The math isn’t exactly challenging:  12 cookies in 12 days; this is December 11th; tomorrow is the last day; and I have posted five cookies.  Five.  Bear in mind that I’ve made eight, and have dough for a ninth sitting in the fridge just waiting for several hours of time so that I can play my favorite holiday music, spread out my materials, and decorate cookies.  Trust me when I say that time between the hours of 6 and 10 p.m. does not count as an available chunk.  Once upon a time I could have been extremely productive at that time of day, but no longer.  It’s easy to conclude then that I will be engaging more in a month of cookies, or something like that.  And perhaps I’ll throw in a holiday bread or two.  Maybe.

Nevertheless, here are my Hazelnut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, which not only look like ordinary chocolate chippers, they taste like ordinary chocolate chippers.  That isn’t a bad thing if you’re me, because chocolate chip cookies will always be my favorite cookie even though I’d never consider it a holiday cookie.

I had hazelnuts in the pantry, so decided to make my own hazelnut butter for these.  It’s not complicated if you have a Cuisinart, 10 minutes, and don’t mind telling your neighbors to prepare for the sound of nuts clacking crazily against plastic.

Hazelnut-Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips

Don’t forget to check out my fellow cookie bakers this holiday season.  Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen, Courtney of Coco Cooks, and Judy of No Fear Entertaining who are all returning this year, and Michelle of Big Black Dog, Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook, Renee of Flamingo Musings, and Tiffany of The Nesting Project who will be joining us this year.  A special nod goes to Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes who started the group last year, but cannot join in on the craziness this year.

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Each year that the holiday cookie spreads come out in food magazines, the Linzer cookies catch my eye.  Most often, they appear in bar form, constructed on a sheet pan, spread with jam, covered with a lattice top, and perhaps sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Thinking about the attraction now, it was the pastry that caught my attention, and when I made them,  they were always a favorite.

With that interest, I chose Hazelnut Linzer Cookies as my first choice for our holiday bake fest.  Although nothing like the Linzertorte I’ve enjoyed in the past, these cookies are a pleasant combination of nutty crunch and sweet, tart jam.

If they’re so satisfying and the first to be baked, why not the first to be shared?  My notes tell the story.

Hazelnut Linzer Cookies

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Last year at this time, our house was completely torn up due to a remodel.  When left to consider where I might set up shop while all of the dust, noise, and construction workers took over, it didn’t take long to decide that if I moved my Mac down to the kitchen, I’d be just fine.  It would mean that I could cook, shoot photos, then pass samples among the crew for critique before settling in to write about what I was busy making: cookies.  This isn’t completely out of place if one considers that it is December, and many cooks do bake cookies for the holidays.  But do they bake in the middle of what seemed to be a disaster zone at the time, and at the pace of one cookie per day?  “The 12 Days of Cookies:  A Gourmet cookie extravaganza” was born.

It doesn’t sound as crazy now that a year has passed, but the time has arrived to bake more cookies.  Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench has invited those of us who participated last year to join in on the cookie baking frenzy once again along with a few new participants.  Instead of choosing recipes from Gourmet, we are making Bon Appetit our source for recipes, but since I have a tendency to deviate from the norm, I just may select a recipe here or there for consideration as well.

The goal is to bake 12 cookies, posting one each day for 12 days.  Since this involves far less of a commitment than making 101 of Mark Bittman’s Simple Salads, I think I’ll be just fine — especially since there is not one construction worker in sight.  I’m happy to say that I’ll bake with quite a fine group of individuals:  Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen, Courtney of Coco Cooks, and Judy of No Fear Entertaining who are all returning this year, and Michelle of Big Black Dog, Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook, Renee of Flamingo Musings, and Tiffany of The Nesting Project who will be joining us this year.  A special nod goes to Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes who started the group last year, but cannot join in on the craziness this year.

Are you ready?

Chocolate and Almond Dipped Sandwich Cookies

For the cookies…

• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

For the filling…

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 12 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped garnish
• 6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups slivered almonds (about 5 ounces), toasted, chopped

The directions can be found here.

