Molasses Spice Crisps

Have you sworn off all baked goodness now that the holidays are over?  While I commend such discipline, I personally can't (or don't want to) cut out little treats.  Baking up a batch of spiced cookies is the perfect way to warm up the house when it is about 17 degrees outside. 

These Molasses Spice Crisps are full of flavor.  And they freeze well so no need to completely wreck havoc on any new year resolutions.  But they also would be completely lovely crushed up and used as a topping for vanilla frozen yogurt.

While I like a hint of cloves, Martha's recipe had a bit too much for me so I modified her spices.  Also, I rolled mine in organic cane sugar instead of regular granulated sugar.  The cane sugar gives a very pretty sparkle to the cookie as it is a bit more coarse than granulated but finer than turbinado sugar.

Molasses Spice Crisps

Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes about 40 cookies (depends on the size)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpats (or parchment paper); set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine shortening and 1 cup sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and molasses, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat on low to combine.
3. Place the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice-cream scoop, form balls of dough. Roll dough balls between the palms of your hands until smooth. Roll in organic cane sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in the center and begin to crack, about 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets once after 5 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to a wire rack to cool, 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack until completely cool. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Enjoy!

~ Tara

Orange Thumbprint Cookies

Every year as the weather begins to get cold I start to crave citrus fruits.  Oranges have a lovely baking flavor.

For these cookies we made the filling for the center but really a nice marmalade would be quite lovely.  I think I tend to prefer the use of a jam as it has a nice finish to it after being baked.   If you do make these and use the filling below, it is a bit more runny than jam so it is helpful to keep the impressions centered with a high enough wall to prevent it from running over the edge.  If the fill spills out the bottoms end up a much deeper brown.

And of course thumpbrint cookies are great for interaction.  I would roll them into the balls and then Dan would make the impression in the center. 

 Orange Thumpbrints

Source: Martha Stewart, Holiday Sweets edition 2009

For the dough:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt (Kosher works well)

For the filling:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

With an electric mixer on medium high speed, cream butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy.  Add yoks and vanilla, beat for 1 minute.  Reduce speed to low; beat in flour and salt until combined. Coverbowl with plastic wrap, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper; lightly coat with cooking spray.  Whisk together granulated sugar, flour, and egg.  Stir in zest, juice, and salt.

Form balls of dough (equal to 2 teaspoons), and place on prepared sheets, about 1 inche apart.  With the handle of a wooden spoon, press gently in the center of each to create an indentation.  Bake 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and press centers again if the indentations lose definition. Spoon filling into centers.  Continue baking until cookies are light brown around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes more.  Transfer sheets to wire racks to cool completely before dusting with confectioners' sugar. 

Cookies can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature in airtight containers.

While we made these as part of our holiday baking, they would be great anytime.  And certainly would be a cute addition to a winter birthday party.

Enjoy!

~ Tara

Fleur de Sel Caramels

A holiday treat that I have been impatiently waiting to make is Fleur de Sel Caramels.  I just love the combination of salty and sweet.  While caramels were always part of our traditional holiday candy making repertoire, I think that I have never made them myself.  My mom always made the caramels while we were busy with one of the other candies.  When I saw a container of Fleur de Sel sitting on a shelf of a local kitchen store back in October, fleur de sel caramels popped into my mind as a delectable treat to make for holiday gifts.

December was a crazy busy month for us and it left only one weekend to do my holiday baking and candy making.  Many things were scratched of the list but caramels were never questioned.  And I am so glad that I found the time to make these.  They are seriously delicious. 

Caramels can be tricky.  It requires one to completely devote themselves to the task at hand.  The only multi-tasking is the type involved with the task at hand. 

They also require one to be using all senses while they cook.  The color and scent is often an indicator of where the ingredients are in their road to becoming caramels.  A thermometer is also quite important as moving to the next step once arriving at the appropriate temperature is non-negotiable. I didn't have a candy thermometer to use while making these so used a regular digital thermometer and tried to move it as little as possible to avoid causing any agitation of the simmering sugar.

I am also quite fond of the combination of caramel, chocolate, and salt so dipped a few caramels in tempered bittersweet chocolate... yum.  These caramels are nice for gifting; maybe handmade candies for Valentines day?

Fleur de Sel Caramels

Source: Gourmet

1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon fleur de sel*
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water

Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, then lightly oil parchment.

Bring cream, butter, and fleur de sel to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside.

Boil sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan, until mixture is a light golden caramel.

Carefully stir in cream mixture (mixture will bubble up) and simmer, stirring frequently, until caramel registers 248°F on thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour into baking pan and cool 2 hours. Sprinkle fleur de sel across the top of the caramel once it has cooled for decoration and a bit more obvious of a salt flavor.  Cut into 1-inch pieces, then wrap each piece in a 4-inch square of wax paper, twisting 2 ends to close.

Enjoy!

~ Tara