Tag Archives: cookies

NINE BAKES, WITH LOVE

Posted in Cake, Cookies by

Time to spread some food blog love around… Today I share nine bakes that are perfect for the season and come from sites I closely follow. All recipes can be retrieved with a visit to the original post, which you will find below the pictures.



BAKE #1
HELEN FLETCHER’S PUMPKIN CAKE DONUTS

(for recipe, click here)

I know I repeat myself, but you simply cannot go wrong with Helen’s recipes. This one goes to my Personal Hall of Fame. Taste and texture could not be better. Her detailed instructions make it a breeze to make. I assume it is still ok to post pumpkin recipes, after all – according to the calendar – it is still Fall (cough, cough). Donuts get a streusel topping and need nothing but a dusting with powdered sugar to shine!


BAKE #2
CELIA’S FUDGE BROWNIES

(for recipe, click here)

Celia used to be a very active food blogger, but although she is not posting often, her recipes are still on the site and each one is a gem. If you like to learn about chocolate tempering, make sure to visit her blog and read one of her posts on the subject. These brownies received two thumbs up from the Resident Brownie Critic. Need I say more? Make them!

BAKE #3
KAREN’S DEVIL’S FOOD THUMBPRINT COOKIES

(for recipe, click here)

Amazing recipe, it is almost like having a little bite-size brownie with jam on top. Simple to make, they will make your holiday table shine, and your guests very happy!

BAKE #4
CARO’S CHOCOLATE CARDAMON CUPCAKES

(for the recipe, click here)

Aren’t those super elegant? I fell in love when Caro first shared the recipe, and could not wait to bake a batch. Cardamon and chocolate go surprisingly well together, so consider making them too… Sprinkles added just because…. sprinkles make life better!

BAKE #5
CARO’S RASPBERRY JAM AND COCONUT SPONGE SQUARES

(for the recipe, click here)

These are delicious, you cannot beat the texture of the cake… and the jam plus coconut topping is perfection. I know that some people don’t care for shredded coconut, but if your group of guests is ok with it, make sure to feature it in your holiday get-together.

BAKE #6
AMISHA’S DATE AND NUT CHOCOLATE BARS

(for recipe, click here)

Super festive, the list of ingredients is long, but it is a reasonably simple recipe to put together. It has all the flavors I adore, including a light hint of rose, that goes well with all the other flavors. You can use ruby chocolate or add pink fat soluble dye to regular white chocolate for the marbling. Check out her blog post, the instructions are very detailed. Gold leaf is optional, but if you happen to have some, it is the perfect concoction to make them shine. Literally.

BAKE #7
LINDSAY’S STUFFED CHERRY AMARETTI COOKIES

(for the recipe, click here)

These are simply amazing! I made them three times, they were originally all going for my weekly donation box, but one batch made it to my beloved husband’s golfing buddies, and they got a lot of praise… Once you bite into the cookie, the soft almond crumb gives room to the sharp cherry inside, and you are forced to close your eyes and dream. Seriously good.

BAKE #8
LINDSAY’S VEGAN AMARETTI COOKIES

(for the recipe, click here)

Another recipe from Lindsay’s blog, Love and Olive Oil. When it comes to “veganizing” a baking recipe, nothing beats macarons and amaretti type cookies, as all you need is remove the egg whites and use aquafaba instead. That is the magical ingredient, that works exactly the same, no loss of flavor, no unpleasant changes in texture. Of course, you could stick a cherry inside those too if you feel like it!

BAKE #9

HEATHER’S PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES

(for the recipe, click here)

Aren’t those the most adorable little bites of heaven? If you are a lover of peanut butter, these are for you! I love Heather’s cookbooks, and her blog is always a source of inspiration, so make sure to bookmark and visit. I had to change the recipe a bit because our grocery store did not have peanut butter chips, so I used candy melts for the drizzle instead. Other than that, I followed her recipe to a T.

So there you have it, nine recipes from sites I love, as this is the season to spread love and gratitude around… I hope you can find something that inspire you to grab that bag of flour, those eggs, pull the mixer out to play, and get busy baking!

ONE YEAR AGO: Asian-Style Chicken Meatballs

TWO YEARS AGO: Cookies for the Holidays, SPRINGERLE

THREE YEARS AGO: Bread – Episode 2 of Great American Baking Show

FOUR YEARS AGO: Apple and Sobacha Caramel Dome Cake

FIVE YEARS AGO: Cocktail Spiced Nuts

SIX YEARS AGO: How the Mighty Have Fallen

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Festive Night at Central

EIGHT YEARS AGO: The Perfect Boiled Egg

NINE YEARS AGO: Light Rye Sourdough with Cumin and Orange

TEN YEARS AGO: Homemade Calziones

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Plum-Glazed Duck Breasts

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Holiday Double-Decker

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: New York Deli Rye

PEPPERMINT WREATH MACARONS

Posted in macarons by

With this post, I share a new take on buttercream which I recently found by accident on a scroll around Youtube University. I could not wait to give it a try. You can watch her video and full explanation of the rationale behind it with a click here. If the subject appeals to you, it will be worth the few minutes of your time, I promise. And it is also a new way to pipe shells, but I cannot take credit for it, I saw some pictures on Pinterest and decided to give it a try.


PEPPERMINT WREATH MACARONS
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

for the macaron shells, use THIS RECIPE
add green gel food dye

for the buttercream mint filling:
170g unsalted butter, softened
104g light corn syrup
60g powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp mint extract (adjust amount to your liking)

Whip the butter with the WHISK attachment in medium speed until fluffy and lighter in color. With the machine running, slowly add the corn syrup. Increase speed to high and whip for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and mint extract, whisk to combine and then add the powdered sugar. Whisk until combined and then switch to the paddle attachment, mixing for 30 seconds or so, to remove air bubbles.

Make the shells. Stop the macaronage before it gets fully smooth, and place half the batter in a piping bag fitted with a closed star tip (I used Wilton #25). Pipe as shown in the composite photo below. The leftover batter can be mixed further to make smoother shells, and then piped as circles of the same dimension of the wreath. If you prefer, you can use two wreath shapes to form a macaron. Add sprinkles as soon as you pipe the shells.

Bake as directed in the original recipe. Pipe the mint buttercream filling, close the shells, and allow to mature in the fridge overnight before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These macarons turned out a little bigger than I expected, so next time I might use a smaller tip to make them a little more delicate. But the most important thing is that they hold the shape well and there were no explosions during baking. I also made smaller versions piping a sort of swirl with the same tip, pairing with a regular round shell. The buttercream worked very well, and I can tell that I’ll be using it often in the future. It has a wonderful texture and it is definitely less cloying than the traditional American version. Give a try, and you might love it too…

ONE YEAR AGO: Cornish Hens with Yogurt-Mace Marinade

TWO YEARS AGO: Cookies for the Holidays – Gingerbread

THREE YEARS AGO: Incredibly Simple Times Four

FOUR YEARS AGO: White Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse Cake

FIVE YEAR AGO: Panettone Time!

SIX YEARS AGO: Pistachio Creme Brulee

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Fast and Furious Bison Chili

EIGHT YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, December 2014

NINE YEARS AGO: Braised Fennel with Saffron and Tomato

TEN YEARS AGO: Revenge of the Two Derelicts

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Grilling Ribbons

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Peppery Cashew Crunch

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Baked Shrimp and Feta Pasta

CREMINO ALLA NOCIOLLA

Posted in Cookies, Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by

Or, if you prefer, Creamy Hazelnut… paired with a sugar cookie, also flavored with hazelnut and a touch of orange. I adapted this recipe from Gabriella’s blog Siula Golosa (click here for her original version). I’ve been meaning to make these elegant cookies ever since I read her post, but for some reason it only happened now. Better late than never, I say.


HAZELNUT CREAM OVER SUGAR COOKIE
(adapted from Siula Golosa)

for the cookie base:
1 cup (226g) butter
1 cup (200g) sugar
zest of one orange
2 eggs
1 tsp hazelnut bakery emulsion
1/4 tsp orange extract
420g flour
60g cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

for the hazelnut cream:
54g white chocolate
27g dark chocolate
19g Nutella or Nocciolata paste (I used this one)
11g cocoa butter

melted chocolate
gold luster powder
sprinkle to decorate


Make the cookie base: Mix flour, cornstarch, salt and baking powder. Reserve. Rub orange zest on the sugar with your fingers until fragrant. Cream butter with sugar. Whisk eggs with hazelnut and orange extracts, add to the butter/sugar with mixer on low speed, a little bit at a time. Once incorporated, add the dry components and mix on low-speed until a dough forms. Divide in two and refrigerate for 10 minutes before rolling out and cutting small circles. Freeze for 10 minutes, then bake at 350F until edges start to get some color, about 12 minutes. Recipe makes a lot more than you will need.

