The Pomegranate Cosmopolitan is a trendy and delicious variation of the classic Cosmopolitan, popularized in New York City. Known for its pretty pink color, this cocktail is not only easy to make but also classy and fun to serve, making it an ideal choice for festive occasions like Christmas.
While the original Cosmopolitan recipe calls for vodka, Cointreau (or Triple Sec), cranberry juice, and freshly squeezed lime juice, this version uses POM pomegranate juice to add a smooth, rich flavor that tones down the tartness of cranberry juice. The result is a sophisticated, balanced drink that's both refreshing and festive.
The Cosmopolitan has been around since the 1970s, gaining widespread popularity thanks to the hit television series Sex and the City. Known for its connection to Carrie Bradshaw, the Cosmopolitan became synonymous with Manhattan's cocktail culture.
"A cheeseburger, large fries, and a cosmopolitan please." — Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City
Today, the Cosmopolitan is loved worldwide for its vibrant pink color and balanced flavor. The addition of pomegranate juice in this version creates a slightly less sweet, more complex profile, making it a refined and trendy twist on the original.
It’s fun to take a traditional cocktail and mix it up a bit. The following variation tastes great and still maintains the integrity of the original cosmo. A complaint (perhaps the only one) of the original cosmo is that the taste of the cranberry juice can overwhelm the other flavors. In this version, the combination of pomegranate juice with the cranberry cocktail, modifies the sharp cranberry taste.
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and pour into the cocktail shaker.
Shake for 30-40 seconds until well-chilled.
Pour into a martini glass and garnish with a thin slice of lime.
Drop a few pomegranate seeds into the glass for an added touch.
Optionally, ignite some orange zest over the drink to enhance the flavor and aroma of the Grand Marnier.
Serve immediately and enjoy the festive, refreshing flavors!
Tasting Notes The Pomegranate Cosmopolitan offers a balanced and sophisticated flavor profile. The tartness of the cranberry juice is mellowed by the smooth, rich taste of pomegranate juice, creating a more complex cocktail that retains the essence of the classic. Fresh lime juice is essential to achieving the crisp, refreshing finish. Perfect for holiday parties, this cocktail brings a festive twist to the original Cosmopolitan.
Chocolate Kahlua Shortbread combines the rich flavors of bittersweet chocolate and a splash of Kahlua, creating a festive and indulgent version of the classic shortbread cookie. Perfect for holiday gatherings, these cookies are a melt-in-your-mouth treat that combines a delicate crunch with the sweetness of chocolate and the warmth of Kahlua. This version of shortbread is a favorite Christmas recipe, but it can be enjoyed year-round for any occasion.
Shortbread is a classic cookie that only requires three main ingredients: butter, sugar, and flour. Once those are perfectly mixed together, the possibilities are endless—whether you prefer a traditional shortbread or one with added flavors and decorations. This recipe is one of many delicious twists on a classic favorite.
The first step in making shortbread, and many baked goods for that matter, is creaming the butter and sugar. I thought it was funny when someone next to me in the kitchen at Le Cordon Bleu asked me where the cream was when she heard that we had to "cream the butter and sugar" for the tuiles we were making that day. We all have to start somewhere: some watch a master Michelin-starred chef in a famous cooking school, some hold onto their grandmother's apron stirring batter alongside, and some watch endless hours of the Food Network and are forever scarred by the perfectionism of Martha.
Fat, flour, and sugar. That's shortbread. Mixing these ingredients properly yields a cookie that is slightly crisp, tender, crumbly and melts in your mouth. Beyond these three ingredients, the variations are endless. Some like traditional, plain shortbread. Others like to jazz it up with decorations and flavors. Some like it baked pale, golden or browned. Others roll the dough and cut it into myriad holiday shapes while some use a time-stained shortbread pan.
To me, shortbread means Christmas. A year doesn't go by where I don't make one (or twelve) dozen of this simple cookie. I love how it crumbles in my mouth, the layers shattering and scattering its sweetness. A little taste of chocolate, a hint of Kahlua (maybe I should add more in next year's batch). Another cookie laden with almonds and orange. Another flaked with coconut. It's hard to stop at one. And why should I? It's Christmas. I can be perfect in the New Year!
Recipe: Chocolate Kahlua Shortbread
Makes: about 30 cookies
Ingredients:
8 ounces (1/2 pound or 1 cup or 2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
½ cup sugar
2 cups flour
pinch salt
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon Kahlua
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 300°F (a low temperature).
