by a roaring fire and wait for Spring.

Winter Citrus Pound Cake
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cup granulated sugar
6 large eggs, separated
Zest of 1 lemon, 1 lime, 1 orange, and 1 grapefruit
1/2 cup of juice from all the fruits (save the rest of the juice for the soaking sauce)
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour


Preheat oven 325F-degrees.  Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with a non-stick baking spray.
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter for 2 minutes, scraping the sides as needed.  While the mixer is on medium, add the sugar, one cup at a time.  Once all the sugar is added, increase speed to med/high and beat the butter/sugar mixture for 8 minutes.  Scrape down the sides.

Turn the mixture back to medium and add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides as needed.  Add the zest (you should have about 5 Tablespoons) and mix again.  Add the flour alternately with the juice, starting and ending with the flour.  The batter will be thick.

Beat the 6 egg whites until stiff.  Fold about one-third of the egg whites into the batter and mix to lighten it.  Then add the rest of the egg whites and fold gently.  Spoon mixture into the prepared Bundt pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a tester comes out crumb-free.  About 10 minutes before the mixture is due to come out of the oven, make the citrus soaking sauce.
1/2 cup citrus juice
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
Place the juice and sugar in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil; turn down to low and simmer until the cake is ready to come out of the oven.
Use a skewer and poke holes in the cake, then, pour the citrus sauce over it (while it's still in the pan).  Let the cake set in the pan about 20 minutes while it's soaking up all the sauce.
Turn the cake out onto a serving plate.


Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 T light Karo syrup
2 T hot water


Mix everything and drizzle over the top of the cake.

The golden cake, with it's desirable dark crumb is moist and so refreshing.  It's the perfect dessert on a cold nights--just need the water to boil for tea and I'm set to curl up on the sofa to watch The Gifted Man.  Enjoy!
 

Blueberry Oaties

It is a new year and like everyone else, I'm thinking healthy, especially in my baking.  I started with the idea of an oatmeal cookie and from there I pumped up the fiber with ground flax seed and added dried blueberries instead of raisins or chocolate chips for their anti oxidant properties. 

Oats have been around since 1000 B.C. in Central Europe and was brought to North America in 1600s.  They were planted on Elizabeth Island, off the Massachusetts coast as well as, up and down the eastern seaboard, and used mostly to feed livestock and make a porridge or gruel.  In 1901, the Quaker Oats Company put a recipe for oatmeal cookies on their box and the rest is history...so to speak.  Oatmeal cookies were part of my childhood and remains one of family's favorite.  It's one of those cookies that provides a base for your creativity to add other ingredients to change the taste.

Flax seed has been an attention getter for it's healthful properties--delivering high soluble fiber and can even lower bad cholesterol.  Adding it to your baked goods doesn't alter the flavor, but can certainly make a better snack choice.

Blueberry Oaties
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Butternut flavoring (optional) 
1/3 cup ground Flax seed
1 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups Old-fashioned Oatmeal
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup dried Blueberries

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light--about 3 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add the flavorings and beat again.

Add the dry ingredients and mix on low to combine, then, add the blueberries and mix on medium until thoroughly combined. 

Use a 2-tablespoon size scoop to portion out the dough onto the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between the cookies.  Press the tops slightly to flatten.

Bake in preheated oven 12 minutes or until brown and completely cooked in the center.

Let cool about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, before transferring to a rack to cool completely.  Makes about 2 dozen--3-inch cookies.

As I was baking them, I turned around to see a little hand take a cookie.  Ari said, "I try them??"  Of course, they're good for him and he doesn't even know it.  Enjoy!

December's Winner...

Like the rabbit...I'm late! giving away the December's apron.

This morning, Ari drew a name out of the bag and the winner is CHRISTINA SCHAEFER.  Please email me your address so I can send it right out.  Thank you for your comments on my few posts for December.

