Cranberry Pistachio Coins

I have my problem with the computer solved, and now I will start posting all the Christmas baking. Starting off with this lovely little two bite cookie! 

Cranberry Pistachio Coins

1 large egg

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup shelled natural pistachios (unsalted, unroasted)

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup softened butter

TOPPING

6 ounces white chocolate

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/3 cup shelled natural pistachios

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper
In a small bowl whisk together egg and the extracts
In a food processor pulse together flour, pistachios, sugar and salt until well combined. Do not pulse too much that the pistachios are super fine.  Add butter in pieces and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With the motor running add the egg mixture and pulse until a dough forms.
(if the weather is very dry, turn out onto a work surface and knead slightly until the dough comes together) The dough formed up nicely in damp Seattle.

With the small cookie scoop (or medium one if you want bigger cookies 3 or 4 bite) place a ball of dough onto prepared cookie sheet. With your thumb make an indentation in the center of each dough ball, almost all the way to the bottom.

 

Bake cookies for 12 to 14 minutes or until pale golden brown. Let cool on pan for a minute then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

 Topping:
Melt together chocolate and cream until smooth.
In the food processor pulse nuts and cranberries together until they are well chopped, not too fine but not big either.
Put the white chocolate mixture (ganache) into a bag (a pastry bag or a zippy bag with the corner cut off, both work) and pipe about 1/2 teaspoon into each center. Work with only 10 or less cookies at a time. After pipping on the ganache, add some of nut mixture to the top and gently press into the ganache before it cools.  Let the ganache set for at least 30 minutes before storing between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container or one layer in a large zippy bag.
They will freeze, but only for a couple weeks. 
Makes 24 medium scoop cookies of 36 small scoop cookies.

Post is late

Hi
I know the blog is late. sorry. I am working on my tech difficuties.

Sweet Potato Supremes!

Sweet Potato Supremes

My Grandmother has a recipe we use at Thanksgiving for a sweet potato dish with nuts and coconut. It is heaven on a spoon. I wanted to see if I could make a cookie that was almost as wonderful.  I found a couple of sweet potato cookies on line, morphed them and added the nuts and coconut. Add an orange glaze and we have these!

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup coconut

Orange Glaze

1 1/2 powdered sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons orange juice

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 375. 

Mix, in a medium bowl,  flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt. I use a whisk.

In the bowl of the mixer, cream butter and sugars till light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Blend well.

Add in sweet potatoes. With a spoon, add pecans and coconut.

Line two baking sheets with parchment. 

I used the medium cookies scoop and placed the balls of dough on the prepared pans.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Or until bottoms are slightly brown. Remove to a rack to cool completely

Orange Glaze

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. It will seem very thin. You can make it thicker with more powdered sugar if you wish and drizzle over cookies. I just dipped the tops of the cookies into the glaze. It gives the cookies a lovely little extra flavor

Makes 36





Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookie!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon  baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice *

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)

FROSTING

1 cup butter, softened

8 cups powdered sugar

6 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

additional pumpkin pie spice for sprinkle

* I made my own spice blend out of  2 tablespoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoons nutmeg, 2 teaspoons ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice and 1/8 teaspoon cloves.

Preheat oven to 375

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, instant coffee, salt and pumpkin pie spice.

Cream butter and sugar together in a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time. Then add vanilla.

Add one third of the dry mixture, alternately with half the pumpkin.  Blend until thoroughly combined.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom. I used the big cookie scoop and had to bake them a little longer.

Transfer to a rack to cool

When cool frost!

To make frosting:

Combine butter and powdered sugar. Combine milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Add milk mixture to butter and sugar. Beat until well combined.

 Adding more milk if the consistency is too thick.

Frost each cookie and sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice.







Date Half Moons

Date Half Moons

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup flour

1 cup chopped dates

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

Powdered sugar for dusting

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth and well combined. Add flour, beat until a nice dough forms.  Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill for at least one hour.

In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, cook dates, sugar and water.

Cook until dates are thickened and it all looks like mush. If you use whole dates you chop up yourself you need to add more water and give it more time.

It does taste good, despite the look!

Remove the dates from heat, add walnuts and orange rind. Let cool to room temperature.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Divide the dough in half, place one portion on a lightly floured surface, roll out very thin, about 1/8 of an inch. Cut dough with a 2 1/2 inch circle cutter.

Spoon about 1/2 a teaspoon of the date mixture into the center of each dough round.

Fold over the dough and press edges together with a fork. To ensure a tighter seal, you can take a bit of water on your finger and moisten half the edge of the dough before folding over and pressing with a fork.

Place half moons on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake cookies at 375 for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. When they are still warm from the oven dust with powdered sugar.

Makes 3 dozen, just.

Oatmeal Carmel Apple

Oatmeal Carmel Apple Cookies

1 cup butter

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Penzey's Cake Spice or cinnamon

2 1/2 cups flour

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup grated apple - I used granny smith

1 cup Kraft Carmel bits

Preheat oven to 350

Line baking sheets with parchment

Cream butter, sugars and vanilla till light and fluffy

Beat in eggs one at a time, until well blended

In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt, Cake spice (or cinnamon). Add this to butter mixture and beat till well combined.

Beat in oats, apple and carmel bits

Scoop dough with a medium cookies scoop and place two inches apart on prepared cookie sheets

Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. 

Let sit on parchment paper for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Carmel Apple Cookies

Carmel Apple Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 7.4 ounce box of Spiced Apple Cider drink mix (DO NOT use sugar free!)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups all purpose flour

Kraft carmel bits

Cream butter and sugar, salt and all 10 cider packets till light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.  Add that to the butter mixture. Beat till well combined.

Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper -- really you want this

Scoop out ball of dough with a medium scoop. Place dough balls onto prepared sheets. Put a large thumbprint in each ball. Fill them cavity with the carmel bits

Bake about 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. They will flatten out.