In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. You can’t overmix at this stage!
Sift the flour and salt together onto a piece of parchment paper. This ensures the flour is lump-free and easy to transfer into the bowl.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar, mixing just until the dough comes together. If the dough feels dry, gently incorporate more room-temperature butter.
Stir in the chopped chocolate and Kahlua (or skip the Kahlua for a traditional shortbread flavor).
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, knead a couple of times to smooth the edges.
Roll the dough between sheets of wax paper to about ⅜-inch thickness and cut into your desired shapes.
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the edges are pale golden.
Tip: You can freeze the dough after rolling and cutting it into shapes. Place the cut cookies on a baking sheet to freeze, then transfer them to a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Bake directly from frozen.
Variations:
Orange and Grand Marnier:
• 1 heaping tablespoon candied orange peel, finely chopped
• zest of 1 orange, grated
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
Cappuccino:
• 1 tablespoon finely ground espresso coffee
• Dip one end of the cookie into melted chocolate
Hazelnut or Almond Orange:
• 1½ cups hazelnuts (skins removed) or almonds, toasted and processed until fine
• 1½ teaspoons finely grated orange zest
Tasting Notes The Chocolate Kahlua Shortbread offers a perfect balance of crisp, tender texture with just the right amount of sweetness. The chocolate adds richness, while the Kahlua imparts a warm, aromatic depth that makes this cookie stand out from your traditional shortbread. One bite is enough to make this cookie a holiday favorite.
The Greek Celebration Breads are sweet breads served at holiday times such as Christmas, Easter, and New Year's. This week I made the Greek Christmas Bread called Christopsomos Bread. The holiday recipes are generally made using the base "Greek Celebration Bread" and then fruit and nuts are added.
I chose to make the Christopsomos bread in part because I'm a big fan of raisin bread and hot cross buns, and also because of its curly cue appearance. Today though I was in the mood for something a little different, so I replaced the fruit with raisins and swapped walnuts out in favor of pecans. Yum!
This recipe suggests that authentic Greek spices can be used. Spices such as Mastic and Mahleb (which is extracted from Santa Lucia cherry pits) could replace all the spices found in the recipe.) Unfortunately, I couldn’t find either locally, so here is the North American version.
Recipe: Greek Celebration Bread
Makes: 1 loaf
For the Poolish:
2½ cups unbleached bread flour
1½ cups water, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
For the Dough:
1 cup poolish (not the entire poolish above)
3½ cups unbleached bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon minced orange zest
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
¼ cup honey
¼ cup olive oil
¾ cup whole milk, lukewarm
My Christopsomos Variation:
1 cup dark raisins
½ cup chopped pecans
For the Glaze:
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon orange or lemon extract
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
You can find the recipe for Greek Celebration Bread in the book The
Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread (affiliate
link). To see how the rest of the BBA (Bread Baker's Apprentice) Challenge group fared with this week's recipe, click here and then click on each blogger! I'm not listed there since the group grew to 200 (the cutoff point) too fast. I'll join in now and then, though.
Tasting Notes First of all the appearance of this bread is amazing with its Christmas cross in the center and then swirls reminiscent of the elaborate columns found in ancient Greek architecture decorated with sesame seeds and honey glaze. Appearance-wise alone, this bread would draw out a chorus of oohs and aahs if served at a big family brunch.
So, what about the taste? Sweet and delicious! The raisins fit very nicely with the complex combination of spices in this bread, which was very reminiscent of hot cross buns. In all, I really enjoyed this bread and can't wait to serve it next Christmas!
With Christmas and the flu hitting our house, I wasn't able to make the Tuesdays with Dorie Tall and Creamy Cheesecake on pages 235-237 chosen by Anne of AnneStrawberry. To see how the rest of the TWD group fared with this week's recipe, click here and then click on each blogger!
This month's challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux. They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand.
As if Christmas isn't busy enough as it is, we have a Daring Baker challenge to deeply challenge all of us. 6 layers. Molds. Different timings for each element. Assembly instructions for making the log upside down, right side up, or with two pieces of Dacquoise. 20 pages of instructions. It makes putting together the kids' Barbie Diamond Castle Dream House a piece of cake!
To see the different versions of Yule Logs or Bûche de Noël cropping up all over the food blogosphere, check out the Daring Bakers Blogroll. Thanks to Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux who hosted this month. Also thanks to Flore from Florilège Gourmand.