I promise to have January's up soon with lots of new recipes and ideas.  Enjoy~

Ooey Gooey Coconut Bars

I'm sorry for being gone so long; I wish I could say it was because I was having loads of fun and adventures with Ari, but sadly, the guys brought the flu from Spain and I've been ill since before Christmas.  I'm starting to feel a little more like myself and even ventured into the kitchen this morning to bake some bagels for everyone and replenish the cookie jar.

The concept of these cookies has their origins from the Borden's Sweetened Condensed Milk creation called 6 (or 7)-layer bars.  Touted as one of the easiest cookies to make, I know I've been enjoying them since I was a little girl in school.  I kept these pretty simple and only added coconut and chocolate chips, but feel free to sprinkle with pecans or butterscotch chips like the original.  And, by the way, you'll notice I used a mixture of graham crackers and Biscotti cookies to make the crust...because I didn't have 3 cups of graham cracker crumbs.

Ooey Gooey Coconut Bars
3 cups graham cracker crumbs (or a combination of crumbs)
3/4 cup (1  1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp. salt

 
Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Brush some additional melted butter on the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking pan and line with parchment.  Set aside.
Pour melted butter over crumbs and mix thoroughly.  Distribute on the bottom of the pan and use the bottom of a measuring cup press down in the pan.

Filling:
2 cups coconut
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 cups - 2 T (Sweetened Condensed Milk)

Layer the chocolate and coconut (and any other ingredients you desire).  Finally, pour the Sweetened Condensed Milk over the whole mixture.

Put pan in the oven and bake 26 to 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then, take a knife or spatula to go around the edges and loosen the bars.  (I used my spring form pan.)


Ari was my official taster and said, "Mimi, these are good!"

...but then, any super hero would!

Happy Baking

Almost 2 days of baking and my cookie boxes are complete...whew! I made nine different cookies and a new candy called Brigadeiros, a Brazilian confection that is a cross between a truffle and fudge.

Some cookies are familiar ones I've made in the last few months--Red Velvet Triple C Cookies, Cardamon~Cranberry Crescents, and Pecan Tassies, but then I always like to try some new ones and this year I made up a Chocolate~Pistachio Ice Box Cookies with Orange Buttercream.

My Grandma Gladys introduced me to Ice Box Cookies which which got their name after the late 1800s, when the first ice boxes appeared.  These cookies were mixed up, formed in a roll, then, sliced and baked later.  Very convenient for the busy housewife.  I love them because they can be made up ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator or freezer and baked when needed.  I think Grandma Gladys started making these when she went to work after my mother and uncle went to school.  Anyway, ice box cookies are great on their own, but with a buttercream, ganache, or even Dulce de leche spread in between to make a sandwich cookie, it's even better.

Pistaschio Chocolate Ice Box Cookies with Orange Buttercream
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 cup finely ground Pistaschios

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
2 large egg yolks
4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and confectioners' sugar for 3-5 minutes.  Add the salt and the pistachios and mix to blend.  Add the egg yolks, one at a time and beat well after each one.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
Add the flour and mix on medium until the dough comes together.

 Divide the dough in half and drop dough on a piece of plastic wrap.  Form dough into a roll--I did mine in a square, but it could have been round too.

 I made the roll 1 1/2-inches x 1 1/2-inches, but again, it's your choice.

Chill dough at least 3-4 hours, but you can also place these rolls in a freezer bag and store them up to 6 months.

To Bake:  Preheat oven to 375F-degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Slice cookies 1/4-inch thick and place about  1 1/2 to 2 inches apart.  Bake until they look set, which for me was 8 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet.  Transfer to a rack and cool completely.

Orange Buttercream
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. grated orange zest
2-3 T fresh orange juice

In the stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, cream the butter and confectioners' sugar thoroughly.  Add the orange zest  Add the orange juice, one tablespoon at a time until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Use an off-set spatula to spread on the bottom of the cookie, then, top with a second cookie.

These not only taste fantastic, but they're a pretty additional to my Christmas box.  Lucky family and friends will receive their boxes tomorrow.  One more thing checked off the list.  Enjoy!

