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Dec. 2008 - In this Issue: |
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Cookie Traditions |
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 Does Santa eat all of the gazillion cookies lovingly set out for him on Christmas Eve? Will Santa leave gifts if no cookies are found? Are "store-bought" cookies an adequate offering for Santa? These are just some of the cookie conundrums that plague us this time of year! These questions may be unanswerable, but remain part of the pantheon of holiday cookie traditions. In this issue we'll explore some ethnic cookie traditions, offer ideas for creating a tradition out of cookie making, and present some top tips for achieving great cookie results. We finish with three ethnic cookie recipes, Raspberry Linzer Bars, Florentines, and Janhagels, that produce fabulous results while being quick and easy to make!
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Store Information |
Store Hours:
Monday - Saturday
10 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Sunday
11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Calhoun Square
3001 Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis
(612) 824-4417
(888) 824-4417
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Kitchen Window Services |
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Espresso Advantage |
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• Working demo units
• Hands on training
• Certified Sales Associates
• After purchase support
• Full 1 year warranty
• Free loaner machines
• Discounted service labor
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• Locally owned business
see sales associate
for program details
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Espresso Repair |
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• Tune-ups and repair
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• $37.50 diagnostic fee
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Kitchen Window services the following brands:
Baratza, Breville, Gaggia, laPavoni, Pasquini, Rancilio, Saeco, Solis & Spidem
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 Plan some fun with a cooking class at Kitchen Window! We have an incredible line-up of topics, menus, and instructors. There are, literally, dozens of choices to choose from. Our classes make a great outing with friends, visiting relatives and a wonderful date night.
No Hassle Holiday Entertaining
- #2665 – Monday, December 15 | 6:00 p.m.
Scandinavian Cookie Exchange
- #2666 – Saturday, December 20 | 10:00 a.m.
Meet the Chef: La Belle Vie - #2669 – Monday, December 22 | 6:00 p.m.
Napa New Year - #2671 – Monday, December 29 | 6:00 p.m.
View All Fall/Winter Cooking Classes You may register for any of our classes any time of day!
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WINTER/SPRING 2009 Cooking Classes |
NEW COOKING CLASS CATALOG AVAILABLE ONLINE |
 A Cooking Class makes the perfect gift
for the seasoned or aspiring cook on your holiday list!
Our Cooking Class Catalog will be available in-store December 15th to be packaged with holiday gift cards. Catalogs will be mailed the week of December 22 and should be arriving by mail late December to early January. Currently our catalog is viewable on-line by pdf only. Class listings will be posted online very soon.
Choose from over 100 classes!
View Winter/Spring 2009 Cooking Class Catalog
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Featured Cookie Making Items |
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Making cookies, eating cookies -- it's a wonderful part of enjoying the holidays. Invest in rediscovering your traditions' cookie memories, or begin a few new ones to pass on. Make some good times happen!
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Kitchen Window
has the largest selection
of cookie cutters
in the Twin Cities.
Choose from more than 500 shapes for your holiday baking.
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Ethnic European Cookie Traditions |
 Most of us have roots from "some place else." Our heritage not only defines us genetically, but so many holiday traditions stem from "where we're from." Our culinary DNA is strongly evident in the special cookies that make their appearance during the holiday season. These seasonal favorites are favorites for good reason! Their popularity goes beyond delectability, the little, sweet morsels evoke memories of season's past and the loving hands that created our primal cookie experiences.
The beauty of the melting pot that is America is that it allows us to practice our own traditions, and to borrow from other traditions - all with great enjoyment! The list of ethnic cookie favorites is long, but here are a few from Europe that we think deserve mention:
Spritz - It's full and proper name is Spritzgebäck and sports a German origin, but has become so ubiquitous that we all claim a crumb of this tradition. The dough is buttery sweet and pressed through a cookie press. Each press comes with several different discs that direct the shape of the dough.
Perfect shapes result in no time with the mechanized press. Decorate the dough with nonpareils or sanding sugars for added sparkle.
Krumkake - Norwegian in origin, the krumkake is a thin crisp cookie with a sweet, almond flavor. A spoonful of aromatic batter is placed on a hot krumkake iron; the batter is pressed and cooked from both the bottom and top imprinting a delicate folk pattern on the cookie. The golden wafer is removed from the iron and immediately rolled on a wooden cone to create a trumpet shape suitable for filling or eating as is.
