A Sea of Spritz Cookies

And on top of that, my hundredth post! Wow. Took me a while!

I got home to my parents’ for Christmas on Thursday, and was faced with a whole open afternoon. What better way to spend it than to mess up someone else’s kitchen! I had been meaning to do spritz cookies this year and never got around to it (along with my Christmas cards…woops), so I was happy as a clam to bust out mom’s cookie press and have at it. There’s something so satisfying about creating perfect, uniform little shapes – I just love it.

I used a recipe that called for powdered sugar instead of granulated – I think it made the cookies just a bit more, oh, “pillowy” maybe? Still a nice sweet taste and slightly softer than the others. A quick 5 minutes in the oven is all they need.

There are SO many spritz recipes out there, you might try  this one or this one or this one…or search for more!

A Perfectly Simple Party Appetizer

Winter is officially here. I can tell by looking outside at the remainder of what nearly amounted to 18 inches of snow. For those of you who live in areas where this is normal, it may not sound like that big a deal. But for Northern Virginia? Right outside DC? Utter chaos. The streets are still a disaster, some of the smaller ones not even scheduled to be plowed for the first time until four days after the snow stopped. And street parking? Oh, I can’t even go into it.

Needless to say, this is NOT a regular occurence here, so it figures that it would fall on the very day of our Holiday Cocktail party. A party we’ve had for many years now, that people look  forward to and start asking about even as early as October! More than 50 people had accepted, the possibility was still out there for up to 20 more. But no. Down it came, in buckets, for a whole 24 hours. Thankfully, we have some AMAZING die hard friends who managed to either walk or plow their 4WD vehicles through the snow – we ended up with over a dozen, and a most fabulous time was had by all.

We cut back on much of the food (though I won’t even mention how many empty wine bottles I recycled the next day…woooops), but kept in a new, simple delish recipe for these tomatoes.

No real recipe, just follow something along these lines: 1) hull out a handful of cherry tomatoes, 2) mix about a half a block of cream cheese, maybe 2 TBS pesto (we used store bought from Trader Joes), and maybe 2 TBS grated mixed cheese (we used a three cheese Asiago blend), 3) put the mixture in a piping bag, and 4) pipe away into the tomatoes. Easy breezy, delish, hardly any fancy prep, and they were a big hit.

We’ll keep the recipe for next year. Or the next party we throw…I mean, what else are we going to do with all this liquor??

TWD: Sables

Oh, if ONLY my baked goods came out looking as pretty and perfect as the pictures in the book.

This week Barbara from Bungalow Barbara selected Sables – a lovely buttery cookie that seems to have endless decorating and flavoring combinations. I decided to just stick to the basics, one half rolled in clear sugar crystals, the other in green for the holidays. Apparently I don’t have any idea how big a half inch is because the first roll I sliced a wee bit too thin, and they all sorta spread a little and browned up a bit. So the next set I made sure to cut thicker – they looked much better than the first half, but still not the perfect round, stacked circles that Dorie has in the book. From the side they were more of a, well, trapezoid (as you can see)?

No worries, they still tasted pretty good. I liked Barbara’s tips for making them perfectly round. Not sure if I will tackle these again (something tells me I’m more of a drop cookie girl), but should I roll and slice, that will be very helpful!

Thanksgiving Part 3: The Perfect Pumpkin Cake

Alas, my third and final Thanksgiving post before I start loading up on those of the holiday cookie variety!

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before that I love pumpkin. Pumpkin scones and muffins and donuts and bread, and even the savory varieties in things like ravioli and soup. But somehow I never fell in love with pumpkin pie. I chalk it up to a texture  thing maybe, as I steer clear of cream pies and flan and homemade pudding…but regardless, it’s in the lower half of my favorite pie list. So I decided to take a different approach this year and try my cousin’s sworn by, tried and true, make-your-house-smell-like-heaven pumpkin cake.

I loved it…good subtle flavor, the frosting was just right (not too sweet), and it looks very pretty with some candied pecans sprinkled on top!

Perfect Pumpkin Cake

Cake:

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 1 med can pumpkin (15 oz)
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 rounded tsps cinnamon

Mix eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin. In a different bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Combine, beat for 2 minutes.

