2019 Christmas cookie box

Procedimento

Chocolate crinkle cookies

1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave to 45-50°C. Set aside and let cool. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder in a bowl and mix with a fine whisk.
2. In the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with paddle attachment cream butter, salt and vanilla for about 2 minutes or until the butter is creamy, light pale but not completely fluffy.
3. Reduce the speed and add Demerara sugar little by little. Increase the speed and beat for 1 minute or until the batter looks pretty grainy. It will return creamy and smooth once you added the eggs.
4. Add to wire and little by little the eggs and beat until the batter is creamy, smooth and pale.
5. Add to wire the lukewarm chocolate, beating on medium speed until the batter is homogeneous.
6. Reduce the speed to low and add the sifted powders, alternating with the almond milk.
7. Transfer the dough in a bowl, cover with clingfilm pressed on top and chill for about 2 hours, until firm. The dough is ready when you can be able to roll it into balls.
8. Preheat the oven to 160°C, ventilation mode. Line a perforated baking tray with perforated baking mat.
9. Add the caster sugar to a smaller bowl. Make the same with the icing sugar. Roll 15 g of dough into balls. Generously and evenly coat each ball of dough in caster sugar then in the icing sugar and place them about 2 cm apart on the prepared baking tray.
10. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the surface cracks. The cookies will come out soft from the oven but will harden up as they cool.
    Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 weeks.

Rocher bliss balls

1. Soak the hazelnut in boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain and dry with paper towel.
2. Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend at high speed until a soft, dense, slightly oily dough is formed.
3. Roll 15 g of dough into balls and place them onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover with clingfilm and freeze for 2-3 hours in a domestic freezer or about 1 h in a blast freezer.

Azélia 35% milk chocolate and hazelnuts crunchy glaze

1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave to 45°C.
2. Add hazelnut oil and stir with a rubber spatula.
3. Add the finely chopped hazelnuts and stir. Set aside to cool down to 30-32°C.
4. Coat the frozen balls into the chocolate glaze using a spiral chocolate dipper. Place the coated balls onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
   Store the bliss balls in airtight container in the fridge for a week and serve at room temperature.

Heart-shaped Ruby chocolate cookies with pink peppercorn

1. Grind the pink peppercorn with an electric coffee/spice grinder until obtain a fine powder. Add this with the others ingredients (except the almond milk) in the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with paddle attachment and work until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add the almond milk and beat on low speed until the dough comes together.
3. Once the dough has come together, press into a neat flat square and cover in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 160°C, ventilation mode. Line a perforated baking tray with perforated baking mat.
5. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 4 mm and cut it into hearts with a small heart-shaped cookie cutter of 4 cm. Place the cookies onto the prepared tray, put in the oven, reduce the temperature at 150°C and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the sides are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down.
6. Temper Ruby chocolate following the method you prefer. I use the tabling method. The tempering curve you need to follow is: 45°C (melting) - 26/27°C (cooling) - 28/29°C (the temperature of usage).
7. Transfer the tempered chocolate in a glass and dip half of each cooled cookie into melted chocolate. Wipe the bottom of the cookie on the side of the glass to remove any excess of chocolate and place onto baking tray lined with parchment paper.
8. Before the chocolate sets, decorate with pink peppercorn flakes and dried raspberries.
   Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 weeks.

Tree-shaped Matcha and pistacchio sablés

1. In the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with paddle attachment combine all the ingredients except the pistachio paste and the eggs and work until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add the pistachio paste and the eggs and beat on low speed until the dough comes together.
3. Once the dough has come together, press into a neat flat square and cover in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 160°C, ventilation mode. Line a perforated baking tray with perforated baking mat.
5. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 4 mm and cut it into trees with a tree-shaped cookie cutter of 9 cm. Place the cookies onto the prepared tray, put in the oven, reduce the temperature at 150°C and bake for about 20 minutes, until the sides are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down.
   Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 weeks.

Tahini shortbread with Caramélia milk chocolate and za’atar ganache

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment beat the butter, sugar and salt on medium-high speed until completely smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Make sure there are no lumps of butter.
2. Add the tahini and beat on medium speed until combined.
3. Add the sifted flour and beat on low speed until absorbed and a dough is formed.
4. Once the dough has come together, press into a neat flat square and cover in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge overnight.
5. Preheat the oven to 160°C, ventilation mode. Line a perforated baking tray with perforated baking mat.
6. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3 mm and cut it into squares with an Exoglass square cutter of 5 cm. Cut out the centre of half cookies wish a small gingerbread-shaped cookie cutter of 3 cm.
   If you have difficulty rolling out the chilled shortbread, place it between two guitar sheets, then freeze until firm and cut out the frozen shortbread with the cookie cutter.
7. Place the cookies onto the prepared tray and bake for about 15 minutes, until golden. The cookies will come out soft from the oven but will harden up as they cool. Dust both the sides of the baked cookies with cocoa butter powder (Mycryo) to prevent moisture from the ganache and to preserve their crispness.

