Episode 3: Cookie Battle!

Ok. Confession time. I do not consider myself very competitive, but I do like the satisfaction of a job well done.  

It’s the little things, the smile on the face of very happy eaters—or even better, seeing someone lick the plate is immensely rewarding to the cook! It is not polite to lick your plate, so I am not suggesting anyone do it, just saying that it is high praise!

This is a good trait and this is a bad trait because I am more “competitive” and work harder to excel with things that I am already good at. This is good when it comes to cooking and bad when it comes to fitness. More on that later...  

So when Thierry and I decided to compete with a Cookie Battle...I decided to make 2 cookies, a very traditional Christmas cookie (Spritz) and a new fangled kid-pleaser, my Holiday Nutella S’Mores.  I knew that the kids would love the s’mores—I mean, who doesn’t?! But I thought that it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t bake any cookies—so I made 2 kinds of cookies!  It was plain to me that a Cookie Battle could (and should!) include multiple kinds of cookies just like a holiday cookie plate has lots of choices.  Thierry wasn’t down with my idea of cookies vs. cookie but in the end, he was a good sport and let the kids judge the winner.  Watch for yourself!

Christmas Spritz Cookies

Makes about 5 dozen

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup granulated white sugar

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla (or almond extract)

2 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon of fine sea salt

Topping:

Preheat oven to 350 F

Mix butter and sugar together until creamy.  Add egg yolks one at a time to combine.  Add vanilla and mix thoroughly.  Whisk the flour and salt together.

Using your hands or a blending fork, work in the flour, a little at a time until smooth.

Divide dough into 2-3 pieces and roll them to the size of the tube and cover with wax paper.  Chill dough for 15 minutes.  When the dough is chilled, place the roll in the tube of the cookie press.  This allows you to bake the Spritz when you want to have the cookies.

Place in a cookie press such as the OXO cookie press and choose your design.  Note: Cookie Presses like OXO with metal plates work better than presses with plastic plates.

Press the cookies out one at a time onto an ungreased cookie sheet or a cookie sheet fitted with a SilPat.  Sprinkle colored sugar on the cookies to decorate.

Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until set but not brown.  Remove from cookie sheet after 1 minute, and gently place on a cooling rack. Let cookies cool completely on a cookie rack.

Store in an airtight container in a cool place.

Holiday Nutella S’mores

The S’mores are easy to make, appeal to kids of all ages and are a guaranteed crowd pleaser.  There is no baking or fire-roasting so it keeps your kitchen cool and is safe for even young children to make.  

You need a package of graham crackers, Nutella; your favorite jam or jelly such as  raspberry, or strawberry, and marshmallow Fluff.  

Break the graham cracker in half at the perforation.  Spread a generous teaspoon of Nutella on  the back-side of the cracker and a teaspoon of marshmallow Fluff on the other.  Spread a thin layer of jelly over the Nutella.  

Place the two halves together and press gently to seal the filling and repeat.  If you want the S’Mores to look a little more finished, dip the sticky sides in holiday sprinkles or shaved chocolate for a more sophisticated look.

For parties, I like to set out the graham crackers and spreads and add a few options like sliced bananas, crumbled bacon, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, colorful sprinkles and lots of different jellies—the sky and your family’s favorites are the limit!  Give everyone a (plastic) knife and let them make their own s’mores.  

Gimme some more S’mores!

Thierry’s Chocolate Chip Cookies with M&Ms Garnish

Makes about 24 triangles

Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

1/2 cup Butterscotch chips

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup red and green  M&Ms

½ cup re and green peanut M&Ms

Gummi Bears

Follow recipe as directed.  Add butterscotch and chocolate chips to the batter and mix well.  

Form cookies into a ball and flatten them with your fingers.  Space the cookies close together and decorate the tops with M&Ms.  

Place in the oven for about 15-20 minutes.  Bake until all the cookies have spread together and are golden brown on top.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Once they are cool, slice into triangles and serve garnished with your favorite gummi bears.