Cookies

I have been neglecting my blog in favor of the oven lately.  I have been delving into the delights contained within my own personal recipe file and a book of old style German/Swiss/Austrian recipes entitled “Festive Baking” by  Sarah Kelly Iaia.  I’m going out on a limb here and saying that anyone who is interested in the old Germanic style of baking seasonal treats will find this book well worth the investment.   Ms. Iaia did extensive research (including begging almost on bended knee) to get these amazing cookie recipes.   There are fried bread, meringue, marzipan and yeast bread recipes also, which I have not really investigated.  But judging by the quality of the cookie section, I’m sure those recipes are dynamite too.

I was given this book by my sister-in-law over twenty years ago.   I found it an invaluable source for cookies to send to Jim, who was in the Navy and frequently overseas.   Mail to the ships was sporadic at best, and I just loved finding recipes that said things like “I once forgot a tin which I had purposely put out of my own reach high on a cupboard shelf.  When I discovered it eight months later, the little cakes were better than ever — proof that they can be made long in advance and will keep well.”  This statement was not an exaggeration, I discovered to my glee.  Although you DO have to hide these particular cookies rather well to test the premise, since they are extremely tasty and if they are in reach DO NOT LAST worth beans.

But the result of my investigations into the book this year has yielded a table that looks like this:

So far, I have made a dozen different kinds of cookies.   A few days ago, I made up a pretty plate with representative samples:

Clockwise from top dead center:   Earthquake Cookies, Lemon Sponge Cookies (Zitronenplätzchen), Orange Nuts (Pomeranzennüsse), Pecan Rounds, Honey Cake Squares (Honigkuchenwürfel), Spice Nuts (Pfeffernüsse), Christmas Chocolate Bars “Cockaigne”, and Macaroons (in the center).   All cookies with German name translations came from the book by Ms. Iaia.

Since then I have also made Anise Pfefferneüsse from a recipe I received from Jim’s mother.   These cookies get very hard and crunchy when stored in a cookie jar, and so all the kids in the family referred to them as “Rocks”.   In addition, I made a batch of Printed Red Christmas Cookies (Wygützli) and am in the process of making Vanilla Crescents (Vanillekipferl), which are mixed but not formed yet.

I am not going to put any of the recipes from the book on the internet, having just had a lovely experience with copyright infringement matters.   I’d just as soon not create any more extra paperwork for WordPress, since their service is still free.  Anyone who is interested in a recipe should tell me in the comments section and make sure I have a good email address for you, I will send you recipes that way.

I want to tell you that I have made other Pfefferneüse recipes, and the one in Iaia’s book is far superior to any other I have tried.   There are various recipes for this sort of cookie available in the public domain on sites like RecipeSource, but none of them call for the exact combination of spices Iaia’s does.   The same goes for the different Lebkuchen doughs, and I have not found any other recipe for the Honey Cake Squares, which have Lebkuchen dough as the basis.

Additionally, this is the only recipe book I have ever come across that calls for powdered red sandalwood as an ingredient.   The Red Christmas Cookies call for it, and I went to quite a lot of trouble to acquire this spice.   I can tell you that the delicate flavor and scent the sandalwood imparts to these cookies is well worth the effort.  I also make my own candied lemon and orange peel for use in these recipes.   I have found that the home made version is far superior to any store bought version, since the commercial preparers are not very careful in removing the inner white portion of the peel before the candying process.   At any rate, living around here where such outrè ingredients are impossible to find anyway, I have to make this ingredient.

As I go through the process, I think about the thrifty German hausfrau of yesteryear, not allowing anything to go to waste.  “We have those oranges!   We are not wasting that precious peel, don’t you dare throw that to the pigs!”  I also noticed quite some time ago that the cookies in this tradition use either butter or eggs in them, almost NEVER both at once.   After all, at the winter holiday time, in the depth of the cold and dark, the hens get sulky and the cows start to dry up, and you would not waste the precious butter and eggs by putting both in the same recipe.   Also, the use of sugar is minimalized, making them perfect cookies for people on diets or who do not like lots of sugar.  The methods use to mix the dough impart lots of air into the mixture, and the liberal use of spices makes these cookies tasty to the max.

Just in case you have some oranges or lemons sitting around that could yield the candied peel which is necessary for these cookies, this is how you do it.

CANDIED ORANGE/LEMON PEELS

Peel the citrus carefully.  I score the peels with a paring knife and remove them in four quarters.   Cover the peels with water and bring to a boil.   Simmer until the white part of the peel is soft.   Be careful not to cook too long, but also don’t undercook, or the next step will be difficult to accomplish.   Drain the water, and cool the peels.   Using the edge of a spoon, scrape off all the white membrane on the inside of the peel.   After the membrane has been scraped off, cut the pieces of peel into 1/4″ strips.

Make a sugar syrup using the ratio of 2 parts sugar to 1 part water.   Make enough to cover the peels.  Bring the syrup to a boil, add the peels, and boil until the citrus peels have started becoming transparent and the syrup reaches 230° F (110° C) on a candy thermometer.   While the concoction is boiling, prepare a pan by lining it with waxed paper or parchment, and putting a liberal amount of sugar on the paper.   When the peels have cooked sufficiently, remove them from the boiling syrup with a slotted spoon.   Let as much syrup drain off them as possible before placing them in the granulated sugar.   When all the peels have been removed from the syrup, toss them in the sugar until they are well coated and separated.   USE THE SPOON for this when you start the process, the peels are very hot and the sugar will burn you if you start out with fingers (Guess how I know this?).  When the candied peels are cool, store in an airtight container in the freezer until you need them.   They will keep indefinitely.