self contained magic … Croque Madame Popovers

Who doesn’t love a popover? Bready and eggy at the same time, they are a delight. I’ve been playing around with a savory Dutch pancake for a while and could not seem to get it quite right. Then it dawned on me … Dutch pancakes are just popovers in bigger form so let’s just do popovers. I even have that damn pan around here somewhere and its clearly not getting enough use. Time to change that. 

Popovers are incredibly easy – a simple flour-egg-milk batter mixed up in a blender, very similar to a crepe batter. The pan is heated, a bit of oil goes in each cup, heated again and then filled with the batter to bake and puff and brown. Delicious. At first, I tried what I was doing with the Dutch pancake, adding ham and grated swiss cheese toward the end of baking. Just Ok. Certainly, these could be better.

I went off on a tangent and started thinking about croque monsieur – that crazy good French sandwich of bread, ham and gruyere blanketed in a rich creamy cheese sauce. It’s even better with a fried egg on top – a croque madame – completely over the top and mind boggling good. What if I put all that inside a popover? I could combine all these ideas and make a full meal in a pretty little package. This had potential.

First, I made the batter and let it rest for 30 minutes. Well first I dug out the popover pan and washed it. It has been a minute since it had seen daylight. Then I made a mornay sauce – a creamy bechamel with cheese – let it cool a little and put in in a piping bag thinking it would be easier to get it inside the baked popovers that way. (I was right.) Then I got my filling ingredients ready – diced some of the leftover Christmas ham I had in the freezer, grated the cheese, cracked some eggs into ramekins (again, for ease later) and preheated my pan.

When the popovers were mostly baked, I cut a hole in the top of each and filled them with a squirt of the sauce, a spoonful of ham, a spoonful of cheese and slipped that egg in. Baked for another 10 minutes. Perfection. 

They were delicious. Split open, a puddle of cheesy hammy egg yolk magic runs everywhere, begging to have the popover dragged through it all. It’s a self-contained bread and dip, all in one. This is a fantastic brunch dish and I’m wondering why I didn’t think of it sooner. If you want to do things ahead, I think you could bake the popovers up to that last 10 minutes a few hours ahead then fill and finish baking just before serving. I haven’t tried it but it sounds logical. The mornay sauce can for sure be made at least a day or two ahead and refrigerated (bring to room temp before using).

Do you need a popover pan? I’m going to say yes. Because the pan cavities are tall and narrow, allowing the batter to puff nice and tall, they have plenty of room for fillings. Could you use a muffin pan? Probably but they’d be smaller with less room for filling and would bake in less time. That said, I think it could work with that in mind.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: OH MY GOODNESS. There’s something special about this one. It’s relatively easy for such a fancy little thing. A beautiful little brunch dish or a nice dinner. Yes it’s rich. Yes indeed and that’s the best part. If you’ve got some leftover ham tucked away, bring it out, grate some cheese and make yourself something special. 

fourteen years ago: Khachapuri (cheesy Georgian bread) 

thirteen years ago: Won Ton Soup, Blood Orange Marmalade  

twelve years ago: Dark Chocolate Tart, Chocolate Ganache Tart

eleven years ago: St. John Dark Chocolate Ice Cream, Chocolate Malt Pots de Crème

ten years ago: Chocolate Snack Cake, Chocolate Raspberry Tart, Peppermint Patty Brownies

nine years ago: Dulce de Leche Fondue, Chocolate Linzer Cookies, Chocolate Crème Filled Cupcakes

eight years ago: Flourless Chocolate Cookies

seven years ago: Orange Chocolate Angel Food Cake with Candied Clementines, Mexican Chocolate Poundcake, Chocolate Mint Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

six years ago: Dark Chocolate Pudding, Chocolate Cardamom Shortbread Hearts

five years ago: Ethiopian Doro Wat (Spicy Chicken Stew) 

four years ago: Piggy Coconut Buns for Chinese New Year

three years ago: Dirty Chai Cookies

two years ago: Spicy MaPo Tofu Dumplings

last year: Small Batch Raspberry Rhubarb Jam

CROQUE MADAME POPOVERS – popover recipe adapted from a Mark Bittman recipe

Makes 6

for the popovers: 

1 cup whole milk 

2 large eggs 

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 

½ teaspoon kosher salt 

¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, optional

For the pan: 6 teaspoons vegetable oil 

for the mornay sauce: 

2 ¼ teaspoons unsalted butter

2 ¼ teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour

½ cup whole milk

2 ounces grated swiss cheese, about ¾ cup

Good pinch each kosher salt and ground black pepper

1/3 cup diced cooked ham, about 2 ½ oz

1/3 cup finely grated swiss cheese, about 1 ¼ oz

6 large eggs

chopped chives for garnish

1. For the popover batter: In a blender add the milk and eggs then the flour, salt and pepper and blend on a low speed until smooth, about 15-30 seconds. 
2. Add the melted butter and blend for an additional few seconds. 
3. Transfer to a two-cup measure or something similar with a spout, stir in the chives if using and let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
4. For the mornay sauce: in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter then whisk in the flour to form a paste. 
5. Continue to whisk for another 1 minute to cook out any raw flour flavor. 
6. Whisk in milk until smooth and cook, whisking frequently, until sauce comes to a simmer and begins to thicken slightly. 
7. Turn the heat off but leave the pot on the burner and slow whisk in the swiss cheese, a little at a time, until smooth. If needed, turn the burner back to low heat if needed to fully melt the cheese.
8. Let cool a bit then transfer to a piping bag or a freezer type Ziploc bag and set aside. Can be made at least one day ahead and refrigerated. Let come to room temperature before proceeding.
9. Crack the eggs into ramekins or small bowls to make it easy to pour them into the popovers. Set aside until needed.
10. To cook the popovers: While the batter is resting, preheat the oven to 450°F along with the popover pan for at least 10 minutes. 
11. Just before baking, remove the pan and add 1 teaspoon oil to each popover cup. 
12. Return the pan to the oven for 2 minutes to heat the oil. 
13. Remove the hot pan and evenly divide the batter among the six cups.
14. Immediately return the filled pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 450°F. Do not open the oven. 
15. After 20 minutes, rotate the pan and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until popovers are lightly golden brown.
16. Remove the pan from the oven and make a small opening in the top of each popover with a paring knife.
17. Snip the tip off the piping bag and pipe 1-2 tablespoons of the mornay sauce into each popover, then add about 1 tablespoon each of ham and grated cheese. Pour one egg into each opening and top with a pinch of cheese. You might have to make the openings a bit larger to accommodate the egg.
18. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes until hot and bubbly and the egg is just cooked but still runny.
19. Serve hot, split open and garnished with a pinch of chives.

