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Gail Watson

Ganache Filled Espresso Cookies

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It turns out this year that my immediate family will be split apart for Christmas. It’s a familiar scenario in the modern world of blended families and adult children. This is not a bad thing for us- we were all together for Thanksgiving, so no one feels deprived- and we have love all around the world to share. It really is a blessing in a lot of ways. But we will still celebrate together before we board planes and put miles and continents between us.

Tomorrow we will have little Christmas here at my place. My children will draw together from the corners of the city, and my Mother will drive in from the country. I can’t wait. There is a relaxed energy when doing it this way, sort of like “Hooky Christmas”. Extra celebrations are also always welcome.

I’ll start working on our dinner menu today. Not a Turkey or Roast in sight, but a request for salmon and more relaxed eating. I love it. I’m still working on the desserts. Yes there will be a couple (few), that is how we roll in my house. The first of which will be these cookies.

They are beautiful cookie that consists of a delicate layer of rich chocolate ganache that nestles between the two layers of crispy butter thins. A tablespoon of ground espresso beans added to the dough provides a depth of flavor that compliments the chocolate, you don’t get much coffee flavor, rather a bass note of richness.

Ganache Filled Espresso Cookies
makes approx 30 cookies
 
The cookie rounds can be baked in advance and stored in the freezer until ready to fill and sugar dust.
 
 
.75c sweet butter, softened
1c sugar
2 eggs
.5t vanilla
2.5c ap flour
1t baking powder
.5t salt
1T ground espresso beans
 
Ganache
 
.5c heavy cream
3.5oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1T sweet butter
pinch of salt
 
1c powdered confectioners sugar for decoration
 
 
 
In a stand mixer cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. About 4 mins on medium speed.
 
Carefully add the eggs and vanilla and beat smooth.
 
In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, espresso beans and salt.
 
Transfer the wet ingredients into the dry. Gently and thoroughly mix the dough until fully incorporated.
 
Divide the dough into two pieces. Flatten them into .5″ thick disks, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 mins.
 
Preheat oven to 350˚ and prepare baking sheets with parchment or grease.
 
On a flour dusted work surface, roll out the dough to an even .25″ thickness. Cut rounds using a 2″ biscuit cutter. Place the cookies on the sheet with even spaces between.
 
Bake until the edges just turn golden, approx 12-15 mins. Allow to fully cool before filling.
 
To make the ganache: place the chocolate into a small bowl. Warm the cream over medium heat just to the boiling. Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir smooth. Add a pinch of salt and the butter.
 
Allow the ganache to cool until a thick icing consistency.
 
Place the ganache into a pastry bag, or plastic bag with hole cut in the corner. Squeeze a dollop of ganache into the center of each cookie, topping with another and pressing down to distribute the ganache.
 
Place powdered sugar into a fine sieve and evenly dust the tops of the cookies.
 
If not to be eaten right away, store in the fridge.
 
 

Petite Buche de Noel ~Bourbon Laced Apple and Walnut Filled Rolls

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This was fun. I’ve had this idea to do a mini Buche de Noel rattling around in my head for awhile now. I spent the better part of an afternoon working out the details. Aren’t they just SO cute??? and frightfully delicious too.

Traditionally I make the classic Buche de Noel cake every year for my holiday table. I vary the insides but typically it’s a vanilla sponge cake with a chocolate mousse filling. The outside is covered in chocolate icing and sculpted to look like a log. I would make gum paste holly leaves and marzipan mushrooms to decorate it. All that sprinkled with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Not a thing wrong with any of that- it’s just that I wanted to try something different.

I got to thinking that the papery layers of Filo dough could be made to look like a shaggy bark- So maybe this is more of a Birch tree bark and not such a deep brown one, but you’ll work with me on that, right? I made cuts and snips in the dough on my various attempts and this is what I came up with.

The recipe is a Bourbon laced browned butter apple and walnut filling, inside layers of crunchy dough on the outside. The first batch turned out to have too much pastry and too much bite to contend with in order to get to the sweet center. I played around with proportions and thicknesses and came up with what I felt was a great balance. Lots of lovely crunch of the delicate layers on the outside to the right amount of sweet soft warm filling.