Notes:

• I made the cookie dough as written and kept it in the fridge overnight before cutting with 3″ rounds.
• My cookies appeared to want to do the dreaded spread while baking, but stopped before disaster.  The edges aren’t as clean as I would have liked, but the cookie is very tasty, so I’ll forgive the recipe.
• I decided to dip the cookies into shaved almonds instead of the blanched almonds the recipe calls for.  They’re attractive.  Not exactly holiday-looking, but they’re the first ones to disappear from a platter of three other types.  I rest my case.
• Do I need to say that you could fill these with just about any kind of ganache or buttercream?  Dulce de leche?  Then your mind can spin out of control on what you’d like to dip them in.
• Of course, you might just eat all of them warm from the oven, avoid the messy dipping, and call it a meal.
• Oh.  My.  I’d say we’re off to a fabulous beginning.

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The very last issue of Gourmet sits in a stack along with the most recent issues of Saveur, Bon Appetit, and Food & Wine — all barely touched.  Holiday catalogs I’d rather not receive lay scattered in the mix as well reminding me that I should probably pay attention.  How can it be the end of November?  The month has flown by and with it my favorite season of the year, leaving only a few days to think about recipes I’d like to try this year for Thanksgiving.  Outside of making a simple list of traditional dishes and leaving it to sit on the kitchen counter, I’m still not prepared.

I’ve accepted that this just won’t be the year to try yet another way to mash and flavor potatoes with the likes of parsnips or roasted garlic, white truffle oil or black truffle shavings.  I won’t have to wonder why a stuffing recipe calls for freshly made cornbread that has to sit on the counter for a day before it can be cubed and tossed with other ingredients to make an herby stuffing.  And I’ve decided that deep-frying a ton of microscopically thin onion rings to flavor a new spin on the classic green bean casserole won’t be happening, either, even though it was quite a fabulous recipe.  No, we’re going to be relatively conservative this year which is why I was able to spend some time in the kitchen today trying a new recipe with some of my favorite flavors:  apples, pecans, and cinnamon with a hint of orange.

David Guas’ Spiced Upside-Down Apple Bundt Cake was perfect from the moment I saw it in Food & Wine’s “Last Bite.”  Even though I’ve never owned a bundt pan, it was the least of my worries because the recipe calls for buttermilk.  Whenever I buy buttermilk,  it gets pushed to the back of the fridge and is forgotten until long after the date stamped on it, then ends up down the drain.  Not this time!   I found it with a day to spare — not that I could tell given its characteristic pungent smell.

How does one tell whether buttermilk is sour when it always smells badly?  It’s a very good thing that it works so nicely as a cooking ingredient, don’t you think?

Spiced Upside-Down Apple Cake

The recipe can be found here in the November 2009 issue of Food & Wine.

Make the streusel first and make sure to add the pepper.  Yes, it’s unusual, but it’s very nice with this cake since the apples are sweet.  They compliment one another well.

The spiced apples are so tasty I had trouble keeping myself from spooning them right into my mouth.  Make sure you saute them only until just beginning to soften and then spread them out on a baking sheet to set in the fridge to cool.

The cake batter is thick and easily spooned over the cooled apples in the generously oiled (Pam) cake pans.

The brioche tins baked for 45 minutes, and the 6″ round cake for 1 hour.   Test for doneness with a wooden skewer.  After they come from the oven, let them sit for 5 minutes before turning them upside-down on a baking rack positioned over a baking sheet.  You may have to rescue a few apples stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Just add them to the top of the cake.

Divide the streusel evenly over the cakes, pressing gently into the apples.  They’re quite moist so let cool an hour before serving.

