Holiday Baking

One of my favorite things about the holiday season is the food.  We celebrate Christmas Eve with a big fancy dinner, which I have been in charge of making the past few years, and I always make multiple goodies to share with friends and family.  This year my family is hosting the annual block party and I was put in charge of the baking.  So, rather than provide the typical spread of sugar cookies and gingerbread, I decided to go rouge and gourmet things up a bit.  Cookies on tonight's menu:

Cardamom and Pistachio Biscotti drizzled with Bittersweet Chocolate
Extra-Spicy Ginger Snaps (they've got an added cayenne kick)
Maple Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

And, for your cookie pleasure, you can find recipes below.

Disclaimer for the GFreers who follow me: Since I have yet to master a GFree chocolate chip cookie and I am the only GFreer attending the party, I made all of these gluten-filled.  The Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix is delicious, however, and would probably benefit from the addition of some bacon.  The biscotti can be made successfully subbing the flour for a gfree blend with the addition of a tsp of xanthum gum.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

¾ c        chopped roasted & salted pistachios
2 c         flour
1½ tsp  ground cardamom
1½ tsp  baking powder
¼ tsp    salt

½ c        butter
¾ c        sugar
2            eggs
1 tsp    vanilla

Combine flour, cardamom, baking powder and salt in large mixing bowl and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and creamy.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.  Add in the flour mixture and pistachios and mix well.  

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces on a greased baking sheet and pat each piece of dough into a 2 in. by 10 in. rectangle.

Bake for 25 minutes.  Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then carefully transfer the two rectangles to cutting board.  Cut each rectangle crosswise ½ in. slices.

Place the slices side down on 2 baking sheets and return to oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

**When they were cooled, I melted a small handful of bittersweet chocolate chips with a tiny pat of butter then drizzled it over the cookies.  Makes them pretty and, mmmmmm, chocolate!

Bacon
6-7       strips of bacon (whatever fits on the sheet pan not overlapping)
2 Tbsp maple syrup (I used the real stuff)
2 Tbsp your favorite bourbon

Mix together the maple syrup and bourbon then brush on the bacon.  Put the bacon in a cool oven set to 375°F and bake until super crispy.  (The caramelizing sugar might make it look like it’s getting burnt, but it’s not.  As long as it doesn’t smell like it’s burning its ok.)  Coarsely chop once it’s completely cool.

Cookies
1 c       salted butter
¾ c      sugar
¾ c      packed brown sugar
2           eggs
1+ tsp  vanilla
1+ tsp  your favorite bourbon

~2½ c  flour (I add flour until it looks right… usually around 2-3 c)
1 tsp    baking soda
½ tsp   salt
1½ c    semi-sweet chocolate chips
            chopped maple bourbon bacon

Cream the butter and sugars.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until fluffy.

Add the remaining ingredients.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake at 375°F (should be preheated from the bacon) for 10 min.

Enjoy!