Christmas Cookies

 

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has had a great holiday so far! I'm sorry I haven't gotten to posting anything new for the past couple of weeks. I've been overwhelmingly busy with a new project. I'm looking forward to sharing with everyone- keep an eye out for Sunday's post!

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays of the year. It's a great time of celebration, family, and remembrance. We got to enjoy Christmas Eve dinner at my dad's house with our annual Christmas hot pot. After dinner, we got to enjoy eggnog, cookies, and drinks. My little (4 and 5 year old) siblings set aside some cookies for Santa- although I feel like they probably wanted to eat them for themselves.

I don't blame my siblings for reaching for and grabbing extra cookies for themselves. These cookies are delicious! They're not too sweet, crispy on the edges, and soft and chewy in the center. The flake salt on top is the perfect touch. It brings out the sweetness of the chocolate, all while contrasting with a lovely salty flavor. I love toll house cookies, but I'd probably have to choose these delicious treats over them. The gooey chocolate and little bit of saltiness just can't be beat!

Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes 18 cookies)
1 stick Butter, Softened
2 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp Sugar
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
4 oz Dark Chocolate
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1 3/4 cup Flour
Flake Sea Salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream butter, sugar, honey, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add egg and vanilla extract and incorporate well.
4. Chop up dark chocolate into bite-size chunks. Add into the batter.
5. Add the salt, baking soda, and flour. Mix until combined into a dough. Do not overmix the dough to keep a soft texture.
6. Scoop the dough onto a sheet pan, about 2 inches apart. You should scoop about 2 tbsp of dough for each cookie.
7. Sprinkle some flake sea salt over the top of each cookie.
8. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly, then serve.

Who doesn't want to eat chocolate chip cookies on Christmas Day? (I'm sure Santa loves them). The best part about these cookies, is that the chocolate doesn't harden for a while. Chocolate chips are made to keep their shape, but the chunks in this cookie stay untempered. Using real chocolate will give you a yummy, gooey cookie that pairs perfectly with a cold glass of milk!

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions? I love getting to spend time with family, sharing food and creating memories.

Easter Egg Macarons

Happy Easter! I had a busy Sunday- starting at 6AM to prepare Easter brunch at the hotel, and then leading to a 4pm service at 4pointes church. It was a refreshing service filled with celebration and remembrance.

I brought some Easter egg-shaped macarons to church with me, and they were a big hit! These macarons are festive, delicious, and adorable! It's made almost the same way as any macaron, with a slightly different piping technique.

Vanilla Orange Easter Egg Macarons (makes about 30)
 Shells
100 g Almond Flour
120 g Confectioner's Sugar
50 g Granulated Sugar
70 g Egg Whites (2 large whites)
Orange and Red Gel Color

1. Pulse almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor until very finely ground. Be careful not to grind too long, because it will release all of the oils, ruining your final product.
2. Sift the powder with a medium-mesh sieve.
3. Place the particles that are too large to fit through the sieve back into the food processor, pulse, and sift again. Throw out the excess pieces.
4. In a grease-free bowl, place your egg whites and sugar. Allow to sit for a few minutes to begin to dissolve.
5. Use grease-free beaters on high speed to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Add in the gel color. You want a very full color because the added almond flour and sugar will dull the color.
6. Use a rubber spatula to fold the powdered sugar and almond flour into the meringue until the batter moves slowly, like lava. If you run your spatula through it, it should fall together after 5-7 seconds.
7. Put the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (3/8 inch). 
8. Pipe rounds that are about an inch apart onto a nonstick baking mat (silpat) that is placed onto a cookie sheet. 
9. Do this by holding the bag straight up about half an inch above the silpat, applying pressure to the bag until about 3/4 inch in diameter, and then lessen the pressure as you drag backward. Once you reach the desired length, quickly move the bag in the opposite direction that you dragged it, to leave a smooth edge. Make sure there is enough space to spread.
10. Rap your cookie sheet/sheet pan on the table a few times to make sure there are no bumps on the macaron shells.
11. Let rest until dry to the touch (about 30-45 minutes, longer on rainy days).
12. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. If you have a convection oven, use convection.
13. Bake macaron shells on the second shelf of the oven for 14-17 minutes, until they do not wiggle when nudged.
14. Remove from oven and allow shells to cool completely before removing from the silpat.

