Epiphany Stars

“I think it is fun to have another cookie to bake after the rush of Christmas. These cookies symbolize the story of La Befana (pronounced La Bay-fah-nah), who travels around Italy on the Feast of the Epiphany, which falls on January 6 and celebrates the visit of the three Magi to the Christ Child. I like to bake these on the eve of Epiphany and eat them the next day, when I take the Christmas tree down. Rich, rolled sugar cookies spiked with a bit of anisette, they are superb with a cup of hot chocolate.”

- Gina dePalma, pastry chef at Babbo Ristorante, NYC

You have got to love a person who comes up with an excuse to bake another cookie after everyone else has made their resolutions.  Amen, sister.

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 3 ½ cups unbleached flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ cups (3 sticks/12 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons anisette
• Freshly grated zest of 1 orange

For the glaze:

• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Multicolored sprinkles

Directions

To make the cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk the four, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until creamy and light, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and egg yolks, one at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition, followed by the vanilla extract, anisette, and orange zest. Beat in the dry ingredients on low speed to form a stiff dough. Remove the dough from the bowl, flatten it into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and chill until it is firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or butter or line them with parchment paper.

Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces; work with 1 piece at a time, keeping the remaining pieces refrigerated. On a floured surface, roll the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Using a floured 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter, cut the dough into stars. Place the cookies ½ inch apart on the baking sheets. Gather the scraps together and repeat rolling and cutting until you have used all the scraps; it may be necessary to refrigerate the scraps until they are firm enough to roll again.

To make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the cream. Using a small pastry brush, lightly brush the surface of the cookies with a bit of glaze and decorate them with the sprinkles.
Bake the cookies until they are lightly golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheets 180 degrees halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheets, then gently remove them with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment paper, for up to 4 days.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

The snow is really coming down out there.  For the first time in his young life, Little Man is having a Snow Day.  No School!!!

Perhaps it's a cliche, but traditions sometime weather the storm for a reason.  When one bakes cookies while it's snowing outside, the house gets even cozier.  The air smells like vanilla, sugar, butter and yummy-ness.

Martha Stewart's incredible team at Everyday Food has come up with this fantastic idea for holiday cookies.  Make your favorite sugar cookie dough recipe, separate the dough and dye each kind a different color.  Roll out the "main" dough into a sheet, add different colored dough on top (with dots, stripes, or whatever you'd like).  Roll again, use cookie cutters, and voila!  For some reason, this exact methodology is not posted on the Everyday Food website even though it was featured in their printed magazine (the last printed issue that's ever going to be published, apparently).  

Happy Baking and Happy Holidays!

Pumpkin Fun

Little Man has a near-Halloween birthday, so we tend to make a lot out of autumn-themed festivities.  One such activity is the carving of the Jack O Lantern.  This year I think we're still going with insect-themed luminaries.  We will unveil those soon along with a Pumpkin Gelato recipe that Major Obvious is making this afternoon.  In the meantime, here are some of our previous pumpkins and a link to the World Wildlife Federation's stencil page (the source of our butterfly jack o lantern this year).

Happy Carving!

The Buche De Noel Debacle - A Moment of Stupidity

 

Last year, Christmas Day Dinner was at Dr. Tex and Bacon’s house.  Because Bacon was putting in so much effort to make the ham and turkey, I wanted to bring something really special for dessert.  Celebrated pastry chef and chocolatier Francois Payard had shown off his famous Buche De Noel on Food Network.  "Buche de Noel" is the French term for that ubiquitous Yule Log cake we see at every bakery around this time of year.  

When Chef Payard revealed how it was made, two things struck me as poignant.  First, he did not roll the cake into a log.  Instead, he cut the sheet sponge cake into 3 rectangles.  In addition, he covered the entire concoction with a decadent chocolate ganache so that the Buche De Noel looked less like a traditional yule log and more like an enormous gourmet Hostess Ding Dong.  I also remembered that my mom filled her yule logs with chocolate mousse instead of the traditional pastry cream.  (Now that I think about it, she may have also spiked the mousse with Grand Marnier or DiSaronno). 

 

With all of these ideas in mind, I set out to put together a more do-able Payard Buche de Noel and pay homage to my mom at the same time.  I made a traditional Genoise sponge sheet cake and cut it into 3 rectangles.  Then, I wrapped each rectangle separately and froze them so that the cakes wouldn’t absorb any refrigerator flavors.  I made a chocolate mousse and stored it in airtight Tupperware in the refrigerator to let it set, foregoing any liqueur because the kids might not have liked it. 

