The recipe that was used around the world

This cookie recipe was given to me years ago by a well-traveled friend of mine who, at some time in the past, had met a woman called Pam when she was visiting Borneo. Pam gave her this cookie recipe. My friend carried on with her travels and lost touch with Pam.  Eventually, after a few years of wandering the globe, she ended up living in France for a while, which is where I met her. At that point, she passed Pam’s cookie recipe on to me.  I never got to meet Pam, or find out anything about her, but I often make her cookies and think about who she might be and where she could be in the world. Her cookie recipe has been carried like an Olympic torch all over the world, and now I am passing it on to you.

Who knows, maybe if it keeps being shared, one day it will end up back in the hands of Pam!

I love Pam’s cookie recipe as it is

1. very easy to throw together,
2. there are no waiting times (except for waiting for the cookies to cool off so that you can eat one without burning your fingers),
3. and it is very versatile. You can substitute vegetable shortening for butter (in fact the original recipe doesn’t use butter), and you can add different combinations of chocolate, nuts or raisins, depending what is in your cupboard.

What Pam’s cookie dough should look like

The above photo shows what the cookie dough consistency should look like at the end.  If it is a bit dry, add water, one teaspoon at a time until the dough sticks together.  I find that using your hands to mix in the chocolate chips or nuts works best for getting them to spread evenly through the dough. For this batch, I chopped a couple of chocolate bars into pieces as I had forgotten to buy chocolate chips.  It tastes just as good!  It just means that you have more work to cut the chocolate into bits.  The advantage is that you get to eat all the scraps that fall off the chocolate pieces.

Ideas for different combinations to change your cookies

In the recipe I have written to add 1 cup of chocolate chips, but if you want to mix things up a little, here are some ideas of combinations you could add:

• ​dark and white chocolate chunks or chips
• chocolate pieces and chopped pecans
• chocolate and chopped almonds
• dark chocolate and chopped hazelnuts
• white chocolate and dried cranberries
• raisins and chopped walnuts
• two types of chopped nuts
• chopped dried apricots and chopped unsalted pistachios

Your imagination is your only limit!  Just make sure that the fruits, nuts, and/or chocolate pieces are all roughly the same size.

Travel photo of the week

Since the friend who gave me the recipe spend a couple of years living on Vancouver Island, I thought that I would show you one of my favourite beaches in the world (aside from the New Zealand ones of course!).  This is Long Beach on the west coast of Vancouver Island. You can see where it got it’s not very imaginative name from. The beach is enormous and wild, and if you’re lucky, or unlucky depending on your opinion, you can come across one of the many of black bears who live on the island.  They regularly scour the beach for food.

By Lisa Watson

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Pam's Biscuits

Course cookies, sweet

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 30 cookies

Ingredients

• 120 g butter or shortening 1/2 cup
• 25 g white granulated sugar 1/4 cup
• 100 g dark brown sugar 1/2 cup
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 240 g flour 2 cups
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 150 g chocolate chips 1 cup

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F).

  With either a standing mixer, or a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy.

  If you don't have a mixer, use your very strong arm to beat them with a wooden spoon.

  
  
  
• Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the bowl with the creamed butter-sugar mixture.
  
  Use a wooden spoon or a silicone spatula to mix everything together until you get a homogeneous mixture.
• Add the chocolate chunks, and chopped nuts if using. Mix them in gently. I find that it is better to use your hands at this stage to mix the chocolate chunks in uniformly.
  
  
  
  
  
• Line a cookie sheet with baking paper.

  Use a teaspoon, or your hands, to take walnut-sized pieces off the dough.

  Roll each lump into a ball and place it on the cookie sheet.

  Squash each ball with a fork to flatten it out.

  
  
  
  
• Bake the cookies for 10 -  12 minutes until they start to turn a slightly golden-brown color. 

  Take the cookie tray out of the oven and leave the cookies to cool on it for 10 minutes.

  Take the cookies off the tray and leave them on a wire cooling-rack to cool completely.

  
  
  
  

Notes

Pam's cookies will keep well in a sealed container for up to 5 days (though they have never lasted that long at our house.  They often get eaten hot off the cookie tray!).

