Cookie Swap? No Thanks!

Maximum variety of cookies, minimum effort.  No need to attend a cookie swap, where you could, heaven help us, return home with some slice and bake supermarket drek or an unfortunate combination like peppermint and white chocolate.  (I view white chocolate the same way I do rudeness, litterbugs, pleated pants and cigarettes:  it is something that should not exist.)  But, making a wide variety of cookies can be incredibly labor intensive.  That's why I've developed this clever way to maximize your offerings with a minimum of effort.

I referred to this strategy in a previous post .  The premise is to start with a basic dough recipe and the branch off in different directions with varying ingredients.  Some readers have asked for more detailed directions, and we aim to please, so here are the specifics...Personally, I like volume, so I generally put two bowls out, side by side,  make the basic dough in both simultaneously, then proceed with the variation in one of the bowls.   But you can also make one batch and divide it up, adding the different ingredients to each portion.  NB:  the recipes below reflect quantities for a complete batch, so if you divvy up a single batch, be sure to reduce the ingredient amounts.
Variations on a Butter Cookie

Blend:
1 1/2 sticks butter
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes.  The edges will just barely begin to brown when they are done.   OR Spray a sheet of waxed paper with Pam, dump dough onto waxed paper, roll into a log, and store in fridge til you need some cookies.  Slice and bake.  (the second way makes for flatter, more uniform cookies.) These are the quintessential butter cookie, plain and simple.  You can sprinkle with colored sugars or other decorations before baking if you wish, or pipe them with melted chocolate after they cool.

Lemon log, ready to slice and bake when you are!

To make them lemon:  eliminate vanilla.  Add juice of 2 fresh lemons, grated rind of 1 lemon, and 2 TBSP Limoncello liquor.  Follow directions as above.


To make them chocolate:  Add 1 cup melted semi-sweet or dark chocolate.  Follow directions as above.

Espresso chip cookies, and chocolate chocolate chip cookies with M&Ms (guess which were requested by my son!)

Chocolate Chip Cookies, 4 ways


2 sticks softened butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Blend all ingredients.  Drop by teaspoons onto parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 12 minutes.  NOTE:  you can use the waxed paper storage method as described above with this dough, too.

For Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
To dough above, add 3/4 cup Nutella and, if desired, 2 TBSP Frangelico.


For Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

To dough above, add 3 TBSP instant espresso or coffee powder, 3 TBSP brewed coffee, and 2 TBSP Kahlua.

For Chocolate Chocolate Chips Cookies
To dough above, add 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 additional egg.

Homemade Gifts in a Jar

Homemade Holiday Gifts can come in all shapes, sizes, flavors and textures...

I am forever astounded by how delicious caramel sauce is.  Every time I make it, I taste a spoonful of this liquid gold and my knees nearly buckle.  Yes, it's that good.  Here's the method:

Caramel Sauce

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 TBSP butter

In medium-sized saucepan, pour sugar and water.  Do not stir.  Heat to medium, swirl pan to blend and boil for  8-10 minutes, or until mixture caramelizes into a golden brown color.  Watch it carefully, it goes from sugar water to golden lusciousness to tar in seconds flat.  Remove pan from heat and pour in cream.  It will bubble up and become a sticky goo.  Keep stirring, and place back on low heat if necessary to remelt the sugar.  When completely smooth and golden, add butter and salt.

When cooled slightly, pour into jar and adorn with festive ribbon.  Store in fridge up to 1 week.  (We bet it won't last that long.)  This is glorious served as a fondue with apples, pretzels, graham crackers, cashews, and cubes of pound or angel cake, or used to top vanilla ice cream.


More of a savory sort?  Give a jar of pesto  or ginger miso dressing

And while technically it would be more likely to come in a bottle than a jar, we think chili vinegar is a good gift option as well.  

Either way, a homemade jar of something yummy is sure to please your loved ones.

Jack McDavid's Holiday Nuts

Jack McDavid of the Down Home Diner taught us how to make these little lovelies...

These nuts offer the perfect blend of crunchy spicy sweetness, and they make a splendid gift.  Chuck them in a cello bag and tie securely with colorful ribbon.  We emphasize that you tie them up securely so that you are not tempted to nibble them yourself.  You might want to consider a padlock.

Maple Glazed Pecans

1 lb pecans
3 TBSP melted butter
5 TBSP maple syrup
1 TBSP dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1 tsp kosher salt

Heat oven to 375.  Toss pecans with butter, syrup, sugar, pepper and sage.  Spread on parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet and bake 12-14 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from oven and add salt.  Toss again.  Cool completely and enjoy as a decadent snack or use as garnish for salad or soup.

Thanks, Jack!

Hints for Homemade Treats

My homemade gifts are always of the consumable variety. Doubtless there are people who make lovely ornaments, wreaths, or handpainted plates but glue guns, stencils and anything involving silk flowers or wired ribbon make me hyperventilate and break out in hives. I avoid craft stores like the plague. My creativity is culinary, and I love to spread it around during the holiday season. Food gifts work; they are economical (assuming you don't douse everything with shaved truffles, which I don't), personal, and best of all, not permanent--like the tiered cake plate adorned with your nephew's face or the purple and gold wreath that prevents your door from shutting properly.....

Here are two categories of food gifts that are always a hit, with some general tips on successful execution....