History Bûche de Noël means "Christmas log" and is meant to resemble a log for the fire. A popular story about the Yule Log is that Napoleon ordered everyone not to stop using their chimneys for fear that the draft was causing too many people to be sick. So instead of burning a real log in the hearth, a cake was born to draw families together. Traditionally, the cake is a moist, sponge cake that is rolled with pastry cream or buttercream. Usually, one end of the rolled cake is cut off and placed on top resembling a branch. However, this Daring Baker challenge had us make a more contemporary layered version that's molded and stored in the freezer.
Layers of Flavor If I've learned anything this past year about French cuisine, it's layering. The layering is so important to draw out all the flavors you can in a dish. And it's so true in this dessert. My Bûche de Noël contains the following layers:
The foundation of the log is the Dacquoise, which is a dainty cake layer that's basically a meringue with nuts. On top of the Dacquoise is a delicate mousse followed by a decadent crème brûlée. To add some crunch, a crisp praline layer is next followed by ganache, another layer of mousse, and finally another layer of Dacquoise. A chocolate icing wraps this whole package up. I used a ring mold (an empty can of corn) to stack my layers instead of using a mold.
Recipe: French Yule Log
You probably will want to make the elements in this order because of what you can get done while some elements are baking and given some of the prep times. This is the order I made mine in:
a) Mousse b) Creme brûlée c) Praline and Praline Feuillete (Crisp) d) Dacquoise e) Ganache f) Icing
Dark Chocolate Mousse & Vanilla Cinnamon Crème Brûlée
Praline Paste & Praline Feuillete Crisp
Almond Dacquoise & Dark Chocolate Ganache
Dark Chocolate Icing
Element #1 Dacquoise Biscuit (Almond Cake)
Preparation time: 10 mn + 15 mn for baking Equipment: 2 mixing bowls, hand or stand mixer with whisk attachment, spatula, baking pan such as a 10”x15” jelly-roll pan, parchment paper Note: You can use the Dacquoise for the bottom of your Yule Log only, or as bottom and top layers, or if using a Yule log mold (half-pipe) to line your entire mold with the biscuit. Take care to spread the Dacquoise accordingly. Try to bake the Dacquoise the same day you assemble the log to keep it as moist as possible.
Ingredients: 2.8 oz (3/4cup + 1Tbsp / 80g) almond meal 1.75 oz (1/2 cup / 50g) confectioner’s sugar 2Tbsp (15g) all-purpose flour 3.5oz (100g / ~100ml) about 3 medium egg whites 1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar
1. Finely mix the almond meal and the caster sugar. (If you have a mixer, you can use it by pulsing the ingredients together for no longer than 30 seconds). 2. Sift the flour into the mix. 3. Beat the egg whites, gradually adding the granulated sugar until stiff. 4. Pour the almond meal mixture into the egg whites and blend delicately with a spatula. 5. Grease a piece of parchment paper and line your baking pan with it. 6. Spread the batter on a piece of parchment paper to an area slightly larger than your desired shape (circle, long strip, etc...) and to a height of 1/3 inch (8mm). 7. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for approximately 15 minutes (depending on your oven), until golden. 8. Let cool and cut to the desired shape.
Element #2 Dark Chocolate Mousse
Preparation time: 20mn Equipment: stand or hand mixer with whisk attachment, thermometer, double boiler or equivalent, spatula Note: You will see that a Pate a Bombe is mentioned in this recipe. A Pate a Bombe is a term used for egg yolks beaten with a sugar syrup and then aerated. It is the base used for many mousse and buttercream recipes. It makes mousses and buttercreams more stable, particularly if they are to be frozen so that they do not melt as quickly or collapse under the weight of heavier items such as the crème brulee insert.
