Meet me in St. Louis

When Nupur invited me to come visit her in St. Louis, she didn't have to twist my arm. We had gotten together a couple of times while she was in New York, and each time I truly enjoyed our time together, but it was cut short because one or the other of us had to hurry off somewhere else. Needless to say, the idea of a whole weekend to visit with Nupur and V. (and let's not forget Dale) sounded perfect to me!

There was much to enjoy - lots of fabulous food, the St. Louis Gateway Arch, Soulard Market, Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, mini donuts (see below), Global Foods, Gus' Pretzels, Forest Park, and the gorgeous mosaics in the nearby Cathedral Basilica - but more than anything else, I enjoyed the company of Nupur and V. I had lots of time to talk with Nupur during the weekend and I was truly impressed by her passion for living life responsibly and well, be it by eating healthfully, or by reusing and recycling, or by living an uncluttered life. I came away from the weekend energized and inspired.

It should come as no surprise that Nupur is amazing in the kitchen. I was fortunate enough not only to partake of the meals she prepared, but to look over her shoulder as she prepared them. I will be revisiting the archives of One Hot Stove with even greater enthusiasm (and Nupur, don't be surprised if you get an email or two begging for recipes I can't find on your blog!)

Nupur and V. - thank you so very much for welcoming me so warmly into your home!


That fine Soulard Market delicacy... mini donuts!

Mondays with Maida - Señoritas

Page 218 in the old book / page 242 in the new book

Sorry, my cookie post is arriving a little late today... I just got back from a wonderful weekend which I'll tell you a little about in the next day or two.

These cookies have lots going for them: they're crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle, they're very easy to make, and they're loaded with brown sugar and toasted almonds. Once again I find myself championing a cookie that some found plain. I thought the toasted almonds in these cookies gave them great flavor and added a nice crunch, lifting them well above the ordinary.

Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "This cookie grew on me. At first, I thought there wasn’t much to the cookie, but after a few bites, I really liked the brown sugar and crunchy almond taste. Rating - 4.0"

Laura: "These cookies are sweet and crunchy. The flavor is nice, but they aren't very "exciting" (as cookies go). Rating - 3.0"

Denny: "OK but a little too sweet 2.0 (-1 for no chocolate). Rating - 2.0"

Terri: "These are delicious, especially if you like almonds. The texture is chewy, but the almonds make them a bit crunchy too. There's just enough brown sugar, so these are almost an almond flavored sugar cookie. Rating - 4.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 3.3

Next week - French Filbert Macaroons

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - Chocolate and Peanut-Butter Crescents

Page 216 in the old book / page 241 in the new book

You might be thinking, "What's with the thumbprints, aren't these supposed to be crescents?" Yes, yes, that's true and as you can see, I did make some crescents, but the dough was painfully crumbly and the crescents were pitifully cracked, and (perhaps most importantly) shaping those crescents was taking far too long. After a good hour and a half I had only shaped about half of the cookies. It was becoming more difficult rather than easier, as the dough seemed to be getting more crumbly. I seriously considered tossing the remaining dough, but then it occurred to me that a thumbprint shape might work.

I can't say Maida didn't give fair warning: "These are small candylike cookies that take time and patience." I just ran out of time and didn't have the patience. The cookies are shaped by taking a small amount of dough, rolling it into a ball, pressing the ball flat between your hands, and then wrapping the flattened dough around some peanut butter filling. The filled cylinder is then tapered on the ends and curved slightly to form a crescent. Rolling the dough into a ball and even flattening it was not a problem, but wrapping it around the peanut butter caused the dough to crack. I did the best I could to heal the cracks by pinching them, etc., but it was futile. Thankfully, the cracks didn't get any worse during baking and the filling didn't ooze out.

And though the crescents weren't especially attractive, I thought they tasted great. The cookie is thin and hard and the filling is quite soft - a really nice contrast. (The panel, you'll see, was less than enthusiastic.) The thumbprints were OK, but there's too much of the dense cookie and not enough of the filling.

I opted not to roll these in powdered sugar or vanilla sugar as suggested in the recipe, but one or the other would have made the cookies a little more attractive. I'm not sure I have it in me to try making these again, but if I did I think I might try cutting down slightly on the flour with the hope that the dough would be less crumbly. I'd also be tempted to drizzle on some chocolate and/or peanut butter icing to give the cookies eye appeal. If I resorted to making thumbprints again, I think a dollop of chocolate icing on top (so that it completely covered the peanut butter filling) might make the cookies more like Reese's peanut butter cups.

Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "I thought, 'What could be better – chocolate and peanut butter together'. Somehow, I was disappointed. The cookie was very crunchy almost to the point of being hard and wasn’t fudgy enough for me. The peanut butter was too thick and stuck to the roof of my mouth and teeth. I know Cathy said that the crescent shape was difficult and took a lot of time, so I feel bad about making a negative comment, but the cookie for me was disappointing. Rating - 3.0"

Laura: "You can't go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter! The cocolaty cookie crescent was a little too crispy/crunchy, but the flavor was delightful... especially when mixed with the creamy peanut butter filling. Rating - 4.0"

Denny: "Not bad but kind of disappointing. My taste buds were expecting a Reese's peanut butter cup cookie, but it was not even close. Not enough chocolate or peanut butter in the recipe. High expectations meet a lesser reality. Even with the chocolate bonus, I rate them a 3.0 as crescents or thumbprints. Rating - 3.0"

Terri: "These are delicious - kind of like a cookie-Reese cup candy! They have a crunchy texture and just the right amount of peanut butter. Even though I don't consider myself a
'chocoholic', these are great. Rating - 4.5"

Overall rating by the panel - 3.6

Next week - Señoritas

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - Chocolate Oatmeal Crispies

Page 214 in the old book / page 240 in the new book

Light and crunchy with lots of texture from rolled oats and coconut and a deep dark chocolate flavor - can't complain about that! I expect these cookies would keep very well and despite the fact that they shatter into tasty bits in your mouth, they seem relatively sturdy too. Definitely one to remember next time you're thinking about mailing cookies to someone special.

