Baking the season’s best
By Amelia Rasmus
Get out the holiday tins. Baking season is in full swing.
It’s funny how even the busiest of businesswomen can somehow find a few hours this time of year to crank up the oven and turn out elaborate, sweet treats.
Five recent cookbooks can satisfy the urge to tie on an apron… even for cooks whose idea of baking is eating cookie dough out of a tube.
From classic seasonal staples to a new twist on old favorites, the following recipes warm hearth and heart:
Gingerbread
Cranberry-Orange-Nut Pie Web Extra!
All-Purpose Cutout Cookies
Chocolate Mint Squares Web Extra!
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Spice Cake Web Extra!
Biscochitos
Ginger Cookies Web Extra!
Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Pretzels Web Extra!
By Caprial Pence and Melissa Carey
Published by Ten Speed Press
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups
unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon baking
soda
1-3/4 cups boiling
water
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room
temperature
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3-1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon
baking powder
Lemon Curd (see recipe below), as
accompaniment
1-1/2 cups whipped cream, as
accompaniment
Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-X-13-inch baking pan. Set aside.
Place the molasses and baking soda in a bowl, ad the boiling water and let cool to room temperature.
Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing well after each addition.
Sift together the salt, spices, flour and baking powder.
Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the batter, beat on low speed until well blended, then add about half the cooled molasses mixture and beat well.
Continue adding the dry and wet ingredients alternately, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating well after each addition.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with Lemon Curd and softly whipped cream.
Makes 12 servings.
Ingredients
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, diced
Method
Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a metal bowl, then whisk in the lemon juice and zest.
Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and cook, stirring constantly, until very thick, 5 to 6 minutes. (Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.)
Remove from the heat, add the butter, let sit until melted, and stir.
Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve.
If using the curd to fill a crust, pour it into the prepared crust and refrigerate until well chilled.
If using it fill a cake, first transfer it to a clean bowl and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 2 hours.
The lemon curd will keep, refrigerated, about 1 week.
Ingredients
4 cups fresh cranberries
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons flour
Cappy's Pie Crust for a double-crust pie (see recipe below)
1 cup chopped, toasted walnuts or pecans
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Method
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, toss the cranberries with the orange zest and juice, 1 cup of the sugar, 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon. and the flour. Set aside.
On a well-floured board, roll half the dough out into a 10-inch circle. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate (leave the excess dough fr the moment.)
Pour the cranberry mixture into the crust, top with the nuts and dot with the butter.
Roll the remaining dough out into a 10-inch-circle and fold it into quarters. Lightly wet your fingertips and run them over the edge of the bottom crust to help the top crust adhere.
Set the top crust over the filling, unfold it, and trim the edges of both crusts to about 1/2 inch.
Roll the edges under and flute.
Dock the dough with a fork.
Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the top crust.
Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 1 hour. Let cool about 20 minutes before serving.
Makes 10 servings.
Ingredients
1-1/3 cups flour
1/4 cup cold, unsalted butter, diced
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons ice water
Method
Place the flour, butter, shortening and salt in a large bowl and, using your fingertips, blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add the water and mix with your fingertips or a large fork, just until the dough comes together.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board, form it into a disk with your hands, and let it rest 15 to 30 minutes before rolling.
The dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 3 months.
Note: This recipe makes enough for a single-crust pie. Double the recipe for a double-crust pie.
The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion
Published by The Countryman Press
Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
8 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
2-1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white rice flour or cornstarch
Method
In a large bowl, beat together the shortening, butter, sugars, salt, baking powder and vanilla.
When well blended, add the egg, beating until fluffy. Whisk the flours and/or cornstarch together and stir in.
Divide the dough in half, form into discs, wrap well, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and roll it 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
Cut with cookie or biscuit cutters, place the cookies on lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheets, and bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the cookies are very lightly browned on the edges.
Remove them from the oven and let cool on racks.
Makes about 3-1/2 dozen cookies.
Ingredients
Dough
2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened baking chocolate
8 tablespoons (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract or peppermint oil
Frosting
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter or margarine, melted
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract or peppermint oil
1 tablespoon milk
Glaze
1 square (1 ounce) bitter chocolate
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) butter or margarine
Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make the dough, melt together the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in a microwave.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, salt and eggs.
Add the chocolate mixture, stirring to combine, then the flour, nuts and peppermint, mixing until well blended.
Pour the batter into a lightly greased 9- X 9--inch pan. Bake the squares 25 minutes.
Remove them from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
To frost the squares, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, peppermint and milk in a small bowl. Spread the frosting over the cooled squares in a thin layer.
For the glaze, melt together the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in a microwave.
Drizzle the mixture over the frosted squares. Refrigerate the squares until they're well chilled. To serve, cut into 1-1/2-inch squares.
Makes about 36 small, 1-X-1-inch squares.
The Village Baker’s Wife: Desserts and Pastries That Made Gayle’s Bakery Famous
By Gayle & Joe Ortiz with Louisa Beers
Published by Ten Speed Press
Ingredients
Crust
1/4 recipe (8 ounces) Ginger-Molasses Cookie dough (see recipe below)
Cheesecake
1-1/4 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose or cake flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
4 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
Icing
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons brandy
1/2 cup almond pieces, toasted and finely chopped
Ground cinnamon
Method
Place the cookie dough on a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover it loosely in the plastic wrap and form it into a 7- or 8-inch disc.
Wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate it 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/8 in thick.
Using the bottom of a 9-inch removable-bottom or springform pan as a template, cut a 9-inch circle out of the dough. With a cookie cutter of knife, cut the remaining dough into cookies and place around the perimeter of a large baking sheet, leaving room for the cheesecake pan to be placed in the middle.
Slice the bottom of the pan under the circle of dough, then place it in the removable-bottom pan or buckle on the sides of the springform pan.
Set the pan on a baking sheet in the middle of the cookies and place on the center rack in the oven. Bake 15 minutes, or until the dough puffs slightly, starts to brown around the edge sand becomes slightly firm to the touch.
Let the crust cool completely on a rack and snack on the cookies while you prepare the filling.
Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a tabletop mixer fitted with the flat beater and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and beater well.
Add the sugar and mix on medium-high speed 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and beater.
Add the flour and spices and beat on medium-high speed 1 minute. Again scrape down the bowl and beater.
With the mixer on medium speed, add the vanilla and cream, mixing until incorporated.
In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork, then blend in the pumpkin.
With the mixer on medium speed, slowly add the pumpkin mixture. Again scrape down the bowl and the beater, then mix on medium speed about 1 more minute. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Set the pan on the baking sheet and place on the center rack in the oven. Bake about 45 minutes.
When the cake has baked 45 minutes, turn off the oven and crack open the door. The cheesecake probably will have cracked a little and continue to crack further as it cools, which is all right.
Let the cheesecake sit in the oven with the door ajar 15 minutes, then open the door completely and let the cheesecake cool in the oven 1 hour.
After the hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool completely on a rack before refrigerating.
Cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight cake container and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days before icing and serving.
When ready to serve, depan the cheesecake by holding it 4 to 6 inches over a heated stovetop burner. Slightly warming the bottoms and sides will allow the cheesecake to be easily released from the pan.
Do not let the cheesecake start to melt. If using a removable-bottom pan, push up on the bottom and let the sides of the pan fall onto your arm.
If using a springform pan, unbuckle the sides of the pan and remove.
The cheesecake may be left on the base of either pan or may be transferred to a 9-inch cake cardboard.
To transfer the cheesecake to a cake cardboard, slide a metal icing spatula between the bottom crust of the cheesecake and the base of the pan.
Work the spatula underneath the cake in a gentle sawing motion until the spatula can slide freely under the whole cake.
Using the spatula, tilt the cake up enough to get the palm of your other hand underneath to lift it off the base of the pan and transfer it to the cardboard, supporting the cake with your open palm.
Set the back edge of the cheesecake on the cardboard.
Support the front edge of the cheesecake with the spatula as you slowly remove your hand and lower the cake onto the cardboard.
Gently pull the spatula out from underneath the cheesecake.
To make the icing, whip the cream, sugar and brandy. Using a metal icing spatula, spread a 1-inch-thick layer of the whipped cream on top and a 1/4-inch-thick layer on the sides of the cheesecake.
Fill in any depressions or cracks in the cheesecake with the icing, smoothing the top and sides.
The top should be perfectly level and form a right angle with the sides.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a #1 or #2 star with the remaining whipped cream. Pipe 12 to 16 one-inch-wide, 1-inch high rosettes around the top of the cheesecake.
Slide the icing spatula under the base of the cake pan or cake cardboard and tilt the cake enough to get the palm of your other hand underneath to lift it without touching the sides.
Using the icing spatula, scrape off any whipping cream hanging over the edge of the base of the pan or cardboard.
To cover the sides of the cake with the nuts, continue to hold up the cake with one hand under the base of the pan or cake cardboard.
Pick up a handful of the nuts in your other hand and, with your palm slightly cupped, gently press the nuts into the whipped cream, working from the bottom to the top.
When the sides of the cake are completely covered, tap the cake cardboard to remove any excess nuts. Lightly sprinkle each rosette with the cinnamon. Set the cheesecake on a serving platter.
Store the cheesecake in an airtight cake container in the refrigerator until 30 minutes before serving.
The cheesecake is best served the day it is iced, but it may be stored in an airtight cake container in the refrigerator overnight.
Makes one 9-inch cheesecake.
Ginger-Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
3/4 cup (6 ounces) butter
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup light molasses
1 large egg
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Method
Melt the butter and pour it into a large mixing bowl. Let it cool. Add 1 cup of the sugar, the molasses and the egg and beat well.
Sift together the baking soda, flour, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and salt.
Add the sifted ingredients to the butter mixture and mix well. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill 15 minutes.
Makes about 50 cookies or 4 Pumpkin-Cheesecake crusts.
Ingredients
3/4 cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2-1/3 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter, flour and line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
Cream the butter in the bowl of a tabletop mixer fitted with the flat beater.
With the mixer running on medium speed, gradually ad the sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
With the mixer running on medium speed, add the egg yolks one at a time, waiting until each is incorporated before adding the next. Blend in the vanilla.
