STRESSCAKE

Day 2 … Italian Anise Cookies

Day 4 … Chocolate Peanut Butter Tarts

Day 5 … Almond Pine Nut Cookies

Day 6 … Maple Butter Tarts

Day 7 … PEPPERMINT PINWHEELS

Pretty and lightly peppermint flavored, these cookies have a fantastic crispy texture that’s a little addictive.

Take the desired amount of base cookie dough and divide in half. Wrap one half and set aside until needed.
Crumble the other half into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment along with the sugar, baking soda, peppermint extract and water. Mix on medium until well combined then add the crushed peppermints and mix on medium until combined.
Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to a precise rectangle about 10 ½” x 4 ¼”. For the 1/8 batch, roll 1 rectangle. For the ¼ batch size, make 2 rectangles. Refrigerate. The size of the crushed peppermints will pretty much dictate how thin you’re able to roll this dough, which is fine.
Into the same bowl – no need to wash – add the water and espresso/coffee powder and swirl to dissolve.
Crumble in the second piece of base cookie dough and add the cocoa powder, sugar and baking soda. With the paddle attachment, mix on medium until well combined.
Between two pieces of parchment, roll the dough a rectangle a little wider than the peppermint dough – about 10 ½” x 5”. (Same situation – 1 or 2 rectangles based on batch size.) Refrigerate.
When the dough sheets are chilled and firm (15 minutes should do but you can refrigerate overnight if tightly wrapped), remove one parchment sheet from the chocolate dough and one from the peppermint dough.
Brush the entire surface of the chocolate dough with the lightly beaten egg white and place the peppermint dough on top, lining up the edges along one long side. Press to adhere. There should be a strip of extra chocolate dough on the other long edge.
Let the dough warm up a little so it will be easier to roll. It should be a little pliable.
Starting with the long side of the peppermint/chocolate stack (not the chocolate only side) gently roll up the dough into a long, tight log using the bottom sheet of parchment to help you along.
Press the end (the chocolate edge) to seal and give the log a few rolls to even out the shape.
Wrap snugly in plastic wrap, twisting the ends lightly, place on a small sheet pan or flat surface and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours, overnight or freeze well wrapped for up to 3 months. To keep from getting a flat side, every 10 minutes or so over the next hour, give the log a roll or turn and return to the fridge. Pro tip: If you have an empty paper towel tube lying around, place the dough log inside. It will keep the log round as it chills without have to babysit.
Preheat oven to 350°F and place the racks in the upper and lower third.
Remove dough from the refrigerator unwrap and cut into ½” thick slices, giving the log a turn after every cut to avoid flat spots. A small serrated knife and a gently sawing motion works best. Wipe the knife between cuts if the chocolate dough starts to smear as it warms.
Place cookies 1” apart on a parchment or silicone baking mat lined sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze the dough logs, tightly wrapped, up to 3 months.

Posted in 12 days of cookies, cookies, holidays | Tagged 12 days of cookies, baking, basic butter cookie dough, butter cookie variations, butter cookies, chocolate peppermint cookies, Christmas cookie recipes, christmas cookies, cookie recipe, cookie recipes, cookies, easy Christmas cookies, holiday baking, holiday cookies one dough many cookies, peppermint cookies, peppermint pinwheels | Leave a Comment »

Day 6 … Maple Butter Tarts

December 15, 2024 by stresscake

I came up with today’s cookie while watching the show “Letterkenny”. True story. The show is set in small town rural Canada and follows a group of friends through their daily lives. It’s great – highly recommend. During a later episode, one of the characters makes butter tarts. I sat up upon hearing this. Butter tarts? Are there not two better words together? Butter. Tarts. I was intrigued. A beloved Canadian treat, I discovered that it resembles an American pecan pie without the pecans. Sometimes. I learned that some people do use pecans. Or raisins. Or walnuts. Or none of the above. I think the most widespread version is just straight up plain and went this route with some maple syrup for something a little different. The tart shell, while usually a more traditional pie crust, is our base cookie dough and the filling is a wonderful mixture of brown sugar, butter, maple syrup and vanilla. It’s quite lovely – sweet, yes, but flavorful and indulgent. I read that some folks like the filling runny, while others a bit firmer. I lean toward the later but if you’d prefer a thinner filling, reduce the baking time.

12 Days of Cookies from years past:

Bars: Rum Butter Bars, Peppermint Brownie Bars, Banana Walnut Bars, Chocolate Banana Petit Fours, Pecan Praline Bars, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Bars, Jam Streusel Bars

2024 12 DAYS OF COOKIES LINE UP:

Day 2 … Italian Anise Cookies

Day 4 … Chocolate Peanut Butter Tarts

Day 5 … Almond Pine Nut Cookies

Day 6 … MAPLE BUTTER TARTS

Between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap, roll out the room temperature dough to 1/8” thickness. Do not roll too thin or you may have leaking issues with the filling during baking.
Chill at least 20 minutes to firm up a bit (it will cut cleaner and transfer easier – remember: roll warm, cut cold.)
Lightly spray the muffin tin with cooking spray or with a paper towel, rub with a little vegetable oil. (Note: vegetable oil works better than butter in this instance.)
Using a round cutter slightly larger than the indents of your mini muffin tin, cut out rounds and place on top of the muffin cup circle.
Let sit to warm a little then when softer and a little pliable, ease into the muffin cup starting with the edges, pressing gently to fill the space. If the dough cracks/breaks, patch up with a bit of extra dough, pressing into place. Make sure there are no tears or cracks – the filling will seep through and fuse the tart to the pan during baking.
Continue with the remaining dough, rerolling the scraps.
Chill the tart shells for at least 15 minutes or overnight, tightly wrapped.
For the filling: in large measuring cup with a pour spout, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar.
Add the egg(s), vanilla, salt, and vinegar and whisk until smooth. (The filling will be fairly runny.)
Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
Place the chilled muffin tins on a larger sheet pan, give the filling a stir and carefully fill each chilled tart shell a little more than ¾ full.
Bake for 6-7 minutes, rotate the pans (top to bottom, front to back) and bake for another 6-7 minutes until the filling is bubbly, deeper in color, and pastry is golden, about 12-14 minutes total.
Remove from oven and allow tarts to cool fully in the tins.
Use a thin, sharp knife to gently separate the tarts from the tin. The best way to do this is to insert the knife tip between the tart and the pan and slowly rotate the knife around the perimeter of the tart. If they didn’t leak, the tart will pop right out. If they did, go slowly and press firmly against the pan to release the tart.
Just before serving, dust lightly with powdered sugar.
Do ahead: the base dough can be made and frozen up to 3 months. The dough can be rolled and cut into circles and frozen as well. Make the filling just before baking. Tarts can be made up to one week in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature or refrigerated.

Posted in 12 days of cookies, cookies, holidays | Tagged 12 days of cookies, almond pine nut cookies, baking, basic butter cookie dough, butter cookie variations, butter cookies, butter tarts, Christmas cookie recipes, christmas cookies, cookie recipe, cookie recipes, cookies, easy Christmas cookies, holiday baking, holiday cookies one dough many cookies, maple butter tarts, mini tarts | Leave a Comment »

Day 5 … Almond Pine Nut Cookies

December 14, 2024 by stresscake

A slight pivot from the last post, which was a little involved, to an easy one that is excellent with a cup of coffee or tea and has great keeping qualities. It’s important for sanity sake to have a mix of simple vs more complex recipes. For this one, the base cookie dough is enhanced with almond paste, a little almond flour, lemon zest and some egg whites. Rolled into balls and topped with a few pine nuts, they are reminiscent of pignoli, that Italian cookie favorite and add some nice variety to the holiday mix.

12 Days of Cookies from years past:

Bars: Rum Butter Bars, Peppermint Brownie Bars, Banana Walnut Bars, Chocolate Banana Petit Fours, Pecan Praline Bars, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Bars, Jam Streusel Bars

2024 12 DAYS OF COOKIES LINE UP:

Day 2 … Italian Anise Cookies

Day 4 … Chocolate Peanut Butter Tarts

Day 5 … ALMOND PINE NUT COOKIES

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the almond paste, sugar and egg white(s) on medium until fully combined.
Crumble in the base cookie dough and add the lemon zest, almond flour, almond extract, baking powder and salt; mix on medium speed until well combined. The dough will be very soft.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 3 days (or up to 3 months in the freezer).
Preheat oven to 325°F, place a rack in the upper and lower third of the oven and pour the pine nuts in a shallow bowl or plate.
Roll the dough into tablespoon sized pieces and press into the pine nuts to coat one side of the ball. Press in or give a little roll to make sure the nuts are firmly attached.
Place on parchment paper or silicone baking mat lined sheet pans, about 1” apart.
Bake for 6-8 minutes then rotate the pan(s) and bake for another 6-8 minutes until puffed and lightly golden on the bottom.
Let cool on the sheet pan. Baked cookies will keep in an airtight container for several days.
The dough balls can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 3 months.

Posted in 12 days of cookies, cookies, holidays | Tagged 12 days of cookies, almond pine nut cookies, baking, basic butter cookie dough, butter cookie variations, butter cookies, Christmas cookie recipes, christmas cookies, cookie recipe, cookie recipes, cookies, easy Christmas cookies, holiday baking, holiday cookies one dough many cookies, pignoli | Leave a Comment »

Day 4 … Chocolate Peanut Butter Tarts

December 13, 2024 by stresscake

Today in the 12 Days of Cookies from one dough line up, we have something chocolate. I was thinking about those peanut butter blossom cookies. You know the one … peanut butter cookies with a Hershey’s kiss pressed in the center? A classic but not really a holiday cookie, in my opinion. More of an everyday cookie so I fancied them up. The base dough is turned into a chocolate tart shell, a mini Reese’s and a few chopped peanuts and … voilà, a holiday version. Now here’s the annoying thing with a commercial peanut butter cup. The damn peanut butter centers don’t melt. Great if you’re randomly snacking, not so great if you want them to fill out a tart shell. So, we get crafty and a little aggressive. Halfway through baking, give it a good smush. It will be a little messy and not the prettiest at first but smooth the chocolate with a knife or small offset spatula, add a sprinkle of chopped peanuts to cover the bald spots and you’ll have cute little chocolate peanut butter tarts that are utterly delicious.

12 Days of Cookies from years past:

Bars: Rum Butter Bars, Peppermint Brownie Bars, Banana Walnut Bars, Chocolate Banana Petit Fours, Pecan Praline Bars, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Bars, Jam Streusel Bars

2024 12 DAYS OF COOKIES LINE UP

Day 2 … Italian Anise Cookies

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are available in milk, dark or white chocolate. Pick your favorite or mix them up. I haven’t tested other brands but there’s a possibility they may melt better.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the instant espresso or coffee with the warm water and swirl until fully dissolved.
Add the room temperature base cookie dough, cocoa powder, sugar and baking soda. With the paddle attachment, mix on medium until fully combined.
Between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap, roll out the room temperature dough to 1/8” thickness.
Chill at least 20 minutes to firm up a bit (it will cut cleaner and transfer easier – remember: roll warm, cut cold.)
Lightly spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray or with a paper towel, grease with a little vegetable oil. (Note: vegetable oil works better than butter, which softens the tart shells during baking.)
Using a round cutter slightly larger than the tops of your mini muffin tin cups, cut out rounds and place on top of the muffin cups.
Let sit to warm a little then when softer and a little pliable, ease into the muffin cup starting with the edges, pressing gently to fill the space. If the dough cracks/breaks, patch up with a bit of extra dough, pressing into place.
Continue with the remaining dough, rerolling the scraps.
Chill for 15 minutes or overnight, well wrapped.
Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower third of the oven.
Into each tart shell add a pinch of chopped peanuts and an unwrapped peanut butter cup top side down. (Tip: chill or freeze the peanut butter cups to remove the wrapper cleanly.)
Place the muffin tins on a sheet pan and bake 7 minutes.
Remove from the oven, and with a spoon, knife or small offset spatula, press down on the peanut butter center, gently smushing it to flatten and fill the tart shell.
Smooth the chocolate on top as best as you can and top with a pinch of chopped peanuts.
Return to the oven and bake another 3-4 minutes until the tart shells are firm to the touch and the peanut butter cup has melted a little more.
Remove from oven and allow tarts to cool fully in the tins.
Use a thin, sharp knife to gently separate the tarts from the tin. The best way to do this is to insert the knife tip between the tart and the pan and slowly rotate the knife around the perimeter of the tart. Go slowly and press firmly against the pan to release.
Tarts will keep tightly wrapped for several days. Tart dough will keep frozen up to 3 months.

Posted in 12 days of cookies, chocolate, cookies, holidays | Tagged 12 days of cookies, baking, basic butter cookie dough, butter cookie variations, butter cookies, chocolate peanut butter cookies, chocolate peanut butter tarts, Christmas cookie recipes, christmas cookies, cookie recipe, cookie recipes, cookies, dessert, easy Christmas cookies, holiday baking, holiday cookies, holiday tarts, one dough many cookies, peanut butter blossoms, recipe, recipes | Leave a Comment »

Day 3 … Gochujang Caramel Cookies

December 10, 2024 by stresscake

A few years ago, Eric Kim posted a recipe in the New York Times for cookies made with gochujang, the fermented chile paste ubiquitous in Korean cuisine. It blew my mind. It’s not often I see something that new and creative. The cookie had everything I loved – a little sweet, a little savory, a little spicy heat, all with a delicious caramel-y sugar goodness. Wonderful. With that recipe in mind, I created a similar cookie for this year’s line up. The basic dough gets a little cinnamon and is spread with a gochujang/brown sugar/butter mixture and gently kneaded, more so pressed, together with some diced purchased caramels. For something extra, a larger piece of caramel is gently pushed into the centers halfway through baking. Delicious. The slightest hint of heat, not really spicy but more so fruity. The little bits of caramel in the dough caramelize and get crispy along the edges while the center stays soft. A zhuzhed up snickerdoodle for the holidays. Utterly addictive.

12 Days of Cookies from years past:

Bars: Rum Butter Bars, Peppermint Brownie Bars, Banana Walnut Bars, Chocolate Banana Petit Fours, Pecan Praline Bars, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Bars, Jam Streusel Bars

2024 EDITION:

Day 2 … Italian Anise Cookies

DAY 3 … GOCHUJANG CARAMEL COOKIES

Gochujang is a sweetened fermented chile paste that can be found in most Asian markets and many grocery stores, usually in tubs but sometimes smaller squeeze bottles. It’s sweet, spicy, a little funky and is great in stir fries, marinades, on a fried egg with steamed rice (my favorite) and now – in cookies!

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the room temperature base dough, cinnamon, baking soda and small diced caramels.
Pat into a rectangle, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate 20-30 min until cold but still pliable.
In a small bowl, stir together butter, brown sugar and gochujang until smooth.
Remove the dough from the fridge and for the larger batches, divide into 2-4 pieces to make it more manageable.
Roll the dough into a rectangle about ¼” thick.
Place small spoonfuls of the gochujang mix over the dough and give them a little smear.
Gather the dough up and knead very gently to come together. Do not over knead as you want to see ribbons of the gochujang mixture throughout the dough.
Roll tablespoon size balls and place on a parchment lined sheet pan 1” apart.
Bake for 5 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and gently push one of the larger, quartered caramels in the center of each cookie.
Return to the oven and bake for 5 minutes.
Let cool completely on the sheet pan.
Baked cookies will keep, tightly wrapped, for several days. Dough can be rolled, frozen and stored in the freezer tightly wrapped for up to 3 months.

