Orange Foaming Cookies and Cappuccino Cookies with Chocolate

 

 

        Holiday season is the time for sharing and Peta of Peta Eats is sharing a dozen cookies, some classics and some of her own, from all over the world with us.

          I decided to wait for December to try all the recipes while making sweet gifts for my family and friends. Meanwhile, I chose a chose a recipe of Peta’s mother-in law – foaming cookies, and a recipe of Pierre Herme – cappuccino cookies – for completing this month’s challenge. So, I ended up having gift packs with two types of cookies (“black” and “white”)– similar in shape, but so different in taste!

          I loved the recipe of foaming cookies as it leaves a lot of space for creativity! Peta claims that one can make them with milk, water or juice, and use any kind of flour like rice or almond one. Besides, any spices, nuts, dried fruits and chocolate chips can be used for developing a flavor. I guess I will be experimenting a lot with this recipe from this moment on!

         Pierre Herme’s cookies turned to be softer and richer – probably, because of chocolate chunks and a good shot of espresso in them. I added crushed macadamia as the recipe called for but I guess any other nuts will work brilliant as well. The cookies are good in their own and sinfully awesome after being put for a quick while in a cup of morning coffee and eaten – almost at the edge of falling apart!

         A great challenge and a great way to feel the atmosphere of the upcoming holiday season!

 

 

Orange Foaming Cookies 

(recipe by Peta, adapted)

 

Ingredients:

150 gm sugar
¼ cup orange juice
280 gm plain flour
112 gm softened butter
½ tsp baking soda
1 tbsp hot water
Zest of 1 orange
 

Method:

1.    Rub the butter into flour until it looks like fine breadcrumbs or blitz together in a food processor (If you use your food processor tip the flour and butter into a bowl after it). Add the orange zest.
2.    Put orange juice and sugar in a pan, stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Dissolve baking soda in a hot water, add it to the orange juice and mix everything quickly into the flour/butter until combined.
3.     Let the mixture cool slightly then shape it into a log and put for a few hours in a fridge (or until firm).
4.    Preheat the oven to 180C. Take the log out of the fridge and slice it – the discs should be 5-7 mm thick. Place them on a silicon mat or on a greased baking tray and put in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool slightly on the tray and then move to cooling rack.

 

 

Cappuccino cookies with chocolate

(the original recipe by Pierre Herme, from the book "Larousse Gastronomique du Chocolat")

 

 

Ingredients:

170 gm flour
3 gm baking powder
2 gm baking soda
115 gm butter, softened
125 gm brown sugar
15 gm honey
3 gm salt
1 egg
30 ml coffee extract
2 tbsp instant coffee powder
90 gm macadamia, crushed
130 gm dark chocolate (55%), chopped

Method:

1.    Beat the butter in food processer till creamy; add brown sugar, honey and salt, beat till combined. Add the egg, coffee extract and instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water; beat for a few minutes more.
2.    Sift the flour, baking powder and soda. Add to the butter mixture, together with the chocolate and nuts. Beat for a few minutes.
3.    Transfer the dough to the working surface. Form a log, wrap it in a cling film and place in he fridge for a few hours or overnight.
5.    Preheat the oven to 170C/ Take the log out of the fridge and slice it – the discs should be 1 cm thick. Place them on a silicon mat or on a greased baking tray and put in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool slightly on the tray and then move to cooling rack.