Gianduja and Chocolate Cookies
When I made these cookies the first time many Christmases ago I knew that a tradition was born. Every year, in December, I need a box of these crescent shaped cookies stuffed with Gianduja, which is also known as nougat in Germany and Austria and gives them their name: Nougat Kipferl. This nougat is made of chocolate and hazelnuts - different to the white nougat (or "Turkish honey") which is made of almonds and honey.
Another weekend, another Kipferl! These aren't as tender as the Vanilla Kipferl which I made last week, they are more dense, but still crumbly. I add lots of Gianduja to the dough because I want more than just a hint of this taste. The bittersweet chocolate on the Kipferl's feet isn't just for decoration - it takes away a bit of the sweetness. The amounts I use in my recipe aim for a bigger batch of 90 cookies as I enjoy this pleasure just once a year.
Gianduja and Chocolate Cookies - Nougat Kipferl
For 90 cookies you need
butter, soft, 100g / 3.5 ounces
Gianduja / nougat for baking, soft, 250g / 9 ounces
organic egg 1
plain flour 320g / 11 ounces
baking powder 3/4 teaspoon
vanilla sugar 1 tablespoon
a pinch of salt
bittersweet chocolate 70g / 2.5 ounces
Mix the butter together with the nougat, this works best with dough hooks. Add the egg and continue mixing. Add the flour, vanilla sugar, baking powder and the salt and mix to a dough ball. Form a thick disc, wrap in cling film and put in the freezer for 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 355°F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate.
Take the dough out of the freezer. Cut thick slices off the disc and cut these slices in walnut sized pieces. Roll your cookies into the Kipferl shape between your hands. Mind that the ends don't get too thin as they would burn. Place your cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Don't let them get too dark. Let them cool completely before you start dipping their two tips into the melted chocolate.
Dark Chocolate and sweet Apricot Cookies
John Fahey's Christmas songs are playing in the background, the tree is lit up and my second Christmas cooking baking session can start. Happy Advent!
Today's cookies are a lovely combination of dark chocolate and sweet apricot jam. The texture is light and crumbly enriched with the juiciness of the jam. The dough is made with ground hazelnuts which adds a nice nuttiness and - like yesterday's Kipferl - they are so easy to prepare!
These cookies put me in a real time warp. I used to love them as a child and I gobbled up boxes of them. But as I tried out so many different recipes over the years I forgot about them. But now they are back in my cookie boxes!
Update, December 2023: Today, 10 years after I posted this recipe, a friend pointed out that these cookies taste like the famous Austrian Sachertorte. It’s true!
Chocolate Cookies with Apricot Jam
For 70 double cookies you need
plain flour 350g / 12 ounces
hazelnuts, ground, 100g / 3.5 ounces
sugar 100g / 3.5 ounces
butter, soft, 250g / 9 ounces
bittersweet chocolate, melted, 200g / 7 ounces (100g / 3.5 ounces for the dough and the rest for topping)
a pinch of salt
apricot jam for the filling
You need a round cookie cutter (about 3,5 cm / 1 1/2").
Melt half of the chocolate. Combine the flour with the ground hazelnuts and the salt. Mix the butter together with the sugar till fluffy, add the melted chocolate and mix again. Mix the butter mixture together with the flour mixture. Form a ball, wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for 60 - 90 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and melt the rest of the chocolate.
Roll the dough out thinly (about 2-3mm) between cling film and cut out your cookies with a floured cookie cutter. Bake them for 7-9 minutes, they shouldn't get too dark. Let them cool.
Brush half of your cookies with the melted chocolate.
Cover each of the remaining cookies with 1/4 teaspoon of jam and place a chocolate topped cookie on top. Let the chocolate dry completely and then: fill your cookie boxes!
Chocolate Cinnamon Rugelach, Happy Hanukkah!
We are invited to celebrate Hanukkah together with our friends and godchild and I will contribute rugelach which is a wonderful flaky, croissant like pastry. They are made traditionally for the important Jewish feast Hanukkah, the "Feast of Light and Dedication".
When I tried them the first time I fell in love with their flakiness, they are buttery but still light. They taste divine, absolutely addictive, and due to their tiny size you end up eating lots of them. I enhanced the chocolate filling with cinnamon (which I love all year round), so it fits perfectly to the season. The pastry is a bit like short crust with added cream cheese which makes them so fluffy but still buttery. Look at the photo and you will want to try one!
Rugelach with Chocolate and Cinnamon
For 24 of these bite-sized sweets you will need
plain flour 150g / 5 ounces
icing sugar, 2 heaped tablespoons
butter, cold, 125g / 4.5 ounces
cream cheese, at room temperature, 120g / 4.5 ounces
a pinch of salt
bittersweet chocolate 80g / 3 ounces
sugar 40g / 1.5 ounces
cinnamon 1 heaping teaspoon
You will need a baking tray, lined with baking parchment. Keep in mind that the dough has to sit in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the fridge for at least 1 1/2 hours.
Mix the dry ingredients (flour, icing sugar, salt). Cut the butter with a knife into the flour mixture until there are just little pieces of butter left. Mix with the dough hooks for a few seconds. Add the cream cheese and work it into the mixture with a fork or the mixer to get a crumbly texture.
Form 2 discs and put them in the freezer for 30 minutes. The dough should be very cold but not too hard, still rollable.
Preheat the oven to 185°C / 365°F. Put baking parchment on your baking sheet. Chop the chocolate finely and mix with cinnamon and sugar.
Roll out one disc. I do this between floured cling film as it become too sticky otherwise. When the diameter is roughly 30cm / 12" you should have reached the right thickness of a couple millimeters. Cut the disc like a cake into 12 triangles. Take one slice after the other in your hand (the dough might still stick a bit to the foil but don't worry, it is elastic) and sprinkle with your chocolate mixture. Don't forget to set aside half the chocolate mixture for the second pastry disc. Now roll the little rugelach in the palm of your hand tightly into a croissant shape and put them on your baking sheet. Follow with the second disc or leave it in the freezer if you want to stop after the first batch of 12. I recommend doing them all at once as you will regret it if you don't. When you have rolled up all 24 (they should all fit on one tray) bake them in the oven for 13 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. It's best to check them after 10 minutes to be sure that they don't get too dark.
Let them cool on a wire rack for a few minutes and enjoy with your tea or coffee. They are also great for a late breakfast or brunch or even for a party as they are perfect fingerfood.
