The Charmed Kitchen

Cream Wafer Cookies

Cream Wafers  are a little more work than most cookies, but they are worth it. They are the most requested cookies of all the ones I make. The secret is the dough, which contains no sugar. It is made from only three ingredients- flour, butter and heavy whipping cream.

When baked, they turn into flaky layers that melt in your mouth.  Seriously, if you want to really impress this holiday season, show up at a party with these cookies.

Cream wafers are coated in sugar before baking. You can use tinted sugar, if you like. Once baked and cooled, they are made into little sandwich cookies, using a buttercream frosting. You can also tint the frosting if you like.

Because they puff when baking and become thicker, and you are using two of them to make the sandwich cookie, be sure to roll them out pretty thin.

Here is the recipe. Hope you enjoy!!

Cream Wafers

1 c. butter
1/3 c. heavy whipping cream
2 c. flour
extra fine or granulated sugar
Frosting:
¼ c. butter, softened
¾ c. powdered sugar
1 T. milk
1 t. vanilla
food coloring, if desired

Mix butter, cream and flour well. Wrap and chill at least an hour. Roll chilled dough 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured board. Cut out into 1½ inch rounds or even little hearts or stars. Transfer cookies to a sheet of wax paper heavily coated with extra fine or granulated sugar and coat both sides. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and prick each cookie 4 times with a fork. Bake at 375-degrees 7-9 minutes until lightly browned and puffy. Cool on rack. Mix frosting ingredients. Put 2 cookies together with frosting to make “sandwiches”.

Sugar Cookie Trees

These cut-out cookies are a classic, and always part of my holiday cookie baking. I will confess to having an enormous assortment of cookie cutters, so there is almost no end to the shapes I might use.  This time of year I am making trees, stars, snowmen and more.

These cookies are crisp and sturdy enough to stand up to frosting, without being too hard. They also hold their shape well when baking.

I use royal icing to frost them, and an assortment of sprinkles and other candies. Royal icing is made with egg whites or  powdered egg whites. The advantage over a butter cream, is that royal icing hardens, making the cookies easy to pack and stack. You don’t need much- just a thin layer. Tinting the frosting different colors is a big part of the fun. Depending on how much time you have, you can get really creative with decorating.

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
3 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
3 T. milk
Extra sugar for sprinkling, if desired
Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to butter mixture. Beat in milk. Heat oven to 375-degrees. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to about 1/3- inch thickness. Cut out with lightly floured cutters and sprinkle with sugar or colored sugar if you like and if you are not going to frost them. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 10-12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 3 minutes before placing on wire rack to cool completely. Frost when cooled. Makes about 4 dozen.
Decorating your cookies:
You can use a buttercream frosting, if you like,  however the topping I prefer is royal icing. Because royal icing contains egg whites it gets hard. Cookies have a smooth appearance and can be stacked. When making royal icing, use pasteurized egg whites or powdered egg whites. Raw egg whites pose a risk of salmonella.
You can also use colored sugar and sprinkles and mini chocolate chips for eyes.

Royal Icing
1 lb. powdered sugar
½ t. cream of tartar
5¼ t. egg white powder
6 T. water
½ t. vanilla, optional
Assorted food coloring
In large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients and mix well. Add water and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Divide into small bowls and tint each batch as needed. Keep bowl covered with a damp towel while waiting to use so frosting will not dry out.

Russian Teacakes

I had a conversation with a childhood friend recently about these cookies. She remembered that my Mom used to make them, and she wondered if I still did. I still do make them. Wouldn’t seem like Christmas without them. Russian Teacakes, also known as Mexican Wedding Cakes, are a delicate, nut filled shortbread cookie coated in powdered sugar. The magic is created when the cookies, hot from the oven, are rolled in powdered sugar. Once cooled they are dusted with more powdered sugar. Whether you call them Russian Teacakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes, or as another friend always refers to them, butter balls, these cookies are a must for my holiday cookie baking.

Russian Teacakes

1 c. butter
½ c. powdered sugar, plus extra for coating
1 t. vanilla
2 ¼ c. flour
¼ t. salt
¾ c. finely chopped nuts, nearly ground

Mix butter, ½ cup sugar and vanilla well. Stir flour and salt together and then add to butter mixture. Mix well and stir in nuts. Wrap dough and chill. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cookies should be lightly browned on the bottom. While still warm, roll cookies in powdered sugar. Dust again with sugar once cooled. Makes about 4 dozen.