Ingredients: 2.5 sheets gelatin or 5g / 1+1/4 tsp powdered gelatin 1.5 oz (3 Tbsp / 40g) granulated sugar 1 ½ tsp (10g) glucose or thick corn syrup 0.5 oz (15g) water 50g egg yolks (about 3 medium) 6.2 oz (175g) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped 1.5 cups (350g) heavy cream (35% fat content)
1. Soften the gelatin in cold water. (If using powdered gelatin, follow the directions on the package.) 2. Make a Pate a Bombe: Beat the egg yolks until very light in colour (approximately 5 minutes until almost white). 2a. Cook the sugar, glucose syrup, and water on medium heat for approximately 3 minutes (if you have a candy thermometer, the mixture should reach 244°F (118°C). If you do not have a candy thermometer, test the sugar temperature by dipping the tip of a knife into the syrup and then into a bowl of ice water, if it forms a soft ball in the water then you have reached the correct temperature. 2b. Add the sugar syrup to the beaten yolks carefully by pouring it into the mixture in a thin stream while continuing to beat the yolks. You can do this by hand but it’s easier to do this with an electric mixer. 2c. Continue beating until cool (approximately 5 minutes). The batter should become thick and foamy. 3. In a double boiler (or one small saucepan in a larger one), heat 2 tablespoons (30g) of cream to boiling. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. 4. Whip the rest of the cream until stiff. 5. Pour the melted chocolate over the softened gelatin, mixing well. Let the gelatin and chocolate cool slightly and then stir in ½ cup (100g) of WHIPPED cream to temper. Add the Pate a Bombe. 6. Add in the rest of the whipped cream (220g) mixing gently with a spatula.
Element #3 Dark Chocolate Ganache Insert
Preparation time: 10mn Equipment: pan, whisk. If you have a plunging mixer it comes in handy. Note: Because the ganache hardens as it cools, you should make it right before you intend to use it to facilitate piping it onto the log during assembly. Please be careful when caramelizing the sugar and then adding the cream. It may splatter and boil.
Ingredients: 1.75 oz (4 Tbsp / 50g) granulated sugar 4.5oz (2/3 cup – 1 Tbsp/ 135g) heavy cream (35% fat content) 5 oz (135g) dark chocolate, finely chopped 3Tbsp + 1/2tsp (45g) unsalted butter softened
1. Make a caramel: Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small saucepan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to a dark amber color (for most of you that means darker than last month’s challenge). 2. While the sugar is melting, heat the cream until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil. 3. Pour the hot caramel-milk mixture over the dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth. 4. Add the softened butter and whip hard and fast (if you have a plunging mixer use it). The chocolate should be smooth and shiny.
Element #4 Praline Feuillete (Crisp) Insert
Preparation time: 10 mn (+ optional 15mn if you make lace crepes) Equipment: Small saucepan, baking sheet (if you make lace crepes). Double boiler (or one small saucepan in another), wax paper, rolling pin (or use an empty bottle of olive oil). Note: Feuillete means layered (as in with leaves) so a Praline Feuillete is a Praline version of a delicate crisp. There are non-praline variations below. The crunch in this crisp comes from an ingredient which is called gavottes in French. Gavottes are lace-thin crepes. To our knowledge they are not available outside of France, so you have the option of making your own using the recipe below or you can simply substitute rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K for them. If you do substitute cereal you should use half of the stated quantity, so 1 oz of cereal. If you want to make your own praline, please refer back to the Daring Baker Challenge Recipe from July 2008 over at Mele Cotte.
To make 2.1oz / 60g of gavottes (lace crepes - recipe by Ferich Mounia): 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk 2/3 Tbsp (8g) unsalted butter 1/3 cup – 2tsp (35g) all-purpose flour 1 Tbsp / 0.5 oz (15g) beaten egg 1 tsp (3.5g) granulated sugar ½ tsp vegetable oil 1. Heat the milk and butter together until the butter is completely melted. Remove from the heat. 2. Sift flour into milk-butter mixture while beating, add egg and granulated sugar. Make sure there are no lumps. 3. Grease a baking sheet and spread the batter thinly over it. 4. Bake at 430°F (220°C) for a few minutes until the crepe is golden and crispy. Let cool.
Ingredients for the Praline Feuillete: 3.5 oz (100g) milk chocolate 1 2/3 Tbsp (25g) butter 2 Tbsp (1 oz / 30g) praline 2.1oz (60g) lace crepes(gavottes) or rice krispies or corn flakes or Special K
1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. 2. Add the praline and the coarsely crushed lace crepes. Mix quickly to thoroughly coat with the chocolate. 3. Spread between two sheets of wax paper to a size slightly larger than your desired shape. Refrigerate until hard.
Element #5 Vanilla Crème Brulée Insert
Preparation time: 15mn + 1h infusing + 1h baking Equipment: Small saucepan, mixing bowl, baking mold, wax paper Note: The vanilla crème brulée can be flavored differently by simply replacing the vanilla with something else e.g. cardamom, lavender, etc...