 

On Christmas Day, after the presents and pancakes, I layered the cakes with the chocolate mousse.  Then, I covered the whole thing with homemade buttercream.  Now I was all ready for the ganache.  At this point, I was a bit nervous because I had forgotten to thaw the cakes out of the freezer, but we wouldn’t be eating the dessert for several more hours, so I crossed my fingers.

 

Before I started to make the ganache, I announced to my family that I was going to be very busy and that I couldn’t possibly be interrupted.  I knew that immediately after the ganache was finished, I had to confidently dump the molten chocolate all over the cake.  I had about 15 seconds to spread it and encourage it to spill over all of the corners and sides.  Fifteen seconds before everything hardened into a permanent statue. 

 

Right after I made the ganache, I held the bowl of chocolate over the cake and watched it tip.  I held my breath as the ooze went over one side readily.  The corners took some nudging with my spatula, but soon 3 were covered with smooth, velvety ganache.  I was about to grab the plate to get the luscious chocolate to spill over the other side of the cake, when Major Obvious burst into the kitchen with the following announcement, “There is red paint all over the couch!”

 

Furious, I set down the bowl.  I walked over to the couch to inspect the damage.  Little Man had accidentally waved his paint brush and red paint had landed on an arm and cushion of our white canvas couch.  True to male form, Major Obvious had attempted to get out the stain by grabbing some baby wipes and smearing the red spots into red streaks.  I sent Major Obvious to strip and bathe Little Man while I attempted to get out the red paint.  Who sends indelible paint to a 4 year old?  (Several friends).  Who lets a 4-year old conduct a painting project 1 hour before our departure to a dinner party?  (My optimistic husband).  Who lets her husband entertain the fantasy that he can effectively supervise any kind of craft project more complicated than coloring with washable Crayolas?  (I did).  Who buys a white canvas couch, anyway?  (Again, my optimistic husband).  These were the angry questions I kept asking myself as I scrubbed away. 

 

While I was creating pink and red foam on the couch with the bubbly soap and wiping that away with a towel, Bacon called several times to report a crisis on his end.  He had completely forgotten to pick up fresh green beans at the store and no other stores were open at this point.  Our menu could not possibly include his fresh green bean casserole at this stage.  I pulled it together long enough to answer the phone each time and tell him that the dinner would still be great.  I thought about telling him about my own troubles, but the wounds were too raw. I just told him that we were coming in 90 minutes and that we’d check both grocery stores on the way for green beans.  After about 15 minutes of persistent scrubbing, our couch returned back to a somewhat respectable state.  Believe it or not, the stain actually came out. 

 

I sighed and went back to the cake.  Like an industrial-strength MagicShell, the chocolate coated the log in a solid, hard casing.  There was no way I could possibly change anything at this point.  When Major Obvious came downstairs, I pointed to the cake and said, “There it is.  It’s ugly and terrible and there is nothing I can do about it.  I had, no joke, 15 seconds.  FIFTEEN SECONDS!  Seriously, you couldn’t give me FIFTEEN SECONDS?!  It was against my better judgment to let you ‘supervise’ a craft project!  Why on earth did I let you talk me into it?”  As if that ridiculous tirade wasn’t enough, I am ashamed to admit that I then ran into the kitchen and broke down into tears.  I do not rule out the possibility that PMS may have played a role in this drama.

 

My husband stared at me, dumbfounded.  His first instinct was to argue on his behalf, but one look at my angry eyes had him quickly playing the Sorry Spouse card.  I listened to his apology, then I turned away to wrap everything up.  He knew that I would eventually forgive him, but that I just needed some time to distance myself.  After about 20 minutes, I remembered that Christmas wasn’t really about perfect pastry.  We were all together and we all loved each other.  My kids had a father who wanted to be there for them while they painted.  I had children who were kind (and smart) enough to quietly excuse themselves during my blow up, sparing me the chore of explaining to them why I was acting like a 2-year old.  Major Obvious and I each apologized and hugged.  Then, we went to Tex and Bacon’s.

 

When Bacon saw the cake, he said, “It looks great.  What’s wrong with it?”  I shrugged, trying to concentrate on not conjuring up past emotions.  He grinned, rubbed my shoulder, and said, “I know, you wanted it to be perfect.”  I tried to give him the same reassurances about the vegetables.

 

Instead of fresh green beans, we made brussels sprouts sautéed with, naturally,  bacon.  They were fabulous.  And everyone at the party was gracious enough to ooh and aah for about 5 minutes before diving into the Buche de Noel.  My guy even made some sort of speech as I cut into the cake, indemnifying me of all responsibility concerning the cake’s imperfect appearance.  It was incredibly embarrassing and heartwarming at the same time.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that the cake had thawed out perfectly and that the Buche de Noel, while not gorgeous, tasted divine.