Notes:

• I used cardamom in the streusel instead of cinnamon. I couldn’t resist. Its somewhat citrusy taste had me thinking of lemon pepper, but that didn’t quite pan out.  Although I could taste the pepper in the streusel when eaten alone, it was less noticeable when I sampled the finished cake.  I’d definitely add more pepper next time.
• I didn’t have Calvados so used Laird’s Applejack instead.  No, it’s not quite French apple brandy from Normandy, but it worked out quite well in this cake.  There is no boozy taste at all — something I don’t enjoy in baked desserts.  If you’d rather not use alcohol, apple cider will work just fine.
• Fuji apples were substituted for the Granny Smith’s because I was out of those as well.  Fuji’s aren’t as tart, but they held up well and the flavor was excellent.
• We enjoyed this cake.  It’s super moist and surprisingly light in texture with hints of orange laced through it.  The streusel topping provides a perfect crunch.  Although pecans are ground in the streusel, I think next time I’d enjoy chopping a few more to add to the apples before spooning the mixture into the pans.
• Raisins or dried cranberries would be a nice addition to this cake as well.
• Definitely a keeper!
• Oh — of course you can make this with one 10-inch bundt pan.

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Picture this:  my husband and I pass through the house each morning getting ready for work and I begin to think about any excuse not to have to stop at the market on the way home.  I mull over the contents of the veggie bin while I’m brushing my teeth, and search my fuzzy memory for ingredients  that may be languishing in the pantry.

“There are carrots I could make some soup with,” I begin staring into my mirror.

“That would be good,” he mutters, peering into his mirror,  busy with his own routine.

“And there are those apples you forget to eat on a regular basis.  I saw a recipe for a salad I want to try — but I’m not quite sure what condition the celery is in.  Do we have lemons?”  I call from the closet as I’m trying to figure out what to squeeze myself into for the day.

“Anything you make will be good,” he says from his side of the closet, “and I have been eating an apple a day.”

I head down the stairs, give a quick look in the fridge, and grab my coffee before running out the door and calling my goodbyes feigning success in the accomplishment of a dinner plan.

Jump ahead 11 hours.  It’s about 6PM and we’re both home.  Our son has come downstairs to graciously share himself with us, then flops on the couch to figure out what we’ll watch that evening.  My husband and I start peeling and chopping, sauteeing and blending.  On most days within an hour of arriving home — give or take a half hour for diversions — we’re all in the family room  talking about the day, slurping soup, eating salad and enjoying a DVRd show one of us has lobbied for.

On one such night, we tried a new spin on an old classic:  Waldorf Salad.  When I think of why I’ve never liked it, the mayonnaise would be the reason.  As much as I enjoy most salads, slathering a fatty dressing on one has never appealed to me.  If you’re like me or at least interested in something seasonal, but more healthy, try this.  It will be a part of our Thanksgiving dinner this year.

Waldorf Salad sans Mayo

1/2 c. walnuts, toasted lightly and chopped
1 T minced shallot
zest of 1/2 lemon, finely grated
juice of 1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed
1 T white wine vinegar
1/8 c. fruity extra virgin olive oil
2 T walnut oil
dash ground cumin
salt & cracked pepper to taste
mache or other soft salad greens
2 lg. radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced thinly
2 ribs celery, sliced
hand full of golden raisins
1 crisp apple such as Braeburn, Fuji, or Granny Smith
crumbled goat’s cheese
(cored and sliced into thin wedges)

Toast the walnuts in a skillet over medium low heat, tossing occasionally to avoid burning.  Remove from skillet and set aside when they become aromatic.

Make the dressing by combining the shallot, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vinegar.  Add the oils in a slow drizzle, whisking as you go.  Add the cumin, salt and pepper, then taste and correct seasoning.

On a large platter or individual salad plates, create a bed of the greens and set aside.   Toss the apples, celery, radishes, and onions with enough of the dressing to coat the vegetables, but reserve a bit to pour on later.  Pour the mixture over the bed of greens, then top with raisins, walnuts, and sprinkle with goat’s cheese.

Enjoy a perfect bite loaded with each of the flavors and textures of this great salad.