Holiday Chocolate Fan Cookies

I was so happy to be a guest on New Day Cleveland today. Baking cookies has always been a tradition in my family for Christmas. I shared one of my Mom’s favorite cookies, a fan made from phyllo, then dipped in chocolate and nuts. As always, everyone at Fox 8 was warm and welcoming. Of course, that might have just been because I brought the cookies.

http://fox8.com/2016/12/13/stand-out-at-your-cookie-exchange/

Christmas Tree Coffee Cake

This Christmas “tree” has become a tradition around here. I make one as a gift for a dear friend every year. If you are looking for something to serve for Christmas morning, or even as a dessert option, I suggest you make this coffee cake. The dough is prepared, then chilled before rolling. You can do that a day, or even two, ahead of time. The rolls are filled with a pineapple and cream cheese mixture and are very tasty.

The rolls are arranged in a tree pattern before baking. Then, after baking,  the “tree” is topped with a light glaze and gently sprinkled with red and green sugars. So pretty, and not that hard to make. As an added bonus the recipe makes 2, so you can keep one for home and perhaps gift one to a friend. Who are we kidding? You will keep them both for yourself- just invite more people over.

Here is the recipe.

Christmas Tree Coffee Cake

Dough:
4-4 1/2 c. bread flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
2 packages active dry yeast
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. butter
1 egg
Filling:
1 lb. Cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 t. nutmeg
dash salt
1/4 t. vanilla
1 (20 oz.) can pineapple in its own juice drained and squeezed dry
Topping:
11 Maraschino cherries, halved
2 c. powdered sugar
3 T. milk
red and green sugars

For dough in large mixing bowl combine 2 cups of the flour with the sugar, salt and yeast. Heat together the milk, water and butter until very warm. Add to flour mixture and beat 2 minutes. Add egg and 1 more cup of flour and beat 2 more minutes. Stir in enough of the remaining dough to make a stiff batter, about 1 cup. Cover bowl tightly with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days before using. For filling combine all ingredients for the filling except the pineapple and beat until smooth. Stir in pineapple and set aside until ready to use. Remove dough from fridge cut in half. Roll out one piece on lightly floured surface into a 10×11- inch rectangle. Spread with half the filling, leaving an inch at the end of 11-inch side. Roll up from eleven- inch side. Use thread or dental floss to cut through dough in 1-inch pieces by placing thread under roll and crossing ends. Pull outward and thread should cut through dough. If you aren’t having any luck you can always use a knife, but they tend to flatten the rolls. On a greased baking sheet arrange the slices (you should have 11) into a tree shape. Start with one on the top and then a row of 2 below then 3 and then 4. The last roll will serve as the trunk. Cover dough with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. When dough is risen, about 1-2 hours bake in a 375- degree oven for 15 minutes then cover edges with foil to prevent over browning and return to oven for 10 minutes more. Cool on wire rack. Place half a cherry in the middle of each roll. Make a glaze with powdered sugar and milk and drizzle over. Sprinkle with the sugars. Makes 2 trees, 11 rolls each. Can be frozen up to a month ahead . defrost in a 350 -degree oven for 10 minutes and apply toppings.

Cookie Candies

There are so many cookies I bake this time of year, I could never pick a favorite. There are some cookies that are a MUST bake, however. These cookie-candies are one of them. They get their name because, once decorated, they look like little pieces of candy. Under the sprinkles are rich and tasty oatmeal shortbread cookies. The dough is easy to handle. You just shape small amounts into shapes like circles, squares and ovals. They hold their shape. After they are shaped and baked, the cookies are dipped in chocolate and then in assorted toppings.  Pretty and tasty.

Cookie-Candies

1 c. butter

¾ c. powdered sugar

1 T. vanilla

2 c. flour

½ c. rolled oats

½ c. chocolate chips

¼ c. milk

finely chopped nuts

assorted sprinkles

shredded coconut

Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla. Stir in flour and oats. Shape teaspoonfuls of the dough into different shapes like rounds, ovals, cones cubes etc. Try to make them look like little candies. They will hold their shape very well while baking. Bake in a 325- degree oven for 20-25 minutes on an ungreased baking sheet. Cool. In microwave safe dish combine chocolate and milk and melt. Dip tops of cookies in chocolate mixture and then in one of the toppings you have. Chocolate topping will harden up after a while. Makes about 4 dozen.

I will be selling cookies again this year. A two pound box is $20. If you purchase three or more boxes, the price goes down to $18 per box. There are about 10 different varieties of cookies and about 3 dozen cookies in all. Cookies will be available for pick up starting December 21- first day of Winter, right up until Christmas. You can order anytime. The sooner I know, the better. Just drop me an email at Judi_strauss@att.net.

Angel Wings/Chruschiki

Angel Wings are what a lot of people call these fried, delicate cookies. In my family, we also call them Flancate (Slovenian) or Chruschiki (Polish). After posting a picture on Facebook, I learned they have even more names. Many nationalities make versions of these cookies.

