Viennese Finger Biscuits (Raspberry Filled)

When I hear the words 'stop yourself' or 'relax', I invariably know they are being directed at me (no matter how many other people are in the room). I always hear them, but often behave in ways that make the sender of these messages think I am ignoring them. And truth be told, I sometimes am (I silently wonder when they would just give up and allow me to be me or sometimes I just allow my eyes to widen when I hear those words). Why I am sharing all of this with you? Because even though I have already made a myriad of holiday cookies and confections, I cannot seem to stop myself from making another one (well I really can but don't want to). And because I have convinced myself there is no such thing as 'too much' sugary or chocolately cookie bliss during the holidays (or I am just a glutton for punishment).

Quite possibly these Viennese Finger Biscuits will actually put you in such a state of bliss that you too will be thankful you ignored either those external or internal voices saying 'stop yourself'. As a bonus, there are actually five different ways of making these biscuits (otherwise known as cookies on this side of the Atlantic Ocean). They can be dipped in chocolate only, they can have a wonderful buttercream filling and be assembled like a sandwich cookie (then dipped or not dipped in chocolate), or they can have a layer of your favorite preserves to go along with the buttercream filling (then dipped or not dipped in chocolate). In other words, the possibilities in how you assemble these cookies are endless. Since I tend to skew to the too much end of the continuum, I decided to make them two ways: with buttercream filling and dipped in chocolate and with raspberry preserves, buttercream filling, and dipped in chocolate. And sometimes I like giving others a choice.

The idea of simplifying the holiday baking lasted less than 24 hours with the making of these cookies. While not hard to make at all (seriously), there are several steps in the assembly process. Of all of the cookies I have made this holiday season, this one by far is off the charts as far as taste and presentation goes. They are rich, buttery and chocolatey. They are rule of three cookies amplified. If cookies were a form of currency these would be Franklins.

The dough is made up of only five ingredients: unsalted butter, vanilla, confectionary sugar, all purpose flour and self-rising flour. The use of self rising flour eliminates the need for any other leaveners (i.e., baking powder).

With the exception of the vanilla, all of the dough ingredients are weighed (we are back to the Thomas Keller style of baking).  The more I bake cookies with weighed versus measured (in cups) ingredients, I  become more and more convinced that weighing ingredients make for a more consistent, more perfect cookie.

In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, the unsalted butter and confectionary sugar are beat until light and fluffy. After both flours are mixed in, the vanilla is added. When everything is all blended you end up with smooth, thick dough. Important Note: The quantity of ingredients in the dough will yield approximately one dozen cookies. I strongly urge you to double the dough recipe (the filling ingredients do not need to be increased). If using a pastry bag to form the cookies, divide the doubled dough in half  (once you make these cookies you will understand why).

I used a pastry bag to form the Viennese Finger Biscuits (which was more of a workout than I thought). I don't have a cookie press (and don't want one), but if you have one, you might want to consider using it (unless of course your have good hand strength and want to burn a few extra calories). Using a medium star tip, the dough is formed into an even number of 2 1/2 lengths. The cookies will be sandwiched together so it is important to make your cookies as uniform as possible.

The Viennese Finger Biscuits are baked in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for approximately 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom. Allow the cookies to remain on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack. Allow to cool to room temperature before spreading on the filling and/or preserves.

The buttercream filling for these cookies is made up of confectionary sugar, unsalted butter and vanilla. There will be enough filling for two batches of cookies. In addition to the buttercream filling you can also use some of your favorite preserves. My favorite is raspberry, but any berry preserve would work well. And for dipping the cookies I recommend using a dark chocolate.

Using an offset spatula or butter knife, carefully spread the buttercream filling on one side of a cookie. If you are making the buttercream and preserve variation, you will spread the preserves on the side of a second cookie. There is substance to these cookies, however, I urge you to be gentle when spreading on the buttercream. The last thing you want to do is break one of the cookies because you will end up with less finished cookies. 

Once you have decided which variation of the cookie you are making, you will bring two cookies together to form a sandwich (which is why it is important to have your dough lengths as uniform as possible).

Once the Viennese Finger Biscuits are assembled they are dipped in melted dark chocolate (milk chocolate doesn't seem to work here, but white chocolate would). The dipped cookies should be placed on a piece of parchment paper. Once the chocolate has set, transfer the cookies to a covered tin or serve immediately. During the holidays I often refrigerate my baked cookies and bring them to room temperature before serving. The refrigeration process seems to keep them fresher longer.

There are not enough words to describe how incredible these biscuits are, so I will simply say they are wicked (as in the good and not bad kind of wickedness). They are more than worth the time and effort that goes into making them. If there was ever a cookie to leave on the plate for the man in the red suit and white beard, then the Viennese Finger Biscuits would be the ones. You are bound to leave a lasting impression and pretty much guarantee he will be making an appearance next year. If you have someone in your life telling to you 'stop yourself' or 'relax', they will be eating their words once the take a bite of this cookie. 

Recipe

Viennese Finger Biscuits (Raspberry Filled) - (slight adaptation made to a recipe shared by Caroline Dooley, an Irish baker)
Makes 8 (good sized) sandwich cookies - Make smaller for a larger. yield

Updated December 2022

Ingredients
Dough (strongly recommend doubling this recipe as a single recipe yields only a dozen cookies)
15 Tablespoons (7 ounces/212g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ounces (58g) confectionary sugar
4 ounces (112g) self-rising flour
4 ounces (112g) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Buttercream (not necessary to double the buttercream as there will be enough for two batches of biscuits)
6 Tablespoons (3 ounces/85g) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 ounces (174g) confectionary sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Chocolate (If doubling the dough, you will need to double the amount of chocolate)
4 ounces (112g) dark chocolate (recommend the Ghiradelli dark melting chocolate wafers)

Preserves

4 ounces (112g) raspberry preserves

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the all purpose, self-rising flours and salt until well blended. Beat in the vanilla.
4. Using a medium sized pastry bag with a medium to large star tip, pipe 2 1/2 inch lengths of dough.
5. Bake biscuits for approximately 15-18 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Let the biscuits remain on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature.
6. To make the buttercream icing, beat the confectionary sugar, vanilla and unsalted butter until smooth and creamy. The icing should be room temperature to ensure ease of spreading on the biscuits.
7. Spread the buttercream icing on the bottom on one biscuit. Place an un-iced biscuit on top to create a sandwich.
8. If using preserves, very lightly spread your favorite preserve on the bottom of a plain biscuit. Bring the buttercream iced and preserved spread biscuits together to form a sandwich.
9. Melt dark chocolate over a double boiler. Dip one end of the biscuit into the melted chocolate. Place dipped biscuit on a baking pan or cutting board lined with parchment paper. Allow the chocolate to set.
10. Transfer finished biscuits to a covered tin (if not serving immediately) or arrange on a platter.

Over the course of the past 'first' year of saltedsugaredspiced.blogspot.com, I have shared a variety of cookie, brownie, bar and candy confections with you. In retrospect I showed my affinity for chocolate and sea salt and yet managed to share recipes where butter, sugar and nuts were the focal points. My list of personal favorites changes from time to time and season to season, so I thought it best for you to have the complete linked list rather than share only the 'Lynn favorite at the moment list'.

The holidays are busy enough, so to save you some time as you make your baking and gift giving decisions the linked list below prevents you from having to search through the blog to find them. Hopefully you can turn this 'gift of time' into time spent baking or relaxing (for those of you who know the concept)!

Amy's Shortbread Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Seal Salt, No Nuts
Chocolate Covered Cashew Clusters
Chocolate Covered Oreos, Sea Salted
Chocolate Whoppers
Cinnamon Glazed Pecans
Coconut Balls aka Better than a Mounds Bar
Cowboy Cookies
Decadent Chocolate Brownies
Decadent Magic 8 Ingredient Bars Served Chilled
Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark with Sea Salt
Irish Shortbread
Meltaways
Over the Top Rice Krispie Treats
Sea Salted Caramels
Sea Salted White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Blondies
Sugar Meringue Walnuts
Sugar Saucers
Sweet Dream Cookies
White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Molasses Cookies
White Chocolate Dipped Pistachio and Dried Cherry Cookies
White and Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Meltaways

While I was on the treadmill at the fitness center this morning, trying hard to not pay too much attention to the distance gauge (so I didn't sabotage myself), I decided to focus my eyes on the television instead (a great distraction in keeping me from constantly checking how much further I was from my goal for the day). Somewhat serendipitously I caught the tail end of a segment about simplifying the holidays. Most of us fall somewhere along the two camp continuum, the too-much-have-to-do-it-all-perfectly camp and the relax-and-actually-enjoy-the-holidays camp. I haven't yet fully incorporated the concept of relax into my operational vocabulary, so I am one of with try do it all tendencies (shifting this pendulum remains a life goal). After my workout I had intended to bake some holiday cookies (one rather easy but with a myriad of steps). However, the simplification segment changed all of that. Instead I remembered I had a recipe for probably one of the simplest of all holiday cookies, the Meltaways, and that would be the one I would bake instead.

They are a 1 on an easy scale of 1 to 10, but a 9 on the deliciousness scale of 1 to 10. The only reason I am not giving them a 10 is that they do not contain chocolate (chocolate has a way of tipping the deliciousness scale for me). Meltaways are so aptly named, for the obvious reason, they literally melt in your mouth. They are a dense, yet not dry shortbread-like cookie containing toasted pecans and dusted with confectionary sugar. These would definitely fall into the visions of sugar plums cookie category.

It is a wonder I even found this recipe even thought I had probably written it for the tenth time on a piece of paper. I don't commit any recipes to memory and seem to often lose or rather temporarily misplace recipes (probably because they are not well organized). But it wasn't just getting my hands on the Meltaway recipe, it was being able to read it. Thankfully I must have written it when my handwriting was a little more legible (I have caused more than my fair share of administrative assistants to go temporarily insane trying to read my handwriting).

The simplicity of the Meltaways comes in its' ingredients as well as its' assembly process. Cake flour, unsalted butter, vanilla, toasted pecans, salt and confectionary are all you need to make these mouthwatering cookies. With the exception of cake flour, you probably have all of these ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator.

I will go on only a short rant about toasting your nuts before using them in any cookie dough. Toasting brings out the flavor of the nut and really does transform how your finished cookie will taste. The pecans in the Meltaways are first toasted and then finely chopped. When the amounts of nuts of relatively small, like 3/4 cup in this case, I like chopping them myself rather than using a food processor. One less thing to clean and then you don't miss out on the incredible aroma that comes from chopping them. There are a million recommendations for toasting pecans. I bake them at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes, which is long enough to bring out their flavor without burning or drying them out.

In most recipes calling for sifted flour, you sift after you measure the flour. But for this cookie, you sift first then measure. The use of cake flour makes for a very tender cookie. If you don't use cake flour on a regular basis, this cookie is worth adding it to your pantry.

Now for the super easy assembly part. Cream the unsalted butter, vanilla and one half cup of confectionary sugar. Gradually mix in the (sifted first, measured second) cake flour and salt. Mix or stir in the finely chopped toasted pecans. Your cookie dough is now finished. How simple is that? Because this dough is on the dense side, the cookies do not spread when baking. I generally prepare two parchment paper lined baking sheets but bake each baking sheet separately.

You can drop the dough by the teaspoonful on a parchment paper lined baking sheet or you can use a small ice cream scoop. If you use a spoon to drop the cookies, they will look like little mountains and when you use an ice cream scoop they will resemble little snowballs. Today I went for the snowball look.

These cookies are baked in a preheated 450 degree oven for approximately 7 minutes. I check for the light brown doneness on the bottoms of the cookies at 6 1/2 minutes. Then I decide how much longer I want to return them to the oven (which is anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds). The bottoms of these cookies brown up faster than the tops of the cookies, so always, always check the bottom to test for doneness. Baking at such a high temperature means your baking time isn't long and sometimes 30 seconds too long is enough to burn them.

While the cookies are baking have a strainer or sifter ready with confectionary sugar. As soon as the cookies are finished baking, transfer them to a cooling rack and then lightly dust with the confectionary sugar. You want to dust these cookies while they are still warm. Due to their size, they will cool relatively quickly.

Allow the confectionary sugared cookies to cool to room temperature before plating or transferring to a tin. I would suggest you make these cookies on a day when you don't have too many cookie stealing fingers hovering near the kitchen as this recipe makes approximately three dozen cookies. However, after you sample one or two of them while they are still warm, you will have slightly less than that amount (such a small reward for creating these delectable little bites of goodness and for shifting the holiday cooking baking needle in the direction of simplifying!).

Recipe

Meltaways (makes approximately 3 dozen little bites of deliciousness)

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter room temperature

1/2 cup sifted confectionary sugar, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon Vanilla

2 1/4 cups cake flour (measured after sifting)

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a standing mixer or using a hand held mixer, cream together the butter, vanilla and confectionary sugar.

3. Add the salt and sifted flour into the butter mixture (add in gradually).

4. Stir in chopped toasted pecans.

5. Drop by teaspoonfuls or scoop into balls using a small ice-cream scoop. Place baking sheet in center of oven. Bake for approximately 7 minutes, checking at 6 1/2 minutes. The bottoms of the cookies should be lightly browned.

6. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and dust with confectionary sugar.

7. Allow to cool and plate or store in a covered tin or container.

The weather here has turned wickedly cold. I am not dreaming for a white Christmas (snow is already on the ground), but a slightly warmer holiday. I would be happy with temperatures in the 40s which isn't really warm, but at a certain point the perception of warmth is all relative. And a 40 degree day in the winter can feel downright balmy, except for those of you who grew up in or live in the warmer climates. Somehow I am thinking 40 degrees and balmy would not be words you would use in the same sentence.

Just like weather our perceptions of many things is all relative, usually based on our past experiences or expectations. How each of us views or approaches the holidays also changes as we get older or wiser (with age not a factor). Some of us move away from wanting gifts for ourselves toward having gifts given to others on our behalf. Sometimes I wish the ethic of humanitarianism came into my life at a much younger age. I have a friend who began teaching and emulating this value to her children when they were very young. It wasn't just when she started this, it was her year over year consistency. As a result, this importance of humanitarianism is one that remained with them. Yet beyond instilling a philanthropic ethic in her children, she permanently altered their perception of the concept of receiving to include not just tangible, but the equally important intangible gift of knowing you made a difference in the life of someone else. Whether or not we had role models in our life that shaped our perception of receiving, it is never too late to start shifting either ours or those of family members.

A Savory and Hearty Frittata

The first time I made the Hearty Frittata was when I was having a friend visit for the weekend. I wanted to make something different or I should say a memorable, amazing flavor, beautiful dish. The frittata made with challah bread, eggs, sharp cheddar cheese, mild Italian sausage, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, green onions and a little bit of half and half seemed to have it all and all in one dish! Not only did it turn out to be memorable and beautiful, it was a frittata that went beyond my delciousness expectations. Finding the perfect recipe to replace that same old, same old breakfast casserole or the incredibly delicious but insanely rich custard based french toast casserole was like finding the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

I am probably the first person (okay maybe second or third) to run out and buy a new kitchen tool or gadget if it is called for in a recipe. Yet, for some reason when I found this frittata recipe (it called for a frittata pan) I showed restraint (something that happens a little too infrequently). Instead, I thought the recipe was easily adaptable to being baked in a cast iron pan. Okay, there are probably some of you don't have a cast iron pan, but I would urge you to run out, show no restraint, and get one! Why? Because it meets the 'rule of three'. The cast iron pan can withstand high temperatures, can be used for more than just making frittatas, and makes any dish presentation worthy. Convinced yet?

Whether served hot out of the oven, warm or at room temperature, the frittata was both filling and slightly addictive. The kind of addictiveness that happens when your stomach feels full but your mouth says 'I am not finished yet'.

The original recipe called for brioche. However, more often than not, finding it is a bit of a challenge. Unless of course I want to drive to three or four stores. I can be a little ingredient obsessive, but I have my limits. Challah is so much more readily available (usually found in the first grocery store I go to) and it works perfectly in this frittata. On the other hand, fresh eggs (my recently acquired ingredient obsession) are no longer readily available in the midwest where I now live. So while visiting friends in Rhode Island this past weekend I was over the top giddy to have scored fresh eggs (the ones with the deepest of yellow almost orange yolks) from my favorite chicken farmer. Of all of the purchases made over the course of several days, the eggs were hands down my most favorite (this wasn't the first time I brought back two dozen fresh eggs on the plane with me and it won't be the last). No, you don't need fresh eggs for this frittata, you only need ten large ones.

There are three cups of toasted bread cubes in the frittata. The loaf of Challah will yield almost double this. Any unused toasted bread cubes can be stored for use at a later time or you can just toast as much of the bread as you need.

Once the toasted bread cubes have cooled, they are mixed into with the eggs, half and half, cheese and green onions. The bread cubes need to be completely submerged as it is important for the bread be able to absorb the liquid. The entire mixture is covered and refrigerated for an hour.

Eight ounces of mild Italian sausage are sautéed in one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil until browned. Once browned the sausage is removed and placed on a paper towel to drain.

There are layers and layers of flavor in this frittata. A Spanish onion is thinly sliced and caramelized while mushrooms are sautéed until lightly browned and tender. When getting ready to assemble the frittata, the cooked vegetables are mixed with the sautéed Italian sausage, returned back to the pan and cooked until just heated through (about 1 to 2 minutes).

Remove the pan from the heat before mixing in the egg/cheese/bread mixture. Working quickly, stir until the sausage and vegetables are well distributed. In the preheated 350 degree oven the frittata is baked for 30 to 35 minutes or until it is puffed and lightly browned. I used a 10 inch cast iron pan to make this frittata. Baking time might change if you use a larger pan.

What I love about this frittata is that it can be served hot or warm and is still rather tasty at room temperature. So if you have never made a frittata before, let this be the one you make for your family and friends. This is one savory, satisfying and beautiful dish. And it might just make you give up your standard breakfast casserole recipe.

Recipe

Savory and Hearty Frittata (slight adaption to the Lodge Brunch Frittata recipe shared by Williams-Sonoma)

Ingredients

3 cups of brioche or challah bread with crust removed cut into 1 inch cubes 

10 large eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup half and half

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion, both green and white parts (about 2-3 green onions)

6 ounces freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese 

8 ounces mild Italian sausage

1 medium sized spanish onion, thinly sliced

8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 Tablespoons and 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (divided)

Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spread bread cubes on baking sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the bread cubes are lightly golden. Allow to cool. (Note: Can be made a day ahead. Put cooled bread cubes in a sealed plastic bag.)

3. Lightly beat the eggs. Add half and half along with a pinch of Kosher salt and pepper. Mix until blended.

4.  Add cooled bread cubes, cheese and green onions to egg mixture mixing to ensure the bread cubes are fully coated. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

5. Add 1 Tablespoon of extra-virgin olive to the skillet turning the heat to medium high. Add mild pork sausage and cook until sausage is lightly browned (about 8 to 10 minutes). Remove sausage and place on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.

6. Add a Tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet turning heat to medium high. Add onions and cook until onions are caramelized (stirring frequently). Takes 12-15 minutes. Remove onions and set aside.

7. Add a Tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet turning heat to medium high. Add mushroom and cook until lightly browned and tender. About 8-10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

8. Mix together the cooked sausage, caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms in the skillet. Cook until heated through (about 1 to 2 minutes).

9. Pour in egg/bread mixture and stir until sausage/vegetable mixture is evenly distributed.

10. Place in the preheated 350 degree oven and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until top is lightly browned and puffed. Note: Another sign of doneness - the center of the frittata should bounce back.

11. Remove from oven and serve. Can be served hot, warm or at room temperature.

Note: Sausage, onions and mushrooms can be made a day ahead. Cover and place in refrigerator. Reheating may take slightly longer than 1 to 2 minutes.

Years back when I was first began buying antiques I became friends with someone who imparted her years of buying and collecting wisdom with me. Wisdom which ultimately guided most of my furniture purchases. We were at an antique show in Maryland (a whirlwind antique buying weekend trip) when I found a painted blanket chest. I was on the hunt for one and was bound and determined to come home with one. So when I found a blanket chest in original paint I was ecstatic. That is until my friend Randi said 'so where are you going to put that orange painted blanket chest?' I shared I wanted for the family room (but really I just wanted it). Then she said 'where else could you use it?'  Taken back a little by the question, I responded to her question with a question 'Why would I have to think about where else to use it?'. 

And that's when she imparted her 'rule of three' wisdom with me. 'If you can't think of three different uses or places in your home for a piece of antique furniture (beds don't fit this rule), think long and hard before buying it, especially if it comes with a large price tag. But if there are three different uses or places for it, don't even think twice, it is something you should buy', she said. 

Needless to say I didn't come home with the orange painted blanket chest that weekend (thankfully in retrospect) but rather I came home with the 'rule of three' wisdom that guided many of my subsequent antique furniture purchases. I have since tried to generalize this wisdom to other things, things even as small as buying a cast iron pan or in hiring a staff member. I don't follow it religiously (you know the old exception to the rule rationalization), but when I do, I have never regretted the purchase or the decision. 

Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark with Sea Salt

Remember the adage 'Don't judge a book by its' cover'? Well over the years, it has become one of those maxims we modify and use to fit a myriad of contexts. So I feel compelled to say 'Don't judge a recipe by its' name'. Why? Because for some of you when you hear the words fruit and nut together it conjures up foods you are not particularly fond of. Things like fruit and nut eggs (those last to be eaten candy confections in an Easter basket) and fruitcake (a cake having an almost legendary bad rap). So I ask (kindly, of course) for you to momentarily suspend your preconceptions about the taste of any 'fruit and nut' foods ever eaten (or dismissed) and allow me to change how you think about those two words. Because I am going to put them in a very different context for you. The context of cashews, pistachios, dried cherries, chocolate and sea salt.

If chocolate has the same seductive qualities as the little black dress, then the Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark with Sea Salt is akin to the wearing the low cut black dress and four inch heels. Other than having you take a taste of this bark, I know of no other way to explain to you how amazing it is or how you will be affected by it. Believe it or not, there is also an element of simplicity in this chocolate bark, in the making of the bark that is. However, there is nothing simple about being taken in by something so beautiful and so delicious.

What could be easier than melting chocolate and spreading it onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and then sprinkling with nuts, dried fruit, and sea salt? If your answer was 'pretty much nothing', you would be right.

Making the chocolate bark means you have to temporarily ignore your phone, texts, emails, Facebook alerts, tweets, and all other forms of social media. Why? Because if the nuts, dried fruit, and sea salt are not sprinkled over the warm melted chocolate before the chocolate sets up, you will end up with a slab of chocolate.

There is no required order of sprinkling the nuts, however, I like to start first with the cashews and then the pistachios as it is important that these large nuts have the time to become embedded in the melted chocolate.

Once the nuts are spread, the dried cherries and sea salt are sprinkled as evenly as possible. The amounts of nuts and dried fruit you spread over the bark is all about personal preference, but I have shared with you the quantities I use when making it.

It takes several hours for the chocolate to set. Once set, you simply break into pieces. I like the look of random sized pieces, however, you can certainly use a knife to create more uniform ones. If some of the nuts fall off during the breaking process, just enjoy them or throw them on the platter of bark.

I like to package up the Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark with Sea Salt in cellophane bags tied with a ribbon and give as gifts during the holiday season. If not giving it away but keeping to serve, I generally store the bark in a sealed tin (to keep it fresh) until I am ready to put it on a platter. This bark can be a dessert all unto itself (it is center stage worthy) or it can be added to a tray of other confections and baked goods. It will definitely be one of the more memorable confections you make, during the holidays or throughout the year.

Recipe
Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark with Sea Salt

Ingredients
2 pounds of chocolate (recommend Ghiradelli Dark Melting Wafers) Note: Could use white chocolate instead of dark chocolate)
1/2 cup dried cherries (or other dried fruit of your choice. Options include dried apricots, dried blueberries, dried cranberries)
3/4 cup chopped pistachios
1 1/2  cups whole cashews
Maldon sea salt (less than 1/2 teaspoon)

Directions
1. Line an 11 x 15 baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Melt chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water.
3. Carefully pour the melted chocolate onto the parchment paper. Using an offset spatula or spoon, spread the chocolate to the edges of the parchment paper.
4. Immediately sprinkle the cashews, pistachios and dried cherries over the chocolate. Lightly tap the baking sheet onto the counter to ensure all of the nuts and fruits adhere to the chocolate.
5. Lightly sprinkle sea salt over the top.
6. Allow the chocolate bark to set up. Break into pieces. 
7. Store in covered container or package in cellophane bags.

Second chances. How many times have we heard or even said the truism 'Just give it a second chance'? As parents you may have said this more than a few times, as a member of team you may have said this when discussing a strategy, or as a friend you may have said it to provide encouragement. Sometimes we think were giving something or someone a second chance, when really all we are doing is going through the motions without doing or seeing anything differently ourselves. When this happens we sometimes look for faults or differences rather than looking for strengths, celebrating the differences or even dealing with our own fears (of the unknown, of failure). A second chance isn't supposed to be doing the same thing again (or again and again), it supposed to be doing it differently.

Years ago when I was training for my first marathon I had days of really good runs and really bad runs. On those good run days, I felt like I could conquer the world and could hardly keep from smiling all day long. The bad runs were on those days when my head just wasn't in it, when I felt exhausted, when I felt outside of my comfort zone, or when I was running with a little bit of pain. On those days I never felt the addiction to or the exhilaration that comes with running. And if running with someone else who I wasn't keeping up with, I was quick to blame them for making me run too fast or on routes with inclines (those darn inclines).

On those bad days, it would have been easy to walk away and say 'I tried' without ever knowing what it would feel like to actually finish a marathon. Or I could have sabotaged myself by not running for a few days or keeping my runs short. I learned the hard way that in the end those strategies not only were keeping me from that marathon goal, but from experiencing the euphoria felt when I was 'in the zone' as well as from benefitting from the changes that come from the running. Over the course of that first marathon training, it took more than a few second chances for me to achieve my goal. It meant seeing myself and running differently, facing my fears, accepting my own vulnerabilities (running was something that put me way out of my comfort zone) and being courageous (yes second chances and courage go hand in hand). So whether it is giving yourself, someone else or even any confection containing fruits and nuts a second chance, just remember it is mostly up to (and about) you as to what the outcome may be.

As a post script, I did finish that first marathon and stayed with running regularly for several more years, even running a second marathon. But I have not run regularly in quite awhile and could just kick myself for letting go of something that had so many benefits. Fortunately though, I am back to giving it a second chance. The goal this time isn't a marathon, it is simply feeling that euphoria again.

White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Molasses Cookies

'Tis the season of the indulging oneself in candy confections and cookies with either reckless abandon or slight moderation. What is it about the holiday season that makes our eyes widen at the mere sight of a platter of cookies? For some unexplainable reason it seems the same cookies made from January through November become even more delicious during the month of December. Then there is a kind of euphoria one experiences when taking a bite into those cookies made only around the holidays, cookies which seem to have some sort of magical, spell casting effect on one's mood as well as one's ability to show cookie eating restraint. Could it be we are readying ourselves for the deprivation that comes with those 'I am going to eat only healthy food' new year resolutions? Or could it just be that holiday cookies bring out the best of our childlike qualities and memories? Whatever the reason or reasons, let the cookie season begin!

With less than 23 days before Christmas, I am not certain there will be enough time for me to share with you all of my favorite cookies, both the ones made year round as well as the ones made in December (I suppose I want you to have something to look forward to in the months ahead, just in case you fall off the eating healthy wagon!). So as not to over promise and under deliver, during the month ahead there were be more than one cookie or candy confection recipe posted to the blog (those of you with commitment issues are probably okay with this, the rest of you will probably consider this a tease).

For me cookies are not just about how they taste but how they look. Ginger Molasses cookies are one of those year round delicious, pretty cookies that become slightly transformed in December. Once dipped in white chocolate they turn into what I will call those 'even more delicious, beautiful, almost bakery looking perfect, decadent, cannot eat just one' cookies. The combination of the flavors of the ginger and white chocolate have an almost magical quality about them. Using some of the new vocabulary I picked up while living on the east coast, these White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Molasses cookies are 'wicked' (the best kind of wicked)!

I found a ginger cookie recipe in a Midwest Living magazine a very, very long time ago. Making a few changes, it has remained my favorite ginger molasses cookie. The inspiration for dipping them in white chocolate happened less than two years ago. What gives these cookies their wonderful spicy flavor are three spices: ground ginger, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Mixed in with the flour, baking soda and salt, the dry ingredients are set aside.

This is a cookie that uses shortening instead of butter. Yes, I am sharing with you a recipe that uses shortening, not butter (consider it an exception to the rule, an exception that just seems to work with this cookie). Rather than using 'light' molasses I have found that the 'dark' or 'robust' molasses adds both greater flavor and color to the cookie.The making of the cookie dough begins with lightly beating the shortening in a standing mixer (with a paddle attachment) or an electric mixer for about 30 seconds. The one cup of sugar is slowly added, the speed is increased to medium, and the mixture is beat until fluffy. The egg and molasses are added and mixed in until well blended.

The flour/spice mixture is added all at once. Reducing the speed on the mixer, the wet and dry ingredients are beat until well blended.

There are two options for rolling these cookies. The first option is dipping a 1 1/2 inch rolled ball into a bowl of water and then into a bowl of sugar. The second option is just dipping the 1 1/2 inch rolled ball into the bowl of sugar. The amount of sugar as well as the look of the cookie will be different depending on which rolling option you choose, but both cookies will have that beautiful crackled top.

If first rolled in water and then in the sugar, the cookies look like they are capped in snow. If rolled only in sugar, they have the sugar dusted look. My preference is the first water, then sugar rolling option as I love how these baked cookies look. The cookies are baked on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned. Be careful not to over bake these cookies as they will lose some of their chewiness. If you slightly over bake them, they will still be delicious, but the texture will be a little firmer.

Once the baked cookies have cooled on a rack, they are dipped into the melted white chocolate. When dipping the cookies, try to make certain both the top and bottom of the cookie are covered in the white chocolate before you place the cookies on a sheet of parchment paper. The chocolate on these cookies does not take that long to set up. You can speed up the setting time by placing the cookies in a cooler place in your house. The finished cookies should be immediately placed into a tin or jar to ensure their freshness. Note: This recipe makes anywhere from 24 to 28 cookies when using a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop to form the cookie balls.

Recipe
White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Molasses Cookies (more than a slight adaptation to Joe Carson's Ginger Cookie Recipe)

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
3/4 cup shortening, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling cookies (Note: For a more sparkling finish to the cookies, roll in a mixture of granulated sugar and white sugar crystals.)
2 Tablespoons dark molasses
1 large egg, room temperature
Water
8 to 10 ounces white chocolate (recommend Ghiradelli White Melting Wafers)
Update 12-14-15: For an even deeper ginger flavor to these cookies, add 1 Tablespoon of finely chopped crystalized ginger to the dry ingredients.

Directions
1. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Set aside.
2. Beat shortening in a stand mixer (with paddle attachment) or electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Slowly add in one cup of granulated sugar and beat until fluffy.
3. Add the egg and molasses. Beat until combined.
4. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until well combined.
5. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. Dip into a small bowl of water and then into the bowl of additional sugar. (If you want a lighter sugar coating, just roll cookie balls into the sugar.)
6. Arrange cookie balls at least three inches apart on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet .
7. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until light brown on bottoms. 
8. Transfer baked cookies to a cooling rack.
9. Melt white chocolate. Dip the cooled cookies into the chocolate so that half of the cookie is coated in chocolate. 
10. Place dipped cookies on a piece of parchment paper and allow to set. When chocolate has set, store in a covered tin or container to keep fresh.

The holidays are such a great time to pay it forward, to engage in random acts of kindness, or to show your appreciation to those who made a difference to you. Not that we shouldn't do this all year long, but as the year comes to a close, we get a second chance to follow through on all of our good intentions (the ones we allowed our busy lives to get in the way of and distract us). As much as I love seeing someone open a gift or platter of cookies, I really do love the act of giving. There is something about sharing a part of yourself with either someone you care about or a total stranger, that for me, is what the holidays were meant to be. And the older and more reflective I get, I sometimes see things from perspectives different than my own.

For me differences are a good thing, they always have been. Professionally, I would have never grown if I did not take in all of the different perspectives of my peers along the way or the classmates in my doctoral program. Personally, I would like to think I am capable of continued growth (and yes, there are some things I think I shall always hold dear) and change (even if it means I need to be pushed). Have you ever asked yourself what great change in your life has not been accompanied by a little bit of fear? I can think of many times in my life when I felt more than a little bit of fear. The kind of fear that can temporarily paralyze you or make you say things you wish you hadn't. Although I can't take back those moments, I can (given the chance) try to make the moments going forward so much better. While it may not be as simple as delivering the proverbial olive branch in the form of a platter cookies, at least it might bring someone a moment of (cookie) bliss.