Faux Cookies

No these are not chocolate chip cookies. I know. They look like it. These little cuties are Orange Currant Polenta Cookies and while that combination may not sound delicious, let me tell you.... it is.

I have firsthand knowledge that both kids and adults will enjoy a handful (or two). They are light, with a little bit of tangy-crunchy-chewiness that suites new years resolutionists with healthy vitamin C and Iron. Make them into bite sizes and enjoy! I won't take responsibility for chocolate lovers dissapointment though.

Ingredients
2 cups dried currants
1/4 tsp orange extract
1/4 cup water
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons coarse polenta (cornmeal)


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, add the currants and water. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain and discard the liquid. Set currents aside.


Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and sugar and beat to combine. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed until incorporated together. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix again on low speed until a dough forms.


Once a dough forms add the currants and polenta. Mix together until thoroughly combined. Roll into small 1-inch balls, and arrange on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until slightly golden, 8-12 minutes, at 350 degrees on a non-stick pan. Cool and serve.

Malomakarona - Greek Chrismas Cookies

Melomakarona - Greek Christmas Cookies

My new favorite little cookies.

Cookie Dough - makes 50 to 60 cookies
2 cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup Sugar

2 eggs
1 cup Orange Juice

1 tsp lemon juice

4 cups Plain Flour
2 cups semolima flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda

Mix wet ingredients together well. Slowly stir in dry ingredients until well incorporated. Knead with more flour until moldable. Shape into rectangle-like cookies. Place on a non-stick surface and bake at 350 degree for about 20 minutes or until just golden.

Remove and let cool COMPLETLY.

Syrup

2 cups sugar

1.5 cups water

1.5 cups honey

1 tsp. cinnamon

8 cloves

Heat all together on a stove until bubbly, about 10 minutes. Remove cloves. Pour over cooled cookies in a pan. Flip cookes and let liquid soak in, for about 30 minutes.

Remove and coat in topping. Let dry.

Topping
8 cloves, from syrup
1 cup walnuts
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Grind together and toast till dry.

This recipe does make a lot. But you can store them in an air tight container up to two months... if they last that long.

Cookies with a Twist Ending....

The island of Crete was the center of the Minoan civilization and culture from 2600-1400 BC. It is the oldest recorded Greek civilization. The Minoan’s may have taken their name from king Minos, who was said to rule over the island with a labyrinth which housed the Minotaur in Greek myth.


One variation of the myth states that after a war Athens was required to send human sacrificial offerings every year, as surrendering terms to be given to the half-man half-bull monster. One year a young man named Theseus volunteered to be part of the offering, in hopes of slaying the Minotaur. On arrival to the island, the king’s daughter Ariadne fell in love with Theseus and gave him sword to fight the bull and ball of string to find his way out of the Labyrinth.

Ariadne is thought to be the true fertility goddess of Crete, depicted as a Snake Goddess, reduced to legend and myth. The Minoans worshiped the snake for its healing powers. A traditional Greek cookie called Koulourakia (koo loo rahk yah) is often shaped into spirals like small snakes.


I made a batch of these up for the first time this weekend and I must say they are deceivingly addicting. They look almost like pretzels, with the egg glaze and sesame seeds, but taste like a light sugar cookie. The hint of vanilla slowly grows on you makes it difficult to eat only one…

Koulourakia
3 1/2c flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2/3c softened butter
3/4c sugar
3 egg yolks
Reserved egg whites
1 tbsp yogurt
1 tbsp dark spiced rum
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon zest or juice
Sesame seeds

Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks, one at a time beating between additions. Stir in yogurt, rum, vanila and lemon.

Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients gradually, kneading until you have a dough-like substance. Do not over knead or the dough will become too dry. Add some water if needed.

Break off chunks about the size of a golf ball and roll into 3 inch ropes and shape. Brush on reserved egg whites, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake on a sheet at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Merry Christmas!

But wait you say! It's 2009! It's the New Year, you should be talking about resolutions and diets, not cookies.

Well think back just a week. Back to when you were sitting around with family and enjoying every butter-filled bite. Since we travelled to Wisconsin for Christmas this year I didn't get a chance to post the frosting cookies that I made. Sorry but you'll have to wait for a healthier post tomorrow...

These cookies started off as flaky brown cutouts taking over my kitchen counter. I soon thought to myself that Christmas had gotten out of hand this year and I should never have volunteered to bring treats. Along with the frosted cookies I also had a few batches of Pecan Tassies and some Chocolate Pistachio Bark in the works. After a couple hours, my hands tinted multiple colors, everything was done and I was ready for packing up.

The recipe is taken from i shot the chef's blog. While I might not have the professional pictures she has, I think they turned out just as tasty!

So the next time Christmas, or any other holiday, rolls around try these out for a new easy recipe.

Sugar Cookie Recipe
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 sticks butter, room temperature

1 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 large egg

1/2 c. sour cream

Royal Icing

3 large egg whites

4 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp orange zest

food coloring paste

In a large bowl whip butter and sugar together until creamy. Add vanilla, egg, and sour cream till mixed. Add salt, baking powder, and flour (a little at a time) until the dough is consistent and well mixed.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Take a little dough at a time and roll out on a well floured surface until about 1/8 thickness.

