Merry Christmas!!

I hope you’re all having a wonderful day – whether celebrating the holiday or just enjoying a day off. We get to see both sides of the family today, so it’s bound to be a good one.

Since we’re traveling this year, I didn’t do a lot of Christmas baking, but I did squeeze in these “Massachusetts shortbread” cookies right before we left home. “Massachusetts” because of cacao nibs from . . . → Read More: Cookies with Dried Cranberries and Cacao Nibs]]>

Merry Christmas!!

I hope you’re all having a wonderful day – whether celebrating the holiday or just enjoying a day off. We get to see both sides of the family today, so it’s bound to be a good one.

Since we’re traveling this year, I didn’t do a lot of Christmas baking, but I did squeeze in these “Massachusetts shortbread” cookies right before we left home. “Massachusetts” because of cacao nibs from Taza Chocolate and dried local cranberries. “Shortbread” because of the slightly crumbly texture (as opposed to chewy or crisp). They’re a little sweeter than your standard shortbread, but not overly so. The dried cranberries add a nice tang and the cacao nibs are more nutty than chocolate-y. They’re the perfect cookies to accompany an afternoon tea. If you want something a little more luxurious, drizzle some dark chocolate over the top.

I made them small and kind of fat, but you could roll the dough into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a bit. Once it’s nice and cold, cut thin discs off of it and bake them for 10 minutes or so. This will give you a thinner and bigger cookie. With the assistance of a kitchen scale, you can prep these even before the oven has preheated.

Cran-Nib Cookies

Makes about 45 small cookies

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat the sugars and butter until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
4. Add the flour and salt and mix well.
5. Add the dried cranberries and cacao nibs and mix gently to evenly distribute.
6. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll about 2 teaspoons of dough into a ball. Place it on the pan and flatten it gently with your palm. Repeat with the remaining dough. You should be able to fit about a dozen cookies per pan.
7. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans in the middle. To rotate the pans, (1) switch the top and bottom pans and (2) turn the pans so that the cookies in the back of the oven are in the front. The cookies should be just a little golden around the edges.

I have learned that there are two things in life that impress people way more than they should. (1) An undergraduate math degree and (2) homemade marshmallows. I know you mean it as a compliment, folks, but girls are good at math, too. Even ones that no longer have bad perms and pink plastic glasses (childhood friends – you know what I’m talking about).

Now on to number two…also unreasonably impressive. I took . . . → Read More: How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallows (with Local Honey)]]>

I have learned that there are two things in life that impress people way more than they should. (1) An undergraduate math degree and (2) homemade marshmallows. I know you mean it as a compliment, folks, but girls are good at math, too. Even ones that no longer have bad perms and pink plastic glasses (childhood friends – you know what I’m talking about).

Now on to number two…also unreasonably impressive. I took a batch of these into my office Christmas party, met a lot of new people, and will now forever be known as “Marshmallow Girl”. I spent a lot more time on the gingersnaps, but these are what people remember. Homemade marshmallows are much better than store-bought, in my opinion. The texture is better; there’s no chemical taste; and you can flavor them however you’d like. Plus, you can wow some new friends.

Two notes on these. First off, I started with a recipe from The Nourishing Gourmet and doubled it. I think the marshmallows were too hard as a result. Next time, I’d try three packages of gelatin, rather than four (equivalent to 3 tablespoons). Secondly, this involves some very very hot, sticky liquids. Be careful. Use common sense and a much bigger pot than you think you need. Burns caused by hot sugar are not fun and shouldn’t be risked.

Not at all related to marshmallows, but still very important – residents of Dorchester, Boston’s largest and most diverse neighborhood, are working on their first community food system project, a winter farmers’ market. They need less than $1,000 to reach their Kickstarter goal. To read more and give them some support click here.

Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallows

Makes one 9-by-9-inch pan of marshmallows

Directions

1. Put 1/2 cup cold water into the workbowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the gelatin on top.
2. In a large pot, mix another 1/2 cup of water, the honey, 1/4 cup of cocoa, and the salt. Don’t skimp on the pot here. I know it’s only about 2 cups, but it will boil up quickly. As an example, I started with a 6-cup saucepan and had to pour everything (very carefully) into a larger pot after about 10 minutes.
3. Bring the liquids to a boil over high heat, watching carefully. Once you reach a boil, put the lid on for 3 minutes. This causes condensation to run down the sides of the pan, removing any sugar crystals, which will mess up the process.
4. Remove the lid and continue boiling until the mixture reaches 240 degrees, stirring occassionally.
5. Using the whisk attachment, beat the gelatin into the water. Then, very carefully and while the mixer is going, pour the hot honey mixture into the water and gelatin. Aim to put a thin stream down the side of the bowl. Once everything is incorporated, turn up the speed to high and let it go for about 12 minutes.
   Note: It will probably start to smell kind of gross at some point. This is normal. Also, your poor stand mixer might start to heat up a bit. This is also normal.
6. While the mixer is doing its thing, prepare the pan. Spray a 9-by-9-inch pan with nonstick spray. Mix together 1 tablespoon of cocoa, the cornstarch and the powdered sugar and dump it into the pan. Roll the pan around and tap it to coat the bottom and sides in the powder. Pour out the extra and save for later.
7. The marshmallows are done when they look like marshmallow fluff and are only slightly warm. Add the peppermint extract and mix for another minute.
8. Use an oiled spatula to coax the fluff from the bowl and into the prepared pan. Spread it out and smooth the top, if it’s cooperating. If it’s not, just do the best you can.
9. Dust the top with some of the reserved powder mixture and save the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to set up for 8-12 hours.
10. Once they’re set, turn them out onto a cutting board and cut however you’d like. A pizza cutter works pretty well. Toss the cut marshmallows and the reserved powder mixture in a zip-top bag or covered bowl until all the sticky edges are covered. Go forth and impress!