it's the time of year...

Holiday season is here again! It's that much-anticipated season of giving, sharing and joyful festivities. In Manila, Christmas comes earlier. As soon as the "ber" months (how Filipinos like to refer to them) begin, radio stations start playing Christmas carols, Christmas trees and other decorations come out of storage, malls fill up with shoppers and traffic becomes much worse :-) Aside from these common practices, the religious traditions of the Christmas season still remain and are never forgotten.

For my personal tradition, the festive season is just not complete without baking cookies :-) This year, I've been baking these spritz cookies which I find easier and less time consuming to make than cut-out sugar cookies. Aside from eliminating the rolling out process, there was also no need to refrigerate the spritz cookie dough after mixing. Just fill the cookie press with the dough then press straight onto the cookie sheet. It took some practice using the cookie press but it was a fun project.

I like the idea of recycling these Talenti gelato plastic containers. They're so handy from storing snacks to organizing small items in the house. Wrap a piece of colorful gift wrap around the container, secure with a gift label sticker and it's ready to fill with cookies, candies and other goodies. I made a sample packaging shown below.

recycled Talenti gelato plastic container

ube-flavored spritz cookies

May you enjoy the blessings and the bounty

of the holiday season!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

madeleines

I think my fascination for these traditional shell-shaped French tea cakes must have started with the pan :-) I've never had madeleines before and I've always wondered about their taste and texture. Thanks to the many recipes and information I found online, my first madeleine baking session turned out well.

The distinctive hump of the madeleine (shown above) that's supposed to appear in these petite cakes, slowly rose and formed as the madeleines baked in the oven.

The underside, as shown above, with the characteristic shell design became nice and golden brown. Sprinkle them with powdered sugar before serving.

The batter is a basic sponge cake mixture or genoise which may be enhanced with different flavors. I found the first recipe I tried on youtube from the Culinary Institute of America baking videos. I ran out of butter so I searched and found a recipe using canola oil instead. These madeleines turned out soft and light but still just basic in flavor. I have to try another recipe with butter next time which I found on the Joy of Baking website.

the madeleine pan that started it all :-)

I found the recipe and video for these Lemon-Grand Marnier Madeleines on youtube demonstrated by a chef from the Culinary Institute of America.

troubleshooting hollow macarons

Whether using the Italian or French method for the meringue, I've never made a single macaron that's not hollow inside. Like these ones I baked recently, shown below. Although they may look almost perfect from the outside, I've always wanted to solve the issue.

After my macaron troubleshooting project recently using different recipes and oven temperatures, I finally found the answer. The single baking sheet I was using all the time wasn't insulated enough and the macarons were rising too fast creating taller feet and hollow interiors.

The solution: I just put one baking sheet on top of another and proceeded to line it with parchment paper. A cross section of the ube macaron is shown below. They're very delicate and finicky but I think I found the right combination of mixing technique and oven temperature that worked for me. The extra insulation underneath was crucial when baking them with parchment paper. I think with Silpat (a reusable nonstick liner) a single baking sheet will be fine. Silpat is much thicker than parchment paper and provides much better insulation.

finally...macarons that are not hollow inside!

glazed Italian cookies

There was an "instant party" feeling the minute I started glazing these cute cookies and topping them with pastel-colored candy sprinkles :-) 

I think I should rename them happiness cookies

These were supposed to be anisette cookies but I ran out of anise flavoring so I substituted amaretto flavoring instead. It has been awhile since I made them and this week, I was craving Italian cookies so I thought about baking them.

They can be left simple and plain without the powdered sugar glaze but the glazed cookie wins everytime in our taste test at home. It just brings them to another level and even with the added glaze and the sprinkles they're still not super sweet.

The never-fail recipe makes delightful delicate round cookies with crispy edges and cake-like interior. These cookies are so addictive that it's impossible to eat just one :-) They make my tea time so much more enjoyable!

GLAZED ITALIAN COOKIES (Anisette Cookies)

3/4 cup shortening (I combined 1/4 cup butter & 1/2 cup Crisco)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
4 tablespoons baking powder
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons anise or amaretto flavoring

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside. Cream together shortening and sugar for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Continue mixing until mixture is smooth. Add the flavoring. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just blended. Measure the dough using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon then form into balls. Arrange them about 1" apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Makes about 45 cookies. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack. Spread with powdered sugar glaze. Decorate with your choice of colorful candy sprinkles.

For the powdered sugar glaze, just mix sifted powdered sugar with a little water to make a spreadable glaze. I've tried a recipe using melted butter and milk but this simple powdered sugar and water combination worked for me.

cross section reveals the light cake-like crumb

the cookies look cute inside a covered cake pedestal

drop cookies

Very quick to make with a few basic ingredients, these retro drop cookies were exactly what I was reminiscing about. Many years ago, my mother's friend used to bake and share with us her old-fashioned chocolate drop cookies like those shown above. I never asked her for the recipe but now that I think about those chocolate cookies, I wish I did. Thank goodness for the internet, somehow I found a similar recipe. It was just a classic drop cookie recipe, nothing fancy and complicated. I adjusted the recipe and substituted a few ingredients to make a cinnamon chip version for my husband.