For some reason lately I've been in a dither over what kind of coconut to use. In years past I've always relied upon either Baker's or the store brand of shredded coconut and never thought twice about it. But these days I do most of my shopping at Whole Foods and neither type is available there. That together with my sense that the product I've always used has been getting sweeter and stickier over the years has led me to seek out an alternative. I'm confused about the kinds of coconut too and suspect there are some alternatives that either are not available to me or I haven't stumbled upon yet. For these cookies I used Bob's Red Mill Medium Shredded Coconut, which is a dried, unsweetened coconut. I rehydrated it in warm water, then put it in a paper towel and blotted out the excess moisture, and then measured it. I've also used frozen (the one I was able to find was sweetened, but presumably less so than Baker's), and I've used the "coconut powder" available in Indian grocery stores, but can't remember for what. I'd be curious to hear what types of coconut you use and any tips you may have about swapping one kind for another.

OK, back to the cookies. They use semisweet chocolate, which give them a surprisingly dark color and taste. They're very easy to mix and shaping is just like a peanut butter cookie: roll a blob of dough into a ball and then press a fork in two directions to flatten the cookie slightly. They spread during baking, so though they're shaped like peanut butter cookies, they don't look like them.

Here's the panel...

Laura: "Tasty, crunchy, and deliciously chocolaty. A little bit drier than I like my oatmeal cookies to be... but still very yummy! Rating - 3.5"

Denny: "Very good. Crunchy and chocolaty with lots of texture. Better than you'd think just by looking at the name. Rating - 4.0"

Drucie: "You can't go wrong with chocolate! These cookies were nice and crispy. The oatmeal and the coconut gave the cookie a nice texture. And best of all - no nuts in these cookies! Rating - 4.5"

Overall rating by the panel - 4.0

Next week - Chocolate and Peanut-Butter Crescents

Nutrition Facts

Something (slightly) different...

Mondays with Maida is taking a little Easter holiday, but will be back next Monday with the Chocolate Oatmeal Crispies originally promised for this week. In the meantime, here's a non-Maida cookie to tide you over...

I first wrote about these cookies about two years ago, after my trip to Sicily. These Belli et Brutti (beautiful and ugly) are more commonly called Brutti ma Buoni (ugly but good). I've never made french macarons, but as I made these it occurred to me that you could think of them as a very rustic italian version of that confection. But maybe that's a stretch.

In any case they too are primarily almonds, sugar and egg whites. I had trouble last time I made them because instead of remaining pleasantly chunky as I remembered them from Maria Grammatico's Pasticceria, they spread until they were flat as could be. So this time, I decided to cut the baking powder in half and leave out some egg white. They still spread but were much closer to what I remember. I question whether the baking powder is needed at all and think I might try leaving it out completely next time.

This time I also ground the almonds myself rather than purchasing almond meal. Since a hand cranked meat grinder was recommended over a food processor, I tried the grinder attachment to my Kitchenaid mixer which I reasoned was similar in design. It "ground" to a halt in about 15 seconds. With great difficulty I finally opened the grinder to remove the almonds and sugar and found that a solid almond disk had formed just under the plate with the blade embedded in it. I literally had to chip away at the almond to remove the blade. Moral of the story: use the food processor!

The cookies are wonderfully crunchy on the outside and moist and chewy within. They are very, very sweet, but as I recalled no one complained about that last time I made them. I am very tempted to play with this recipe some more - perhaps toast the almonds (or even use another nut), reduce the sugar, or maybe try beating the eggs whites (something it seems is done in every other recipe for Brutti ma buoni).

Belli et Brutti
(Adapted from Bitter Almonds by Mary Taylor Simeti & Maria Grammatico)

1 lb whole blanched almonds
1 lb sugar (2 1/4 cups)
about 2 1/2 large egg whites (3 egg whites less 1 tablespoon)
1 tbs honey
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp baking powder
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grind the almonds and sugar together in the food processor until the almonds are fairly consistent in size (I did this in two batches). Place all ingredients in the mixer bowl and beat on low speed using paddle until the dough comes together. Use a tablespoon to scoop out pieces of dough (or pinch them off with your fingers). You want them to be roughly shaped and kind of spikey. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet about an inch apart and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. I had planned to bake two sheets at a time, so my racks were adjusted so that the oven was divided in thirds. I ended up baking one sheet at a time, so I started them on top and then moved them to the bottom rack halfway through the cooking time - they were nicely browned on both the peaks of the tops and on the bottoms. Dust with powdered sugar and remove to racks to cool. Makes 3 to 4 dozen.

Mondays with Maida - Chocolate Aggies

Page 213 in the old book / page 239 in the new book

No drama this week - in the making or the eating. These cookies were simple to make and very, very good. They're moist, chewy, and perhaps most importantly - chocolate.

I can't recall if I've made these before, but they certainly are a familiar cookie. You'll find similar recipes on the net under the names "Chocolate Crinkle Cookies" and "Chocolate Snowflake Cookies". Maida's name for these cookies puzzled me and I hunted around to see if other cookies were known as "Aggies", but as near as I can tell the only recipe out there with this name is Maida's own. There are two other meanings of the word: students of an agricultural college or agate marbles. I'm guessing it's the marbles that inspired the name of these cookies. As you see them in the photo above they don't much look like agate marbles, but before baking I suppose they did.

In case you're not already familiar with these cookies, what gives them their distinctive look is a coating of powdered sugar that is applied before baking. When baked, the cookies split open and spread in a way that clearly inspired their other monikers - crinkles and snowflakes.

Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "I love chocolate brownies and that’s exactly what this cookie tastes like. The sweetness of the powdered sugar topping was an added treat. The cookie had walnuts inside which added to the fudgie brownie taste. Rating - 5.0"

Laura: "Chocolate with a dusting of powdered sugar sweetness! Deliciously moist and chocolatey. Very yummy cookies! Rating - 4.5"

Denny: "Very nice little cookie with maybe just a little too much powdered sugar. Not much to say about it, but it was good. Rating - 4.0"

Drucie: "Not only are they pretty to look at, but they are chocolatey and chewy as well. I'm not a fan of nuts in cookies, so I found the walnuts a little distracting. Rating - 4.5"

Overall rating by the panel - 4.5

Next week - Chocolate Oatmeal Crispies

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - Fudge Mallows

Page 211 in the old book / page 235 in the new book

The Cookie Panel has spoken and they've said, no - demanded (think Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors), "CHOCOLATE!" Okay, so I'm still smarting from the panel's utter rejection of my beloved Big Newtons last week, but regardless, this week's scores are shocking. Their first 5.0 ever - and this for a cookie that I thought was only average.

It's appearance certainly is seductive, but these cookies are much too sweet for my taste. The cookie base has good flavor and alone wouldn't be overly sweet. Its texture is sort of blah though - firm but cakey. It is the marshmallow that puts the cookie over the top in sweetness, but on the other hand it also provides a chewy gooeyness that saves the cookie from being truly ordinary.

The cookies are quite easy to make. Maida recommends wetting your hands slightly before rolling the dough into balls (presumably to prevent sticking), but I didn't find that necessary. I used the marshmallows that Whole Foods sells in plastic containers. They're sort of like homemade, and I thought they'd have better texture than the "jet-puffed" variety. Which brings me to this:


I call it "cookie massacre". After baking the cookies you stick half a marshmallow on top of each and put them back in the oven for between one and one and a half minutes. I left mine in about a minute and 10 seconds. They actually didn't look this bad when I first pulled them out of the oven. The marshmallows on one sheet were still perched on top of the cookies. Those on the other sheet had mostly toppled off but had just started to melt. Unfortunately, the marshmallows continued to melt out of the oven. I probably should have slid the paper off the cookie sheets immediately rather than attempting to lift the cookies off individually, but even after the cookies were on the racks, the marshmallow situation got worse. I tried to do damage control for a little while and then just gave up and decided to wait until they cooled. The moral of this story is watch those suckers closely and consider taking them out before you think they're ready. I doubt I'll make these again - but if I did, I'd probably pull them out after 30 seconds or so.

Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "Wow! Yummy! This cookie had everything you could want. The cookie’s texture tasted more like chocolate cake then a cookie. There was a whole pecan in the center. On the top of the cookie was a blob of marshmallow and on top of that a thick blob of deep, rich chocolate fudge. Very sweet, but delicious! I think I've died and gone to heaven. Rating - 5.0"

Laura: "A. Maze. Ing! These cookies were very yummy fudgy brownie-like cookies topped with gooey marshmallow and fudge glaze. Terrific! Rating - 5.0"

Denny: "Excellent! Chewy and gooey. One of the best yet. 5.0!!! Just a wee bit sticky but worth it. The marshmallow makes it extra sweet but adds its texture to the chocolate icing above and the chocolate cookie below for a wonderful combination. Rating - 5.0"

Drucie: "These cookies were delicious! Sweet and chocolaty, and the marshmallow was a nice contrast in texture. I really like these cookies. Rating - 5.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 5.0

Next week - Chocolate Aggies

Nutrition Facts

My Favorite Rolled Cookies

These Swedish Ginger Cookies were a joy to make and tasted great too - they just missed my short list.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel! I miscounted the number of remaining chapters when I concluded the icebox cookie chapter, but though there are still two chapters remaining, there are just 32 cookies to go. 116 other cookies are but memories now, including 27 rolled cookies...

I have to say, this was probably the chapter I feared most. I've never been very good at rolling cookie dough and I'm not sure I improved much as I worked my way through this chapter. I wish there were tips I could pass along for rolling dough evenly or preventing it from sticking, but these things still seem to more dependent upon the character of the dough than anything I do. I have learned that I have a fondness for filled cookies over plain old rolled cookies and given a choice, I will shy away from thinly rolled dough.

Though the seemingly endless number of plain brown cookies (be they honey, ginger, or whole wheat) got a little boring, there was only one truly awful cookie. I found it difficult to narrow my favorites to just a few but though I was tempted to include just about all of the filled cookies, I finally managed to winnow the list down to six. So here's my quickie recap of the best of the best. As usual, the runners-up are in no particular order and I've saved my very favorite cookie for last...


My go-to sugar cookie recipe - Plain Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies - with a new look, but the same wonderful flavor thanks to plenty of real butter and vanilla.


Unbelievably light and tender, these Rum Raisin Shortbread cookies had a wonderful rum flavor that wasn't the least bit harsh.


