lemon cornmeal shortbread cookies

I know, I know...another cookie recipe. Really, if that's the worst thing in the world then I'm happy I'm living in a cookie-filled world. However, this cookie is a bit different from most cookies that I make. For one, it's got cornmeal in it which gives it an amazing sandy grit. I'm saying sandy grit and you might be thinking, uh oh, kinda weird. But it's good. Trust me. The sandy grit in your teeth is so much better than the sandy grit in your bathing suit after a day at the beach.

The second thing I love about these, it's that they are shortbread cookies. Not too sweet, slightly crumbly and I could satisfy my late night cookie craving even though I was all out of brown sugar. Oh, and they are also lemony which is always a good thing. And like all late-night cookies, they are really simple to prepare. So head on over to Poppytalk and bake up a batch.

a plain jane: buttery raisin biscuits

I've been swamped with work so it's been nothing but crickets around here from my end. I haven't had much to write about really, as all the cooking that I've been doing has involved just emptying out all the bits n' bobbins from my pantry. It's tasty, in a gotta-do-it kind of way, but not all that exciting.

Yesterday I did celebrate one small work milestone with a bit of baking. After some website mockups that I had sent to a client were approved, I figured that a bit of celebratory baking was required. The thing was, I still had loads of other work to complete, so the prep and baking had to be quick so that I could get right back into the swing of things work-wise. Lucky me, I had just finished reading this post on Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once. The photo reminded me of my favorite bakery item: the eccles cake. I know that some people are all about chocolate or a macaron or a cupcake. But for me, if I spot an eccles cake, it's mine. It's not the prettiest or the sweetest thing on the shelf...in fact, it's just a little bit dowdy and plain Jane. But I know that what it lacks in beauty, it makes up for in taste. Buttery, crispy and chewy all at once, and studded with lemony currants, it's my idea of bakery perfection. Take that you starry-eyed cupcake!

So getting back to the real star of this post, the buttery raisin biscuit. Now, I'm calling these a biscuit in the way the British refer to cookies. These are not to be confused with the Southern-style biscuits dripping with gravy or clotted cream. Nope, these are a bar cookie of sorts or something akin to shortbread. I made the recipe as directed, except I used plain ol' raisins instead of fancy currants and added a bit of lemon zest just to remind me of those eccles cakes. I started preparing the recipe, weighing the ingredients at the top of the hour and by half past, the biscuit was on my kitchen table cooling. A 30 minute treat, indeed. I don't have a fluted tart pan, so I made do with my small 7 inch springform cake pan that worked just fine. When I cut into the biscuit, it didn't have the crunch I was after, but it did have a good texture that was somewhere between a dense brownie and a scone. Next time (and oh, there will be a next time), I will bake it a bit longer for a bit more bite. This recipe only makes a small batch of biscuits as I was able to cut 8 wedges and after they disappeared, I wanted more. So go ahead and make a double-batch!

buttery raisin biscuits
120 g ap flour
90 g cold butter, cut into cubes
50 g white sugar
120 g raisins
zest from 1 lemon
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour and butter. Get it all crumbly using your fingers until it resembles coarse meal. Add in sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until combined; add raisins and zest, stirring gently until evenly distributed. At this point, the mixture will still resemble coarse meal. Slowly add in a little bit of the egg and stir until a soft dough forms. You don't want a dough that is too sticky. I used only half of an extra large egg, but I could have used a bit less.

Pat dough into a tart pan or a small springform cake pan. Make sure to get even coverage and then use the remaining egg to brush the top of the dough. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops and edges are golden.

(recipe adapted from Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once)

jingle bells and chocolate shortbread cookies

I think I'm all ready for Christmas. Phew! The only thing I have left to do is our dessert for tomorrow's family dinner and making tonight's cozy supper for two. Every Christmas Eve, Cornelius and I relax, drink boozy cocktails, watch movies and play games. Our bar is stocked, we've got my favorite Christmas movie ever, The Shop Around the Corner, and a bunch of board games all lined up. I was thinking I might make up some moules et frites for this evening, but decided to try another Flemish specialty, a Belgium-beer braised beef stew instead. I'll let you know how things turn out.

But if you are still in the last minute throes of a baking frenzy, I did make a very simple and super delicious holiday cookie this past week that I'm eager to share. These shortbread cookies are chocolately, buttery and easy to make vegan (if that's what you're into). For me, these cookies are pretty hard to resist and I keep sneaking into the cookie tin to try just one more. Even snacking on them straight from the freezer makes them doubly enjoyable!


Enjoy and happy holidays!!

chocolate shortbread cookies
1 c unsalted butter, softened (or use Earth Balance margarine for a vegan version)
2/3 c icing sugar
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1/4 c cocoa
1/2 t kosher salt

1. Blend together the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa. Mix in the salt. Add this mixture to the butter and sugar and combine until blended. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 275. Roll out dough to 1/8" thickness and cut out with small circle-shaped cookie cutter. Bake for 17-20 minutes and cool on a wire rack.