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (115g) heavy cream (35% fat content) ½ cup (115g) whole milk 4 medium-sized (72g) egg yolks 0.75 oz (2 Tbsp / 25g) granulated sugar 1 vanilla bean
1. Heat the milk, cream, and scraped vanilla bean to just boiling. Remove from the stove and let the vanilla infuse for about 1 hour. 2. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks (but do not beat until white). 3. Pour the vanilla-infused milk over the sugar/yolk mixture. Mix well. 4. Wipe with a very wet cloth and then cover your baking mold (whatever shape is going to fit on the inside of your Yule log/cake) with parchment paper. Pour the cream into the mold and bake at 210°F (100°C) for about 1 hour or until firm on the edges and slightly wobbly in the center. Tartelette says: You can bake it without a water bath since it is going to go inside the log (the aesthetics of it won't matter as much since it will be covered with other things)....But I would recommend a water bath for the following reasons: - you will get a much nicer mouth feel when it is done - you will be able to control its baking point and desired consistency much better - it bakes for such a long time that I fear it will get overdone without a water bath Now...since it is baked in a pan and it is sometimes difficult to find another large pan to set it in for a water bath, even a small amount of water in your water bath will help the heat be distributed evenly in the baking process. Even as little as 1 inch will help. 5. Let cool and put in the freezer for at least 1 hour to firm up and facilitate the final assembly.
Element #6 Dark Chocolate Icing
Preparation time: 25 minutes (10mn if you don’t count softening the gelatin) Equipment: Small bowl, small saucepan Note: Because the icing gels quickly, you should make it at the last minute.
Ingredients: 4g / ½ Tbsp powdered gelatin or 2 sheets of gelatin ¼ cup (60g) heavy cream (35 % fat content) 2.1 oz (5 Tbsp / 60g) granulated sugar ¼ cup (50g) water 1/3 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1. Soften the gelatin in cold water for 15 minutes. 2. Boil the rest of the ingredients and cook an additional 3 minutes after boiling. 3. Add gelatin to the chocolate mixture. Mix well. 4. Let cool while checking the texture regularly. As soon as the mixture is smooth and coats a spoon well (it is starting to gelify), use immediately.
How To Assemble Your French Yule Log
THIS IS FOR UNMOLDING FROM UPSIDE DOWN TO RIGHT SIDE UP. You will want to tap your mold gently on the countertop each time you pipe mousse in to get rid of any air bubbles.
1) Line your mold or pan, whatever its shape, with rhodoid (clear hard plastic, I usually use transparencies cut to the desired shape, it’s easier to find than cellulose acetate which is what rhodoid translates to in English) OR saran wrap or cling film. Rhodoid will give you a smoother shape but you may have a hard time using it depending on the kind of mold you’re using.
You have two choices for Step 2, you can either have Dacquoise on the top and bottom of your log as in version A or you can have Dacquoise simply on the bottom of your log as in version B:
2A) Cut the Dacquoise into a shape fitting your mold and set it in there. If you are using an actual Yule mold which is in the shape of a half-pipe, you want the Dacquoise to cover the entire half-pipe portion of the mold. 3A) Pipe one-third of the Mousse component on the Dacquoise. 4A) Take the Creme Brulee Insert out of the freezer at the last minute and set it on top of the mousse. Press down gently to slightly ensconce it in the mousse. 5A) Pipe the second third of the Mousse component around and on top of the Creme Brulee Insert. 6A) Cut the Praline/Crisp Insert to a size slightly smaller than your mold so that it can be surrounded by mousse. Lay it on top of the mousse you just piped into the mold. 7A) Pipe the last third of the Mousse component on top of the Praline Insert. 8A) Freeze for a few hours to set. Take it out of the freezer. 9A) Pipe the Ganache Insert onto the frozen mousse leaving a slight edge so that the ganache doesn’t seep out when you set the Dacquoise on top. 10A) Close with the last strip of Dacquoise. Freeze until the next day.
OR
2B) Pipe one-third of the Mousse component into the mold. 3B) Take the Creme Brulee Insert out of the freezer at the last minute and set on top of the mousse. Press down gently to slightly ensconce it in the mousse. 4B) Pipe the second third of the Mousse component around and on top of the Creme Brulee Insert. 5B) Cut the Praline/Crisp Insert to a size slightly smaller than your mold so that it can be surrounded by mousse. Lay it on top of the mousse you just piped into the mold. 6B) Pipe the last third of the Mousse component on top of the Praline Insert. 7B) Freeze for a few hours to set. Take it out of the freezer. 8B) Pipe the Ganache Insert onto the frozen mousse leaving a slight edge so that the ganache doesn’t seep out when you set the Dacquoise on top. 9B) Close with the Dacquoise. Freeze until the next day.