So maybe they’re more of a shaggy mini apple strudel if you really want to get technical, but I believe in the magic of Christmas, and my imagination is my best toy. You are welcome to call them whatever you wish- either way, they’ll make a great addition to any dessert table.

Petite Buche de Noel
You can premake the rolls and store them unbaked in the freezer until needed, when you can put them directly into the oven from the cold. They are great on their own, but a sauce of creme anglaise on the side is a nice touch. If you’re not into the boozy aspect of the dessert you can simply omit.
 
makes 6 5″ buche
 
2 large granny smith apples, peeled and fine diced
.5c walnuts, toasted and chopped
2T sweet butter
2T bourbon or calvados (optional)
3T sugar
2T flour
pinch of salt
3 sheets of filo dough
powdered sugar to decorate
 
Preheat oven to 350˚ and prepare a baking sheet, either greased or lined with paper
 
In a large sautee pan, warm the butter over medium heat until the butter browns. 
 
Add the apples, sugar and bourbon and sautee for a quick 2 minutes. You want the apples half cooked, not turned to mush.
 
Remove from the heat and transfer to bowl, reserving the pan. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and gently toss to incorporate
 
Lay one sheet of filo dough out and spray lightly with cooking spray. Fold in half bringing two short ends together. Spray the dough again.
 
At the bottom of the rectangle lay down an even 1″ layer of filling, or a third of the mixture, along entire length of the dough. 
 
Loosely roll up the filling. Trim one end on an angle, then cut in the center on an angle. 
 
With the sharp tip of a knife, make a series of small cuts in the outer layers of the dough, especially starting from the outer edge. Carefully roll each piece in the reserved sugar/butter that remains in the cooking pan, then set onto the baking sheet.
 
Repeat this process 2 more times for a total of 6 rolls.
 
Bake for approx 25 mins in the center of the oven. Allow to cool on a rack for 10 mins, then sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
 
 

12 Days of Holiday Food Gifts to Make {Revisited}

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Happy Holidays!
Twelve amazing days of Food gifts for memorable giving.

Last year for the holidays I did a series of 12 food gifts for making and giving. A bunch of folks have been asking about them, so here they are in the order that they were posted in. Just click on the title to take you directly to the original post. Also be sure to check on the page bar at the top of the post for resources for jars, containers, ribbons, etc.

White Chocolate Candies

Day 1- White Chocolate Candies– easy to make drops.

Day 2- Candied Fruits- Sweet and Savory. This post contains recipes for the candied pears shown above, candied spicy tangerines and candied ginger.

Day 3- Rosemary Lemon Biscotti and Dark Chocolate Cherry Biscotti– two classic cookies.\

Day 4- A Tradition Renewed- Marzipan– instructions on how to make cherries, pears and plums.

Day 5- Cowboy Candy- sweet pickled jalapeños that have the added bones of a beautiful syrup leftover that makes the dang best margaritas you’ve EVER tasted!

Day 6- Flavored Oils– Two infusion methods: Hot and Cold. Recipes for Lemon Oil, Basil Oil and Smoked Paprika Oil.

Day 7- Mixed Drinks~Pre-made cocktails. These are the bases for some delicious cocktails. Just add ice a spritz of tonic or soda water and you can kick back and enjoy the evening.

Day 8- Fruit Compotes~ Red & Blueberry Mint, and Orange Lavender– Send along with a batch of homemade scones for a special Christmas morning breakfast.

Day 9- Fregolotta- An Italian tradition. It’s a large cracker like cookie, full of almonds, that is broken and eaten after dinner, served here with a ruby port.

Day 10- Homemade syrups to make your own exotic soda or create a cocktail. Blueberry Thyme, Ginger Ale, and Fresh Mint

Day 11- Apricot Tapenade with Rosemary. A sweet and savory fruit sauce that pairs beautifully with cheese and makes a colorful and sparkling addition to your holiday table.

Day 12- NUTELLA!!!!!!

Happy making and sharing everyone!