Shortbread is one of those things that somehow, I all too easily overlook when I am rifling through recipes or piles of cookies. Visually, it is not all that exciting. There are no glimmering, contrasting, or contouring characteristics that shortbread really embodies. Unless of course you are using a mold and making cookies–but otherwise, it comes in a fairly simple and straightforward hunk. It is also sort of colorless, like a lot of food can become deep in the winter. It’s those days when you’ve realized everything you’ve eaten has in one form or another been a shade of brown, that you feel most desperately the need for warmer days!
But something about this recipe caught my attention–the use of brown sugar. Brown sugar (although it is brown, the color I try to avoid most in the heart of winter, especially when it comes to my palate,) brings another level of warmth and fullness to baking that I love paired with a sensuous vanilla. This shortbread had lots of both, so I thought, what the heck I’ll give it a go.
I have to admit, while making it, the four sticks of butter it took actually made me wince. But that didn’t deter me from stopping–oh no. These shortbreads came out of the oven like perfect little golden vessels of aromatic goodness. I cut them up, stacked them, arranged them on cutting boards and plates and finally sent them off as gifts to family and friends (Noel Bakerina inspired, of course). The two hunks I saved I have been whittling away at since they appeared, getting smaller in smaller in their Tupperware home. As their baker, I know what went into them–this is the only reason they have lasted as long as they have–because other wise, they’d be ancient history.
This shortbread is soft, chewy almost, but still holds its distinctive shortbread texture. When you bite into one of these, you just feel loved, decadent and loved–like you might have felt when you and your first boyfriend were comfortable enough to hold hands while walking around in public. A little sassy, a little different, but undeniably classic.
Noel Bakerina, the character I’ve created as the knower/goddess/overseer-of-all-things-baked, has been and adventure in and of itself. Noel has made it easier for me to get out of myself. She has inspired me to not only to be more generous with my love, but reminds me that it’s the simple things in my day that are remarkable. The smell of fresh bread, warm buttery vanilla, or spices, the actual warmth from my oven, and the music from my favorite pandora station–that’s been my reality lately. And when I get steamed over the economy, not having a regular job, insert-anxiety-laden-thoughts-here_______, I just think back to what I do have–cliche and all–and I realize that I am happy.
Brown Sugar Walnut Shortbread via Lottie + Doof via Avery Wittkamp
I think this works best in two quarter sheet pans because it allows for more even cooking in home ovens. It also will work in one half sheet pan, just make sure you monitor it carefully so it doesn’t burn on the edges or bottom.
4 sticks (1 pound) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
9 ounces light brown sugar
5 ounces white sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 pound 3 ounces organic King Arthur bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
Prepare a half sheet tray, or two quarter sheet trays, by buttering and lining with parchment paper. Allow a two-inch overhang on the long sides of the pan to help release the shortbread later after they have been baked.
Cream butter and sugars in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla until combined, then mix in dry ingredients. Combine completely.
Divide dough evenly into prepared sheet trays, spreading smooth and level. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and bake at 325° until golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes.
Let cool completely before using a sharp knife to cut into squares. These keep well at room temperature for at least a week!
Cheers!
When I dropped these off, the latest treat by Noel Bakerina, my friend’s eyes widened in anticipation. “These cookies taste like Christmas,” she told me mid bite as she helped herself to seconds. “My mother makes something like these every year. Actually, we are going to be making some next week,” she explained after carefully chewing, making sure not to miss a beat, a flavor, or a memory. I was thrilled to have caught a glimpse of this familial moment through her explanation and facial expressions!
My best friend, who’s grandmother is Finnish, sent me this recipe. All she wrote is “I’m thinking of making these. The jam filled cookie seems to be my thing this year…” What caught my eye wasn’t necessarily the jam filling, but the crumbly, buttery, vanilla-y cookie dough. Browning the butter and then incorporating all the little browned bits from the bottom of the pan (especially important, the recipe stated) sounded phenomenal. And if this was made right, I was imagining the slight crumble of the cookie quickly turning from the soft grain-like texture and melting in my mouth, the flavors enveloping my tongue. And it did. The jam burst through the subtlety of the cookie, complimenting the undertones of vanilla and butter with a zing of raspberry. I’ve heard of people using plumb or cloud berry jam as well. Either way, don’t skimp on cheap jam–this cookie needs to be done right with something hanging around you might have made last summer, or a nice jam from a specialty store.
Lusikkaleivat is a traditional holiday cookie Finnish people make for both Christmas and Easter. But I am warning you, it’s browned butter goodness will haunt you. The delicate flavor and texture will leave you reaching for seconds…thirds…you get the point 
.
Lusikkaleivat via Kiija via here
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch fine salt
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/3 cup jam, such as a berry, plum or cloudberry
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Melt the butter in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter browns lightly and smells slightly nutty, about 15 minutes. Transfer the butter to a medium bowl — be sure to get all the tasty brown bits — and cool slightly.
Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in another medium bowl.
Whisk the egg yolk, sugar and vanilla into the cooled browned butter.
Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture to make a uniform but crumbly dough that looks like wet sand.
Scoop out dough with a small teaspoon (the kind you set the table with, not the ones you measure with). Rock spoon gently back and forth against the side of the bowl, packing the dough into the spoon, then scrape/slide the spoon against the inside of the bowl to make spoon-shaped cookies. Trim excess dough with your fingers and slide out onto the prepared pans, preserving their shape. (Try to make sure you form an even number of cookies, since these sandwich together.)
Bake cookies until just browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool almost completely on the baking sheets, and then transfer cookies to a rack to cool.
When cool, spread 1/2 teaspoon jam on the flat side of a cookie, and then sandwich together with a second cookie. Repeat until all cookies have met their match. Lightly dust the cookies with the confectioners’ sugar. Serve.
*The dough can be prepared several hours ahead and stored at room temperature. Freeze baked cookie halves wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil for up to 2 weeks. When ready to serve, defrost at room temperature and assemble as desired. Store sandwiches in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Do not store with crisp cookies, as moisture from the jam will soften the texture of other crisp cookies.
I just devoured the last three Kokosbollar–or chocolate oat truffles–left from a batch I (or Noel Bakerina, actually) made yesterday. Andrew just found out I finished them off and was offended. Not ten minutes ago I had said something to the effect of: let’s eat those chocolates in the fridge, both of us nodding in agreement. I went into the kitchen to get them–but something otherworldly came over me–and I ate them all, one right after the other! Sometimes, there is nothing that comes between a woman and her chocolate.
These truffles are something you could polish off a handful for an afternoon snack (like I just did) easily. Why? While they have that rich, earthy, and tantalizing chocolate mass, they are also made with crushed rolled oats which adds texture and bulk. Essentially, you are not eating a small lump of pure chocolate, but something a little more. Something that tastes like an afternoon chocolate or a late night chocolate–not necessarily an after dinner chocolate–although they could definitely do well then too . They also have a nice added kick of espresso or espresso powder–something else that makes them wonderful afternoon treats.
Noel dropped these off for Laura, Chauncey, and Gemma who were excited about them. I think that they may be enjoyed more by Laura and Chauncey as they have a bit more adult-like tastes–not very sweet, the bitterness of the espresso–but then again, Gemma is a four year old who requests smoked salmon on a regular basis. Noel wrote that she loves the coconut they are rolled in because it reminds her of snowflakes. Gemma wholeheartedly agreed . Noel used a Kokosbollar recipe very similar to the one featured in this month’s Saveur magazine–great minds think alike.
Kokosbollar or Chocolate Oat Truffles via Saveur
16 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
6 tbsp unsweetened natural cocoa powder
2 tbsp brewed espresso (at room temperature) or espresso powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened finely shredded dried coconut
Combine the butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and use a mixer set to medium speed to beat the mixture until pale and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add the chocolate, cocoa powder, espresso, and vanilla and continue beating until combined, about 1 minute more. Place the oats in a the bowl of a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped, about 5 pulses. Add the oats to the chocolate-butter mixture and mix until combined; refrigerate one hour. Using a tablespoon, scoop out and roll in your hands to form a ball, then roll in the coconut flakes in a shallow dish. Transfer balls to a baking sheet or large plate and refrigerate for another 2 hours before serving.
Bon apetit!
Yesterday, I made Lussekatter or Swedish saffron sweet bread. I had picked up the December issue of Saveur while traveling home from the east coast and an entire article was dedicated to Swedish holiday baking traditions. Of course, I became intrigued. This particular combination of sweet saffron was a blend of flavors I had never tried before–so to remedy that, I decided this recipe would be a good place to start.
I’m going to cut right to the chase here. This bread was fantastic. Imagine a light, soft, airy brioche that warms you through and through. The hints of saffron off-set by the subtle sweetness of the bread itself is like nothing I’ve ever tasted before. Exotic yet homey, expansive yet comforting, the flavors and texture of this bread were wonderful. It gives off the best aroma while rising and baking too, luring your whole house into the process and transporting everyone to a different (and warm) place. It was relatively simple to make too.
This was also Noel Bakerina’s second project of the month. She left a little note that described the tradition of the Swedes use of Saffron in this particular bread:
December 13th is the day of Saint Lucia in Sweden and has been celebrated for hundreds of years. In Scandinavia, daylight is scarce during the winter and nights are long and dark. It is celebrated in particular on December 13th because it historically has been noted to be the shortest day of the year. Saint Lucia, a celebrated figure across many religious denominations in Scandinavia, is the light that overcomes the darkness and will bring longer days in the months to come. The saffron used in the buns was used to represent the light–the yellow hue not only encourages Saint Lucia but also celebrates her strength.
Cheers!
