Valentine's Day Giveaway!

I kind of have this love/hate thing going on with Valentine's Day. I love love... I'm a bon vivant for love, no doubts about it. But I never seem to give/receive Valentine's Day gifts that are true to my heart. This bothers me, people!

You know what's always true to my heart (and my belly)? Homemade cookies. Take a look at my professional website... it says it right there. Today, Tate's Bake Shop was kind enough to share a Valentine's Day-perfect cookie recipe with us - Linzer Heart Cookies from the new Baking For Friends cookbook. And not only that, they are also offering up a copy of the cookbook along with a Valentine's Cookie Cube to one lucky reader!

Below is the recipe for Linzer Heart Cookies (I'm totally making these this week... hopefully I can avoid temptation, not eat them, and give them to my Valentines). To enter the drawing for the cookie/book giveaway, leave me your email address in the comments and tell me what your favorite Valentine's Day gift is to give or receive by 5pm on Thursday, February 14. A winner will be chosen at random. Thanks for playing a long and a super gigantic thank you to Tate's for the awesome gift (go say thanks yourself by liking Tate's on Facebook or following on Twitter)! PS - If you feel so inclined, go purchase the gift combo for your favorite Valentine on the Tate's website and enter the promo code BLOG213 to receive 20% off and webstore purchase!

UPDATE! The contest is now closed - congrats to Suburban Prep for winning the Tate's Bake Shop giveaway!

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TATE'S BAKE SHOP LINZER HEART COOKIES

Makes 20 sandwich cookies

These decorative cookies make beautiful and tasty gifts. 

An important tip: be sure to chop the nuts and chocolate very fine in a food processor (pulse to chop so the friction doesn’t warm them), or the dough will be too rough-textured to roll out smoothly. You need a graduated set of heart-shaped cookie cutters to make these.

Cookies 

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 

1 cup cornstarch 

¼ teaspoon salt 

¾ pound (3 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

2 cups toasted, skinned and very finely chopped hazelnuts

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped 

-plus-

½ cup seedless raspberry jam 

½ cup confectioners’ sugar for sifting 

1. Sift the flour, cornstarch, and salt into a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer set on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the flour mixture, just until combined. Mix in the hazelnuts and chocolate.

2. Gather up the dough and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly before rolling.) 

3. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a round about ¼-inch thick. Use a 3 ½-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cookies as close as possible to avoid excess scraps. Arrange the hearts about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gather up the dough scraps and gently knead together, and cut out more cookies. If the dough becomes too soft to roll out, refrigerate until chilled. You should have 40 cookies. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. 

4. Position the oven racks in the top third and center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. 

5. Use a 1-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the centers of 20 cookies. These will be the cookie tops. (You can bake the mini hearts to nibble on later! Don’t throw away or re-roll.) Bake, switching the position of the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the cookies begin to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Sift some of the ½ cup of confectioners’ sugar over the hot cut-out cookies Let cool completely on the baking sheets. 

6. Spread the jam on the cookie bottoms, leaving an 1/8-inch border around the edges. Add the tops, sugared sides up, and press together gently. Just before serving, sift the remaining confectioners’ sugar over the cookies.

Swedish Crispy Syrup Cookies

Last year, I participated in the first Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap and had such a blast that I thought I'd do it again!

This year, the GFBCS organizers asked that all participants donate $4 to the "Cookies for Kids Cancer" campaign. The participating bloggers raised $2,300, and OXO generously matched this donation, bringing the total to $4,600! Thanks OXO!!

Just like last year, I was matched with three bloggers to send my cookies to. These bloggers were:

Chris from The Keenan Cookbook (beautiful site, Chris and Rachel!)

Karen from Small Kitchen, Big Taste (great recipes for bakers and cooks alike!)

Becca from The Salted Cookie (she likes champagne, her grandpa, and Alton Brown-esque analog tweets... sounds like my kind of gal!)

And I received cookies from:

Kathy from Panini Happy and Cooking on the Side (she made Spritz cookies)

Jessica from My Baking Heart (she made Spiced Rum cookies)

Becca from It's Yummilicious (she made Almond Log cookies)

This year, I decided to make Swedish Crispy Syrup Cookies. I received a copy of Swedish Desserts: 80 Traditional Recipes by Cecilia Vikbladh to review from Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. (Thanks Skyhorse!) The recipe was really easy to follow, but the cookies didn't turn out as crispy as I thought. This could be "user error," as perhaps I should have rolled out the logs thinner. The cookies did stay soft and syrupy in the center, though, so I got that right :-). I would qualify these cookies as good "dunkers..." you know, the kind that go perfect dunked into your coffee. I think adding a little bit of cocoa powder to these cookies would make them the perfect accompaniment to hot chocolate.

I'm really looking forward to trying a few other recipes from the book, especially the variations of Saffron Buns for Christmas morning, lemon twists, and Panettone with Limoncello.

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Crispy Syrup Cookies
From Swedish Desserts: 80 Traditional Recipes by Cecilia Vikbladh
Makes about 40 cookies

1 1/3 sticks butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder

1. Whisk butter, sugar, corn syrup, and egg yolk together, preferably with an electric mixer.

2. Mix and add flour, vanilla, and baking powder. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Set the over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. Split the dough into four equal parts and roll them out on the two baking sheets so that they stretch from one end to the other lengthwise. Flatten them lightly with your hand. Bake for 15 minutes and cut into pieces while still hot. Let the cookies cool on the sheet. Store them in a tin with a lid.

Biscotti

Sometimes I swear I should be Italian. I love the language, the culture, and especially the food. But alas, not a drop of Italian blood in this lady. I am rather homogeneous (Scots-Irish, English, Welsh, with one descendant down the line being of Apache heritage). Besides having a high tolerance for alcohol, this lineage has also led my family to be a sole supporter of Coppertone.

One Italian tradition I learned to love while visiting the country with my mother was biscotti (dipped in either espresso or wine). A few years later, while I was slinging pancakes in a local cafe, I was re-introduced to biscotti. After my waitressing shift was up I would take an espresso and piece of chocolate biscotti (technically, biscotto) to accompany me on the ride back to my apartment.

Biscotti is incredibly simple (remember: I don't make anything that's "hard") and like biscuits, if you have a good base to work from, you can expand the flavors immensely. I recently made a large batch of gingerbread biscotti and espresso chocolate-chip biscotti to send to three lovely ladies as part of the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. It was so fun to send out my cookies in their little tins, only to receive three batches of scrumptious goodies in return. If you missed out, don't worry, I heard the organizers will do it again next year!

Special Shout-Out: I sent my cookies to Annalise at Completely Delicious, Jewel at Eat Drink Shop Love,  and Tanvi at The Hathi Cooks. In return, I received Double Chocolate Crackles from Amber at Amber's Confections, Molasses Cookies with Orange Sugar from Emily at Back to the Cutting Board, and Dark Chocolate Cafenela Cookies from Leslie at My Kitchen is Open. Now, on to the recipe.


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Biscotti
Makes 20 pieces


Base Recipe
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt together. Set aside

2. Beat together the eggs and sugar until combined and pale (that's how you know the sugar has dissolved). Add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

3. On a greased cookie sheet (this is one of the few times I actually dig out my Sil-Pat), form dough into log about three inches wide and 12-15 inches long. Bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.

4. Remove biscotti from the oven and allow to cool enough to handle. With a serrated bread knife, cut the biscotti into about 20 pieces (more or less, depending on how thick you like you biscotti). Be sure to cut straight down into the biscotti to get clean cuts that doesn't cause the cookies to crumble. Arrange back on the cookie sheet and back for another 12-15 minutes until the biscotti is dry and crisp. Allow to cool on a baking sheet. Enjoy by dunking into your favorite Italian beverage.

Espresso Chocolate-Chip Biscotti
Start with base recipe, but add to egg/sugar mixture...
2 teaspoons instant espresso or coffee powder
2 teaspoons hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
(or 3 teaspoons very strong espresso and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

After incorporating dry ingredients, add six ounces of chopped semi-sweet chocolate or mini chocolate chips. Bake as above.

Gingerbread Biscotti
Start with base recipe, but add to dry ingredients...
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest

Bake as above.

Chocolate Chip and Toasted Coconut Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ice cream sandwiches have sort of become the signature highlight of our Barnside Movie parties. I feel like the pressure is on to create tried-and-true pairings alongside interesting flavor combinations. This year, I decided to marry two of my favorite flavors together (chocolate and coconut), which led me to create Chocolate Chip and Toasted Coconut Ice Cream Sandwiches. Essentially, this is just a chocolate chip cookie recipe teamed with coconut ice cream. Sounds kind of boring, but when you taste it, fuggitaboutit, it's amazing. I hope you'll try it!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes approximately 30 cookies

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

8 oz chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine flour, baking soda and salt, set aside. Combine butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl, beat until creamy. Beat in eggs.

