Last week, some members of the Landsea team participated in a cookie exchange. Each participant was responsible for making two dozen cookies and then trading two cookies with all of the other bakers. The results were outstanding and delicious, so we've decided to share all of the amazing recipes with you!
Coconut Chocolate Macaroons
1 1/2 c. white sugar
5 tbsp cocoa
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. shortening
3 c. rolled oats
1 c. coconut
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
Directions:
Combine sugar and cocoa in a saucepan and add milk slowly. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil. Add shortening and oats. Stirring briskly, cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from stove. Add coconut, vanilla and salt. Mix quickly (before mix gets too dry and cool) form mixture onto spoon and drop onto greased pan or wax paper. Shape into "mini mountains" and let cool.
French Macarons
3 Egg Whites
¼ cup white sugar (50 g)
2 cups confectioners sugar (200 g)
1 cup almond flour (120 g) (see note below)
pinch of salt
¼ tsp cream of tartar (2 ml) * You can omit if needed, just may take a bit longer to reach stiff peaks but the recipe will still work)
Raspberry Butter Cream
1/2 cup salted butter (120g)
3/4 cup powdered sugar (75 g)
1 cup (150 g) fresh raspberries, worked through a sieve to extract 3 tbsp of juice (Must be room temperature juice in order to combine with butter and not separate)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300F degrees
Beat egg whites until foamy, then add salt, cream of tartar and white sugar for 8-10 mins.
Tip #1:
Egg whites should be room temp. To create room temp eggs, submerge in warm water for 5 mins.
Whip until they form a peak that stands upright. Think Seattle Space needle.
Then add the food coloring.
Tip #2:
Color does fade as it cooks, so do a shade or two darker than you want them to be.
Tip #3:
Sift almond flour, and powdered sugar. What remains will be the larger lumps of almond pieces. Just discard those, or use them to snack on 🙂 You want a really fine powder mixture to create a smooth and pretty on top to your cookie.
Fold flour/sugar mixture into the egg white mixture.
Tip #4:
This is where all your hard work can really go wrong. Under mix and your macaroons will be lumpy and cracked when the bake with no feet, over mix and your macaroons will be flat and won't have feet, the mark of a well-made macaron. In my experience 65-75 turns of your spatula when folding is about the right amount of time. But again, it can be tricky, depends on how strong you are, Ha! So it can take a few tries to get it right. But when you do, the trumpets will blare and you will feel SO accomplished!
Transfer batter to a pastry bag.
Pipe out 1 inch rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Tip #5:
Tap the pan hard at least 2-3 times to release the air bubbles. This will prevent the tops of your macaroons from cracking.
Tip #6:
Let them sit out for 20-30 mins, or up to an hour if you want. This will allow them time to dry out a bit before hitting the hot oven. They should be "tacky" to the touch, but not stick to your fingertips. This is another important step to assuring your macarons develop feet! When they dry out they can't spread out in the oven, and are forced to rise up. That's what creates the feet!
Bake for 20 mins. DO NOT UNDER BAKE, even if they look done! Otherwise they will stick to your tray.
Meanwhile mix the buttercream. Whip butter with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Slowly add sugar. Then place sieve on top of a bowl the same size. Work raspberries through the sieve with a spatula, pushing them through, mashing them around until you extract their juice. You want 3 tablespoons of juice.
Add juice to buttercream, and whip until combined. Transfer to a pastry bag, fitted with a small tip (about ¼ " in diameter)
Reverse cookie shells on their backs, and pipe a small mound of filling on one of them. Top with the other shell et Voila!
If not eating right away, keep refrigerated.
Hershey's Mint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg, separated
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Hershey’s kisses
Icing
1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened)
Peppermint extract
2 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Green food coloring
Directions:
Beat butter, sugar, egg yolk, milk and vanilla in medium bowl until fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Refrigerate dough at least 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.
Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Press thumb gently in center of each cookie.
Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until set. Remove wrappers from chocolate pieces. Remove cookies from cookie sheet to wire rack; cool 3 to 5 minutes. Gently press chocolate piece in center of each cookie. Cool completely.
Beat softened butter, add icing sugar, peppermint extract, green food coloring and milk.
Drizzle over cookies
Chilenitos
1 1/2 cup of flour
3 eggs
1 tablespoon pisco (or rum)
1 tablespoon butter
For Filling
1/2 kg. Homemade milk caramel
Icing sugar
Directions:
Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the pisco and melted butter. Gradually incorporating the sifted flour and knead for a few minutes. It is a dough and a bit difficult to work at first, but it turns softer to knead after a few minutes.
Preheat oven to 180° C. Stretching the dough with the help of a roller, as thin as possible (around 1/4 inch) then cut several circles (4 or 5 cm. diameter approximately).
Make several holes in the dough with a fork before putting it in the oven, this will prevent having air balloons on the biscuits while they are baking.
Place the disks of dough in a greased and floured tray, and bake it in the oven for 10 minutes at 180° C. The discs should be well cooked although you can leave them a few extra minutes in the oven to be browned.
Let the disks cool and dry, then you attach them using the milk caramel. Sprinkle icing sugar for the final touch and voila!
Homemade Caramel Ingredients
3 to 5 condensed milk cans (This is a long process, that's why I recommend to cook several cans at the same time and store them)- 1 traditional cooking pot
Half Lemon
Directions
Remove label from cans, lay down the cans in the cooking pot and fill it with water (1 or 2 cm over the can), add the lemon to prevent the pot from turning black during the cooking process.
Turn the stove on high until the water starts to boil, lower the heat to medium and from this point you count 2 or 3 hours (2 hours for light brown caramel, 3 hours for dark brown caramel). Refill water if necessary and turn the cans every 30 - 45 mins. Once done, let the cans cool down.
When you open the can, you will have a nice and delicious surprise
Cranberry Bliss Bars
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar, unpacked
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
For the Frosting
8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 ounces white baking chocolate, melted*
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch non-stick baking pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and stir to blend.
In another bowl, whisk the sugars with the butter, egg whites, applesauce and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions until the batter is very well blended. If the batter looks more "crumbly" than smooth, add just a drop of water at a time (ONLY if needed) until it smooths out.
Fold in white chocolate chips and 1/3 cup cranberries. Spread batter onto the baking pan using the back of a measuring cup to smooth evenly.
Bake 10-14 minutes, until the edges are light brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Don't over-bake or your bars will be dry. Let it cool completely on wire rack. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting; in a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until well-blended. Frost bars and sprinkle with remaining cranberries. Drizzle with the melted white chocolate.
*To melt the chocolate, place in a microwave safe cup and heat 15 seconds; stir. Another 15 seconds; stir until the chocolate is melted.
When the chocolate sets, cut into 15 large squares (5 cuts by 3 cuts with the knife). Then cut each square in half diagonally to create triangles. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve