White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Rye Shortbread

As much as I am thrilled over the long awaited arrival of the cool, humidity-free fall weather, I am looking forward to getting one more dose of summer-like weather on a upcoming trip with friends to Sedona and Tucson, Arizona. Two places with completely different landscapes, auras, and temperatures. Other than spending a couple of hours in Sedona on route from the Grand Canyon to Tucson two years ago, it has been ages since we spent any significant amount of time there. Yet, no matter how many times I travel back to certain parts of the country, it is as if I am seeing them through a new set of eyes. Which may explain in part why there are some places I continue to be drawn back to experience and photograph. One can never take too many photos of mountains, landscapes, nature, sunrises, sunsets, or regional architecture. Although if you ask those traveling with me, the definition of 'too many' isn't necessarily a mutually shared one. 

And in a similar vein to photographs, I believe there is no such thing as having too many shortbread recipes. There are currently five different versions of shortbread posted in the recipe index on the blog. These White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Rye Shortbread will make it six. 

Having a warm, sweet, slightly spicy flavor, ginger is one of my most favorite spices to use in baking. Whenever I come across a cookie, cake, or pie recipe calling for ginger, I am immediately intrigued. And if it just so happens to call for the use of both ground ginger and candied or crystallized ginger, well it becomes a must make. Ironically the recipe for Ginger Rye Shortbread came from "Sister Pie: The Recipes and Stories of a Big-Hearted Bakery in Detroit", a recently released cookbook dominated by, yes, you guessed it, pie recipes. As much as I was drawn to the book because of the pie recipes, I immediately began to drool while reading the description of this shortbread. Which meant all of those pie recipes I want to make will be put on hold.

Cookbook author Lisa Ludwinski called for topping the Ginger Rye Shortbread with Turbinado sugar. My version of her delicious shortbread is instead topped with melted white chocolate. With or without the chocolate, this shortbread is nothing short of incredible. My shortbread loyalties have been tested after tasting these.

Essentially, this is a mix, chill, roll out, and bake shortbread. The dough comes together quickly using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. The chilling time is a short 40 minutes. Yes, believe it or not, in just 40 minutes the dough is ready to be rolled out on a lightly floured surface. And as far as cookie doughs go, this one rolls out rather easily.

In a pre-heated 350 degree (F) oven, the shortbread bakes in 16-18 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. After allowing the baked cookies to remain on the cookie sheet for five minutes, they are then transferred to a wire cooling rack. Keeping the shortbread on the warm cookie sheet for a short period of time after they are removed from the oven adds to their much loved crisp, melt in your mouth shortbread texture. 

Once completely cooled, the shortbread is dipped in the melted white chocolate. Whether only the tops of the shortbread are completely dipped (as shown) or only partially dipped, you decide how much or how little white chocolate you want on them. 

The melted chocolate sets up rather quickly on these cookies, particularly during this cooler time of the year. 

The tiny bits of candied ginger not only add to the shortbread's deliciousness, they bring a kind of lingering, surprise, explosion of flavor element to them. Additionally, the candied ginger adds a tiny bit of chewiness to the crispy shortbread texture. The use of both all-purpose and dark rye flours adds yet another flavor dimension to these buttery bites of irresistible goodness. In other words, the textures and flavors of this shortbread are unlike any of the other shortbread cookies you may have ever had. After the first one, you may find yourself reaching for a second, maybe even a third one.

As I was photographing this White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Rye Shortbread, I loved how the afternoon light coming through the blinds casted shadows on them. Giving off a kind of Halloween vibe. Whatever you do, don't wait until the Christmas holidays to bake up a batch. Once you taste them, more than likely this shortbread will go on your must make for the holidays cookie list!

If you are big fan of both ginger, you will be absolutely smitten with these White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Rye Shortbreads. They are a ginger lovers dream confection. 

Recipe
White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Rye Shortbread (slight modification to the Ginger Rye Shortbread recipe in the cookbook "Sister Pie: The Recipes and Stories of a Big-Hearted Bakery in Detroit" by Lisa Ludwinski
Makes 40-42 2" round cookies

Ingredients
1 cup (132 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (102 g) dark rye flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup unsalted, high quality European or European-style butter, room temperature
1/4 cup (53 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup (38 g) confectionary sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup (87 g) candied ginger, finely chopped
10-12 ounces white chocolate, melted

Directions
1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, dark rye flour, kosher salt, and ground ginger. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter, brown sugar and confectionary sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 3 minutes).
3. Beat in vanilla.
4. Mix the finely chopped candied ginger in with the dry ingredients. Add to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix until the dry ingredients and ginger are fully incorporated without over beating.
5. Remove the dough and place on a large piece of plastic wrap. Shape dough into a square, approximately 1/2" thick. Wrap and refrigerate for 40 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. Using a 2" round cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets.
8. Bake cookies, one tray at a time, for 16-18 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden. Remove from oven.
9. Let cookies remain on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Allow the cookies to cool completely.
10. Melt white chocolate over the top of a double boiler or in the microwave.
11. Dip cooled shortbread into the melted chocolate. Place dipped cookies on a large piece of parchment paper. Allow chocolate to set completely before serving and/or packaging. 
12. Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week.