I loved the flavor of these elegant Viennese Chocolate Cookies - chocolate and almond with a surprising hint of lemon.


Perfect for the holidays, for company, or any other special occasion, Ischler Cookies are bound to please just about everyone. Two almond cookies with a little apricot jam in the middle and a semisweet chocolate glaze on the outside sounds like a winning combination and it is!


What I like most about filled cookies is the filling and these Hamantaschen deliver a generous helping of a delicious prune and apricot filling. The delicate orange-scented pastry is pretty great too!


And surprise, surprise, the greatest of them all - BIG NEWTONS! (Ha! Take that Cookie Panel!) Really though, these are seriously good cookies. Each time I look at that picture, the memory of them is so strong, I can practically taste and smell them. They're really that good.

So now on to "Hand-Formed Cookies" - I've been looking forward to this one. I love rolling little balls of dough between my hands and welcome the break from the rolling pin! By the way, in case you're new here - all the cookies on this page are from Maida Heatter's Book of Great Cookies. The book is out of print but still available as a remainder, used, or in your library. All but one of the recipes were also reprinted in the newer Maida Heatter's Cookies which also includes cookie recipes from a couple of her other books. Read about my little project here and start here if you're interested in exploring my earlier posts.

Mondays with Maida - Big Newtons

Page 206 in the old book / page 228 in the new book

Oh how I love these cookies! I've been making them every Father's Day for some years now, since my Dad is a big fan of filled cookies. In my opinion, this is about as good as it gets... a buttery whole wheat crust, fragrant with honey, surrounds a thick fig filling with hints of orange and lemon. So often with a filled cookie the pastry is just a handle for the filling, but with Maida's Big Newtons, the pastry and filling are equally matched. I can't imagine one without the other.

These really aren't difficult to make, if you have something to grind the figs with. I've always used the grinder attachment to my Kitchenaid mixer, but Maida indicates that a food processor could also be used. I can't imagine finely chopping all those sticky figs with a knife. The dough tends to crack here and there as you roll it, but it's easy enough to push it back together or even patch it, if need be.

Cookie trivia: Ever wonder why Fig Newtons are called Newtons? The cookies were introduced by the Kennedy Biscuit Works in 1891. The company was based in Cambridgeport and named its products after nearby towns - so Fig Newtons were named for Newton, Massachusetts. Read more about it here and here. Today the Kennedy Biscuit Works bakery is known as Kennedy Biscuit Loft - yup, it's been converted to condos! One of the ovens is still on display in a common area.

Sadly, the cookie panel is lacking in fig lovers. They were not nearly as fond of these cookies as I am. I was tempted to take editorial license and "correct" their scores, but instead I'll give these cookies the kudos they deserve in tomorrow's post on my favorite rolled cookies. Here's the panel... take what they say with a grain of salt :)

Suzanne: "I guess I’m not a big fan of Fig Newton cookies. I don’t like biting down on seeds. I like the sweet taste of the fig, but not the seeds (the same with raspberries). The fig filling was an inch thick. I only hope that we are not going into a month of different types of fig cookies. Rating - 1.5"

Laura: "The cookie part was very tasty. However the fig filling was a little too sweet and too thick. Rating - 3.0"

Denny: "Aptly named. They taste like FN's but better - more figs. However, I've never been keen on FN's so with a minus 1 for no chocolate, I'd give them a 2.0. Better than FN's but about average for a cookie from a great baker. Rating - 2.0"

Drucie: "The cookie portion was delicious, but the filling was overwhelming. I love sweets, but this filling was so sweet that I couldn't finish it. This cookie would have been great with about 1/3 of the filling. Rating - 2.8"

Overall rating by the panel - 2.3

That's the last of the rolled cookies - come back tomorrow to find out which were my personal favorites.

Next week - Fudge Mallows

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - Danish Coffeehouse Slices

Page 204 in the old book / page 226 in the new book

I just had an "I could have had a V8!" moment - I uploaded the photo above and then noticed the name of these cookies again. I looked at the lovely Italian plate and back at the name of the cookies... and remembered the beautiful little Royal Copenhagen tray that Zarah brought me last year from Denmark. Big head slap. Hopefully I'll remember it when I make the Danish Butter Sandwiches in about two months!

These cookies bear some resemblance to both last week's cookie - Rugelach - and next week's Big Newtons. They're rolled with a filling of apricot jam, currants, and walnuts, much like rugelach, but the long rolls are not sliced until after they're baked - like fig newtons. The pastry is orange-flavored and the filling includes generous amounts of cinnamon and sugar. Denny complained that there was a little too much going on with these cookies, and he has a point. I think I would prefer the filling without the cinnamon and sugar. I think they mask the apricot jam's tartness and give the filling an almost grainy texture.

With Suzanne still out and both Terri and Herman having given up sweets for Lent, Drucie graciously agreed to fill in on the cookie panel...

Laura: "These are very moist and tasty. The filling (jam, nuts, currants) is incredibly yummy! Rating - 4.0"

Denny: "Very good. A little busy with the different flavors, but I guess I was expecting more nuts because it looks like a nut roll. Reminded me a little of a fig newton with the crust. Overall very nice once I got used to it. -1 for no chocolate. I'd give it a 3.8. Rating - 3.8"

Drucie: "Moist and chewy. I especially like the orange and cinnamon flavor with the currants. Too many nuts detract from the moistness of the cookie. Rating - 3.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 3.6

Next week - Big Newtons

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - Rugelach

Page 201 in the old book / page 188 in the new book

I used to include Rugelach (with apricot jam, currants and pecans) in my assortment of Christmas cookies quite regularly. I've gotten out of the habit recently, partly because I think of them as one of the more difficult cookies to make (by now you must know of my aversion to rolling cookie dough), and partly because I've also fallen out out of the habit of making apricot jam each year (one bad batch put a damper on that). Well now that I've tried Maida's recipe, I may have to put Rugelach back in the starting line-up at Christmas. They were much easier to make than my usual recipe, they don't require any apricot jam, and they were delicious!