Joe Frogger Cookies

This is my BIG baking week as I need to get my cookie boxes sent to family and friends.  I can hardly believe that one week from today, it's Christmas--where did the time go?

This year, I'm feeling very nostalgic and wanted my baking to reflect that feeling.  The first cookie I'm making is called a Joe Frogger that dates back to Colonial times in Marblehead, Massachusetts.  It's been a cherished cookie by generations of residents there, but also in our family.  I love this ginger/molasses cookie because, to me, it "tastes" like Christmas and secondly, it can be made up ahead of time.  The cookie was originally baked by a man known as Old Black Joe Brown and an Aunt Crese, who maintained a tavern on Gingerbread Hill (isn't that fitting!) in Marblehead.  The fishermen would take barrels of Joe Froggers with them on their trips because the cookies would keep for long periods of time.

This recipe comes from an old book I bought years ago when we lived in Massachusetts, called New England Cookery, which is, unfortunately, out of print.  I have since found recipes for Joe Froggers in other books, but I will tell you, do not substitute butter for the vegetable shortening--the cookie will spread and lose its shape.  Also, the original Joe Froggers were much larger--about the size of a coffee can, but the baking time I'm giving you is for a 3-inch cookie so they'll fit in my cookie boxes.  Feel free to make them large like the traditional ones, just increase the time; you're looking for dark around the edges and firm in the centers.

Joe Frogger Cookies
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I used the sticks for convenience)
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup molasses
3 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
2 T dark rum
1/3 cup hot water


Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, whisking to combine.  Set aside.  In a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, beat the shortening, brown sugar and molasses together.


Combine the hot water and rum and alternately add with the dry ingredients to the sugar/molasses mixture.  (If the dough is dry, add a tablespoon or two of additional water.)


I place a sheet of parchment on my dough board and scooped up half of the dough on top.  

Place a second sheet over the dough and roll it to 1/4-inch thick.  

Place this on a baking sheet and repeat with the other half of the dough.  

Refrigerate the two doughs for at least two hours.  *The original recipe called for doing this step with waxed paper and that works too.


Preheat oven to 375F-degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment.


Cut the dough into 3-inch cookies with either a round or scalloped cutter.  

Remove the excess dough from around the cut cookies and use an off set spatula to lift and place on the prepared cookie sheets. 

Bake 10 - 12 minutes (I bake using CONVECTION heat, so I set the temperature on 360F-degrees and baked for 10 minutes).  As explained above, the cookies are baked with they are dark around the edges and firm in the centers.  

Let the cookies cool for at lease 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.


Some kind of ginger cookie has always been part of my holiday baking and these simple cookies meet that criteria.  Our grandson arrives on Wednesday and he's already asked me to have my Kelly's Giant Ginger cookies waiting for him, which I will also bake, but I bet he's going to like these too.   And, with a cup of cocoa, these are great for Santa!

Later, I'm mixing up chocolate/pistachio dough that I will form into rolls and refrigerate to bake tomorrow. It's going to have an orange buttercream filling--Come back and visit.  Enjoy!
 

YES VIRGINIA...there is a December Give-Away!

I feel like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland..."I'm late for a very important date..." in posting this month's Give Away apron, but somehow it's done and one more thing checked off my list (of about a hundred!)

I can't even count how many Christmas Eve's I've stayed up all night finishing sewing projects, wrapping presents or baking.  The television (in the early years) would have all the old movies on--A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim, Jack Warner and Kathleen Harrison and my all time favorite, It's A Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed while I frantically tried to get everything done; now I watch them on DVD.  I feel this Christmas Eve will be no different.  My mother said to me once, "The hurrier you go, the behinder you get!" and that is oh so true, but I came across this verse that I find calming and I hope you do too while you're scrambling to get everything done.

It is never too late to be happy;

It is never too late to smile;

It is never too late to extend a hand;

With a cheering word once in a while.

For there's never a sorrow or worry

In all this green-covered earth

But is followed soon by a gladsome joy

And a generous measure of mirth.