Chicken Wing Friday … Salt and Pepper Wings

I haven’t had a Chicken Wing Friday in a hot minute and with the Super Bowl upon us, its peak season. I’ve been thinking a lot about a salt & pepper crab dish I had a zillion years ago and thought that flavor combo would work well with chicken. Lord knows the price of crab these days is the equivalent of a new car, so chicken wings it is. 

So there’s salt, of course, and three kinds of pepper – black, white and to mix things up, Szechuan. Why have one pepper when you can do three? There’s a little five spice powder for something interesting and just a touch of cayenne for the slightest hint of heat and it’s all pretty nice. Super easy too – toss the wings in a spice mixture that includes baking powder and bake them. Admittedly, baking powder seems a bit strange and not particularly tasty but it really works well with a 30 minutes dry time and a high oven temp to get them nice and crispy without the mess of deep frying (thank you Cooks illustrated). I’m not a fan of the havoc frying wreaks in my house – the lingering smell, the greasy mess, the used oil to deal with. As much as I enjoy hot crispy fried food, it’s a lot better when someone else does it for me.

For game day or a regular ‘ol Friday night, these are great as is but a little chili crisp or even some peppercorn ranch on the side would be wonderful. They’ll be gone in no time – crunchy, flavorful, not really spicy but well-seasoned and utterly delicious. If you’re not sure what to serve Sunday, this is a certain crowd pleaser.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: EASY BREEZY Honestly, the thought of deep frying during a party stresses me out. Ugh. Forget about it. This recipe removes all that anxiety with an oven baked wing that is pretty dang close and very tasty. Who wants to worry about things like this while we’re waiting for the Rihanna halftime show anyway?

other chicken wing recipes: Kimchi Buffalo Wings, Sticky Northern Exposure Wings, Chili Crisp Wings, Sticky Spicy Sweet Chicken Wings, Tamarind Five Spice Chicken Wings, Miso Honey Butter Chicken Wings, Green Curry Chicken Wings

fourteen years ago: Khachapuri (cheesy Georgian bread) 

thirteen years ago: Double Chocolate Cookies, Marmalade Yogurt Cake, Fancy Valentine’s Day Cookies 

twelve years ago: Chocolate Churros, Mexican Hot Chocolate

eleven years ago: Chocolate Dulce de Leche Swirl Ice Cream, Double Chocolate Alfajores

ten years ago: Chocolate Pear Clafouti

nine years ago: Buckwheat Blini

eight years ago: From Scratch Rum Cake

seven years ago: Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

six years ago: Dark Chocolate Marshmallows

five years ago: West African Puff Puffs

four years ago: Piggy Coconut Buns for Chinese New Year

three years ago: Dirty Chai Cookies

two years ago: Oatmeal Date Cookies

last year: Small Batch Raspberry Rhubarb Jam

SALT & PEPPER CHICKEN WINGS

Servs 3-4 as a snack

2 pounds chicken wings

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

1 teaspoon finely ground white pepper

2 teaspoons Szechuan peppercorns, finely ground

½ teaspoon five spice powder

¼ – ½ teaspoon ground cayenne

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

for garnish – chopped cilantro or scallions

1. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil and set a wire rack inside. 
2. If you have whole wings, cut into drumettes and flats. Discard the wingtips or freeze for stock.
3. Pat the wings dry with paper towels, removing as much moisture as possible. Set aside.  
4. In a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, grind the Szechuan peppercorns as finely as possible.
5. In a small bowl, combine the baking powder, salt, black and white peppers, ground Szechuan peppercorns, five spice, cayenne, garlic powder and sugar, whisking well to combine.
6. Add the dry wings to a large bowl and toss with the oil to evenly coat.
7. Sprinkle the pepper mixture over and toss to thoroughly coat.
8. Arrange the wings on the rack, leaving about ½” between each wing and let rest at room temperature, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
9. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
10. Bake for 30 minutes; flip and continue to cook until crisp and golden brown, about 20-30 minutes longer.
11. Remove from the oven, place on a platter, garnish with the chopped cilantro or scallions. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

a keeper … Spicy Pork & Noodle Stir Fry

A quick and easy delicious dinner is a real find. During the pandemic, the women in my family started cooking together on zoom every few weeks. We’ve kept at it and have made some great things but more importantly we catch up, we laugh and we see each other’s smiling faces. And we eat, of course. It’s our thing. Not long ago my Aunt suggested a quick pork and noodle stir fry dish, a recipe she had ripped out of a magazine at her dentist’s office (sshhh … don’t tell.) She sent me a picture of the recipe, recommending that we double the sauce so I typed it up for everyone and sent it off. It was an overwhelming favorite – really very tasty and came together super quick with items I had in my pantry and freezer. A keeper for sure.

The picture she sent didn’t indicate the magazine but some internet sleuthing tracked it back to Good Housekeeping. Sounds about right for a dentist’s office. I’ve made it a few times since, tweaking a few things along the way – I add some fresh ginger, garlic and a smidge of sesame oil and toss the noodles in the work first with a splash of soy sauce to get a little char and deepen the flavor. I used homemade udon noodles from the last post in my most recent batch and it was outstanding. But you don’t have to do any of these things. Instead of pork, any type of ground meat or finely minced tofu would work. I prefer a fat Asian type noodle – udon, lo mein or chow fun – but my Aunt says it’s delicious as well with linguine or spaghetti. Lacking spinach, I made it once with swiss chard from my garden. Great. Don’t have a wok? Use a big old skillet (Avoid non-stick though. You need to get it screaming hot and non-stick doesn’t take well to high heat.) The point is just to make something delicious. That it’s also very easy is an added bonus. You don’t always need nor want a big production to get dinner on the table. Take the win.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: BREATHE EASY. This is basically ground meat, noodles and a green vegetable with a few saucy things. However you mix-and-match to make it, it’s going to be good. A few extra steps – char the noodles, add some ginger and garlic – and it’ll be better. The whole thing comes together so quickly it’s a bit surprising. Whatever road you take, you’ll get there. Do you boo. 

fourteen years ago: Khachpuri (cheesy Georgian bread)

thirteen years ago: Classic White Sandwich Bread, Simple Jam Tart

twelve years ago: Quiche Lorraine & Caramelized Onions, Molasses Bran Muffins, Rosemary Shortbread

eleven years ago: Posole Verde, Sweet Corn Cookies with Salt & Pepper Buttercream , Potstickers for Chinese New Year

ten years ago: Creamsicles, Caramel Corn Rice Krispie Treats, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Spicy Peanut Brittle

nine years ago: Potato Pizza, Baked Jelly Donuts, Cassoulet Sunday

eight years ago: Rumaki (chicken livers and water chestnuts wrapped in bacon) 

seven years ago: Cranberry Pecan Harvest Crisps, Whole Wheat Fig Bars, Homemade Chili Powder

six years ago: Greek Peasant Salad, Chicken & Wild Rice Soup, Date Nut Bread, Chinese Almond Cookies

five years ago: Pretty Good Simple Chocolate Cake, Moroccan Baghrir (1,000 Hole Crepes), Haitian Beef Patties

four years ago: Chili Crisp for Hot & Spicy Food Day, Dooky Chase’s Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cinnamon Toast Blondies, Peco Brittle (peanut-coconut brittle)

three years ago: Crispy Chewy Ginger Cookies

two years ago: Peaches, Halloumi, Mint Vinaigrette

last year: Small Batch Raspberry Rhubarb Jam

SPICY PORK NOODLE STIR FRY

Serves 4

12 ounces fresh udon or lo mein noodles (or dried linguine)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

12 ounces ground pork

6 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

4 tablespoons sriracha 

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled & finely minced

2 garlic cloves, peeled & finely minced

10 ounces baby spinach

1. Cook the noodles according to the package directions (or 5-6 minutes for freshly made noodles). Drain and rinse quickly with cold water.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sriracha, ginger and garlic. Set aside until needed.
3. In a work or 12” skillet, heat the vegetable oil on high until hot.
4. Add the ground pork; cook about 5 minutes or until browned breaking up into small pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the pan.
5. Add a bit of oil and the noodles, tossing to coat. Add a good splash of soy sauce, spread the noodles out in a single layer and let sit for a few minutes. Stir, spread the noodles out again and let sit to pick up some char along the edges.
6. Add the pork back to the pan along with the sauce mixture and spinach, stirring to quickly combine.
7. Cook 2 minutes or until the pork is cooked through and the spinach has wilted, stirring occasionally. Serve hot though the leftovers are particularly good warmed or cold.

dance like no one’s watching … Fresh Udon Noodles + Miso Soup

Looking back, I’ve been at this blog thing for 14 years. That’s a long damn time. Much to my surprise, its a teenager. Some years I’ve fairly active, others – like last year – I’m rather neglectful. The level of activity usually corresponds with my workload as a recipe/product developer which tends to sap my creativity, time and energy. It happens. I can’t make any promises for the coming year other than I’ll try. Saying that, I’m starting with one to celebrate the Lunar New Year that at first glance might seem a bit ridiculous. Homemade noodles. Only two ingredients and some kneading that you can do with your feet. Really. That alone should have piqued your interest. Stick with me here.

During the pandemic to make ends meet, I did zoom cooking classes for a west coast company; mostly corporate parties and events. I’d receive the recipes and most of the ingredients, log in, turn on my camera and away we went. They were pretty fun and I got a kick out of watching everyone cooking in their own kitchens. One class was fresh udon noodles and miso soup with a fun twist. Apparently in Japan before the advent of manufacturing technology, wheat udon noodles were traditionally kneaded for up to six hours by foot. As gluten development is necessary for that wonderful bouncy chew, kneading by foot allowed the noodle makers to put their whole weight into it. Makes a lot of sense if you remove your disbelief and think about it. Easier on the hands too. I’ve been told that there are restaurant/bars in Tokyo that hand you a bag of dough upon entry and you hit the dance floor to work your dough. Hand it off to the server and they bring your disco noodle soup to you when its ready. Note: my Japanese colleague laughed out loud when I asked him about this so I have no first hand confirmation but it sure sounds like fun. I would absolutely do this.

I realize for Americans, this seems very very strange. Discomforting even. Put aside that disbelief and give it a try. It’s really very easy and the result is wonderful, especially if you live somewhere that doesn’t have easy access to this type of noodles. Relax – there is no direct foot-to-noodle contact. The dough is in a plastic bag wrapped in a tea towel. Then you just let loose, smooshing and pressing the dough with your feet, putting all your weight into it. Its remarkably effective. I like to use a combination of moves involving a very effective heel smash and a throwback to my ballet training – a relevé, slowly rising up on my toes and back down. Consider it a pre meal workout. Now then, if this is all just a bit much for you, you can do all the kneading by hand or my mother has told me she makes these noodles quite successfully in her KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook. Um, ok but that’s not nearly as fun. Too each their own.

Today we’ll make the noodles and I’ve included a simple miso soup recipe. The next post, if I get my act together, will be a quick and easy stir-fry noodle dinner. So get ready, cue up your favorite dance playlist and flex those feet. Noodles are on your horizon.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: DANCE DANCE DANCE. Talk about a stress reliever! Dance all over that bag of dough and you’ll feel 100 times better. Kids think this is hilarious – put that youthful energy to work. These noodles are wonderful. Really really wonderful – chewy, a little bouncy, just delicious. They are ridiculously easy too – just 2 ingredients. You can have fresh noodles and a delicious soup in under an hour. What’s better on these chilly days than some great noodles and a warming, comforting soup? Nothing.

FRESH UDON NOODLES & MISO SOUP

Serves 2

You can use any vegetables for the broth that you like. Save the prep work to do while the noodle dough is resting. Same with the proteins – you can use virtually anything you like or have on hand. Everything should be pre-cooked but you can slip raw shrimp into the hot broth at the end as they’ll cook quickly.