If you are doing the assembly UPSIDE DOWN with TWO pieces of Dacquoise the order is: 1) Dacquoise 2) Mousse 3) Creme Brulee Insert 4) Mousse 5) Praline/Crisp Insert 6) Mousse 7) Ganache Insert 8) Dacquoise
If you are doing the assembly UPSIDE DOWN with ONE piece of Dacquoise on the BOTTOM ONLY the order is: 1) Mousse 2) Creme Brulee Insert 3) Mousse 4) Praline/Crisp Insert 5) Mousse 6) Ganache Insert 7) Dacquoise
THE NEXT DAY... Unmold the log and set it on a wire rack over a shallow pan. Cover the log with the icing. Let set. Return to the freezer. You may decorate your cake however you wish. The decorations can be set in the icing after it sets but before you return the cake to the freezer or you may attach them on top using extra ganache or leftover mousse, etc... Transfer to the refrigerator no longer than ½ hour before serving as it may start to melt quickly depending on the elements you choose.
Tasting Notes I actually haven't had a chance to taste this yet, but we're planning to eat it for dessert at New Year's. I will keep you posted!
"It's not something that I sell. It’s a pain for me to make. It’s something special. I go out of my way to make that." — Jacques Torres
He's right about that — it's definitely a pain to make. But it should be worth it! Happy New Year everyone!
Gingerbread Cookie Cups - A Fun Holiday TreatEvery year starting December 1st, I prepare daily Advent boxes for the kids. I bought a little box from the dollar store for each of them and glued a small piece of chalkboard paper to the top to countdown the days. I fill their boxes each day with a little treat, usually a piece of candy like a lollypop or a chocolate. My youngest reminds me everyday about the Advent boxes, and today as I was writing "4" on the top of each box, I was amazed at how close Christmas is and how quickly this time goes by.
Lately, I've been enamored with little edible liqueur or candy cups. I even found some peppermint candy cane cups this year. When I was making gingerbread cookies earlier this week, I thought I'd try turning some of the dough into cups for holding eggnog or Baileys. So instead of dipping your cookie in milk, you can pour some milk into your cookie!
Tip: You must make the bottom of the shot glass cookie thick so that the beverage doesn't seep out. Of course, the cookie will disintegrate the longer the drink sits in the cookie so it's best to serve the cookie from frozen and drink it soon after pouring.
6 cups (about) flour 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1½ teaspoons ground cloves ¾ teaspoon salt 11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature 2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening 1 cup sugar 1 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses 1½ teaspoons grated lemon peel 1 large egg ¼ cup buttermilk 2 teaspoons water 1 teaspoon soda
Instructions:
Whisk 5¼ cups flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a bowl.
Using a stand mixer, blend the butter and shortening. Add sugar, molasses, and lemon peel and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and buttermilk.
Blend 2 teaspoons water with soda. Beat into butter mixture. In two additions, beat in the flour mixture. Add more flour, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough feels slightly firm.
Divide the dough into three equal disks. Wrap them and chill until firm enough to roll at least 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Soften slightly before rolling out.)
Roll out one disk of dough at a time, between sheets of waxed. Either cut the dough using boy and girl gingerbread cookie cutters (or another shape) or press the dough into a heat-resistant shot glass or silicon shot glasses. Chill the dough again before baking. (Cutout cookies can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, turning the pan halfway through the baking time.
If you made shot glasses, once the cookies have cooled, put them in the freezer. After they have frozen, remove them from the shot glasses. You may have to trim the bottom so that it sits level. Store them in the freezer until ready to fill with your beverage of choice.
Santa and Snowman Milkshakes - A Festive Holiday Treat
If you're looking for Whisk Wednesdays, we're taking a break for Christmas and won't be posting a new recipe until the New Year!
At Halloween, the ghost milkshakes were such a hit that we thought we'd do it again at Christmas but this time try making Santa and a Snowman. One of my daughters had fun making these with me, but during the photo shoot was getting impatient because she wanted to try the milkshake and the whipped cream kept melting and dripping causing the candies to fall. She won, and I gave up on getting a better picture. Fun and delicious and quite possibly a new Christmas tradition at our house!
