The Way the Cookie Crumbles

BY KEANE STRAUB PHOTOS BY DONG KIM

During the holidays, the sights, the sounds, and the smells – especially those of cookies baking in the oven – never fail to stir up memories. It’s one of our favourite seasons at Culinaire as we take a look at the sweeter side of things and help with (or hinder) planning your holiday treats

Cookies are the name of the game in this month’s Chef’s Tips, and they come in all shapes and sizes, from the letter ‘S’ and bars, to traditional rounds and stars. The flavours range from delicate to decadent, and each recipe is as unique as the chef who has provided them. Put on an apron and preheat the oven: it’s time to get baking!

Things that come together with little fuss means more time to spend with loved ones this holiday season. “I love making cookies! They're usually fairly easy and fast to make and I like that instant gratification,” explains Rachelle Germain, owner of Milk & Cookie’s Bakeshop in Edmonton. For Rachelle, texture and visual appeal are high priorities, so get ready for this recipe for Everything Cookies. “A large part of my business is making cute, decorated sugar cookies so I love when I can make a different kind of cookie that is also fun to look at.

To balance out the sweetness, Rachelle likes to add a salty element like pretzels and potato chips in her recipe here. “If you don't have all the mix-ins asked for in the recipe, use whatever you have on hand! Just keep the mix-ins to approximately 400 g.”

The secret to a perfect cookie is all in the timing. “Always underbake your cookies slightly. Your cookies will continue baking for a little while after you take them out of the oven because they are still hot. If you take them out a little bit before you think they're done, you'll have perfect, softcentered, and gooey cookies.”

Everything Cookies

Makes 16

320 g all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

210 g salted butter, room temperature

95 g granulated sugar

200 g brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

80 g semi-sweet chocolate chips

80 g milk chocolate chips

30 g toffee pieces

30 g shredded coconut, toasted

30 g pretzels, crushed

40 g potato chips, crushed

80 g Oreo cookies, broken into pieces

30 g rainbow sprinkles

1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set Aside.

2. Add butter, sugar, and brown sugar to a mixer bowl and beat on medium speed with a paddle attachment until ingredients are combined. Beat just until all the butter and sugar is combined and smooth.

3. Break your eggs into a pitcher or bowl and add vanilla extract. Add to the mixer while running on medium speed one at a time, waiting until each one is incorporated before adding the next.

4. Stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula. Mix again for a few seconds. Add your flour mixture to mixer bowl and mix on low speed until just incorporated.

5. Remove bowl from mixer. In a separate bowl, mix together chocolate chips, toffee, shredded coconut, pretzels, potato chips, Oreos, and sprinkles. Add approximately ¾ of the mixture to your mixer bowl and mix into your cookie dough by hand until evenly incorporated.

6. Scoop with a #16 scoop (or divide into balls approximately ¼ cup in size) into a large container with a lid, separating each layer with parchment paper. Squish the top of each cookie into your bowl of mix-ins so that each cookie has a variety of toppings on top. Put lid on and place in fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.

7. Preheat your oven to 350º F. Place cookie balls on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper, leaving about 75 mm of room between each cookie. You will need 2 baking sheets. Bake at 350º F for 10-11 minutes, until there are no wet spots on top of the cookies but the tops are still shiny.

8. Let cookies cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for several months.

For Annie Ivarra at Calgary’s Chunk’d, baking brings back beautiful memories of growing up surrounded by bakers. “I remember sitting on the kitchen counter with my mom while she baked cakes for the family and “helping” my grandma eating the scraps and licking the spoons while she baked and decorated cakes.”

Mille Feuille with cream pastry ranks high on Annie’s favourites, but Chunk’d is known for cookies and for good reason: they’re big, chewy, and packed full of flavour combinations.

Her recipe for cookie bars ticks those boxes, and then some. “This recipe screams comfort, especially for cold days. It's baked on a tray, and you can cut it to your liking to share with your family. It's easy and uncomplicated.”

Her best advice? “The most important thing is measure, cut, separate, combine every ingredient before making the recipe.” Annie also adds: “Follow your heart, if you're feeling more chocolatey that day, change the spread for Nutella. In the end, this recipe is intended to be a comfort treat for you.”

Annie’s Comfort Cookie Bars

Makes 12 to 15 bars

1 cup unsalted butter

½ cup fine sugar

1½ cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbs (15 mL) vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp powdered cinnamon

250 g chocolate chips, milk or semi-sweet

100 g white chocolate chips (or mini M&M’s or any topping you’d like)

200 g dulce de leche spread or caramel, or to your liking

1. Prepare a tray with baking spray or parchment paper. Annie uses a 330x250 mm (13x10”) tray.

2. In a mixing bowl add butter and sugars and mix on medium speed until creamy and fluffy.

3. Pour vanilla into the eggs. Reduce speed and add the eggs one by one until they’re incorporated into the mix.

4. Combine dry ingredients. On minimum speed pour dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. When combined, increase the speed to medium and mix for about 20 seconds until everything is fully combined. You can also stop the mixer, add dry ingredients and start it again in “stir” and increase the speed from that.

