Dinner At Sheila's

In my experience molasses is one of those flavors that people either really love or really hate, but there’s no middle ground.  I happen to be one of those who really love it. And especially when it reinvents itself as it does in these Chewy Molasses-Spice Cookies.

The crunch and chewiness of this cookie is the perfect vehicle for the molasses.  The more you chew, the more the molasses reveals itself.  The crunchy sugar along with the cinnamon and nutmeg give it just the right amount of sugar and spice. *Note: The only change I made in this recipe is that I used sanding sugar to roll the cookies in.  It really makes them glisten and gives that added crunch.

I was looking for a molasses cookie to make when I came upon this recipe from Martha Stewart.  If you like molasses this cookie is a keeper.  And if you’re not a fan of molasses,who knows…this cookie might convert you!

Chewy-Molasses-Spice Cookies  (Martha Stewart.com)

Ingredients (makes 36, less if you like them larger)

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/2 cups sugar *(or 1 cup sugar for batter, and 1/2 cup sanding sugar for rolling)

3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

1/4 cup molasses

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a shallow bowl, place 1/2 cup sugar; set aside, *or measure 1/2 cup of sanding sugar and set aside.

2.  With an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining cup of sugar until combined. 

Beat in egg and then molasses until combined.

Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in dry ingredients, just until a dough forms.

3.  Pinch off and roll dough into balls, each equal to 1 tablespoon.  Roll balls in reserved sugar to coat. (or use sanding sugar to coat).

4.  Arrange balls on baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges of cookies are just firm, 10  to 15 minutes (cookies can be baked two sheets at a time, but they will not crackle uniformly).  Cool 1 minute on baking sheets; transfer to racks to cool completely.

When I was growing up throughout my junior high and high school years the week after Christmas I would go over to my best friend’s house to see her beautifully decorated tree, and get a first hand look at her many Christmas gifts.

I will admit now that as a Jewish girl who looked forward to lighting a menorah, eating latkes, getting a new pair of pj’s and some chocolate “gelt” (awful tasting chocolate wrapped in gold foil to look like coins) for Hanukkah, I found our festivities more than paled by comparison.

At some point during my visit my girlfriend’s mother would enter the living room from the kitchen carrying a plate of freshly baked cookies…these were Mrs. Snyder’s Sand Tarts, and so delicious!

Whatever feelings of envy I was battling inside, one crispy cinnamon sugary sand tart after another after another and yet another always seemed to make me feel much better.

My girlfriend and I have remained in touch over the years, even if only by annual holiday cards updating each other on our family’s news.  We both moved away from the town we grew up in, married our high school sweethearts (in fact, out husbands played on the same recreational basketball team in high school), and raised families. 

Recently we connected through facebook and last January my friend sent me her mom’s recipe for those treasured Sand Tarts.

I made them this morning, and it’s true what they say…foods from your past can transport you back with just one bite.

I don’t know that these are as good as Mrs. Snyder’s, but I do know this is a Christmas tradition that even a Jewish girl like me can look forward to each year.

Mrs. Snyder’s Sand Tarts

1 and 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

1 cup sugar

1 egg, well-beaten

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

egg white

sugar

cinnamon

nuts

Sift flour; measure, add baking powder and salt; sift again

Cream butter, add sugar gradually and beat until light.

Add egg and orange rind.

Combine dry ingredients and creamed mixture. Chill.

Roll thin on lightly floured board and cut in fancy shapes.

Place on greased baking sheet.  Brush with egg white diluted with water.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar or colored sugars.  Add nut pieces for eyes if you like, etc.

Bake in moderate oven (325 degrees) for 8-10 minutes.

It wouldn’t be the holidays without cookies, cookies, and more cookies!  These festive, chewy biscotti, with their jewel like seasonal colors, are not only delicious, but are a lovely addition to the holiday table.

This recipe I adapted from the December 2003 issue of Bon Appetit. I made several changes to the original recipe. I substituted dried cherries for half of the dried cranberries. I used the white chocolate chips from Trader Joe’s instead of the more expensive imported chocolate (Perugina or Lindt) called for. If you have the time to locate the finer chocolate, and don’t mind spending a little more, by all means do. I also used the dry roasted unsalted pistachios instead of the natural unsalted.  Either would work, but I like the flavor of the dry roasted.

The recipe below can easily be doubled if you want to make a larger quantity.

Holiday Biscotti With Cranberries, Dried Cherries, And Pistachios                  (adapted from BonAppetit, December, 2003)

(makes about 3 and 1/2 dozen) 

 2 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspooon whole aniseed

1 /2 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1/2 cup dried cherries

3/4 cup shelled natural or dry roasted unsalted pistachios

6 ounces imported white chocolate, chopped or white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.  Sift first 3 ingredients into medium bowl.  Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to mix well.  Beat in eggs 1 at a time.  Mix in lemon peel, vanilla, and aniseed.  Beat in flour mixture just until blended.

Stir in cranberries, dried cherries, and pistachios (dough will be sticky).  Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface.  Gather dough together.

Divide dough into halves, or quarters if you have doubled the recipe.

Roll each piece into a 15-inch long log (about 1 and 1/4 inches wide.)  Carefully transfer logs to a prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart.

Bake logs until almost firm to the touch but still pale, about 28 minutes.  Cool logs on baking sheet 10 minutes.  Maintain oven temperature.

Carefully transfer logs still on parchment to cutting board.  Using serrated knife and gentle sawing motion, cut logs crosswise into generous 1/2-inch-thick slices.  Place slices, 1 cut side down, on prepared sheets. 

Bake until firm and golden, about 9 minutes per side.  Transfer cookies to racks to cool.

Line another baking sheet with waxed paper.  Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water just until smooth.  Remove from over water.  Dip 1 end of each cookie into melted chocolate, tilting pan if necessary; shake off excess chocolate.

Chill until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.  (Can be made 5 days ahead.  Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.)

Chocolate Chip Cookies…is there anyone who doesn’t love them?  I doubt it.  The very first thing I ever baked was chocolate chip cookies.  I was probably about 12 years old, and I followed the recipe on the back of the bag of Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chips.  They turned out great, and it became my specialty for years.

As the years went by I had my own kitchen, and I found myself spending more and more time there. My baking expanded to include cakes, cupcakes, pies, tarts, cobblers, jelly rolls, meringues, scones, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, rugelach, and more.  And although I’ve baked all kinds of cookies, chocolate chip still remain a favorite.

I’ve tried many different recipes for chocolate chip cookies, some being better than others.  My current favorite is this one that I found online and it is aptly named The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever. 

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever   (recipe courtesy George Duran) 

makes 36 cookies

Ingredients

2 and 1/2 cup all- purpose flour ( I use unbleached)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt (I use kosher salt)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar (I used half light brown sugar and half dark brown sugar)

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla (no artificial, please)

2 cups (12-ounce package) chocolate chips (any good brand of semi-sweet)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (If you have convection, use it).

Line baking sheets with parchment.

Put the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and stir it with a whisk to combine.  Set aside.

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter until it is lighter in color.  Slowly add in sugars and beat until it is light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time and beat until they are incorporated.  Stir in the vanilla.  Add the flour mixture using low speed, then stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls (I use a mini ice cream scoop)  about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. 

Bake until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges, about 12 to 15 minutes.  Let the cookies cool for a few minutes and then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

Note:  The recipe can be doubled easily. 

Once the dough is mixed you can chill it in the refrigerator for an hour or more before scooping onto cookie sheets.