My Christmas Cookies

So, in the past weeks, I've been baking quite a lot. Yesterday I shipped off a box of these cookies to my parents in Hungary. My mom doesn't bake, she can't (or maybe she can, she just never tried it before :) ), so I think it will be a nice surprise for them.

Swedish Ginger Cookies

200g  flour (1.6 cups)

0,5 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoon grounded ground ginger 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pinch ground cloves

1 pinches white pepper

100g granulated sugar (1/2 cup) - take out 2 tablespoons of it and save it for later

100g butter (a little less than 1/2 cup)

5 tablespoon honey

1 egg white for brushing

Preheat oven to 190 °C / 375 ºF

Mix up all the ingredients in the same order as it's written down. Shape balls out of the dough and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Flatten the balls with a bottom of a glass and brush them with the egg white. Sprinkle them with the sugar you put aside. Bake them for about 10 minutes.

Scottish Shortbread

1 cup of real butter. No substitutions allowed.

1/2 cup of brown sugar, packed

2+ cups of flour.

Oven = 325 ºF

Cream the butter and sugar together. I generally use the back of a fork, or my fingertips (not palms, or the butter will get too soft). If my butter is too cold and I don’t have time to wait for it to soften, I use a potato masher and a lot of arm muscle.

Add about 2 cups of flour. Mix well.

Sprinkle your table, wax-paper, or silicone baking mat liberally with flour. Turn your dough onto the floured surface and knead.

Knead, adding flour until the dough is smooth and not sticky.

Roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness and cut. Rectangles with fork-pierced patterns are classic, but you can also do triangles or other shapes.

Melt some chocolate in the microwave and stir in a tablespoon or so of shortening, so that the chocolate is really smooth. Then, when the cookies are cooled, dip one end in the chocolate and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Lay on a wax paper sheet to harden. Delicious!

Also, it’s fantastic plain.

Cranberry - Orange zest cookie dough gift

Cranberry - Orange zest cookies

2 sticks (8 ounces; 230 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour

1. Put the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until it is smooth. Add the sifted confectioners’ sugar and beat again until the mixture is smooth and silky. Beat in the egg yolks, followed by the salt and mix in grated zest of 2 oranges and 1/2 cup dried cranberries (I finely chopped them) 
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, beating just until it disappears. It is better to underbeat than overbeat at this point; if the flour isn’t fully incorporated, that’s okay just blend in whatever remaining flour needs blending with a rubber spatula. Turn the dough out onto a counter, gather it into a ball, and divide it in half. Wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

2. Working on a smooth surface, form each piece of dough into a log that is about 1 to 1 1/4 inches (2.5 to 3.2 cm) thick. (Get the thickness right, and the length you end up with will be fine.) Wrap the logs in plastic and chill for 2 hours. (The dough can be wrapped airtight and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days or stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.)

3. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. While the oven is preheating, roll cookie logs in any coatings of your choice. Then, using a sharp slender knife, slice each log into cookies about 1/3 inch (10 mm) thick. (You can make the cookies thicker if you’d like; just bake them longer.) Place the cookies on the lined baking sheets, leaving about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) space between them.

5. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they are set but not browned. Transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool to room temperature.


Do ahead: Packed airtight, the cookies will keep for about 5 days at room temperature, or in the freezer for a month. Unbaked logs can be frozen for longer.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 
  
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) milk chocolate chips or bits
• Granulated sugar

• 
  
• PREHEAT oven to 375° F. 
• COMBINE flour and baking soda in small bowl. Beat butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Press down slightly with bottom of glass dipped in granulated sugar. BAKE for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are set but centers are still soft. Cool on baking sheets for 4 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Devine Toffee Cookies

saltine crackers

1 cup butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

M&M's or almond/peanut flakes if desired

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Line cookie sheet with saltine crackers in single layer.

In a saucepan combine the sugar and the butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltines and spread to cover crackers completely.

Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, or until toffee is bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for a bit then spread melted chocolate and top with M&M's or almond/peanut flakes, if desired. Cool completely and break into pieces.

Homemade Mozartkugeln (Mozart Chocolate Balls)

The Mozartkugel was created by the Salzburg confectioner, Paul Fürst, in 1890 and named after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The huge success of that chocolate delicacy found a lot of imitators in Austria and abroad since today.  

There are Mozart souvenir shops in Austria and in Hungary. You can find so many delicious chocolates there! 

Hungary–Austria relations are the neighborly relations between Hungary and Austria, two member states of the European Union. Both countries have a long common history since the ruling dynasty of Austria, the Habsburgs, inherited the Hungarian throne in the 16th century. Both have been part of the now-defunct Austro-Hungarian Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. The two countries established diplomatic relations in1921, after their separation.

Meanwhile both countries entered the European Union, and since the end of 2007 the Schengen Agreement allows to cross the common border without control wherever there is a way to go or drive. Austrian entrepreneurs have set up or bought banks, factories and shops in Hungary, vintners from Burgenland make wine in Hungary, farmers use Hungarian farmland leased or bought.