Posted in 12 days of cookies, cookies, holidays | Tagged 12 days of cookies, baking, basic butter cookie dough, butter cookie variations, butter cookies, Christmas cookie recipes, christmas cookies, cookie recipe, cookie recipes, cookies, easy Christmas cookies, gochujang caramel cookies, gochujang cookies, holiday baking, holiday cookies | 1 Comment »

Day 2 … Italian Anise Cookies

December 9, 2024 by stresscake

Next up in our 2024 one dough, many cookies lineup is a one with a little Italian inspiration. For a while, I thought I disliked anise as a flavor. While I am a black licorice fan, anise conjures up unpleasant memories of too much sambuca and that flavor in a cookie didn’t make sense to me. I couldn’t wrap my head around it but the truth is, I’d long been enjoying it unknowingly in pizzelle, those pretty thin, waffle like and other cookies sold in Italian delis. I love those (and included them in this line up a few years ago). The secret is anise seeds … just a hint of licorice notes certainly, but more fragrant, sweet and a little earthier than expected. Almost floral. Just lovely. Makes a damn fine cookie.

12 Days of Cookies from years past:

Bars: Rum Butter Bars, Peppermint Brownie Bars, Banana Walnut Bars, Chocolate Banana Petit Fours, Pecan Praline Bars, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Bars, Jam Streusel Bars

2024 12 DAYS OF COOKIES LINE UP

DAY 2 – ITALIAN ANISE COOKIES

Anise seeds are in the spice aisle and a little goes a long way. If you happen to have anise extract, this is a good place to use it but if you don’t, no worries.

Preheat the oven to 350°F, place the rack in the lower third of the oven and line a sheet pan or two with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Crush the anise seeds in a mortar & pestle or give a few pulses in a spice grinder. If you don’t have either, place the seeds in a rimmed sheet pan, place a heavy skillet on top and press down hard to lightly crush.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the room temperature cookie dough, baking powder, salt, sugar, crushed anise seeds and extract (if using).
Roll the dough into tablespoon sized balls and press gently to flatten into fat discs.
Place the second measure of sugar in a shallow dish, drop the cookie in and toss lightly to fully coat. Continue with the remaining cookies.
Place on the prepared sheet pan, 1” apart to allow for spreading.
Bake for 5 minutes, rotate the pan(s) and bake for an addition 5 minutes until firm to the touch but still soft in the centers and lightly browned on the bottoms.
Cookie dough can be rolled into balls (without sugar coating) and frozen up to 3 months. Allow to soften before rolling in the sugar so you get a better coverage then bake as directed.

Posted in 12 days of cookies, cookies, holidays | Tagged 12 days of cookies, anise butter cookies, anise cookies, baking, basic butter cookie dough, butter cookie variations, butter cookies, chocolate, Christmas cookie recipes, christmas cookies, cookies, easy Christmas cookies, holiday baking, holiday cookies, italian anise cookies, recipe, recipes | Leave a Comment »

Day 1 … Brandy Glazed Molasses Bars

December 7, 2024 by stresscake

12 Days of Cookies here we come! Hopefully you have your base cookie dough ready and if you don’t, you’re thinking about it. We’re starting out this year’s series nice and easy with a simple gingerbread bar. One pan, keeps well, very forgiving. To me, this is Christmas in cookie form.

12 Days of Cookies from years past:

Bars: Rum Butter Bars, Peppermint Brownie Bars, Banana Walnut Bars, Chocolate Banana Petit Fours, Pecan Praline Bars, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Bars, Jam Streusel Bars

2024 12 DAYS OF COOKIES EDITION: