Anzac Biscuits

This is a cookie for Anzac Day, which is today.  Anzac Day commemorates the Australian and New Zealand forces at Gillipoli in World War 1. For more information you can go here
Anzac Traditions

Anzac Biscuits

1 cup oats

3/4 cup coconut

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 tablespoon Golden Syrup (I used Lyles)

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons boiling water

Preheat oven to 350

Mix oats, coconut, flour and sugar in a large bowl. 

Melt butter and syrup together over low heat

Mix boiling water and baking soda together

Add to melted butter mixture. 

Then add the melted butter mixture to the flour mixture.

Use the small scoop -- I used the medium and they spread out way way too much, and use parchment paper to line the baking sheets. 

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown

Make 2 dozen (probably more with the small scoop)

Cool a few minutes on the paper, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

These cookies were inspired by a recipe I have seen all over the net. It originated at Strawberry Cheesecake cookies from Elle's New England Kitchen.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt (scant)

6 tablespoons butter, softened

6 tablespoons cream cheese softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup white chocolate chopped fine

1 cup frozen raspberries (not the ones in syrup, the ones that are flash frozen whole)

Preheat oven to 350

Line baking sheets with parchment paper

In a small bowl, sift together flour and salt, set aside

In a mixer bowl, cream butter, add cream cheese and beat until light and fluffy. Add sugar, beat until well incorporated. Add the egg and flavorings. 

Beat in flour until just combined

Add chocolate, beat in. Then add the frozen raspberries. I kept them frozen so it would be easier. This increased the baking time a bit. 

Use the medium scoop and drop onto prepared pans

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly brown around the edges

Makes a dozen and a half cookies. 

Jelly Bean Biscotti!

We have alot of leftover jelly beans.  While eating them is wonderful, finding this recipe is even better! They turned out yummy!!

Jelly Bean Biscotti

1/4 cup butter (1/2 a stick)

1 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 bag, 14 ounces, tiny jelly bird eggs

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and almond extract. 

In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  

Mix into butter mixture until well combined. Add jelly beans. 

Place dough onto a lightly floured counter, cut the dough in half.  Place each half on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. This is  important, as some of the jelly beans will melt around the edges of the dough.

Flatten out each piece into a flat log. 

Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes

Slice the logs on the diagonal and place slices on the baking sheet

Bake again for 15 minutes or until golden brown. 

 

I was worried the jelly beans would melt on the second baking, but they did not!

Sedgemoor Biscuits

I found this recipe in several different places, and I had to change it due to lack for some ingredients!
This is an old English recipe. It sounded yummy!  It called for raisins soaked in brandy, but I did not have that either, so I used crasins.

Sedgemoor Biscuits

 3/4 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

GLAZE:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

Mix all ingredients until a smooth, thin-ish glaze is made

Preheat oven to 400. 

In a large bowl, combine flours, (I did not have any whole wheat flour, I missed out on some of the chewy-ness because I just used all pastry flour)  cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, salt and sugar. 

Cut in butter with a pastry blender or your fingers till it forms crumbs. 

Blend in eggs, vanilla and cranberries till it forms a dough

Roll out onto a lightly floured board. Cut out with a two inch cookie cutter and place on a parchment covered cookie sheet

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. 

Dip warm cookies in glaze and let dry on cooling rack. 

Makes about 24

Italian Cream Cookies

This post is a little short this week. Company, hurt back, etc. These really are yummy!







Italian Cream Cookie
I saw a recipe for Italian Carnival  Cookies and I thought they looked wonderful. Pale little cookies, covered in sprinkles. What is not to like. Well, they did not exactly turn out from the recipe given. So I tweeked it. This is the a good recipe. My special taster just kept eating them!

Makes: 6 dozen using a 2 inch cutter

6 1/2 cups "00" flour (available here at King Arthur)
12 tablespoon potato starch 
1 pound, minus 2 tablespoons, butter 
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream (more or less)
water
sprinkles. (LOTS)

Let butter soften at room temp for about a half hour. Hard butter is not good for this
In a mixer, mix all dry flour, starch, and powdered sugar. Add egg yolks (one at a time)
Add butter in pieces. it will look crumbly. 
With mixer running, add cream, about 1/2 cup at a time until the dough looks like a nice dough. 
Divide dough in quarters, wrap dough in plastic wrap, chill for an hour in the fridge
Remove only the dough you are going to roll out, leave the rest in the fridge
Roll dough on a floured board till it is about 1/2 inch thick. 
Cut out dough with a pretty little cutter (about 1 inch) 
Brush tops of cut out dough circles with water, dip damp tops in sprinkles to cover completely. 
Freeze cookies for about 15 minutes (can be really really close in the freezer) Transfer cookies to a parchment lined cookie sheet when ready to bake
Heat oven to 350
Bake for 19 minutes. Till bottoms are just brown.  Let cool on pan for about 2 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. 

A Different Kind of Molasses Cookie

Pomegranate Molasses Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

14 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 cup butter

1/2 cup pomegranate molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 375

In a mixing bowl, combine four, baking soda and salt. Set aside

In the mixing bowl of your mixer, cream butter, sugar, pomegranate molasses and vanilla. 

In three batches, add flour (I just dumped it in)  Mix till just combined.

Fold in pistachios. 

Use the medium scoop, the one that was on the smallish side, drop onto parchment lined baking sheets. 

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. 

Cool for a few minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Makes 4 dozen cookies. 

Pomegranate molasses is a mid east item and can be found at places that stock that type of food. I found my molasses at Borracchini's bakery in Seattle.  Not only are the cannoli incredible, they stock specialty Italian foods, home made pastas and gelato! They have now started to stock mid east specialties too.

http://www.nowcake.com 

Minty Greens!

 

Minty Greens

1/3 cup butter

1 cup shortening

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup white granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon mint extract

1 teaspoon green food coloring

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 12 ounce package dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375

Mix butter and shortening.  Add sugars, eggs, mint extract, green food coloring, and vanilla. 

In a separate bowl,  blend flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture.   Beat until well blended

Add dark chocolate chips and stir to combine.  I added a secret ingredient, 1/2 a cup of the chocolate mint hot chocolate from William Sonoma. It is just bittersweet chocolate flakes, flavored with mint. I had some I needed to use and it added freckles to the cookies. 

Using the medium scoop, scoop out onto parchment lined baking sheets.

Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.