Posted by Gabi on 24 December 09
When you are in the mood for a nice spicy gingerbread type cookie- these should do the trick. I made this batch for Winter Solstice this week so that’s why they’re decorated as suns. Cut them out in whatever shape you desire and decorate or sprinkle with sliced almonds. They are a touch of the holiday spirit for a cookie jar in my opinion.
Holiday Ginger Snaps
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons ground Ceylon Cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon groung nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 pound butter, cut into pieces
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Frosting (recipe follows) to decorate or sliced almonds
Place the sugar, molasses, spices-except the pepper- and 1/3 cup of water into a small saucepan. Simmer stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved and it comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the butter and the pepper. Stir until melted. Cool to room temperature. Combine the flour with the baking soda and gradually stir in until combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until smooth and the flour is evenly incorporated. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic and chill for at least an hour or up to a week.
Preheat the oven to 350F and roll out just a small portion of the dough at a time to 1/8″ thick (roll the dough thinner for very crisp cookies or thicker for softer cookies), cut into the shapes you desire with a cookie cutter. Bake on parchment lined baking sheets- anywhere from 6-13 minutes depending on how thick you have rolled the dough and how large you have cut the cookies. Watch them after the minimum time and remove when slightly brown and slightly firm to the touch. Let cool a minute on the pans, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes several dozen -again depending on size. Frost with a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip.
Frosting
- 2 egg whites
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- about 4 cups of powdered sugar
Whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff but not dry. Stir in the vanilla and the powdered sugar to make a medium stiff frosting. Frost as desired.
Happy Holidays!
xo
Posted by Gabi on 23 December 09
This recipe came from my Aunt B as Raspberry Almond Thumbprints-one of our favourite all time cookies. In fact, we served these as part of a cream tea for our wedding reception.
They are a delightful combination of short bread cookie with the almond playing a nice offset against the sweet-tartness of the jam center. As I made them for a treat this holiday I came across a jar of B’s homemade blackberry jam in the pantry. (She’s a lovely friend to have- always sharing the bounty of her kitchen!) So I thought I would try a variation. I’m glad I did because I think that these are just as good and the contrast is beautiful too.
Blackberry (or Raspberry) Almond Thumbprints (makes 3-1/2 dozen)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup blackberry or raspberry jam
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
- 2-3 teaspoons water
For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two baking trays with parchment and set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine the butter, sugar and almond extract. Beat at medium speed until creamy, scraping the bowl often. Reduce speed to low and add all of the flour at once. Beat until well mixed. Shape the dough into 1″ diameter balls or a bit smaller. Place 2″ apart on the baking sheets. Press your thumb into the center taking care not to push in too far or they will not be thick enough on the bottoms. Fill each indentation with a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Don’t be afraid if it looks quite full- the cookies will spread as they cook and the jam will thin out in the cookie to fill the center. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Let stand on the sheets for a minute then remove to a cooling rack. (If you find that the cookies spread too much when baking- chill the dough for an hour or add 1-2 Tablespoons of flour then proceed.)
When completely cooled, make the glaze by stirring together the powdered sugar and almond extract then adding enough water to make a medium stiff glaze. Place the glaze in a zig-zag pattern on the cooled cookies by using a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip or as B says you can use a small sandwich bag with a small cut in one corner. Store in an airtight container for up to one week or freeze for up to three months. (They never make it to the freezer at our house!)
Posted by Gabi on 22 December 09
After a busy few weeks I’m ready to get back to posting and I have quite a few recipes stored up to share with you.
Let’s start with this one for some lovely, light and airy dinner rolls made a bit more nutritious with the addition of pumpkin. They add a nice bit of colour to the dinner offerings with a turkey or ham dinner and they make a wonderful base for a sandwich for afters.
Here is a tip when rolling crescent rolls or croissants: make a small relief cut at the thick end of the wedge and that way you can roll them nicely and they will keep their shape a bit better.