A Special Cookie From New Zealand

This cookie is for some reason called an Afghan cookie, although it is not from Afghanistan, and is not made by an Afghan dog.  Afghan cookies are a specialty from New Zealand and are one of those sweet treats that you find in just about every cafe you walk into there, just like ginger slice and chocolate caramel square. These cookies are deliciously chocolate and get a nice crunch from the addition of cornflakes, which is also something that seems to be used often in cookies made in New Zealand.  Of course, the Australians will probably say that these biscuits were invented there, just like they do for pavlova, and it’s true that I can’t prove it either way, since the Afghan cookies have been around for at least a Century, if not longer.  So, I will just declare that they are a slice of Kiwi goodness and hope that no Australian comes after me to fight about it.

What to do when you make Afghan cookies with kids

The cookies are very easy to make, and lots of fun as a kid project when they want to do some baking. If you do make them with kids, just be prepared to face the fact that there may not be enough icing to glaze the biscuits at the end since it may disappear by the spoonful into someone’s mouth instead of going on top of the afghans. The walnuts help to cut the sweetness of the cookies, but if you aren’t a fan of walnuts, go ahead and stick some pecan nuts on the top (but don’t tell any New Zealander you know that you did that).

Travel Photo Of The Week

This photo comes from one of my favourite places in Northland, New Zealand.  Actually I have many favourite places there, but this is way up on the list!  This is looking to the West of the cape toward Cape Maria Van Diemen.  I haven’t yet been down onto the beach. Somehow, there’s never enough time when I’m up at The Cape, but one day I vow to go for a walk along that deserted piece of sand. Cape Reinga is a marvelous place where you can really see the line made by the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea crashing together.  It is seen in Maori lore as the jumping off spot for the spirits as they make their way back to their ancestral lands.

By Lisa Watson

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Chocolate Afghan cookies

Afghan cookies are a specialty from New Zealand and are one of those sweet treats that you find in just about every cafe you walk into there.  Make them at home with this recipe!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine New Zealand

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 15 cookies

Ingredients

For The Cookies:

• 180 g Butter 6.4 oz
• 80 g Sugar 2.8 oz
• 60 g Cornflakes 2 oz
• 20 g Cocoa Powder 2 Tbsp
• 180 g All-purpose flour 6.4 oz

For The Glaze

• 20 g Butter 1 Tbsp
• 10 g Cocoa Powder 1 1/4 Tbsp
• 30 ml Boiling Water 2 Tbsp
• 250 g Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar) 2 cups
• Walnut Halves for garnish

Instructions

To Make The Cookies:

• Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F ).
• Cream the butter and sugar together until it is white and fluffy.
• Sift the cocoa powder and flour together, then mix in to the creamed mixture.
• Crush the cornflakes slightly then carefully stir them into the mixture.
• Put tablespoonfuls of the cookie dough onto a cookie tray covered with baking paper.
• Bake for 18 - 20 minutes.
• Leave on the tray to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling-rack.

To Glaze The Cookies:

Once the afghan cookies have cooled completely:

• Put the butter and cocoa into a small heatproof bowl.
• Add the boiling water and whisk until the butter has melted.
• Add the icing sugar and stir until you have a homogeneous mixture.
• Add dollops of icing on the tops of the cookies (about 1 Tbsp for each cookie).
• Place half a walnut on each cookie.
• Leave the cookie to set before storing in an airtight container.

The excitement of going to town when I was a kid

When I was a kid growing up on a farm in New Zealand, we used to get to visit “The Town” a handful of times a year.  It was always a very exciting trip.  We would get dressed in our best clothes, pile into the Holden Kingswood (affectionately called the Golden Holden), and drive down the windy gravel roads towards Town, an hour away. As we got closer, the road would lose the grass ribbon growing down the middle of it and become wide enough for two cars to pass each other. Eventually, we would feel a slight bump, and suddenly the crunching, rattling sound of the tyres rolling over gravel would stop and the ride would become as smooth as floating on a cloud.  We had arrived at the asphalt!  When we were in town, one of the thrills we looked forward to was riding up and down the escalator there. Who needs a theme park when you have a moving staircase! One of my other excitements was to eat lunch at a cafe.  I would cross my fingers and make all sorts of promises to whatever entity may have been listening, that I would be good for months and not ask for a second ride on the escalator if we could have a bought lunch rather than Mum packing a picnic and making us sit in a park and eat it. When my fervent wishes came true and we did get to go  to a lunch place, we had to abide by the “Two Things” rule.  No more than two foods on your plate, one of which had to be something savoury. I almost always got a mince pie and a yoyo biscuit.  It is true that sometimes, I would go nuts and get a custard slice instead of a yoyo biscuit, but those were dark days.  Every time,when it was too late, I would realize that the yoyo biscuit was what I really wanted after all. Call it a bitter learning experience and let’s leave it at that.