The dough for Maida's version of Rugelach is rolled into 12-inch circles, brushed with melted butter, and sprinkled with walnuts, currants, cinnamon and sugar. You then cut each circle into wedges and roll each wedge from wide end to small. This method is quite forgiving of ragged/lopsided circles and uneven wedges - thank goodness! The other recipe I've used, from Rosie's Bakery Chocolate-Packed Jam-Filled, Butter-Rich, No-Holds-Barred Cookie Book is more exacting. The dough is rolled very thinly into large rectangles which are rolled and sliced - much more work. The other problem I always had with that recipe is that the middles always seemed undercooked - not so with Maida's recipe. They were wonderfully crunchy through and through.

These cookies went quickly and were obviously a hit. Even a coworker who only reluctantly eats nuts told me that they were the best nut cookie she'd ever had. She was quite enthusiastic, so this was clearly intended as a complement, though I guess you'd have to say it was a qualified complement. :)

Suzanne will be out for the next couple of weeks doting over her new granddaughter, Victoria. Congratulations Suzanne! Here's the panel ...

Laura: "Light, flaky and crunchy - very tasty! Rating - 4.5"

Denny: "Golden brown delights. Reminds me of my Mom's and Grandmom's holiday baking. And what's better than that?! Baked to perfection with just the right amount of crunch. Cookies like these make it a pleasure to be on your Cookie Committee. I wish they had a little chocolate so I could them a 5, but to be consistent I'd give them a 4.0 with the -1 no chocolate penalty. Rating - 4.0"

Terri: "These are a delicious treat! I love the buttery taste of the cookie and the amount of walnuts and currants is perfect. These would be great with vanilla ice cream. Rating - 5.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 4.5

Next week - Danish Coffeehouse Slices

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - Hamantaschen

Page 199 in the old book / page 224 in the new book

These Hamantaschen are traditional for Purim, but have a nontraditional prune, apricot and walnut filling. Before I tell you more, Suzanne kindly provided a little background that I'll share with you...

In case you want to put a little history in your blog, the cookie is shaped like a triangle because the bad man in the story (Haman) who wanted to kill the Jews in Persia (Iran today) wore a three cornered (triangular) hat. What the King (Ahasverus) and Haman didn’t know was that the King was married to a Jew, Esther. When Esther found out from her uncle Mordechai that Haman wanted to kill all the Jews, she went to the King and told him that she was Jewish. The King loved Esther and instead killed Haman. Each year the Jewish people celebrate Esther saving the Jews in Persia by reading the Megillah of Esther (the Book of Esther) and each time Haman’s name is mentioned everyone drowns out the sound of his name with noisemakers (graggers). The children and some adults dress up in costumes. When I was a child, we dressed up as Esther, the King, Mordechai, and even Haman, but today they dress up in any costume. The synagogues also have Purim carnivals for the kids. It’s a fun holiday.

Well, even though the cookies are modeled on the bad guy's hat, I'm completely enamoured with their shape. It's simple to do, holds lots of filling, and looks great too. You cut a circle, spoon some filling in the middle, and then lift up three sides and pinch the corners together - it's far simpler to do then it is to describe. Maida suggests you hold the cookie in the palm of one hand while doing this, but I found it easier to work with it on the cookie sheet since that left both hands free to shape the cookie.

The filling was delicious in spite of the fact that my apricots were like cardboard. I hadn't noticed that they were within a couple of days of their sell-by date when I bought them. I could see they were pretty ugly, but chalked that up to the fact that they were unsulphured. I got home, though, and found that they were completely dried out. I steamed them (I had to or I wouldn't have even been able to chop them!), but still had to add quite a bit of extra water to the filling as it cooked. But it all worked out - the filling was sweet, tart and flavorful.

Here's the panel ...

Suzanne: "When I made this cookie with my kids when they were little, the cookie was harder in texture. Cathy’s cookie was delicious but the dough is softer then the traditional cookie. The cookie traditionally either has apricot, prunes or poppy in the center, but I enjoyed the mixture of prunes and apricots in this cookie. It had a sweet but tart taste. Since my kids love chocolate (I wonder where they got that from?) I use to put chocolate chips in the center. Rating - 4.5"

Laura: "These are very tasty cookies. The filling was yummy and I loved the unique 'tricorn' shape of the cookie. Rating - 3.5"

Denny: "Excellent, loved the filling although I missed the walnuts. Minus one for no chocolate gives them a 4.0. Rating - 4.0"

Terri: "These cookies are a work of art and truly delicious! The combination of the prunes and apricots make them sweet enough and the walnuts and crust add the perfect crunch. And of course, they must be good for us with the prunes! Rating - 5.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 4.3

Next week - Rugelach

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - Prune Pillows

Page 196 in the old book / page 223 in the new book

While these cookies appealed to me from the get-go, I was afraid they might be a tough sell at work. A couple of the panelists weren't exactly eager to try them, but they got surprisingly high marks for a prune-filled cookie. The filling, which is tangy and sweet, is delicious. The cookie was slightly crisp initially, but softened with storage. It was good but plain - its purpose was clearly to contain the filling and not much else.

