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.

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! 

Steak, Tomato, and Feta Bruschetta (Adorn Dinner Party)

I recently prepared food for a dinner party for Adorn Media Group. It was a fun experience, and I got to meet some great ladies! The dinner was family style, with drinks, dessert, and lots of food! It was a great time to talk and connect!

One of the more popular dishes was a steak, tomato, and feta bruschetta.  I used a honey glaze on the steak to add sweetness, which contrasted well with the tart feta cheese and tangy tomatoes. The bread was a great addition, but also a perfect vessel to bite into! The balsamic glaze was a perfect topper to finish!

Steak, Tomato, and Feta Bruschetta (makes 24)
1 Baguette
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 tbsp Olive Oil
24 Grape Tomatoes
8 oz Feta Cheese, Crumbled
1 lb Flat Iron Steak
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 tbsp Honey
Balsamic Glaze or Reduction

1. Slice the baguette into about 1/2 inch slices. Lay them flat on a sheet pan and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Toast in the oven at 350 until dried out and slightly golden on the edges.
2. Slice grape tomatoes into 4 pieces.
3. Cut steak into manageable pieces, and season on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Preheat the pan. When it's hot, add the steak and cook until done, about 2 minutes on each side. Check by applying pressure (learn how to cook the perfect steak here),
5. After it's done, brush the outside of the steak with the honey, then rest for 10 minutes.
6. Cut the steak into thin slices.
7. Layer the bruschetta with bread, tomatoes, steak, feta, and balsamic glaze. Serve immediately.


The steak bruschetta is a pretty simple way to impress guests at your next dinner party! It's a great hors d'oeuvre, and can be made beforehand. All you have to do is keep all the components separate (and the steak warm) until you're ready to stack and serve!

Here are some more pictures from the event!

Summer Peach and Honeysuckle Cocktail (recipe here)

Pesto Pasta with Golden Tomato [chicken on the left] (Pesto recipe here)

 Portabello and Goat Cheese Spread on Toast with Spinach (recipe here)

 Caprese Salad Skewers

Green Bean Salad with Cranberry and Almonds (recipe here)

 Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookie with Vanilla Ice Cream (recipe here)

Overall, the event was a great time, and I wish adorn luck as they continue to serve their tastemakers!

Photos taken by Johnny Cheng (www.JohnnyChengPhotography.com)

Berry Mint Mojito

A couple of weeks ago, I catered a bloggers brunch with some of Atlanta's top style bloggers at Lululemon. It was great to experience catering for the women, and it was awesome to be able to see their smiling faces upon eating the food.

One of the most popular items on the brunch buffet was the berry mint mojito! It's a beautiful summery drink that boasts fruity, refreshing flavors. It's easy to make, and makes a beautiful presentation to any guests you serve it to. The cocktail is very light, refreshing, and delicious!

Berry Mint Mojito (Makes 6)
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Water
8 Mint Leaves
6 oz White Rum
Strawberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
1 liter Sparkling Water

1. In a small pot, bring the sugar and water to a boil.
2. Tear the mint leaves a couple of times and add to the sugar solution.
3. Allow the sugar solution to cool completely. Then, strain into a vessel, such as a jar, to pour into glasses. Place the vessel with the solution into the fridge to make it cold.
4. Place a couple of each berry into the bottom of a highball glass with about an ounce of rum and an ounce of the sugar solution.
5. Use a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon to muddle the berries into the rum and sugar solution.
6. Add sparkling water to fill the glass, and add a few ice cubes to keep cold.
7. Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve immediately.

Not only is this drink simple and quick to make, it is entertaining to watch! It's a great way to spruce up a party- and show off your excellent bartending skills ;)

Now, for the brunch recap! This was actually my first delici-owh-so catered event, and it was actually pretty successful! The ladies seemed to enjoy the food, and the space was very well made for the type of event that Lululemon was hosting. At the brunch, people discussed visions and goals, which actually made me think about some that I have for this blog. This blog started out as a simple way to share my passion for food, and expand on it by honing my photography skills, and sharpening my writing skills. Of course, I will always have more to learn, but I think over the past year I've been developing more of a vision for myself as a blogger, but also as a professional. I hope to continue to be able to touch people's lives through my love of food, but in a more tangible way- through catering for them! I hope to get into doing desserts for small weddings and small events like this! I think this brunch was a small step to developing delici-owh-so as a brand. Still, there's much to plan and look into before I can make any of those goals a reality. Although that description sounds pretty vague, I hope it keeps all the readers on edge for what's to come! Anyways, here are some pictures from the brunch!

Spinach, Heirloom Tomato, and Goat Cheese Frittata

This frittata was very light, fluffy, and healthy! A perfect brunch option for any vegetarians out there!

Bacon Cheddar Biscuits- recipe here!

These biscuits are flaky, flavorful, and scream southern comfort! Simple and delicious!

French Toast with Orange Anglaise and Mixed Berries (Left); Desserts (Right)- Nectarine Mint Macarons, Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies, Blueberry Muffins (click items for recipes!)

The macarons were the biggest hit for this event- and the recipe is posted on the blog! Be sure to check it out :)

Mimosa (left); Berry Mint Mojito (right)

These were very popular drink items that went perfectly for an afternoon brunch! :)

Photo By Futuristic Vintage

Me with the buffet :)

If you'd like your event to be delici-owh-so- catered, check out the box to the right! You can leave messages and ask about having your event catered by delici-owh-so! Not only do I cater brunches, but you can also special order custom macarons!

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.

Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Winter seems like the perfect season for eating warm cookies with a hot chocolate while sitting by the fireplace and watching a movie. Idealistic, maybe, but you can enjoy a part of that by baking some delicious cookies! This recipe isn't your regular cookie- it's a more "grown-up" version of everyone's childhood favorite. With coffee grinds, it boasts a bold coffee flavor, with an offsetting sweetness from the chocolate chips and cookie dough. I have tons of friends who love coffee, and can't live without it. With all of the coffee craze around me, I thought, why not a coffee cookie? Make this simple cookie for all of your coffee-loving friends!

My friend, Grace, asked me to write a post about cookies,so this post's for her! She does makeup and makes beauty-related videos on Youtube. Click (here) to see her channel!

Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies (Makes 2 dozen cookies)
1 stick Butter, Softened
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tbsp Coffee Grinds
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup White Chocolate Chips
1 1/4 cup Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a mixing bowl with an electronic mixer, cream butter, sugar, and coffee grinds until completely incorporated and airy.
3. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.
4. Mix in chocolate chips on low until combined.
5. Add dry ingredients at once. Mix on low until combined.
6. Use a cookie scoop to scoop cookies onto an aluminum foil or parchment lined baking sheet about 3 inches apart from one another.
7. Bake in the center of the oven for about 15 minutes, until the edges are golden.
8. Remove foil or parchment from the baking sheet and allow to cool before removing the cookies.

Serve these cookies with a glass of milk, hot chocolate, or coffee (of course). You can also sandwich some vanilla ice cream between two cookies! It's a delicious treat, but you have to make sure that the cookies are completely cool so the ice cream doesn't melt too quickly. My roommate and I tested the ice cream cookies, and they were YUMMY! Try this simple recipe at home, and share them with your closest friends!