2. Gradually add the flour mixture and blend well. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Drop cookies in rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool.

Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

Makes approximately 2 quarts

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

8 ounces unsweetened coconut milk

4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut (or more/less depending on your preference)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the shredded coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in oven until golden brown (about 10-15 minutes). Be sure to stir and re-arrange coconut frequently to prevent burning. Allow to cool completely. Note: The shredded coconut lends a chewy texture to the ice cream. Add more or less, depending on your preference (I like more!).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Set aside. In a larger bowl (or in the sink) prepare an ice bath.

3. Combine heavy cream, milk, and coconut milk in a large pot and cook over medium-high heat. Bring to just shy of boiling. Slowly stream the milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisk feverishly.

4. Once approximately half of the milk mixture is added to eggs, add entire egg mixture back into the large pot. Cook until thickened, continuously whisking and scraping the pot (a good trick to knowing it is thick enough is when the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon, run your finger along the spoon. If the track stays, it is thick enough). This will take only 2-3 minutes.

5. Voila! You have an ice cream base. Add the base to the large bowl and stick the bowl in the ice bath. Add the vanilla. Stir the base for several minutes to cool and release steam. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the base so that is touches it. This will prevent a skin from forming. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

6. When the ice cream base is completely cold, and it to your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer instructions. Once the ice cream is nearly done churning, add in the toasted coconut. Transfer to a freezer dish. The ice cream will need to cure and harden for several hours or overnight.

Assembling The Sandwiches

Makes approximately 15 sandwiches

1. Pair like-sized cookies together. For each '"set," place a rounded scoop of ice cream on one cookie and smoosh the second cookie on top. Press until the ice cream nearly reaches the cookies' edges. If desired, press until ice cream it reaches the edges, then smooth the ice cream flush with the cookies with an off-set spatula.

2. Wrap cookies in freezer paper or plastic wrap. Allow to firm up for at least an hour.

Enjoy!

Pecan Shortbread

Earlier in the week, Dave's colleague, Dr. MacDonald, came over to the farm to start in on a new work project. I always feel terrible if I don't have some sort of little treat to offer our guests (even though I know most of them could care less), so I decided to try whipping up a batch of shortbread.

Dave is, without doubt, a shortbread junkie. Especially when we went to Scotland, he was pretty psyched for all the shortbread we were offered. So I knew Dave would at least be happy. But to be honest, I had never made shortbread before, and because it requires such few ingredients, there was little room for error. I was worried everything that went into making this little morsels had to be top-notch, or else they just wouldn't taste right.

Well, I didn't have the highest quality ingredients, but I had pretty decent ingredients, and I think this shortbread turned out great. It went quick, at least! The key is making sure the butter stays really cold, just like when you make pie crust, biscuits, or any other pastry. I used the shortbread recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook: Celebrating the Promise.

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Shortbread

Makes 16 wedges*

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender**, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. Knead until smooth and form into a ball***.

2. To make wedges, on an ungreased cookie sheet, pat dough into an 8-inch circle. Make a scalloped edge. Cut circle into 16 wedges. Leave wedges in a circle. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until bottom starts to brown and center is set. Recut circle into wedges while warm. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.****

*I cut mine into 8 wedges, just because 16 seemed a little skimpy.

** Don't worry about fancy tools like a pastry blender. They have useful applications, but for recipes like this, just cut the COLD butter into cubes and use your fingers. It allows you to really feel the dough and judge its texture.

***I found the dough to be a little dry, so I added 1 tablespoon of cold water. It made a perfect dough.

****I had some finely chopped pecans on hand, so I threw in about 1/4 cup of those pecans in. It was a really nice touch. I also decided that these shortbreads needed some chocolate, so I melted 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, 1 tablespoon of butter, and about 1/4 cup of whole milk (though you could use cream) over a double boiler. I just drizzled this "ganache" over the shortbreads after they were cooled and then sprinkled some more pecans on top, because I like it when food looks like it tastes, know what I mean? I kept them on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for about 15 minutes to make sure the ganache hardened properly.

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These pictures definitely aren't the best, sorry!

That's it! It was really easy, and I think my first attempt at shortbread was a decent one. Dave and Dr. MacDonald were very productive at their "dining room table" meeting. I'd like to think it was because of the brain fuel I provided them via these cookies, but in reality, it was just because they are both young, brilliant and motivated. Ah, well.