Five Spice Cranberry Mooncake Cookies From The Cookie Book Food

FIVE-SPICE CRANBERRY MOONCAKE COOKIES FROM THE COOKIE BOOK

Steps:

• To make the Five-Spice Filling, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the cranberries, cherries, brown sugar, water and five-spice powder and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, stirring frequently for about 6 minutes, or until the cranberries have popped and most of the liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool completely.
• In a food processor fitted with the blade, add the walnuts and run the machine until they are finely chopped. Add in the chocolate and pulse several times until the chocolate is finely chopped and the mixture is blended. Finally add in the cooled cranberry mixture and pulse the machine to combine. Place the mixture in the fridge to firm up some more while you make your cookie.
• To make the cookies, in an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and sugar and mix on medium until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add in the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, making sure to completely blend the first before adding the next. Add in the vanilla and blend for 1 minute more, again scraping down the sides and bottom.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, all-purpose flour and sea salt. Add to the butter mixture and run the machine for 1 minute more or until just blended. Separate the dough into 23, roughly 3-tablespoon-sized (42-g) balls. It's messy. Sorry.
• To assemble, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Press your thumb in the center of the cookie dough ball and make enough space for the filling. Put about 1 teaspoon of filling in there and then press the dough over to enclose it. It's ok if the dough gets stained from the cranberries, it looks pretty once baked and I actually found myself purposely making it happen. Just make sure the actual filling is encapsulated by the dough.
• Lightly flour a clean surface as well as the dough ball and the mooncake mold. Press a 5 3/4 x 2 1/2-inch (14.5 x 6.5-cm) mold, or cookie stamp, down on the dough ball until it meets some resistance. Gently tap the mold on the counter to release the mooncake cookie and place on the prepared baking sheet leaving 11/2 inches (3.7 cm) between cookies. Freeze the cookies for 1 hour or refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 17 to 18 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
• To make the glaze, once the cookies are cool, in a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and orange juice. Invert the mooncakes into the glaze, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Scrape the side of your finger over the surface of the mooncake to remove any excess glaze.
• Buy the book! https://www.amazon.com/Cookie-Book-Decadent-Bites-Occasion/dp/1624146376/.
• Buy the mooncake mold! https://amzn.to/2Kzfbx7.

CRANBERRY-FIVE SPICE COCKTAIL COOKIES

Steps:

• Toss 1 tablespoon sugar with frozen cranberries; set aside, stirring occasionally.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, Chinese 5-spice powder, and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on low speed until smooth and creamy. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg and continue to mix 1 minute more. Mixture may appear curdled, but it will even out once dry ingredients are added.
• With the mixer on low, add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir cranberries and spoon into dough; discard any liquid in bowl. Mix just to incorporate, or fold in using a spatula.
• Turn dough out onto work surface and gently shape into a ball. Divide dough in half and pat each half into a disk. Working with one disk at a time, place dough between two sheets of wax paper and roll dough between sheets until it is 1/4-inch-thick. Slide dough, still between paper, onto a cutting board and transfer to freezer. Freeze for at least 1 hour or wrap in plastic wrap and freeze up to 1 month. Repeat process with remaining disk of dough.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack set in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
• Working with one piece of frozen dough at a time, cut out cookies using a 1 1/2-inch-round cookie cutter. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Set aside scraps.
• Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake, until lightly golden around edges and cookies feel just firm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack and let cool for 2 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheet and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
• Repeat process with remaining piece of frozen dough. Repeat rolling, freezing, and baking process with scraps from both dough halves.

FIVE SPICE

Steps:

• Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add spices and toast, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and set aside to cool. If using the whole spices for a braise, they are ready to go.
• To make the spices into a powder, use a spice grinder, clean coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle to grind the spices until fine. If you like, you can strain the mix through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any coarse bits, but this is optional. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

PEPPERMINT BARK SHORTBREAD BITES FROM THE COOKIE BOOK

Steps:

• To make the cookies, in an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and brown sugar and mix on medium for about 4 minutes, or until well blended. With the mixer on low, add in the egg yolk, vanilla and peppermint extract and run for 2 minutes more or until completely blended. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is well incorporated.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Add this to the butter mixture and run on low for 2 minutes, or until everything is combined and the dough has come together. Separate the dough into two hunks and shape each into a log with about a 2-inch (5-cm) circumference. It's a little messy, but you can do it. Grab two pieces of plastic wrap, place a dough log on each,.
• wrap tightly and roll the logs on the counter to round them out a bit. Place in the freezer for 1 hour or until firm.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and cover several baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the sparkling sugar in a pie plate or casserole dish. Set aside.
• Once the logs are firm and chilled, roll them in the sparkling sugar to coat and then cut ½-inch (1.3-cm) thick slices using a sharp knife. Place them on the baking sheets, leaving 2 inches (5 cm) between cookies. Place the cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes or the fridge for 20 minutes.
• Bake one sheet at a time in center of the oven for 14 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
• To make the cookie coating, in a medium, heat-safe bowl add the dark chocolate and set over a medium saucepan of simmering water. Do not let the bowl touch the water. Stir frequently until melted and smooth and then turn off the heat. In another.
• Buy the book!
• https://www.amazon.com/Cookie-Book-Decadent-Bites-Occasion/dp/1624146376/.

MIDNIGHT MOON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F Prepare the baking pan. Line the bottom of an 8-inch round spring form pan with heavy-duty foil. Grease the pan's sides and bottom. Wrap foil around the outside of the pan; set aside.
• Process 20 chocolate wafers, 2 tablespoons of sugar and TWIX® Cookie Bars in a food processor fitted with a metal blade until finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined. Press the mixture evenly around the bottom of the prepared pan. Place that pan into a larger pan, such as a shallow roasting pan. Set aside.
• Prepare the batter by heating MILKY WAY® Bars and milk in a microwave until melted, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
• Divide the batter between two mixing bowls. In one bowl, add cocoa powder and the chocolate mixture; stir until blended. Pour chocolate batter into the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Tint the remaining bowl of batter yellow. Gently spoon this yellow batter on top of the chocolate layer, covering it completely.
• Before baking, create a water bath to keep the top of the cheesecake from badly cracking. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cheesecake sets with a 2-inch jiggly circle in the center. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake remain inside for 30 minutes with the door ajar. At this time, remove the roasting pan to a wire rack, and allow the cheesecake to cool in the water bath until it lowers to room temperature. Remove the cheesecake pan from the water bath and loosely cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before cutting into wedges.
• To unmold the cake, gently run a small knife around the pan's edges; loosen the hinge, and remove the cake. Place on a serving platter.
• To make the bats, cut the 3 reserved cookie wafers in half. Either leave the edges jagged or, using a small cookie cutter, press out a scalloped edge. Arrange pairs of the cookie halves close together to resemble bat wings, pressing the inside tips slightly into the top of the cake. Place black M&M'S® Brand Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies in between for the bats' bodies.