For Extra Yolks: Sugar Cookies with Egg Yolk Only

I love holiday cookies! But you know what I don't love? Recipes that call for only one part of the egg, like the tuiles I made for Colavita or the holiday tree meringues I made for Craftsy. Don't get me wrong--love the cookies. But those extraneous egg yolks TORTURE me. Like, I feel for a few minutes that it is my mission to make use of those yolks, make sure those eggs weren't cracked in vain. 

Happily, this recipe made use of not one, not two, but THREE of those egg yolks lying in wait. That in itself was an accomplishment, but can you imagine my pleasure when they tasted just lovely? Because that they are. I made a few edits to the recipe I found (you will have to forgive me, I forget where) subbing part whole wheat flour (because I like it), omitting the lemon zest (I just didn't have it) and adding a little more salt. I also added some cinnamon and nutmeg on top of some of the cookies, which made them smell and taste like the holidays.

Somewhat crunchy but with a little "chew" in the middle, these cookies are maybe not a showstopper, but they are a quotidian delight. 

Egg Yolk Only Sugar Cookies

Makes 48 or so

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2/4 teaspoon salt (I like salt - if you like less salt, add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp)
• 2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 egg yolks

 Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Thoroughly stir together first three ingredients. If you have time, sift them. I didn’t and the cookies turned out fine. Stir in the salt.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the vanilla, then one by one, beat in the egg yolks.
4. Slowly stir in the flour mixture. Mix well.
5. Form into 1 inch balls and place balls about 2 inches apart on a non-stick or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies start to brown around the edges. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Do you have go-to recipes for extra egg yolks?

Easy Homemade Naan Bread

I love Indian food. But I'd be lying if I tried to tell you that I was more excited about chicken tikka masala or vegetables jafrezi than I was about the naan.

I'm all about the naan.

Naan is an ideal vehicle for eating: it's puffy and substantial, yet not so filling that it keeps you from enjoying the other parts of the meal. It's not wimpy, like pita bread (no offense). It's substantial. It's griddled with butter. I love it. 

And as I now know, you can make this magic at home. I have seen a lot of naan recipes which require baking powder, but I find it far easier to work with just yeast. I prefer my naan made with whole wheat flour, not only for health, but for flavor: I am addicted to that lightly nutty, fascinating flavor which it imparts on the carbohydrate discs. 

This bread is freaking awesome. I've used it for everything from making flatbread pizzas to serving eggs for breakfast. I hope it will bring you as much joy as it has brought me!

Easy homemade naan bread

• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 2-4 tablespoons warm water 
• 1 packet active dry yeast (0.25 ounces)
• 1/2 cup plain full fat greek yogurt
• 2 cups whole wheat flour (can substitute all purpose flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• melted butter, for the griddle

Procedure

1. Combine the milk and 2 tablespoons of water. Add the active dry yeast. Give it a moment to start bubbling lightly, and add the yogurt, flour, and salt. Mix until it comes together into a cohesive mixture. If needed, add the remaining water.
2. Roll the dough into a ball. Place it in an oiled bowl, cover with a towel, and leave it at room temperature to rise for an hour to an hour and a half. 
3. Gently deflate the dough, and remove it from the bowl. Divide it into 8 equal portions.
4. Roll each portion into a circle, approximately 5 inches in diameter.
5. Fire up a skillet larger than the bread and generously butter it. Once sizzling, place a round of bread on top. Once it begins to bubble on the surface, flip it and cook slightly less time than the first side. Using tongs, remove and place on a plate. Continue buttering the grilling surface before adding each new round of bread.

Do you love naan bread?

Sweet Treats for the Holidays Blog Tour: Hot Cocoa Marshmallow Cookies

Guess what? I'm part of the blog tour for a fantastic new book by my friend Norene Cox.

The book is entitled Sweet Treats for the Holidays: Edible Creations for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and More, and I need to tell you: it is adorable.

In its pages, you'll find tutorials for such crafty holiday-themed sweets as these:

and these.

