Buttercream Sandwich Cookie

What do the holidays mean to you? This can be a simple or complex answer depending on your own personal experiences.

To me, the holidays are magical. The air has a certain mystique all around. Whether it is the scent of pine or cinnamon, or fresh baked holiday cookie or roast beef with fresh popovers baking in the oven, the scents to me are enchanting. Often either particular scents or songs will transport you right back to a time in your life. Not quite sure why it is such a common phenomenon.

There is a radio station in the Bay Area that begins to play all of the cherished holiday songs round the clock during Thanksgiving Day weekend. My husband and I completely enjoy listening and the music certainly enhances the holiday season. Along with the music, baking cookies is synonymous with the Holiday Season. This tradition is fervently anticipated by avid bakers around the world. The only negative, is the immense amount of time it takes to make an abundance of assorted cookies. The solution to this daunting task is to host a Holiday Cookie Exchange with friends and family.

When hosting a cookie exchange party, you invite friends and family who share the same passion for baking cookies. "Cookie" is a loose term for the exchange since you can include confections and other festive sweets to create variety. English toffee, fudge, divinity and bark are all delicious additions to the cookie exchange.

Holiday Cookie Exchange Tips

Plan ahead! Set the date at least 4 weeks prior to prevent last-minute cancellations. Send traditional invitations or use Evite. Note on the invitation to bring plastic storage bags or containers to transport cookies back home.

Decide on how many dozen cookies you will ask each guest to bring, plus a dozen for the party. In addition, ask each guest to call or email you with their cookie choice, so there are not repeats. Two dozen is a good benchmark number to consider.

Request that each person bring copies of their recipe to share with all of the attendees. Provide folders with each guests name on the front as a nice touch for them to put the recipes. You can decorate in a holiday theme or with a photo of the cookie each person brought. Use a Polaroid camera to take a photo before they leave and adhere with photo corners on the outside of the folder.

Prepare a large table or kitchen island for everyone to set out their cookies. Spread a festive cloth on the table and decorate with your favorite holiday items. Provide a festive plate on the table for each guest to place their contributions. Place an extra platter on the table for the cookies that will be enjoyed during the party.

Create a festive holiday play list from i-tunes and play throughout the gathering.

A cookie exchange can be held any time of the day. Mornings or evenings are a wonderful time during the holiday season. Your guests will have the remainder of the day for other holiday activities such as shopping, wrapping, their own decorating, or other parties.

Plan to serve refreshments that can be prepared in advance and merely reheated at the party. You want to focus on your guests and keeping the exchange flowing. A simple brunch in the morning is perfect and assorted appetizers for an evening event.

Serve at least one holiday beverage such as egg nog or hot mulled cider along with coffee, tea, juices and, of course, milk. Evening events could include a signature holiday cocktail or wine. Try a Pomegranate Martini!

Come prepared with several containers to transport your treasured treats home.  The re-usable plastic containers by Glad or Ziplock are just perfect.  Light and easy to use.

A Twist: If you are going to have a small group (less than 6), you can have a cooking baking day. A true extravaganza! If everyone is enjoys the art of baking, chatting and spending time together, this is a terrific way to do a cookie exchange. Each person brings 2 to 3 different prepared cookie doughs. Make sure you have enough cookie sheets or ask your guests to bring extras. Ask your guests to bring anything special needed for baking or prepping, to ensure a smooth day. I suggest starting at 9am in the morning, since this will be an all day affair. Once the cookies are baked, divide among the participants!

The butter cream sandwich cookie is a perfect addition to your holiday cookie exchange. It is simple to make, has just a few ingredients and will impress with its beauty and decadent flavor.

Butter Cream Sandwich Cookie
(Adapted from Betty Crocker)

Cookie:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 t. Vanilla
½ t. Salt
Decorating sugar

Filling:

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
Food color

Directions:

In medium bowl, mix flour, 1 cup butter and the whipping cream. Divide dough into thirds and wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm.

Heat oven to 375º degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat. On a lightly floured surface, roll one-third of dough at a time 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured surface. (Keep remaining dough refrigerated until ready to roll.) Cut into desired shapes with 1 1/2-inch cookie cutters. Sprinkle each one with decorator sugar. Place on prepared baking sheet. Prick each cutout with fork about 4 times.

