Tag Archives: Christmas Cookies

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Cookies: Orange Crunch Cookies

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Although I live in Canada and there is nary an orange tree in sight, I still manage to think of Christmas when I think of orange-y flavors. Maybe it’s because there’s always a clementine in the toe of my stocking. Or maybe it’s because it’s been a long-standing joke in my family that we give my dad a Terry’s Chocolate Orange from a “mystery person” every year. Or maybe I just like orange because it pairs so nicely with all those Christmas spices. And chocolate. Man, does it ever taste good with chocolate.

Orange Crunch Cookies (makes approximately 24 cookies)

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. butter, diced

1/3 c. soft dark brown sugar

1/2 egg yolk, beaten

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp orange zest

Icing:

1 c. icing sugar

3 tbsp orange juice

Sift flour in a bowl and rub diced butter into it until it forms a bread crumb-like texture. Using a table knife, stir rest of ingredients in the flour until mix forms clumps. Working with your hands, work dough into a small ball. Roll into log and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 1 1/2 hours or until firm.

Preheat your oven to 350F. Slice log of dough into thin discs and place on a parchment-lined or lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 7-9 minutes and allow cookies to set a bit on the pan before transferring them to a cooling rack.

While the cookies are baking, you can make the icing. Beat sugar and orange juice together to form smooth paste. Pour into a piping bag and drizzle over cooled cookies.

B’s Tip: To create orange zest you can use a zester or you can grate the orange lightly on either a tabletop or hand-held cheese grater. Just make sure you don’t start grating what’s called the “pith”- the stringy white stuff that’s underneath when you peel an orange. Including that in your recipe will diminish the sweet orange flavour that’s coming from the peel and instead just make it bitter.

Instead of drizzling with orange icing, why not try dipping cooled cookies into melted chocolate or drizzling with a chocolate ganache? Better still, leave cookies as-is so they can act as the perfect dippers in a mug of your favourite hot chocolate.

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

I’m counting down Christmas by sharing some of my favourite holiday cookie recipes with you! I’ll be posting a different Christmas cookie recipe every day for the next seven days so you can follow along in my family’s baking tradition, and have more cookies to add to your Christmas baking arsenal! For more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Cookies: Rugulahs

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Are you ready for a cookie challenge? Because let me tell you, these rugalahs are a challenge. My family and I first tried these when we ended up celebrating Hanukkah with some family friends years and years ago. Even after we fell out of touch with them, this rugalah recipe shows up periodically in our Christmas cookie repertoire. I’m not sure if it’s more traditional to make them with the sticky jam filling or the chocolate but I’ve included both here so you can take your pick! Or why not go all out and do both? It is Christmas after all!

Rugalahs (makes 48 pastries)

Pastry:

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. butter

8 oz. (240 g) cream cheese

1 egg

 

Chocolate Filling

I c. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 c. granulated sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

 

Jam Filling

1/2 c. raspberry or apricot jam

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts (optional)

2 tbsp cinnamon

2 tbsp cocoa powder

 

Glaze:

1 egg, beaten

1/4 c. granulated sugar

To make pastry: Place flour in a bowl and cut in butter until you achieve a texture of coarse crumbs. (You may want to use a pastry blender if you’re lucky enough to have one!) Stir in cream cheese and egg, just until dough forms a ball. Turn out onto a work surface and knead gently a few times until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

When you are ready to make your cookies, divide dough into quarters. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out until it is about a 1/4″ thick circle (the thinner you roll the dough, the crispier the pastry).

To make the jam filling: Spread 2 tbsp of jam over entire circle. In bowl, combine brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon and cocoa. Sprinkle 1/4 of the mixture over the jam.

To make the chocolate filling: Combine chopped chocolate, cocoa in sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 of mixture over each pastry circle.

To roll up the cookies: Cut one pastry circle into 12 wedges; roll up each wedge tightly, starting at the outside wedge. Place on greased baking sheet with tip of crescent on the bottom. Brush with egg, then sprinkle with sugar. Repeat with remaining dough and fillings.

Bake the cookies in a preheated 350F oven for about 30 minutes or until a deep golden brown. Remove to rack to cool.

B’s Tip: Pizza cutters aren’t just for pizza! Use to cut the dough into wedges for a sleek line that will ensure the dough doesn’t break the same way a regular knife would. No pizza cutter? Try dipping the knife briefly into cold water or refrigerate it briefly for a smoother cut.

These cookies not only look incredibly complicated and therefore will impress all your friends and family during Christmas, they also look beautiful- like a croissant in cookie form! Reduce the measurements for fillings so you can experiment with the same batch of pastry and figure out which are the ones you like the best.

Go ahead, try them! I dare you. And while you’re in the mood, maybe you could make some of those amazing latkes. If you do that, I just might need your number!

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

I’m counting down Christmas by sharing some of my favourite holiday cookie recipes with you! I’ll be posting a different Christmas cookie recipe every day for the next seven days so you can follow along in my family’s baking tradition, and have more cookies to add to your Christmas baking arsenal! For more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

 

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Cookies: Jam Slices

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My mom used to make these pretty little cookies all the time when I was little, but I don’t ever remember appreciating them as much as I do now. They look really fancy, but they’re much easier to make than you think. Include these cookies on your Christmas platter and you are guaranteed to please even the biggest sweet tooth in the crowd. I should know, because these are my dad’s favourites.

Jam Slices (makes approximately 36 cookies)

1 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3-4 tbsp any red jam

Glaze:

3/4 c. icing sugar

1 1/2 tbsp water

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder together and add to wet ingredients, mixing well.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Divide dough into four pieces. Roll each section of dough into four logs that are abut 16 inches in length (almost the whole length of the cookie sheet, with ample room on either side). Using two fingers, make an indentation down the middle of each log so it almost looks like a moat. Fill each “moat” with your jam. Bake on the center oven rack for about 15 minutes.

While they’re baking, mix together the glaze, adding a little bit of water at a time so the icing sugar becomes runny, but not clear. Remove jam logs from oven. Leave the pan to let them cool down a bit, then drizzle the glaze over each log while still warm. Slice diagonally to make cookies that are approximately 3/4 wide (measuring a little over half of the span of your finger).

B’s Tip: Make sure you use a good quality jam for this recipe as the thicker the jam is, the better it will turn out. You may want to mash jam with a fork beforehand to ensure there are no giant pieces of fruit around to interfere with the aesthetic of the cookie.

Strawberry or raspberry jam works best with this recipe, but you may want to experiment with different flavors (apricot is one of my favorites.) Make sure you slice cookies when they are still warm to avoid them breaking. Store separately from other harder cookies to make sure the moist jam doesn’t interfere with the texture.

I love having one or two (or four!) of these cookies with a strong cup of coffee for a mid-morning break. I may just go have one right now!

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

I’m counting down Christmas by sharing some of my favourite holiday cookie recipes with you! I’ll be posting a different Christmas cookie recipe every day for the next seven days so you can follow along in my family’s baking tradition, and have more cookies to add to your Christmas baking arsenal! For more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Cookies: Maple Butter Cookies

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If you’re too worn out from all of the holiday excitement, may I suggest making these super simple cookies to add to your Christmas cookie platter? I came up with this recipe after wanting to be creative with my basic butter cookie recipe that I make every year. I already had the maple flavoring in my baking box and it adds a subtle element to the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture of the cookie. Tinker around with the flavor to see what suits you the best.

Maple Butter Cookies (makes approximately 36 cookies)

3/4 c. butter, softened
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. sugar
about 1 tbsp maple extract or 2 tbsp maple syrup (to taste)

In a mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar. Add flour a little bit at a time as the dough gets quite thick and difficult to manipulate. You may want to use a food processor. Add maple extract to taste. Knead until a large ball starts forming, then flatten the ball into a disc. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

When you’re ready to make your cookies, preheat the oven to 350F. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll into small balls. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Before placing them in the cover, press down on the top of each ball of dough lightly with a fork. Bake for about 10 minutes.

B’s Tip: To make sure all of your cookies are in uniform shape, use a small dessert spoon (or I like to use a coffee spoon) to scoop the same amount of dough. Roll into a ball using the palm of your hands.

Let cookies cool on a cooling rack for about ten minutes before serving to let the shape of the cookie set. You may wish to drizzle an icing glaze over the top for a sweeter cookie, and if you really love that maple flavor you may wish to add a drop of maple extract to your icing as well. I pressed chopped walnuts into the top and that tasted great too!

If you can’t find maple extract in the aisle where vanilla extract is sold, you may want to try experimenting with maple syrup. Just remember to add a little bit at a time so the dough doesn’t become too sticky.

This cookie pairs perfectly with a cup of Christmas tea.

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

I’m counting down Christmas by sharing some of my favourite holiday cookie recipes with you! I’ll be posting a different Christmas cookie recipe every day for the next seven days so you can follow along in my family’s baking tradition, and have more cookies to add to your Christmas baking arsenal! For more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

 

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Cookies: Traditional Swedish Gingersnaps

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Do you find yourself scrambling to figure out what to make leading up to the Christmas holidays? Me too. It’s not so much a matter of not knowing what to serve- it’s having to pick and choose! There are so many tasty ideas for holiday foods out there- but what really gets me going is all that Christmas baking.

Part of my background is Swedish so holiday baking is a huge must in our family. It’s a tradition every year around Christmastime to bake seven different kinds of cookies. Why this is a tradition I have no idea but I can’t complain- I love to bake and I love to eat, so everybody wins as far as I’m concerned!

As we begin our countdown to Christmas, I’ll be sharing seven of some of my favorite cookie recipes so that you can get some ideas on what to bring- and what to eat- at your upcoming holiday dinner.

So to kick off our cookies we’re going to start with the traditional Swedish gingersnap, or pepparkakor. It’s much spicier and a little less sweet than its North American counterpart, but is still incredibly satisfying when paired with your favourite after-dinner holiday drink, a strong cup of coffee, or just an old-fashioned glass of milk.

Swedish Gingersnaps (makes approximately 48 cookies)

7 tbsp butter, softened

1 c. dark brown sugar

1/2 c. dark corn syrup (light works too)

1/2 c. whipping cream

2 tsp ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ground cloves

3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the corn syrup and beat until light and fluffy. Pour in whipping cream and spices. In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking soda.  Add into the wet mixture and knead until smooth (you may want to use your hands). Roll dough into ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature overnight.

When you’re ready to bake your cookies preheat the oven to 350F. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface. Cut into shapes and place on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake on the center oven rack for around 8 minutes.

B’s Tip: If you prefer your cookies to be chewier, don’t roll out the dough as thinly. Thinner dough leads to crispy cookie, so roll away if that’s what you prefer. You may want to shorten the baking time to avoid burning. Beware- getting a little too rolling-pin happy might mean your shapes won’t cut very well.

Don’t worry if the gingerbread cookies look puffy and soft when they come out of the oven. Place a cooling rack to let them cool and harden slightly before icing.

These gingerbread cookies look beautiful when iced with all-white icing but you may want to experiment with different colours to determine which you like best. Or why not go all out and add sprinkles, Smarties or mini gum drops to create that perfect candy-coated look?

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

I’m counting down Christmas by sharing some of my favourite holiday cookie recipes with you! I’ll be posting a different Christmas cookie recipe every day for the next seven days so you can follow along in my family’s baking tradition, and have more cookies to add to your Christmas baking arsenal! For more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.