And I'll share the recipe from the top of the post--how cute is that??

Be sure to check out the other stops for the blog tour as seen below:

November 28: The Purple Pug
November 29: Fizzy Party
November 30: Log House Foods
December 1: My Cake School
December 2: Party Wagon
December 3: Catch My Party
December 4: Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons
December 5: Bird’s Party
December 6: Momstart
December 7: The Things I Love Most
December 8: Cakespy
December 9: Simple Fare, Fairly Simple • Readalot • Author’s Hideaway
December 10: The Marshmallow Studio • Babs Book Bistro
December 11: Creative Juice

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup white candy coating
• 4 mini candy canes
• 4 jumbo marshmallows
• 1 (16-ounce) can chocolate frosting
• 12 jet-puffed mallow bits
• 1 7-ounce pouch stor bought white cookie icing
• 4 store bought tea cookies 
• 40 small tree sprinkles
• 4 large tree sprinkles

Procedure

1. Melt the candy coating in a small microwave-safe bowl according to the package instructions. 
2. Cut a candy cane at the curve. Dip the ends into the melted candy coating and push them into the side of the marshmallow. Hold it in place until it hardens and is secure.
3. Using a small knife, spread a small amount of chocolate frosting on top of a marshmallow, leaving a small rim. Top with 3 mallow bits.
4. Frost a cookie with white icing. Place the marshmallow in the middle of the cookie.
5. Place 10 small tree sprinkles around the perimeter of the cookie.
6. Attache a large tree sprinkle to the front of the marshmallow using the candy coating.

I Love H: Award-Winning H-Bars Recipe

I love love.

I also love cookies.

And furthermore, I adore a good story.

Naturally, I gravitated toward this recipe, since it combines all of the above in one tasty form. Adding to its intrigue was the fact that is was an award-winner: these bars are featured in the new book Holiday Cookies: Prize-Winning Family Recipes from the Chicago Tribune for Cookies, Bars, Brownies and More. 

These so-called "H-Bars" have a mysterious story: 

Victoria Weisenberg won first place in 2012 for this recip and her tale of using them to woo "a very special man". Weisenberg created the recipe as a Hanukkah give for her former beau and said the "H" stands for the first letter of his first name, though she opted to leave that name a mystery.

This story is what intrigued me about the bars, which I might have otherwise passed over owing to the fact that they are made with a raisin filling. This t-shirt design sums up my thoughts on raisins in cookies:

Luckily (great timing!) I just received a package from the California Dried Plum Board (no, really). It didn't take me long to decide to swap the prunes for the raisins. I'm glad I did: they add a wonderful moisture and mellow flavor to the bars. 

Yes, really.

The only other thing I did differently is I baked the bars in a loaf pan rather than the size specified in the recipe. Doing such, I had to increase the bake time by about 5 minutes. I have left the instructions intact though; if you want to make them look like mine, use a loaf pan, increase the bake time, and slice into fingers instead of bars. 

Award-winning H-Bars

• Yield: 20 bars
• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Bake time: 37 to 40 minutes per batch

Shortbread base:

• 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar

Middle layer

• ⅓ cup flour
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 4 ounces chopped dried plums (original recipe calls for ⅔ cup golden raisins)

Topping:

• ½ cup flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• ½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted
• butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Icing (I omitted this)

• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1½–2 tablespoons milk
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla

Procedure

1. Grease or coat with cooking spray a 7½-by-11-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 325 degrees.

2. For the shortbread, combine butter, flour and granulated sugar in a medium bowl until crumbly. Pack into the prepared pan; bake, 15 minutes.

3. For raisin layer, stir together flour with the baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. In another bowl, beat brown sugar, eggs and vanilla together until blended. Stir in dry ingredients and dried plum bits. Pour over the baked shortbread layer.

4. For the topping, combine ingredients in a bowl until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the middle layer. Bake, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool.

