STRESSCAKE

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

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.
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.
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.
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.
Before serving, dust with powdered sugar.
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

Posted in 12 days of cookies, tagged 12 days of cookies, basic butter cookie dough, butter cookie variations, butter cookies, Christmas cookie recipes, christmas cookies, holiday cookies, one dough 12 cookies, one dough many cookies, payday cookies, peanut fudge bars, peanut fudge cookies on December 21, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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:

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

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 8: Rocky Road Bars

Day 9: Rum Raisin Squares

Day 10: Iced Coffee Cookies

PEANUT FUDGE BARS

Base Butter Cookie Dough – recipe here

For the caramel: Preheat the oven to 400°F.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
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.
For the topping: reserve ¼ cup of the peanuts for the top and set aside until needed.
In a heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until melted.
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).
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.
Quickly pour this mixture over the cooled cookie base and smooth with a spatula.
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.
Allow the bars to set for 1 hour on the counter or refrigerate 30 minutes.
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.
Do ahead: the bars can be baked and frozen, uncut, up to 2 months tightly wrapped.

day 10 … Iced Coffee Cookies

Posted in 12 days of cookies, tagged 12 days of cookies, basic butter cookie dough, butter cookie variations, butter cookies, Christmas cookie recipes, christmas cookies, coffee cookies, espresso cookies, holiday cookies, iced coffee cookies, one dough 12 cookies, one dough many cookies on December 19, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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:

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

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 8: Rocky Road Bars

Day 9: Rum Raisin Squares

ICED COFFEE COOKIES

Base Butter Cookie Dough – recipe here

For the cookie dough: combine the water and espresso until dissolved.
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.
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.)
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
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.
Bake for 10-11 minutes until firm, rotating the pans halfway through baking.
Let cool completely.
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.
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.
Do ahead: dough can be frozen up to 3 months.

day 9 … Rum Raisin Squares

Posted in 12 days of cookies, tagged 12 days of cookies, basic butter cookie dough, butter cookie variations, butter cookies, Christmas cookie recipes, christmas cookies, holiday cookies, one dough 12 cookies, one dough many cookies, rum raisin, rum raisin cookies, rum raisin shortbread on December 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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:

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

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 8: Rocky Road Bars

RUM RAISIN SQUARES

Base Butter Cookie Dough – recipe here

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.
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.
Line a pan (with at least 2” sides) with a crisscross of aluminum foil, pressing to make as smooth as possible.
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.
Add the cooled rum soaked raisins and their liquid (if any) to the bowl and mix on low until just combined.
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.
Chill for at least 30 minutes until firm or overnight (tightly wrapped).
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
With a sharp paring knife or a bench scraper, score the dough into small rectangles or squares.
Sprinkle the top evenly with the second measure of sugar, tapping and gently tilting the pan to evenly coat.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden brown around the edges and just set. Do not overbake.
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.
Let cool completely. Using the foil, gently ease the bars from the pan. Separate into pieces.
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

Posted in 12 days of cookies, tagged 12 days of cookies, basic butter cookie dough, butter cookie variations, butter cookies, Christmas cookie recipes, christmas cookies, holiday cookies, one dough 12 cookies, one dough many cookies, rocky road, rocky road bars, rocky road cookies, smoked almond cookies on December 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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:

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

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

ROCKY ROAD BARS

Base Butter Cookie Dough – recipe here

for the chocolate cookie base: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the pan with a crisscross of aluminum foil.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mix the nuts, marshmallows and salt into the chocolate mixture & pour over the baked crust, spreading evenly.
Cover the pan, and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set the chocolate.
Use a sharp knife to cut into small squares or bars.
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

Posted in 12 days of cookies, tagged 12 days of cookies, 7 layer bars, basic butter cookie dough, butter cookie variations, butter cookies, Christmas cookie recipes, christmas cookies, holiday cookies, magic bars, magic cookie bars, one dough 12 cookies, one dough many cookies, seven layer bars on December 13, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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:

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

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

MAGIC COOKIE BARS

Base Butter Cookie Dough – recipe here

Preheat oven to 325°F.
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.
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.
Mix the salt with the pecans and set aside.
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).
Sprinkle half the chocolate and half the pecans evenly over the surface.
Sprinkle the coconut on in an even layer, then the remaining pecans and chocolate.
Drizzle the rest of the condensed milk on top.
Bake until toppings are evenly golden brown and the condensed milk has bubbled and turned golden, about 30 minutes.
Let cool in the pan on a wire rack.
To serve, lift the bar out of the pan using the foil, transfer to a cutting board and cut into small squares.

day 6 … Garam Masala Shortbread

Posted in 12 days of cookies, tagged 12 days of cookies, basic butter cookie dough, butter cookie variations, butter cookies, Christmas cookie recipes, christmas cookies, garam masala, garam masala cookies, garam masala shortbread, holiday cookies, one dough 12 cookies, one dough many cookies, shortbread, shortbread cookies on December 11, 2022| Leave a Comment »

And here we are … Day 6 of 12. We’ve officially reached the halfway mark in this cookie journey. At this point we’ve covered a variety of cookies – a pretty sugar version, a caramel-y pecan bar, one with tea, one with salty toffee and another with spiced sweet potato all from one basic butter cookie dough. So nice. Today we’re using something that was a complete revelation to me not long ago … garam masala.

It’s a spice blend typically used in Indian cooking that can differ but usually contains a combination of coriander, pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, caraway, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. So really, it’s all the traditional baking spices in one handy, if unconventional, mix. I get mine from The Spice House and its lovely – fresh and full of flavor that seems very Christmas. Think of it as a much more interesting pumpkin spice. Add it to the base dough and you have a surprisingly wonderful Christmas-y cookie.

12 Days of Cookies from years past:

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

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

GARAM MASALA SHORTBREAD

Base Butter Cookie Dough – recipe here

In a standing mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, combine room temperature cookie dough, first measures of sugar, garam masala and salt on medium speed until thoroughly combined.
Press the dough together and roll into a smooth log about 8” long. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill or at least an hour or overnight. The dough log can be frozen, tightly wrapped, up to 3 months. Let soften before attempting to slice.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the sugar dip. From the dough log, cut ¼” thick slices, rotating the log after each cut to prevent a flat side.
Dip the flat side of each cookie in the sugar mixture and place on the prepared pan, sugar side up.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are just baked. Rotate the pans halfway through baking and do not brown.
Shortbread cookies keep pretty well at room temperature for several days if tightly wrapped and the dough will kept frozen for 3 months.

day 5 … Maple Glazed Spiced Sweet Potato Cookies

Posted in 12 days of cookies, tagged 12 days of cookies, basic butter cookie dough, butter cookie variations, butter cookies, Christmas cookie recipes, christmas cookies, holiday cookies, one dough 12 cookies, one dough many cookies, soft cakey cookies, soft cookies, sweet potato cookies on December 9, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Moving on! We’re getting into some traditional holiday flavors now with this one. A soft, cakey type cookie with a sweet potato-spice vibe and a maple glaze. They remind me of those soft smooshy cookies you find in the grocery bakery section but better because they actually have flavor.

Ok. So one thing to note. I try very hard not to get too fiddley with these recipes but sometimes it happens in the smaller batches and you’ll find yourself doing your best to measure 1/6 of a teaspoon of something or needing ½ egg yolk. For this one, yes there are a few 1/16 teaspoons in the smaller batch recipe, which is really a very big generous pinch. Don’t worry about being terribly precise; more spice isn’t a bad thing. This one also requires roasting a sweet potato first. It’s fairly easy, throw it in the oven for an hour while something else is baking and you’re good to go. Any extra can be thrown in a soup, stirred into oatmeal, those morning pancakes or any baked good or just eaten plain with a little brown sugar and butter. You could also substitute pumpkin puree if you have some extra lying about.

The soft cookies are dipped into a simple powdered sugar/maple syrup glaze and left to set. I like a bit of candied ginger on top or you can give them a sprinkle of cinnamon. Or both. Or neither. It’s the holiday, do what you want.

12 Days of Cookies from years past:

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

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

MAPLE GLAZED SPICED SWEET POTATO COOKIES

Base Butter Cookie Dough – recipe here

Preheat oven to 350ºF. On a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil, prick the sweet potato all over with a fork. Bake until tender, 1 hour. Let cool.
Once cooled, remove the skin and mash until smooth. Measure the amount needed. Use any extra puree in soups, pancakes, muffins and other baked goods (or anywhere you would use pumpkin.)
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the room temperature cookie dough, mashed sweet potato, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt until well combined.
Chill the dough at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Using a tablespoon sized cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop the dough into tablespoon sized balls and place on a parchment or silicone baking lined sheet pans 1” apart. (the dough can be frozen after rolling for up to 3 months.)
Bake 10-12 minutes until the tops firm to the touch but still soft and haven’t started to brown. Rotate halfway the pans halfway through baking.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
For the glaze: in a medium bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, maple syrup and water together until smooth.
Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and gently shake off any excess. Return to the sheet pan and top with a pinch of finely diced candied ginger. Let dry until set.
Do ahead: cookie dough can be frozen up to 3 months. Let defrost then scoop and bake as directed.

day 4 … Butter Brickle Cookies

Posted in 12 days of cookies, tagged 12 days of cookies, basic butter cookie dough, butter brickle, butter brickle cookies, butter cookie variations, butter cookies, Christmas cookie recipes, christmas cookies, holiday cookies, one dough 12 cookies, one dough many cookies, toffee cookies on December 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Butter and salt. Two flavors I adore in a cookie. And brown sugar. Definitely that as well. For the next cookie on the 12 Days list, we have all those things. A little dark brown sugar is added to the base cookie dough to bring out some caramel notes, a good measure of crushed toffee bits are thrown in too with a good pinch of flaky salt on top. Baked just to the point of crispy edges but a soft, chewy center and it’s just about perfect.

