Cookie Recipes 49

Here is a list of cookie formulas I have featured on Renaissance Culinaire. Some are commercial baking formulas that can be reduced for home use. This page will continue to be updated as I add more recipes.

Espresso Shortbread by Claire Sutton

Sunflower Pops - Peanut Butter Cookies (has *Vegan / Vegitarian notes)

Tuile Cookies Curls

Short Dough Cookies

Recipe: Italian Turdilli

Authentic Scottish shortbread

Sassy Sunflower Pops Cookies - Healthy & Fun 25

Baking with kids can sometimes be challenging. Creating something while keeping kids occupied or interested is no simple feat. Creating a healthier cookies is on not only on parents minds but also on the minds of many health conscience individuals. I would like to introduce you to a great website with some really fun recipes. Sure to please any kid, even that inner child of yours.

...this will
tempt anyone



with visions
of healthy
lovely treats
to decorate &
devour

I was so excited to be picked for
blogging about the Snackivate website.
It came with perks from Kellogg's company -
namely 2 full size boxes of Kellogg's
Frosted Mini Wheats used to experiment
with the recipes on the site, and a cool
little plastic gadget that you put into
the freezer (the cup has gel within the
walls of the cup,to insulate the milk and
to keep it cool),which once frozen will
hold your milk,while the top (it screws
into the bottom) holds your favorite cereal.
This is a nice little gadget for mom's or
dad's toting kids around. Or even college ,
students or teenagers on the go, in be-
ween classes, who haven't the time to
grab a decent breakfast (I think we've
all been there).

The Snacktivate website is a place for anyone looking for health conscience lot's of downloadable recipes, ranging from all different meals of the day to sweet treats, some samples are pictured above, that would be fun to make with children. There are nutrition tips and more for parents, relatives and teachers. Below is one of the featured recipes from Snackivate website.

Recipe: Sassy Sun Pops
I have added some notes on making this Veg/Vegan friendly. You will need to experiment with different ingredients to find the best formulation for Veg/Vegan style cookies using this recipe.

Prep time: 10 min.
Bake time: 12-14 min.
Servings: 33

These cookies are baked at 350 °F for 12 - 14 min.
Materials Needed:Candy sticks, that are oven proof (you can find at your favorite craft store, i.e Micheal's)
Almonds
Flaxseed
Cookie Sheet
Cookie Ingredients:

• 2 cups (AP) flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup butter or margarine (soft) (supplement Earth's Balance stick for vegan cookies)
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs (if going veg/vegan there are many egg replacers out there, you may want to experiment with what works best in cookies for you - consider the extra dry ingredients by way of the cereal and try opting for something with more moisture content)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 60 frosted bite sized mini-wheats OR 60 un-frosted mini-wheats (unfrosted is the best vegan alternative due to the gelatin in the frosting) , crushed (pulse in a food processor, or put into a zip lock bag and beat w/ rolling pin)

Procedure:

1. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl, add peanut butter, Gran. Sugar, Brown sugar and mix on medium-high w/ electric mixer. Beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs & vanilla. Beat well
4. Beat in crushed cereal and flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated.
5. Drop by spoonful onto a cookie sheet . While pressing down, use back of fork to make across hatch into cookie dough.
6. Add oven proof cookie sticks by pressing stick into one side of the dough of each cookie.
7. TO create sunflower: press flax seeds into the center of each cookie dough round. Press raw whole almonds into the outer edges of each round to form the petals of the sunflower design.
8. Bake at 350 °F for 12- 14 min. or until golden brown, remove baked cookies with spatula from cookie sheets immediately and let cookies cool on wire wracks.

This recipe is adapted from Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies a recipe © of Kellogg's NA Co. 2008. All Rights Reserved.


Hope you can recreate the fun time I had creating these with my 5 yr old daughter. It was a blast. She loved adding the spoons of dough to the cookie sheets and making the "sunflower" designs. Enjoy!