And whilst they are raising cover them LOOSELY with plastic film so that it doesn’t adhere to the rolls and pull them out of shape…
Pumpkin Crescent Rolls (makes 16-18 rolls)
- 3-3/4 to 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 ounce (1 package) active dry yeast
- 1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
- 2 ounces (1/2 stick- 1/8 lb) butter
- 3/4 cup pureed pumpkin, fresh roasted or canned
- 1 egg
- melted butter to brush
Combine one cup of the flour along with the sugar, salt and yeast. Whisk to blend. Melt the butter and add the milk to warm to about 120F to 130F or very warm to the touch. Add the warmed milk- butter mixture to the flour mixture along with the pumpkin puree and the egg. Blend at low speed to mix then increase speed to medium and beat for a couple of minutes. Lower speed and then add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft, somewhat sticky dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic- a couple of minutes.
Butter a large bowl and add the dough, turning to coat the top, cover loosely with plastic wrap and a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm place, free of drafts for about an hour or until doubled in size. Punch down the dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large round. Brush the round with melted butter. Cut with a pizza wheel or sharp knife into 16 to 18 wedges. Make a relief cut at the thick end and roll from the thick end to the thin end to make a crescent shape. Curve the outer ends in a bit to complete the crescent shape. Place at least 2″ apart on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place to rise for about 40 minutes or until light and doubled in size. Preheat oven during last 20 minutes to 375F. Uncover dough and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to racks to cool. Brush with melted butter. Serve warm or room temperature.
Have a wonderful day!
xo
Posted by Gabi on 10 December 09
Oh boy! I looked out my window just now to find the mail carrier had left a package for me on the doorstep. It is from the lovely Ana of Cocina a Tiempo Parcial sent to me for BBM all the way from Madrid! Whoo hoo!
First of all thanks to Stephanie (you know my fav hostess don’t you?!) of Dispensing Happiness for putting another round of Blogging by Mail together- I’m sure it is a ton of work on her part and I want her to know that we all really appreciate it! The purpose of this round of BBM was to send 5 relaxing items to another blogger to help with a little “me” time during all the holiday hustle and bustle craziness.
I sent off a package to Sam of The Life and Times of Me in the United Kingdom and in turn received this great package from Ana in Madrid.
I almost couldn’t wait to open it and when I did it was receiving a like a sunny Spain day wrapped beautifully in a box. Thank you so much Ana!
See how beautiful it is?! The colours are cheering particularly on a cold grey day here in the frigid alpine west.
Ana included things I know I will love and that are sure to make a relaxing break during this hectic season. She included a wonderful bottle of olive oil that she recommends not only for cooking but for breakfast topped on a piece of warm toast and sprinkled with a little salt. Orange juice is the drink of choice with this delicacy and I am definitely going to enjoy it all tomorrow morning.
She also included an assortment of wonderful chocolate bars from Spain with great flavours such as Lemon, Jamaican Pepper, Tiramisu and Orange presented as a chocolate postcard. I can’t wait to try each and every one.
Look at this beautiful mug along with a sweet pouch of violet tea! She says violets are a specialty much valued in Madrid. I must go there soon! She must know that I also love violets- I often have tea with a little of my own violet syrup from the spring. This will be even better.
I am excited to to try the “Torta Imperial” which Ana tells me is her favourite sweet Christmas treat ever. It is a crunchy combination of almonds and sweet white paste- and you know given my love for all things almond it’s just perfect. :)
Last but not least Ana sent me a beautiful book about Tuscany as a treat for the eyes! I will enjoy each and every page and pretend I am travelling in Italy- a lovely break.
A mi nueva amiga Ana- Gracias por todo! My Spanish is quite rusty but I’ll be reading your blog- it’s beautiful!
xoxo
P.S. my email server is down but I willrespond to emails and notifications as soon as it is back up
xo
Holiday Ginger Snaps
