Recipe: Jam Cookies.

Let me start off by saying I know this recipe should actually be called Jelly Cookies, but that didn't sound very appetizing. So I changed the name.

I was inspired to make these after trying some cookies at Eric's family's Christmas dinner. The host had little shortbread sandwiches with jam in the middle that were SO good. After learning they were Raspberry Galettes from Harry & David and realizing I'd have to wait 5 - 7 business days, I decided to mess around with my holiday cookie recipe for Sugared Cherry Jewels and see what I could come up with on my own. I figured it wouldn't be too far off and at the very least, I'd still get cookies.

JAM COOKIES

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp almond extract
2.5 cups flour
Additional sugar, for coating
Raspberry jelly

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in corn syrup, egg yolks, and almond extract. Slowly add flour and until completely combined. Wrap dough in cling film and refrigerate for 60 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, use a fork or whisk to vigorously break up the jelly. Mix until it has a runny consistency, similar to egg yolk.

3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in the additional sugar until coated. Place 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Make a thumb-size indent on each cookie. Fill each indent with a teaspoon of jelly.

4. Bake at 325 F (162 C) for 14 - 16 minutes. Cookies will stay light colored.

5. Put nine cookies on a plate, eat them, and then pretend it never happened.

NOTE
-I used to make these cookies with a slight variation: Use vanilla extract instead of almond, and use upside down maraschino cherry halves instead of jelly. Both variations are tasty and festive.

-Next time, I think I may try cherry jelly. Almond and cherry are goooood partners in crime.

-These cookies taste like shortbread, but they're not nearly as dry or crunchy. Soft sugar cookie consistency with a shortbread taste. And jelly, which gives it that old-fashioned homemade touch. Just like the cookies Grandma used to make. Not my Grandma though, she didn't make these. I'm just assuming your Grandma did.

Boner'ppetit!

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Recipe: Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Sauce.

As you may or may not remember, I recently made an apple cake. While the recipe was good, I wanted something a little more cakey and a little less bready. I wanted something with real apple chunks (instead of apple sauce) with an icing that wasn't as heavy as the cream cheese frosting from the previous cake.

I knew if anyone would know their shit when it comes to baking, it would have to be Martha Stewart.

I found this new recipe on Martha Stewart's website and tried it out for Eric's family's Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, I basically ate my weight in French onion dip and Fritos and turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and chardonnay, so there wasn't much room for dessert. But being the devoted baker I am, I managed to shove a slice down my throat. And let me tell you, it was gooooood. The caramel glaze REALLY makes this cake a treat.

APPLE SPICE CAKE WITH CARAMEL SAUCE
According to MarthaStewart.com

INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
4 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tsp pure vanilla

CARAMEL SAUCE
1 cup light brown
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp pure vanilla
Pinch of salt


DIRECTIONS FOR CAKE
1. Preheat oven to 350 F (176 C). Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray; set aside.

2. Working over a large sheet of parchment paper, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs. Mix on high speed until batter is lemon yellow.

4. Fold parchment paper in half, creating a valley where the sifted ingredients gather. With a mixer on medium speed, slowly add in dry ingredients until just incorporated.

5. Add apples and nuts to batter. Mix till just incorporated. Same for vanilla.

6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 75 - 90 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the the thickest part of the cake comes out dry.

7. Remove from oven and cool slightly on a wire rack.


8. Invert cake onto rack; turn cake right-side up to cool completely on rack.

9. Serve with drizzled caramel sauce.

DIRECTIONS FOR SAUCE
1. Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sauce has reached desired consistency.

NOTE:
-The apples and nuts were my favorite parts of the cake. You really can't overdo the apples in this recipe, in my opinion.

-I added more evaporated milk to the caramel sauce than what the recipe called for. I'm guessing it was closer to 1/3 cup. I like the taste of evaporated milk (Ew! Gross!) and I wanted a runnier consistency.

-Keep an eye on the cake as it gets closer to its "done-cooking" time. I made this cake again two days later and left it in the oven a touch too long. It resulted in the apples along the outer edge looking like mini burnt briquettes. Since I didn't want those burnt bits ruining my cake, I just plucked them all out and figured the sauce would hide the holes. In actuality, the sauce did not hide the holes, and instead, my cake had a  Swiss cheese effect to it... with caramel sauce pooling in the potholes.

-The caramel sauce really is the star of this cake. The more sauce you can get on your slice, the better. It has a little more flavor than standard caramel, maybe closer to a thinned out dulce de leche. It was gooood.

This cake is really easy to make. And it feeds a lot of people. Try it out for your next holiday gathering!

Boner'ppetite!

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