Thomas Keller’s Chocolate Chip Cookies with Molasses

Yields about 3 dozen 25 grams cookies

• 238 grams (1 1/2 cups + 3 TBSP) flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 134 grams (1/2 cup + 2 TBSP) dark brown sugar
• 12 grams (1 3/4 tsp) molasses
• 104 grams (1/2 cup) sugar
• 215 grams chocolate chips and/or chocolate chunks
• 167 grams (3 sticks) softened butter
• 2 eggs

With a paddle attachment, beat butter until mayonnaise consistency. Meanwhile, stir together brown sugar, sugar and molasses. Add the brown sugar mixture to the butter and beat till light and fluffy. Add eggs

Whisk together dry ingredients, then add to butter mixture. Stir in chocolate

Form into 25 gram balls and chill for 30 minutes

Bake at 325 for 10 minutes

2021 Holiday Cookies – Lemon Cornmeal, Sugar Cookies, Jam Rugelach, Chewy Pumpkin

This year, the kids and nieces and nephews were in tow to decorate cookies. I used the gingerbread cookie recipe from last year and also added a few new ones:

LEMON or ORANGE CORNMEAL COOKIES – this was per S’s request. She loves lemon desserts. The original recipe called for orange, but we went with lemon. The cornmeal adds a very nice textural component. I believe that I added lemon extract to amp the lemon flavor, which was still very faint. But it isn’t to sweet, and a nice option for breakfast of tea cookie. Rolling them this would make these cookies crispy. The dough was initially impossible to work with despite time in the fridge. I think chilling overnight is the way to go. To punch up the citrus flavor, a simple citrus icing drizzle would be very nice.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) flour
• 1 cup (5 ounces) cornmeal
• 2 sticks softened butter
• 1 cup (7 ounces superfine sugar) + 1 TBSP citrus zest whirled together in the food processor
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 whole egg + 1 yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• optional extract, maybe 1 tsp

Beat butter, sugar, zest and salt for about 3 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla and extract if using. Add the dry ingredients and knead until the dough comes together. Roll dough to 1/4″ thickness between two sheets of parchment, loosening the dough off the paper as needed to prevent sticking. Chill overnight.

Cut into shapes and bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes, until just lightly browned on the edges

Consider making an easy icing using citrus juice and powdered sugar once fully cooled.

SUGAR COOKIES FOR DECORATING

I have never liked sugar cookies, but these are actually very tasty, light and crisp but sturdy enough to stand decorating. I made these pretty thin which led to the crisp consistency I like. I had plans to make a tall Christmas Tree cookie tower, but the cookies were too thin to make an impressive display. I would consider making thicker cookies if I wanted to make the tower.

INGREDIENTS

• 7 ounces superfine sugar
• 2 sticks COLD butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 12 1/2 ounces flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder

In the food processor, process the sugar and butter for about 30 seconds until it’s a uniform mass. Add the wet ingredients, then pulse for about 10 seconds until a paste is formed. Add the dry ingredients and process until crumbly, about 10 seconds, then knead by hand. Roll to 1/8″ thickness between 2 sheets of parchment paper, then chill 90 minutes or freeze for 30 minutes. Bake at 300 degrees on the lower middle rack for ~14 minutes, rotating in the middle of baking.

Makes 40 2″ cookies

RUGELACH

• 7 1/2 ounces flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 ounces cold cream cheese
• 10 TBSP cold butter
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2/3 cups jam

Process the dry ingredients, then add cream cheese. Pulse X 5

Add butter, then pulse 5-7 times. Add the sour cream and process for 10 seconds. The dough should have clumps but them comes together. Knead the dough by hand briefly. Divide into two 4″ discs. Chill

Roll each disc into a 12 inch circle. Spread 1/3 cup jam onto each circle. Cut the circle into 16 wedges, then roll starting from the outer edge.

Place onto baking sheet and brush egg wash, sprinkle with coarse sugar

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Be careful to remove before the jam starts to burn.

CHEWY PUPMKIN COOKIES – I was excited to try this recipe that described these cookies as chewy rather than cakey. The secret seems to be in the use of dark brown sugar. Didn’t get around to making these unfortunately.

• 2 sticks of butter, browned and cooled (about 10 minute cooking process)
• 1 1/2 cup (280 grams) dark brown sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 TBSP maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla, maybe more
• 1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 2 1/4 cups (280 grams) flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Sugar coating: 2 TBSP brown sugar + 2 TBSP granulated sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon

Whisk butter and dark brown sugar together, then add the rest of the wet ingredients, whisking to combine Add the dry dry ingredients. Roll cookies into a ball (maybe 1 1/2 TBSP), then roll into sugar cinnamon mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until puffed and slightly underdone in the center

Nancy’s Green Bean Casserole

It was really nice in the light of the pandemic to have more family join us for Thanksgiving. In addition to our usual extended nuclear family, B’s family joined us this year. Nancy brought a recipe to try, an updated version of the Thanksgiving favorite, green bean casserole. This version is might lighter and features fresh green beans.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small bag of fresh green beans (maybe about 12 ounces), blanched to crisp tender
• 8 ounce package of white button mushrooms
• 1 onion, chopped
• fresh thyme and rosemary, salt, pepper
• 2/3 cup half and half
• 1 TBSP arrowroot (probably could sub cornstarch)
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• grated Parmesan cheese
• Fried onions

Saute the onions until transluscent and soft. Use butter or oil. Add mushrooms, herbs, and season.

Add half and half, arrowroot and let thicken. Off the heat, stir in green beans, cheddar and grated Parmesan

Pour into a baking dish. Top with more Parmesan and add fried onions

Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes

Sherbert Punch

As the kiddos are older, I thought it would be fun to make them a special mocktail for the Thanksgiving festivities. I remember drinking a mixture of Sprite with Minute Maid fruit punch, and how much I loved it. I recently went to a baby shower where the host made a punchbowl full of a sherbert topped mocktail. It reminded me of backyard weddings I attended during my childhood in a small town. I couldn’t get all the ingredients together for the punch below, but thought I’d keep it for the future. The rainbow sherbert melted into this grey mess. Although the kids still loved it, I would use a one-flavor variety to avoid the color blending.

Combine:

• 1 liter Sprite, Squirt or Ginger ale
• 1 liter club soda (or more to dampen the sweetness)
• 6 oz frozen Minute Maid fruit punch
• 6 oz frozen pineapple juice
• Raspberry sherbert (add right before serving)
• Garnish with fruit