Recipe: Santa and Snowman Milkshakes
Ingredients:
For Santa's belt or Snowman's buttons: 4 tablespoons chocolate chips (we used semi-sweet, but you could use bittersweet or milk chocolate)
For the Milkshake: 2 cups vanilla ice cream (our favorite brand is Häagen-Dazs) 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla Raspberries or strawberries for Santa Whipped Cream (homemade is our favorite, but we used chocolate whipped cream from a can for this version)
For the Whipped Cream: 1 cup heavy cream 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla Red food coloring for Santa
Instructions:
For the belt or buttons: Melt the chocolate either in a double-boiler or in the microwave. With a toothpick or paintbrush, paint a ghost face on the inside of a clear glass. Put the glass in the freezer while you make the milkshake and whipped cream.
For the milkshake: In a blender, combine ice cream, milk and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth. For the whipped cream: Whip cream until almost stiff. Add sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Beat until cream holds peaks. Put into a piping bag. (I have a Whipped Cream Dispenser which makes making and piping whipped cream easy.
Take the glass out of the freezer. Fill with the milkshake. Top with the whipped cream. Serve with a spoon and a straw.
Buttery Jam Cookies - A Perfect Holiday TreatThese cookies are a cross between a biscuit and a cookie. The jam part of the equation is from the jam that's in the batter. But by adding a bit of extra homemade cinnamon crabapple jelly after baking, they transformed from cookie to breakfast treat without [any] guilt. The hint of ginger in them is nice, and maybe a few more spices like nutmeg, allspice or cardamom would be even tastier next time.
A few of us on Twitter were talking about the differences between muffins and cupcakes. One you eat before 11 am and the other after 11 am. One without buttercream frosting before 11 am and the other with frosting after 11 am. These cookies are another treat you can justify before 11 am if you add the jam or jelly and think of them as scones or biscuits instead of cookies!
I sprinkled some of the cookies with cinnamon sugar ("toast dope"). I also tried baking them in a madeleine pan, but they were too cakey for my liking. I even tried forming them into a heart surrounded by two candy canes. Cute and tasty but not so pretty. My favorite version was sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and a dollop of homemade jam (or in my case, homemade crabapple cinnamon jelly).
Recipe: Buttery Jam Cookies
Makes: about 45 cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup apricot jam (or your flavor of choice)
You can find the recipe for Buttery Jam Cookies in the book Baking:
From My Home to Yours (affiliate link) by Dorie Greenspan or here. To see how the rest of the TWD group fared with this week's recipe, click here and then click on each blogger!
Tasting Notes These cookies are a perfect little breakfast treat! They are easy drop cookies that don't spread much during baking. I could also see them as a base for thumbprint-style cookies. They're an all around easy cookie for your holiday cookie line-up.
Other pretty Buttery Jam Cookies I found this week (before the onslaught of 300+ TWD bakers): • Nemmie from Cast Sugar also made some beautiful piped versions
Peanut Butter Bars - Two Delicious VersionsThese are a favorite around our house at Christmas. What could be better than peanut butter and chocolate? I have two versions of this recipe. Both are good, and I will devour either one if it’s sitting in front of me, but my favorite version is Recipe #1. The second recipe contains oatmeal in the base, which gives it a nice chew (or crunch if you over-bake them).
Recipe 1: Peanut Butter Bars
Makes: one 13x9 pan
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar 1 cup dark corn syrup 16-24 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (depends how much chocolate you like on top) 1½ cups peanut butter (either smooth or crunchy works) 6 cups Special K cereal
Instructions:
Cook sugar and syrup until bubbling. Add peanut butter. Stir until melted. Pour over Special K cereal. Spread over a large cookie sheet (I use a 17x12 inch size pan). Melt chocolate chips and spread over mixture. Chill in the refrigerator.
For a twist, I saved the insert of a chocolate box and pushed the Special K mixture into it. Then, I used a freezer bag to pipe the chocolate on top. After chilling in the refrigerator, they popped out of the mold easily. These bars are great frozen (and taste pretty good frozen too if you can’t wait for them to thaw).