Cookies


From Martha Stewart to the Cookie Monster, everyone loves cookies.  There are literally hundreds of recipes to choose from. Check out Philly Mag's collection of recipes by local chefs, epicurious.com, the back of the chocolate chip bag, or the top of the oatmeal canister for ideas. No matter the recipe, keep the following tips in mind:

• Always use baking parchment. Cookies never stick to it and it eliminates scrubbing.
• Always have waxed paper in the house. When you make a batch of dough, separate it into 8 inch long, 1-1/2 to 2 inch in diameter logs which you can wrap in waxed paper and store in the fridge (for a week) or the freezer (for a month or more). When you need some cookies, simply slice off the number required, bake them and voila--perfect, freshly-made treats. This is great for gift-giving, but also for general consumption--nothing's better than a right-out-of-the-oven cookie, but you may not want 4 dozen of them sitting on your counter. With the dough log approach, you have great quantity control.
• Use cello bags tied with ribbon for economical, attractive presentation.
• Choose a basic recipe that offers variety. Make a double or triple batch chocolate chip dough, but before adding the chips, separate the dough into a few different bowls. Add chocolate chips to one, white chips and macadamia nuts to another, dried cherries or raisins to another, 1/2 cup of strong coffee and a few tablespoons of Kalhua to another. This also works with oatmeal cookies--mix some dough with raisins, some with chocolate chips, some with chopped apricots, others with cashews. Also with basic butter cookies--make some vanilla, some lemon, some coconut, some chocolate. This way, you will only have made one type of dough, but a produced a significant variety of cookies.

More of a cook than a baker?  Deliver dinner...Just don't give the bacon infused clam chowder to your Kosher-keeping neighbor or beef chili to your vegan hairdresser.

Keep these tips in mind:

• Always use disposable containers--unless the dish/pan is part of the gift. Aluminum baking dishes, disposableTupperwares, or even giant Ziploc bags work just fine. It sort of undermines the gesture if the grateful recipient has to deal with the hassle of returning your soup tureen long after enjoying your minestrone.
• Choose something that has shelf-life. Your creation should be an item that can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days, or is freezer-friendly. Avoid souffles and sushi.
• Affix heating/serving instructions to the dish--better yet, write it in Sharpie marker directly on the foil or container.

Speaking of dinner, we can't help but chuckle at this one: Ben Stiller in Meet the Parents saying Grace at Robert DiNiro's dining room table.

Watch this space for more ideas, tips and recipes for homemade gifts in the run up to Christmas.

Chocolate Bark, A Simple and Divine Gift

Need a recipe for chocolate bark?

Shambles Headhouse, ready to be feted.

We did.  Having agreed to throw the patrons' party for the Soiree at the Shambles, Claire, ever the gracious host, decided to bestow gifts of appreciation on the attendees.   [As an aside, The Soiree is the party of the fall; over 25 local restaurants provide food and drink as guests graze the gourmet offerings and reconnect with friends and neighbors after the scattered summer.] But back to our party favor dilemma.....To the rescue: Philly Food Lovers' Chocolate Cherry Cashew Bark.  We churned out 50 cello bags of this delectable in (almost) nothing flat.  Here's how:

Ingredients awaiting the alchemy that will spin them into edible gold!

 Cashew Cherry Chocolate Bark

1 bag Ghirardelli double chocolate chips
3/4 cup dried cherries
3/4 cup unsalted (or lightly salted) cashews

Microwave the chips in a glass bowl for 4 minutes on 50% power.  Stir til smooth.  Add cherries and nuts.   Stir again.

   Spread entire mess onto cookie sheet lined w/ baking parchment.  It should look like a large, bumpy, brown amoeba.

Spread thinly over parchment; this maximizes your output.

Refrigerate 30 minutes or more.  When hard enough to snap into bite-sized pieces, do so.  (Mess free tip:  use the parchment paper to hold and break the chocolate so you don't smudge your hands, leave fingerprints on the product, or worst of all, ruin your manicure.)

 Put pieces into cute little cello bags and tie with a ribbon.  This recipe makes about 1-1/4 lb bark-- enough to fill 12 small cello bags for party favors or 4 larger cello bags for a more substantial gift.  Be prepared for shock and awe.

Cranberries: Eat, Drink, and Be Decorative

As one that finds many of the traditional uses of cranberries rather off putting (that canned jellied sauce that rolls around the bowl on Thanksgiving gives me the willies) I was delighted to discover three new uses for these wonder berries that are sure to please.

Eat......

Cranberry Nut Bark

1 bag Ghirardelli double chocolate chips
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup nuts (unsalted or lightly salted pistachios, cashews or macadamias recommended))

Microwave the chips in a glass bowl for 4 minutes on 50% power.  Stir til smooth.  Add cranberries and nuts.   Stir again.  Spread entire mess onto cookie sheet lined w/ baking parchment.  It should look like a large, bumpy, brown amoeba.  Refrigerate 30 minutes or more.  When hard enough to snap into bite-sized pieces, do so.  (mess free tip:  use the parchment paper to hold and break the chocolate so you don't smudge your hands, leave fingerprints on the product, or worst of all, ruin your manicure.) Put pieces into cute little cello bags and tie with a ribbon.  Recipe makes about 1-1/4 lb bark, or enough to fill 3 cello bags for gifts.


Drink....

                                        Ho Ho Ho

2  parts  Vodka
1 part Cointreau
2 parts cranberry juice
1 part pomegranate juice
splash of fresh lime juice

Mix all ingredients in cocktail shaker with plenty of ice.  Strain into martini glasses.  Spread holiday cheer.

And Be Decorative.....

We had a lovely chat with the florist at Market Blooms.  While she does not use cranberries regularly, she did feature them prominently in a winter wedding--using them to fill the vases for added color and texture.  We took her idea, simplified it a bit, and came up with the following centerpiece, which will see you through any dinner from now til New Years: