Happy/Merry!
...from our family to yours! Hope you all have a joyful holiday!
We're taking a few days off for some R&R, we'll be back in the new year!
Holiday Baking Spectacular: Toasted Coconut Shortbread
My other half (not Peachy, the other other half) has a sweet spot for coconut, so this year during my holiday baking spectacular I worked some toasted coconut into the kitchen activity in the form of toasted coconut shortbread. It's still a simple, classic cookie, just with a little added zest and texture. The coconut aficionado approved, I hope you will, too.
Toasted Coconut Shortbread
from Smitten Kitchen
1/2 cup (about 1.5 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks or 6 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread coconut on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until coconut is light golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Cool completely, then grind in a coffee grinder, food processor or blender until coarsely ground.
Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Mix in salt and vanilla. Beat in flour in 2 additions. Stir in toasted coconut. Gather dough together, flatten into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out dough disk on lightly floured work surface to scant 1/4-inch thickness. Using 1 3/4- to 2-inch-diameter cookie cutters, cut dough into rounds. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather dough scraps and reroll; cut out additional cookies.
Bake cookies until light golden, about 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely. (Can be made ahead. Store airtight at room temperature up to 1 week.)
Holiday Baking Spectacular: Chocolate Toffee Cookies
So these may not look so appetizing from the photo...well, maybe they do...anyway, looks aside, they're amazing! You know those cookies you buy from the bakery and always wonder 'how the heck to they make these?!' (ahem, double chocolate chip cookies from Central Market in Austin, TX), well, the code has been cracked...I'm convinced it's in the melting of the butter and chocolate step. Try it, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Chocolate Toffee Cookies
From Smitten Kitchen
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Heath), coarsely chopped*
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional, but highly recommended)
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool mixture to lukewarm.
Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla.
Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto sheets, spacing two inches apart. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if you’re using it. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
Holiday Baking Spectacular: Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Get ready. You're in for a treat...in between holiday card design deadlines and other important stuff, I've been making a mess in the kitchen. A holiday baking spectacular...multi-tasking, perhaps, but I just can't help myself (it's been rainy around here, too, which makes me even more inspired to bake!)
In day one of my holiday baking spectacular I made Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies. Now, I LOVE Girl Scout Thin Mints, but I can't stomach the minty green color of Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (like a certain little brother I know that eats it for breakfast regularly). These rich, dark chocolate delights are subtly minty. Just perfect for the holidays.
Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
from Joy the Baker
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 teaspoons pure peppermint extract
2 large eggs
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or 2 cups store-bought chocolate chips or chunks.
Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda and keep close at hand.
Working in a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for about 1 minute, until smooth. Add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes or so, until well blended. Beat in the peppermint. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 3 portions, mixing only until each addition is incorporated. On low speed, or by hand with a rubber spatula, mix in the chocolate pieces. (The dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen. If you’d like, you can freeze rounded tablespoons of dough, ready for baking. There’s no need to defrost before baking – just add another minute or two to the baking time.)
Spoon the dough by slightly rounded tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between spoonfuls.
Bake the cookies – one sheet at a time and rotating the sheet at the midway point – for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are set around the edges; they may still be a little soft in the middle. Pull the sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for 1 minute, then carefully, using a wide metal spatula, transfer them to racks to cool to room temperature.
Repeat with the remainder of the dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.
Holiday Greetings: 'Tis the Season
Here's a little sampling of some Lilly & Louise holiday greetings from this year.
Christmas Family Tree
By now I bet your December is in full swing, I hope you're enjoying this festive season! Here's a little something to help start off your Monday. On this simple holiday greeting we've created a tree made of thumbprints from each person in the family (even the buns in the ovens get an acorn!).
On another note, check out the L&L giveaway on the Santa Barbara Wedding Guide blog today (need not be a Santa Barbaran to win!).
Giveaway Winners
Congrats to Nancy and Rebecca who were randomly selected as winners of the Christmas tree cards! Check your mailbox soon! Thanks to all of you who entered to win! Hope your December is going well!
Read more...Kicking Off the Season: Givaway!
If the twinkling lights, jolly radio tunes, crisp cool air, or holiday cards in your mailbox haven't kicked off the Holiday Season for you, maybe this giveaway will!
Lilly & Louise is giving away a set of handmade Christmas Tree Cards (set of 4 blank cards & envelopes) to two lucky winners! There are a few ways to enter to win this holiday goodness: 1) simply leave a comment on this post, 2) leave a comment on our facebook page, 3) send us an email at hello@lillyandlouise.com. You can try all three methods to increase your chances! We'll select two winners at random on Thursday, December 9th.
L&L is Published in 1000 More Greetings!
I just learned today that one of our Lilly & Louise originals has been published in 1,000 More Greetings! Yippee!! You can view the entire book here.
We were fortunate to have our handmade bridesmaids and heart cards published not too long ago in 1,000 Handmade Greetings, by the same publisher, Rockport Publishers.
