Cookie Desserts | Saveur

Double Chocolate Macaroons

Leah Koenig — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:21:54 +0000

Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross • Food Styling: Ben Weiner

For this luscious dessert from cookbook author Leah Koenig, the traditional coconut macaroon gets a double dose of chocolate: cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate chips. These chewy, decadent treats are also gluten-free and perfect for Passover.

Makes: About 2 dozen

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2¼ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
⅔ cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. kosher salt
3 large egg whites
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

To a small pot over medium-low heat, add the coconut, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and egg whites and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened and sticky, 5–6 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside to cool for 20 minutes, then stir in the chocolate chips.
Meanwhile, position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
Using a tablespoon, portion and roll the coconut mixture into balls, then transfer to the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake, rotating and swapping the baking sheets halfway through, until the macaroons are just set, about 20 minutes. (Be careful not to overbake as the cookies will firm up as they cool.) Transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool completely. Stored in an airtight container, the macaroons will keep for up to 4 days.

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Hamantaschen

Betsy Andrews — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:38:52 +0000

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Thu Buser

“My mother’s family is Jewish—but not that Jewish. My mother substituted her lapsed Hebrew in the holiday blessing with ‘hurrah for Hanukkah,’ and whatever I knew about Passover I learned from Cecil B. DeMille. I didn’t know what Purim was until I was nine and attended art classes at the Jewish youth center near our house in Philadelphia. In late winter, the drama students put on a play wherein the evil Haman bribes the king of Persia to allow him to kill the Jews. Luckily, the king’s favorite wife, Esther, outs herself as Jewish. In a stunning reversal, the king orders Haman hanged, and Persian Jews are saved and a day is set aside for feasting. Forthwith, we children were served cookies—jam- and poppy seed-filled triangles—representing, we were told, Haman’s three-cornered hat.

The cookies I knew. They were hamantaschen. My grandmother made delectable jewel-like versions year-round; they blew the youth center’s dry, cakey ones away. Grandma Syl’s flaky cream cheese pastry was shaped into tiny triangles framing sweet dollops of her homemade raspberry and apricot-pineapple jams. As I’ve learned, Purim also calls for mishloach manot, or ‘sending portions’—giving baskets of sweets to friends and relatives. I may not be the most observant of Jews, but with my Grandma Syl’s fantastic recipe in hand, this is one ritual I can master.” —Betsy Andrews

Featured in the SAVEUR 100 in the January/February 2013 issue.

Makes: 45 cookies

Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
16 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
¼ cup apricot preserves
¼ cup raspberry preserves
2 large egg whites, beaten

Instructions

In a medium bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt on medium speed, scraping down the bowl halfway, until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the flour. Form the dough into a thin disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and roll to a thickness of ⅛ inch. Using a 2½-inch round cookie cutter dipped in flour, cut out dough rounds. Gather the scraps, re-roll, and cut the dough until you have 30 rounds. Place about ½ teaspoon of the preserves (use the apricot on half and the raspberry on half) in the center of each round. Brush the edges with the egg whites, then fold in the edges to form a triangular shape, leaving a small opening at the top. Tightly pinch the corners to ensure the dough is sealed. Divide the cookies between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Gather the remaining dough scraps, wrap them in plastic, and refrigerate.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. One baking sheet at a time (leave the other sheet in the fridge), bake the chilled cookies until lightly browned, 16–18 minutes. Set the baking sheet aside to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the first batch bakes, continue to roll and cut the remaining dough (you should get another 15 rounds), alternating topping with ½ teaspoon of the apricot or raspberry preserves. Shape the rounds into triangles, tightly pinching the corners, and transfer to the cooled baking sheet, then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake and cool according to the above instructions.

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Almond Marmalade Thumbprint Cookies

Ryan McCarthy — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 20:39:01 +0000

Photo: Tristan deBrauwere • Food Styling: Ryan McCarthy

Buttery, crumbly, and faintly bitter, these salty-sweet shortbread cookies bridge the Spanish-British divide with crunchy Marcona almonds and a proper English marmalade. For an extra hit of puckering orange, top the cookies with additional marmalade after baking. Salted or toasted almonds can be used; simply halve the kosher salt for the former.

Featured in the Fall/Winter 2025 issue. See more recipes and stories from Issue 205.

Makes: About 24 cookies

Time: 28 minutes

Ingredients

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Marcona almonds, preferably raw and unsalted, finely ground
½ tsp. kosher salt
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
⅓ cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. almond extract
½ cup marmalade

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almonds, and salt.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, followed by the vanilla and almond extracts, and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Turn the speed to low and gradually add the flour-almond mixture, mixing just until no white streaks remain. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes, or up to 7 days.
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Roll the dough into 1-tablespoon balls and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing at least 1 inch apart. Using your thumb or the back of a round measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each ball. (Use your fingers to smooth any cracked edges.) Fill each cookie with 1 teaspoon of the marmalade.
Bake, switching racks and rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until light golden brown, 12–15 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before serving. (The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.)

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Tex-Mex Chocolate Icebox Cookies

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:48:23 +0000

Maura McEvoy

In 2005, these spicy chocolate icebox cookies from San Antonio’s legendary Liberty Bar took the No. 7 slot in the SAVEUR 100. They were also featured in our 2013 book 50 Best Cookies. The Texas institution still serves them at Sunday brunch in lieu of a bread basket and completely unadorned. That festive drizzle of white chocolate is all us.

Featured in the January/February 2005 issue.

Makes: About 4 dozen

Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
12 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Melted white chocolate, for drizzling

Instructions

In a medium bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, flour, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, and salt. To a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the sugar, vanilla, and egg and beat on high until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes more. Using your fingers, work the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined.
Using a bowl scraper, divide the dough in half and transfer each to a large sheet of parchment. Use the parchment to squeeze and roll the dough into 2 compact 9-inch logs, twisting the ends tightly to make uniform cylinders. Freeze for at least 8 hours, or up to 30 days. (If freezing longer than 24 hours, cover the paper-wrapped cylinders tightly in plastic.)
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Unwrap and slice each dough log into ⅓-inch-thick rounds. Transfer the rounds to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about ½ inch apart. Bake until the cookies are slightly puffed with tiny cracks on the surface, 7–9 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Place the rack of cooled cookies over a cool baking sheet. Using the tines of a small fork or a pastry bag fitted with a very fine tip, generously drizzle with melted white chocolate. Set aside until the chocolate is firm. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the cookies will keep for up to 7 days.

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Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Christina Tosi — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:22:39 +0000

Matt Taylor-Gross

These oatmeal cookies are the reason Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi decided to become a baker. She learned the recipe from her grandmother while growing up and made it her own by adding sweetened shredded coconut for a sharper, chewier cookie. She also highly recommends following her grandma’s storage advice: put your cookies back in the oatmeal container with a slice of bread to keep them fresh.

Makes: 24

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2¼ cups old-fashioned oats
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking soda
14 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup brown sugar
⅔ cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
½ cup confectioners sugar

Instructions

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, flour, coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
To a large bowl, add the butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium-high until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and eggs until incorporated. Add the reserved flour mixture and mix until just combined.
To the medium bowl, add the confectioners sugar. Roll the dough into 1½-ounce balls about 1½ inches thick. Toss the balls in the confectioners sugar until completely coated, then transfer to two parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2–3 inches apart.
Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden brown and crackled, 10–12 minutes. Set aside on the baking sheets to cool completely.

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Brutti ma Buoni (Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies)

Simon Bajada — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:58:18 +0000

Simon Bajada

The Italian name of these chewy, flourless cookies, brutti ma buoni, translates to “ugly but good,” a reference to their somewhat lumpy appearance and irresistible chocolate-hazelnut flavor. Their chewy, crackly texture comes from egg whites, which are whipped with sugar to stiff peaks before the cocoa and chopped hazelnuts are folded in.

Featured in “A Love Letter to Gianduja, the Perfect Union of Hazelnuts and Milk Chocolate” by Simon Bajada in the Fall/Winter 2024 issue.

Makes: 20 cookies

Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 large egg whites
¾ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. cocoa powder
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (5½ oz.) finely chopped toasted hazelnuts

Instructions

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium- high until soft peaks form, 2–4 minutes. Gradually whisk in the sugar, and when the meringue is nearly stiff, gradually sift in the cocoa. Continue beating to stiff peaks, 2–3 minutes more. Gently fold in the nuts.
Transfer the mixture to a small pot, turn the heat to low, and cook, frequently using a silicone spatula to stir and scrape the bottom of the pot, until softened and beginning to brown, 5–6 minutes. Remove from the heat, set aside to cool slightly, then refrigerate, uncovered, until the batter has cooled and solidified, about 20 minutes.
Position racks in the top and bottom third of the oven and preheat to 300°F. Use a tablespoon to shape the dough into approximately 20 balls. On two parchment-lined baking sheets, space the balls 1½ inches apart. Bake, switching and rotating the trays halfway through, until the cookies’ surfaces are glossy and dry but the interior remains soft, 20–25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature before serving.

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Butterscotch and Toffee Gingerbread House

Mindy Segal — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:31:21 +0000

Photo: Doaa Elkady • Food Styling: Jason Schreiber • Prop Styling: Paige Hicks

Forget those hollow, rock-hard gingerbread houses of yore. This soft and pillowy version from Mindy Segal, pastry chef and owner of Mindy’s Bakery in Chicago, is filled with a fragrant spice cake and luscious butterscotch frosting and finished with gingersnap cookie “walls” and toffee “roof shingles.” While there are many components in this recipe (all of which are excellent and versatile in their own right), the assembly is fairly simple, requiring no special cake decorating skills. Segal uses acetate strips to keep the edges of the cake in place when assembling the tiers. Find these in baking supply stores or online, or swap in strips of parchment if you prefer. Most importantly, Segal explains, “This slightly abstract gingerbread house is not intended to be perfect…Decorating is up to the maker, so let your imagination run wild.”

Featured in “12 Spectacular Cake Recipes for the Holidays and Beyond” by Frances Kim.

Makes: 8–10

Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the gingerbread:

Nonstick spray, for greasing
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp. cracked black pepper
½ cup molasses
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 cups dark brown sugar
1½ cups vegetable oil
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups sour cream

For the butterscotch:

1⅔ cups dark brown sugar
1⅔ cups light brown sugar
16 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (optional)
4 cups heavy cream
1½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting:

1 lb. cream cheese, softened
32 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
4 cups confectioners sugar, plus more for dusting
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the gingersnap dough:

12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cups dark brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 extra-large egg, at room temperature
2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground ginger
1½ tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. flaky sea salt
¼ tsp. ground cloves
⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

For the toffee:

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
½ cup sugar
2¼ tsp. light corn syrup
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the gingerbread cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 335°F. Grease three 6-inch square cake pans with nonstick spray and line the bottoms with parchment to fit. Spray again. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the molasses, vanilla, and eggs.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the dark brown sugar and oil on low until combined. Add the egg mixture and continue beating until incorporated, pausing and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Beat in one-third of the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk. Beat in another third of the flour mixture, followed by the sour cream. Finally, beat in the remaining flour mixture. Once again, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, then continue beating on medium until the batter is smooth and homogeneous.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans, then bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the tops are domed and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30–35 minutes. Set aside on wire racks to cool completely. Clean and dry the stand mixer bowl and paddle.
Meanwhile, make the butterscotch: In a large heavy pot over medium heat, stir together the dark and light brown sugars and the butter and cook, stirring frequently, just until melted, about 9 minutes. (Do not caramelize.) Turn the heat to medium-high and add the vanilla bean, if desired. Add 1 cup of the cream and simmer, stirring frequently to prevent it from boiling over, until reduced slightly, 4–6 minutes. Continue adding the remaining cream in 1-cup increments, simmering and stirring frequently until slightly reduced, 4–6 minutes between additions. Remove from heat, then stir in the salt and vanilla extract. Remove the vanilla bean (if using) and reserve for another use, then measure 1 cup of the butterscotch for the frosting and set aside to cool to room temperature. Reserve the rest for another use or transfer to clean, heatproof jars, cover tightly, and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Make the frosting: In the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium until homogeneous, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners sugar and beat on low for 1 minute, then turn the speed to medium and continue beating until smooth, about 1 minute more. Using a silicone spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then beat in the reserved 1 cup of butterscotch, the salt, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover, and set aside at room temperature. Clean and dry the stand mixer bowl and paddle.
Make the gingersnap dough: In the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter briefly on medium, 5–10 seconds. Add the dark brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the molasses, vanilla extract, and egg, scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl, then beat on medium until nearly homogeneous, 20–30 seconds.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground and fresh ginger, cinnamon, both salts, the cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper, then add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl all at once. Beat on low just until a shaggy dough forms, about 30 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a large sheet of parchment, then gently press it into an even ½-inch rectangle. Top with a second sheet of parchment, then roll the dough into a 13- by 18-inch rectangle. Refrigerate the dough while you assemble the cake.
Unmold 2 of the cakes and leave the third in its pan. Slide a 6-inch strip of acetate along each side of the third pan. (Eventually, this will be the top layer of the cake.) Add ½ cup of the reserved frosting and, using a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread evenly over the surface of the cake. Add a second layer of cake, bottom side up (be sure to remove this layer’s parchment if it has stuck to the cake), press down gently, then top with another ½ cup of frosting. Continue with the third cake round, adding another ½ cup of frosting, then refrigerate the cake until firm, at least 4 hours or up to 24. (If refrigerating for more than 4 hours, cover tightly in plastic wrap.)
Meanwhile, make the toffee: Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. In a small heavy pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar, corn syrup, salt, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of water. Turn the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the syrup begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture turns a deep golden brown and just begins to smoke, 3–4 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir a couple of times to cool slightly, then pour the toffee onto the silicone baking mat. Set aside for a few seconds, just until cool enough to touch, then stretch the toffee to create long, imperfect shards. Set aside until completely cool and firm, about 15 minutes.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F.
Retrieve the gingersnap dough from the fridge and, using a ruler, score the rectangle into 1-inch-wide strips. Measure the height of the assembled layer cake and score the gingersnap strips to match that height. (These will be the “boards” of the gingerbread house.) Arrange the strips on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing at least 2 inches apart. Bake until the gingersnaps are light golden, puffed, and barely set, about 8 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool.
Invert the layer cake onto a serving plate; remove and discard the acetate strips. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the bottoms of the gingersnaps with a little frosting, then adhere the cookies to the sides of the cake to fully cover. Scrunch a piece of clean parchment and place on the top of the cake. Layer the remaining gingersnap cookies over the parchment to cover, creating a “roof” for the house. Spread the backs of the toffee pieces with a bit more frosting, then, starting from the bottom edge of the roof and working upward, adhere the toffee to the gingersnaps, creating a shingled effect. Sprinkle the roof with confectioners sugar to resemble snow. If desired, paint the gingerbread walls with some of the leftover frosting to create a snowy, white-washed effect, or pipe on a few architectural details. Serve at room temperature.

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Black and White Cookies

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:47:47 +0000

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Thu Buser

These generously iced, cakelike cookies are as cherished by New Yorkers as bagels and cream cheese. It’s also the perfect treat for the indecisive among us: they’re famously glazed with chocolate and vanilla, so you get the best of both worlds. The hardest part about making these black and white cookies is patiently waiting for the glazes to set, but you can quicken the process by popping the cookies in the fridge after each coating.

Makes: 24 cookies

Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

5 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
1¾ cups sugar
16 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3¾ cups confectioners sugar (from a 1-lb. box), sifted
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

Instructions

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a second large bowl using a hand mixer), beat the sugar and butter on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Turn the mixer to low and beat in the milk, vanilla, and reserved flour mixture until just combined.
Using an ice cream scoop or ¼-cup measure, divide the dough into about 24 portions. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are set and lightly browned at the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks to cool for 15–20 minutes, then transfer the cookies directly to the racks to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the white glaze: In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar and ⅓ cup of boiling water to make a smooth glaze.
Working with one cookie at a time, hold the cookie horizontally, gently gripping it by the edges, and dip the flat bottom side of the cookie in the white glaze (you’ll get some glaze on your fingers). Turn the cookie over, place it on the wire rack, and set aside until the glaze is set, 5–10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the black glaze: Add the chocolate to the remaining white glaze. Microwave until the chocolate is melted, about 45 seconds; stir to combine.
Dip each white-glazed cookie vertically halfway into the chocolate glaze and transfer to the wire rack. Set aside until the chocolate glaze is set completely, 10–15 minutes.

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Buskut (Somali Butter Cookies)

Ben Mims — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 22:07:33 +0000

Simon Bajada (Courtesy Phaidon)

This recipe is brought to you by the SAVEUR Cookbook Club, our passionate community of food-loving readers from around the globe, celebrating our favorite authors and recipes. Join us as we cook through a new book every month, and share your food pics and vids on social media with the hashtags #SAVEURCookbookClub and #EatTheWorld.

In his fourth cookbook, Crumbs, food writer and former SAVEUR editor Ben Mims takes a deep dive into global cookie culture, sharing recipes and histories of 300 cookies from around the world. These lightly sweet, crispy cookies—one of many styles collectively called buskut, or “biscuit” in Somalia—are a popular treat often made to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. You will need a cookie press to pipe the dough into wreath, ring, or “long biscuit” shapes, the last of which produces a delicious ridged cookie ideal for dipping in coffee or tea. Though these cookies may resemble the paste di Meliga of Northern Italy, reflecting Italy’s colonization of Somalia in 1889, cardamom is a signature ingredient of East Africa and underscores Somalia’s position as an important historic point along the spice trade.

Featured in “Eat the World in 300 Cookies With This New Cookbook” by Jessica Carbone.

Makes: 25–30 cookies

Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. ground cardamom
¾ tsp. fine salt
½ tsp. baking powder
12 Tbsp. (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cardamom, salt, and baking powder.
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir until no dry patches of flour remain.
Working in batches, scrape the dough into a cookie press fitted with a wreath, ridged line or “biscuit,” or flower disc and drop the shaped cookies 1 inch apart on two large, unlined baking sheets. (If making the “long biscuit” shape, pipe 3-inch lengths of dough 1 inch apart.) Refrigerate the remaining dough as you pipe each batch.
Bake, rotating and swapping the baking sheets halfway through cooking, until very light golden brown on the bottom and dry to the touch all over, 12–15 minutes.
Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks. Cool for 1 minute, then transfer the individual cookies to the racks to cool completely.

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Banh Tai Heo (Vietnamese “Pig’s Ears” Cookies)

Ben Mims — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 21:56:09 +0000

Simon Bajada (Courtesy Phaidon)

During the research for his comprehensive cookie cookbook, Crumbs, food writer and former SAVEUR editor Ben Mims uncovered many cookies that defy expectations and many that don’t even require oven baking. For example, these spiral cookies from Vietnam are a classic street snack, with slices of cocoa-swirled dough that are flattened and fried into thin disks. As the coconut milk-based batter crisps up in oil, the cookies take on a buckled, wavy shape much like a pig’s ear, with a crispy, chewy finished texture.

Featured in “Eat the World in 300 Cookies With This New Cookbook” by Jessica Carbone.

Makes: 20–25 cookies

Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. fine salt
2 large egg yolks
⅓ cup canned unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
⅔ cup (95 g) plus ½ cup (70 g) all-purpose flour, divided
2 Tbsp. natural cocoa powder
Vegetable oil, for shallow-frying

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, lemon juice, and salt until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time until smooth. Stir in the coconut milk until smooth. Transfer approximately half of the batter to a second medium bowl.
To the first bowl, add ⅔ cup of the flour and stir until no dry patches of flour remain. To the second bowl, add the remaining ½ cup of flour and the cocoa powder to the and stir until a dough forms. Shape each dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the plain (non-chocolate) dough into a rough rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Repeat with the chocolate dough. Brush the plain dough with water and place the chocolate dough on top of it. Gently roll the rolling pin over the stacked doughs to press them together. Starting from one long side of the stacked dough, roll them up as you would a jelly roll. (When viewed from the short end of a roll, you should see two interspersing spirals of chocolate and plain dough.) Wrap the dough log in plastic and freeze for 40 minutes.
Place a large paper towel-lined baking sheet and a wire rack by the stove. Unwrap the dough and trim one end so it’s even. To a large skillet fitted with a deep-fry thermometer, add ½ inch of oil. Add a trimmed piece of dough to the skillet and turn the heat to medium-high.
While the oil heats, use a sharp knife to cut six ⅛-inch-thick cookies, then use your palms to pat each cookie as thin as possible. Rewrap and refrigerate the log. When the thermometer reads 350°F (or the dough piece floats to the surface and begins bubbling), remove the dough scrap. Slide the dough rounds into the oil and fry, flipping halfway through cooking, until golden brown and slightly curled, 1–2 minutes total. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the prepared baking sheet to drain, then to the wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining cookies, working in batches and maintaining the oil temperature. Cool completely before serving.

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Classic Linzer Cookies

Ben Mims — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 21:31:10 +0000

Simon Bajada (Courtesy Phaidon)

In his fourth cookbook, Crumbs, food writer and former SAVEUR editor Ben Mims takes an encyclopedic approach to the humble cookie, sharing the recipes and histories of 300 cookies from 100 countries across the globe. These cookies may be one of the more familiar entries in the book—peekaboo jam-sandwich cookies from the town of Linz, Austria, known as Linzer cookies. Like many other cookies, Mims traces them back to a larger-format dessert, open-faced shortbread tarts packed with ground hazelnuts, coated in red currant or raspberry jam, and baked into a lattice crust. As they evolved into cookie form, almonds took the place of hazelnuts and the cookies were stacked into a sandwich. Variations on jam-filled cookies exist across Europe, but this recipe offers a taste close to the original Austrian cookies and the tarts from which they descend.

Featured in “Eat the World in 300 Cookies With This New Cookbook” by Jessica Carbone.

Makes: 10 cookies

Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

2½ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (120 g) almond flour
¾ tsp. fine salt
16 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (135 g) confectioners sugar, plus more for dusting
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup red currant or raspberry jam

Instructions

Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 325°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, and salt. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the butter and confectioners sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and stir with a silicone spatula until no dry patches of flour remain.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough ¼-inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cutter, preferably fluted, cut out rounds of dough and transfer them to two large parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced 1 inch apart. Reroll the scraps to cut out more rounds. Using a 1-inch round cutter, cut out the centers of half of the dough rounds. (Save the centers to bake separately or reroll to cut out a few more cookies.)
Bake until the cookies are light golden brown at the edges and dry to the touch, 13–17 minutes, rotating and swapping the baking sheets halfway through. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks. Set aside to cool for 1 minute, then transfer the cookies to the racks to cool completely.
Place a heaping teaspoon of jam in the center of each whole cookie, then spread toward the edges, leaving a border of cookie exposed. Using a fine sieve, dust the ring-shaped cookies with sugar. Place each ring-shaped cookie over a jam-coated cookie to create sandwiches and serve.

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