this post is my entry to qurator;s hive top chef challenge for powdered sugar.
while christmas is a time for tradition, new year's celebration is a time to look to the future and a good time to try out something new. here in norway there are a great variety of christmas cookies and we keep with the same recipes that have been used for generations . that is the way is has been and the way i hope it continues to be. but this year to welcome the new year i made something i just recently learned about and was excited to try out.
glass cookies
as i learned it, the basic cookie ingredients are
50 g butter softened
40 g powdered sugar
1 egg
90 g white flour
i figured it would be better if i added
1/4 tsp salt and
5 drops almond essence
the butter really needs to be soft. i found it helps to keep the bowl in warm water. mix the powdered sugar and butter until smooth
beat the egg thoroughly and add gradually while mixing, beat the added egg in well before adding more, maybe about 5 steps in all.
add the almond essence with the last of the egg and beat until nice and smooth. then add the flour and salt and beat smooth one final time.
now for the glass
20 g butter softened
10 g powdered sugar
20 g glucose syrup
20 g slivered almonds, chopped
stir the glucose syrup into the almonds
then the butter and sugar together, then all together
and that will be the glass
so with the cookie dough in one bowl and the glass mix in another
it's time to put them together. first we need a cookie press. no need for any fancy equipment. just spoon the dough carefully into the corner of a small plastic bag and cut away the tip of the corner making a hole no more than about 2-3 cm.
preheat the oven to 160C.
twist the plastic bag tight and press out the dough onto a cookie tray lined with baking paper.
no need to be pedantic here. have fun and make the forms you feel, just make sure they are not too big or too narrow.
when you have filled the tray with your cookie shapes it is time to put in the glass mix. this will melt and spread out inside the borders so you don't need too much
when all the shapes a filled pop the tray in the oven for about 10 minutes. keep your eye on it as your oven is probably not like mine so you may need more or less time.
i thought these were done but they were not so i put them back in for a few minutes more
when they start to turn light brown they are just right. slide them carefully onto a cooling rack.
and make some more. you'll be glad you did.
after all it is party time
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!