Yoyo biscuits bring back so many memories, just with one bite

It’s funny how when you grow up, these small things that brought you such pleasure when you were young, like my joy at eating a yoyo biscuit, can be completely forgotten about.  In fact, I only remembered about them this week after stumbling over a recipe for them when I was looking for something completely different.  I had a sudden nostalgia to eat one and so made them on the spot. Biting into one brought all the memories and emotions flooding back. It’s amazing how the taste and smell of certain things can do that to you. I felt the excitement I experienced as a kid from our town visits, and could almost smell the stale cigarette- and coffee-permeated cafe (it was before the days of smoking bans inside) as I bit into the cookie.

Yoyo biscuits are delicious, even in today’s world

These are delicious, even without the nostalgia factor, but look away immediately if you are on, or planning to be on, any kind of diet.  Yoyo biscuits are not for the  health-conscious among us.  They are loaded with butter everywhere you look.  That is one of the reasons they taste so good!  If that doesn’t scare you, then I really urge you to try them.  If it scares you just a little, make the cookies small so you get the taste, but still feel virtuous.  If it scares you a lot, you’ve probably left this page anyway and have gone to skim-read Facebook and scoff at what people have put up there.

Beware the cookie stealers!

Beware when you take these out of the oven that no family members wander by and steal one off the rack when you are not looking. You’ll then be left with an odd cookie with no partner. This is a serious kitchen crime which can result in banishment from the cooking area unless there are piles of dirty dishes to be washed.  Though, maybe one being stolen is a good thing as it means that you can smear it with filling and gobble it when nobody can see you. No one will even realize!

Below, I’ve included a photo of the filling so that you can see what sort of consistency it should have once it’s mixed properly.

Travel Photo Of The Week

This is a short of the perils you can meet when trying to drive to town in New Zealand. I used to gnash my teeth with impatience when I was young and we were heading for town.  It always takes so long to get through these guys!

By Lisa Watson

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Yoyo biscuits

how to make Yoyo Cookies from New Zealand. Find the perfect recipe for them on Italian Kiwi!

Course cookies, Dessert, sweet

Cuisine New Zealand

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 26 - 28 cookies before joining

Ingredients

For The Cookies:

• 175 g Butter
• 30 g Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar) 1/4 cup
• 1/4 tsp Vanilla Essence
• 200 g All-purpose flour 1½ cups
• 40 g Custard Powder 1/4 cup

For The Filling:

• 50 g Butter at room temperature 3½ Tbsp
• 60 g Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar) ½ cup
• 2½ Tbsp Custard Powder

Instructions

For The Cookies:

• Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F ).
• Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Add the vanilla essence and beat in.
• Sift the dry ingredients together. Mix them into the butter mixture.
• Form balls a little smaller than walnut size and place on a cookie tray lined with baking paper.
• Dip a fork in water and press the cookies flat.
• Bake for 15 - 18 minutes until hard to the touch.
• Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

For The Filling:

• Beat the ingredients together in a bowl.
• Spread one cookie with the filling and join it to another cookie of a similar size.
• Allow the filling in the yoyo cookies to set a little before eating.

The joy of choosing tiny pastries

Baci di Dama are cookies that you find in pasticcerias all over the region of Piedmont in Northern Italy. We always choose to have a few when we go in to order a tray of pasticcini. I adore this Italian tradition of picking up a tray full of all sorts of tiny cookies and puffs filled with different flavoured creams whenever there is a special occasion!  I’m always very impressed by the people manning the pasticcini counters, as they have to be very patient with the customers.  The job for the customer of choosing which little cakes and cookies they want out of a selection of 20 to 30 different kinds is a very serious matter!

Tips for making Baci di Dama

In Turin, the Baci di Dama cookies can often be made to be nearly as small as your thumbnail. They’re easy to make at home, but rolling the dough into balls to make them that tiny is beyond my patience level, so I made the cookies about the size of a walnut. If you make them smaller, make sure you also reduce the time that they spend in the oven.

Which nuts to use to make Baci di Dama

The cookies can be made with hazelnuts or almonds.  They were originally made with hazelnuts, as hazelnuts are found in great abundance all over Piedmont.  That’s also why Nutella, which originates from the same area, uses hazelnuts. I used almonds as I’m very lazy.  You can buy ready-made almond meal in the supermarket here in France, so there was no need for me to buy the nuts and grind them up! They taste equally good, no matter which nuts you choose!  I made half the dough chocolate, and left half as it is, but that is also up to you.  You can make the baci di dama dough all chocolate, or leave it as it is.

