Holiday Treats 2022

Looks great! I always store mine with a slice of cheap sliced white bread to keep them moist, and I rotate the bread slices because they dry out. Just a tip I should’ve mentioned before.

2 Likes

Your cookies look like they have more sugar than mine … I used regular sugar; did you use something different?

I do roll them rather excessively in regular sugar before baking, but part of what you’re probably noticing is just photo resolution.

1 Like

Incidentally, I’ve always rolled them in turbinado sugar, which gives a great little crunch, and looks nice.

5 Likes

To any HOs that have made the ricotta lace cookies, has anyone tried to reduce the sugar a bit and still made a successful cookie? I just baked a batch as the recipe is written, and it’s just on this side of too sweet for me. I’d try to reduce the 1 cup to 5/6 or 3/4 cup, but I know you don’t play with baking.

I haven’t made those cookies, and I would not describe myself as an excellent baker, but I often reduce the sugar when making American and Canadian cookie and cake recipes.

The only thing, if these are crispy lace cookies , like oatmeal lace cookies are, they will probably become a little cakier and a little less crisp, if you cut down on sugar.

I may have to weigh the pros and cons of that one, because the texture and crispiness is certainly one of the things I most enjoy about them.

1 Like

I know you should never reduce sugar in biscotti if you want crispness,so same may apply here

I don’t think there is a way to achieve crispness without full amount of shortening/butter and sugar - it’s almost like that is what adds the crunchy, caramelized element to cookies.

Low-fat and/ or lower-overall-sugar cookies that rely on things like applesauce to replace the sugar are always cakey in my experience! (Not suggesting you were going to add applesauce, just that when the sugar ratio goes down, the crispiness goes down with it)

I cut an ounce of sugar when I make them, but they’re still on the sweet side due to containing more sugar than flour. This is pretty normal for soft and chewy cookies, though for most I find it’s fine to be equal on the sugar and flour or even cut the sugar a bit to be less than the amount of flour. However these are lace cookies specifically and it’s normal for lace cookies to contain very little flour in relation to the sugar, since usually there are additions like nuts or oats and the fact that the cookies are designed to be thin and the sugar to caramelize a bit. The sugar contributes to the spread, flavor, and crisp texture.
I haven’t tried cutting more than an ounce, but my guess would be you’d have less spread and not as much of a contrast of crisp golden edges with soft centers.

5 Likes

Biscotti I find are one of the most forgiving cookies in terms of substitutions and they don’t typically contain a lot of sugar to begin with in relation to flour. But you can make very crispy savory biscotti that don’t contain sugar at all or some but much less than normal ones.

2 Likes

Thanks for that. I’m imagining these trial and error type of experiments are not so bad. A less than great cookie is probably still a pretty good cookie! It’s not like experimenting with what turns out to be a bad haircut.

5 Likes

I love these cookies and I find them to be a bit chewy, not crisp, even when freshly baked. Mine still tasted great a week later, stored in a plastic ziplock.

2 Likes

Yes, they’re soft and chewy with crisp frilly edges.

1 Like

IT’s true, I never got mine as “lacy” as the photos on the original recipe. That was fine with me though.

2 Likes

I made mine with organic granulated sugar and wasn’t pleased with the results. Tasty but little too sweet and not that special, at least to me.

Last holiday treat for the season: a slice of galette des rois from Dominique Ansel in Soho. My first ever taste of this pastry!

This didn’t really merit waiting outside in the cold to get inside the bakery, as I had to do this morning. I mean, it’s fine, it’s Dominique Ansel so the quality level is there, but this slice didn’t make me want more.

I’d probably like a pistachio frangipane version WAY more.

They had a lot of really enticing little treats in the pastry case, including a personal-sized blueberry violet pavlova and a passion fruit riz au lait mousse cake (!) It was 10 am though so I got the galette slice to have later in the day, and a kouign amann for breakfast.

12 Likes

What brand and model number of knife did you use? I read an article recently where a comparison was done, and it was determined that the knife should have a thin blade. I have a great Mercer serrated knife, but the blade is too thick. Your knife does a great job.

I just bought a really nice chocolate pannetone from Indigo in Kanata (Ontario), on sale for $10.50. Finally, a pannetone with a cake-like texture; can’t wait for breakfast tomorrow. Think I’ll buy a couple more. There were also some with lemon.

2 Likes

The other day, Sunshine and I were at the grocery store. I always dig around in the clearance section looking for deal (dented can, etc.) Well this time, I found a gingerbread house kit for $1 on clearance. I didn’t make gingerbread men this holiday season as I had planned, so we kind of missed out on that. So I picked it up and took a chance for a $1, it wouldn’t be stale.
We tasted it first, then built this little gingerbread house. It’s a little crooked, but its standing. Sunshine had never decorated a gingerbread house as a child, so she got to do it as an adult. We’ll break it apart tonight for dessert.

10 Likes