Tag Archives: Cookies

November 28, 2011 · 7:55 am

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Chinese Almond Cookies

DAY 4: Chinese Almond Cookies

A soft, delicious cookie especially for the almond lover (that’s me!). The dough contains almond meal (ground almonds) and is flavored with almond extract. The cookies are then topped with blanched almonds before baking. A quick egg wash over the cookies gives them a great shine when they are cooked.

Can’t find blanched almonds at your store? Or don’t want to pay so much for such a tiny bag? Then blanch your own! All you need is raw almonds. The process is very easy: Boil them (1 minute), cool them (1 minute), squeeze off the skin. For a quick tutorial, click here: How To. . . Blanch Almonds

—

RECIPE:

Chinese Almond Cookies

Servings: 42-48
Print

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup almond flour (finely ground blanched almonds)
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbs water
1 ½ tsp almond extract
42-48 whole almonds, blanched
Egg Wash: 1 whole egg, beaten and mixed with 1 tsp water

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground almonds. Set aside. With a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg, water, and almond extract and mix well. Beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Roll dough in your hands to make 1-inch balls. Place 1-2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or use a silicon baking mat). Press a blanched almond into the top of each dough ball. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of each cookie with the egg wash. Bake for 14-15 minutes.

Makes 42-48 small cookies.

To Blanch Almonds:

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add raw almonds to the hot water. Let sit for 1 minute (not longer). Drain and pour into a bowl of ice cold water. Let set in the water until cool (about 1 minute) Drain. Pinch almonds between your thumb and index finger to slide the almond out of its skin. Pat dry. Allow to dry completely before using in recipes.

If you oversoak your almonds and they don’t dry properly: preheat oven to 200°F. Turn oven OFF. Place almonds on a baking sheet and put into the warm (but OFF) oven. Leave almonds in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Cooking for Engineers

NoEmptyChairs.me

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Cherry Shortbread Squares

DAY 3: Cherry Shortbread Squares

These shortbread squares are light and tender, not hard and crumbly; almost more like a short little cake than a cookie, but firm enough to hold in your hand to eat.

The batter mixes together quickly, and is then spread onto a baking sheet. Use a toothpick to lightly score the batter into 24 squares. The lines will disappear as the cookies bake, but they make it easier to know where to place your cherries. The cherry topping is simply cherry pie filling-I used some that I canned this summer from tart cherries, but any variety of canned pie filling will work. Place about 3 cherries in the center of each square. As the cookies bake, the pie filling will sink about halfway into the batter. Little A loves these cookies: they are light and slightly lemony, and not a hint of chocolate.

And if you are really lucky talented, you will get some cookies that bear a striking resemblance to Mickey Mouse:

RECIPE:

Cherry Shortbread Squares

Servings: 24
Print

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
½ teaspoon lemon extract (or 1 Tbs lemon juice)
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 can cherry pie filling or berry pie filling
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a half-sheet pan (about 12×17 inches) with a 1-inch rim, or spray it with baking cooking spray (with flour).

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the lemon extract, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the bowl. On the lowest speed, stir in the flour until just barely mixed.

Spread the batter onto the sheet pan and smooth it into an even layer. Score the batter into 24-30 squares with a toothpick (don’t worry about perfectly even squares as the lines will disappear during baking; it just makes placing the cherries easier). Place 3 cherries in the center of each square.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Just before serving, cut into 24 squares and dust lightly with powdered sugar.

Makes 24 3-inch squares

Recipe from Piece of Cake

NoEmptyChairs.me

1 Comment

Filed under Cookies, Desserts

Tagged as baking, bar cookies, cherries, cherry pie filling, Cookies, dessert, recipe, Twelve days of Christmas

November 26, 2011 · 7:54 am

Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Blueberry Crumb Bars

DAY 2: Blueberry Crumb Bars

A delicious fruity bar cookie that can be made from fresh or frozen blueberries. Like blueberry pie in a streusel topped cookie bar.

—

RECIPE:

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Servings: 36
Print

4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
½ cup granulated sugar
4 tsp cornstarch
scant ½ cup granulated sugar
scant ½ cup brown sugar
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter
1 egg
¾ cup chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan (or spray with baking Pam, the kind with flour).

In a medium bowl, combine the blueberries, lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir together ½ cup granulated sugar and 4 tsp cornstarch; stir into blueberries. Set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, combine scant ½ cup each of granulated sugar and brown sugar. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Whisk one egg in a small bowl and stir into the flour mixture.