Bake 7 to 9 minutes or just until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

To make cream filling, mix powdered sugar, butter, and extract until smooth. Add food coloring if desired. Spread with a knife on the cookie or transfer filling to a disposable decorating bag attached with a decorating tip. Pipe filling between bottoms of pairs of cookies.

Walnut, Medjool Date and Honey Crostini

Begin your next dinner or cocktail party with a simple yet elegant appetizer. The Walnut, Medjool Date and Honey Crostini is crunchy, sweet, savory and textural. It has basic elements woven together to create a one to two bite delight that will pair perfectly with a tall, slender glass of bubbly champagne. Dry or brut champagne would be perfect to balance the sweetness of the honey and caramel undertones of the medjool date.

The crown jewel of dates has to be the Medjool date. Deep amber brown color and the slight wrinkled outer layer makes these delectable treats stand up and shout – “deliciousness”. With Middle Eastern roots, these dried delights can be enjoyed in both savory and sweet dishes.

Whether you wrap these in bacon and bake to form what I call – Bacon Candy, add to a salad or simply garnish your next cheese platter – I would run not walk to your local market and pick some up today. Trader Joe’s is my “go to” stop to pick up a carton.

With last weekend’s holiday party now a wonderful memory, I thought I would share a simple recipe for this wonderful crostini. To me, a crostini is merely a canvass to top with your favorite winning combination of flavors. Pursuing through the online version of Fine Cooking, I came across a recipe for Crostini with Brie Dates and Toasted Walnuts. I adapted it a bit to make it my own. It was a complete hit with my guests and hope it will be perfect for your next party.

Walnut, Medjool Date and Honey Crostini

1 Sourdough baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds (about 24 slices)
2 T. Olive oil
Salt
½ C. coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
½ C. Medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 T. Honey
1 T. Balsamic vinegar
6 oz. Brie, rind trimmed and softened to room temperature

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Set the bread slices on a large baking sheet; brush both sides with the oil and sprinkle one side lightly with salt. Bake until the bread starts to brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the walnuts with the dates, honey, and vinegar.

Spread with brie and then top with the date and nut mixture.

Almond Roca Cheesecake

Like many of you out there, the holiday season is one of the favorite times of the year. There is a certain crispness in the air here in the Bay Area along with beautifully decorated stores, restaurants and city streets. A bit of magic is indeed. Traditions abound at this time of year. Not quite sure of the exact number of years that a wonderful group of my friends and I have been having our annual ornament exchange party, but it is something that we all look forward to.

We typically take turns hosting at the various houses. This year was quite busy for many, so I volunteered to host. Since I love to entertain, it was really not a burden at all, in fact I was quite pleased to host two years in a row.

{We are a "shoe free" house like Martha Stewart}

We divide among the group who will bring appetizers and desserts. This way we can exchange new recipes, have variety and it lessens the stress level for the host. In addition, each person graciously brings a favorite bottle of wine to enjoy.

In my previous post, I highlighted my chosen signature drink for the evening – The Ginger Martini. Bring out your inner Mixologist the next time you throw a party and choose a signature cocktail to impress your guests. You add a bit flair and fun to your event.

I have known all of the guests for a good number of years. Even though we do not see each other as often as we would like, it feels like no time passed when we do get together. Time just seems to propel faster and faster each year. I believe that we need to enjoy every moment we have, appreciate everyday and know that friends and family are such important components to our lives.

The ornament exchange portion of the party is really fun.  Each person really takes pride in their selection of an ornament.  We draw numbers to determine the order.  Stealing an ornament creates the "fun" part and is frozen after the third steal.  Numbers in the middle tend to have a good selection however, if you are a strategic couple, you can form an a partnership to aquire your desired ornament. Some strategy, but mostly just plain fun.

Over the years, I have challenged myself to perfect the art of making cheesecake. Finally, I found the right balance of ingredients. This core cheesecake recipe is perfect for adapting, by changing the crust and topping ingredients.

Ever since being a kid, Almond Roca has been a favorite sweet, so I thought - let’s add to the cheesecake. To marry with the Almond Roca, a perfect compliment would be those thin, delicious almond cookies. You can find them at Trader Joe’s or your local supermarket. With the final touch of the homemade caramel, it is slice of heaven on a plate.

Almond Roca Cheesecake

At least 2 hours before you begin, set the cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream on your kitchen counter because it’s essential that the ingredients be at room temperature before you mix the batter.

Almond Cookie Crust

3 C. Almond cookies, finely ground
1/2 cup granulated sugar
10 T. unsalted butter, melted

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Use a food processor to ground the almond cookies. In a medium bowl, combine the almond cookie crumbs and sugar. Stir in the 10 Tbs. melted butter until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan before putting the crust in. This will enable you to slice the finished product from the bottom and transfer to a plate of your choice. Dump the crumbs into a 9-inch springform pan that’s about 2-1/2 inches deep and press them firmly into the bottom and about halfway up the sides. Bake until the crust is fragrant and warm to the touch, 5 to 7 minutes. Let the pan cool on a rack while you prepare the cheesecake batter.

Cheesecake

4 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 C. granulated sugar
2/3 C. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. Cornstarch
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 C. sour cream, at room temperature
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 t. vanilla extract

Using your kitchen aide mixer or equivalent, beat the cream cheese with the sugar at medium-low speed until the mixture is smooth and somewhat fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl. Beat in the cornstarch. Beat in the eggs on low speed, one at a time, mixing the batter for only 15 to 20 seconds after each egg is added, just until it’s incorporated, and scraping the bowl each time. Don’t over beat. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat at low speed until well combined.

Baking the cheesecake

Wrap the outside of the pan tightly with two sheets of extra-wide heavy-duty aluminum foil to make the pan waterproof. Pour the batter into the prepared crust; it should cover the crust completely and come to within about 1/2 inch of the pan’s rim. Place the springform pan in a roasting pan and carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan until the water reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake at 350°F, until the top of the cake is golden brown and the center only has a slight jiggle, about 1 hour 10 min. to 1 hour 15 minutes.

Let the cake cool

Remove the cheesecake pan from the water bath, remove the foil wrapping and set the pan on a wire rack. Let the cake cool on the rack until barely warm. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours or overnight. The cheesecake will firm up during chilling.

Caramel Sauce

1 ½ C. sugar
¼ C. water
½ t. lemon juice
1 C. heavy cream

Stir sugar, water and lemon juice in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat; boil without stirring until the mixture turns deep amber brown. This should take about 9 minutes. Take off the stove and hold over the sink before pouring the cream mixture into the sugar mixture. It will boil and bubble. Once calmed down, add to back to the burner and reduce slightly over medium low heat for about 8 minutes. Chill until thickened. Put into another container and slightly heat when ready to use.

Serve the cheesecake

Unclasp and remove the side of the springform pan, and then use a wide spatula to transfer the cake to a serving plate. Add the Almond Roca around the top of the cheesecake and push down slightly. The caramel should be slightly warm to spread on the top and just touch the Almond Roca pieces. Put back in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up the caramel. Then slice with a warm knife for clean sliced and run under hot water as needed.

Ginger Zen Martini

“Shaken, not stirred” is the well known catch phrase from James Bond and his preference for how he liked his martini prepared. Whatever method you prefer, a good martini is hard to beat.

Last night we hosted our annual ornament exchange party at our house. Not sure exactly how long we have had this traditional event. Each year this is the party that kicks off the holiday party season. In years past it has been a very large event which has leveled to a much more intimate group. Smaller venues are much more enjoyable in my opinion since it gives you the time to visit with each person and truly catch up.

I adore the idea of creating a signature cocktail for a party in addition to serving wine and other beverages. Last night was no exception. The Walnut Creek Yacht Club serves a Zentini which they have been quite infamous for. It is a blend of ginger simple syrup, mint, and lime and of course vodka. The marriage of these flavors is absolutely magical.

My friend Helen’s husband Phil, is one heck of a great bartender. Knowing that he would have that special touch for making the Ginger Martini, I asked him if would be the mixologist for the evening and he graciously obliged. About half the guests indulged into this adult libation and experienced this down right delightful concoction.

Even if you are not a martini drinker, you might want to give this a try. You just might convert over. If you do love martinis, I hope this quickly becomes your next favorite cocktail.

