46. Eat to live. Bake to love. (Pecan Shortbread)

Shhhhh!  Lean in really close and be prepared to learn a secret from the Baker at Law kitchen.

Whispering--On average, I usually only take two bites of the desserts I prepare.  One bite to taste the flavor and test the texture of the edges and a second bite to test the texture of the center.

That’s it.  Then I take pictures of the desserts, package them up, take a few more pictures, and then distribute the desserts to happy partakers.    Out of the cookie, for example, that I had two bites, I put the leftovers in a Ziploc bag and leave it on the counter.  Usually, in about a week or so, the tester gets thrown away.

I really do not eat much of what I bake.  I had a friend try to explain this concept to her niece and she seemed completely perplexed by it.  I am sure in the mind of a kid, if food tastes good you eat it.  But, that is not how my mind works, generally.  I eat to live, and although I do enjoy food, I bake to love.

I enjoy baking immensely, but let’s face it, if I ate everything I baked I would be unhealthy, unfit, and two TBS of butter away from a heart attack.  That is not a life I want to lead.  I bake purely because I like to do it.  I love to share it with people who enjoy it.  And I try and spread the wealthy around—no giving too many sticks of butter to one person.

With all that being said, these cookies are one of the few things I baked that I literally had to get out of the house as I ate three cookies the night I made them.  They ARE that good.  These cookies are simple in theory: pecans, butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and vanilla.  Yet, sometimes a magical mix of minimal ingredients allows each to shine and yields perfect results.

These cookies are subtly sweet, rich, and buttery.  Toasting the pecans is a must!  With so few ingredients, each one has to be used to its highest potential.  I made these cookies in two ways.  I divided the batter in half.  With one-half, I formed a log and refrigerated it for 24 hours.  I then sliced the cookies from the log and baked.  The other half of the batter I used immediately, using a 1 TBS capacity cookie scope.  Both cookies came out just as well.  I baked the log-sliced cookies a little longer than the scope cookies.

So bake these and share the love!

Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Adapted from Dessert Magazine

Ingredients:

3 sticks Butter, room temperature

1 cup White Sugar

1 large Egg, room temperature

1 TBS (yes TBS) Vanilla Extract

1 TBS Water, room temperature

4 cups All-purpose Flour

1 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

2 1/2 cup Pecans, chopped and toasted

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325F.

2. Cream together butter and sugar.

3. Add egg, vanilla, and water, one at a time.

4. Mix baking soda, flour, and salt in a separate bowl before mixing into butter mixture.

5. Add pecans and mix in completely.

6. Use 1 TBS cookie scope to portion evenly sized cookies.  Slightly flatten.  Cookies will spread very little.

7. Or form dough into a cookie log.  Wrap in plastic and place in the fridge.  Once cookies are cold all the way through, slice them to your desired thickness.

8. Bake cookies 15-17 minutes if using the cookie scope method, or 17-20 minutes if using the sliced log method.  Cookies are done with the edges are just beginning to brown.

9. Cool completely and enjoy!

45. Cherry Almond Biscotti

The reason behind my top 100 list was to challenge myself to try new things.  I wanted to learn new techniques, try different recipes, and expand my baking expertise.  I will not like everything on the list, but it will not stop me from making it and trying it.

That is the case with biscotti.  I like crisp cookies, but I am not a huge fan of biscotti.  Biscotti can be so rock-hard that you must dip it in a beverage to actually be able to eat it.  That is where the problem lies.

Imagine it—you can have a nice, creamy, warm cup of coffee and a flavorful, not-to-sweet, crisp, nutty cookie.  Then you take that cookie, dip it into the coffee, hold it there for a few seconds, then pull the cookie out and eat it.  After savoring the now bitable cookie, you look back down at your cup of coffee and what do you see?  Floating crumbs, cookie residue, textures that are unbecoming of a drink.

THAT is why I do not care for biscotti, because the vehicle to make the cookie palatable creates unwanted consequences.  I want my coffee cookie-crumb free!  So, when making my own biscotti, I wanted it crisp but not jaw-breaking hard.  I wanted the cookie to be enjoyed with or without dipping.

These cookies have a crisp exterior and a softer, chewy interior.  I love that they are not super sweet, and the cherries provide an extra tartness.  Lastly, to bump up the decadence, I half dipped them in semi-sweet chocolate and showered some with almonds.

If you choose to dip them or not, they are perfectly enjoyable.  These cookies can stand on their own or be nicely paired with a warm beverage of choice.

Cherry Almond Biscotti

Adapted from Joy of Baking

 Ingredients:

1 tsp Baking Powder
1/8 tsp Salt
2 cups All-purpose Flour
3/4 cup White Sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Almond Extract
approx. 1 cup Dried Cherries
3/4 cup Slivered Almonds

 Method:

1. Preheat oven temperature to 330F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  

2. In a small bowl lightly beat eggs and extracts together. 

3. In a medium bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the egg mixture and mix until a dough forms.  Adding almonds and cherries about halfway through.

4. On a lightly floured surface shape dough into a log about 14 inches long and 3 - 4 inches wide. Transfer log to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until firm to the touch (log will spread during baking). Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.

5. Transfer log to a cutting board and, using a serrated knife, cut log into slices 1 inch thick slices on the diagonal. 

6. Arrange pieces evenly on baking sheet with bottom of log down, so that each piece is standing up with the cut side out.  Bake for 30 minutes or more, until firm to the touch.

7. Remove from oven and let cool.

8. If dipping, melt 8-oz of semi-sweet chocolate with a little vegetable oil.  Once cookies are completely cool, dip each cookie.  Sprinkle with additional sliced almonds if desired. Place on parchment paper, and in the fridge, until chocolate is completely set.