Three Cocoa Cookies
and some dairy-free brownie-ish cookies
happy december =) I hope you enjoyed the past two weeks; I spent most of mine tending to two sick young ladies (the 7yo caught a cold thanksgiving day, the 4yo on Monday) and trying to stay on top of things. I just barely managed 😂
Shall we kick off cookie season???
new on bbs
Brownie Cookies - No Butter/Dairy Free
These were initially going to be a spin on my olive oil cookies but I found my Lebanese-made olive oil was so strong it took over the flavor =/ Instead I went with avocado oil which allowed the cocoa to shine. They’re thick, soft-ish cookies and great for anyone who can’t do or doesn’t want butter.
updated on bbs
Apple Cider Pecan Shortbread
An old favorite that FINALLY got an update. I changed up the method (I wanted it to be easier) and added a video and some new photos. These crumbly pecan shortbreads have boiled cider in them and then a dollop of cider caramel on top. They do not stack well but make an excellent dessert ;-)
updated on bbs
Brownie Shortbread with Ganache
The original idea behind this recipe came from Melissa Clark at nytcooking. When I made them I did it around a client project (avocado oil!) thinking it was going to be such a niche recipe no one would make it but readers have loved them. They’ve become one of my most requested bakes by family and friends especially around Christmas when I give out cookie tins =)
speaking of evoo
Olive Oil Crinkle Cookies
The chewiest. These bring out the best of olive oil and brown sugar in the best way. You can add lemon or orange zest for extra flavor. I adore them with a citrus glaze.
I know it’s supposed to be ‘red’ peppermint season but…
Double Mint Chocolate Cookies
Super chocolaty, the texture of a brownie thin. Double the mint and double the chocolate.
reader review (a cafe in athens?! =D)
Persian Love Cookies
Amazing cookies! I own a small café in Athens, Greece and my clients are mad about these cookies! - Anastasia
notes & reads
On that no butter brownie cookie recipe, I was so impressed with myself I said, let’s try to make an olive oil brownie! …Oh my god it was so bad I couldn’t even swallow the first bite. Tabling that idea for another year (or another baker ;p)
“The other thing to remember is recipes are like accents and the way people talk. They’re very tied to place. They’re very tied to your particular cultural habits, and that’s very much about what’s around you and what’s available, right? And so if you grew up in a certain region where there was an abundance of this kind of potato versus that kind of potato, that’s what you’re going to use. So it’s about identity, it’s about memory, and it’s about your rootedness and connectedness to a particular place and time.” On why we get defensive about holiday recipes, Vox.
“Jaffrey is still mildly flummoxed by the devotion her first cookbook continues to inspire. “I have no idea,” she confessed, honestly, when I asked her why this book endures. Fifty years on, Jaffrey isn’t convinced that America’s view of Indian cooking has changed in a meaningful way. Sure, American food magazines may pay lip service by printing Hindi cooking words, she said. But there’s a dimension — a soul — missing, she feels, in the superficial adoption of global flavors under the umbrella of American food. “Because how can you get the emotions of each country into the food?” she said. “You have to live it in a way.” On Madhafur Jaffrey the cookbook author that brought Indian recipes to the US, WashPo.
“Every year for as far back as I can remember, my father starts picking pomegranates in late August. They are still a mix between red and green, a hue verging on gold. He likes them this way, the acidity so sharp your lips pucker and your eyes squeeze shut when you put a handful of seeds in your mouth. He insists they make the best pomegranate molasses. My mother disagrees, preferring the fruit at the end of the season, with some acidity but also sweetness starting to shine through. I’ve often wondered if they each go after a fruit that reflects their character — one sharp, the other sweet, each better when combined with the other.” (I’m with her mom on this). On how to make pomegranate molasses at home, WashPo.
IT’S POM SEASON! You can eat them by the spoonful (my favorite way tbh), make a sorbet out of the juice, pile them atop a pavlova with some pomegranate curd, or sprinkle them on top of your brownies. My husband and I grew up eating pomegranate by the bowlful and if there’s one thing we always agree on: pomegranate goes with EVERYTHING. With chocolate. In a shawarma sandwich. With rice & chicken dishes. In any salad. Atop a cake. In a taco or a burrito… Seriously, try it on anything.
P.S. I have something special & pom related to share with you next week ;-)
and for members
Three Cocoa Swirl Cookies
Chewy cocoa cookies made with, one, two, three types of cocoa! Each section has a little bit of a different ‘chocolate’ flavor packed into a thick, chewy cookie.