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Pizzelle - An Italian favorite, pizzelle, are similar to krumkake, though different. Pizzelles are also made from a thin batter and individually cooked with a special iron. Pizzelles are typically flavored with anise, sport a distinctive waffle and flower pattern, and are left in a flat shape.
Rugelach - Hailing from Eastern Europe, rugelach cookies encase a variety of nut or fruit fillings in a pastry dough. The pastry may be a cream cheese dough, or a dough without dairy ingredients. The rolls of dough might turn into logs for cutting and baking, or might be flat triangles slathered with filling and rolled into crescents.
 Linzer - From the cafes of Vienna come the classic pairing of cinnamon and raspberry. This flavor combination is behind the famous linzertorte and linzer cookies alike. One imagines the raspberries picked the previous summer, transformed into a deep red jam, and lovingly applied to the best sweets throughout the winter. (See the Linzer recipe below).
Sufganiyot - Although they are not cookies, the traditional sweet for Chanukah is sufganiyot. These are jam-filled fried doughnuts, very popular in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The reason for their tradition at this time of year is that they are fried in oil, reminiscent of the oil found for the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, the reason for the holiday!
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Abelskiver Pan
(Ebelskiver) |
Springerle - Another favorite with German origins, the springerle cookie is an artistic creation. A stiff dough with a distinctive anise flavoring is imprinted with a pattern from a springerle mold. The springerle molds are quite detailed and are beautiful in and of themselves. Springerle dough, made without butter, result in a hard cookie that likes to be dipped in coffee or tea. Their dry texture also makes them suitable for turning into tree decorations!
Abelskivers - Danish in origin, these treats are made from an airy, fluffy batter in an abelskiver (ebelskilver) pan.  The result is a round pancake ball filled with bite of apple, or a bit of jam or fruit compote. Change up the spices in the batter and you have a different creation. These are great fun to make, serve and eat for a holiday breakfast or brunch!
We could go on, and on: Lebkuchen, Pfeffer Nusse, Biscotti, Kolaczki, Pepparkakor, Bizcochitos, Chrusti, Polvorones, Springerle, Cumiri, and more!
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15% Off One Item
Happy Holidays From Kitchen Window
Bring in this coupon and receive 15% off one item of your choice*
{THIS COUPON IS VOID}
Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive our next coupon
*Valid for in-store purchase only. Offer excludes grills and espresso machines. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Limit one coupon per customer number. Coupon valid until 12/24/2008. |
Coming Together over Cookies |
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The best tradition around cookies is the camaraderie found when making them together and sharing with others. It's the perfect activity for spending quality time with another.
Schedule a Cookie Decorating Party - Decorating cookies is a soothing - nearly meditative - process that provides a great outlet for artistic urges. Some do-ahead preparation will make the time relaxing and fun:
- Mix, chill, roll, cut and bake at least some of the rolled cookies ahead of time. Have the blank shapes ready for frosting.
- Mix the base frosting. Mix some of the basic colors, but allow participants to custom color their own "paint."
- Have several different frosting applicators available - some basic tips, squeeze bottles, toothpicks, and small frosting spatulas.
- Use plenty of wax paper underneath the racks
- Plan ahead for containers that will carry the precious, drying cargo home
Host a Cookie Exchange - This cookie activity is one of our favorites because we always learn something new, and find a new favorite to add to our compendium of personal cookie traditions. To host a successful cookie exchange, consider the following suggestions:
- Choose a few willing participants - more than ten persons, and it becomes unwieldy
- Identify guidelines for each participant - print or e-mail a copy to each participant
- Consider a theme for the cookies - per
 haps "Around the World"
- Suggest the quantities of each cookie (1 dozen for 10 participants is appropriate)
- Note that cookies should be packaged for transporting home
- You may wish to publish via e-mail the developing sign-up list with names and recipes noted. This will avoid potential duplication, or too many cookies of one type or another. (Or if you're a control freak, assign the recipes!).
- Include in the instructions that copies of the recipe should be brought to the exchange
- Identify the date and time of the official exchange
- Make a party of the exchange moment if you like, or if your goal is to save holiday time; exchange "on the fly."