The dough is a mixture of 8 eggs yolks, white wine, a little salt and flour. Very similar to pasta dough. They are a tradition in my family. I try to make them at least once during the holidays.

I use a  pasta machine to roll out the dough. You can roll them out by hand, but a pasta maker makes the job a lot faster and easier. Also, if the cookies sit around and start to dry out before you can fry them, they tend not to grow as much. They are cut, shaped then fried. They puff up a lot when fried. More than doubling in size.

Once cooled, they are dusted with powdered sugar. Because they are rolled so thin, a single batch can make a hundred cookies or more.

Part of the fun of making them, is watching someone eat one for the first time. They are delicate and will sometimes fall apart when you go to bite into one. Then there is the powdered sugar. Let’s just say you don’t want to be wearing black.

Angel Wings/ Flancate / Chruschiki

8 egg yolks

2 ½ -3 c. flour, plus extra for rolling

½ c. white wine – I sometimes use sherry

1 t. salt

oil or shortening for deep frying

powdered sugar for sprinkling

Combine egg yolks, wine and salt mixing until smooth. Stir in 2 cups of the flour and continue adding flour until dough is very firm, but still pliable. It is better to add more flour later than to add too much too soon. Knead or mix the dough in a mixer for 5-8 minutes. Kneading dough, or mixing in a stand mixer strengthens the dough. Divide dough into thirds, cover and allow to rest 1 hour.

On lightly floured surface, roll dough out into thin strips. Cut strips diagonally into 1 ½ inch wide pieces. Cut a small slit in middle of dough and pull one end through, pulling until dough is long and somewhat twisted. Work with small amount of dough at a time to avoid drying out. Dry dough will tear and be hard to work with. You can use a pizza cutter or a pastry wheel with a zigzag edge. Cook dough, a few pieces at a time in a skillet with either oil or shortening 2 inches deep and heated to a temperature of 375 degrees. Pastry will cook in 30 seconds or so. Remove when lightly brown and drain on paper toweling. Cool and dust with powdered sugar. Makes at least 100, depending on how thin you can roll them. We have gotten as many as 200 from a single batch.

Note: If you have access to a pasta machine, the rolling time will be greatly reduced. Use the machine to roll the dough uniformly and quickly. There is no substitute for experience. After making a batch you will learn just how the dough should feel and how thick to roll the dough. If too thick, the dough is not as tender. Too thin and they fall apart to easily. Also, get a friend or two to help you. The are a lot of jobs to do and the time will fly with some assistance. Besides, you’ll have plenty to share with family and friends.

I will be one of the vendors at this Pop Up Holiday Shop. The event is Saturday December 17th, from 2-5. It is at the Euclid Brewing Company at 21950 Lakeshore Blvd. in Euclid.  Hope to see you there. I will have my books and seasoning mixes, along with wine jelly, beer bread mixes, baked goods, cranberry apple preserves and much more.

Details follow below.

Kim Fry, of the Euclid Brewing Company, wrote: this:

A number of local artisans will be selling stocking stuffers and other small gifts at a Pop Up Holiday Shop hosted by Euclid Brewing Company on Saturday, December 17, from 2 to 5 p.m.

“Our customers often tell us they wish we had more local businesses in the available storefronts in downtown Euclid,” said EBC owner Doug Fry. “By hosting the pop up shop, we hope to help our community imagine a robust shopping district on the Moss Point block.”

A pop up shop is a short-term retail event that is often held in an empty storefront and features the products and merchandise of local artists and makers.

The Pop Up Holiday Shop will be held in the brewery’s tap room located at 21950 Lakeshore Blvd. between the Lakeshore Coffeehouse and Back Alley Antiques.

“So, on that Saturday, we’ll have a trio of shops to visit for last-minute gifts,” Fry said. “Come have lunch at one of three restaurants on the block – Paragon, Beach Club Bistro or Great Scott Tavern – then stroll down the sidewalk and shop!”

Find some treasures at the antique store, stock up on holiday coffee beans available at the coffeehouse and shop for notecards, jewelry, baked goods, seasonings and more in the tap room. Complimentary snacks and cider will be served.

Fry thinks this will be Euclid’s first-ever pop up shop; events like these have been happening all over Cleveland for years. Follow Euclid Brewing Company on Facebook to learn about the Pop Up Shop vendors, which were still being finalized at press time.

After the shopping is done, the tap room will remain open for its regular hours until 8 p.m. Six beers are always on tap. This month, Cherry Christmas Ale is featured.

Euclid Brewing Company’s tap room is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. Pints, growlers, and tasting flights can all be purchased. The tap room doesn’t have a kitchen, but patrons may bring in food from nearby restaurants, or from home. Watch EBC’s Facebook page to learn about special hours, events and what’s on tap.