Snowflake Decorated Sugar Cookies

Happy Holidays everyone! Figured I had better get it in while I have a moment :)

For me, one of my favorite things to make over the holidays are these snowflake cookies. They are my zen. After a hectic day of knocking out caramels and other holiday treats, I can sit down and literally get lost in these. They are one of those things that don't require much concentration, no boiling temperatures to watch or beer boiling over when I take my eyes off the stove. It takes just a moment to make the cookie dough and royal icing; and as long as I set my oven timer I am golden.

These have a little citrus zest in the dough and a lemon vanilla royal icing. I've had this shape for a couple of years and can't wait to snatch up a new one at this year's after Christmas sales!

Here is the all white version:

Lightest blue. This color was my favorite this year. I used Alan Tetreault's Sky Blue, just a little. The color looks like a slightly translucent robin's egg color. The camera doesn't do it justice. Absolutely lovely.

And then a couple darker blue variations:

In case I don't "see" you all before the Holiday, have a happy and blessed one!

Happy New Year - Two Ways

Here are two totally different New Year traditions. I take that back. They share a round shape but that is where I draw the line!

The first one is the New Year Day cookie (Portzelky). It is a drop donut of sorts with raisins that I had growing up.

1 envelope yeast

1/4 cup warm water

5 1/2 cup AP flour

1 1/2 t sugar

1 1/2 t salt

pinch nutmeg

1 1/2 cup warm milk

3 eggs

1 1/2 cup raisin, currants, etc (plump the raisins in water first - blot dry well to reduce oil splattering)

Dissolve yeast in the water, let proof.

Mix flour, sugar, salt, and nutmeg together in large bowl.

Lightly beat eggs with the milk.

Add the yeast mixture to the egg/milk mixture and then pour that into the flour mixture.

Mix well

Stir in raisins.

Let sit until raised like a poolish (good and bubbly). Right before you begin to fry, tap the bowl on the counter or push down the dough a bit.

Drop by cookie scoop into hot oil.

Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Once drained roll in sugar and place on a wire rack to dry so they do not become soggy.

Some people cover them with glaze, others with sugar (powdered or fine). I usually go with organic sugar because I like look of the grains and they don't "melt" and make the fritters soggy.

I make mine throughout the year play around with what ever flavors and additives I have around. Craisins and orange zest was a favorite. Sometimes I add cinnamon or nutmeg to the sugar before I roll them in it.

Now for the unfamiliar tradition. Mochi!

From what I understand, these are a Japanese New Year custom. Since I don't have a steam kneader I opted to try the microwave rice flour version.

Microwave Chocolate Mochi (courtesy of Eleanor Urakawa and various tips I found on the web)

1-1/2 cups mochiko (rice flour)

1-1/2 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

Pinch salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Katakuriko (potato starch) or kinako (roasted soybean flour), for dusting

Filling

Mix mochiko, water, sugar, chocolate, and salt in a bowl. Lightly coat a microwavable bowl with cooking spray. Pour mixture into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a microwave cover. Microwave 3 minutes on low, then 3 minutes on medium and 3 minutes on high, for a total of 9 minutes. This varies depending on your microwave. Cook until it is almost translucent, stirring occasionally.

I choose two different fillings; nutella and a raspberry marzipan mixture.

Look at the beautiful new jar of nutella! It is about to be marred for life LOL!

Let the mixture cool a bit so that you don't burn yourself. Many sites said to roll it in a tube or flat rectangle and then cut. I found it best to just use a wet cookie scoop.

If you have silpat, I would strongly recommend it.

Dust the mat with corn starch or potato starch and plop down a scoop of the mixture.

Dip your fingers in the starch. Quickly but gently work the blob into a disk. Be careful not to drag your hands but to pat the dough instead. Don't let them rest on the dough or they will stick. If your hands feel sticky, wash and then re-coat with starch or the sticky on your fingers will stick to the disk and you will literally have a mess on your hands.

I read of sticky horror stories on the web but honestly did not have any trouble with these. But then again, dough and I usually get along :)

Once you have a disk, place in your filling, and then seal like a beggars purse.

Dust off the excess and gently turn the mochi so that the seam is on the bottom. You can choose to put them on a starched plate or in cupcake liners.

Let firm. They can be served room temp, chilled, or even frozen.

The Mochi was a fun little project. I am overall happy with they way my first try turned out. Next time I will choose a firmer filling that I can roll in a ball so they aren't so flat and there is also more filling. I also want to try the ice cream version.

Daring Bakers - Gingerbread House

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.

I chose to use the recipe submitted by Y. You can find the instructions and both recipes here.

The dough handled well. There wasn't too much shrinkage and it was fairly sturdy. Instead of one large house I chose to do a gingerbread centerpiece. It was small and easy to tuck do in stages and tuck away while I worked on other Holiday projects.

The only problem I had was with the theft and consumption of my freshly baked pieces. I had a lot of irons in the fire the day I was baking these and had set them aside to cool. Matt was had been coming into the kitchen and was snacking on something. I had assumed he was eating the peppernuts that were also fresh out of the oven. Nope, was I wrong. I took a break and looked over to see him eating something square.

Me -Hun, what are you eating?

Gingerbread Thief -The ginger cookies.

Me - Honey, how do they taste?

Gingerbread Thief - Kind of blah.

Me - Uh, well those are for my gingerbread houses.

Gingerbread Thief - Oh... well I guess you will have garages now.

Me - More like carports!

It must have been a Christmas miracle because I had exactly enough!

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

These are a favorite staple at my house. They start disappearing before I can even get the dough in the fridge to chill. My boyfriend, the consumer friendly judge, refers to the chilled dough balls as little turds. Little turds that he greedily pops in his mouth and runs with his Cheshire grin beaming brightly. Be forewarned..make a double batch. I always make a double and then turn around and make another double. These freeze well, if they survive the turd thief.

This recipe comes courtesy of Martha Stewart. The original can be found here. http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chewy-chocolate-gingerbread-cookies

I have tried little tweaks but honestly this recipe is pretty much perfect. The only things I can suggest is to be sure to use fresh ground spices if you can and instead of semisweet I use bittersweet or a blend of bittersweet and milk. Sometimes I roll the chilled dough in a mix of cinnamon and sugar instead of plain sugar. These always come out very thin crisp out layer and a chewy rich center.

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies - adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies Cookbook

1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons fresh ginger (grated)
1 teaspoon fresh ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 nutmeg (grated)
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature ( 4 oz)
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unsulfered molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water
7 ounces best quality bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
1/4 cup large grain organic sugar
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and fresh ginger on medium speed until lightened, about minutes.

Add brown sugar, beat until combined.

Add molasses; beat until combined.

In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in boiling water.

Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture.

Beat in baking soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture.
Mix in chocolate

Chill for 30 minutes. When chilled roll into balls or use a cookie scoop. You can bake at this point. I usually scoop the balls to single layer pan and freeze for an hour. They bake up a little thicker and chewy and moist straight from the freezer.

I did want to get pictures of the dough before I rolled them in sugar and baked. However the turd thief came home from poker early and they were in danger of being devoured before I could get them in the oven.

Once chilled, roll in sugar or as mentioned earlier cinnamon sugar.

Place about 2 inches apart and bake in a 325 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Or until the surfaces begins to crack and the insides of the cracks look slightly dry.

Let cook 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.