Assorted Cookies
Holiday Biscotti with Cranberries and pistachio
這個有紅有綠的義大利脆餅，是每年聖誕節必做的餅乾之一。煮一壺香濃的熱咖啡，用義大利脆餅沾著咖啡一起品嚐，原來幸福的感覺，竟是這樣簡單。
Makes about 3 1/2 dozen
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon whole aniseed(optional)
- 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 3/4 cup shelled natural unsalted pistachios
- 6 ounces imported white chocolate, chopped
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Sift first 3 ingredients into medium bowl, put aside.
- Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend well until pale and fluffy, about 2 – 3 minutes.
- Beat in eggs 1 at a time.
- Mix in lemon peel, vanilla, and aniseed.
- Beat in flour mixture just until blended. Stir in cranberries and pistachios (dough will be sticky).
- Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Gather dough together; divide in half. Roll each half into 15-inch-long log (about 1 1/4 inches wide). Carefully transfer logs to 1 prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart.
- Bake logs until almost firm to touch but still pale, about 28 minutes.
- Cool logs on baking sheet 10 minutes. Maintain oven temperature. Carefully transfer logs still on parchment to cutting board. Using serrated knife and gentle sawing motion, cut logs crosswise into generous 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place slices, 1 cut side down, on remaining 2 prepared sheets.
- Bake until firm and pale golden, about 9 minutes per side. Transfer cookies to racks and cool.
- (Optional) Line another baking sheet with waxed paper. Stir white(or dark) chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water just until smooth. Remove from over water. Dip 1 end of each cookie into melted chocolate, tilting pan if necessary; shake off excess chocolate. Place cookies on prepared sheet. Chill until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.
Tips:
Cookies can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies~~
這道簡單易做的巧克力餅乾，不湏要攪拌器，只湏把所有材料按步均勻混合即成。甜甜的巧克力，加上帶一點酸味的櫻桃，口感極佳，一口咬下去，有令人驚喜的滋味！裹上糖粉的巧克力球，頗有雪花的味道，是聖誕節期間絕佳的應景小甜點。喜歡巧克力的朋友，絕對別錯過了喔！
Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter (4T.)
1/3 cup cocoa powder (Dutch process = unsweetened )
1 egg
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules mixed with 2 T. hot water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
(Fold in:)
1/3 C semi sweet chocolate chips
1/3 C dried tart cherries or dry cherry/ cranberry (1.5 oz.)
(Roll in:)
1/2 Cups powdered sugar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees; line two baking sheets with parchment paper
- Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Melt butter in another small bowl in microwave or in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Add cocoa to melted butter, whisking until smooth.
- Stir in the egg, coffee mixture, and vanilla, fully blend in each one before adding the next
- Stir chocolate(cocoa) mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.
- Fold in chocolate chips and cherries into the dough until evenly distributed
- Shape into generous 2” balls using a #40 cookie scoop or 17g each
- Roll the balls in powdered sugar twice, then arrange on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2” apart. Makes about 2 ½ – 3 dozens 2” cookies
- Bake for 12 – 14 minutes or until cookies are cracked yet still soft
Tips:
Coat the cookies with the powder sugar TWICE to create the crinkle effect. Also do not leave sugar-coated ball sit too long before baking, else the powdered sugar will melt and diminishing the crinkle effect.
Neapolitan Cookies~~
用兩種不同顏色的麵糰搭配組合成的餅乾，黑白相應，不僅視覺佳，吃進嘴裏，淡淡的橘皮香加上淡淡的咖啡香，甜蜜的滋味盡在不言中。
Ingredients:
For The Orange-Sable Dough:
- 1 1/4 cups whole blanched almonds, or, substitutes with almond meal or almond powder for convenience
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup (1 + 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature.
- 3 tablespoons finely grated orange zest (2 to 3 oranges)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
For The Chocolate-Espresso Dough:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup confections sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (i.e. unsweetened, for baking cocoa powder)
- ½ table spoon finely ground espresso beans
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Directions:
Make the Orange-Sable Dough:
- If using whole almonds: Place almonds in the bowl of a food processor. Process until resembles coarse cornmeal; set aside.
- Place butter and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixed fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until white and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Gradually add beaten egg and lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time; combine.
- On low speed, add almond mixture; beat until combined.
- Add flour, beat until combined.
- Stir in chopped cranberries.
- Line in an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan with plastic wrap, press the dough into the baking pan firmly, smooth the top evenly; refrigerated until ready to use
Make the Chocolate-Espresso Dough:
- Sift (optional) and mix flour, cocoa powder, and espresso beans in a large bowl; set aside.
- In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine butter, sugar, and vanilla until creamy, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Working in additions, gradually beat in flour mixture, scraping down sides of bowl.
- Stir walnuts into chocolate-espresso dough.
- Line an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan with plastic wrap. Press the dough firmly. Using an offset spatula, smooth top evenly.
- Keep the shaped orange-sable dough inside the 8 x 8 inch square pan, and place the chocolate-espresso over the orange sable dough and smooth evenly
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap; chill at least 2 hours
To bake:
- Heat oven to 350F degrees.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Unmold dough; remove the plastic wrap. Cut into 4 2-by-8-inch bricks
- Take one brick, cut into ¼ inch thick slices, place the slices on sheets, spaced 1 ½ inches apart
- Bake until firm to the touch, about 12 to 15 minutes
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Makes about 8 dozen.
Tips:
You can wrap the individual bricks separately and freeze until ready to bake.
馬蹄酥擠花小餅乾~~
記得小時候的丹麥西餅嗎？圓圓的鐵盒一打開就飄出滿室的奶油香，是我小時候的最愛。做這餅乾帶我走回時光隧道，給我無限兒時甜蜜的回憶！
材料
- 1 1/2 sticks (6 oz) 無盬奶油(unsalted butter)，室溫
- 1/2 cup 糖
- 1 蛋，打勻
- 1 tsp 香草精 (vanilla extract)
- 2 ½ cup 低筋麵粉 (cake flour), 或是中筋麵粉(all purpose flour)
- 1/4 tsp 盬
- Food color (optional)
- 果醬 (裝飾用)
做法
- 將烤箱預熱 385F。
- 將無盬奶油及糖放入攪拌器(standard mixer)大鋼盤中，混合攪拌打發至泛白狀態，大約 3 – 5 分鐘。
- 全蛋液一小匙一小匙分次加入，每次加入時確實攪拌均勻。
- 再加入香草精，麵粉, 及盬。如果要加顏色，可以在此時加入您喜歡的一，兩滴 food color。
- 將混合好的麵糊放入 Cookie Press 中, 注意先用力擠壓把空氣都壓出來。再將麵糊擠壓到 non-greased 烤盤上成一個一個的小餅乾。此時可在每個餅乾上加果醬做為裝飾。
- 放入預熱 385F 的烤箱烤大約 9 – 10 分鐘至表面呈現金黃色即可。
- 烤好取出，5 分鐘後移至放在鋼鐵架上冷卻。
小叮嚀
- Cookie Press 可在 Bed, Bath and Beyond 買到，試用過很多種品牌，我是用 Kuhn Rikon 的牌子。
- 用 Cookie Press 擠壓麵糊到烤盤上時，請避免使用 non-stick 的烤盤，否則麵糊無法 stick 在烤盤上。
- 用 Cookie Press 可擠出各式不同的餅乾，可配合不同時節場合，做出不同趣味的花色。聖誕節時，我喜歡加上紅色，或綠色的 food color 應景，果醬也可用 mini kisses 來取代。
感謝餅干大師 1979 級 羅碧琪，郭日虹 + 武克珩