Tag Archives: filling

almond thumbprints

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boxed almond thumbprints

I always wanted to be that mother, the one who bakes a variety of cookies every Christmas – and box them up and give them to family and friends.  This meant, in my mind at least, that I needed to master Pignoli cookies since it’s one of the few sweets my husband likes.  I have tried to make these cookies twice before, and let’s just say that the results were underwhelming.  The first batch came out flat as a pancake, and yet my husband still complimented me on the “crispness” of them.  (He is so sweet to me).  The second time I tried them, I remember the bottoms being a lovely shade of brown-black and the tops remaining soft.  They made it to the garbage can with a quick jerk of the arm and a few not so nice words muttered.  So this year, I re-read the recipe and set it out again as a contender for the Christmas cookie baking marathon.  The recipe I have, had a note to not purchase Marzipan nor the almond paste in a tube because it is too crumbly.  Instead, it said to buy the almond paste in the can.  I was delighted when I scoured the shelves at the store, to find “almond” in the can, so I quickly grabbed two cans and threw them into the cart.
Back at home, I started the recipe, and when it was time to mix in the almond paste, I opened the can.  I soon realized that this goopy sugary mixture was not at all what I was supposed to be using.  I had purchased almond filling.  Good Lord, Erin.  Why do I even bother???
I reached for the iPad and googled the difference between the two.  The answer meant no Pignoli cookies again this year.  But because I am stubborn, I looked for a way to use this stuff in a cookie.  What I found online was apparently a type of Kolacky cookie recipe.  I was pretty pleased with the results actually.  I didn’t get to hand out boxes of cookies this year as my almond flub took the wind out of my baking sails….not that I had awesome baking skills, uh I mean sails, to begin with.

confectioners' sugar

almond thumbprint cookies (adapted from the recipe on Cooks.com)

1/2  cup butter, softened
1  cup confectioners’ sugar
3  egg yolks
1  tsp. vanilla extract
1 can Solo almond filling
2 1/2  cups sifted flour

creamed butter and sugar

get started on the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350.  Cream the butter and sugar.  Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well.  Add the vanilla extract.  Gradually add flour until just mixed together.  The dough will be stiff.  Roll dough into tablespoon size balls.  Place on greased baking sheet.  With your hand or a greased flat-bottomed glass, gently press ball to thickness of about a half an inch.    Make a thumbprint in the center of each cookie.  Fill the center of the cookie with about a teaspoon of the almond filling.   Bake for 15 minutes.

cookie ballsthumbprints

note:  this recipe made about 30 cookies, and yes, they are photographed in a box, but the box stayed on my counter – not given out as the gifts I had set out to do.

almond thumbprintcookies

cranberry-chocolate tart

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tart slice

Another perfect example of why being blonde in the kitchen can be a problem…especially when baking.  I am notorious for leaving out a step or an ingredient…something.  Cooking –  not so much.  Don’t know why that is.  I had already started this tart for Thanksgiving when I realized my removable bottom pan was bottomless.  That’s right…it was inconveniently “removed”.  My guess is, it is wherever I sent dessert home last year.  All I know is, it wasn’t in my kitchen.  So with filling made and cookie crust ready to press, I was tartpan-less.  There was no way I was going to negotiate the parking lot at a mall, or Target (which shares space with Wegmans), the day before Thanksgiving, to purchase a new one.  Hell no.  So I borrowed a friend’s pan and all was good in the world again.  Tart came out, and I will continue to not read recipes all the way through.

cranberry – chocolate tart (from Gourmet Magazine)

cranberry topping:

1/2  cup cranberry juice, divided
1  tsp. unflavored gelatin
1  12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
3/4  cup sugar
2  tsp. fresh lemon juice
1  tsp. lemon peel, finely grated
1  tsp. peeled fresh ginger, grated
pinch of salt
4  TB crystallized ginger, finely chopped

cranberriesgelatin

get started on the topping:

Pour 1/4 cup cranberry juice into a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over.  Let stand until softened, 15 minutes.  Combine 1/4 cup cranberry juice, cranberries, and next 5 ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer until cranberries are tender but still plump, about 5 minutes.  (You want to see round cranberries on the tart – not mush).  Strain into bowl and set the cranberries aside.  Add gelatin mixture to hot juice in bowl.  Stir until gelatin dissolves.  Stir cranberries back into juice.  Chill until cranberry mixture is cold and slightly thickened, at least 8 hours or overnight.

note:  This can be done 2 days ahead.  Cover and chill.  If doing ahead, stir in crystallized ginger into cranberry mixture when you assemble the tart.

cranberry mixture20121120_183227

crust:

1 1/4  cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (made from about 6 1/2 oz cookies, finely ground in a food processor)
1/4  cup sugar
1/8  tsp. salt
5-6  TB unsalted butter, melted

get started on crust:

Position rack in center of the oven and preheat to 350.  Combine chocolate wafer cookie crumbs, sugar and salt in a bowl.  Add 5 tablespoons melted butter and stir until crumbs feel moist when pressed together with fingertips, adding remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter if mixture is dry.  Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and up sides of 9 inch diameter tart pan with removable bottom.  (I sprayed with non-stick spray just in case).
Bake chocolate crust until beginning to set and get slightly crisp, pressing with spoon if crust puffs during baking, about 14 minutes.  Transfer tart pan to rack and cool crust completely before filling.

wafer cookiescookie crust

mascarpone filling:

1  8 oz. container mascarpone cheese
1/2  cup powdered sugar
1/2  cup chilled whipping cream
1  tsp. vanilla extract
crystallized ginger (either strips or pieces for garnish)

mascarpone filling

get started on filling:

Using an electric mixer, beat all ingredients except ginger in a medium bowl just until thick enough to spread.  Do not overbeat or mixture may curdle.  Spread filling in cooled crust.  Spoon cranberry mixture evenly over mascarpone filling.  Chill at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.  Garnish with crystallized ginger, if desired.  Cut tart into wedges and serve cold.

tart

note:  serves 10-12.