Notes: (1) Instead of dipping the shortbread in white chocolate, can sprinkle the tops of the cookies with Turbinado sugar before placing in the oven. (2) If you use a larger cookie cutter, your baking time may need to be adjusted by several minutes. (3) I used the Candied Ginger from Trader Joe's.

Pardon Gray Preserve, Tiverton, Rhode Island (September 2016)

Turtle Fudge

The first piece of fudge I ever had came from a fudge store in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin while on a family vacation. On one of the nights we all piled into the car and went into town to look for souvenirs and buy postcards. As we walked through town a strong, an intoxicating aroma of chocolate filled the air. One couldn't help but be reeled into the fudge shop. A huge white marble slab topped with a humungous mound of chocolate fudge sat in the store's window. The most irresistible sight for young eyes.  Cut into one big piece, the fudge was packed in white boxes having a plastic knife tucked inside. These boxes were the epitome of the expression 'good things come in small boxes'. My childhood taste buds thought it was the BEST fudge in the entire world. Our box of chocolate fudge usually didn't last the week. So on the last night of the vacation, we made a second trip into town to get another one to bring home just so our taste buds wouldn't forget this creamy chocolate deliciousness. It would be another year before we returned back. From a child's perspective, a year is a lifetime.

To this day, anytime anyone travels up to Wisconsin Dells, I tell them to get some fudge from the shop in town. Some things don't change. Like the quality of fudge in those summer vacation towns.

In my pile of recipes collected over the years, there were three fudge recipes. I could only remember making two of them. However, I wasn't sure which one I recalled as being the BEST one as it has been awhile since I have made fudge. It may not have mattered which one I chose as I was going to make changes to it anyway. 

Homemade fudge is usually made with either cocoa or chocolate chips. This one uses chocolate chips. Semi-sweet chocolate chips. The addition of nuts is usually a personal preference. This one uses roasted pecans rather than the more traditional walnuts. Here in the midwest we have a candy called 'turtles'. These chocolate, caramel, pecan confections are addictive. As if chocolate fudge wasn't addictive enough, I decided to add caramel to the recipe as well.

Truth be told it does drive me a little crazy when recipes are quasi-specific. Fudge recipes, like this one, are often quasi-specific. Meaning they don't all require the use of a thermometer, relying instead on 'boiling time'. So I apologize in advance if this Turtle Fudge recipe makes any of you a bit crazed. The good news is you will only feel this for a short while. Once euphoria sets in when you taste this fudge you, your temporary craziness won't matter.

Have all of your ingredients measured out and your pan lined with parchment paper before you begin making the fudge. The cooking process moves rather quickly. Use the heaviest bottomed pan you have, one that distributes heat evenly (I used a copper pan). Rather than using a wooden or metal spoon to stir the cooking mixture, use a good rubber spatula. 

The addition of caramel takes this fudge to an even higher level of richness. If using, buy a high quality, thick store-bought or homemade caramel sauce (one you really love). If not using, add the pecans into the fudge mixture when you mix in the butter, marshmallow cream and chocolate chips. And if you don't like nuts, leave them out. Or if you don't like pecans, use walnuts or macadamia nuts. Just remember to roast them before using.

Maybe the hardest part of making this Turtle Fudge is waiting for it completely chill in the refrigerator. Or maybe it's showing restraint and eating only a couple of pieces. 

Recipe
Turtle Fudge

Ingredients
1 small can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
1 jar (7 - 7.5 ounce) marshmallow cream
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup (108 g) pecan halves, roasted, and coarsely chopped
3-4 ounces good quality caramel sauce

Directions
1. Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a heavy bottomed medium sized, add in the evaporated milk, sugar, and salt. Over medium-high heat, bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Boil mixture for 6 1/2 minutes stirring constantly.
3. Remove from heat and immediately add in vanilla, marshmallow cream, and chocolate chips. Stir until smooth and chocolate has melted. Do not over mix or mixture will begin to stiffen.
4. Working quickly pour half of the fudge mixture into the pan. Drizzle on half of the caramel sauce and half of the pecans. Pour remaining fudge and top again with the remaining half of the caramel sauce and pecans.
5. Allow to set out until slightly cooled. Approximately 20 minutes.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
7. Cut into 1 inch squares. Place cut squares in small sized paper cups.
8. Serve slightly chilled and enjoy.
9. Store fudge covered in the refrigerator for up to a week. If it lasts that long.

(1) I used the Fat Toad Farm Traditional Goat's Milk Caramel Sauce. (2) I like to eat chilled fudge, thus the recommendation to serve it that way. After you chill, cut into squares and put into candy papers, you can also serve it room temperature. However, would recommend storing it the refrigerator and taking out a couple of hours out before serving.

Rocky Mountain National Park (September 2016)

Milk Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

"Life is short. Surround yourself with good people and only eat good cookies." (anonymous)  Looks aside, most of us decide if a cookie is great, good, or bad in the first bite. Discounting for the moment there are ingredients we may not find appealling to our taste buds, we seem to all have the ability to identify the 'bad cookie' otherwise known as the 'please don't ever make me eat another one of those cookies'. Differentiating between a good and great cookie is usually a little more complicated. Which may explain in part why there are so many different recipes for the same cookie as well as why it might be impossible to get unanimous agreement on the BEST ever version of a cookie. But for some reason, that impossibility doesn't seem to keep so many of us to stop trying. I have lost count of the number of versions of chocolate chip cookies I have made over the years. And whether or not my current favorite will be replaced with yet another 'favorite' (aka great) is anyone's guess. 

Way back when I used to guard some of my cookie recipes like one would protect highly confidential documents. What was I thinking? Apparently I wasn't. Thankfully those closely guarded secret cookie recipe hoarding days are well behind me. Nowadays it gives me immense pleasure when others make some of my cookie recipes and have the same or even better results than I do. I have to admit I get an endorphin rush when someone shares they loved the cookies I made. Because who wouldn't want to take a little bit of pleasure upon learning cookies baked with love were loved? 

A couple of months ago we were gifted with a huge bag of hazelnuts. And just recently a flurry of recipes using hazelnuts seemed to suddenly appear. The universe was telling me I needed to make something with them. After spending some time looking for inspiration I realized I could probably adapt one of my shortbread recipes by replacing pistachios with hazelnuts and milk chocolate for white chocolate but keeping all other ingredients the same.

One of the many things I love about this shortbread recipe is that you don't need to chill the dough before rolling it out. Room temperature unsalted butter, confectionary sugar, flour, vanilla, kosher salt and roasted hazelnuts come together to make an incredibly delicious shortbread.

Even though the bag of hazelnuts were roasted and salted, I roasted them again at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. While they were still warm I rolled them in a flour sack towel to help remove some of the skins.

I rolled these cookies out slightly thicker their pistachio shortbread counterpart. With a thickness of slightly more than 1/4 inch, the shortbread cookies bake in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 14-16 minutes. Baking time should be adjusted downward if rolled out thinner. Cookies are done when the edges and bottoms are golden in color.

Allow the cookies to remain on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

I used milk chocolate but you could also use dark chocolate. Always allow your shortbread cookies to cool completely before dipping them in warm melted chocolate.

How much chocolate you put on these shortbread cookies is up to you. I dipped half of the cookies in the melted chocolate, topped with more coarsely chopped roasted hazelnuts, and finished with drizzling more chocolate over them. Note: I dip a fork in the melted chocolate to create this Jackson Pollock look.

The cookies looked beautiful, but the more compelling question was 'Were they delicious?'. Did modifying one my shortbread recipes work? Did the combination of milk chocolate and hazelnuts make for a great shortbread cookie? Yes, yes, and yes!!!

If you love shortbread, you are going to absolutely love these cookies. And if you aren't a big fan of hazelnuts, these cookies will turn you into one.

As much as I don't want to think about the Christmas holidays yet, I have already decided these Milk Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies are definitely going into the cookie gift boxes this year. Although I am not going to wait months before making them again. They just ooze cookie love.

Recipe
Milk Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
Makes approximately 30-32 3" x 1 1/2" sized cookies

Ingredients
2 cups (264 g) all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (60 g) confectionary sugar
1 cup (16 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup (80 g) cup hazelnuts, roasted and finely chopped
1/2 cup (80 g) cup hazelnuts, roasted and coarsely chopped
8-10 ounces (226-282 g) milk chocolate, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Roast hazelnuts in a pre-heated 350 degree (F) oven for 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a flour sack towel and roll to remove most of the skins. Don't worry if you don't get all of them off. Allow to cool completely before chopping.

3. Sift the flour.  Place the flour and salt in a bowl and set aside.

4. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and confectionary sugar until light and fluffy (approximately about 2 minutes).

5.  Add vanilla and blend in to the butter/sugar mixture.

6.  Mix in flour/salt mixture and one half cup of finely chopped hazelnuts.  Combine until dough comes together.

7. Divide dough in half.  On a floured surface roll out dough to the thickness desired. My preference is 1/4 inch.  Using a cookie cutter of choice, cut out and place cookies onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

8. Bake for 12-16 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom.  If making smaller sized cookies, adjust the time downward. If the cookies are thicker, baking time will be longer.

9.  Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

10. Coarsely chop remaining 1/2 cup of hazelnuts. Put in bowl and set aside.

11.  Dip cooled cookies into chocolate or spoon melted chocolate over the cookies. Place chocolate covered/dipped cookies on a sheet of parchment paper.  Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts before chocolate hardens.

12.  Allow chocolate to completely set before removing from parchment paper to serve or package. 

13. Store cookies in a tightly sealed container.

Notes: (1) Could substitute dark chocolate for the milk chocolate. (2) The hazelnuts used in this recipe were from these from Pacific Hazelnut Farms. (3) Make these cookies using your favorite cookie cutters. I used these Fat Daddio's Oval Fluted edge cookie cutters.

Boston Public Library, Boston, MA (September 2018)

Homemade Applesauce

Raise your hand if you are someone who formed unwaivering opinions about certain foods first experienced in our youth? Now raise you hand if your adult tastebuds doesn't want to accept your childhood ones could have possibly gotten it wrong. Consider yourself an anomaly if you didn't raise your hand. Because there are many of us who even when cajoled into giving that 'sorry I don't like that food' another try we silently hold steadfast, emphatically protest, or begrudgingly take a teeny-tiny taste while simultaneously making a face. More often than not those early opinions were based on canned/jarred, not well prepared, imitation, or inexpensive varieties of certain foods. For me, the list of those 'thanks but no thanks' foods were asparagus, salmon, and applesauce. Today, I love all three of these. When my taste buds experienced the 'fresh' versions of each of them, so did my opinions. This reversal of fortune was akin to tasting something for the first time. 

Since applesauce first made it's appearance in the mid-1700s, sauce prepared with apples dates back to medieval times in Europe. According to the Oxford English dictionary, credit for the first use of the word applesauce in print is given to Eliza Smith's Compleat Housewife, 9th edition, in 1769. Going back to the 1700s was the recommendation to serve 'some good applesauce' alongside roast pork. More than three centuries later, applesauce and pork continue to be thought of as a traditional pairing.

Many of us grew up on jarred applesauce. And I don't mean jars of lovingly made homemade applesauce. I mean the off-the-shelf ones found at the grocery store. It's not bad applesauce, but it's not great. 

After stealing a taste of the applesauce off the plate of the person who shall remain nameless's pork chop lunch, I had a sudden urge to make some. The only problem was I didn't have a favorite applesauce recipe. In other words, I needed to find or create one. So I started going through some of my cookbooks. My theory of finding some in those compilation of recipes from home cooks cookbooks proved to be wrong. After going through another 30 or so cookbooks, I decided to search for one on the web. Within mili-seconds a plethora of homemade applesauce recipes appeared. So I started to read through them. Immediately I saw some consistent and inconsistent themes running through them: (1) The chunky or smooth texture was a personal preference.(2) Cooking options varied. It could be made on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, in an instant pot, and even in the oven. (3) Brown sugar was the most common sweetener used, although honey or maple syrup were top contenders. (4) Adding liquid to the cooking apples ranged from a couple of tablespoons to 2 cups. Apple cider was recommended more often than either apple juice or water. (5) Freshly squeezed lemon juice was used more often than not in the recipes reviewed. (6) Cinnamon was the one spice used consistently. Nutmeg, cloves, and allspice less frequently. 

The thing making my head spin were the recommended choices or mix of tart and sweet apples needed to create a richly flavored applesauce. Yet, in spite of the applesauce decisions needing to be made, I kept thinking was 'given the chance between eating something not too bad or great, which one would I want?'. One of the many no-brainer questions I often ask myself.

I stopped looking at applesauce recipes when the number of apple varieties and combinations reached a dozen. Twelve was the arbitrarily chosen number for the day. Some of the apple options included: Honey Crisp only; Granny Smith only; Granny Smith and Gala;  Golden Delicious and Gala; Granny Smith and Golden Delicious; Honey Crisp and McIntosh; McIntosh and Gala; McIntosh and Golden Delicious; Gala, Honey Crisp and Golden Delicious; and, lastly Honey Crisp and Gala. Clearly, I was going to have to decide for myself which apples to use.

My choice: Honey Crisp and Gala Apples. Three pounds of each of them. Apple cider, freshly squeezed lemon juice, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves rounded out the list of ingredients. Note: Instead of Gala Apples could also use Cortland apples.

Some applesauce recipes recommended keeping the skin on for added flavor. I opted to peel the apples as I didn't want one having a 'pinkish' color to it. 

To cut into wedges or in slices, that too had to be decided. Wedges won. Each peeled and cored apple was cut into eight (8) wedges.

I didn't want to wait four or six hours for the apples to cook down in a slow cooker, so I went with the stove top cooking method using a large, cast iron Dutch oven. After the apple cider and melted sugar come to a boil, the heat was reduced to medium-low. Stirring the apples frequently so they cooked evenly, the apples were knife tender after 35 minutes.

After letting the cooked apples cool for approximately 10 minutes, they were transferred in batches (four batches to be exact) to the food processor. When pureeing the apples, transfer only the apples to the food processor. So what happens to all of the remaining flavorful liquid? It's cooked over medium-high heat until thickened and reduced by almost half. This extra step helps not only to further intensify the applesauce's flavor but when it's mixed into the pureed apples it ensures your applesauce has a thick (versus) runny texture. Note: If you use an immersion blender to puree the apples drain the liquid into a medium sized saucepan.

We like our applesauce a little on the chunkier side. 

Homemade applesauce isn't just a side dish served cold or slightly warmed with pork. It can be a dessert when warmed and served over vanilla ice cream; added into a bowl of cooked oatmeal for an even more satisfying meal; served with potato pancakes, waffles, or pancakes; used to make muffins or cakes; or simply eaten out of a bowl. In other words, applesauce is really one the most versatile things you can make!

This Homemade Applesauce was highly flavorful. Warmed by savory spices it was both tart and sweet. After pairing the Honey Crisp and Gala apples together I am slightly reluctant to try other apple pairings. Maybe I will, maybe I won't, but this applesauce was seriously amazing! With apple season now in full swing, you absolutely have to make it. Especially for any of your friends or family who don't hold applesauce in high regard. This homemade applesauce has the power to change long held 'not so favorable' perceptions. It is really that incredibly delicious. 

Recipe
Homemade Applesauce (inspired by multiple sources)
Makes about 6-7 cups of applesauce
Serves 8-12
Updated November 2021

Ingredients
6 pounds of apples (3 pounds Honey Crisp, 3 pounds Gala or Cortland), peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each (I often add one Granny Smith apple in for added tartness)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
generous pinch of cloves
1 cup fresh apple cider
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 
1/2 cup (110g) firmly packed light brown sugar (Note: I sometimes use 1/4 cup dark brown sugar and 1/4 cup light brown sugar)
A generous pinch of Kosher salt

Directions
1. Put apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, apple cider, lemon juice, salt, and brown sugar in a large Dutch oven, preferably a cast iron one.
2. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, place cover on pot and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 45-60 minutes or until the apples are knife tender. 
3. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
4. Using a large bowl food processor, puree the apples only (leaving the liquid in the pan) in batches to desired consistency. Transfer applesauce to a large bowl. Note: I processed the apples in four batches.
5. Return pan with applesauce liquid to stove top. On medium-high heat, cook mixture until it is thickened and reduced (approximately 3-8 minutes). Pour and/or scrape the reduced liquid to the pureed apples. Stir to blend. 
6. Store the applesauce in a tightly covered bowl or transfer to mason jars with lids. 
7. Store in the refrigerator. Applesauce will last for up to 2-3 weeks stored a tightly sealed containers in the refrigerator.

Notes: (1) Depending on their size, three pounds of Honey Crisp apples might be 4-5 apples and three pounds of Gala (or Cortland) apples might also be 4-5 apples. (2) Half of a large lemon should yield two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. (3) I used fresh apple cider when making this applesauce. I am reluctant to recommend the use of water as a substitute. The cider added a layer of flavor water can not. (4) If you are looking for pork recipes to pair with this Homemade Applesauce, you might want to try these: Porchetta-Style Pork Roast, Slow Roasted Pork Roast, or Herbed Pork Sliders with Bacon Onion Jam.

Apple Orchard, Little Compton, RI (September 2018)