[Cookie 079] Citrus Cornmeal Shortbread

Hellloooooooo world!! Risen from the grave, brought back to life, reincarnated into a zombie Cookie Monster, whatever you want to say, I'm really ready to get back in the swing of things (and apparently I don't have a choice, anonymous! You know who you are.). The wedding is over--isn't it weird when you're preparing so long for something so huge, and then it's over in a flash?--and it was amazing and beautiful and really really incredible (click the link for pictures, because those vague adjectives definitely don't do the whole event any justice!). The backyard looked amazing with it's overabundance of sunflowers and other potted blossoms, and the tables were set with centerpieces compiled of a potted sunflower, utensils tied together with twine, chalkboard table numbers, a bottle of cucumber-infused vodka for the wedding toasts, and a bottle of Sriracha! Why the Sriracha? Because......

...THERE WAS A TACO TRUCK IN MY VERY OWN DRIVEWAY! And it was the Kogi Taco Truck no less. I can't begin to describe the feeling that came over me when I witnessed it pull up. My dream come true.

Overall it was an incredible wedding, worth all the stressin' and wigging out that we all did...I think. The after-party was...good, I think. I don't remember a lot of it, so that's either a sign of a good party, or my own bad choices, or both. It was a good choice to drink that cucumber vodka, and I like whiskey too, but I think the Tequila can be labeled as the start of my own bad choices. Post-wedding hangover was a given, but totally worth it. The subsequent mortifying hazy memories that will plague my brain for months to come, maybe not.

But enough about my family's crazy antics (?). I made cookies for this big ol' event--no, no, I did not cater to the entire 120 guests! Just the visiting relatives who received little traveler's goody-bags complete with a bag of 6 Citrus Cornmeal Shortbread cookies.

Were they good? Well, I'll let my 6 year-old cousin (second cousin?) do the talkin': He said that these cookies were the best cookies he had ever had...in his entire LIFE! And that he, not his mom, wanted the recipe. He wanted it. Excellent. Commence baker's-brainwashing!

They were really delicious, it's true. Subtle, with a nice cornmeal texture, and a hint of citrus sweetness. For the first batch, I used lemon zest instead of orange zest, and it definitely wasn't as good as the orange zest ones, which had a much more citrusy flavor. Plus, the orange flecks stand out more than the lemon-yellow ones. Other than that, the recipe is fun to make, and you can keep the dough in the freezer for a while so you can bake them whenever you want. Also, the cookies themselves hold for up to a week, so they're perfect for wrapping up and giving to other people, if that's your thing. Not really my thing, but when called upon I might engage in an act of kindness.

So, in conclusion, make these cookies, and I'll post more often. Deal? Great.

Citrus Cornmeal Shortbread

Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions

1. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and zest. Mix until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour, 2 tablespoons cornmeal, and salt; mix until well combined, about 3 minutes. Halve dough; shape each into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place remaining 1/4 cup cornmeal on a sheet of parchment paper. Roll in cornmeal to coat. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, and space them 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until pale golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on sheet on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

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{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 2/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 3.5/5 (just the almond flour and proper jam!)
Tastiness: 4/5
Attractiveness: 4/5
Is it worth it?: Yep!

{Pairings}
Drink: A shot of that delicious cucumber vodka--try it!

Song: Surprise! Opinions?
Activity: It's marryin' season, right? Right?? Yeah!

[Cookie 036] Rum-Raisin Shortbread

Summer is finally ending, and besides getting the an overabundance of back-to-school sale junk mail, the end of August usually means one other much more ominous thing for Californians: fire season. Yesterday, as I was driving home from a really awesome day at the beach, we rounded a curve on the 110 freeway and I saw a huge, conspicuous brown cloud blooming out of the mountains. We immediately turned on the radio and heard about the first of this years summer wild fires, but none of us were very shocked, to be honest. Every year it's like this, and every year people have to evacuate their homes.

This morning I woke up and wandered downstairs in my usual state of semi-consciousness, when I got an abrupt deja-vu of me and my family sitting around our campfire during our backpacking trip a couple of weeks ago. I smelled that sweet woody smell of dead wood burning, which I usually love, but in this case really worried me. Then I look out the window and noticed that the sunlight shining in was far redder than usual, and I knew what we were in for. A day of staying cooped up inside--don't even think of doing any physical activity on a day with air quality like this--and trying our best not to inhale.