Holiday revelers, as you are swearing at yourself (or loved ones) because the royal icing on your Christmas cookies is not as perfect as Martha’s, or your grandmother’s German pastry recipe is proving unwieldy, or your homemade mince meat is refusing to thicken and your guests are due to arrive any minute, remember that we are fortunate to have each other.  Our loved ones don’t really care what the Buche de Noel looks like.  It’s just nice to give it a try.

  

Springtime Treats - Macaroons!

 One of my favorite springtime treats is the macaroon.  These delights are not necessarily seasonal, but I have always found their pastel prettiness to coincide nicely with daffodils, chocolate bunnies and pink ribbons. 

    

    Now these are kind of tricky to make the first time out.  The good news is that even if they are a little deformed, few people will turn them down.  So a few tips to help you:  

1.  Do not use a tiny little oven where the heating element is only 2 inches away from the macaroons.  You may burn the darlings and cause your kitchen to fill with smoke.  And your smoke alarm might go off.  (I may have had some personal experience with this). 

2.  Try using an oven with a window so you can check your progress and hopefully avoid the debacle from #1. 

3.  You will probably have to break out the scale to measure the ingredients:

125g/4½oz confectioner's sugar 

125g/4½oz ground almonds (may have to hit up a gourmet store for this)

2 tbsp water

110g/4oz granulated sugar

your favorite ganache, buttercream, or whipped cream for filling

optional:  your favorite food coloring and decorations

 

1.    Preheat the oven to 170/C/325F/Gas 5 and line a large baking tray with baking paper.

2.    Put the icing sugar, ground almonds and 40g/1½oz egg whites together in a large bowl and mix to a paste.

3.    Put the water and caster sugar in a small pan and heat gently to melt the sugar, then turn up the heat and boil until the mixture starts to go syrupy and thickens - I don’t use a thermometer but if you prefer to use one, it should read 115C/239F at this stage.

4.    Whisk the remaining 50g/2oz egg whites in a small bowl until medium-stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl, then pour in the sugar syrup, whisking until the mixture becomes stiff and shiny. For coloured macaroons, add a few drops of food colouring. Tip this meringue mixture into the almond paste mixture and stir gently until the becomes stiff and shiny again.

5.    Spoon into the piping bag. Pipe a little mixture under each corner of the baking paper to stop it sliding around. With the bag held vertically, pipe 4cm/1½in flat circles onto the lined tray, about 2cm/¾in apart, twisting the bag after each one. The mixture should be quite loose to give a smooth finish. The piping will leave a small ‘tip’ on each circle so, when they’re all piped, give the tray 2–3 slams on a flat surface to flatten them. At this stage, sprinkle with desiccated coconut if you want.

6.   Leave to stand for 30 minutes to form a skin then bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes with the door slightly ajar until firm. Remove from the oven, lift the paper off the baking tray and leave the macaroons to cool on the paper. When cool, sandwich the macaroons together with filling.

recipe from Lorraine Pascal, BBC Good Food's Baking Made Easy 

Mini Mincemeat Pies

Nigella Lawson is the person I turn to for fun British holiday ideas.  These tiny star-studded pies are a great concept, as I often think that the traditional mincemeat pie is too big.  After a large Christmas meal, I like to have a little nibble of something with coffee (or a few little nibbles of different things).  

You will need a mini-muffin pan or mini tart tin, with each indent 4.5cm/1¾in diameter.  You will also need a 5.5cm/2¼in round fluted biscuit cutter and a 4cm/1½in (approx.) star-shaped cookie cutter and/or heart shaped cookie cutter.  (I didn't think that I had cookie cutters this small, but Dr. Tex pointed out that my daughter's kitchen play set did.  Perfect!)

As for pie dough, I hate using vegetable shortening.  There's just something about it that really turns me off.  So I used my favorite pie dough recipe, but here I include Nigella's crust because, after all, it is her mincemeat pie recipe.  There really is something so wonderful and Christmassy about standing at the stove and sniffing the air as these cranberry jewels simmer in the glorious mixture of spices, juice and spirits.