For the noodles:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ cup warm water

For the miso broth:

3 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken stock

¼ cup thinly sliced carrots

¼ cup snow peas, sliced on the diagonal

¼ cup thinly sliced mushrooms

2 Tablespoons white miso

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon mirin (can substitute sake, shaoxing rice wine or ½ teaspoon rice vinegar)

Optional seasonings: sesame oil, sriracha/chile paste

For optional garnishes:

1-2 large eggs

Optional protein: peeled deveined shrimp (3-4 per serving), cooked shredded chicken, diced firm tofu, sliced Japanese fish cake, BBQ pork, etc.

sesame seeds

nori/seaweed

scallion, sliced on the bias

1. For the udon dough: place the flour in a large bowl, make a well in the center and mix in the water with a fork until combined and shaggy.
2. Use your hands to squeeze and knead the dough in the bowl to pick up all the dry bits. It will be pretty dry and falling apart and that’s perfectly normal.
3. Knead the dough, pressing with the heels of your hands until the dough comes together. It might be a little rough but further kneading will do the trick.
4. Continue kneading with your hands for 7-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and springy OR place it in a gallon size Ziploc bag. Press out all the air, leaving a gap in the seal and lightly wrap the bag in a kitchen towel. Put the towel/bag on the floor and knead the dough with your bare feet (particularly the heel) for 7-10 minutes until soft and springy. Every once in a while gather the dough back into a ball, place back in the bag and continue kneading.
5. Form the dough into a rectangle, place in the Ziploc bag, seal and let rest at least 20 minutes.
6. For the egg(s): Fill the pot you’re going to boil the noodles in with cold water.
7. Place the egg(s) in the pot (the water should cover the eggs) and bring to a boil over high heat. 
8. Start the timer as soon as the water comes to a boil: 5 minutes for a jammy egg, 10 minutes for a hard boil.
9. Immediately remove the egg from the boiling water and plunge into a bowl of ice water to cool. Turn off the heat and cover the pot to keep the water warm until you need it for the noodles.
10. For the garnishes: slice the scallion on the bias. 
11. Cut/slice/shred/peel any desired proteins (tofu, chicken, fish cake, etc.) 
12. Peel the egg(s) once cool enough to handle (hold off slicing to just before serving.)
13. If you haven’t already, prep the vegetables for the miso broth.
14. Roll/cut the noodles: dust your work surface lightly with flour, place the dough down and lightly dust the top of the dough.
15. With a rolling pin, roll the dough to about 8 ½” x 11” and 1/8” thick. Keep the dough moving, flipping and turning and lightly flouring as needed to prevent sticking but take care not to use too much extra flour.
16. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and arrange with the long edge closest to you.
17. Fold the dough in thirds, like a letter, top down then bottom up.
18. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into thin strands. Try to make each cut the same width so the noodles are the same size and cook at the same rate. Ideally, the noodles should be as wide as the dough is thick – 1/8”.
19. Unfold/unravel each strand and lightly toss with flour and let dry for a bit as the water comes back to a boil.
20. Drop the noodles into the boiling water, give a stir and cook until tender 5-8 minutes depending on thickness. Cook for the least amount of time, test and add more time if needed to fully cook.
21. Drain into a colander and give a quick rinse with cold water.
22. For the miso broth: in a medium pot, bring the vegetable or chicken stock to a boil. 
23. Lower the heat to medium, add firm vegetables, like the carrots, and cook until crisp-tender, 1-2 minutes. 
24. Add softer vegetables, like the mushrooms and snow peas, and cook until slightly tender but still bright, about another minute. 
25. Place the miso in a medium bowl, add a ladleful of hot broth and whisk until the miso is completely dissolved.
26. Pour the mixture back into the pot and simmer on low to warm. Do not bring to a boil as the miso will become gritty. Note: if using raw shrimp or greens like spinach or bok choy tops, add them now, off the heat. They will cook in just a few minutes in the hot broth.
27. Season with soy sauce, mirin and any optional seasonings. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
28. To serve: Divide the cooked noodles between two bowls.
29. Ladle the miso broth and some of the vegetables over the noodles. Add any proteins, if using. Cut the egg(s) in half and place in each bowl. Garnish as desired with scallions, sesame seeds and/or nori.

day 12 … Pizzelle

Happy Holidays my friends! To wrap up this year’s 12 Days of Cookies I have an Italian holiday classic – Pizzelle. A crisp, waffle like cookie with a pretty pattern from a special iron. Yes you can take that butter cookie dough and, with a few simple additions, turn it into these wonderful crunchy wafers. It’s a Christmas miracle. This is one of those cookies that I tend skip at first in favor of flashier options but come back to and really enjoy. The crunchy texture and subtle flavors are always a welcome respite after rich meals and go fantastically well with that after dinner cup of coffee.

This one needs a particular piece of equipment, a pizzelle iron. There’s no real way around it. Electric irons are easiest though stovetop models are common too. Whichever version you have, you’ll need to experiment a little at the start to determine the right amount of batter and the ideal cooking time for that perfect shade of golden brown. I give a few guidelines to get started but will need to be adapted for what you have.

There are a few flavoring choices too. The base is vanilla but lemon and anise, the most traditional flavors, are options as well. To my surprise, the anise version is my favorite. I expected some licorice notes, which I quite enjoy, but found the flavor very subtle, almost more vanilla-y. It’s delicious. And here’s an amazing idea – if you have any caramel left from the Peanut Fudge Bars of Day 11, sandwich a little between two cookies for a sort of Italian stroopwafel. Magnificent!

I’m not making any promises but maybe next year, I’ll have 12 more ideas. We’ll see. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year too. Enjoy!

12 Days of Cookies from years past:

Fruity: Jam Thumbprints, Jam Streusel Tarts, Raspberry Linzer Squares, Lemon Poppyseed Buttons, Orange Sesame Crisps, Cranberry Pistachio Coins, Almond Raspberry Strips, Orange Sandwich Cookies, Apricot Rosemary Shortbread, Coconut Lime Sticks, Bourbon Glazed Fruitcake Buttons, Lemon Cornmeal Biscotti, Blueberry Lime Buttons, Date Swirls

Nutty: Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Pecan Tassies, Maple Black Walnut Cookies, PB&J Sandwich Cookies, Pecan Triangles, 

Spiced: Cinnamon Sugar Pinwheels, Candied Ginger Spice Buttons, Cardamom Rose Coins, Brown Sugar Wafers with Lemon Lavender Glaze

Chocolate: Basic Chocolate Butter Cookie Dough, Mexican Chocolate Crinkles, Chocolate Cocoa Nib Wafers,Raspberry Chocolate Drops, Chocolate Hazelnut Buttons, Dark Mocha Sandwich Cookies, Espresso Crinkles, Cranberry Cocoa Nib Wafers, Chocolate Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies, Chocolate Lebkuchen, Fudge Tarts, Chocolate Marzipan Drops, Chocolate Coconut Bullseyes, Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, Chocolate Almond Crescents, Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Bars: Rum Butter Bars, Peppermint Brownie Bars, Banana Walnut Bars, Chocolate Banana Petit Fours

Holiday Classics: Cream Cheese Wreaths, Classic Molasses Cookies, Peppermint Candy Canes, Andes Mint Chip Cookies, Holiday Mallomars

This year:

Basic Butter Cookie Dough for all recipes

Day 1: Sparkly Sugar Cookies

Day 2: Pecan Praline Bars

Day 3: Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies

Day 4: Butter Brickle Cookies

Day 5: Maple Glazed Spiced Sweet Potato Cookies

Day 6: Garam Masala Shortbread

Day 7: Magic Cookie Bars

Day 8: Rocky Road Bars

Day 9: Rum Raisin Squares

Day 10: Iced Coffee Cookies

Day 11: Peanut Fudge Bars

PIZZELLE

Base Butter Cookie Dough – recipe here

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fixed with the paddle attachment, combine the room temperature base dough, sugar, salt, melted butter, egg white and vanilla. If doing a lemon or anise version, add those ingredients as well.
2. Scrape the batter into a smaller bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Batter can be frozen up to 2 months.
3. Preheat the pizzelle iron. When ready, spray or brush lightly with cooking oil. You’ll need to experiment with your iron to get the size and timing right but start with a ball of dough the size of ping pong ball, place in the center of the iron, close the lid and cook for 1 ½ minutes.
4. Carefully remove from the iron with a small spatula, place on a wire rack to fully cool. The cookie will crisp as it cools. Continue with the remaining batter, adjusting the size and cook time as needed.
5. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar.
6. Tips: this dough doesn’t hold well refrigerated for more than a day or two. Make fresh for best results. If your dough is sticking, may sure to spray both sides of the pizzelle iron well with cooking spray and don’t peek during baking as that can split the cookie before it’s finished cooking. If your cookie sticks and leaves bits behind, clean off any baked on pieces/crumbs (toothpick, pastry brush), spray and try again.

day 11 … Peanut Fudge Bars

Back in my advertising agency days, I worked with a rather unpleasant young woman who was rather full of her own self importance. One day she was going on and on that her client PayDay, that peanutty candy bar, was the #1 selling non-chocolate candy bar in the country. I replied, “What’s Number 2?” I may have smirked. She left in a huff, muttering unpleasant names at me. Fair enough, I deserved that. But in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king, right? 

Now, don’t get me wrong, I adore PayDays. Love them! But every time I eat one I am reminded of this story and laugh. I can’t help it and my fondness for that candy bar hasn’t diminished one bit. That salty-sweet-fudgy-crunchy combination is my ideal. In fact, my PayDay love inspired Day 11 of the 12 Days of Cookies. Eating copious amounts of leftover Halloween candy will do that sometimes. Our base cookie dough forms a crunchy buttery cookie layer that’s topped with a peanutty fudge. It’s quite delicious and very PayDay-like. Salty-sweet-fudgy-crunchy really is my thing.

A key part of this peanut fudge part is sweetened condensed milk that’s cooked down to a caramel, a dulce de leche actually. For both size versions, I recommend cooking the full 14oz can because it’s easier even though for the smaller 9”x9” pan you’ll only need half of it. I’m sure you’ll find a use for some extra caramel. Can you skip a step and use purchased dulce de leche? Probably. I didn’t test it but it would probably work just fine. It’s not so important how you get there just that you get there.

12 Days of Cookies from years past:

Fruity: Jam Thumbprints, Jam Streusel Tarts, Raspberry Linzer Squares, Lemon Poppyseed Buttons, Orange Sesame Crisps, Cranberry Pistachio Coins, Almond Raspberry Strips, Orange Sandwich Cookies, Apricot Rosemary Shortbread, Coconut Lime Sticks, Bourbon Glazed Fruitcake Buttons, Lemon Cornmeal Biscotti, Blueberry Lime Buttons, Date Swirls

Nutty: Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Pecan Tassies, Maple Black Walnut Cookies, PB&J Sandwich Cookies, Pecan Triangles, 

Spiced: Cinnamon Sugar Pinwheels, Candied Ginger Spice Buttons, Cardamom Rose Coins, Brown Sugar Wafers with Lemon Lavender Glaze

Chocolate: Basic Chocolate Butter Cookie Dough, Mexican Chocolate Crinkles, Chocolate Cocoa Nib Wafers,Raspberry Chocolate Drops, Chocolate Hazelnut Buttons, Dark Mocha Sandwich Cookies, Espresso Crinkles, Cranberry Cocoa Nib Wafers, Chocolate Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies, Chocolate Lebkuchen, Fudge Tarts, Chocolate Marzipan Drops, Chocolate Coconut Bullseyes, Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, Chocolate Almond Crescents, Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Bars: Rum Butter Bars, Peppermint Brownie Bars, Banana Walnut Bars, Chocolate Banana Petit Fours

Holiday Classics: Cream Cheese Wreaths, Classic Molasses Cookies, Peppermint Candy Canes, Andes Mint Chip Cookies, Holiday Mallomars

This year:

Basic Butter Cookie Dough for all recipes

Day 1: Sparkly Sugar Cookies

Day 2: Pecan Praline Bars

Day 3: Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies

Day 4: Butter Brickle Cookies

Day 5: Maple Glazed Spiced Sweet Potato Cookies

Day 6: Garam Masala Shortbread

Day 7: Magic Cookie Bars

Day 8: Rocky Road Bars

Day 9: Rum Raisin Squares

Day 10: Iced Coffee Cookies

PEANUT FUDGE BARS

Base Butter Cookie Dough – recipe here

1. For the caramel: Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a 9”x5” loaf pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place in a larger deep pan, like a 9”x13” baking pan, and pour water in the larger pan until it reaches about halfway up the loaf pan.
3. Bake 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool. (You can do this step up to 2 days ahead.) Note: if making a 9”x9” pan, you’ll use half of this caramel – 6oz. It’s easier to cook the full can and extra caramel is never a bad thing.
4. For the cookie base: Line a pan (with at least 2” sides) with a crisscross of aluminum foil, pressing to make as smooth as possible. Parchment will work but foil is better.
5. Turn the base cookie dough into the pan and spread to form an even, level layer, pressing down to compact. The easiest way to do this is to crumble the dough into the pan, starting with the corners, and press to form an even layer. Then top the dough with a scrap of parchment and smooth with your fingers. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
7. Bake the crust for 20-25 minutes, until it’s set around the edges and beginning to brown on the top. Remove from the oven, and let cool completely. 
8. For the topping: reserve ¼ cup of the peanuts for the top and set aside until needed.
9. In a heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until melted.
10. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the peanut butter and caramel (reminder: use half the caramel – 6oz – if making a 9”x9” pan).
11. When the mixture is combined and smooth, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the sifted powdered sugar and ¾ cup of peanuts.
12. Quickly pour this mixture over the cooled cookie base and smooth with a spatula. 
13. Sprinkle the reserved ¼ cup peanuts evenly over the top, pressing gently into the caramel. An easy tip is to place a piece of parchment or plastic wrap on top and gently press down.
14. Allow the bars to set for 1 hour on the counter or refrigerate 30 minutes.
15. Using the foil to remove the bars from the pan, transfer to a cutting board. Cut into small squares or bars with a sharp knife.
16. Do ahead: the bars can be baked and frozen, uncut, up to 2 months tightly wrapped.

day 10 … Iced Coffee Cookies

At this point, you’re probably dragging a little bit. Holiday parties, shopping, decorating, wrapping, baking, filing out holiday cards, multiple trips to the post office, endless Lifetime Christmas movies. It’s exhausting. Today for Day 10 of 12 Cookies, I have a pretty little pick up for you: Iced Coffee Cookies.

These are the ones you put on top of the cookie platter to make it look like you did a lot of work. They’re pretty but are in truth, quite simple. No one needs to know that. The flavor trick is instant espresso powder, easily found in your regular grocery store. Strangely, it’s usually with the Italian foods rather than the coffee. Go figure. If you can’t find it regular instant coffee will work too. A little in the cookie batter and the icing is all you need for a nice deep coffee flavor. This is the cookie for the non-cookie people in your life. Believe it or not they’re out there.

12 Days of Cookies from years past:

Fruity: Jam Thumbprints, Jam Streusel Tarts, Raspberry Linzer Squares, Lemon Poppyseed Buttons, Orange Sesame Crisps, Cranberry Pistachio Coins, Almond Raspberry Strips, Orange Sandwich Cookies, Apricot Rosemary Shortbread, Coconut Lime Sticks, Bourbon Glazed Fruitcake Buttons, Lemon Cornmeal Biscotti, Blueberry Lime Buttons, Date Swirls

Nutty: Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Pecan Tassies, Maple Black Walnut Cookies, PB&J Sandwich Cookies, Pecan Triangles, 

Spiced: Cinnamon Sugar Pinwheels, Candied Ginger Spice Buttons, Cardamom Rose Coins, Brown Sugar Wafers with Lemon Lavender Glaze

Chocolate: Basic Chocolate Butter Cookie Dough, Mexican Chocolate Crinkles, Chocolate Cocoa Nib Wafers,Raspberry Chocolate Drops, Chocolate Hazelnut Buttons, Dark Mocha Sandwich Cookies, Espresso Crinkles, Cranberry Cocoa Nib Wafers, Chocolate Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies, Chocolate Lebkuchen, Fudge Tarts, Chocolate Marzipan Drops, Chocolate Coconut Bullseyes, Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, Chocolate Almond Crescents, Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Bars: Rum Butter Bars, Peppermint Brownie Bars, Banana Walnut Bars, Chocolate Banana Petit Fours

Holiday Classics: Cream Cheese Wreaths, Classic Molasses Cookies, Peppermint Candy Canes, Andes Mint Chip Cookies, Holiday Mallomars

This year:

Basic Butter Cookie Dough for all recipes

Day 1: Sparkly Sugar Cookies

Day 2: Pecan Praline Bars

Day 3: Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies

Day 4: Butter Brickle Cookies

Day 5: Maple Glazed Spiced Sweet Potato Cookies

Day 6: Garam Masala Shortbread

Day 7: Magic Cookie Bars

Day 8: Rocky Road Bars

Day 9: Rum Raisin Squares

ICED COFFEE COOKIES

Base Butter Cookie Dough – recipe here

1. For the cookie dough: combine the water and espresso until dissolved.
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the room temperature cookie dough, espresso mixture and baking soda on medium until combined.
3. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to about 1/8” thick. and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes or overnight (tightly wrapped). (Tip: roll warm, cut cold.)
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
5. Cut the dough into desired shapes and place on sheet pans lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Gather the scraps, reroll and cut. If the dough warms too much to cut and transfer cleanly, pop back into the refrigerator to chill.
6. Bake for 10-11 minutes until firm, rotating the pans halfway through baking.
7. Let cool completely.
8. For the glaze: combine the water and espresso until dissolved. Sift in the powdered sugar and stir until combined. The icing should be stiff but have a little flow to it, if needed add water in ¼ teaspoon measures until the desired consistency is achieved.
9. Transfer the icing to a piping bag or a Ziploc bag. Cut a small opening. Drizzle the icing over the baked cooled cookies and allow at least 1 hour to set.
10. Do ahead: dough can be frozen up to 3 months.

day 9 … Rum Raisin Squares

What’s the holiday without something a little boozy? Today – Day 9 of 12 Cookies – I have Rum Raisin Squares for you. They don’t look like much, the small dense brown squares won’t win any beauty contests, but damn are they tasty. Flavorful with the greatest texture – chewy and crispy at the same time. They’re addictive and quickly become my favorite of the bunch this year.

But first you have to booze up those raisins. This is the perfect place for those raisins you may have that are a little dodgy but you didn’t throw away because you knew you’d find a use for them. This is it! Into a pan with a good measure of dark rum (or bourbon or whiskey, your call). A warning though – as you bring the mixture to a boil there is a good chance it will ignite and flame up. Be prepared – it’s always surprising when it happens. Stand back and have a pot lid nearby to smother the flame off the heat. Think of it as a little Christmas excitement.