I always feel that when the fires start Southern California turns into Hell. Really, it's very sinister: a red sun, yellow-orange shadows, ash literally falling from the sky like snow, temperatures in the upper 90s, and visibility on the road is noticeably compromised. It's crazy! People's houses are burning, and it's actually pretty scary. The only thing you can do to pass the time is eat cookies, because firing up the oven (pun intended...?) is probably the last thing you want to do.

So on that note, I bring you a cookie that is the anti-hell cookie. Rum-Raisin Shortbread, though it does have some dark rum in it (an ingredient only a few might find sinful) is buttery, extremely delicate, and hits you with a bit of refreshing orange zest at first bite. In my opinion, it was a little too heavy on the butter and not heavy enough on the rum, but that's obviously up for debate.

The recipe isn't that hard, but you do have to start on it the night before you want to eat the cookies because the currants (there are no raisins in fact...a poor naming decision on behalf of the editors of The Book) need to soak overnight in rum. But once this little bit of prep-work is done, the rest of the recipe is pretty straight forward. I really like the orange zest in these because it is quite prominent, but I think most of the flavor of the alcohol burned off in the oven--or was masked by the excess of butter-flavor. Maybe you should lower the temperature of the oven and bake them longer? Just a suggestion...

Anyway, these cookies are slice-n-bake, but also contain currants (obviously), so cutting the cookie dough log can be tricky at times. We tried a super sharp kitchen knife at first, but my dad had the most luck with a serrated bread knife in the end. But still, be careful cutting these because with both currants and coconut shreds the dough doesn't like to slice easily.

Unfortunately, mine didn't quite end up looking like the ones in the book. They spread a lot in the oven and lost their shape, which causes me to think that the dough maybe should have been frozen instead of refrigerated? The photo in The Book has them looking thicker, sturdier, and more like shortbread. Perhaps I didn't drain the currants well enough, thus making the dough too wet and more willing to spread in the oven. But they were tasty, so I'd say make them. Nothing fantastic, but they were pretty good, and with maybe a few alterations they could be even better. Hopefully with recipes like these I'll be able to eat my way through fire season until I leave for New York!

Rum-Raisin Shortbread

Makes about 4 1/2 dozen

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dark rum
• 1 cup dried currants
• 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions

1. Combine rum and currants; cover, and let stand at room temperature overnight. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons rum.
2. Beat butter, sugar, and orange zest with a mixer on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and reserved rum, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour, coconut, and salt, and beat for 3 minutes. Stir in currants by hand.
3. Form dough into 2 logs, each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter; wrap in parchment, and refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
4. Preheat oven to 325. Remove parchment. Slice logs into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, and space about 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake until pale golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

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{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 3/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 1.5/5 (Liquor is hard to come by...for me...and those of my age...sometimes)
Tastiness: 3/5
Attractiveness: 2/5
Is it worth it?: Yeah, especially if you like very buttery cookies.

{Pairings}
Drink: Espresso--something small and strong. An Espresso Macchiato would be awesome, in fact.

Song: Paris is Burning -- St. Vincent
Activity: A dainty tea/coffee party

P.S. The Book has begun to show signs of wear and tear!! Disaster! Catastrophe! Call for help! Ahhh!!

[Cookie 020] Lemon Squares

Oh hey.

Sorry that I haven't updated in ages and ages, but I sort of fell out of the loop, see. I really have no excuse. It's like going to the gym: once I stop going, it's nearly impossible for me to start up again. Once I stop blogging, I just get lazier and lazier until, what do you know, I haven't posted in 1 million years (give or take an eon).

Anyways, the good news is that I received another Silpat from my ever so generous neighbor, who just so happens to prefer using parchment paper, and also has an affinity for lemony cookies. As a thank-you, I baked up some Lemon Squares for her, and I was rather happy with the results.

In general, I've noticed that most of the "bars" in the cookbook are quite rich and dense and indulgent and delicious albeit a little overwhelming. These were no exception; I tasted 1, loved it, but didn't really want to eat 23 more. So it was good that I got to give them away, especially to someone who truly appreciates the true lemony flavor of these bars.

The recipe itself wasn't perfect, however. To make the crust, Martha has you grate--literally, with a cheese grater--some frozen butter, and then mix it with the dry ingredients. I really have no idea why she has you do it this way, when generally you can just use a food processor (or even a pastry cutter or pair of knives in a pinch). Instead of going with my absolutely impeccable judgment, I let my OCD get the better of me and loyally followed the recipe, grating 1 1/2 sticks of frozen butter by hand. Worst mistake of my life! Such a pain! Use a food processor! I'm pretty sure it will yield the same crumbly results!

Also, the baking times were a little funky. First off, my crust didn't get to be golden brown, even when I left it in the oven for a few extra minutes. It was, however, cooked well enough through that it wasn't a problem.

The lemon custard, on the other hand, took a good 5-7 extra minutes of baking in the oven, and still came out a little under-done. But no matter; it was still really delicious and super lemony! Be sure to really, truly, and honestly let the bars cool completely before you slice them up; otherwise, you won't be happy!

Lemon Squares
Makes about 2 dozen

Ingredients

[for the crust]

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, frozen; plus more for dish
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

[for the filling]

• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish, and line with parchment.
2. Make crust: Grate butter on a cheese grater with large holes; set aside. Whisk together flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter; stir with a wooden spoon until combined and mixture looks crumbly.
3. Transfer mixture to prepared dish; press evenly onto bottom with your hands. Freeze crust 15 minutes. Bake until slightly golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Leave oven on.
4. Meanwhile, make filling: Whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and milk. Pour over hot crust.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 325ºF, and bake until filling is set and edges are slightly golden brown, about 18 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into 2-inch squares. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Lemon squares can be refrigerated in airtight containers up to 2 days.

****

{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 3.5/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 4/5
Tastiness: 4/5
Attractiveness: 3.5/5 (The powdered sugar goes invisible after refrigeration)
Is it worth it?: Yes. I'm sure you know someone (or are someone) who loves lemon--this recipe is for that someone!

[Cookie 005] Orange Cardamom Madeleines

Well, well, well. Look what happened. A recipe that wasn't totally delicious and pretty and perfect. To be fair, I don't know who screwed up--Martha or myself--but someone did, and it might have been both of us in fact.

I decided to make this recipe primarily because of the location of the kitchen I would be cooking in; I'm back in California on spring break, which means two things: 1) sunny, warm weather! 2) better cooking tools! I don't own a madeleine pan (or Viking stove or Cardamom) in New York, so I figured what better recipe to make at home than this one! Everything was going smoothly, except for me nearly forgetting to add the butter mixture to the dough before chilling it, but other than that, I think my dad and I followed the recipe rather diligently.

The issue arose when making the orange glaze for the cookies. My dad juiced an orange, but I failed to measure the proper amount in relation to the powered sugar, and I just added all the juice. So, you'd think, "No biggie! Just add more powdered sugar!" So I did, but I didn't add enough, and the glaze wasn't so much a glaze than a juice that the cookies rapidly absorbed. So that was my fault.

But the cookies themselves weren't that great either, to be honest. They were a little too dense for my liking, especially since madeleines are supposed to be light and airy. They soaked up the glaze, which made them a little less dry, but it wasn't right. Also, they were didn't bake up very nicely. The dough was lumpy and didn't fill out the whole madeleine dish. Boo!! Oh well, they were tasty, of course, but they didn't really live up to my expectations.

Orange Cardamom Madeleines

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 1 tablespoon good-quality honey
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest, plus 2 tablespoons strained orange juice

Directions

1. Brush molds of a madeleine pan with butter; set aside. Make the batter: Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat, and stir in honey and vanilla. Let cool 10 minutes.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 325, with rack in center. Stir together sugar and eggs in a medium bowl. Gently fold in flour mixture until combined. Add butter mixture, and fold until combined. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
4. Spoon batter into prepared pan, filling each mold halfway. Tap pan on work surface to eliminate air bubbles. Bake until cookies are puffed and edges are golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool slightly. Unmold cookies onto rack, and let cool completely.
5. Make the orange glaze: Stir together sugar and orange zest and juice in a small bowl until glaze is smooth, thick, and opaque. Using a small pastry brush, coat ridged side of each cookie with glaze. Let set 15 minutes. Cookies can be stored in a single layer in an airtight container up to 3 days.

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{End Results}
Baking Difficultly: 2/5
Ingredient Accessibility: 3/5
Tastiness:3/5
Attractiveness: 2/5
Is it worth it?: In all honestly, probably not. But maybe if the glaze is done right...