Ginger Martini
1 ½ ounces vodka (Grey Goose)
½ ounce Ginger syrup
3 to 4 Mint leaves
½ Lime, cut into 4 small cubes

Add all of the above ingredients to a martini shaker with ½ cup crushed ice. Using a muddler, break down the mint and lime. Then shake the ingredients together and pour through the strainer portion of the shaker into a chilled glass.

Ginger Syrup

2 C. Water
2 C. Sugar
1 - 2 large ginger root, cut into one inch pieces

In a small saucepan add the water and sugar. Bring to boil while stirring a few times. Reduce to a simmer and add the ginger. Let cook for about one hour. When ready, strain and transfer to a glass container and allow to cool to room temperature.

Pumpkin Biscuits

Not sure what it is, but I am a bit obsessed with biscuits. Could it be the flaky buttery layers? The crispy bottom? The rich satisfying taste? Actually I think that it is all of the above.

Typically I make the traditional biscuits and serve warm with butter or honey. For this festive holiday season, I wanted to bring it up a notch by making pumpkin biscuits. Did not want them too sweet since I wanted to keep the integrity of a true biscuit without being a scone.

I actually brought these to Thanksgiving Day dinner with Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam that I had made and canned during the summer. The combination was really tasty.

I am hosting our annual Holiday Ornament exchange party at our house tomorrow night and currently baking a Caramel and Almond Roca Cheesecake for the dessert for the party. Of course, I will post the recipe. This is one of those too die for desserts. Off to the kitchen I go and finish prepping for tomorrow’s fun party!

Pumpkin Biscuits

2 C. Flour
2 ½ t. baking powder
½ t. Cinnamon
¼ t. All spice
½ t. Ground ginger
¼ t. Nutmeg
½ t. salt
5 T. chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 C. Buttermilk
3/4 C. Canned pumpkin
3 T. honey
Egg wash – 1 egg + 1 tablespoon of water

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Combine buttermilk and honey, stirring with a whisk until well blended; add canned pumpkin. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 3 to 5 times. Flatten dough with your hands until it is about 1 inch thick and dust top of dough with flour. Cut dough with a 2-inch biscuit cutter to form rounds. Re-roll dough and cut remaining circles until all the dough is gone. Place dough rounds, 1 inch apart, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat. Brush the top of each biscuit with the egg wash. Bake at 400° for 14 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan; cool 2 minutes on wire racks. Serve warm.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan and Truffle Oil Crostini

Have you ever had an appetizer that just transports you to another level? I had such an experience on Saturday night. We were invited to a surprise birthday party that actually turned out to be a complete surprise for our dear friend Phil. His daughter and wife put the entire event together. The look on his face when he walked through the living room was priceless.

One of Phil’s favorite restaurants is Wood Tavern in Oakland. Wood Tavern was born in 2007 from the vision of Executive Chef Maximillian DiMare and in partnership with Rich and Rebekah Wood. It is a contemporary American Brasserie and the cuisine is inspired by California culture and local ingredients. Since his wife shares a great admiration for this restaurant also, she was able to secure two key employees from Wood Tavern to cater and tend bar at the party.

One of the employees is a private chef and caterer. He had owned a couple restaurants in Manhattan and is a wonderful chef. The cocktail for the evening was a classic Manhattan. I had a sip of my husbands and quite frankly, it resembled lighter fluid – way too strong for my tastes, but it was one of Phil’s favorites.

There was a table full of appetizers ranging from goat cheese with pistachios adorning the plate, a charcuterie of cured meats and pate to a gourmet cheese platter to assorted crostini’s. Let’s just say that I was in appetizer heaven! Quite frankly, a meal of appetizers is right up my alley.

There was one particular appetizer that simply amazed me. It was Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan and Truffle Oil Crostini and was completely unique with amazing flavors. After the appetizer course, the chef served a farmers market salad, garlic bread and lasagna.

After a while I made it to the kitchen to chat with the chef/caterer about this divine appetizer. We chatted about how he came up with the idea along with the preparation. It is such simple ingredients, but the combination was simply stunning. He shared another preparation for Brussels sprouts as a side dish that I will test and write a blog post later. It contains brown sugar and pancetta among other glorious ingredients. Stay tuned.

While decorating the house yesterday for the holidays, I took a break and recreated this Crostini. Phil’s wife actually stopped by yesterday as I was making the Crostini and once she sampled it, she thought it was a dead ringer for the one at the party. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did!