5. Add the chocolate chips/toppings to the mix until combined (no more than 10 seconds).

6. Place the dough onto the tray and put it in the freezer for at least an hour. Preheat the oven to 350º F.

Note: If you want to store cookies for more than 5 days, cool or freeze in a Ziploc bag or airtight container and warm before eating.

7. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are golden/brown. Let it rest for about 20 minutes before spreading dulce de leche on top. Proceed to cut up the bars and enjoy! Keep stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Note: You can make dulce de leche at home by cooking a sealed can of condensed milk in boiling water (covered with lid) for 3 hours. Make sure the pot ALWAYS has enough water in it.

Marco Civitarese has distinct memories of his mother baking cookies and while he stole bites of cookie dough. “I remember the smell of almonds roasting, citrus fruits being zested, and sounds of clanging bowls. It is these memories that created the passion for me to move forward with my retirement baking journey,” he explains.

The owner of Dolci di Delia in Calgary, Marco’s business is a result of community, from his family encouraging him to pursue his dream, to using kitchen space at the Marriot Airport Hotel, and selling his cookies at pop-ups in local businesses.

“Citrus flavoured baked goods are always top of my list of favourites,” says Marco, and this traditional Italian ‘S’ cookie is a perfect example, made with orange zest, juice, and orange liqueur. But more importantly, it’s all about adapting to preferences. “This cookie provides a versatile base for many other flavours to be substituted. Find recipes you love and make them your own by adding flavours of the season.”

Citrus ‘S’ Cookies

Makes 32-34 cookies

2 1/8 – 2¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 large eggs, room temperature

80 g sugar

¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

1 orange zested, optional blood orange/ clementine or lemon rind or half lemon and half orange rind

½ orange, juiced

1 tsp (5 mL) orange liqueur (chef used moscato from Bridgeland Distillery), optional vanilla extract

¼ cup icing sugar for rolling the dough

1. Preheat oven to 350º F and prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Add the icing sugar to a separate bowl for rolling the cookie dough ropes. Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) in a medium bowl.

3. Beat the eggs and sugar together with a hand or stand mixer until well combined. Beat in the oil until smooth.

4. Add in the grated citrus rind, citrus juice, and liqueur, and beat until all wet ingredients are blended.

5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until a uniform non-sticky dough has formed. Using your hands for this stage adds an element of ‘love’!

6. Using a #60 cookie scoop (approximately 15 g or 1 Tbs per cookie), scoop the dough into a ball and roll out to a 10-12mm rope. Alternatively you can take a handful of dough and roll it to the required thickness and cut into 15 cm lengths.

7. Gently roll the individual rope lengths into the icing sugar and form into an ‘s’ shape. Place them on the prepared pan leaving about 1 cm between cookies and bake in the 350º F oven for approximately 12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly golden. Let the cookies cool on the tray for 10-15 minutes. Store in a sealable container.

These cookies freeze well. Freeze them on a flat cookie tray after they are completely cool and then place in a freezer container.

This cookie also hangs nicely on the edge of an espresso cup or glass of milk!!

When Saskatoon’s Renée Kohlman isn’t writing cookbooks and food columns, she’s busy baking and running Sweetsugarbean, her gourmet cookie business. “I’m always at my kitchen counter or my computer!”

The changing seasons serve as inspiration, as do locally grown ingredients. Saskatoon berries (of course), carrots from her boyfriend’s garden, and cherries from the neighbour’s tree have all made appearances in her baking.

If you’re looking for Christmas in a cookie, then try Renée’s recipe for Rosemary Shortbread Oatmeal Cookies. “I’ve been baking it up at Christmastime every year since to rave reviews from friends and family. It’s a woodsy, buttery, savoury-sweet, superstar of a cookie that pretty much smells of Christmas.”

Reading through the recipe before you begin can save time and effort, she adds. “You don’t want to have progressed halfway through the recipe, then realize you’re out of baking soda.” And, if you discover you don’t have room temperature eggs, try placing them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.

Rosemary Oatmeal Shortbread

Makes about 75 cookies

2 cups salted, softened butter (if using unsalted, add about 1 tsp salt)

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

2 Tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary

2¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the counter

2½ cups large-flake oats

½ cup icing sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the rack in the centre of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Beat in the fresh rosemary. With the mixer running on low speed, add the flour and oats. Mix until well incorporated. On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a ball and then flatten it and roll it out to about

3-4 mm thickness. Dust the rolling pin with flour to prevent it from sticking to the dough.

3. Cut the dough into your desired shapes, about 65 mm in diameter, and place the cookies 50 mm apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges start to turn light brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough. Once the cookies have cooled down, dust them with icing sugar.

4. You can store these in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze them for up to 1 month.