Baclava Cookies

Disclaimer: these cookies do not look at all like the Greek honey and nut pastry Baclava, however, they taste remarkably similar. I made these cookies by accident a few years ago because I was making my first batch of baclava at home and had some ingredients left over. It happened to be around Christmas time and I was also making my Heidesand cookies (German Sand Cookies) and thought, why not? I'll add what I have left from the baclava to the Heidesand dough. What came out of the oven was a revelation. I honestly didn't think Heidesand cookies could get better than they are, but these? WOW! They also have the wonderful ability to stay tasty after being frozen for a few months. I think I had some of these in the freezer for over six months, making a batch here and there to savor. This year we have my whole family coming for the Holidays so I thought I'd make some ahead of time to put in the freezer and make when we need them. I am sure they will be a big hit. Oh, and if you don't like the name, or think they do not taste at all like baclava because you are some kind of baclava expert, you can call them Spicey Nutty Sandies.

Baclava Cookies (Spicey Nutty Sandies)

1 cup butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup each of two kinds of ground nuts (I used pecans and walnuts because I had them, but pistachios are also fabulous)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp almond extract

The morning or night before you wish to make these cookies brown the butter and let it cool in the refridgerator to harden again. Browning the butter means to let it melt and burn slightly until it has turned a light brown color. It takes about 15 minutes and you have to watch carefully so that the butter doesn't boil over or burn. After the butter hardens again beat it with the sugar until creamy, add the almond. Add the flour in small increments until a dough forms.

In the meantime put your nuts in a food processor along with the spices and grind them to a find powder. Add the nuts and mix again. Form into even logs and wrap in parchment paper then tin foil.

Refridgerate at least an hour, or freeze up to six months (maybe longer). When ready to bake cut logs into 1/4 inch cookies, bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until slightly brown. Let cool, then gobble.

Mexican Bombshell Cookies

I've been thinking about making a cookie in honor of my mother for a long time, but hadn't quite hit on something that made me think of her until now. November 15th is my parent's 49th wedding anniversary and I'm sending them a package with some goodies, so I thought, what better time to make a cookie all about my Mommy? First off, a little background. My mother was born and raised in Mexico by an expat American father and a second(?) generation expat English mother. She grew up in Mexico city speaking English and Spanish from birth. When she decided to go to college she picked the University of Miami, where she met my dad at a party where she was a little, um, tipsy. They fell in love and have now been married for 49 years, through four children, thirty years in the Air Force, 27 moves, a deployment where my dad was gone for over a year and my mom gave birth to my brother alone, and battling cancer. It's pretty impressive. So that's kind of the Mexican part and the part about why I'm making them now. The bombshell part. My Mom is a stunning example of a blonde, buxom, beautiful sex symbol. She came of age right when Marilyn Monroe (name possibly chosen over Norma because she saw my mom, Marilyn, at some point in her past) was at her most sexy. Talk about a set of measurements! My Mom was and is the ultimate bombshell if ever there was one. Here's something to give you an idea. When my great grandfather talked about why he married my great grandmother he said it was because she had a great set of, well, boobs. I don't know what they called them in those days, but insert appropriate slang. My Mom? She totally inherited that. Like I said, she's a looker. So, Mexican Bombshells, in honor of my beautiful mother on her awe inspiring anniversary. They are a version of Aztec or Mayan chocolate cookies, meaning chocolate with a kick of chili, cinnamon, and nutmeg, plus a dab of cajeta on top (cajeta is Mexican caramel sauce made with goat's milk, found in Latin grocery stores). They are quite the exotic adventure for your taste buds and with chocolate and chili in them, they are totally also an aphrodisiac. What better way to celebrate an Anniversary?

Mexican Bombshell Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup Aztec Hot Chocolate mix (I got mine from Whole Foods)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp Adobo sauce from a can of Chipotle peppers
1/2 tsp baking powder
Cajeta

Cream the Butter and brown sugar and add the vanilla. Sift together flour, hot chocolate mix, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder. Add dry ingredients a little at a time while mixing. Add adobo sauce.



Get equal sheets of parchment paper and tin foil. Make about three even logs of the dough and wrap in parchment paper then tinfoil (see technique in the Maple Bacon cookie recipe) and refrigerate for at least an hour.

These can also be frozen for a few months. When the logs are chilled, cut them into 1/4 inch cookies and bake at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes or until set and not shiny. Let cool and then spread with cajeta, about a tsp on each cookie. Enjoy them with someone you love and watch out for the kick at the end!

Steve Jobs Apple Cookies

In honor of the late Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, inventor and innovator, creator of my most treasured link to the outside world (my iPhone) of adults, I decided I had to create a cookie to show my appreciation for all that he brought to my world. It may seem trite, but I really love cookies, and I'm good at making cookies, so this really is meant as a tribute. When I decided that I wanted to make these my only inspiration was the apple shape, so I found an apple shaped cookie cutter on Amazon for $1.29. Not knowing Mr. Jobs personally, I had no idea what type of cookie he might prefer, but I figured he named his company after apples, so he might like those. Then I found a recipe for apple cider caramel and I thought, oooh, that sounds really good. So apple flavored apple shaped cookies with apple cider caramel filling? Yeah, that sounds like a mighty fine cookie to me. And as it happens, they are apple-tastic! If Steve Jobs were still with us I'd like to think he'd like these cookies, I hope he would. The world will always miss him and his amazing ideas, and every time I make these cookies I'll offer up my thanks to Apple's Father for the inspiration, the innovations, and just making my life easier in so many ways. Make them while reading the recipe off of your iPad, while listening to music on you iPod, and updating facebook on your iPhone.

Steve Jobs Apple Cookies

2 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp maple extract
1 tbsp Sour Apple liqueur (like Pucker's)
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup peeled, finely diced granny smith apple
One Apple Cider Caramel (for the filling) or just plane caramel melted, not caramel sauce, melted caramel candies

http://candy.about.com/od/caramelrecipes/r/applecaramels.htm

Beat butter, brown sugar, maple extract together until creamy. Sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice. Add dry ingredients a little at a time. Add sour apple liqueur and finely diced apple.



This will form a nice dough with the bits of apple showing through here are there.


Roll it out and use cookies cutters, apple shaped or not, make an even number that fit together. Place cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

Let the cookies cool on the parchment, then take the warm but not hot melted caramel, put about a tsp on the bottom cookie then put another cookie on top to make a caramel cookie sandwich. When I made these I used my apple cookie cutter and for the top cookies I cut out a little bite like the apple logo where the caramel showed through. A big hit all around. These cookies are also good without the caramel and just plain, or with pumpkin pie dip, 1 package cream cheese, 1/2 cup prumpkin puree, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice. I made them that way for our neighborhood halloween party and they were a hit.