5. For the icing, combine confectioners’ sugar, 1½ tablespoons milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Add more milk, if needed, until you get a smooth, easy-to drizzle mixture. Drizzle over the top. Cut into 20 bars.

Food processor method: You do not have to wash the bowl of the processor between steps. Combine ingredients for the bottom layer with a few pulses until crumbly. Pack in pan. Bake as above. Prepare topping in the processor in the same way. Place in a bowl and set aside. Then, place brown sugar, eggs and vanilla in processor bowl and process until blended. Add dry ingredients and pulse a few times. Stir in raisins. Continue as above.

Do you like raisins in baked goods?

What Type of Chocolate Should I Use in My Baking?

What type of chocolate should I use in my recipe? Well, depends on what you're baking. I've written up a helpful guide to the different types of chocolate and their best uses in baking. Read more.

Cake Mix Bonbon Cookies

You'd never guess cake mix is the key ingredient of these pleasant little cookies. Vaguely shortbread-y, I made mine with peppermint extract for the holidays, but I'm putting vanilla for more everday use. 

I made these because I had a spare box of cake mix lying around (you know, food blogger problems) but was pleasantly surprised. I even included them on a few cookie samplers.

Enjoy!

Cake Mix Bonbon Cookies

Makes 30-40 cookies depending on size

• 1 box cake mix (I used Immaculate Baking Yellow Cake Mix)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (or peppermint around the holidays)
• 3-4 ounces of dark or milk chocolate (3 ounces = delicate drizzle; 4 ounces = more generous icing like pictured)

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). In large bowl, mix cake mix, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs with spoon until dough forms. It will be a somewhat crumbly dough.
2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, Place balls 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. 
4. Make the chocolate topping. Melt 3-4 ounces of chocolate, and drizzle on top of each cookie. 

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

Learn how to make a DIY paint by numbers painting! I made one of a cupcake to illustrate the easy and fun technique. (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Which recipe won the million dollar prize at the Pillsbury Bake-Off? (Find out here)

Easy acorn doughnut holes. TOO CUTE! (A Taste of Madness)

Paris-Brest. No, I am not catcalling you. (Lavender and Lime)

Homemade brownie mix in a jar. Gift idea alert! (The Perfect Brownie)

What is cornstarch and what does it do in baking? (CakeSpy)

Is pure vanilla worth the price? (The Kitchn)

Gingerbread pancakes. Frosting tree. You've gotta see it! (Brooklyn Farm Girl)

Buttermilk chess pie! (Love and Olive Oil)

What's the best type of chocolate for baking? Here's a guide. (CakeSpy for Craftsy)

Carb-o-licious: homemade apple cinnamon bagels. (Heather's French Press)

Desserts that are ORANGE. (CakeSpy Shop)

I wish I had thought of this first: speculoos and pumpkin spice oreo "lasagne" (Spiffy Cookie)

IN LOVE: Baking in Miniature. Thanks Pam for the lead! (Baking in Miniature)

Painted holiday cookies. (Jelly Toast Blog)

Ever heard of "Buddha's Hand"? (Food on Fifth)

Book of the week: The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook: Cookies, Cakes, Candies, and More. Because...well, COOKIE DOUGH. Recipes to enjoy it in more ways than you'd ever dreamed!

Red Velvet Cake with Chocolate Ganache Filling

Have you ever found yourself eating red velvet cake and thinking "hmm, isn't this cake supposed to have some chocolate in it?". I certainly have. While the cake does in fact contain cocoa, it's delicate, and can easily be overshadowed by the rich cream cheese frosting which typically covers the cake.

This red velvet cake brings chocolate back with a sweet surprise: in addition to the rich cream cheese frosting used to cover it on the top and sides, it has a deliciously decadent chocolate ganache filling, too. The ganache brings out the cocoa-scented flavor of the cake, and it works in sweet harmony with the cream cheese. It's a beautiful way to unify the flavors of red velvet. 

No, it's not traditional; no, I'm not sorry. Because this cake tastes great. 

