Category: Events

12 Days Of Cookies A Gourmet Cookie Extravaganza…Viennese Vanilla Crescents

On the 6th day of Christmas Cookies Glamah baked for me Viennese Vanilla Crescents,Bizcochitos( Anise Cookies), Brown Butter Cookies,Chocolate Meringue Biscuits, Benne Wafers,and Navettes Sucrees. I think we have all had this version of cookie for the holidays. Ground Hazelnuts, butter , powdered sugar delectable! Gourmet published this recipe in October 1991, so the recipe and instruction were pretty clear and straightforward. I did find the dough once again on the dry crumbly side. I actually had to warn up balls of dough in my hand to melt the butter a little and from the crescents. Be careful with these when removing form the oven because they are very dry and crumbly. But once they set in their bed of powdered sugar and get an additional dusting, they cool down to a perfect cookie. Certain Someone found them dry the night I baked them. However I took these babies to work along with tomorrows cookies and they were gone in 60 minutes!People even emailed me for the recipe. They loved them with the morning coffee and that they were not to sweet. So if you time , and patience, give the cookies a whirl.

*I halved the recipe which said it made 100 cookies. Halved I got around 25 normal sized cookies.
*This recipe has a recipe within a recipe . You must make the Vanilla Confectioners sugar at least 24 hours ahead.
* And most important. All images taken were by CSI(Certain Someone Images)for CocoCooks.He’s getting big time now!
Be sure to visit my other baking friends and see what they chose to bake for the holidays from Gourmet.com.
Jerry – http://www.cookingbytheseatofmypants.com/
Judy – http://www.nofearentertaining.blogspot.com/
Sandy – http://www.bakersbench.blogspot.com/
Kelly – http://sassandveracity.typepad.com/
Claire – http://www.thebarefootkitchen.com/
Andrea – http://www.andreasrecipes.com/

12 Days Of Cookies A Gourmet Cookie Extravaganza…Bizcochitos ( Anise Cookies)

On the 5th day of Christmas Glamah baked for me Bizcochitos(Anise Cookies),
Brown Butter Cookies,Chocolate Meringue Biscuits,Benne Wafers,and Navettes Sucrees.

Try saying that a few times. This cookie recipe was published in 1976.According to Gourmet .com “These New Mexican staples were the first state cookie in the U.S.They get their signature flavor from the combination of lard, whole wheat, and ground anise seed…”.Upon further reading they seem to have a rich history. These are the cookies you bring out at weddings, baptisms, quinceaneras, etc. I have to admit this seemed like the most boring cookie of the bunch. I only choose it because A) I actually have lard in my freezer and B) I have a big ass bag of star anise which can be substituted for anise seed. 1 crushed star anise + 1/2 teaspoon of anise seed. So I got to work defrosting the lard and crushing the star anise. What is interesting in this recipe is the use of whole wheat flour and that’s its a roll out /cut out cookie dough that’s sprinkled with cinnamon sugar before baking. But you have to be patient with this cookie as it needs to age five days in an airtight container before serving. I guess to give the flavors a chance to mellow and the cookie an opportunity to harden. Everything about this recipe was good. No problems in mixing or baking. Don’t be put off about not chilling the dough. I used waxed paper and a slightly floured surface. The shapes held perfectly.After 5 days of ageing the cookie is firm.The taste reminded me of a cross between Graham Cracker and a biscuit.Not bad, just different from all the buttery sweetness I have been baking.I even dressed them up a little with some glitter accents.So try this one for a change. You don’t have to tell anyone there’s lard in it but do build up the whole wheat aspect!

Be sure to check out my other baking friends as we make cookies from Gourmet’s favorite cookies from 1941-2008.

Jerry – http://www.cookingbytheseatofmypants.com/
Judy – http://www.nofearentertaining.blogspot.com/
Sandy – http://www.bakersbench.blogspot.com/
Kelly – http://sassandveracity.typepad.com/
Claire – http://www.thebarefootkitchen.com/
Andrea – http://www.andreasrecipes.com/

12 Days Of Cookies A Gourmet Cookie Extravaganza…Brown Butter Cookies

On the fourth day of Christmas Glamah baked for me… Brown Butter Cookies, Chocolate Meringue Biscuits,Benne Wafers, and Navettes Sucrees! I was intrigued by the simplicity of this recipe. The Daring Bakers had used brown butter in the last challenge and I loved the aroma. As I mentioned in previous posts, the older cookie recipes on Gourmet.com don’t list the ingredients and caused me some confusion as you just read the recipe.Brown Butter Sugar cookies were published in June 1961. I browned the butter and mixed up the dough. Again a dry dough like I had with Sugar Shuttles! But upon close reading I see that I only used 1/2 cup rather than 1 cup of butter. I don’t like the measurements for butter given in cups. Give me tablespoons!Anyway I added some more browned butter and formed the cookies. I didn’t have the blanched almond they used as topping, but in a sudden burst of inspiration I added some leftover cashew praline to the tops. Imay have just over cooked them. Bake time is 20 minutues, however I pulled them out just in time. The texture of this cookie reminds me of Pecan Sandies. Wonderful and crumbly.Be careful when packing these cookies in your holiday gift boxes.


Be sure to check out my fellow baking friends as we bake hoilday cookies from Gourmet.com.

12 Days Of Cookies A Gourmet Cookie Extravaganza…Chocolate Meringue Biscuits

On the third day of Christmas, Glamah baked for me… Chocolate Meringue Cookies, Benne Wafers,and Navettes Sucrees. ! Glamah’s meringues do not look as cute as the people at Gourmet.com, but they taste great. These were so refreshing to make between other baking. I love whipping up egg whites and happened to have plenty in the freezer from leftover from various projects. The only thing I changed due to economy and what was in my pantry was the addition of Hazelnut meal as opposed to ground blanched almonds. Plus Certain Someone loves Hazelnut and chocolate together.
Nothing to complain about with this one. Is that because it was published in October 1982 and the directions are more clear? Who knows. I should have piped the meringues bigger and with swirls, but the I like these odd little cookies.
These are pretty easy and will be great for everyone. Play around with the piping and surprise yourself!
Be sure to check out my other baking friends and see what they chose from Gourmet.com to bake for the holidays.
Jerry – http://www.cookingbytheseatofmypants.com/
Judy – http://www.nofearentertaining.blogspot.com/
Sandy – http://www.bakersbench.blogspot.com
Kelly – http://sassandveracity.typepad.com/
Claire – http://www.thebarefootkitchen.com/
Andrea – http://www.andreasrecipes.com/

12 Days Of Cookies A Gourmet Cookie Extravaganza…Benne Wafers

Hey! You’re still with me on Day 2 of this cookie extravaganza? Great! We still got 10 more to go! On the second day of Christmas Glamah baked for me…Benne Wafers and Navettes Sucrees! This recipe was the first one I chose to bake. I had never heard of Benne Wafers before. I knew I had some sesame seeds sitting in my pantry from a Daring Baker challenge. They are caramelized cookies with benne seeds( sesame seeds). Benne Wafers are popular in South Carolina and other southern parts.Benne seeds are known as the seeds of good luck! seemed easy and minimal. I didn’t even research this one before, just choosing to stick to Gourmet.com version that was published in November 1954. Don’t they look pretty? Well all hell broke lose before I photographed this. I mixed up the batter that curiously only called for 2 tablespoons of flour. I did use dark brown sugar rather than light, because that’s what I had.I flattened the spoonfuls down on buttered parchment with a knife dipped in ice water. When I came to take them out they had spread into one thin sheet. I was about to toss them but grabbed a round cutter and cut the thin mess while warm. They cooled down to a buttery almost brittle like cookie. I tore away the scraps and from the cutter and ended up with a quite a few presentable wafers! Good thinking. I googled this cookie and found most modern recipes call for way more flour( like cups!)Oh well. I have to say these were tasty and crispy. A unusual treat for cookie boxes this holiday season.

Be sure to visit my other baking friends as we prepare cookies from Gourmet.com this holiday season!
Jerry – http://www.cookingbytheseatofmypants.com/