For the toffee bits, you can find those in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. The Heath brand, best known for the candy bar, usually has two options – one plain and another with milk chocolate. I prefer the plain one here but if you’d like to try the chocolate, who I am to stop you? If you can’t find the bits, a few Heath or Skor bars crushed up will work too. Freeze them first and they shatter in a way that’s kind of marvelous. Bashing frozen candy this time of year is good for your mental health. Trust me.

12 Days of Cookies from years past:

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

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

BUTTER BRICKLE COOKIES

Base Butter Cookie Dough – recipe here

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the room temperature cookie dough, brown sugar, baking soda and toffee bits until well combined.
Roll the dough into tablespoon sized balls. (if not ready to bake, freeze on a sheet pan until firm then transfer to a labeled ziploc bag and freeze up to 3 months).
When ready to bake preheat the oven to 350°F and line sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking liners.
Let the dough come to room temperature if cold or frozen, place the balls 1″ apart on the prepared sheet pans. Press to flatten slightly and top with a pinch of flaky salt.
Bake 9-10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through until tops are set and the edges are just barely golden brown.
Carefully slide the parchment or silicon sheets onto wire racks to cool.
Do ahead: it’s best to make and freeze the dough and bake as needed rather than freeze baked cookies. Frozen dough will keep up to 3 months.

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

day 3 … Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies

Posted in 12 days of cookies, tagged 12 days of cookies, basic butter cookie dough, butter cookie variations, butter cookies, Christmas cookie recipes, christmas cookies, cookies for gifts, cookies that ship well, cookies with tea, earl gey cookies, earl grey ganache, easy holiday baking, holiday baking, holiday cookies, one dough 12 cookies, one dough many cookies, sandwich cookies on December 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Today we’re starting to build some variety into our 12 cookie collection. With that same basic cookie dough, we started with a simple butter cookie, made pecan bars and now add a sandwich cookie and some chocolate to the mix. Two buttery cookies with a dark chocolate filling makes for something quite lovely. The spin? The little something that makes it just a little bit different and special? Earl Grey tea. My favorite. A hot mug on a cold morning is heavenly. Earl Grey is quintessentially British, a black tea flavored with bergamot orange, a citrus fruit with the flavor somewhere between an orange and a lemon with a little grapefruit thrown in. It’s delightful and makes a particularly good cookie.

For this one, I add the tea right to the base butter cookie dough with a little extra sugar and some orange zest to accent the bergamot flavor. I used Twinings earl grey tea, readily available in grocery stores but any kind will do. If you opt for a loose leaf tea, give it a few buzzes in a spice grinder to break it down a little first. The filling is a simple ganache, just chocolate and cream, with the earl grey steeped into the warm cream first then removed.

Don’t forget my rule for cut out cookies: roll warm, cut cold. As soon as you make the dough, roll it into sheets between 2 pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap and chill. When firm, cut into neat shapes. You can bake right away or layer between pieces of parchment and freeze for later. The ganache filling can also be frozen and defrosted just fine.

12 Days of Cookies from years past:

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

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

EARL GREY SANDWICH COOKIES

Base Butter Cookie Dough – recipe here

For the cookies: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the room temperature cookie dough, sugar, and loose tea until well combined.
Divide the dough into 2-4 pieces and roll between sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to and even 1/8” thickness.
Transfer to a sheet pan and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days tightly wrapped. Dough sheets can be frozen up to 2 months, tightly wrapped.
When ready to bake preheat the oven to 350°F and line sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking liners.
Cut the chilled dough into neat shapes and transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat 1” apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until set on top and just turning golden on the bottoms. Cool completely.
Carefully slide the parchment or silicon sheets onto wire racks to cool.
Do ahead: it’s best to make and freeze the dough and bake as needed rather than freeze baked cookies. Frozen dough will keep up to 3 months.
For the ganache filling: place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside.
Bring the cream to a boil and remove from the heat. Add the tea bag and cover the pot with plastic wrap. Let steep for 30 minutes.
Pour the cream over the chocolate, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, give it a little shake/swirl to fully submerge the chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes. (If using loose leaf tea, pour the cream through a strainer to remove the tea).
Remove the plastic wrap and gently stir until the ganache is smooth. If the chocolate isn’t fully melted at this point, microwave in 30 second bursts at 50% power or place the bowl over a simmering pot of water, stirring until melted and smooth.
Let the ganache cool; it will thicken as it cools. Transfer to a piping bag or a Ziploc bag.
Turn half the cookies over, snip the corner of the piping bag and pipe the filling on top of the wrong sides. Top with another cookie, right side up and press gently to adhere.
Cookies will keep, tightly wrapped, for several days. They’re not great frozen and defrosted so if you want to work ahead, roll/cut/freeze the shapes up to 2 months and bake from frozen. The ganache can also be frozen up to 2 months.