Make the hazelnut topping: Add all ingredients to a microwave save bowl, and heat at 50% power, in 30 second increments, removing from the microwave and whisking gently. Once melted, pour over a countertop or over acetate sheet and bring the temperature down to 78F by moving it around with a spatula. It is a small volume, so it will get there quickly. Pour into an icing bag, and fill the mold to the top. Allow it to set at room temperature for 1 hour, transfer to the fridge for 20 minutes, and un-mold.

Use a little melted chocolate to glue the hazelnut cream to the top of the cookie. If desired, you can paint the cookie with luster gold and vodka. Decorate the center with a golden bead.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here


Comments: For the topping you will need this mold from Silikomart. I was very worried about it, because there is so much detail on the surface. But, as always, Silikomart products are excellent and the flexibility of this one was perfect to release the hazelnut component. The mold has 11 cavities, the recipe made exactly 10. Not a single one had any issues, they were all perfect.

Next time I will use the base from Gabriella’s blog, because I think it will be pretty nice, and will also roll it a bit thinner. This was in fact an impulse bake, I had a little bit of cookie dough leftover, and thought that the taste of hazelnut would go well with the creamy top. All things considered, this is a very easy concoction to put together, but it looks like you slaved over it for hours. Perfect to impress your favorite guests!


ONE YEAR AGO: Roasted Broccoli and Apple Salad with Tahini Dressing

TWO YEARS AGO: A Different Kind of Cookie Swap

THREE YEARS AGO: Scary Good Recipes for your next Halloween

FOUR YEARS AGO: Pumpkin Sourdough

FIVE YEARS AGO: First Monday Favorite

SIX YEARS AGO: Secret Recipe Club: Paalak Paneer, a Farewell Post

SEVEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, November 2015

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Helen Fletcher’s Oatmeal Cookies

NINE YEARS AGO: Thai-Style Pesto with Brown Rice Pasta

TEN YEARS AGO: Shrimp with Spicy Orange Sauce

ELEVEN YEARS AGO:  A Simple Appetizer (Baked Ricotta)

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Sour Cream Sandwich Bread

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Pasta with Zucchini Strands and Shrimp

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM MY COOKIE BLOG TO YOU!

Posted in Cookies by

To see the details behind this series of Halloween-inspired cookies, visit my cookie blog with a click here.

WOULD YOU LIKE A COOKIE OR A BROWNIE?

Posted in Cake by

HAVE BOTH!

I cannot take credit for the idea, it was something Marlyn posted on her youtube channel, and I thought it was brilliant! She took the concept of colored cookie dough one step further, and used it to top brownies, baking them together. Works like a charm, and the possibilities are endless…

for Marlyn’s version, click here

You can use any brownie recipe you like, mine included walnuts. For the cookies, I made flowers with dough of different colors, and with marbled pieces too.

You then need to place them (FROZEN) over the raw brownie batter. Marlyn placed shapes all over in random spots, and that works too, you just cut through the design once serving the brownie. I decided to space the flowers so that each would end up centered on every piece.

After that, bake as you normally would. The cookies and the brownies have similar baking times, and the brownie batter protects the cookie if you need to bake longer. But for me it was a total of 25 minutes. Let the brownie completely cool, and then slice it in pieces.

This was a huge success when I took to the department to share with our colleagues on a Monday morning. Nothing like starting the week correctly!


I am dreaming of baking a set of blondies with chocolate cookie shapes on top. Once baked, you can even add details with a little Royal icing, like I showed yesterday on my cookie blog (see last picture of this post).

ONE YEAR AGO: Sourdough Fun, Three Ways

TWO YEARS AGO: Spooky Bakes, a Farewell

THREE YEARS AGO: Fall-Inspired Baking

FOUR YEARS AGO: On a Halloween Roll

FIVE YEARS AGO: Pumpkin Macarons

SIX YEARS AGO: Zucchini, Lemon & Walnut Cake

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Paleo Energy Bars

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Honey Mustard Dressing

NINE YEARS AGO: Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Burgers

TEN YEARS AGO:  Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Clay-pot Pork Roast

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Panmarino

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: A Classic Roast Chicken