(cherry) rugulach

Really, this is meant to be a catch-all recipe.  It's a dough, more than anything; the filling can be anything from a single jam (as in this case) to a mixture of sugars and breadcrumbs and chopped nuts.  A dough, and a method.

unsalted butter, soft............................................8 oz (2 sticks)
cream cheese, soft..............................................8 oz (1 bar)
granulated sugar..................................................2 Tbsp
salt.....................................................................1/2 tsp
AP flour (plus for rolling).........................................2 C

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment-- or, alternatively, a food processor fitted with the blade attachment-- combine butter, cheese, sugar, and salt.  Beat together until smooth and creamy.  Gently add flour, mixing until just combined into a dough (do not overmix).

Divide dough into two parts, and wrap each in plastic, forming into disks.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Lightly dust a work surface and lay a single dough disk onto it.

Gently press the dough with your fingers to flatten further, then gently roll it out to about a 1/8 inch thickness.  Using a large dinner plate as a template, cut out an 11 inch circle, discarding scraps.  Spread filling (in this case, cherry preserves), leaving about a 1/2 inch border around the edge.

With a pizza cutter or a knife, cut the dough circle into 16 equal wedges.  Pull each wedge out individually, and  roll them up, starting from the wide end, and tucking the tapered point underneath.  Think croissant, but without curving.

Arrange rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Give them a little space, but they won't spread out considerably, so you can fit several on one pan.  In this particular case, I smeared a little of the preserves over the surface of the rolls; if using another filling, like nuts and sugar, then I like to brush them with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.  Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Note: If you're using jam like this, chances are good it will ooze out the sides a little and caramelize, causing the cookies to stick to the paper.  They can be pulled off carefully when completely cooled, and it yields a chewy, candylike texture.

hazelnut biscotti

I'll say it: I'm not big on biscotti.  I think most of the time it's just hard, dry bread-things that taste like dust and nothing and hurt my jaw to gnaw at.

I don't remember where I first saw a version of this recipe, but it was pretty successful the first time around.  I did some tweaking over the years to get to a texture I could like better-- dry and sturdy, but also crisp and delicate.  Although biscotti is a little more time consuming and labor intensive than, say, most drop cookies, this one is definitely worth it.  It's also highly customizable-- any variety of flavored extracts, citrus zest, nuts, dried fruits, chocolate chips, anything-- it's all possible.  Among my favorites are orange zest with almonds, and vanilla-hazelnut.....

AP flour...........................................................1 3/4 C
baking powder.................................................1 tsp
salt...................................................................1/4 tsp
unsalted butter, soft...........................................5 Tbsp
granulated sugar...............................................1/2 C
brown sugar, packed........................................1/2 C
eggs..................................................................2 ea
vanilla extract....................................................2 tsp
hazelnuts, roasted and coarsely chopped...........1 1/3 C

Preheat oven to 325F.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Cream together butter and sugars until light.  Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each.  Add vanilla extract, then slowly add the flour mixture, just until blended.  Add the hazelnuts, folding them in gently until just incorporated without overmixing.

Add more flour, if necessary, so dough is soft but manageable.  Form dough into a long, rectangular log, about one inch tall and four inches wide, laying dough down onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Brush log with water and cover generously with coarse sanding sugar, if desired (totally, desire it).

Bake the loaf 30-35 minutes, until it is tender-firm and just starting to brown.  Take it out of the oven and let it cool completely-- it should not feel warm at all.  This'll take a while, as the "bread" is fairly dense.

Using a sharp, serrated knife, carefully cut the loaf crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices.  I've found that very lightly sawing the top crust, and then swiftly forcing the blade straight down is a pretty effective method for slicing the loaf without destroying it.  This is especially important when there are nuts in the mix-- as there should be!  :)
Arrange the slices cut-side-down on a sheet pan.  The pieces aren't going to expand, so it's fine if their edges touch.  Typically I can fit all the slices on the same size pan I baked the loaf in.

Turn the oven down to 300F, and bake another 20-25 minutes, until dry and very lightly toasted.  The centers might still feel slightly soft, but if they're hot enough they will crisp up as they cool.  Let them cool completely before doing anything with them......

...like dipping them in chocolate and sprinkling with fleur de sel!

Ideally, they can keep at room temperature in an airtight container for a week or so, or maybe more.  Who knows?

old-fashioned molasses cookies

These are great at the holidays, especially, but they are pretty good year-round.  Because they are soft, they have a decent "shelf life"-- that is, if you don't eat them all immediately.

unsalted butter, softened...............................4 oz (1 stick)
light brown sugar, packed.............................1 C
granulated sugar............................................1/2 C
eggs.............................................................2 ea
molasses, unsulfured.....................................1/2 C
vegetable oil.................................................2 Tbsp
AP flour.......................................................2 C
baking soda..................................................1 tsp
ground cinnamon...........................................1 tsp
ground ginger................................................1 tsp
ground allspice..............................................1 tsp
coarse salt (kosher).......................................1/2 tsp
turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw).................to roll

Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium speed until well combined and smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time, followed by the molasses and oil.

Stir together the flour, baking soda, spices and salt in a small bowl.  With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry mixture to the dough until smooth and incorporated.

Refrigerate dough for about an hour (or overnight-- if doing this, wrap tightly in plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out and form a skin).  This is necessary to make it just firm enough to handle.

While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 325F.  Scoop out portions of dough using a #50 scoop - or use a spoon to make dough balls about a tablespoon in size.  Roll the balls in turbinado sugar, and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, about 3 inches apart from each other (they will spread considerably, so err on the side of more space, at least for the first sheet).

Bake until cookies are flattened and just set in the centers, 12-14 minutes.  Let them cool completely on the sheets before trying to move them-- they will feel slightly stuck to the parchment, so remove them gently.  They can be stored at room temperature for about a week; they tend to stick together if left standing in a stack for too long, so slipping pieces of parchment between them is recommended.

birthday gifts

My friend, Cara, is my old friend's girlfriend.  I'm glad she is, too, because I'm happy to have met her.

Long story short, she is a) an amazing photographer who has inspired me to not only get back behind the camera but also to work harder at it, and b) my interdimensional twin.  Basically, we have too much in common.

For her birthday, I made and shipped cookies. :) <3

First off, last year around Christmastime she sent me a box of After-8s after I said they sounded like the most delicious thing in the world...  so I know she has a penchant for chocolate and mint like I do.  (of course.)

This was a simple thing to do-- I used the double chocolate walnut cookies recipe, omitted walnuts, and added about 2 tsp pure peppermint extract (NOT peppermint oil).  They are heaven with a glass of milk.

And I knew from experience that she (and her boyfriend!) like my molasses cookies-- they're pretty popular in general.  They're like sweet gingerbread, but soft and rich and super flat.

Then I wanted to include rugulach-- one of my own personal favorites-- a versatile cookie recipe that can be changed with an infinite variety of fillings and goodness.  Lastly, hazelnut biscotti.  I am not a big fan of most biscottis, as they seem too hard and unruly, even dipped in espresso, but this one is a pleaser.  It's still double-baked to crisp, but is pleasantly crunchy and easier on the jaw, and also highly adaptable to taste.

Bear in mind, I held a baking marathon for all this, working out of my tiny, tiny kitchen....   Recipes to follow.