Interested in the recipe?

more pinwheel cookies

With their cute pastel pink and green colors which remind me of springtime, these pinwheel cookies have an element of joy and a touch of whimsy. I can imagine them brightening up a dessert table at childrens' parties or girly occasions such as bridal and baby showers :-) After making a chocolate version for the past holiday season, the thought of pastel colors inspired me to make this batch.

I stored the cookie logs in the freezer and finally got a chance to slice and bake them recently. They're convenient to have for anytime cookie cravings and they're fun to make. I'm thinking about adding a few more colors next time.

My homemade cookies with all their imperfections as shown above :-) They may be wrapped in clear cellophane or treat bags and tied with cute ribbons for giveaways at parties and other events. They also look great stored in clear cookie jars.

Close-up of the cookies :-)

pinwheel cookies

It must be over 20 years and many Christmasses ago when I first started baking these cookies back in Manila. I always thought the pinwheel design makes them quite attractive. Somehow, these cookies have always been my special Christmas project as I never made them any other time of the year. I remember it was a challenge to make them not just because I was then a newbie at baking but also because I had to deal with warm weather baking in Manila. The heat and humidity made it more difficult to shape the cookies. I had to take the dough in and out of the refrigerator several times during the rolling and shaping process.

chocolate and vanilla pinwheel cookies

I like how they get extra crispy along the edges and like most butter cookies, they're best eaten while warm. Any basic slice and bake butter cookie recipe works great, just divide them into batches of different colors and flavors. It's best for the cookie dough to be well chilled so I make it a day or two ahead. The tricky part is the layering and rolling. I put the rolled out dough back in the fridge while I work on the other batches. This way, the dough stays cold and much easier to handle. To help retain the round shape, I place the cookie rolls (wrapped in plastic) into cardboard cylinders that I saved from gift wrappers. The rolled cookie dough fits well inside those cylinders.

all lined up and ready to bake

I have many fond memories of baking these cookies for my family at Christmas. I used to wrap them in clear cellophane and give them as gifts to my friends as well. They also look festive on the Christmas table or stored in clear glass cookie jars. May these pinwheel cookies bring happy smiles to many cookie lovers this holiday season!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

banana whoopie pies

I've been curious about this for quite sometime as it seems to be one of the most popular whoopie pie flavors based on my internet search. Quite a discovery I have to admit. I can easily make these again. I'm always interested to try new recipes making use of over ripe bananas which we always have. Banana whoopie pies are richer and sweeter than basic banana bread but they were more fun to eat and just perfect for dessert. For less calories, they may be enjoyed plain without the cream cheese frosting. I also tried them filled with cookie butter such as Biscoff spread but the combination was way too sweet for my taste. I would lessen the sugar in the recipe next time I use cookie butter as filling.

filled with Biscoff spread or cookie butter

BANANA WHOOPIE PIES

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup or 1/2 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup Crisco
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon banana flavoring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup very ripe bananas, mashed or pureed
1/3 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Mash or puree the banana with the sour cream and set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cream together butter, Crisco, light brown and white sugar for about 5 minutes or until mixture is fluffy. Add the egg and flavorings and mix well. Alternately add banana mixture and dry ingredients. Mix well. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and pipe about 2" diameter rounds of batter spaced 1 1/2" apart on the lined baking sheets. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown and tops are lightly toasted. Cool on a wire rack then sandwich two whoopie pies together with cream cheese frosting (recipe below) or other fillings preferred.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 box or 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup or 1/2 stick butter
 powdered sugar, about 2 cups

Beat butter and cream cheese until well mixed. Add powdered sugar gradually until frosting gets thicker (spreading consistency).

fresh ginger cookies

This big batch of fresh ginger we got sometime ago made me search for ginger cookie recipes made with fresh grated ginger instead of the usual ground ginger. My online search led me to two interesting recipes. The first recipe I tried was an oatmeal cookie version with fresh ginger and lemon. It was a very good combination, however, it needed more ginger flavor. The next one I tried was a ginger cookie recipe from the All Recipes website. I followed the recipe and procedure but for a more intense ginger flavor, I doubled the amount of grated fresh ginger.  The additional amount took these ginger cookies to another level.

Grating the fresh ginger using a microplane was labor intensive and time consuming but the painful process was easily forgotten when I finally tasted these cookies :-) They were crispy along the edges with a chewy center and interior. The baking time may be adjusted to achieve a chewier or crispier cookie. I sprinkled them with sugar crystals before baking.

FRESH GINGER COOKIES (adapted from All Recipes Fresh Ginger Cookies)


1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4-5 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg

sugar crystals for topping

In a large mixing bowl, combine all purpose and whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat butter, Crisco, grated ginger and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg. Fold in flour mixture until just combined. Chill for a few hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Scoop or roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls then sprinkle them with the sugar crystals. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until edges start to brown, about 15 minutes. For crispier cookies, bake for 18-20 minutes. Let them cool slightly on cookie sheets for 1 minute then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

cranberry walnut cookies

I was craving for some crispy drop cookies but these turned out softer with a cakelike texture. The edges were crispy when they first came out of the oven, however, as they cooled they became softer. I have no complaints with the flavor though, the combination of cranberries and walnuts was really what I was going for.

