Vanilla Chai Cookies

I've just returned from the east coast to look at colleges. I'm on my spring break right now, which happens to be two weeks long (woo hoo!). Of course the first thing I did when I got back was to start baking. I've always been a fan of little cookies (here, here, here, & here). I think it's nice to be able to have a small treat when you want something sugary, but you don't want to eat an entire cheesecake.





These cookies taste just like a sweet chai latte. These would be great for a little tea time snack. Or any snack time for that matter.


Also, on another note, you may have noticed that Pâtisserie Natalie looks a little different. I've updated the layout for spring 2010. As you probably know, I design and code all my own layouts, and I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out. Being on spring break gave me some time to work on this new layout, which took a while to get right. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Vanilla Chai Sable Cookie

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Combine butter and sugar in stand mixer until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and mix well. Add to the wet ingredients and mix just until barely combined. Using your hands, use a kneading motion inside the bowl so that the dough starts to come together. Flour your hands if the dough is sticking to you. Divide into two parts, flatten into disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Take out one of the disks and roll out to 1/4" thick on a flour surface. Using a scalloped cookie cutter (see link at the bottom) about 1 3/4" in diameter. Cut out cookies (I also cut out a little shape in the middle of half the cookies) and bake for 8 minutes, until edges are just slightly golden brown.

Cardamom Cream
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine ingredients in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until soft and smooth. Transfer to a piping bag with plain tip about 1/2" in diameter. Sandwich cream in between two cookies.

What I used:


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Lemon Sandwich Cookies

Well, I'm back from my camping trip with my class. It was pouring rain the first night, and my tent was on the small side, but by the end it was sunny and warm. I had a good time, regardless of the little things that were unpleasant. Lemon seems like one of those spring+summer flavors. I don't really know why, since they're available all year long, but eating lemon desserts in December seems a little funny to me (although, you'd be hard pressed to find someone to turn down a dessert simply because it was lemon). It's been really warm these past couple days, so I decided to start using a bag of lemons I had in the fridge. I made some lemon pound cakes, but I haven't had the light to photograph them yet, so they're coming soon.
I'm having a bake sale at my school next week for the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation, so I've been testing out a lot of cookies. These were ones that I've been wanting to try for a while, with the interesting method of piping the dough. Apparently they were very tasty, so they might be in the running for the bake sale.



Cookie Dough
Adapted from Modern Classics 2 by Donna Hay

6 oz butter; softened
1/4 confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon lemon oil
1 cup AP flour
1/4 cup cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the butter, confectioner's sugar, and lemon oil in the bowl of a mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Sift the flour and cornstrach into the bowl and mix until combined. Place the mixture in a piping bag with a fluted nozzle. Pipe 1" rounds onto a baking tray lined with parchment. Cook for 12 minutes (depending on your oven), or until golden.

Lemon Buttercream

2 sticks unsalted butter; softened
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon lemon oil
1/2 teaspoon orange oil

Combine the ingredients in your mixer until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1/4 plain tip. Pipe onto smooth side of cookie and sandwich together. Tada!
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