Caramélia 36% caramelized milk chocolate and za’atar ganache

1. Melt Caramélia chocolate in the microwave to 45°C. Heat the heavy cream with honey in the microwave without boiling. 
2. Add the hot liquid to the melted chocolate in three times, stirring vigorously with a rubber spatula in a circular pattern to obtain a smooth, evenly ganache.
3. Transfer the ganache into a mixing glass and emulsify with a hand blender for stabilizing the emulsion and to obtain a glossy, velvety consistency. Add butter and za'atar and emulsify once more.
4. Pour the ganache into a small baking dish, cover with clingfilm pressed on top and allow to set at room temperature overnight or alternatively in the fridge, remembering to remove the ganache from the fridge 2-3 h before filling the cookies.
   Store the filled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. Store the unfilled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 weeks.

Chestnut and mandarin citrus fruit sablés with Rooibos tea ganache 

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment sift together chestnut flour, potato starch and icing sugar. Add salt, butter, zest of mandarin citrus fruits and locust bean gum powder and work until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add the eggs and beat on low speed until the dough comes together.
3. Once the dough has come together, press into a neat flat square and cover in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 160°C, ventilation mode. Line a perforated baking tray with perforated baking mat.
5. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3 mm and cut it into discs with an Exoglass round cutter of 5 cm. Cut out the centre of half cookies wish a small flower-shaped cookie cutter of 2,5 cm. Place the cookies onto the prepared tray and bake for about 12 minutes, until golden. Dust both the sides of the baked cookies with cocoa butter powder (Mycryo) to prevent moisture from the ganache and to preserve their crispness.

Rooibos tea ganache

1. In a saucepan heat the almond milk with honey until simmering. Remove from the heat, add the content of the Rooibos tea bag and set aside to infuse for 20 minutes. In the meantime melt the white chocolate in the microwave to 45°C.
2. Strain the infused almond milk over the white chocolate in three times, stirring vigorously with a rubber spatula in a circular pattern to obtain a smooth, evenly ganache.
3. Transfer the ganache into a mixing glass and emulsify with a hand blender for stabilizing the emulsion and to obtain a glossy, velvety consistency. Add butter and emulsify once more.
4. Pour the ganache into a small baking dish, cover with clingfilm pressed on top and allow to set at room temperature overnight or alternatively in the fridge, remembering to remove the ganache from the fridge 2-3 h before filling the cookies.
   Store the filled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. Store the unfilled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 weeks.

Purple cornflour, purple sweet potato and sumac teddy bear cookies

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment sift together purple cornflour, cornstarch, rice starch and icing sugar. Add food colorings, sumac, salt, butter and locust bean gum powder and work until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add the eggs and beat on low speed until the dough comes together.
3. Once the dough has come together, press into a neat flat square and cover in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 160°C, ventilation mode. Line a perforated baking tray with perforated baking mat.
5. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 4 mm and cut it into teddy bears with a teddy bear-shaped cookie cutter of 9 cm. Place the cookies onto the prepared tray, put in the oven, reduce the temperature at 155°C and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the sides are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down. The cookies will come out soft from the oven but will harden up as they cool.
   Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 weeks.

Black rice flour and lemon honey sandwich sablés with cherry pastry cream

1. In the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with paddle attachment combine all the ingredients except the honey the eggs and work until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add honey and eggs and beat on low speed until the dough comes together.
3. Once the dough has come together, press into a neat flat square and cover in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 160°C, ventilation mode. Line a perforated baking tray with perforated baking mat.
5. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3 mm and cut out circles with a 5 cm fluted round cookie cutter. Place the cookies onto the prepared tray, cover them with a second perforated baking mat and bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the edges are slightly firm and the centre still soft. The cookies will come out soft from the oven but will harden up as they cool. Dust both the sides of the baked cookies with cocoa butter powder (Mycryo) to prevent moisture from the pastry cream and to preserve their crunchiness.

Cherry pastry cream

1. Soak gelatin in cold water.
2. In a saucepan combine cherry puree and heavy cream and bring to simmer. In the meantime, mix together in a small bowl eggs, yolks, cornstarch, sugar and vanilla seeds. Pour the hot mixture over the eggs in three times, mix with a whisk and then return the mixture to the same saucepan. Heat the cream over medium heat, while whisking vigorously until it starts to thicken - this should take about 1 - 2 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and add in the soaked gelatin sheets. Stir to dissolve, then add the chocolate and stir until it melts. Add finally the butter and stir again until it melts.
4. Transfer the pastry cream in a mixing glass and emulsify with a hand blender for stabilizing the emulsion and to obtain a glossy, velvety consistency. Add the food coloring to enhance the color and emulsify once more.
5. Pour the pastry cream in a baking dish, cover with clingfilm pressed on top and chill overnight.
6. Transfer the chilled pastry cream into a disposable piping bag fitted with star nozzle (Matfer E8 13 mm) and fill the cookies just before serving.
   Store the unfilled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 weeks.