Lussekatter (Swedish Saffron Sweet Bread) via Saveur
2, 1/4 oz. packets active dry yeast
2 cups milk, heated to 115 degrees
2 tsp. saffron, lightly crushed
3/4 cup plus 1 tsp. sugar
6 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3 eggs
12 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes, softened
canola oil, for greasing
raisins, for garnish
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix together yeast, milk, saffron, and 1 tsp. sugar; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining sugar, along with the flour, salt, and two eggs. Mix on low speed until dough forms and gathers around the paddle. replace paddle with dough hook and add butter, knead on medium-high speed until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 8 minutes. Transfer dough to a large bowl greased with oil and cover with plastic wrap; let rest in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 hour.
2. Divide dough into 32 pieces and roll each piece into an 8″ long rope. Form each rope into an S shape and then roll each end into a tight spiral. Place shaped dough pieces 2″ apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets; cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
3. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Uncover the dough pieces and place a raisin at the center of each of the spirals. Lightly beat the remaining 1 egg with 1 tbsp. water and brush each bun with egg mixture. Bake until buns are golden brown and cooked through, 16 minutes. Transfer buns to a wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
*Note: If you happen to shape your dough into the bread-circle like I did above, it is really helpful to use a baking stone. Place your stone, or your parchment lined baking sheet in the center rack–if it is on a rack that is too high or too low, the top or the bottom will get over done and the middle will not finish cooking all the way through. This recipe makes a lot of rolls, so I was able to make two bread circles. Me being me, I tried to put them both in the oven at the same time, the bread stone on the bottom shelf and the parchment lined baking sheet in the middle. The bread on the stone cooked through, but the bottom of it was overdone, and the bread on the middle rack had a beautiful color to it and looked perfect–until I saw it two hours later and the middle had sunk–it hadn’t cooked all the way through. You live and you learn!
I love the holidays. There are so many layers to the traditions, rituals, and stories that evolve from the heart of winter. Each one is slightly different depending on its geographic location of origin, yet is inextricably linked to their neighboring country’s traditions with threads of similarity. As I read or hear about different holiday traditions, my brain can’t help but try to find those threads as they pertain to my own family’s holiday traditions and what I grew up with.
In particular, I’ve been fascinated with Nordic culture’s traditions of holiday baking. Baking. Lots and lots of baking! Their houses are filled with the warm scents of ginger, butter, nutmeg, yeast dough, and rich dark coffee–for weeks on end. (This sounds amazingly familiar to one of my most favorite dreams I have every now and then . The winters are dark there–much like Portland–where people retreat into their cozy homes, light candles, mull spiced wine on the stove, and together get into the kitchen to make traditional sweets.
Then, it hit me.
There needs to be a goddess, a saint, a fairy/elf, a knower, watcher, and helper of all things baked. And her name is Noël Bakerina. Here is her story:
Noël has never been seen, but she makes herself known by her wonderful aroma. When she’s called upon, she will help you make the most wonderful baked goods–especially in the month of December. She has been known to drop little treats off on your doorstep, complete with a story and history of the goodies at hand. She loves to do this–but in our modern day and age. she has found her treats to be rejected at times–people were skeptical and wanted to know where they came from and how many calories were in them. This does not hinder her however, and she still makes her rounds to special households around the globe in December.
I knew exactly who Noël would visit first: my four year old cousin, Gemma along with her mom, Laura and her dad, Chauncey. Noël made a traditional gingerbread cookie, which is the first of several baked goodies she will deliver this month. Each cookie was lovingly cut out, sprinkled with sugar, and baked, filling the air with her favorite warm scents, which also happens to be her personal smell. Then, borrowing one of her favorite holiday images, the Swedish horse, she made little note cards and wrote a personal note to the recipients. In it she explained the tradition of using ginger dating back two thousand years, being used to celebrate the winter solstice and how it came to be used in what we know as ginger bread today. She expressed her gratitude and happiness that this spice has not fallen out of favor with humans, as it is also one of her favorites. Then she wraps the cookies in a beautiful box, tucks the note in, and sends it off, appearing–quite magically–on the doorstep of her choice.
What will Noël Bakerina make next? Stay tuned–she has some wonderful recipes she can not wait to make!
Noël Bakerina’s Gingerbread Cookies
*These cookies have a wonderful spiceyness to them–if you like a little spice in your life, add the full amount of ginger, but if you like to keep it simple, the lesser amount is still wonderful. Depending on how thin you roll the dough, you will get a nice soft cookie with crunchy edges. Just wonderful!*
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2-3 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
3/4 cup dark molasses
1 large egg, at room temperature
Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and clove in a large bowl. Whisk to aerate and break up any lumps; set aside.
Combine sugar, butter, and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until fluffy and light, about 2 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, add egg, and mix until incorporated. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until moist throughout, about 2 minutes. Turn dough onto a dry, clean surface, divide in half and form into flat disks. You can make this ahead and refrigerate up to 3 days.
Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Place half of the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Keep the remaining dough in the fridge to keep it cool while you work.
Cut dough into 3-inch round cookies and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather remaining dough into a ball and reroll with some more dough.
Bake cookies until edges are brown but centers are still soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly on the baking sheet (about 2 minutes), then remove to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
Cheers!
(The box Noel made for her treats to be delivered in) 