Given that there were a number of cautions in the recipe about keeping the pastry cloth, cutters, etc., well floured, I was surprised to find that this dough was relatively easy to handle. I had very little trouble with it sticking, even in the final stages of shaping the cookies, when it had been sitting around for a while.

For the filling, I stewed the prunes myself rather than buying canned prunes. I kept it simple and didn't add any flavoring. I soaked the prunes for about six hours and then simmered them in enough water to cover for about half an hour. When cooking the filling, I found I needed to add a little extra water a couple of times in order to continue cooking it for the specified time, but I was very happy with the end result. The filling was smooth, but still had a little texture.

If you're a fan of prunes, here's a cookie that makes them the star. I bet you'll love it!



Here's the panel ...

Suzanne: "I enjoyed the prune and nut filling in the pillow-shaped cookie, but if I had my druthers, I think a chocolate and nut filling would have tasted better. The cookie was soft and was covered with powered sugar. Rating - 3.5"

Laura: "The cookie portion of the cookie was very yummy. The pillow portion of the cookie was good too. The walnuts with the prunes made a good combination. However, since I don't really care for prunes, I have to score these lower than I would have... Rating - 2.5"



Denny: "The name was a definite turn off, but they were excellent. Sounded like some kind of senior center love toy. Great UFO look to them, quite a surprise after the name. Very tasty. Minus 1 for no chocolate gives them a 4.0. Rating - 4.0"

Terri: "These are delicious surprises - but you must like PRUNES! I really liked the filling with the walnuts added. These are not too sweet, but the crust and filling almost reminds me of mince-meat pie. Rating - 4.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 3.5

Next week - Hamantaschen

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - Chocolate-Chip Pillows

Page 194 in the old book / page 222 in the new book

Wouldn't you know... chocolate finally shows up again and Denny is away for the week on travel. It would be hard to imagine anyone not liking these little pie-shaped cookies filled with chocolate chips. They taste much like a Toll House cookie, with brown sugar and just the right amount of salt, but all the chocolate chips are buried in the middle.

These cookies take a little time to make, but really are not difficult. The dough is rolled before chilling between sheets of waxed paper, which makes for easy handling. Maida tells you exactly how many chocolate chips to use in each cookie (6), so the assembly is straight forward. The only trouble I had, if you can even call it that, is the fork tended to slice through the top piece of dough rather than sealing it to the bottom. Whether this was because the dough was still stiff from chilling or the shape of the fork tines, the cookies managed to stay together.



Here's the panel ...

Suzanne: "I can’t figure out how Cathy got the chocolate chips inside of the cookie without them melting. Anyway, the cookie was buttery, crunchy and I loved the chocolate chip surprise inside. Rating - 5.0"

Laura: "These are yummy crunchy cookies with a chocolate pillow surprise. The cookie tastes like chocolate chip cookie dough without the chocolate chips (in the dough). Inside the "pillow" are several gooey chocolate chips. Yum! Rating - 4.0"

Terri: "This is a delicious and fun cookie with the surprise of chocolate chips inside. It resembles a mini-pie from the outside with a shortbread type dough. The chocolate chips are piled in the middle and make this just the right combination of chocolate and cookie. Rating - 4.0"

Overall rating by the panel - 4.3

Next week - Prune Pillows

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - Plain Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Page 193 in the old book / page 221 in the new book

Every time I make these - and I've made them many, many times - I am always a little surprised by how good they are. There is no secret ingredient or even anything remotely unusual about them, they are very easy to make, and the dough handles like a dream, but mostly and most importantly, they just taste incredibly good. If I were compelled to explain the "secret" to these cookies, I'm afraid all I'd be able to come up with is real butter and real vanilla. There's not much else to explain the fantastic flavor.

I make these almost every Christmas, often at Easter or Valentine's, and on occasions in between. This is a very versatile cookie and can be rolled thick or think and cut large or small. I usually roll them a little less than a quarter of an inch thick and cut them in circles or occasionally hearts. This time, being that it was for no particular occasion, I was not constrained by tradition in any way and decided to try out a cookie cutter I bought years ago in an antique store. I have no idea what it is supposed to be (if anything), but it seemed to be a hit and was cause for much discussion (what is it?).



Here's the panel ...

Suzanne: "I love sugar cookies! Cathy’s cookies had just the right amount of sugar on them so that they were not too sweet. The shape of the cookie was quite unique and whimsical. Rating - 4.5"

Denny: "I liked the unique design of the cookie cutter very much; kind of like a "fleur de lis" for any Saints fans. But it's just a sugar cookie. +1 on presentation (cutter) and -1 for no chocolate. I'd give them a 3. Rating - 3.0"

Laura: "You can never go wrong with a good sugar cookie... and these are good sugar cookies! Light and crunchy, with a great flavor. The sprinkling of crystal sugar on top adds an elegant and tasty touch. (The lovely unique cookie cutter also gets a 5/5) . Rating - 5.0"

Terri: "These are great old-fashioned sugar cookies. The crystal sugar on top adds a nice touch. They're crunchy and not too sweet. I liked the cookie cutter that Cathy used. It looks like a "flying comma". Adds an interesting look to a basic sugar cookie. Rating - 3.5"

Overall rating by the panel - 4.0

In two weeks - Chocolate-Chip Pillows

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - Cornell Sugar Cookies

Page 192 in the old book / page 220 in the new book

I completely forgot to take a picture - hence the funny looking blob above. Actually, the cookies didn't look that much different. They were very plain, soft, and were hardly my idea of a sugar cookie. They had an interesting flavor and an even more interesting back story.