Buttercream Filling
1 Egg White
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Butter 
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Orange Juice

1. Fill a pot with some water and begin to boil.
2. Place the egg white and sugar into a medium sized, heat proof, grease-free bowl. Place the bowl on top of the pot of boiling water.
3. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved (110 degrees F). Check by rubbing the mixture between your fingers to feel for sugar granules.
4. Mix on high speed to make a meringue.
5. When cool to the touch, add softened butter and mix until it comes together.
6. It will break apart and look like scrambled eggs. Continue to mix until it becomes a soft paste.
7. Add the vanilla extract.
8. Reduce orange juice in a frying pan until it becomes thicker- it will look like a puree or sauce.
9. Place the frying pan into the refrigerator to cool the orange reduction.
10. Add the orange reduction to the buttercream and whip until completely incorporated.  The buttercream may become broken like scrambled eggs again, but it will come back together.


Assembly
1. Pair the shells by size. You should have about 20 pairs of shells.
2. On the surface of the bottom of the shell, place a small pinch of apple butter in the center. It should be enough for a small surprise. 
3. Put the buttercream into a piping bag with the same tip that you used to pipe the macarons.
4. Pipe the buttercream so that it is covering about 1/2 of the surface of the bottom of the shell.
5. Put the pairs together to create a "sandwich". 
6. Place in the fridge overnight to allow the flavors to develop.

7. Melt white chocolate and pipe designs onto the macarons. Place them back into the fridge to set up.
8. Let the macarons come to room temperature before you serve them.

These macarons are interesting and fun. They're a great play on the classic creamsicle, with a fun twist. The piping technique takes a few tries to get just right, but it's worth practicing! How cute are these? Once again, Happy Easter everyone!

Green Tea Cookies

Green Tea is one of my all-time favorite flavors. I love anything green tea flavored. If you've kept up with the blog, you know that it's been a while since I've put up a new green tea recipe.

These cookies are sweet, soft, chewy, and decadent! The white chocolate adds a richness to the matcha flavor. The green tea cookies are perfect for making ice cream sandwiches. They stay chewy, and are easy to bite into. I paired it with green tea ice cream. I have a recipe that you can find (here). If you're not feeling like breaking out the ice cream machine, vanilla ice cream also goes extremely well with these cookies.

Green Tea Cookies (Makes 24 cookies)
6 oz Butter
1 cup Sugar
1 1/2 tbsp Green Tea Powder
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup White Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 cup Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream soft butter, sugar, and green tea powder together until the color is light, and the texture is airy.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla gradually, scraping the bowl between additions.
4. Add the white chocolate chips to the batter and mix until they are incorporated.
5. Add the dry ingredients at once, and mix on low speed until the batter comes together.
6. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl, and allow to mix to evenly incorporate the ingredients.
7. On a parchment or foil lined baking sheet, scoop about 1.5 tbsp portions of batter about 3-4 inches apart. It may not look like much, but the cookies will spread a lot.
6. Bake for about 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. They will poof up and look soft in the center. The cookie will settle as it cools.
7. Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges are golden. Allow to cool completely.
8. If you are using them for an ice cream sandwich, place in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Then, scoop a small portion of ice cream onto the cookie.
9. Sandwich the cookie and return to the freezer for about 10 minutes.This is to let the ice cream firm up.

You can store the ice cream sandwiches in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. If you are planning to eat them later, thaw the sandwich for about 3-5 minutes, just to let the cookie warm up a little.

The cookies I made came out to be about 3 inches in diameter. It makes a perfect snack to satisfy a sweet tooth!

Coconut Shortbread Cookies

Here's a great way to bring summer into fall! This shortbread cookie would go perfectly with your pumpkin spiced latte or any cup of coffee. The coconut flavor is very light, and subtle, and a great match to the buttery cookie dough. It's a quick and simple recipe, and can be done in about 45 minutes! 

Coconut Shortbread Cookies
1 Stick Butter, softened
1/2 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 cup Sweetened Flake Coconut
1/4 tsp Salt
1 1/2 cup Flour

1. Lightly toast the coconut in a toaster oven or in a 350 degree F oven until it becomes dry. You are not looking for any color.
2. Use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugar together. 
3. Add the egg and mix until well incorporated. 

