{things i made} graham crackers
I should not have attempted this recipe–it's dangerous…dangerously good. The last thing me–or my health or my waistline–needed were quick access to amazing homemade 'smores. But a part of me always wanted to attempt to make graham crackers, just to see if it was doable. I never cook with butter–and hardly ever bake with it–so I relished the challenge of making such a uniquely textured cookie butter-free. Turns out it was more than possible. The dough was easy to work with and the end-product was tasty, soft, and perfect to layer with ooey-gooey chocolate and marshmallows.
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1 cup + 2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp salt
5 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp maple syrup or molasses
1/4 cup oil
2 tbsp water
1. Combine dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl, then mix together.
2. Form dough into a ball, place on a piece of wax paper, then place another sheet on top and use a rolling pin to flatten.
3. Cut into rectangles, place on an ungreased cookie sheet, and pierce to form decorative holes. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, careful to avoid overcooking
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{things i made} lebkuchen
An upside–or downside, depending on how your diet's looking–to making twelve types of Christmas cookies is that there are still a few lurking in the fridge come the new year. These lebkuchen however are almost all gone. A traditional German holiday treat, the soft and chewy cookies resemble gingerbread in flavor but are subtly more complex with hints of citrus and ground nuts. I love baking something that has a long history: lebkuchen were apparently invented by medieval monks in Franconia, Germany in the 13th century and though they've ranged from spicy to sweet over the years, they've always contained honey.
p.s. Congrats to Cindy…she's been selected as the winner of the Sven Clogs givaway. Disappointed? Don't be! Check back soon because there will another amazing giveaway coming up! x
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Ingredients:
¾ cup honey
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup blanched almonds, toasted
½ cup blanched hazelnuts, toasted
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon orange zest
For glaze:
1 ½ cup confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
1. Heat honey and brown sugar in small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture is thin. Remove from heat and cool until just warm, about 10 minutes.
2. In food processor, finely grind almonds and hazelnuts with 2 tablespoons of flour.
3. In medium bowl, sift remaining flour with baking soda, spices, and salt. Stir in ground nuts and set aside.
4. Beat eggs on medium speed for several minutes until light colored and thick. Add cooled honey mixture and mix until combined. Add flour mixture and mix until combined (dough will be very stiff and sticky). Add zests and mix just until incorporated. Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a medium (1 ¾ –inch) cookie scoop, drop dough onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown.
6. Remove cookie sheets from oven and immediately transfer baked cookies to a cookie rack. Prepare glaze by mixing all ingredients. Use an offset spatula to spread glaze over top of each cookie. Let stand until completely cool and the icing is set, about 1 hour.
{things i made} amaretti cookies
When it comes to making amaretti cookies, there always seems to be debate. Should you use whole nuts or almond paste? Is adding almond extract or almond-flavored liquor necessary? Will the end result be chewy or crispy? Most agree on one thing though: the Italian macaroons always are bursting with flavor. This version definitely delivers in that department: chewy, textured and light, the recipe sticks to the basics of ground nuts, sugar, and separated eggs. Interestingly, a fun little legend is associated with the dessert: when a bishop surprised the Italian town of Saronno with a visit, two residents quickly decided to make a welcoming sweet treat with their limited ingredients. The "amaretto" was born–and the couple received a blessing for a long, happy marriage in return.
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Ingredients:
3 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/3 cup caster (superfine granules) sugar
1.1 pounds blanched almonds, very finely ground in a food processor
Confectioners’ sugar, for rolling
Method:
1. In a large bowl, using a whisk beat the egg yolks. Gradually add sugar, whisking until well combined. Add the almond flour; whisk to just combine (do not over mix).
2. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to barely a soft peak (do not over beat).
3. Using a large flexible spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into the almond mixture (this will loosen the almond mixture). Fold in remaining egg whites just to combine (do not over mix). Cover and refrigerate amaretti batter for at least one hour.
4. Preheat oven to 325° F. Line trays with parchment paper, set-aside. Roll amaretti dough into ½-ounce balls, coat in confectioners’ sugar, and place on baking sheet (do not flatten cookies). Chill dough in between baking times to prevent cookies from spreading in the oven.
7. Bake until lightly golden, about 25 minutes.
{things i made} chocolate-almond crinkle cookies
I would be lying if I said I had a favorite dessert–there are just too many that I love for me to pick only one. However chocolate is definitely the ingredient that unites them all so these rich little cookies easily earn a top spot. If you've never tried so-called "crinkle cookies" you're in for a treat. Not only are they delicious, they are a lot of fun to bake: they start out small, puff up in the oven to crack their powderd-sugary coating, and stay perfectly chewy for days.
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Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
3 tablespoons of canola oil
3 large eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup confectioners sugar
Directions
1. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Melt chocolate with oil in a medium pan over low heat, stirring until smooth.
3. Remove from heat and stir in eggs, granulated sugar, and almond extract.
4. Stir in flour mixture, then stir in almonds. Chill covered until firm, about 2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350 F. Sift confectioners sugar onto a plate. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and roll balls as formed in confectioners sugar to generously coat.
6. Arrange balls 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until puffed and cracked but centers are still a bit soft, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer to racks to cool.
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