Bake in two round (lightly greased or sprayed with cooking spray – a little tap of flour may help too!) cake pans at 350 for 30 – 35 minutes. Let them cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese, room temp
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Beat together and frost cake!

Thanksgiving Part 2: A Replacement for Pecan Pie

Not wanting to disappoint the pecan lovers in my family (we all have a few die hards, right?), but wanting to prevent pie overload (yes, I know some of you may think that is nearly impossible), I decided to try a pecan bar recipe instead of the standard pecan pie. Like the apple pie recipe search, I saw quite a few and  many of them were fairly similar – all seemed to produce something that “tastes just like pecan pie” without the extra effort of making a pie crust.

My final decision was a recipe from Southern Living – sounded easy and had some promising reviews. If you like pecan pie and want just a slight change of pace, this recipe is for you. Enjoy!

Pecan Squares (adapted from Southern Living)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• ¾ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ½ cup honey
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream
• 3 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Preparation

Sift together 2 cups of flour and 2/3 cup powdered sugar. Cut in ¾ cup softened butter using a pastry blender or fork, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pat mix on bottom and 1 inch up sides of lightly greased 13X9 baking dish.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes until edges are very lightly browned.

Bring brown sugar, honey, 2/3 cup butter, and whipping cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Stir in cinnamon and pecans and pour hot filling into prepared crust.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Cool completely before cutting!!!

Thanksgiving Part I: Apple Pie Deliciousness

This year I was happy to be heading to my parents home outside of Philadelphia – my mom was hosting a whole branch of my family, including 9 adults and 5 kiddies (1 only a week old!). I LOVE big noisy holidays and the last few, though lovely for what each was, were a bit on the quiet side. Plus, I do love my mom’s standard fare Turkey Day feast!

I had to contribute somehow, of course, so I volunteered to cover desserts. Shocking, I know. I made three things which I will separate out into different posts to give each its own glory, and not make for an Olympic length post.

In considering my options for dessert, the first one I was sure of was apple pie – the only thing I wasn’t sure of was which kind! Being a sucker for streusel, I found a couple on epicurious.com – one from Gourmet and another from Bon Apetit. As it turns out, I ended up combining them – the crust for one, the filling and topping for another. I loooooved this pie – it had a crispy top and (thanks to a few tweaks recommended by readers) a filling with good flavor and good texture. Definitely a keeper.

Cinnamon Crumble Apple Pie (adapted from Bon Apetit)

Crust (from Gourmet – Apple Pie with Walnut Streusel):
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

To make crust:

In a large bowl with a pastry blender or in a food processor blend or pulse together flour, sugar, salt, and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and toss with a fork or pulse until incorporated. Add enough remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing or pulsing to incorporate, until mixture begins to form a dough. On a work surface smear dough in 3 or 4 forward motions with heel of hand to slightly develop gluten in flour and make dough easier to work with. Form dough into a ball and flatten to form a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes.

Filling

3 1/4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Topping
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

For filling:

Mix all ingredients in large bowl to coat apples.
For topping:

Blend first 5 ingredients in processor. Add chilled butter cubes; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles wet sand.

On a lightly floured surface roll out dough into a 15-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) and fold into quarters for ease of handling. Unfold dough in a 10-inch pie plate.

Toss filling to redistribute juices; transfer to crust, mounding in center. Pack topping over and around apples. Bake pie on baking sheet until topping is golden, about 40 minutes (cover top with foil if browning too quickly). Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until apples in center are tender when pierced and filling is bubbling thickly at edges, about 45 minutes longer. Cool until warm, about 1 hour.

I Would Call These “Spicy Ginger Bars”

It is that time of year when I start pouring through my recipe files and everyone’s beautiful blogs to find inspiration for my annual holiday cookie baking. The problem is that there are just too many fabulous options and not nearly enough time to test them ALL (that and not nearly enough room in my pants to accomodate them!). I go back to some of my favorites every year, but love to add new ones into circulation.

I’d seen recipes from Martha Stewart for Iced Hermit Bars – her recipe and a handful of modified versions, and after realizing that for some reason I was quite well stocked on crystallized ginger, I thought I would give them a try. They turn out a lovely, chewy bar that packs quite a spicy punch – when I brought them into work, I got a few interesting comments about them being “not quite what I expected.” I personally liked them, but I also LOVE ginger – I can see where they aren’t necessarily everyone’s cup of tea. But they would be very good with one!