12 Days of Cookies from years past:

Fruity: Jam Thumbprints, Jam Streusel Tarts, Raspberry Linzer Squares, Lemon Poppyseed Buttons, Orange Sesame Crisps, Cranberry Pistachio Coins, Almond Raspberry Strips, Orange Sandwich Cookies, Apricot Rosemary Shortbread, Coconut Lime Sticks, Bourbon Glazed Fruitcake Buttons, Lemon Cornmeal Biscotti, Blueberry Lime Buttons, Date Swirls

Nutty: Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Pecan Tassies, Maple Black Walnut Cookies, PB&J Sandwich Cookies, Pecan Triangles, 

Spiced: Cinnamon Sugar Pinwheels, Candied Ginger Spice Buttons, Cardamom Rose Coins, Brown Sugar Wafers with Lemon Lavender Glaze

Chocolate: Basic Chocolate Butter Cookie Dough, Mexican Chocolate Crinkles, Chocolate Cocoa Nib Wafers,Raspberry Chocolate Drops, Chocolate Hazelnut Buttons, Dark Mocha Sandwich Cookies, Espresso Crinkles, Cranberry Cocoa Nib Wafers, Chocolate Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies, Chocolate Lebkuchen, Fudge Tarts, Chocolate Marzipan Drops, Chocolate Coconut Bullseyes, Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, Chocolate Almond Crescents, Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Bars: Rum Butter Bars, Peppermint Brownie Bars, Banana Walnut Bars, Chocolate Banana Petit Fours

Holiday Classics: Cream Cheese Wreaths, Classic Molasses Cookies, Peppermint Candy Canes, Andes Mint Chip Cookies, Holiday Mallomars

This year:

Basic Butter Cookie Dough for all recipes

Day 1: Sparkly Sugar Cookies

Day 2: Pecan Praline Bars

Day 3: Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies

Day 4: Butter Brickle Cookies

Day 5: Maple Glazed Spiced Sweet Potato Cookies

Day 6: Garam Masala Shortbread

Day 7: Magic Cookie Bars

Day 8: Rocky Road Bars

RUM RAISIN SQUARES

Base Butter Cookie Dough – recipe here

1. In a small pot, bring the rum and raisins to a boil. Careful – stand back as the rum may ignite and flame up. Be prepared if this happens – have a pot lid nearby, immediately turn the heat off and cover to smother the flames. 
2. Once the liquid comes to a boil, remove from heat, cover with plastic wrap and let sit until completely cool, at least 30 minutes. Can do several hours ahead or even the night before.
3. Line a pan (with at least 2” sides) with a crisscross of aluminum foil, pressing to make as smooth as possible. 
4. In a standing mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, combine room temperature cookie dough, first measure of sugar and salt on medium speed until thoroughly combined.
5. Add the cooled rum soaked raisins and their liquid (if any) to the bowl and mix on low until just combined.
6. Turn the cookie dough into the pan and spread to form an even, level layer, pressing down to compact. The easiest way to do this is to crumble the dough into the pan, starting with the corners, and press to form an even layer. Then top the dough with a scrap of parchment and smooth with your fingers. 
7. Chill for at least 30 minutes until firm or overnight (tightly wrapped).
8. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
9. With a sharp paring knife or a bench scraper, score the dough into small rectangles or squares. 
10. Sprinkle the top evenly with the second measure of sugar, tapping and gently tilting the pan to evenly coat.
11. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden brown around the edges and just set. Do not overbake.
12. Drop the pan a few times on the counter to deflate any large bubbles that occurred during baking and quickly rescore the pieces with a knife or bench scraper while still warm.
13. Let cool completely. Using the foil, gently ease the bars from the pan. Separate into pieces.
14. Cookies keep pretty well at room temperature for several days if tightly wrapped. If you want to make ahead, freeze the dough up to 2 months, defrost and continue or freeze directly in the pan. 

day 8 … Rocky Road Bars

There was a Baskin Robbins ice cream shop across the street from my dance studio when I was a kid and it was the designated pick-up spot after class. Following the final bow to our teacher Miss April, we’d hurriedly yank shorts over our leotards and run like a pack of crazed pink hyenas across the street, waving the dollars our mothers gave us like we were trying to flag down the last cab after closing hour. God love those Baskin Robbins employees that had to deal with us. It had to have been a complete nightmare. The flavors of choice for those little bunhead hooligans? Mint chip and rocky road.

Rocky Road is such a curious thing. A chocolate candy full of stuff but there seems to be differing opinions on what that stuff is. Marshmallows – always. Nuts – yes and I say almonds always. I’ve also seen the addition of raisins (perhaps?), popcorn (no!), pretzels (oh yes!) and cookies (maybe?) Today for Day 8 of our 12 Days of Cookies I’m taking some rocky road inspiration and turning our base butter cookie dough into a chocolate crust and topping it with a rocky road-esque mix of dark chocolate ganache with marshmallows, smoked almonds and a little extra smoked salt to make it special. It hits all the right buttons.

12 Days of Cookies from years past:

Fruity: Jam Thumbprints, Jam Streusel Tarts, Raspberry Linzer Squares, Lemon Poppyseed Buttons, Orange Sesame Crisps, Cranberry Pistachio Coins, Almond Raspberry Strips, Orange Sandwich Cookies, Apricot Rosemary Shortbread, Coconut Lime Sticks, Bourbon Glazed Fruitcake Buttons, Lemon Cornmeal Biscotti, Blueberry Lime Buttons, Date Swirls

Nutty: Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Pecan Tassies, Maple Black Walnut Cookies, PB&J Sandwich Cookies, Pecan Triangles, 

Spiced: Cinnamon Sugar Pinwheels, Candied Ginger Spice Buttons, Cardamom Rose Coins, Brown Sugar Wafers with Lemon Lavender Glaze

Chocolate: Basic Chocolate Butter Cookie Dough, Mexican Chocolate Crinkles, Chocolate Cocoa Nib Wafers,Raspberry Chocolate Drops, Chocolate Hazelnut Buttons, Dark Mocha Sandwich Cookies, Espresso Crinkles, Cranberry Cocoa Nib Wafers, Chocolate Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies, Chocolate Lebkuchen, Fudge Tarts, Chocolate Marzipan Drops, Chocolate Coconut Bullseyes, Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, Chocolate Almond Crescents, Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Bars: Rum Butter Bars, Peppermint Brownie Bars, Banana Walnut Bars, Chocolate Banana Petit Fours