4. Add the toasted coconut and salt and mix until combined.
5. Add the flour, 1/2 a cup at a time, and mix until the dough becomes crumbly. 
6. Use your hands to incorporate the flour the rest of the way, so that the dough comes together in one mass. 
7. Cut the dough in half, and roll into logs about 10 inches long, and about an inch in diameter. 
8. Wrap the logs in plastic and place in the freezer for about 20 minutes. 
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
10. Use a sharp knife to cut 1/2 inch medallions. Reshape them to be circular, and place them onto an aluminum foil lined cookie sheet.
11. Bake for about 17 minutes, rotating the pan after 10 minutes. You want the edges to be slightly browned. The cookies will not develop a lot of color. 
12. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing the cookies from the foil. 
13. Enjoy! :) 

The dough can also stay in the freezer for about 2 months if wrapped well! You can do this in multiple days if you'd like :)

These cookies are quick to make, don't take too many ingredients, and will impress anyone you pass them out to! 

Banana Pudding

 

Banana pudding is a classic American dessert, and perfect for any springtime gathering! Many recipes call for pudding packets, but making banana pudding from scratch is not as difficult as you think!

I made this pudding for a cookout with my fellowship, Reformed University Fellowship. It was a really great time getting to see so many of my good friends together. We had some senior testimonies, where seniors came and spoke to the group about the lessons they've learned through their college years, and the impact the fellowship community has made in that time. It was a great time filled with tears, joy, "aw"s and laughs. I have been extremely blessed to know all of those people and it's crazy that my college time is already coming to an end.

Now onto the recipe :) I had many requests for it tonight, so hope everyone enjoys!

Banana Pudding 
2 cups Milk
10 Egg Yolks
1/4 cup Flour
1/2 cup Sugar
2 tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Bananas
1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1 Banana 
1 box Nilla Wafers
3 tbsp Sugar
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
Chocolate Chips (to garnish)

1. Heat milk and 1/4 cup of sugar in a medium pot on medium heat.
2. Whisk remaining sugar and flour together in a medium bowl and slowly add the egg yolks, while whisking constantly.
3. When the egg mixture is completely combined, set aside.
4. Prepare a small casserole or bowl by wiping the inside with a wet towel or sponge. Then, place a layer of plastic wrap on the inside and stick it to the wet surface. Have a medium-mesh sieve placed on top. 
5. When the milk is scalding, slowly pour it into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
6. Pour the egg mixture back into the pot on low heat.
7. Whisk constantly, while touching the bottom of the pan with the whisk, so that no part of the custard burns. Whisk until the custard boils for about a minute, and is thick.
8. Immediately pour the custard through the sieve onto the casserole dish or bowl.
9. Cover the top with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool. You want a thin layer of custard to speed up the cooling process.
10. Mash 2 bananas with a spoon or with your hands.
11. Whip the first heavy cream with an electric mixer to medium to stiff peaks.
12. When the custard is cool, transfer it into a bowl and add the banana.
13. Gently fold in the whipped cream until it is all incorporated.
14. In a serving dish or in small glasses, add a layer of banana pudding, a few pieces of sliced bananas (1 if it's in an individual glass), and a layer of nilla wafers. Repeat until you run out of pudding.
15. Whip the remaining cream with sugar to stiff peaks.
16. Make a decorative layer of whipped cream on the top by using a piping bag (or ziploc bag) fitted with a star tip. If you do not have icing tips, you can cut the tip of the ziploc to a point, with the seam at the center of the point.
17. Top with chocolate chips, and serve cold.

It is a good idea to make the pudding a day in advance, so that all the flavors can mesh, and so the wafers become cakey. If you do make the pudding early, layer everything except for the whipped cream, and then chill. Whip the cream the day of, so that it does not deflate, soften, and so it stays fresh.

Lemon and Strawberry Button Cookies

During culinary school, I took a class where we made bite size desserts. Petit fours are generally one bite, and are often served for high tea. These cookies are generally made with a plain short dough and are called harlequin cookies. Harlequin doesn't really sound very appetizing, so I don't refer to them as that. These cookies are cute little buttons and are simple to make!

Instead of using a regular short dough, I gave it a twist with a lemon shortbread. The tangy lemon compliments the sweet strawberry for a perfect balance!