~Jeanette H. Carey

If you find your way to my blog and post, your name will be entered to win this apron, sewn with love and from my heart.  Happy Holidays. XOXO

Bittersweet Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies with Salted Caramel

My mother believed that chocolate made everything better and at times, I also believe this to be true.  Moreover, when she first tasted really good chocolate, there was no going back to the less expensive brands.  I have inherited those same taste buds and when we moved to the Pacific Northwest, I discovered Fran's Chocolates, a chocolatier founded in Seattle, who makes really good chocolates!  As Fran Bigelow states in her book, Pure Chocolate, "A few lucky people are born to chocolate. Others, like myself, fall into it later in life and spend the rest of their lives mastering its magic."  That also describes my mother and this cookie I create today is in her honor of teaching me the appreciation of good chocolate, with a twist from Fran Bigelow, who got me hooked on chocolate salted caramels.

Thumbprint cookies have been one of my favorite cookies to bake each year during the holidays.  Normally, I do the buttery, shortbread dough, rolled in finely ground nuts, then, add my homemade raspberry, strawberry, or peach jam to the centers.  My family loves them and they will be part of my cookie boxes for gifts as usual.  However, this chocolate version is my way of adding something new and keeping them on their toes ;-)! 

I've included, once more, my recipe for Homemade Caramel, which is very easy to make, but, keep in mind, you can also use a store bought brand, or even melt wrapped caramels with about 3 tablespoons of heavy cream to fill the centers.  I understand with time flying by, shortcuts may be necessary, so don't feel guilty.  If you make your own caramel, there will be about a cup or more left over.  I will be  placing my leftover in a sterilized 8oz jam jar, sealed, and shipped to my daughter, Erin.  She loves caramel over ice cream and since she's unable to travel this holiday, it will be a special homemade treat.

Homemade Caramel
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

I use C & H's Baker's Sugar, which is an ultrafine pure cane sugar, much like caster sugar

1 cup Light Karo Syrup
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
4 T unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. Vanilla extract


In a 2 quart sauce pan, combine the sugar and Karo syrup together, stirring to blend well, however, once you place the pan over heat, DO NOT STIR!   

Place sauce pan over medium heat.  When the mixture turns a golden brown (this takes about 7 minutes, but don't go away or get distracted doing something else), remove pan immediately from the heat and add the butter.  The mixture will bubble up and at this time, you can stir to incorporate the butter.  Now, slowly add the heavy cream--the mixture will not only bubble, but release steam.  For safety reasons, you can use a hot pad to pour the cream to protect your hands.  Don't panic if a "lump" of caramel forms; trust me, the mixture is still hot enough that you will be able to stir that lump away.  Finally, add the vanilla and stir once more.  

The mixture will be quite thin, but as it cools, it will thicken up.  (You could also pour this mixture into a square pan, brushed with butter and it will set so you can make your own soft caramels as gifts.)  I transferred the mixture to a heat-proof bowl to cool while I started the bittersweet thumbprint cookies, stirring occasionally to speed up the cooling. 


Bittersweet Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, set at room temperature
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt


Additional: Coarse Sea Salt 


Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add melted bittersweet chocolate and vanilla and mix to combine.


In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients (the last five listed) and use a whisk to combine.  Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix on low speed just to combine.

Use a 2-tablespoon scoop to measure out the dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.  

Bake 10-11 minutes, until the tops look dry and cracked.  Remove from the oven and immediately use the small end of a pastry tamper or the rounded end of a large wooden spoon to create a "well" in the center of the cookie.  Allow to cool about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Use about 1/2 teaspoon of caramel to fill the wells.  

Sprinkle with a few grains of coarse sea salt to finish off the cookie.  

Allow the cookie to set at least an hour before storing in a airtight container in a cool, dry place.

My friends know me all too well...and for my birthday this year, I received not one, but two boxes of Fran's Chocolates.  These cookies, with the deep, dark chocolate taste and combined with the salted caramel pay tribute to two women who have inspired me to find the magic.  Enjoy!