Cut out shapes with cookie cutters, rerolling the dough until used up. Place on a non-stick tray and bake about 15 minutes in a 350 preheated oven. Do not over bake. The edges of the shapes will be slightly brown.

Remove to a cooking rake and let cool completely.

To make frosting mix all ingredients together to make a base white color. Separate some of the icing into small bowls and add food coloring until desired color. Letting the mixture sit and set up a bit will allow easier and less liquid icing.

Once the cookies are cooled they can be decorated with the icing and any other decorations. Let sit out for at least 2 hours to allow the icing to set.

Pecan Tassies

Pecan Tassies are a little family favorite that I have been making as long as I can remember. But I'm pretty sure that's only because I got tricked into it.

These cookies are delishous "mini" pecan pies. They are bit sized and always requested. However they kinda take forever to make...

Once the dough is made you have to press it into the tins. You have to have the 'right' thickness; too thin and the cookies will break with the weight of the filling, too thick and the crust will push all of the filling out. So you just have to practice and take your time. Growing up I got a lot of practice around Christmas. It was always a busy time and somehow I got the job of making these each year. Now with all the practice I can turn them out pretty fast.

The memories of all those years comes back with each tin that gets pressed out and each smell of the baking almond crust and pacan filling. I smile every time I make these... even if they do take an entire night.

Pecan Tassies
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cup flour

Filling
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c. dark corn syrup
1 scant tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 c. chopped pecans

For the tarts cream the sugar and butter together. Add egg and extract, blend well. Stir in flour slowly. Wrap in plastic and let chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Spray Sandbakkelse pastry tins with non-stick spray. Take a small amount of dough and press into bottom and sides of the time with thumbs. The dough must be thin about 1/16 in.

Melt the butter for the filling in a medium bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Fill the tarts 2/3 full and place the tins on a cookie sheet. Bake 25 minutes at 350 until the edges are slightly brown. Let cool in tins for about minutes. Remove from tins onto a cooling rack.

Can serve warm or cold. Store in a air tight container for up to one week. Can freeze and thaw.

Cookies, the Christmas Currency

The holiday season always brings out the baker in me. I tend to bake things that don't really require measuring, but when I came across this recipe I decided to try it for a cookie exchange I had coming up. Normally I would make Pecan Tassies, a family favorite, this year I decided to mix it up a bit. Although I've already been told that I have to make Tassies this week, cause it just aint Christmas without a big batch of mini pecan pies taunting you each day...

I'm a sucker for orange and chocolate flavored deserts, but this quickly became a runner up in the chocolate combination. Since this called for peppermint I decided to add some coloring to go along with the flavor. Altough red and green or even red and white (if you used white chocolate) would be just as cute.

What I liked best about this recipe was that I could make the dough ahead of time. I mixed up, rolled out, and spiraled up the 'log' on Thursday and baked the cookies on Saturday morning. It was a really nice change of pace from the normal all day cooking-fest that I usually have. I think they are better cooled, so make sure to let them rest before serving.

Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheels

3 c. Flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1 tbsp milk

Vanilla

1 egg yolk

1 tsp peppermint extract

3-6 drop green food coloring

Chocolate

3 oz unsweetned chocolate

1 tsp vanilla extract

Soften butter in a large bowl. Add sugar and whip till frothy. Add milk and egg. Slowly add in the baking powder, salt, and flour until mixed. Divide the batter into two parts. To one add the yolk, peppermint extract and food coloring. Fold by hand to combine. To the second half add melted chocolate and vanilla extract. Wrap each half and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll out halves into rectangle shaped sheets. Place the green half onto of the white and roll length-wise creating a long log. Wrap and store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hrs or days.

Remove and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 12 minutes. Let cool and store in air tight container for up to 1 week.

Hickory Nuts and Bake Shoppes

There is one more tradition that our family follows when spending a weekend in Northern Wisconsin; a visit to the bakery.

The Spooner Bake Shoppe is one of the most delicious places you will find. It boasts of Jelly Rolls, Glazed Donuts, Cinnamon Twists, and Filled Danishes. My personal favorites are the Raspberry Filled Sugar Cookies, a sweet melt in your mouth folded piece of heaven, and the plain Croissant, which is buttery and flakey all at once.

The bakery is nestled in the Main Street section of town. Faced with dark wood and carved with detail seen in the hometown villages I'm sure the ancestors who founded it remember.

Although I’ve never tried to recreate the Raspberry Cookies, I will share a cookie recipe that also goes well with milk! The Hickory nuts I use are gathered by my grandfather, who will sit at the table with a bucket and pick the ‘meat’ from the nuts out. His weathered and gnarled hands working more deftly than mine ever could even after years of farm work.


Chocolate Chunk Hickory Nut Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cups (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup hickory nuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl beat butter and sugars until creamy.
Beat in vanilla, then eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
At low speed, gradually add flour mixture into butter mixture; beating until just blended.
Fold in chocolate and hickory nuts.

Drop large tablespoons of rounded dough, 2 inches apart, onto a nonstick cookie sheet.
Bake cookies 10 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.

Note: I drizzle a chocolate gnosh over the cooled cookies for a final chocolate kick.