Coconut and macadamia nut sandwich sablés with blueberry and coconut ganache

1. Grind together 138 g icing sugar and the macadamia nuts (previously roasted in a pan on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes and then chilled) until obtain a fine powder. Place this into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add whole wheat flour, 30 g icing sugar, shredded coconut, salt and butter and work until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add the eggs and beat on low speed until the dough comes together.
3. Once the dough has come together, press into a neat flat square and cover in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 160°C, ventilation mode. Line a perforated baking tray with perforated baking mat.
5. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3 mm and cut out circles with a 5 cm round cookie cutter. Place the cookies onto the prepared tray, cover them with a second perforated baking mat and bake for about 12-15 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and dust the baked cookies with cocoa butter powder (Mycryo) to prevent moisture from the ganache and to preserve their crispness.

Waina 35% white chocolate, blueberry and coconut ganache

1. Heat together the fruit purees with honey in the microwave without boiling. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave to 45°C.
2. Add the hot liquide to the melted chocolate in three times, stirring vigorously with a rubber spatula in a circular pattern to obtain a smooth, evenly ganache.
3. Transfer the ganache into a mixing glass and emulsify with a hand blender for stabilizing the emulsion and to obtain a glossy, velvety consistency. Add butter and emulsify once more.
4. Pour the ganache into a small baking dish, cover with clingfilm pressed on top and allow to set at room temperature overnight or alternatively in the fridge, remembering to remove the ganache from the fridge 2-3 h before filling the cookies.
5. Add shredded coconut and natural food coloring into a small bowl and mix with a spoon until the coconut flakes are completely blue colored. Fill the cookies with the ganache and then roll the edge of the ganache into the colored coconut flakes to cover the ganache.
   Store the filled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. Store the unfilled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 weeks.

Toasted cornflour, aniseed and lemon tartlets with Dulcey blond chocolate and lemon crémeux

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment sift together toasted cornflour, chickpea flour, potato starch, icing sugar and baking powder. Add salt, locust bean gum powder, aniseed, lemon zest and butter and work until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add the eggs previously mixed with the yolks and beat on low speed until the dough comes together.
3. Once the dough has come together, press into a neat flat square and cover in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 160°C, ventilation mode. Line a perforated baking tray with greased Formasil FF4306 mould.
5. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 2-3 mm and cut out squares with a 4 cm Exoglass square cutter and line the Formasil mould using the bottom side.
6. Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and dust the baked tartlets with cocoa butter powder (Mycryo) to prevent moisture from the crémeux and to preserve their crispness. Allow to cool down completely before unmoulding.
7. You can make some small cookie rings of 20 g each as an alternative to the tartlets. Bake the cookie rings in the preheated oven at 160°C (ventilation mode) for about 20 minutes, until golden. Dip the top of each cookie ring into tempered Ivoire 35% white chocolate.

Dulcey 32% blond chocolate and lemon crémeux

1. Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water. Chop the chocolate and place the chunks into a mixing glass.
2. In a saucepan combine together lemon juice and heavy cream and bring to simmer. In the meantime mix yolks and sugar in a bowl. Pour the hot mixture over the yolks in three times, mix with a whisk and then return the mixture to the same saucepan. Heat this to 82-85°C, stirring continuously with a rubber spatula.
3. Strain the custard over the chopped chocolate, add the soaked gelatin sheets and emulsify with a hand blender to obtain a smooth, silky and glossy cream.
4. Pour the crémeux in a baking dish, cover with clingfilm pressed on top and chill overnight.
5. Fill the tartlets using a 18 mm star nozzle. Decorate with edible gold leaf.

Peanut butter swirl brownie with hazelnut cream and Guanaja dark chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C, ventilation mode. Grease and line with parchment paper a 20x20 cm stainless steel square ring.
2. Make the peanut butter topping: in a small bowl mix together the peanut butter and the roasted cornflour until obtain a creamy, smooth consistency or until a ribbon forms. When you lift a portion of the topping, it should falls from the whisk in a slightly thick, solid ribbon that disappears into the topping quite slowly. If it appears too thick or fluid, add in some grape seed oil or toasted cornflour, respectively. Set the topping aside.
3. Melt butter and chocolate in the microwave then add hazelnut cream and salt and stir with a rubber spatula to obtain a smooth, evenly mixture. Set aside to cool down.
4. In a bowl, sift together roasted cornflour and cocoa powder and whisk with a fine whisk.
5. Whip eggs and sugar until obtain a pale and fluffy mixture. Reduce the speed on low and add to wire the lukewarm chocolate-butter mix. Once combined, add the sifted powder little by little and beat until the batter is smooth, creamy and homogeneous.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared square ring and spread it evenly with a small offset spatula. Drop the topping in teaspoon-size dollops over the brownie batter, spacing them evenly apart, and swirl using a toothpick.
7. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a thin crust forms on top of the brownie and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down completely at room temperature or in the fridge. Cut out the brownie into 3x3 cm small squares.
   Store the brownie in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.