Christmas press cookies are delicious and fun to make! I use the recipe in the Joy of Cooking
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Showing posts with label cookies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cookies. Show all posts
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Baking with Laura - Christmas Cookies
Wilton Cookie Pro Ultra II Cookie Press
Christmas press cookies are delicious and fun to make! I use the recipe in the Joy of Cooking
for spritz cookies. It is basically a batter for butter cookies. The batter is then placed in a cookie press
, and then baked in the oven.
The cookies can be stored in a tin for a week or so and then served on a pretty platter for Christmas Eve and Christmas. You can choose the design disk to place in the cookie press. The photos show wreath cookies and Christmas tree cookies. They look pretty when topped with sprinkles.
Christmas press cookies are delicious and fun to make! I use the recipe in the Joy of Cooking
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Baking with Linda: Chocolate-Cranberry-Walnut Biscotti
All my boys, my husband, and extended family (or so they say) love these traditional Italian cookies, which I make about 2 -3 times a year & definitely for Christmas. A delicious blend of flavors and crunch make them a family favorite.
Cream together:
2/3 cup softened butter
1 1/3 cup sugar
4 organic eggs
3 tsp. vanilla extract
Blend dry ingredients (separately):
2/3 cup unsweetened, unsalted cocoa powder
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup dark, bittersweet chocolate morsels
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup craisins, each sliced in half
Whip the softened butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in your KitchenAid Mixer
. Incorporate dry ingredients separately in a big bowl. First break up the walnuts by hand and cut the craisins in thirds - less likely for the "bars" to fall apart when slicing them from the log formations. Once splatter guards are in place (I recommend them!), spoon the dry mixture into the wet mixture, about a half cup at a time.
On Pam-sprayed cookie sheet
, form two 12" by 4" logs. Tip from Mom: lightly coat your hands with flour so the dough doesn't stick to your fingers.
Bake 23-25 minutes @375 degrees. Let cool 20 minutes before slicing, on a slight diagonal, into "bars." I use a broad-blade knife to slice the logs; my knife measures 1.5" by 6" and works perfectly.
Situate bars, flat-side-down, onto cookie sheet and bake 6 minutes on each side for about 5 minutes. This allows biscotti to cook through and become firm.
Almost 16, my oldest son is an expert at making these biscotti and can make them completely on his own. He and my 13-year-old fight over who's getting the mixing blade and batter bowl! As he and his brothers have discovered, chocolate biscotti are excellent for dipping in tall glasses of milk.
Biscotti look beautiful when served with a fine dusting of confectioner's powdered sugar. They freeze very well; in fact, we like them right out of the freezer with a cup of capuccino or espresso.
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| Chocolate Biscotti Dough Perfectly Prepared by my Oldest Son |
Cream together:
2/3 cup softened butter
1 1/3 cup sugar
4 organic eggs
3 tsp. vanilla extract
Blend dry ingredients (separately):
2/3 cup unsweetened, unsalted cocoa powder
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup dark, bittersweet chocolate morsels
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup craisins, each sliced in half
Whip the softened butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in your KitchenAid Mixer
On Pam-sprayed cookie sheet
Bake 23-25 minutes @375 degrees. Let cool 20 minutes before slicing, on a slight diagonal, into "bars." I use a broad-blade knife to slice the logs; my knife measures 1.5" by 6" and works perfectly.
Situate bars, flat-side-down, onto cookie sheet and bake 6 minutes on each side for about 5 minutes. This allows biscotti to cook through and become firm.
Almost 16, my oldest son is an expert at making these biscotti and can make them completely on his own. He and my 13-year-old fight over who's getting the mixing blade and batter bowl! As he and his brothers have discovered, chocolate biscotti are excellent for dipping in tall glasses of milk.
Biscotti look beautiful when served with a fine dusting of confectioner's powdered sugar. They freeze very well; in fact, we like them right out of the freezer with a cup of capuccino or espresso.
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| La Dolce Vita |
Monday, December 6, 2010
Baking with Linda - Walnut Shortbread Cookies
Baking with my children is a favorite pasttime in our home. This week, my three year old son-shine and I made Walnut Shortbread Cookies. Using a Krups electric coffee grinder
, he scooped handfuls into the mill and, once the protective top was in place, pressed down firmly on it to start grinding up the walnuts - this recipe called for 1.5 cups finely chopped walnuts, 4.5 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups vegetable shortening or butter (room temp), 2.5 cups packed light brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
Pouring and placing the ingredients into our KitchenAid heavy duty mixer
Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of shortbread dough and place 1.5 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Flatten with back of teaspoon (dust spoon with flour first so it doesn't stick). Press half a walnut onto top of cookie.
| Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown. |
| My Little Helper Loads up the Walnuts. Everyone Home Should Have a Recipe Book Just for Cookies |
Always helpful, my thirteen-year-old son held these silk poinsettias in place while I took the photo. Chip proof and lightweight, my red lucite serving tray is one of my favorites. With the half-walnut on top, these cookies are tempting and elegant.
Timesaver: If you want to bake ahead, these cookies freeze beautifully in freezer-safe Tupperware
.
Economizing Key: If you don't have enough walnuts, you can top the remaining cookies with pecan halves instead. In fact, this shortbread recipe can be made by completely replacing walnuts with pecans. If you don't have another cookie to pair these with, place dried apricots here and there in between the cookies. Fruit and nuts - good combo.
Economizing Key: If you don't have enough walnuts, you can top the remaining cookies with pecan halves instead. In fact, this shortbread recipe can be made by completely replacing walnuts with pecans. If you don't have another cookie to pair these with, place dried apricots here and there in between the cookies. Fruit and nuts - good combo.
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