Extracts & Special Occasions

There is something about Christmas and ringing in the new year that just screams out for food. Whether it is celebration dinners, festive cakes, cookies, or candies, it is a time of year to just enjoy family, friends, and flavors. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!

For me, the time after Thanksgiving marks my baking season, where I just have this urgent need to be baking something all day, every day.

Now, that doesn't mean that I do. But I can usually be found checking out baking books from my local library, and making a wish list of the goodies I'd like to attempt.

This year I found a special recipe in the book Taste of Home Cake Mix Creations (Reader's Digest 2014 edition) for a "Marvelous Cannoli Cake" by Antoineete Owens, of Ridgefield, CT. (Click on the link to get the recipe).

I have little to no experience working with different extracts outside of vanilla. The reasons being that most quality extracts are expensive and can't be worked into the grocery budget.  But this year I was feeling adventurous and this particular cake uses rum, vanilla, and almond extracts. It also uses mascarpone and ricotta cheeses, which are not inexpensive items. So when it was all said and done, the cake cost close to $20 in ingredients. But it turned out to be a very special cake, and an extravagant pleasure that was a joy to share with the family.

I did cut corners on the sliced almonds. The recipe calls for two cups worth, and since I didn't want to take a second mortgage out of my house to get them, I settled for a half-cup serving package that I just sprinkled on top. And being able to modify recipes as I go along is just something I feel compelled to do. It is probably a symptom of some deep psychological need to be in control, and perhaps one day I'll talk to someone about that ...

In the mean time, it is a really good cake and I recommend eating it chilled. It seemed like an odd thing to do at first, especially for a cake I was eating on a cold winter's night. But all doubts disappeared after the first bite.

By the way, there is absolutely no reason for the teapot to be in this picture, but I received it for Christmas, and it is so pretty that I just wanted it to be there.

I think it is a law somewhere that you can't celebrate Christmas without cookies. If it is not, then I know what will be in the next letter to my congressman. 

Now, rolled cookies are not my forte. I don't know why, but they just frustrate me ... probably has something to do with aforementioned control issues ...

This recipe from Joy of Cooking has been my go to for the last two Christmases, and will probably be what I continue to use in the future. It is just a nice, soft cookie, that is a pleasure to eat. This is the first year that I had to use almond extract instead of vanilla (ran out), but I rather liked it better with the almond flavor. Especially since I didn't have any vanilla to use in the royal icing. The almond flavor cut the sweetness of the icing quite nicely.

Roll Cookies (my slightly modified version)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 stick softened butter

1 tsp. almond extract

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Beat the sugar and butter until creamy . Beat in remaining ingredients until the dough is uniform, and there is no visible flour.  Place the dough in cling film and rap, then pat it into a disc and leave in the frig to chill for at least 3 hours.

After it has chilled, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch, cut with desired cutters, and place cookies on a greased or parchment lined sheet pan. The recipe says it will yield about 40 two inch cookies, but obviously, depending on the size and type of cutter you use, your yield will be different.  Top with your favorite decorating sugar before placing in the oven, or after baked and cooled, your favorite royal icing recipe. 

The best part of doing these was working with my daughter on the decorations. Edible arts and crafts!

I hope you had a great Christmas season, and here's to a new year of growth. Whether it is in personal development as a cook, baker, or human being, may 2019 help us to find and excel in who God made us to be.