Chai Butter Cookies

Posted by Luane Kohnke on Feb 24, 2011 in Recipes, Wheat-Flour Cookies | 8 comments

If you love chai tea, you will love these buttery chai flavored cookies adapted from Virginia Willis’ Bon Appetit, Y’all. Use high quality, organic chai tea, if available.

Chai Butter Cookies
Makes 48 cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons chai tea (about one tea bag)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup shortening, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl, sift the flour, chai, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and shortening on medium until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, and beat on low speed until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, and beat on low until well combined.

On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients. Beat until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Using an medium scoop (#40) shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place the dough balls on an ungreased cookie sheet, and press with the tines of a fork to flatten. If the dough gets sticky, dip the fork tines in a small dish of sugar before pressing. Bake until pale golden, but not brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on the baking sheet on a rack. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool.

Twice-Baked Shortbread

Posted by Luane Kohnke on Feb 21, 2011 in Recipes, Wheat-Flour Cookies | 2 comments

Alice Medrich says that the secrets to crispy, tender shortbread are letting the dough rest in the pan for at least two hours before baking and adding a second baking to toast the cookies. I am a huge fan of shortbread, and like this biscotti-type technique to add a change of pace to one of my favorite cookies. This recipe was adapted from Alice Medrich’s Pure Dessert.

Twice-Baked Shortbread
Makes 24 cookies.
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and warm
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Turbinado, Demerara or granulated sugar for sprinkling

Grease the bottom and sides of 9 1/2 inch round pan with a removable bottom or line an 8×8 inch square pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter with the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the flour and mix just until incorporated. Pat and spread the dough evenly in the prepared pan. Let rest for at least 2 hours, or overnight (no need to refrigerate).

Preheat the oven to 300F.

Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, and lightly sprinkle the surface of the shortbread with sugar. Let the shortbread cool for 10 minutes. Remove the shortbread from pan, being careful to avoid breaking it. Use a thin sharp knife to cut it into oblong “fingers”, wedges, or squares. Place the pieces slightly apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet and put in the oven for 15 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Black Sesame Seed Peanut Butter Cookies

Posted by Luane Kohnke on Feb 9, 2011 in Gluten-Free Cookies, Recipes | 2 comments

These sexy, gluten-free Valentine’s Day cookies are flourless peanut butter cookies rolled in nutty black sesame seeds. This recipe was adapted from one published in March 2009 in Gourmet magazine.

Black Sesame Seed Peanut Butter Cookies
Makes about 30 cookies

1 cup creamy unsalted, organic peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 large egg, slightly beaten
5 tablespoons black sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir the peanut butter, sugar, baking soda, salt, and egg until well combined.

Place sesame seeds in a shallow bowl. Roll level teaspoons of dough into balls, then roll in seeds to coat. Arrange balls about 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through, until puffed and cracked, about 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool.

Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Chocolate Chip Raspberry Meringues

Posted by Luane Kohnke on Feb 7, 2011 in Gluten-Free Cookies, Recipes | 2 comments

The playful hot pink color of these gluten-free raspberry meringues make these cookies a perfect treat for Valentine’s Day. This is a recipe is from my new book, Gluten-Free Cookies, which will be released on March 8.

Chocolate Chip Raspberry Meringues
Makes 54 to 60 cookies

1/2 cup superfine sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon raspberry gelatin powder
2 large egg whites
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 250F. Line cookie sheets with parchment.

In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and gelatin.

In the small bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites and salt. Set mixer speed to high. Beat until foamy. Add sugar-gelatin mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form and gelatin is completely dissolved, about 3 to 5 minutes. Set mixer speed to low and mix in vinegar. Turn off mixer and, using a rubber spatula, carefully fold in chocolate chips so as not to deflate the batter.

Drop double teaspoons of batter onto prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn oven off and leave cookies in oven for an additional 20 minutes. Transfer cookies, still on parchment sheets, to wire racks to cool completely.

Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.