Recipe & Procedure : Tuile Cookies Curls 7

This is a formula adapted from Le Cordon Blue Professional Baking 3rd Edition. It bakes up to 90 cookies, so you may want to divide this recipe in half or maybe even thirds if making for your self. You can also make this formula ahead of time and store the batter in the fridge for up to a week before use.

TUILE COOKIE / Stencil Paste BATTER
I did mine in a kitchen aide mixer. Preheat oven for 350 F.

• 3 oz Butter
• 4 oz confectioners sugar (a.k.a powdered)
• 3 oz of egg whites
• 3.5 oz cake flour

Total batter weight equals 13 oz

To make the batter: Cream the butter and sugar until creamy, add sugar until mixed thoroughly. Whip in the egg whites. Sift in the flour, mix until blended. *Let the tuile batter set up for a few minutes before using.

I suggest baking the tuile on a sheet pan with parchment, or use a silipat (if you don't have one yet -- GET ONE. They rock).

You can use any sized or shaped stencil you want, just make sure the material of your stencil will hold up to the moisture from the batter.

To use your stencil : Position the stencil on the area of your sheet pan you want the cookie to bake. Use a small offset spatula, take a small tsp sized lump of batter, lay this at the foot of your stencil. Hold the stencil onto the pan - with the other hand use a forward motion - slide the side of your offset spatula the length of your stencil, use the stencil as a guide. What you are trying to achieve is a thin level layer of batter that fills up your stencil, as the excess is removed.

Once your stencil is full: Gently lift the stencil with an upward motion to release the stencil from the batter that will stick to the pan and form your specific stencil shape. What you want to achieve is a cookie that holds the stencil shape and forms equal and very evident sides once the stencil is removed - this will tell you whether you did the above procedure correctly.

Don't feel bad if your first tries end up with terrible results. Most people aren't used to stenciled cookies. Just keep reminding your self you are trying to create something yummy too. Make sure you work quickly, and if you need to halt baking for a period of time, refrigerate your batter.

Alternate method: You can spread the batter directly on the silipat and once baked you can cut into shapes. Let the shapes cool and harden, garnish away.

To Bake : You will need to stand and watch these cookies. Even more so the more batches you bake-off, as the oven temperature will increase the baking of your tuile cookies the further along you are. Bake your cookies for 5 minutes. Take them out when you just notice the very edges browning.


To Make "curls": After you have pulled the tuile cookies out of the oven, When they have been out of the oven for 30 seconds, quickly slide a spatula under them (while still warm) use a rounded stick (such as a dowel or even a thick wooden spoon handle) and wrap each softened cookie around the stick to your liking. Let it cool, and then remove the hardened cookie from the stick.

You can also bend them over a rolling pin or other round objects to achieve a special look.

Tuile Batter & Stencil

I made a simple stencil by cutting shapes out of sturdy cardboard (in this case a cake box) with an exacto knife.

Here is the finished product.

Recipe: Italian Turdilli 8

I have typically generalized on this blog, spoken not too specifically, mainly I have danced around the subject of my personal life. Well for those of you readers who know a little more about me then the words that glare at you from my blog pages, those that have emailed me or had fleeting cyber conversations...You are in for a treat.

Today I will share a small glimpse into that vault of memories from my childhood. A place I keep wrapped up --- to be reviewed when sorrows over shadow my life. I breathe in the smells of wheat farmed country sides, I eye the kitchen tools and ingredients that are all too familiar --- they create the foundation of food appreciation that I have today.

Of the many cultural influences in my life, there is one tributary branching off the meandering river I call my family heritage.

This tributary is peppered with Mediterranean accents. The migration of strong, willing inhabitants across a harsh sea. There is calling from the hills, to savor seasons! Making a life, if not harvests --- there is no discrimination from vine or fowl.

My maternal great-grandparents each made their own journey to America, they shuffled through Ellis Island. Into the dirty streets of New York. In search of a place that embodied the green rolling hills they had left behind.

They eventually settled, and indeed found their rolling hills. From the descriptions I have been given their farm was something of a foodies dream --- they made their own Italian cheeses,Prosciutto,salami & Italian meats and their own wines. There were great feasts to be had.





I grew up to appreciate little jewels of Italian heritage. One of my favorite sweets are Turdillis [pronounced TOR-DEE-LL-EEs]. We would get these at the annual Italian dance and festival. They are simple , but very suitable for any palate. The wine gives them a very pleasing contrast to the honey which they are rolled in. Enjoy!

Tordilli

1. 1 cup oil
2. 1 1/4 cup white wine
3. 2 cups flour, or more depending on consistency..
4. Pinch of salt
5. dash of nutmeg & cinnamon
6. 3 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
7. Plate of honey, heated for dipping

Bring oil and wine to boil, let stand for 5 minutes. Pour into a mixing bowl, add flour mixed with spices. Knead well, divide dough into thirds. Pin out (roll) to 1 1/2 inch thickness, you want long strips. Cut each strip into 2 inch pieces. Fry in deep hot oil. Cool and dip in hot honey.

Formula :Lemon curd , Lemon Tarts , Authentic Scottish shortbread. 5

Perhaps that most enlightening thing about fresh lemon curd is the way it pleasures the palate. Lemon flavor that is not sickenly tart, just a mellowed, yet tangy citrus. The mouth feel is gentle but still has substance. Lemon curd makes me crave summers of my childhood, the fields ablaze with bronze and brass hues; the skies deepening atmospheric blues that cried out for a good chasing. This same sky which engulfed my small piece of earth seemed to be never ending.

In this post I will outline formulas for :


Candied Lemon slices [can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 months; suspended in lemon simple syrup]
Authentic Scottish shortbread {NOT the americanized version}

Fresh lemon curd

You will enjoy these....

Please note ( # = lb) These formulas are in small production batches. Please convert to 1/3 for home use.


Candied Lemon Slices :


If assembling the lemon curd tarts ---make this at least 4 hours ahead of time.

Have a plastic container w/ lid handy. These can be preserved for up to 1-2 months if properly covered and refrigerated.

Simple syrup:

4 # cold water

2 # 1/3 sugar

juice of 5 lemons

To make the simple syrup: Combine the water, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

While this is happening Thinly slice 4-5 additional lemons. You are looking for a round that is complete , Discard the ends or any pieces that are broken inside. Gently Remove seeds with the point of a paring knife.



Once the syrup has reached a rolling boil , turn down to low heat and add your lemon slices, lightly push into syrup with heat resistant spatula. Allow slices to simmer in syrup for up to 10 minutes --- this allows absorption of syrup into the citrus membrane / peel . The lemons slices will appear translucent, and the white membrane will look moist.



Remove from heat. Let cool. Gently remove the slices, laying them on a paper towel. Pour the syrup into a plastic container --- then carefully lay slices into the container, make sure the upper layers are under syrup. Put lid on and refrigerate.





Lemon Curd :


This lemon curd formula is very good. It was passed down from an English grandmother. It takes some preparation but it is worth it! I would prepare it the day before use.




Please not this is also a small production formula -- please convert to 1/3 .

[# = lb.]



Ingredients:


-- 12.5 oz Egg Yolk
1 # 4.5 oz Sugar
1 # .25 oz fresh squeezed Lemon Juice [ commercial lemon juice concentrate can be used for part of the amount , better to use all fresh]
-- 10 oz Butter
-- -- 3 Tbs, plus additional 1 Tb of lemon Zest

In non-corrosive saucepan , beat egg yolks and sugar until well blended. Add remaining ingredients except for zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly , until mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon.
DO NOT BOIL. If mixture begins to steam, pull from heat and continue to stir.

When finished, put immediately through a fine sieve, pressing with a spatula.
Discard all residues. Stir zest into curd, pour into an air tight container, cover and refrigerate.


English Shortbread:

Many shortbread formulas today are Americanized , with added shortening or lot's of sugar. This formula is authentic or what is also Called "true shortbread".