Lately, I've been watching more of the video tutorials in the Joy of Baking website and trying out a few of the tested recipes. These Raisin Cookies were light and not too sweet. I just substituted dried cranberries and chopped walnuts, one of our favorite combinations. The recipe is one of the easiest I have tried. The ingredients were just added to the mixing bowl one after another then mixed until well combined. I think even young kids will have no problem making these cookies with a little supervision of course.

  

CRANBERRY WALNUT COOKIES  

(adapted from the Joy of Baking Raisin Cookies)

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup light or dark brown sugar

12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) softened butter

1 large egg

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a big mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the brown sugar, softened butter, egg, milk and vanilla and beat for one minute. Add the dried cranberries and walnuts and mix until combined. Use a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to drop the cookie batter onto the baking sheet. Bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Makes about 3 1/2 to 4 dozen cookies.

white and dark chocolate chip cookies

While I have serious dark chocolate cravings every now and then, my husband never cared for its taste so I have to make sure he gets his share with white chocolate instead :-) This classic recipe for Ultimate Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies from the NestleToll House website was the perfect base for my chocolate chip cookie project. The cookies with white chocolate chips came out flatter than those with dark chocolate chips but they were still chewy and the edges remained crispy even the next day. Both cookies were also more flavorful because part of the chocolate chips were melted and mixed into the batter while the rest were folded in. I like to microwave my dark chocolate chip cookies for about 8 seconds to partially melt the chocolate chips and soften up the cookies a bit like they just came out of the oven.

Russian tea cakes

I was happy to be back home and get in the holiday spirit again. Aside from catching up with my chores (it always seems endless coming back from a vacation :-) I spent the past week in the kitchen baking a few holiday treats. This was my first attempt at making Russian Tea Cakes or cookies which I read have many similar versions around the world. They must be the easiest cookies to make. Just mix up all the ingredients, form into balls then bake. They were buttery and sweet, just perfect for a relaxing afternoon tea time.

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES
(adapted from Betty Crocker Russian Tea Cakes recipe)

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup almond flour or finely  chopped nuts (I used almond flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
powdered sugar (for coating)

Preheat oven to 375F. Cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla, flour and nuts until mixture comes together and forms a soft cookie dough. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls then place on baking sheets 1 inch apart. Bake 10-12 minutes until set but still light colored. Remove from cookie sheet then roll in powdered sugar while still warm then roll again to coat evenly. Serve with hot tea.

blackberry jam squares

This recipe brings back fond memories from my baking days in Manila when I would see a new recipe in a cookbook or magazine and would be excited to try to make it. Very similar to this was a version I tried using strawberry jam. I remember that the crust had grated cheese in it. It was an odd ingredient but I wish I kept the recipe. I remember it turned out very good. I guess the saltiness of the cheese was a good balance to the sweetness just as adding a pinch of salt in most baked goods serves as a flavor enhancer.

Friday is my baking day. My husband appreciates having a little treat to munch on with his coffee on a quiet and relaxing Saturday morning. This idea was adapted from The Book of Afternoon Tea by Lesley Mackley published by HP Books. It's part of the series of cookbooks that I keep going back to. I particularly like the step-by-step photos for each recipe. The recipe for Spiced Apricot Squares inspired me to make these bars with blackberry jam instead of apricot jam. For the recipe...

pistachio cookies

Another enjoyable week-long visit from my mom-in-law has sadly ended but we look forward to her return. It was a good chance to make these cookies again while she was here. For quick desserts and any time of the day sweet cravings, cookies are perhaps one the easiest to make. I like it that they keep well for days in an air tight container. They can even be made ahead and frozen too. We have more pistachios from my husband's last order which I vacuum packed and kept in the freezer. They're very convenient to have for baking.

When I first saw a recipe for these Italian pistachio cookies on Trissalicious blog, I knew I had to try to make them too. Chewy and light, they're so different from the more popular cookies I've tried to bake and tasted. They were very easy to make with few ingredients. They're also on the healthier side using only eggwhites and without any trace of butter :-)

white & dark choco chip cookies

A much loved cookie which I started baking many years ago back in Manila for my family. One of my best friends passed this on to me. She usually makes these extra rich with macadamia nuts instead of walnuts. The basic recipe is based on the famous Neiman-Marcus chocolate chip cookies. I split the cookie dough and added white chocolate chips to half of it and dark chocolate chips to the other half. My husband prefers white chocolate because, with the exception of Lindt chocolates, other brands just taste bitter to him. So I consider myself lucky just because, in our home, there's more chocolate for me :-)

I like them just out of the oven while they're still warm and very chewy. Sometimes I warm them up for a few seconds in the microwave to slightly melt the chocolate chips. I like to use 60% Ghirardhelli brand dark chocolate chips.

Finely ground oatmeal (blended fine in the food processor) in the mixture makes these cookies a healthier version with additional fiber from the chopped walnuts.