Short and Sweet: Chai-Spiced Shortbread Cutout Cookies

Every year, I like to make a lightly-spiced shortbread cookie, cut into seasonal shapes for holiday gifting—and eating! In previous years, I've used cinnamon, cardamom, or ground ginger for the main flavoring. This year, I decided to make a thoroughly warming, comforting, chai-spiced version. These cookies are rich, delicious, and will last several weeks stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Sprinkling the tops of the cookies with a little granulated sugar before baking allows them to twinkle in the light, and provides a little burst of crunch and sweetness as well. These are perfect for the holidays, or any day when you need a special treat!

Chai-Spiced Shortbread Cutout Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons chai spice mix (or see notes below)
2 Tablespoons (or so) granulated sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

In a small bowl, stir together flour, salt, and chai spice mix. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla, then blend in flour mixture until smooth. Divide dough in two and wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap, flattening into discs as you go. Chill dough for several hours, or overnight.

When ready to make cookies, remove one disc of dough from the fridge about 30 minutes beforehand, line baking sheets with foil or parchment paper, and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Unwrap and roll dough out on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin (lightly flour the rolling pin and the dough as well). Roll out evenly to about 1/8" thick, then cut using shapes of your choice with cookie cutters dipped in flour. Transfer cutouts onto prepared sheets an inch or so apart, and sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar, if using. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly golden around the edges (cookies will puff up during baking, but settle back down when close to being done). Re-roll scraps, flouring as needed, and keep cutting shapes until the dough is completely used. Repeat with the other disc of dough.

Notes: This recipe will yield about 4 dozen cookies when using two-inch cutters. If you don't like chai spice, use whatever spice mix you enjoy, like pumpkin or apple pie spice. Before starting, I like to scoop out some plain flour into a small dish for my "bench" flour, sprinkling where needed and for dusting the cookie cutters. I don't have a pastry board or any other special equipment, so I simply roll my dough out on a piece of wax or parchment paper. This actually makes it very easy to rotate the dough when rolling to achieve an even thickness!

>o<

Just One More Thing: Cheese and Date Cocktail Nibbles

It's been a busy year: you've worked hard, the holidays have been hectic, and all you want to do now is relax. Still, you may yet have more guests to feed, more family to entertain, and possibly another party or two before the year is out—and the thought of making just one more thing is enough to tip you over the edge! But I'm here to help, with a simple, quick, and very tasty little nibble that can be thrown together in no time:

Cheese and Date Cocktail Nibbles

Ingredients:
Cheese
Dates (pitted)

Slice cheese into pieces roughly the length and width of your dates, and about 1/4 inch thick. Skewer a date onto a toothpick, followed by a piece of cheese. Repeat until you have as many as you need, or until you run out of cheese and dates :-)

Notes: You can certainly stuff the cheese inside the dates by slicing the dates open along one side, and even add a pecan or walnut half as well. Use your favorite cheese for these, or try a variety—a good extra sharp cheddar goes extremely well with the sticky sweetness of the dates. If you don't like dates, use another kind of dried fruit like apricots or plums.

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Chestnuts Roasting: Chestnut-Chocolate Wafers

Chestnuts are a decadent addition to both sweet and savory dishes during the holidays, and they even work in cookies, too! Sweetened chestnut puree gives these buttery, flaky wafers all the sugar they need, and bittersweet chocolate provides a nice balance:

Chestnut-Chocolate Wafers

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sweetened chestnut puree (creme de marrons)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate (about 4 oz.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, cream butter and chestnut puree together until smooth, then stir in salt. Blend in flour, then add chopped chocolate and mix until combined. Divide the dough in half, flatten into discs and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for about 30 minutes, or until the dough is firm enough to work (but not chilled solid). Roll out dough on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thick and cut into shapes using 2-2 1/2 inch cutters. Re-roll scraps, dusting with flour as needed, and continue to cut shapes until the dough is gone. Place the wafers on lined baking sheets, prick them lightly with a fork a few times and chill 5-10 minutes, then bake for about 12 minutes, or until the wafers are evenly golden around the edges and along the bottoms. Remove and let wafers cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Notes: Chestnut puree can be found in specialty food stores, purchased online, or made at home! If you prefer, use semi-sweet or milk chocolate in place of the bittersweet chocolate. You can also add a 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or a 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, if desired.

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Spice It Up: Three Herb and Spice Mixes for Giving

I love making homemade or handmade gifts for friends and family, especially during the holidays. It's even better if the gifts are useful in some way—and what could be more useful than food? Here are three herb/spice mixes that just need to be stirred together and spooned into jars. Attach a label to each, and they're ready to go :-)

A little something for you!

Scarborough Fair Herb Mix: Combine equal parts dried parsley, sage, rosemary and (you guessed it) thyme. Particularly good with poultry, fish, and root vegetables.

Game Night Spice Mix: Combine equal parts ground ginger, allspice, cinnamon and black pepper. Use to season dark meats like duck, bison, and venison. Add a few pinches to creamy sauces, soups and stews, dark leafy greens, or custard-based dishes like quiches and baked omelets.

Chai Spice Mix: Combine two parts ground ginger, one part ground cinnamon, a half part ground cardamom and a quarter part ground cloves. Add a teaspoon or so to the dry ingredients of baked goods like muffins, cakes, and cookies, or sprinkle on Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey.

Notes: Any (or all) of these would work particularly well as a host/hostess gift, stocking-stuffer, or included in a basket of goodies for your favorite foodie. I like to use (or reuse) 3-4 oz. jars with tight-fitting lids, and include ideas for how to use the mix right on the label. Even though these are a lot of fun to give away, be sure to save some for yourself as well!

>o<