Red Velvet Cake with Ganache Filling

Makes 1 9-inch cake

For the cake

• 2 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (not dutch-process), sifted
• 1 teaspoon concentrated gel food coloring
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water
• 2 ¼ cups cake flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar

Note: this recipe has been adjusted for high altitude by reducing the sugar by ¼ cup and by increasing the buttermilk by 2 tablespoons. 

Ganache filling 

• 1/2 pound good quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• pinch salt 

Cream cheese frosting 

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 8 ounces (1 cup) cream cheese, softened (do not use low-fat)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar

 Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease, flour, and line with parchment 2 8-inch round cake pans.
2. In a small bowl, combine the sifted cocoa, food coloring, and water. Mix together until it forms a thick but lump-free paste. Set to the side.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour and salt. Give them a stir to combine; set to the side.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar. Mix on medium-high speed for 3 minutes; the mixture should be fluffy.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl with each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in the coloring mix.
6. Add the flour alternately with the buttermilk, mixing on low speed and scraping the bowl after each addition.
7. Now, gear yourself up to move quickly for a few minutes. Don’t be tempted to pick up the phone or take a bathroom break.
8. In a ½ cup size bowl or larger, combine the baking soda and vinegar (it will bubble up--don’t panic, that’s why you used the size cup you did to mix) and add it immediately to the batter. Mix until combined.
9. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans, and put in the oven.
10. Bake for 25 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife along the edges of the pan to loosen the edges, and turn the cakes out on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. If the cakes have formed domes, level using a serrated knife.
12. Make the ganache. In a saucepan, heat the cream on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to discourage scorching on the bottom of the pan. Bring it just barely to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, remove from heat immediately. Pour on top of the chocolate. Using a wire whisk, mix the chocolate and cream together until they have become smooth, and the chocolate has melted into the cream. It will be the consistency of a thick hot fudge sauce. Stir in the salt, mixing until smooth. Wait until it has come to room temperature (it will solidify more) before using to fill the cake. 
13. Make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter until very smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Add the confectioners' sugar one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition and pausing to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. You may not add all of the confectioners' sugar.
14. Assemble the cake. Place one of the layers with the flattest side up on a serving platter. Coat it generously with a thick layer of ganache. You might not use all of the ganache, but if you have extra I don't think this is a bad thing for your life and snacking for the next day or two. Place the second layer on top, flattest side up again. Now, cover all over with that tasty cream cheese frosting. You might want to apply a crumb coat, but it is not necessary. Do, however, cover the cake very generously.
15. Store in the refrigerator, but serve at room temperature. 

 Do you like Red Velvet cake?

Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Are you ever haunted by the memory of Christmas cookies past? 

I am. Let me tell you about it.

When I was young, there were two cookies in particular which I treasured above the others. They were chocolate chip pistachio cookies (recipe here) and chocolate cherry cookies.

While my mom was happy to hand over the pistachio recipe, she claims a cloudy memory about the chocolate cherry variety. What? They were the best!

I'll tell you about them, and maybe you know of something similar: a chewy yet slightly crumbly chocolate cookie with a cherry pressed inside, and a chocolate ganache type topping, baked right into the top of the cookie. 

I loved those cookies so hard.

This recipe, while not the same as those cookies in my memory, came out awfully good. They have the same flavor combination, and I made them with some Montmorency cherries from Stoneridge Orchards which were recently sent to me in the mail. They have a perfect, shortbread-meets sugar cookie texture base, and the cherry inside works very nicely with the chocolate, giving it an almost almond-y flavor. The chocolate topping bakes up fudge-like, and is extremely pleasant and if not gooey, then it adds a moist element to the cookie.

The candies are mainly for show, but I learned pretty quickly to not display two of them side by side, because, well, boobs. Well, OK, do it--it might make you laugh.