I have adjusted the ingredients for home use :

AP flour 8 oz.
Sugar 2 oz.
Butter 6 0z [COLD]

Below are ingredients for a small production batch. Use 20 qt w/ paddle.

[# = lb]

2# AP flour
-- 8 oz Granulated Sugar
1# 8 oz. Butter [COLD]

Put flour and sugar into mixing bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and add to mixing bowl. Mix in 1st speed until it forms a ball.

Block dough into a rectangle .Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for atleast 30 minutes.

To work, let warm up slightly before rolling out. Generously flour your work table. Flour top of dough . Apply pressure and pin in the center of your dough block, apply force while rocking the pin back & forth. The friction will cause the butter in the dough to soften.

Assembling Lemon Tarts :



Roll out your English shortbread dough to 1/4 of an inch, try to make it as circular as possible --- this will allow you to fill more tart shells. Place your tart shell bottom down on the shortbread. Using a paring knife cut out a circle 1/2 inch larger than the shell.






Lift your circle away from the main piece of dough press lightly into your tart shell --- rotating with one hand press dough into shell with your other hand.





After filling your tart shells, hold a shell in your hand - taking a paring knife in the other run the knife outward away from you, parallel with the edge of the shell rotating as you trim off the extra dough. Place prepped shells onto a baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes.



Blind bake tart shells for 15-20 minutes. They will be golden and slightly browned on the edges.
Fill baked tart shells with lemon curd. Take out one candied lemon slice , per tart [4 inch] more for 8", and drain on paper towel. Center the candied lemon over the lemon curd on each tart.




Bake for 8 additional minutes, or until set. Let the baked off tarts cool. To remove from metal shell --- take small offset spatula and firmly grip it while you run it around the edge of the shell. This should loosen it. Push the bottom upward and set aside the ring. Run your spatula using the same method in an even motion -- be careful not to thrust your spatula upward and break your tart into bits.






Mmm. The 4 inch tarts are suitable for 2 people, or if you want to be gluttonous --- one for you alone. Makes for an easy flavorful treat.

Formula: Short Dough Cookies 11

Here is a formula for short dough cookies. These are perfect for icing with royal icing, poured fondant or decorating with buttercream.

Shortbread by lilivanili

 Done in a 20 QT mixer. This is a large batch so I would do about a 1/3 or even a 1/4 of this formula for home use.

[# = lb]

• 6 # butter
• 3# sugar
• 3/4 oz salt
• 1# 2oz. Eggs
• 2 oz B & V (is a flavored powder with lemon, rum & vanilla) [you can add liquid vanilla etc.]
• 9# pastry flour
  

Cream butter, sugar & salt till light . Add eggs & flavoring.
Add pastry flour a little at a time. (has a tendency to plum in a 20 QT bowl, so carefully add)

Put onto a floured [unpapered] pan.Flatten with hands, cover w/ plastic & retard[refrig.]

Take pan from the retarder (a.k.a refrigerator). Take a bench scraper & cut out 1/3 of the pan of short dough. Flour your work space. put your chunks of dough onto the flour space & taking a rolling pin holding with both hands, firmly hit the dough with a down sloping motion. Continue to rock & roll back & forth until dough is no longer cold & firm.

Flour your dough , and the bench again, if needed. Roll the dough out until it has reached 1/4 -1/2 inch. Place a cookie cutter over dough & press firmly. Make as many whole shapes as you can with your dough.

Remove the scraps . To prevent the dough from being over handled (so the butter is warm enough for cookies to wilt) Take a clean bench scraper - run the corner under the edge of your cut out shape.

The dough may stick to the bench} Run the scraper blade under the cookie until it moves freely. IF making larger cookies it is best to slide the scraper under the cookie & let it rest on the blade & part of your hand, this way you can safely transport the cookie to the pan without it losing shape

Bake at 350 - 375 F. Until lightly browned.

Let cool completely. Then ice .