Press about 2/3 of the flour mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the blueberry mixture over the crust. Optional: Stir chopped walnuts into remaining flour mixture. Sprinkle mixture over the blueberries.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is light brown and blueberries are bubbly. Let the bars cool on a rack and then place in the fridge to chill. This will make the bars easier to cut and remove from the pan. Cut into squares.

Makes about 36 squares

Recipe adapted from Cookin’ Canuck

NoEmptyChairs.me

2 Comments

Filed under Cookies, Desserts

Tagged as bar cookies, blueberries, christmas, Cookies, crumb bars, recipe

December 9, 2010 · 9:47 pm

Even More Christmas Cookies

If you are still looking for more Christmas cookies, here are some other great ideas for giving (and keeping).

Swedish Peppar KaKar:
(a soft mild gingerbread; even more fun when you make them tiny)

Mint Oreo Cookies:
(super easy: start with a cake mix)

Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies:
(soft, chewy cookies all dressed up for Christmas)

Cherry Nut Mudslides:
(a great cookie for more discriminating tastes)

Snickerdoodles:
(as much fun to eat as to say)

Raspberry Almond Linzer Cookies:
(my favorite cookies ever)

Peanut Butter Kisses:
(try using some of the fancy Kisses flavors)

Chocolate Rolo and Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies:
(two very different cookies from one easy dough)

Russian Tea Cakes:
(these are the kids’ favorites-they are suckers for a little colored sugar)

Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints:
(Santa’s favorite indulgence)

Sugar Cookies:
(soft and slightly sweet; the anchor of any respectable Christmas cookie tray)

1 Comment

Filed under Cookies, Desserts

Tagged as baking, christmas, Christmas plate, cookie plate, Cookies, cooking, dessert, easy, holiday, recipes

December 8, 2010 · 7:57 am

2010 Twelve (More) Days of Christmas Cookies Recap

Here is a recap of our Second Annual Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies. For me, I am off to the gym to try and burn off a few of these calories.

Happy Baking!

—

DAY 1: Raspberry Crumb Bars

DAY 2: Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

DAY 3: Chocolate Nutella Cookies

DAY 4: Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

DAY 5: Almond Macaroon Brownies

DAY 6: Trail Mix Cookies

DAY 7: Cream Cheese Cut-Out Cookies

DAY 8: Chocolate Revel Bars

DAY 9: Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies

DAY 10: Caramel Pecan Bars

DAY 11: Turtle Pretzel Snaps

DAY 12: Coconut Macaroons

4 Comments

Filed under Candy, Cookies, Desserts

Tagged as baking, candy, christmas, Christmas cookies, cookie tray, Cookies, cooking, dessert, food, holiday, recipe, twelve days

December 6, 2010 · 9:23 pm

Twelve (More) Days of Christmas Cookies: Old-Fashioned Coconut Macaroons

DAY 12: For our final Christmas cookie this season, a traditional coconut macaroon. This is a flourless, gluten-free cookie made from coconut, egg whites, sugar, and almond extract. They can be made sugar-free as well by using unsweetened coconut and a sugar substitute. The ones pictured here are the full-sugar variety.

The “dough” is cooked on the stove prior to baking, which leaves you with a wonderful chewy macaroon on the inside and slightly crispy toasted coconut on the outside. Dipping the bottoms in chocolate is optional, but I definitely recommend it.

12-4-10 008-1

12-4-10 016-1

RECIPE:

Coconut Macaroons

Servings: 4 dozen
Print

1 (14 oz) pkg flaked sweetened coconut
6 egg whites
1 cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp almond extract
1 cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, melted (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a medium saucepan, stir together coconut, egg whites, sugar, and salt. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly (a spoon drawn through the mixture should leave a clean path). Remove from heat; stir in almond extract.

Drop onto greased cookie sheets (or line with a Silpat) by rounded teaspoonfuls. Let stand on cookie sheets for 15 minutes before baking. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on pan for 2 minutes before removing to wire rack. Cool completely.

Dip bottoms of macaroons in melted chocolate, if desired. Place on waxed paper until chocolate has hardened.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

NoEmptyChairs.me

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS COOKIES (2010) RECAP:
DAY 1: Raspberry Crumb Bars
DAY 2: Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
DAY 3: Chocolate Nutella Cookies
DAY 4: Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
DAY 5: Almond Macaroon Brownies
DAY 6: Trail Mix Cookies
DAY 7: Cream Cheese Cut-Out Cookies
DAY 8: Chocolate Revel Bars
DAY 9: Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies
DAY 10: Caramel Pecan Bars
DAY 11: Turtle Pretzel Snaps