A little something sweet to usher in the New Year...

The clock is ticking...we're all anticipating.  The gifts have long been unwrapped, the boxes recycled, Christmas cookies are all gone, but we're still indulging in that lull during this last week of the year.  A New Year is coming!

Crispy chocolate wontons and chocolate-hazelnut (Nutella) wontons

Approaching a New Year is so exciting...it's the prospect of a new start - the hope and anticipation of good things to come, and maybe the opportunity to move on from certain things in the past.  I don't know about you but I don't really make any specific new year's resolutions anymore.  I don't think resolutions are a bad idea at all - it makes us think about ways to improve ourselves.  But, at the same time, don't we tend to make goals that are just a bit too lofty, and thereby maybe setting ourselves up for failure.  So these days, I resolve to just be better.  Do better, live better, be better...so here's to a better 2012!

In my book, living better doesn't mean making it less sweet.  Hence, I'm sharing a little sweet treat today in anticipation of the New Year.  I think life is about balance and living among things that bring you joy.  For me, that means I must have chocolate regularly (I will try not to do it excessively but regularity is a must) and I will continue to experiment in the kitchen, baking and cooking to share with my family and friends, because that brings me joy.

I rarely fry anything (because of the general splattering, mess, and dilemma of what to do with the leftover oil) but New Year's Eve calls for making the effort - although in reality, these chocolate and nutella wontons are very easy to make.  If you'd rather skip the ice cream, these crispy little sweet bites go very nicely with a glass or two of champagne.  However you plan to celebrate, enjoy your New Year's Eve safely and happily.

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to pop in to wish you a very Happy Holiday! 

One of the cards we received this year had a simple message that resonates with me: "May the joy and peace of the holiday season last throughout the year."  I wish the spirit of celebration, giving, sharing, and peace could be a way of life everyday of the year.  May we find small ways to celebrate each day and focus in on the joy in our lives. 

Tri-color cookies - the twelve hour project

This is it.  You could say I saved the best for last.  This is the recipe I've been most excited and apprehensive about making this holiday season.  The truffles and toffee were great items I made for the first time this year but I've been working my way towards this:  tri-color cookies.  I always called them tri-color or rainbow cookies but they're also known as seven-layer cookies, Venetian cookies, and maybe by other names too.

When I eat these, I think they might just be my very favorite cookies.  But I think calling them "cookies" is a bit of a misnomer and doesn't quite give them their proper respect, if you will.  To me, they're more like petite fours, or mini cakes.  These Italian goodies have been a long favorite of mine.  I think I first tried them many years ago when I was an intern somewhere and picked one up from a dessert platter after a meeting...it made me go wow!  (It seems all my memories involve food in some way). 

Not only are they nice to look at, they are a combination of some of my favorite flavors, almond and chocolate.  Essentially, we have 3 layers of cake made from a base of almond paste (which I adore), fused together by thin spreads of apricot preserve, and topped with coatings of bittersweet chocolate.  It is so delicious.

But look at it.  The prospect of making these was daunting.  There are a lot of layers and steps to mess up!  But you never know and never learn unless you try, and it was time to try.  I call this the twelve-hour project because from start to finish, it takes roughly that much time to get the finished product into your mouth.  A lot of it is waiting (chilling in the fridge) but you still need to devote a good 3 hours or so on your feet.  And if you're like me and only have one 13 by 9 inch pan, you need to bake the layers one at a time and prep the pans after each use.

The best place I know of to get these tri-color cookies is Ferrera Bakery in NYC's Little Italy; they are just about perfect there.  You can see their cookies below and they taste just divine.  I know we'd all prefer not to use food coloring but if there's ever a time to use it, it's here.

Tri-color cookies from Ferrera Bakery in Little Italy (NYC)

So how do the homemade ones stake up against the ones from Ferrera?  To tell you the truth, when I finally had the layers chilling in the fridge, I thought they would turn out too dense, too dry, and just not worth all the effort.  (Did I mention it takes roughly 12-hours to make and put these together?)  But miraculously, I was wrong!  These are amazing!  The layers didn't come out as even or quite as thick as the ones from Ferrera but the taste is spot on. 

If you like these cookies, this is the recipe to use.  My family and I love these; the little one is a big fan and we let him taste first.  His verdict was "they're really good" and "they taste like the ones from the bakery".  Time to jump for joy!!  It really is fantastic, in both texture and taste.  There's plenty of almond flavor from the moist cake layers and a nice chocolate crunch from the top and bottom layers of dark chocolate.  The apricot filling gives it just that bit of tartness that balances everything out.  So to summarize, the effort was not wasted but vastly rewarded.  I see myself making these at Christmas and when I just can't resist the hankering for them.  I better stock up on almond paste.

Well...this kitchen elf is signing off for a bit.  I have lots of presents to wrap and I'm off to enjoy the holiday break with my family.  I've made quite a few old and new recipes this month and I expect to stay busy in the kitchen in the coming days, whipping up one or two favorites.  When Christmas comes, I'll be ready to sit still and savor the moment. 

I wish you all a very happy holiday! 

Update: I love these cookies so much, I experimented and turned them into mini cupcakes.  Take a look at tri-color cookie cupcake bites - they are faster to make!

Another holiday idea - Toffee with chocolate and nuts

I feel very excited stepping into the world of candy making.  I saw this recipe from one of my favorite websites, The Kitchn, and it sounded totally do-able.  As in, I think I can do this.  So with a little faith and preparation, I gave the recipe a try...and what do you know?  It worked! 

As I expected, there is a bit of drama in making toffee.  Expect some spattering butter and be prepared to contend with a very hot and bubbling pot of butter and sugar.  But it doesn't take very much time to put together (though you do have to wait for it to set) and the result is plentiful and very rewarding.  This may be as far as my candy-making adventure goes but I plan to come back to this recipe again and again, especially around the holiday time.  Pack some in cellophane bags or a jar and it makes a great gift.

If you like almond roca candy or heath bars, this one's for you.  The recipe makes over 2 pounds, perfect for sharing during the holiday season.

Chocolate crackles

This Christmas cookie comes to you by special request.  Our resident six-year old wanted me to make some and here they are.  I think these chocolate crackles (sometimes called "crinkles" too) are fairly popular around this time - we've certainly seen them in the various holiday-themed food magazines that have arrived in our mailbox.  The six-year old in question saw these in one of the magazines and said "mommy, can you make that?!"  I'm not sure he remembers I made these last Christmas and I'd plan to whip up a batch anyway.

Just to change things up ever so slightly, I added a touch of almond extract.  I loved this little addition (since I love all things almond) and I'll be sticking with it from now on.  These cookies are soft and moist, reminiscent of a brownie (though not quite as rich), and with the almond extract, similar in flavor to the mini chocolate yogurt cakes.  The snowy look simply justifies eating these chocolate bites during the holidays.

So many cookies, so little time...

Soft and chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies

I think these cookies are pretty special...and perfect for Christmas time.  Even if you don't like gingerbread cut-outs (like me), you might enjoy these.  They're essentially gingerbread chocolate chunk cookies - kind of like chocolate chip cookies with plenty of spice.  One of the things I like most about these is the texture.  The outside is just a bit crunchy thanks to a last minute coating in granulated sugar before baking.  The inside is soft and chewy, best eaten while they're still a little warm from the oven (or heated in the microwave).

These cookies are front and center on the cover of Martha Stewart's Cookies book.  I could hardly resist trying the cover cookie recipe of this book dedicated to cookies.  So I made these last Christmas and we oohed and aahed over them a little because they're different from other cookies we've had.  These have plenty of kick from typical gingerbread spices - and extra special with the use of both fresh and ground ginger -  but the texture and even taste is reminiscent of the more familiar chocolate chip cookie thanks to a little bit of cocoa powder and lots of chocolate chunks in the dough. 

I'll gladly make these every Christmas.

Chocolate truffles with Grand Marnier (or plain)

Here's another sweet item I've wanted to make for some time: chocolate truffles.  This is the perfect time to make some and share with a few friends.  For the grown-up version, I made chocolate truffles with Grand Marnier, or orange liqueur.  Instead of cookies and milk, how about setting this out for Santa this year?

I used a combination of semisweet and bittersweet (70% cacao) chocolate for these truffles.  Omit the Grand Marnier and make plain truffles for the youngsters.  I prefer the taste and look of rolling them in unsweetened cocoa powder rather than confectioners' sugar but I mixed the two up for the sake of easy identification.

I love ganache and truffles are essentially ganache (chocolate and cream) rolled up in truffle shape.  They are very rich so a little goes a long way.  But silky smooth and deep with chocolate flavor, they are a great indulgence during the holiday time.  If necessary, make the truffles in advance and store them in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks (though of course, they taste better the fresher they are), bringing them to room temperature before serving.  You might need to re-roll them in cocoa powder or confectioners' sugar again if it's been in the fridge for a while. 

Easy-peasy peppermint fudge

If you want a break from rolling cut-out cookies and baking during the holiday time, make some fudge!  And make the simple version that takes about ten minutes to put together...hence, the "easy-peasy" moniker.  Last year, I made a batch of cinnamon-chocolate fudge with a sprinkling of salt on top.  This year, I tried this peppermint fudge, which I liked better and has a more festive feel to it.

This is the kind of fudge recipe that uses sweetened condensed milk so there's no need for the candy thermometer.  There is a bit of stirring involved but it doesn't get much more complicated than that.  For flavoring, I added about half a teaspoon of peppermint extract and as a finishing touch, sprinkled shards of broken candy cane pieces over the top.  My only complaint about adding toppings like this on to fudge is they tend to melt once you take it out of the refrigerator but it's the holidays so the tops seem to need a little decor.  The fudge is super smooth and quite tasty.  Keep it in the refrigerator, freeze it, or share it with a friend.