Recipe 2: Peanut Butter Bars
Makes: one 13x9 pan
Ingredients:
2/3 cup unsalted butter 1 cup brown sugar ½ cup light corn syrup 1 tablespoon vanilla 4 cups quick cooking rolled oats, uncooked 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips 2/3 cup peanut butter (either smooth or crunchy works)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 13x9 pan.
Cream butter and blend in sugar. Add corn syrup and vanilla. Stir in oats. Spread into pan. Bake 15 minutes. (Don't bake the base any longer, even though bars may not look cooked.) Let coll. Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in a double boiler or slowly in the microwave. Spread over baked oat mixture. Refrigerate until chilled. Cut into bars.
Brownies - A Classic Recipe with a Candy Cane TwistOne of my daughters had a bake sale at school today to raise money to adopt an endangered animal. I pulled out my trusty brownie recipe and popped a candy cane in each mini cupcake.
Today I'm going to hit a milestone: 100,000 visitors. If you happen to land on this page, and the StatCounter at the bottom of this page shows 100,000, please make sure to leave a comment, so that I can contact you to send you a little something as a thank you for being my 100,000th visitor! Thanks for dropping by!
UPDATE: This morning, Dan from Ohio sent me an email to say he was the 100,000th visitor. Thanks for contacting me, Dan! I will be sending along a little thank you to you in the New Year! Thanks to everyone for visiting my blog and making this a great year for me!
Recipe: Brownies
Makes: 1 8x8 pan or 2 dozen minis
v½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 eggs ½ cup flour 1/3 cup cocoa ¼ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt Nuts (optional)
Instructions
Heat oven to 350˚F. Grease a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add eggs, and beat well. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to egg mixture, beating until blended. Stir in nuts, if desired.
Fill a piping bag (or freezer bag), and fill the mini muffin cups. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Brownie Frosting 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons cocoa 1 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey ½ teaspoon vanilla 1 cup powdered sugar 1-2 tablespoons milk
Grandma’s All-Occasion Sugar Cookies - Classic Cutout Cookie RecipeMore cutout cookies this week. This time we're making sugar cookies. I find the hardest part about sugar cookies is decorating them!
A video Here's a video that gives lots of ideas for decorating sugar cookies.
Or, just sprinkle some colored sugar on top (like I did)!
A television show I also watched Alton Brown's "The Cookie Clause" episode.
Recipe: Grandma’s All-Occasion Sugar Cookies
Dorie's
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Dirty Sugar Cookies
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup of shortening (or 2 sticks of butter)
1¼ cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
You can find the recipe for Grandma’s All-Occasion Sugar Cookies in the book Baking:
From My Home to Yours (affiliate link) by Dorie Greenspan or here. To see how the rest of the TWD group fared with this week's recipe, click here and then click on each blogger! Thanks to Ulrike of Küchenlatein who chose the recipe for this week and will post the recipe.
Tasting Notes Mine were crunchy, which is how I like them. Not doughy. If you like them nice and soft, roll them thicker or bake them less. Sugar cookies on their own are dull, so a sprinkle of sugar or some Caramelized Butter Frosting helps. A sprinkle of "toast dope" (cinnamon sugar) is nice too and transforms them into a cookie more similar to snickerdoodles.
Recipe for Next Week (December 16) Buttery Jam Cookies on page 80.
White Chocolate Cranberry Coconut Bark - Easy Holiday TreatI've made this white chocolate bark many times. Sometimes I'll use pistachios or almonds instead of the pecans. The trick is to use the best quality white chocolate you can since cheaper white chocolate doesn't melt as well.
To form little nests of bark, I used a plastic mold that my granny smith apples came in when I bought them at Costco. Instead of throwing the plastic into the garbage, I thought it would make a great mold for Christmas bark. I was inspired by Holly from Phemomenon who used a plastic mold to make a peanut butter bar earlier this year.
Recipe: White Chocolate Cranberry Coconut Bark
Makes: 9 large clusters
Ingredients:
6 ounces white chocolate, chopped ½ cup dried sweetened dried cranberries 1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (or other nuts) 2 tablespoons coconut, toasted ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Instructions:
Melt the 3 ounces white chocolate over a double-boiler of simmering water or slowly in the microwave. Stir until the chocolate is smooth. Add the cranberries, pecans, coconut, and almond extract.
Drop onto waxed paper or use a mold.
Melt the remaining 3 ounces white chocolate and drizzle in a crisscross pattern using a piping bag.
Refrigerate or freeze until firm.
Store in an airtight container. Can be stored in the refrigerator for several months.
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