Holiday Classics: Cream Cheese Wreaths, Classic Molasses Cookies, Peppermint Candy Canes, Andes Mint Chip Cookies, Holiday Mallomars

This year:

Basic Butter Cookie Dough for all recipes

Day 1: Sparkly Sugar Cookies

Day 2: Pecan Praline Bars

Day 3: Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies

Day 4: Butter Brickle Cookies

Day 5: Maple Glazed Spiced Sweet Potato Cookies

Day 6: Garam Masala Shortbread

Day 7: Magic Cookie Bars

ROCKY ROAD BARS

Base Butter Cookie Dough – recipe here

1. for the chocolate cookie base: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the pan with a crisscross of aluminum foil.
2. Melt the butter and whisk in the brown sugar, salt and cocoa powder. (Use black cocoa if you have it for an Oreo type crust.)
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the room temperature cookie dough, egg yolk and the cocoa mixture. Mix on medium until fully combined.
4. Crumble the base cookie dough into the pan and press to form an even, level layer, pressing down to compact. The easiest way to do this is to crumble the dough into the pan, starting with the corners, and press to form an even layer. Then top the dough with a scrap of parchment and smooth with your fingers. Chill for 30 minutes.
5. Bake 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted just off center comes out clean and the top is just firm to the touch. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
6. for the topping: place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring the cream just to a boil, pour over the chocolate and immediately cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Give the bowl a shake to evenly distribute the chocolate and let sit 3-4 minutes to melt. 
7. Remove the plastic wrap and whisk gently from the center out until smooth. If the chocolate isn’t fully melted, microwave in 30 second burst at 50% power or place over a double boiler and stir until melted.
8. Mix the nuts, marshmallows and salt into the chocolate mixture & pour over the baked crust, spreading evenly. 
9. Cover the pan, and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set the chocolate.
10. Use a sharp knife to cut into small squares or bars. 
11. Wrap any leftovers airtight, and store at room temperature for up to a week. Freeze for longer storage; but be aware these bars are tastier fresh than frozen and thawed.

day 7 … Magic Cookie Bars

It’s not the prettiest of the bunch but it’s a classic and an evergreen holiday favorite. Today, Day 7, it’s Magic Cookie Bars. The base dough is pressed into a pan, topped with a mixture of chocolate chips, unsweetened coconut, pecans and sweetened condensed milk. As it bakes, the butter dough gets nice and crispy, the chocolate melts ever so slightly and the condensed milk bubbles up and caramelizes amongst it all. It’s quite tasty.

This one is pretty traditional with a few slight changes. The base cookie dough stands in for the graham cracker crumb base, two kinds of chocolate are put to good use – bittersweet and milk – and I greatly prefer the big coconut flakes to the regular old shredded. That might necessitate a trip to a store like Whole Foods but I believe it’s worth it. Have at it.

If you do the smaller pan, you only need half a can of condensed milk. I hear there are petite 7oz cans out there but I’ve yet to find them so get out the scale and use the rest in other things. What exactly, you say? Well, sweeten your coffee for one but here are some more ideas.

12 Days of Cookies from years past:

Fruity: Jam Thumbprints, Jam Streusel Tarts, Raspberry Linzer Squares, Lemon Poppyseed Buttons, Orange Sesame Crisps, Cranberry Pistachio Coins, Almond Raspberry Strips, Orange Sandwich Cookies, Apricot Rosemary Shortbread, Coconut Lime Sticks, Bourbon Glazed Fruitcake Buttons, Lemon Cornmeal Biscotti, Blueberry Lime Buttons, Date Swirls

Nutty: Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Pecan Tassies, Maple Black Walnut Cookies, PB&J Sandwich Cookies, Pecan Triangles, 

Spiced: Cinnamon Sugar Pinwheels, Candied Ginger Spice Buttons, Cardamom Rose Coins, Brown Sugar Wafers with Lemon Lavender Glaze

Chocolate: Basic Chocolate Butter Cookie Dough, Mexican Chocolate Crinkles, Chocolate Cocoa Nib Wafers,Raspberry Chocolate Drops, Chocolate Hazelnut Buttons, Dark Mocha Sandwich Cookies, Espresso Crinkles, Cranberry Cocoa Nib Wafers, Chocolate Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies, Chocolate Lebkuchen, Fudge Tarts, Chocolate Marzipan Drops, Chocolate Coconut Bullseyes, Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, Chocolate Almond Crescents, Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Bars: Rum Butter Bars, Peppermint Brownie Bars, Banana Walnut Bars, Chocolate Banana Petit Fours

Holiday Classics: Cream Cheese Wreaths, Classic Molasses Cookies, Peppermint Candy Canes, Andes Mint Chip Cookies, Holiday Mallomars

This year:

Basic Butter Cookie Dough for all recipes

Day 1: Sparkly Sugar Cookies

Day 2: Pecan Praline Bars

Day 3: Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies

Day 4: Butter Brickle Cookies

Day 5: Maple Glazed Spiced Sweet Potato Cookies

Day 6: Garam Masala Shortbread

MAGIC COOKIE BARS

Base Butter Cookie Dough – recipe here

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. 
2. For the cookie base: Line a pan (with at least 2” sides) with a crisscross of aluminum foil, pressing to make as smooth as possible. Parchment will work but foil works better with hot bubbling sugar.
3. Crumble the base cookie dough into the pan and press to form an even, level layer, pressing down to compact. The easiest way to do this is to crumble the dough into the pan, starting with the corners, and press to form an even layer. Then top the dough with a scrap of parchment and smooth with your fingers. Chill for 30 minutes.
4. Mix the salt with the pecans and set aside.
5. Pour about ¾ of the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crust and spread it out into an even layer. (Note: for the smaller batch you will use half of the 14oz can total).
6. Sprinkle half the chocolate and half the pecans evenly over the surface. 
7. Sprinkle the coconut on in an even layer, then the remaining pecans and chocolate.
8. Drizzle the rest of the condensed milk on top.
9. Bake until toppings are evenly golden brown and the condensed milk has bubbled and turned golden, about 30 minutes. 
10. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. 
11. To serve, lift the bar out of the pan using the foil, transfer to a cutting board and cut into small squares.