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan and Truffle Oil Crostini

Makes 30 Crostini

12 to 14 Large Brussels Sprouts
3 Garlic cloves, minced
½ C. Shaved parmesan
1 T. Lemon juice
6 T. Butter
2 T. Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Truffle oil
Baguette, 30 ½ inch slices

Use either a mandolin or chefs knife to slice each Brussels sprouts thin. Cut off the bottom stem and then slice thin. In a large sauté pan melt the butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add the garlic, Brussels sprouts and cook for about two minutes. Take off the heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Add a light drizzle of the truffle oil & the lemon juice and taste, then adjust until desired levels are achieved. Toss in the parmesan cheese and add more if desired.

Brush each Crostini on each side with olive oil. Place onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 until lightly brown. About 5 minutes into cooking, flip each Crostini over to ensure even browning. Remove and let cool.

To assemble, add about one heaping teaspoon of Brussels sprouts mixture to each toasted bread and lay onto a serving platter of your choice.  Serve room tempurature.

{ Pumpkin Soup with Blue Cheese, Mushrooms and Pecans }

Thanksgiving 2010 has come and gone like a flash of light. The holiday season is one of my favorite times of year. The air has certain crispness and there is a sense of happiness all around. It is a time where shopping malls are crowded, scents of holiday cookies fill houses to a jam packed social calendar with fun holiday events abounding.

It is a cold, raining Saturday morning as I write this post. We were up early to decorate the house since it is an all day event. I grew up with a real Christmas tree that was flocked to simulate a just snow frosted tree, even thought it rarely snows in the Bay Area. To this day my parents still purchase the same type of tree.

{ Pumpkin Soup with Pecan-Cheddar Gougeres }

For several years, we carried on this tradition until a trip one day to home depot forever changed Christmas at our house. There it was – the “Perfect Tree”. It stood nine feet tall with two distinct types of branches and each light was perfectly positioned all throughout the tree. Let's just say it impressed me enough to change to an artificial tree.

We now go to the garage, unpack the three part tree, snap it into place, plug in the lights and instantly we have what I call – “My Neiman Marcus Christmas Tree”. Each year it is perfect. I simply add my ornaments and for the next 5 to 6 weeks it adorns our living room and brings the holiday spirit to life.

Next is the staircase to decorate. I have four strands of different greens and embellishments to adorn the staircase. Our stairs sit right in the middle of the house and are a definite focal point when you enter the front door. I grew up with a curved staircase that my Mom always decorates and was the inspiration for my holiday touches.

Our entire family collects “Department 56” which is small decorative houses and buildings. We are fond of “Christmas in the City” and “Dickens Village”. I must admit that it is a bit of an addition with our family. Since it is a labor intensive process to erect these throughout the house, we were strategic this year by putting on top of bookcases for easy assembly and take down.

Other finishing touches will be completed today both inside and outside our home to have it ready to enjoy through the season. Although it is a process, we have the holiday music piped throughout the house and enjoy this tradition of decorating the house during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. My husband and enjoyed a piping hot mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows. We will then be ready for celebrating in our home with friends throughout this joyful time of year.

To carry on the tradition of the Thanksgiving weekend, I am a bit obsessed with pumpkin this year and created a pumpkin soup that was originally from Cooks Illustrated: Soups, Stews and Chilies. I put my own spin on the soup and creative toppings. Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Soup with Blue Cheese, Mushrooms and Pecans

2 T. Butter
1 T. Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, finely chopped
2 Ribs celery, finely chopped
1 t. Cumin
1 t. Coriander
1/4 t. Nutmeg
3 C. Chicken broth, plus extra for thinning
1 - 15 ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1/3 C. Maple syrup
1/2 C. Milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dry roasted pecans and blue cheese for garnish

Sautéed Mushrooms

12 to 14 Baby portabella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 T. Butter
1 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms and toss well in the butter and olive oil until coated. Cook over medium high heat for 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper

Directions:

Melt the butter and olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the cumin, coriander, and nutmeg. Continue to sauté and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in the broth, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the soup to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and syrup and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Use an emulsion blender to puree the soup until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in the milk and additional broth to adjust the soup's consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper and heat gently over low heat until hot. Garnish individual bowls with pecans, mushrooms and blue cheese.