Spicy Ginger Bars (also known as Iced Hermits)

Adapted from this recipe

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped candied ginger, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/4 cups packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons skim milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar

1. Make bars: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom of a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, spray with cooking spray; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Beat butter on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg and yolk, and molasses. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Mix in 1/2 cup candied ginger and the dried cranberries.
3. Spread dough evenly onto prepared baking sheet. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until firm, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool completely in baking sheet on a wire rack.
4. Make icing: Put brown sugar, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until butter has melted and sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla and confectioners sugar. If icing is too thick to drizzle, stir in more milk, a teaspoon at a time. If icing is too thin, stir in more confectioners sugar, a teaspoon at a time. Let cool slightly.
5. Drizzle bars with icing; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup candied ginger. Let stand until icing has set, about 15 minutes. Cut into 2-inch squares. Bars can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days

TWD: Cran-Apple Crisps

So this week I continued the pattern of baking November’s recipes out of order, and made Cran-Apple Crisps (picked by Em of The Repressed Pastry Chef). I LOVE crisps. I love them all year – that’s the beauty of them! You can work with just about any seasonal fruits, top it off with a buttery-cinnamony-oaty streusel topping and voila! Perfection.

I halved the filling for this recipe, but made all of the topping (woops…now it’s sitting in the fridge calling to me to come take a little nugget), and baked it in one dish rather than individual dishes. It smelled divine while it was baking…and I think the end result was pretty good! I loved the topping, my only (minor) criticism is that the apples mushed up a bit more than I’d like. I used lovely tart Braeburn apples, so next time I could either try Granny Smiths or maybe bake it for a little less time or maybe even cut them in slightly bigger cubes?

Quick update: I tried some cold last night after it had been in the fridge, and I LOVED it.

Cinnamon Chocolate Graham Bars (and cookies!)

I’ve been toying for a while with the idea of taking the base of this recipe and morphing it into something else. And then I received my order of a bucket of goodies from King Arthur Flour and decided that there was no better time than the present to try something new! I considered perhaps something along the line of s’mores, but when it comes down to it, I’m not much of a marshmallow person (I may get shunned for that statement). Burnt over an open fire, YES…but otherwise notsomuch. I love the mild flavor from the graham cracker crumbs and chocolate and graham cracker are a winning combo, so thought it could work with a hefty dose of cinnamon and perhaps some of these.

So, into the 9X13 they went – following the same recipe with these exceptions: 1) replace butterscotch chips with dark chocolate chips, 2) add two heaping teaspoons of cinnamon, and 3) throw in a handful of the cinnamon bits. I let them sit for aabout 10 or 15 minutes on the counter, as the package said in some cases it would help to soften them (and unsoftened they are like little cinnamon rocks, though that didn’t stop me from eating the dough…shocking). I baked them for 20 minutes, and voila!

They are very chocolatey, chewy and gooey and downright yummy. I had some leftover dough, so I  made a handful of cookies too. I’d also consider adding some toasted pecans as well next time, but they are a nice twist on the standard chocolate chip blondie or cookie, for sure.

Happy Baking!

TWD: Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies

I love the fact that this month we can decide which of the November recipes to make each week – so fun and so flexible, especially around the holiday season. Thanks TWD!!

My grandmother’s recipe for gingersnaps is one of my very favorite holiday time cookies, and because I make those nearly every year, I haven’t tried too many other options that would fall into a similar category. These, however, may  have just changed that! Yummy and chewy with a crisp edge, and I just love the sugar on top. And not only were they super easy breezy, but they come out so perfectly round and crackled that tied up in little bags with some ribbon, these would make ideal gifts.

I only made a few teeny tiny tweaks – I generally like smaller cookies than the bigs ones that this recipe turns out, so I rolled mine into 1″ or maybe 1 1/4″ balls, and therefore made probably twice as many – for that reason, they also only took 10 minutes to bake. I also left out the allspice, and upped the cinnamon and ginger (my two favorite spices). These would be SO perfect with some pumpkin or dulce de leche ice cream sandwiched in the middle…mmmmm…

Thanks so much to Pamela for a great pick! Can I make these every week? Does that count?