Mincemeat Ingredients:

•  75g/2½oz soft dark brown sugar
• 60ml/2fl oz ruby port
• 300g/10½oz cranberries
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 75g/2½oz currants
• 75g/2½oz raisins
• 30g/1oz dried cranberries
• 1 clementine, zest and juice only
• 25ml/1fl oz brandy
• few drops almond extract
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp honey

Mincemeat Method:

1. In a large pan, dissolve the sugar in the ruby port over a gentle heat.
   
2. Add the cranberries and stir.
   
3. Add the cinnamon, ginger and cloves, currants, raisins, dried cranberries and the zest and juice of the clementine.
4. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until the fruit has broken down and has absorbed most of the liquid in the pan. (You may need to squish the cranberries a little with the back of a wooden spoon to incorporate them fully.)
   
5. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little.
   
6. Add the brandy, almond extract, vanilla extract and honey and stir well with a wooden spoon to mash the mixture down into a paste.
   
7. Spoon the mincemeat into sterilised jars and, once cool, store in the fridge for up to two weeks.
   

Pie Crust and Mincemeat Pie Assembly Ingredients:
240g/8oz plain flour
60g/2oz vegetable shortening
60g/2oz cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 orange, juice only
pinch salt
icing sugar, for dusting
350g/12oz Christmas mincemeat


Mincemeat Pie Assembly and Baking Method:
1. Sift the flour into a shallow freezer-proof bowl, then add small mounds of vegetable shortening.
2. Add the butter, shake to cover it, then place into the freezer to chill for 20 minutes. (This will make the pastry tender and flaky.)
3. Mix the orange juice and salt in a separate bowl. Cover and leave in the fridge to chill.
4. After the 20 minutes, empty the chilled flour and shortening mixture into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to make porridge-like crumbs.
5. Gradually add the chilled salted orange juice, pulsing until the mixture is just coming together as a dough. Stop just before it comes together (even if some orange juice is left). If all the juice is used up
before the dough has begun to come together, add some iced water.
6. Turn the mixture out onto a clean, floured work surface and, using your hands, knead the mixture to form a dough.
7. Divide and shape into three equal-sized discs (you'll need to make the mince pies in three separate batches of 12, unless you've got enough tart tins to make all 36 pies at once).
8. Wrap each disc in cling film and place into the fridge to rest for 20 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
10. Remove a pastry disc from the fridge and roll out on a floured work surface thinly, but so that it will be sturdy enough to support the dense mincemeat filling.
11. Using a fluted pastry cutter, cut out 12 circles a little wider than the moulds in the tart tins. Press the circles gently into the moulds.
12. Place a teaspoon of mincemeat into each pastry case.
13. Reroll any remaining dough to a similar thickness, then using a star-shaped cutter, cut out 12 stars and place each lightly onto the mincemeat filling.
14. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden-brown. Keep an eye on them as they don't take very long to cook.
15. Remove from the oven, prising out the little pies straight away and placing onto a wire rack to cool. Allow the empty tray to cool down before repeating the steps from step 10. Repeat until you have
made 36 mince pies.
16. Dust the mince pies with icing sugar and serve.

Holiday Bake Sale

My kids' primary school is a little eager to kick off the holiday season.  It just hosted the annual Christmas Fair this past weekend.  I suppose that with no reality check of Thanksgiving to get in the way, the steam roller that is Holiday Madness starts right after Halloween.

One of my British friends came up with the brilliant idea of hitting up the local grocery store for some bakery boxes.  We were able to sell loads of cupcakes by giving customers the option to get a package of 4.  Don't they look cute and festive? 

Making these is a snap.  You just need:

Red Velvet Cake mix
Foil cupcake wrappers
Ready-made icing (I used Pilsbury Vanilla) and
Candy canes
Optional:  pastry bag with star tip

I know, I know.  Cake mix?!  Ready-made icing?  I must admit that I usually rely on such terrible tactics for bake sales. 

1.  Bake the cupcakes and freeze them until ready to use.  (You could do this 2 weeks in advance, if you wanted.)
2.  On the day of the bake sale or holiday fair, line up the cupcakes on paper towels or wax paper.
3.  Squirt the icing out of a pastry bag if you want or spread on with an off-set spatula.  (I used the star tip, but these would be super pretty with the ribbon or circle tip as well.  You are only limited by your imagination.)
4.  Crush some candy canes by putting them into a Ziploc bag and then wacking with a rolling pin or some such tool.  (I used the handle of my kitchen shears because they were right on the table already).
5.  Sprinkle candy canes on cupcakes.  Pack into boxes and watch them sell out right before your eyes!  Don't worry about the fact that the cupcakes are frozen...they will thaw about 2 hours after you take them out of the freezer.  By the time you decorate all of them, pack them up and drive them over to the school, you're probably home free!

Note:  Other fun decorations would include holiday Peeps...I've noticed that they come in snowman and Christmas tree options.