These are the cookies that I made for the cookie swap I hosted this evening (it went smashingly). They turned out very well, but I'm not sure I'd make them again - I always find the rolling and cutting process pretty tedious!
Dough:
1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. orange rind
2 eggs
1/4+ tsp. cinnamon
1/4+ tsp. nutmeg
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Filling:
1 c. cranberries
1 c. pecans
4 medallions of candied ginger, chopped finely
1/4 c. brown sugar
Cream together the butter and the sugar until it becomes very light in color (signifying that it has become aerated), about 5 minutes. Add the orange rind and eggs (one at a time please!), then the spices, baking powder and salt. Mix until very well combined. Blend in the flour a cup at a time - if you have a stand mixer, it will probably be able to handle this fine, but if you're using a hand mixer you may need to get in there with your hands to combine the last half cup or so. Divide the dough into two portions and put it in the fridge for at least an hour (we chilled ours overnight).
While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling (hey, that rhymed!). If you have a food processor, just throw all the ingredients in there and process until it's all chopped up. If not, mix everything together in a bowl and use your blender to do it in two or three batches.
Roll out one half of the dough into a 1/4" thick rectangle (about 10"-12" on the long side) on top of a piece of parchment paper or a flexible cutting board. Spread half of the filling on the dough, leaving an inch of dough on each long side and one of the short sides. Then, using the parchment paper, roll up the dough starting at the spread short side. Pinch off the ends and roll the dough in a sheet of plastic wrap, then pop it back in the oven, this time for at least four hours (!)
Once the dough has chilled - it should be super firm at this point - use a sharp knife to slice into 1/4" cookies. You should try to rotate the roll after every few cuts so you don't smush it on one side. Bake 8-15 minutes (depending on thickness) at 375°F.
And just for fun, here's the rest of the spread, post-party:
Dee-lish!
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Cranberry-ginger and orange pinwheels
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Cranberry Redux
Okay, so Jackie made a nice post about cranberry orange jelly, which reminded me about my absolute favourite Thanksgiving time treat (and yes, I'm including the pumpkin pie which Mom only makes twice a year). I hereby present to you a tart and textural version of Jackie's lovely recipe:
Cranberry Orange Relish:
1 large navel orange
1 16 oz. bag of cranberries
Quarter the orange. Get out the food processor (or for a very visceral experience, an old-fashioned food grinder) and pour in the cranberries--process for about 15 seconds. Add the orange quarters one at a time, blending for 10 seconds after each. This will give you a relish with lots of big pieces and bursts of flavor. You can add sugar to taste--how much depends on how sweet your orange was, and how sweet you like things in general.
You can serve this with turkey or chicken or duck, but I have a hard time not eating it all straight out of the bowl. It keeps for a long time in the fridge, and can be frozen pretty much forever. And it's also good on vanilla ice cream, for a different tasty treat!