Sift together twice, the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.
With the mixer running on medium-low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk in thirds, waiting until each addition is incorporated before adding the next.
In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff but not dry.
Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
Bake about 30 minutes, or until the cake springs back when gently pressed and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
Let cool completely in the pans on wire racks.
This cake may be stored, well wrapped, in the refrigerator 2 days or in the freezer 2 weeks.
Note: Spice cake is delicious iced with caramel- or praline-flavored buttercream or cream cheese icing.
Clouds for Dessert
By Susan Lowell
Published by Rio Nuevo
Ingredients
1 tablespoon anise seed (or up to 2 tablespoons for a stronger flavor)
3 tablespoons water
3-1/2 to 3-3/4 cups flour
2-2/1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon anise extract (optional)
For the tops
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
Method
In a small saucepan, simmer the anise seed in the water 5 minutes and allow the infusion to cool.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream the butter with both kinds of sugar. When the mixture is fluffy, add the eggs, anise extract and anise seed mixture.
Gradually add the dry ingredients. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it airtight and chill it for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the cinnamon with the remaining sugar in a small bowl.
Dust a work surface and rolling pin lightly with flour and roll out the dough approximately 1/4-inch thick and cut out 3-inch cookies.
Dust the tops with cinnamon mixed with 1/3 cup sugar. (You may substitute colored decorating sugar but you will lose the important flavor of cinnamon, which blends beautifully with anise.)
Bake the biscochitos about 10 minutes, or until they are lightly browned around the edges. Let them cool on wire racks.
Makes about 3 dozen 3-inch cookies.
Ingredients
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 egg, beaten
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
Method
In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the molasses and shortening until the shortening melts.
Remove from the heat and add the soda and egg.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the first mixture, adding a little more flour if the dough seems too sticky.
Turn it out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, form it into a ball, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate until chilled, 2 to 3 hours or for as long as a week. (To store it more than a few hours, double-wrap the dough by sealing it inside a plastic bag.)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Dividing the dough into 3 or 4 batches, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin.
Cut into various shapes. Bake on heavy, lightly greased cookies sheets 7 to 10 minutes, switching the position of the cookie sheets from top to bottom midway through the baking time.
Cool on wire racks and frost and decorate the cookies as desired.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
The Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book
By Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough
Published by William Morrow
Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (16 tablespoons) cool, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1-1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
Method
Position the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl until uniform; set aside.
Soften the butter in a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, about 1 minute.
Add both sugars and continue beating until light and airy, if still a bit grainy, a little more than 1 minute.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, thoroughly beating in the first before adding the second. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the vanilla. Remove the beaters.
Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, fold in the prepared flour mixture just until moistened. The batter should be firm but not sticky.
Fold in the chocolate chips just until evenly distributed.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto two ungreased baking sheets, spacing the mounds about 1-1/2 inches apart.
Bake 6 minutes, then switch the sheets top to bottom and back to front. Continue baking about 6 more minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned at the edges, set yet soft when touched.
Cool on the baking sheets 1 minute, then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Cool the baking sheets 5 minutes before baking additional batches.
Makes about 5 dozen cookies
Ingredients
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder, preferably natural, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) cool, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg white, whisked with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl until foamy
1/2 cup clear sanding sugar clear coarse sugar
Method
Place the chocolate in a small bowl and microwave on high 15 seconds. Stir, then continue heating and stirring in 15-second increments until half the chocolate has melted.
Remove the bowl from the microwave and continue stirring until all the chocolate has melted.
Alternatively, place the chocolate in the top half of a double boiler set over about 1 inch of simmering water. Stir until half the chocolate has melted, then remove the double boiler's top half from the heat and continue stirring until all the chocolate has melted.
Set aside to cool 5 minutes.
Whisk the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a medium bowl until uniformly colored. Set aside.
Soften the butter in a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, about 1 minute.
Add the sugar and cream it with the butter until light and airy, about 1 more minute.
Beat in the egg, then the vanilla until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the melted chocolate, pouring it into the bowl in a thin, steady stream with the beaters running.
Turn off the beaters, pour in the prepared flour mixture and beat at very low speed just until a somewhat soft, pliable, but not smooth, dough forms.
Gather the dough into a ball while it's still in the bowl, then cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside at room temperature 30 minutes so that the glutens begin to set up.
Meanwhile, position the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Scoop out 2 tablespoons of the dough and roll it out into a 10-inch rope on a clean, dry work surface. Dust with flour if necessary.
With the rope in front of you horizontally, curve the left end up and over a point about a third of the way in from the right end, then curve the right end up and over a point about a third of the way from the original left end - in other words, create a pretzel shape.
Place on the prepared sheet and brush lightly with the egg-white wash.
Sprinkle liberally with the sanding or coarse sugar. Repeat with the remaining dough, making more pretzels and spacing them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
Bake 7 minutes, then reverse the sheets back to front and top to bottom.
Continue baking about 7 more minutes, or until the cookies are set but somewhat springy to the touch.
Cool the baking sheets 5 minutes before baking additional batches, if necessary.
Makes 18 cookies.