Notes:

• This recipe was adapted from Food & Wine’s “Lemony Waldorf Salad” which appeared in the November 2009 issue.
• The original recipe calls for twice the oil and canola instead of the extra virgin olive that I used, but I have trouble adding that much oil to any salad and don’t love canola.  Walnut oil has a distinctive flavor which adds a pleasant taste to this salad.  Add a bit at a time to the dressing if you’ve not tried it before.  I use La Tourangelle brand walnut oil which I am lucky to find at my local market.  It’s not as expensive as hazelnut oil which is fabulous.
• Mache is a lovely, delicate salad green with a taste not unlike greenleaf or butter lettuce.  It’s my favorite and can be found at Whole Foods or, if you’re lucky, Trader Joe’s.
• I included the goat’s cheese to provide not only a bit of tang, but hint toward the creaminess in the traditional Waldorf — which actually included only mayonnaise, celery, and apples served on a bed of lettuce.  Don’t even tell me you use Miracle Whip in salad.  Please.
• Some may want to pass on the raisins, but they truly add a pleasant flavor to this.  Give them a try.
• To make ahead, prep all the veggies and make the dressing.  It’s easy to plate when everything is ready at the last minute.
• We never had salad for Thanksgiving when I was growing up — unless you count jello salad as salad.  I added non-giggly salad to our menu when my boys were quite little hoping to slow the meal down a bit to enjoy courses.  We still do that and enjoy it quite a bit.  I could be convinced to try something giggly again, however.

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A friend of mine gave me a bag of small, crisp red apples the last time she came for dinner and somehow, I’d lost track of them.  I should have known they’d been sitting in the fridge, waiting for me to get around to making something with Fall written all over it.  Would it be apple nut muffins, a new take on a Waldorf salad, or perhaps an apple butternut squash soup?  I couldn’t decide until last weekend when I knew I’d be in the kitchen making macarons and decided to treat the menfolk to breakfast.  I’m not the one who normally makes breakfast on Sunday, so my offer was met with surprise and instant nods of, “Yes, please!”  Neither my husband or son would turn down pancakes even if they had a healthier twist than those my husband usually makes.  Besides, I knew I’d get to experiment a bit and it’s always fun to find out just how a particular recipe will end up.

If you have a jar of dulce de leche sitting around, it’s amazing what a little bit of it can do to a nice stack of hot ones on a cool Fall morning.  Initially, it was to have ended up filling the macarons, but it didn’t make it past the pancakes.

Who knew?

Apple Walnut Pancakes

1-1/4 c. buttermilk

2/3 rolled oats

1 lg. egg

3/4 c. grated apple, well squeezed

2 T brown sugar

1/2 c. stone ground whole wheat flour

1/2 c. pastry flour

1 tsp. cardamom

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3 T walnut oil

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

2 T mascarpone

dulce de leche to taste

Soak the rolled oats in the buttermilk while you’re preparing the batter and topping.  To make the topping, stir the room temperature mascarpone until soft, then add enough dulce de leche to lighten and flavor the cheese.  Set aside.

Grate the apple using a large grater.  Squeeze the grated apple to remove as much juice as possible.  In a large bowl, mix the egg, apple,  and brown sugar.  Then add the flours, cardamom, baking soda, salt and oil, mixing well before stirring in the buttermilk mixture and walnuts.

Spray a skillet with cooking oil and heat over medium high until a drop of water skittles across the bottom of the pan.  Ladle the batter into the hot pan and allow to cook until bubbles begin to appear.  Flip each pancake and continue cooking until the center has puffed up, about 2 minutes for each side.

To serve, spread a bit of the dulce de leche mascarpone spread on each pancake, drizzle with maple syrup if you wish and enjoy.

Notes:

• These pancakes are relatively low in fat until you add the mascarpone topping.
• I used reconstituted powdered buttermilk because I have a horrible time keeping it in my fridge.  I purchase a pint when I see a few recipes that call for it, and before I know it, I have to pour it down the drain.  I’d love to know who makes the decision about what size container to put it in because a cook may need a couple of cups at most, but rarely a pint and that’s the size I’m always forced to purchase.  If I was intelligent, I’d divide the pint into freezable containers…yadda, yadda, yadda.
• I adapted this recipe from a book I love called The Enlightened Eater’s Whole Foods Guide by Rosie Schwartz.  The recipes in the book are organized into sections following information about the benefit of phyto foods and are extremely healthy.  I’ve many of them several times — rare for me — and they’re always excellent.
• This recipe made about 9-10 4″ pancakes.
• The dulce de leche mascarpone spread is AMAZING on sliced apples when you’re trying to figure out what to fill macarons with.  Swoonworthy, actually.

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