Chocolate cherry cookies

Makes 24

Very loosely based on this recipe 

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg yolk
• 1-1/2cups all purpose flour
• pinch salt
• 1/4cup unsweetened baking cocoa
• 24 dried cherries

For the topping

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup chocoalte morsels
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 24 cinnamon candies, for garnish

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In large bowl, beat the sugars, 1 cup butter and the vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg yolk until smooth. Beat in flour, salt, and cocoa.
3. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into 1-inch balls. Press a cherry on top of each cookie, and ease the dough around to cover it.
4. On ungreased cookie sheet, place balls 1 inch apart. With index finger or thumb, make indentation in center of each ball. It might feel a little awkward because of the cherry inside, but I promise, you'll be OK.
5. Make the topping. Combine the chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 20-second increments until melty. It will look ugly. Stir in the confectioners' sugar; as it mixes it will become less ugly.
6. Top each cookie with a dollop of the chocolate mixture, and place a cinnamon candy on top of each.
7. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

What's your favorite holiday cookie?

Dear Postal Service: Will You Crush My Cookies for Me?

With the holidays hurtling toward us at an alarming rate, I'm all about any kitchen shortcut which will streamline my baking. 

And I have come to the conclusion that crushing cookies for a pie crust takes up way too much time and energy. 

But following my ice cream cone shipping experiment, I began to wonder: could I ship cookies to myself in the mail, and rely on the postal service to crush them for me? I mean, let's be honest: they're not necessarily known for their gentle handling of packages. 

I'm aware that this might sound ridiculous to you.

I realize that you might be tempted to point out a fatal flaw in my thinking here: doesn't packing and sending cookies to yourself take just as long as crushing the darned things? And yes, you are correct. But my thought process was this: if this experiment worked, I could move into shipping large amounts of cookies through the USPS. If I were shipping five cookie crusts' worth at a time, paying a nominal fee for the USPS to crush them just by doing what they do...it seems like a small price to pay. 

I realize too that you might be tempted to say something like "dudette, just get a food processor." Well, I will have you know that I own a food processor. It's just that this way seemed so much more like an adventure. You're not going to deny me a life filled with adventure and joy, are you? 

So, moving past any nay-saying, let me tell you exactly how I went about my experiment.

Here's what I did.

1. I grabbed a bag of Walkers mini scottie shortbread cookies. Walkers shortbread is one of my favorite cookies to use for a cookie crust. (Note: while I have been paid to do recipes for Walkers in the past, they didn't pay me to say that. It's the truth!).
2. I poured the entire bag, which is usually a good amount for a pie crust, into a plastic freezer bag and forced out any extra air.
3. Then I packed it in an envelope WITHOUT padding, so it could be pummeled and crushed by any and every element that came its way.
4. To bring home the point that this was not a parcel to be handled gently, I helpfully labeled it (pictured below) and then popped it in the mailbox. 

It arrived back to me two days later, and I was disheartened to see that the envelope still held a somewhat lumpy, dimensional shape.

When I opened the parcel, I saw that the cookies were slightly crumbly around the edges, but really not all that different from how I mailed them.

I was tempted to curse the post office for its ginger handling of the parcel. But I held myself back. RESTRAINT.

Oh well, I thought. That answers that: having the USPS crush my cookies for me is not going to be a viable option for streamlining my holiday baking.

But, I do feel like I got some important takeaways from the experiment:

• It made me laugh while I did it, and that's not for nothing.
• It did give me a head start with my cookie crushing, though it didn't finish the deed as I'd hoped.
• It made me realize that perhaps there is an aspect of reverse psychology at hand here. By labeling the parcel in such a way that implied I wanted it to be pummeled, injured, and generally not handled with care, I seem to have ensured that they did just the opposite: I imagine the postal employees cradling the parcel like a delicate flower.

So maybe, when you're shipping something fragile in the future, you should just label it "NOT FRAGILE IN THE LEAST" and it will arrive totally fine.

Hey, I can't say that for certain. But it's definitely food for thought.

What's your favored method of crushing cookies for a cookie crumb pie crust?