In the late forties Dr. Clive McCay**, a professor at Cornell University, was asked to help improve the diet of patients in New York state mental institutions. Dr. McCay decided the best place to start was the bread and he developed a recipe for what came to be known as Cornell Bread. The key ingredients in the recipe, which were chosen to enhance the protein and vitamin content of the bread, were soy flour, wheat germ, and dry milk. Maida Heatter has taken these signature Cornell ingredients and applied them to the sugar cookie, producing something quite different from your typical sugar cookie. There are a few other ingredients worth noting in this recipe: raw sugar, nutmeg and allspice. The spices are hardly recognizable (though Laura caught it and came and asked if there was nutmeg in the cookies), but definitely contribute to the flavor, and the raw sugar adds a little crunch here and there.

I decided to forgo the pastry cloth this week and had no trouble rolling these out on a floured counter top. I cut them a little smaller than recommended and ended up with 29 rather than 18 cookies, but I thought the size was still generous. The cookies were good, but not good enough to make up for their plain-Jane appearance. Perhaps I could do a little nutritional/visual enhancement of my own... say, a little chocolate icing?

** sorry, the article I've linked to was only available through the Google cache, but it is by far the most informative I found

The panel was a little short-handed this week with Suzanne on vacation and Denny out sick...

Laura: "These are good. Moist and chewy with just a hint of spices (nutmeg and allspice). Very yummy. Rating - 4.0"

Terri: "These are very tasty and not as sweet as most sugar cookies. I'm not sure how many calories though. Not dry, but quite plain. Rating - 3.5"

Overall rating by the panel - 3.8

Next Week - Plain Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - Dione Lucas' Sablés

Page 190 in the old book / page 218 in the new book

I've gotten off easy the last couple of weeks - if only all rolled cookie doughs were as easy to handle as this one! Once again the dough is rolled unchilled between sheets of wax paper, chilled briefly and then cut. In spite of the fact that I went with a cutter with a ruffly edge, I was still able to easily release the cut cookies from the cutter.

The cookies themselves were a little disappointing. Pretty as they were, they were rather bland in flavor. They have ground almonds and a little rum in them, but the almonds contribute more to the texture than the taste of the cookie, and the rum is more noticeable to the nose than the tongue. Even the whole almond that tops the cookie could stand to be enhanced flavorwise. For some reason (perhaps to keep the whole cookie uniformly pale in color?) the almond is not toasted beforehand as it was for last week's cookie.

Now let me tell you a little about Dione Lucas. I was not familiar with her name, but I suspect many of you are. She was the first woman to graduate from the Cordon Bleu and the first woman to host a television cooking show (in the late forties). Maida Heatter calls her "one of the greatest cooks of our time" and says that she served these cookies at a memorable dinner party. Julia Child, who many of us might consider to be "the mother of French cooking in America", herself attributed that accomplishment to Dione Lucas. Ms. Lucas wrote several cookbooks, including The Cordon Bleu Cookbook, and ran the Egg Basket restaurant in New York. She died in 1971.

Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "The cookie again this week was a somewhat plain, but I enjoyed the taste. I thought it had a slight buttery taste, but maybe what I was tasting was the rum. It was an attractive cookie with a clear glaze on top which I expected to be sweet, but it wasn’t. Rating - 3.5"

Denny: "Dione should drink more rum when she bakes. These were Ok, kind of bland especially when compared with many of the others we've tried. I'd give them a 2.0. They're actually better but the chocolate penalty of -1 drives them down and I actually like shortbread. Rating - 2.0"

Laura: "This is a very nice shortbread type cookie. Very tasty. Love the crunchy almond on top. Yum! Rating - 3.5"

Terri: "These are very tasty with a slight flavor of rum. They were a little bit dry, almost a shortbread consistency. The almond and glaze were delicious. Rating - 3.5"

Overall rating by the panel - 3.1

Next Week - Cornell Sugar Cookies

Nutrition Facts

Mondays with Maida - Ginger Shortbread Cookies

Page 188 in the old book / page 217 in the new book

These cookies are mildly spiced and very crunchy. The texture was verging on a candy-like crunch and wasn't at all what I expected for a cookie labelled as shortbread. When I first read the recipe and saw it called for dark brown sugar and it was called shortbread, I thought it too good to be true. I guess it was!

They couldn't be easier to make. The dough comes together quickly and then is rolled between sheets of wax paper before chilling for just a few minutes. Cutting the cookies out is equally easy, as the dough handles well. I didn't have a smooth circle cookie cutter of the proper size (1-3/4 inch), so I made some with a slightly smaller (1-1/2 inch) cutter and some with a slightly larger (2 inch) one. Both sizes worked well. These cookies spread a little and left some melted butter on the cookie sheet.

Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "This was a good cookie, not great, just good. The spices reminded me of spices in a pumpkin pie and therefore would be good to serve in the winter months. Rating - 3.0"

Denny: "Excellent. I'm not that big on ginger, but these are great. I don't even eat gingerbread because of the ginger taste. The glaze seemed to make them a little crunchier. I'd give them a 4, deducting 1 for no chocolate. Rating - 4.0"

Laura: "Yummy crunchy cookies - just the right mix of spices! These are very tasty cookies. Rating - 4.0"

Terri: "These cookies are delicious. Just the right amount of ginger makes them mild, but spicy. The almond in the middle is not only decorative, but very tasty. I liked the crunchiness of this cookie too. Rating - 4.5"

Overall rating by the panel - 3.6

Next Week - Dione Lucas' Sablés

Nutrition Facts

The Essence of Chocolate

If you follow any food blogs, you've probably already gotten a peek at The Essence of Chocolate - a gorgeous chocolate cookbook from the guys at Scharffen Berger, John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg. I'd had my eye on this book, so I was thrilled when offered the opportunity to review it Happily, the book lived up to and even exceeded my expectations.

