Classic Chocolate Crinkles

Tastes of the season
It’s here. After a lot of musing, planning, and preparation, Cookie-Pa-Looza weekend has arrived. This means starting this evening, my daughter and I will begin the process of making and baking cookies—and distributing Christmas Cookie tins to friends and neighbors. It’s a labor of love. And, we love to do it.

For the most part, the cookie tins contain the same cookies each year—as some would be dearly missed if they were not there. (See the links to the recipes below). I like to make sure that there is a variety of flavors in the cookie box. Something with ginger, something with a citrus flavor, and always something decadent and chocolaty.

Last year we made Dorie Greenspan’s World Peace Cookies but I wanted to do something different this year. Still chocolatey, but different. So I am going with these Classic Chocolate Crinkles.

Chocolate crinkles are a well-loved Christmas cookie. The key is good quality chocolate. And, pro tip, roll the dough balls in superfine sugar before rolling them in powdered sugar. This ensures that the cookies get that snow-covered look.

Be careful with these as they can be very addictive. It’s amazing how many of them “break” and don’t make it to the cookie tin…

Amy’s Classic Christmas Cookies
Swedish Ginger Cookies
Gingies as we call them, are a family favorite. They are easy to make and go great with tea & coffee and you can keep a log in the freezer to cut and bake as needed. When in doubt make more than you need as it’s always fun to share…

Six Layer Bars
Somewhat rich, but oh, so good. This old-fashioned recipe makes great-tasting, nutty bars. It is an easy dessert made with common pantry items. Great for potlucks, parties, and bake sale treats!

Cranberry Orange Biscotti
This recipe is one everyone can enjoy—they are lighter than traditional Italian biscotti and still crunchy. Biscotti bake twice rather than once, but are relatively easy to pull together. They make a delicious, light dessert.

Italian Hazelnut Cookies (Baci di Dama)
These tiny Italian hazelnut-chocolate sandwich cookies are made from a very rich, fragile dough that easily crumbles when you bite into them.

Molded Gingerbread Cookies
I consider these to be project cookies–they take longer than usual to make. But, the results are very much worth the extra labor.

Classic Scottish Shortbread
This recipe adds some oats to the mix for a slightly nuttier flavor. It’s fantastic, and a good choice for gift-giving.

Classic Chocolate Crinkles Recipe
Adapted from King Arthur Baking
Yields about 5 dozen cookies

This variation includes espresso powder, giving the chocolate flavor a boost and adding the slightest aromatic hint of coffee. For a mocha crinkle, increase the espresso powder to 1 tablespoon or more, to taste.

Do ahead: Mix up the dough the day before and chill it in the fridge. Read more…

Scottish Fruit Slice

Slice of Home
I love to travel. But, I haven’t done much of it recently because, well, life. Sure, we’ve done the requisite Hawaii and Mexico trips as well as some fantastic national parks. But, we haven’t done what I consider real traveling. To me, real traveling is when you find yourself in a new country where you can soak up all of the culture and get to know the people. And the food.

I mean, it’s always about the food, right?

Fifteen years ago, I went to Scotland. It was magical. If you have done any traveling and have had the happy experience of feeling like you have come home that is what being in Scotland was like for me. While I have some Scottish blood in my veins, it is a very small part of my heritage. Although I do have quite a bit of Viking blood which kind of works historically.

I spent a little less than two weeks exploring Edinburgh, Loch Lomond, the highlands, and the islands—eating and drinking my way through some of the most beautiful scenery on earth. The best salmon I have ever tasted was served in a tiny place on the river Spey. The salmon melted in your mouth. Literally melted. I haven’t been able to recreate it, but I do dream about it…often.

Another tasty bite that I have been trying to recreate is a pastry that I purchased from a bakery on the square in the town of Portree on the island of Skye. The Scottish Fruit Slice is essentially two layers of shortbread with a spiced fruit filling in the middle. I have spent the past 15 years trying to find a recipe for it.

Part of the challenge in finding the right recipe was that not only is this treat known by a multitude of names, there are also widely varying versions based on where it is made. What I know as a fruit slice is also known as Fly Cemetery or Fly Cake names which, frankly, diminish the cravability. Also, what I enjoyed on my trip is, no surprise, the Scottish version. Other versions, i.e., the English version, use puff pastry instead of shortbread for the layers.

I like the sturdiness of the shortbread which makes it much easier to eat cookie-style alongside a whisky-spiked cup of tea. The shortbread also holds up better in my Christmas cookie box which this year, I am excited to say, will have some fruit slices in them because I finally found the right recipe!

Scottish Fruit Slice Recipe
Yields 12 servings

This easy Scottish Fruit Slice recipe of shortcrust pastry filled with juicy currants is one to add to your repertoire. It’s quick and simple to make and works well for holiday cookie trays, bake sales, and afternoon tea. Feel free to add a splash of Scottish whisky for an extra flavor. Read more…

Winter Veggie Cobbler

Cobbled Together
I’ll bet you any amount of money that the first thing you think of when you hear the word cobbler is peaches. Peach and cobbler are two words that are almost always used together. Imagine my surprise when I came across something totally different.

When it comes to vegetable side dishes, I tend to struggle to not make the same things over and over. When it comes to veggies, it’s easy for me to get into a rut. While looking for something else, I found this recipe for a Winter vegetable cobbler, and I must admit I was immediately intrigued. I have rarely seen a cobbler that wasn’t sweet, and I was skeptical that this was just a pot pie in disguise. It’s not. It is a legitimate vegetable cobbler that is great on its own and equally as good as a side dish.

Give this Winter Veggie Cobbler a try some night when you need to use all of the vegetables in the fridge and want something hearty and comforting.

Winter Veggie Cobbler Recipe
Adapted from Saving Dessert
Yields 8 servings Read more…

Cornish Pasties

Tasty Pasty
Back when I was in high school (or like my kids like to say, when dinosaurs roamed the earth) I had a history teacher that I loved. For some reason that I can no longer remember—but was most likely a lesson on the Gold Rush and the miners that immigrated from all over the world—one afternoon we found ourselves making Cornish Pasties in class.

I am a fan of anything in a flaky crust. And, the savory meat and potatoes pasties were an instant hit. I like them because they are the epitome of comfort food. And, also because they can save you from a night of cooking if you have extras in the freezer. Bonus points for portability.

For some reason, I have seen recipes for Cornish Pasties popping up all over my social media feeds. Maybe it’s the change of the season or maybe it’s a coincidence. But, needless to say, I have had pasty on the brain.

Here is the recipe I use for pasties. The traditional recipe calls for the use of a swede, which is the British term for a rutabaga. My inner petulant child refuses to use rutabaga so I will substitute parsnips or carrots or just up the amount of potato and onion. The recipe calls for rolling these out to rounds of about 7 to 8 inches. Personally, I like to make them a little smaller. Closer to 5 or 6 inches. That way, if I am super hungry, I can eat two.

News flash, I eat two a lot…

I opt for a crust with both butter and shortening. While I like all butter crusts in general, with this I prefer the combo. Try it both ways to see which you prefer.

Amy’s Cornish Pasties Recipe
Yields 4 large or 6 small pasties Read more…