- Enjoy using the vast variety of cookies you've inherited at multiple holiday events
 Take a Personal Cookie Day - One of our favorite customers tells of the Personal Day that she takes for herself each year just for cookie making! She advises that the day be strictly kept for cookie pleasures and not redirected by last minute urgencies. She enjoys planning the recipes and accomplishing the grocery shopping ahead of time, then fires up the mixer and the oven for a delightful day in the kitchen.
Revive the Cookie Plate for Neighbors - The days of receiving a plate of cookies from the neighbors seems to have fallen by the wayside in our busy lives and in our anonymous neighborhoods. Revive the tradition of the Neighbor Cookie Plate and reconnect with those that share your community.
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A Baker's Dozen of Cookie Making Tips |
Tip #1: Making your kitchen friendly for cookie making increases the enjoyment. Some basic equipment that will assist every cookie maker this year and years to come include:
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Insulated Baking Sheets
Thin, Wide Spatula |
- Heavy weight or insulated cookie sheets - at least two
- Silicone baking liners - at least two
- Thin-bladed cookie spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rolling pin
- Jelly roll pan - half and/or quarter sheet size
- Two cooling racks - grid-style
- Electric Mixer - hand or stand
Tip #2: Most cookies begin with mixing butter and sugar together. The butter is often beaten first to a lighter color to incorporate a bit of air into the batter. Begin with butter that is at room temperature to make the mixing process possible. If you've neglected to set the butter out to warm, you may soften the butter in the microwave for 10 seconds on the defrost cycle.
Tip #3: Budget Savvy! - Do we need to say this? Avoid pre-mixed cookie dough. It's less expensive to make your own, contains no mysterious ingredients, and will taste INFINITELY better!
Tip #4: Use "pure extracts" to flavor your cookies. The true flavors will make a huge difference in the taste of your cookies. Vanilla is one of the most frequent flavorings; we recommend Nielsen-Massey vanilla, available here at the store. You'll find this vanilla full of flavor and aroma, and of a reliable character.
Tip #5: To make cookies the same size, use a kitchen scale to weigh each chunk of cookie dough or use a cookie scoop. (we stock many sizes at Kitchen Window). Cookies that are similar in size will bake evenly and look professional on the plate.
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Tip #6: When making rolled cookies, it can sometimes be a challenge to get the dough an even thickness. We found rolling pin rings a clever solution to getting the dough thickness even and at the correct depth.
Tip #7: For thin, rolled cookies, roll the dough on top of parchment paper, cut the shapes and remove the excess dough from around the shapes. Transfer the parchment to the baking sheet. This method avoids the pitfalls of transferring the cut shapes. A piece of parchment paper may typically be used a couple of times prior to discarding.
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Grid-Style Cooling Rack |
Tip #8: When frosting rolled cookies, or applying a glaze, place a cooling rack that has a grid pattern inside of a jelly roll pan. The rack will allow the frosting to dry along the bottom edges more quickly, and the jelly roll pan will provide sturdiness when moved around the kitchen.
Tip #9: To frost rolled cookies, outline the edges of the cookie with the desired color with a #2 writing tip. Allow the outline to dry slightly, (i.e., outline a half dozen more cookies), then flood the outlined areas of the cookie with the same color frosting. The frosting will stay on top of the cookie and produce a neat appearance.
Tip #10: To get decorations to stick to the cookie, generally apply prior to baking. If the dough is a dry, stiff dough, you may wish to lightly brush heavy cream or an egg wash to the surface of the cookie, then add the sanding sugar or other decorations.
 Tip #11: Budget Savvy! - Skip the tubes of pre-made frosting. You can make it less expensively yourself, and without preservatives!
Tip #12: Time is of the essence! Many cookie doughs require some chilling prior to forming and baking. Use this chilling time as a natural interlude. Mix the dough on one day; bake on the next day. If the dough is too stiff, or too chilled, allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to using.
Tip #13: Need to delegate some of your holiday baking? Gift a cookie kit! It's the next best thing to baking cookies for giving. Assemble key ingredients, and tie them up with a ribbon festooned with a favorite cookie cutter. Your gift will be an inspiration!
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| Measuring Cups |
Q: Is it ok to substitute margarine for butter?
A: Functionally, margarine works the same as butter in most recipes. However, there's no comparison in the taste outcome. Real butter is a magical, key ingredient in most cookie-making. We've lost track of who said it, but we agree with the sentiment: "I trust cows more than chemists!"
Q: What's the best way to measure flour?
A: First of all, make sure you have accurate measuring cups and spoons. You'd be amazed at the difference in volume amongst measuring sets. Secondly, the proper method for measuring flour is to spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then scrape the excess from the top with a knife or spatula to get a level cup or spoon. Dipping a measuring cup in the flour canister, or shaking a measuring cup will compact the flour adding as much as 25% too much to the recipe.
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Sanding Sugars |
Q: What's the best way to measure sugar?
A: Sugar, unlike flour, does not compact as easily and may be scooped or poured. Like flour, measurements of sugar should be leveled with a knife or spatula. Brown sugar, moister than white sugar, is measured by firmly packing the measuring cup full of the sugar.
Q: What are sanding sugars?
A: Sanding sugars are specialty sugars designed for decorating your cookie or cake creations. The granules of sugar are larger than granulated sugar, and are available in many brilliant colors. We like to think of them as "food glitter!" Shiny and jewel-like, the sanding sugars definitely catch the eye's attention.
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Great Cookies, Secrets to Sensational Sweets by Carole Walter. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, New York, New York. Copyright 2003.
After our initial session with this cookbook, we understood why it received both the James Beard Cookbook Award, and The International Association Culinary Professional (IACP) Cookbook Award. The book opens with a classic oatmeal raisin cookie recipe, then explores every other conceivable cookie from rolled sugar cookies, to ethnic sweets, bars, biscotti, meringues and macaroons. This encyclopedic collection of cookies is both reference and aesthetic inspiration with beautiful photographs accompanying nearly every recipe. In the process of gaining fantastic cookie recipes, we learn the how, why, and techniques behind making great cookies. We particularly enjoyed how the recipes were presented - a colorful introduction, an overview list (including pan required, pan preparation required, oven temperature, mixing time, chilling time, baking time and a degree of difficulty), ingredients, and clear instructions with key hints built in. Each recipe is concluded with storage recommendations, shelf life and traveling ability. This is the type of book that becomes the first one off the shelf whenever there is a cookie craving or a cookie question!
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This week's recipes were chosen for a couple of reasons - they present an ethnic tradition, and they are incredibly easy and fast to make. We think you'll enjoy incorporating these recipes into this year's cookie tradition!
Recipes excerpted from Great Cookies, Secrets to Sensational Sweets by Carole Walter. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, New York, NY. Copyright 2003. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
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Raspberry Linzer Bars
If you yearn for Vienna and all its cache, these linzer bars will satisfy you for a bit. Whether a linzer torte, or a linzer sable, the "linzer" taste is characterized by a buttery sweet dough flavored with cinnamon and garnished with raspberry jam in some way. This interpretation of a linzer cookie offers the requisite cinnamon and raspberry components in a quick and easy bar method. The deep red centers look dynamite on a holiday cookie plate. Put on the Mozart, brew a cup of coffee and savor these linzer bars!
View recipe
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Florentines
One of our seasonal favorites from Italy, is this cookie that offers the speed and ease of a bar cookie, but with an elegance and uniqueness that says "holiday special." A very thin shortbread crust provides the base for a caramel topping studded with bright red glacé cherries and candied orange and lemon peel. The finished bars are drizzled with a filigree of dark chocolate. The result is a chewy morsel with holiday sparkle. Michelangelo would be quite impressed!
View recipe
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Janhagels
If there is a list of "comfort flavors," certainly the combo of cinnamon and sugar would be on that list! These traditional Dutch cookies are also on the list of easy and quick, but uniquely different. Inspired by almonds in the crust and on top, the dough comes together quickly, and is topped with sliced almonds and a generous dose of cinnamon and sugar. The finished pan is cut into decorative diamonds disguising its humble "bar" origins.
View recipe
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Share this email with a friend or invite someone to join you for a cooking class.
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Enjoy the pleasures of renewing old holiday traditions and creating new ones!
From all of us at Kitchen Window
Kitchen Window
Calhoun Square - 3001 Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-824-4417 / 888-824-4417
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