This is not just a cookbook. Interspersed with the recipes are chapters that describe how the Sharffen Berger company came into being, how chocolate is made, and how cacao is grown. Both the narrative and recipe sections of the book are lavished with beautiful full page photographs.

Perhaps what pleases me most about this book is that there are so many enticing recipes and that they generally appear to be very doable - not overly difficult and not requiring obscure ingredients. If I allowed myself to dog-ear this book (I can't bear to - it's too beautiful), there would probably be at least twenty page corners folded over. I'm also very happy to find a number of ideas for using those cocoa nibs that have been languishing on my shelf.

The recipes are divided into four sections: Intensely Chocolate (rich chocolate sweets), Essentially Chocolate (lighter chocolate sweets), Hint of Chocolate (sweet and savory recipes with just a little chocolate), and Basics and Add-Ons (recipe components or accompaniments that aren't necessarily chocolate). Some of the recipes come from the folks at Sharffen Berger, but most are contributed by well-known chefs and cookbook authors, including Rick Bayless, Flo Braker, Thomas Keller, David Lebovitz, Alice Medrich, and Jacques Pépin.

There are also a number of simple ideas, called "Quick Fixes", scattered throughout the book. These are more like interesting ideas than recipes: load up a clean pepper grinder with cocoa nibs and mill some nibs over melon or strawberries; or use a mixture of cocoa powder and salt as a rub for chicken, meat or vegetables.



Like most everyone else, I'm trying to get back to eating a little less indulgently after the holidays, so I have not yet sampled any of the chocolate sweets in the book. I did try the Three-Bean Chili which has a bit of cocoa in it to provide rich color and aroma. This was a very easy to make vegetarian chili, using canned beans and tomatoes and having a cooking time of only 10 minutes. Probably because of the short cooking time, the acidity of the tomatoes seemed to overwhelm the other flavors. But allowing the chili to sit overnight and reheating it eliminated this problem entirely. I thoroughly enjoyed the leftovers. Next time I would make this the night before I planned to serve it.



I've long wanted to make marshmallows and when I saw among Claire's new year resolutions, "Make Marshmallows", I thought, me too! There just so happens to be a recipe for marshmallows in the chapter of Basics and Add-Ons. It is used in the S'mores recipe and is suggested as one of the things you might dunk in the Chocolate Orange Fondue. I'm enjoying mine straight, though I plan to have a couple in a mug of hot cocoa tonight. Marshmallows are basically a sugar syrup mixed with gelatin that is beaten into a foam and then allowed to set. You'll need a candy thermometer, but other than that they're really very easy - and fun! This particular recipe is flavored with a generous amount of vanilla extract and dusted with a mixture of cornstarch and confectioners' sugar, but you could tinker with the flavoring or coatings. I'm thinking next time of rolling them in toasted coconut, dipping them in chocolate, or as my brother David suggested, rolling them in cocoa powder.

If you're still not convinced that you must have this book, you might want to take a look at a few of the recipes from the book that are posted at Leite's Culinaria, where the book was named as one of the Best 20 Food Books of 2006: Almond Roca, Apricot Hazelnut Squares, and Cocoa Caramel Panna Cotta.

Mondays with Maida - Uppakra

Page 186 in the old book / page 216 in the new book

If only these had come up a week earlier in the rotation! These pretty little Swedish cookies are rich and crumbly and would be perfect included in an assortment of Christmas cookies. With their buttery flavor and the crystal sugar sprinkled on top, they reminded me of those ubiquitous "Danish Butter Cookies" you see this time of year under various labels and almost always in blue tins. With a little potato flour in the mix, these cookies were much lighter in texture than their tinned cousins and were also graced with a sprinkle of finely chopped almonds.

The dough chills for just a brief period and didn't stick to the pastry cloth, so rolling was relatively easy. You have to keep the rolling pin floured though, because the dough has a tendancy to stick to the rolling pin, particularly at the edges. The cookies are formed by cutting circles and then cutting about a third of the circle off (I found a bench scraper worked well for this) and placing it atop the remaining two-thirds of the cookie. The cookie is then brushed with a little beaten egg and sprinkled with almonds and crystal sugar.

Here's the panel...

Suzanne: "The cookie is a mix between a shortbread cookie and a sugar cookie. The cookie is a little dry and crumbly. It isn’t as sweet as a sugar cookie, but it did have large sugar granules on top. I also like anything with nuts, so I enjoyed the ground up almonds on top. I do have to admit that the cookie does play tricks with your mind. It looks like a half of a round cookie, so my mind is telling me I need another half. Rating - 3.5"

Denny: "Nicely done, but a tad understated. Maybe I'm just cookied out from Christmas. I'd give them a 3 with the obligatory minus one for no chocolate. Rating - 3.0"

Laura: "These cookies had a delicate flavor, but they were a bit dry for my liking... I was out of the office for several days and Cathy saved some for me in a zippy bag. Because I ate them several days later, that may have contributed to the dryness. Still, they were nice cookies. Rating - 3.5"

Overall rating by the panel - 3.3

Next Week - Ginger Shortbread Cookies

Nutrition Facts