Lemon and Strawberry Button Cookies (makes 24 cookies)
1 stick Butter, softened
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 Egg Yolks
1 tsp Salt
1 1/4 cup Flour
1/2 cup Strawberry Jam 
3 tbsp Powdered Sugar

1. Cream butter and sugar together with lemon juice using an electric mixer. The mixture should be well incorporated, and there shouldn't be any lumps of butter.
2. Add the egg yolks and mix to incorporate.
3. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed until mostly incorporated. Use your hands to incorporate the flour fully.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap in a flat rectangle. Making this shape will make rolling it out much simpler.
5. Place into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick.
8. Cut out 1"x1" squares. You can do this by using the width of a ruler as a guide/straightedge to cut the dough with a paring knife. If the dough is not cold, the squares will not keep the shape well as you cut.
9. Any scrap pieces can be re-rolled and re-cut.
10. Punch button-holes onto half of the unbaked cookies. I used an icing tip to do this.
11. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until the dough is set. These cookies should not have much color on them. When they are done, you can press the cookie gently, and it shouldn't be too soft. The bottom of the cookie will also become golden brown.
12. Allow the cookies to cool completely. In the meantime, if the jam has strawberry pieces in it, you should push it through a medium mesh sieve so that the pieces do not block the piping tip.
13. Put a small sized round tip (about 1/4" in diameter) into a piping bag (or a ziploc bag) and then pour the jam into the bag.
14. Match plain squares with squares with holes on the top. Do not invert the plain squares when you fill them. Piping jam on the top ensures that the cookie will lay flat.
15. Pipe the jam onto the cookie. You should only put about a dime sized circle.
16. Sift a small amount of powdered sugar over the tops of the cookies to give them a light dusting.
17. Sandwich the tops onto the bottoms of the cookies, being careful to not touch the powdered sugar on top.
18. Apply a little pressure so that the jam comes through the holes of the top cookie.

These cookies can be made into any shape, but I would recommend maintaining a similar size. These cookies are meant to be bite-size, so that jam doesn't ooze out of the sides.

These are great for any springtime tea party! With Easter celebrations drawing closer, this is a great way to enjoy the flavors of spring and share with loved ones :)

Roasted Barley Tea Cookies

My mom sent me a care package the other day, filled with lots of delicious snacks and barley tea! Roasted Barley tea is a Korean drink. It's similar to water, but has a more earthy, smoky flavor. It's a more interesting way to drink water (I think!).

I used this smoky tea to make so delicious, simple shortbread cookies. The orange peel adds a tangy, herbal flavor to balance the earthiness of the barley.

Roasted Barley Tea Cookies (makes about 40 cookies)
2 tbsp Roasted Barley Tea (보리차)
1 tbsp Dried Orange Peel (find it in the spice aisle)
1 Stick Butter, softened
3/4 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 1/2 cup Flour

1. Grind the barley and orange peel in a coffee grinder until it becomes powdery. 
2. Add the grinds to butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream them together. 
3. Add the egg and mix until well incorporated. 
4. Add the flour, 1/2 a cup at a time, and mix until the dough becomes crumbly
5. Use your hands to incorporate the flour the rest of the way, so that the dough comes together in one mass. 
6. Cut the dough in half, and roll into logs about 10 inches long, and about an inch in diameter. 
7. Wrap the logs in plastic and place in the freezer for about 20 minutes. 
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
9. Use a sharp knife to cut 1/2 inch medallions. Reshape them to be circular, and place them onto an aluminum foil lined cookie sheet.
10. Add a pinch of barley to the top of each cookie. Press gently into place.
11. Bake for about 25 minutes, rotating the pan after 15 minutes. You want the edges to be slightly browned. The cookies will not develop a lot of color. 
12. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing the cookies from the foil. 
13. Enjoy! :)

Although I made this with roasted barley tea, it is possible to do so with any of your favorite tea. Just grind the leaves down. If using a stronger tea (like earl grey), use about half of the amount that I used for the tea. A mellower tea (like green tea), would use about the same amount of leaves as barley in the recipe.

You can find the roasted barley tea at an Asian supermarket. It will usually come in tea bags, which you can open up and remove the barley from.

Pepero Day

11/11 is a Korean "holiday" called Pepero (빼빼로) Day! This is because the numbers look like Pepero sticks (kind of). The day is similar to Valentines Day. People give Pepero to their friends and loved ones. Here's pictures of the ones I made with my friend, Nate!

We used Italian breadsticks/crackers and coated them in melted chocolate. We put a variety of toppings for lots of yummy flavors! Try them for yourself!

 Semisweet chocolate: (from left to right) orange peel/lemon peel, toasted coconut, sprinkle, "hot" chocolate, toasted almond

 White chocolate: Coconut, toasted almond, green tea (matcha), orange peel/lemon peel


Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful Pepero Day!