The cookies are held together by melted chocolate.  I laid a pair of chopsticks on a tray and then balanced the joined cookies between them until the chocolate had set.  If you lie them on their sides when the chocolate is still soft, they will fall apart!

Travel Photo Of The Week

The photo below was taken in Turin last year at Christmas time (obviously!).  In the centre of Turin there are quite a few beautiful indoor arcades that you can walk through to get from one side of the block to the other.  We were strolling through one as we were on our way from having lunch in a lovely restaurant to having coffee at a great café when we stumbled on this fantastic Christmas tree.  The streets outdoors in the centre of Turin are lit up by different artists over the Christmas period as well.  It’s definitely worth getting out into the cold to see!

This post is part of the monthly link up for Cucina Conversations.  This month it’s all about edible presents that you can make to gift to friends and family.

Check out the ideas and traditional Christmas recipes below from:

Rosemarie of Turin Mamma with Croccante di Mandorle

Francesca of Pancakes And Biscotti with Canederli

Carmen of The Heirloom Chronicles with Cicerata

Marialuisa of Marmellata Di Cipolle with Ciciarata

Daniela of Le Dani Gourmet with Ricciarelli cookies

and Flavia of Flavia’s Flavours with Pizzelle.

Merry Christmas everyone!

By Lisa Watson

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Baci di Dama cookies from Piedmont, Italy

Baci di Dama From Piedmont, Italy can be easily made at home. Find the recipe here!

Course cookies, sweet

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 150 g Ground Almonds 1 1/2 cups
• 150 g All-purpose flour 1 cup
• 150 g White Sugar 1 1/4 cups
• 2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 150 g Butter at room temperature 2/3 cup, 5 1/4 oz
• 100 g Chocolate 2/3 cup, 4 oz

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 180°C /350°F.
• Mix all the dry ingredients, except the cocoa powder, together.  If you cannot find almond meal, grind up whole, peeled almonds in a blender until you have a fine mix and use those.
• Add the butter and work it into the dry ingredients using either a standing mix or your hands.
• Separate the dough into two roughly equals portions and add the cocoa powder to one of the balls. Knead it into the dough.
• Break off small pieces of the dough and roll it into balls.  Place them on a cookie-tray lined with baking paper.Push the balls down gently so that a flat bottom forms.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then leave to cool for at least 1 hour.
• Melt the chocolate over a very low heat. Spread some of the chocolate on the flat side of one cookie and stick it to another one about the same size. Put them gently on a tray covered in baking paper and leave them to set.

What to make when you can’t give a present

My younger son’s teacher laid down the law in his class this Christmas, and said that she wanted NO Christmas presents from the families.  In fact, she’s getting the kids to do a “reverse advent calendar” this month instead.  Each day, a different child brings something to give to a charity that helps people in need, and at the end of the month, they will present it to the organisation. As we live in France, along with presents of toothbrushes, canned food, toilet paper and soap, absolute necessities such as Fois Gras, chocolate and tapenade have been donated. I’m waiting for someone to bring a basket of raw oysters and a bottle of champagne! Since we couldn’t give this fabulous teacher a present, my sons and I decided to make some Christmassy cookies for the teacher and the whole class to share. When the kids decorated the cookies, I set a limit to the number of balls they could put on each “tree” as otherwise, you would not have been able to see the actual cookies, but just a dithering array of sugar.

Cookies that are lots of fun to make with kids

The recipe for the cookies in very simple and lots of fun to make with the kids.  I have a video of my youngest son making them when he was too short to even reach the kitchen counter and had to stand on a stool.  I promise I won’t bore you with that video – those are the kind of things that only parents and grandparents should have to watch. He’s almost my height now (I’m going to be the one having to stand on a stool soon), but he still loves making them.

I haven’t included instructions for the icing or decorations as in the end, this cookie dough can be cut out into any shape and decorated or not, depending on what you have on hand (that goes with cookies….don’t decorate them with garlic slivers or olives….).  If you want to make the icing, mix powdered sugar with a small amount of hot water until you get a thick paste, add some drops of food colouring, then spread them onto the cookies.

I was going to throw in a photo of our real tree to get the holiday spirit going, but the kids really went to town on hanging tinsel this year and it looks a little like a Christmas elf has thrown up all over it, so instead I will leave you with this soothing, non stomach-churning photo of some snow as that’s what I’m wishing for for Christmas this year!

By Lisa Watson

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Ginger and cinnamon cookies

A recipe that's fun to make with kids: Ginger and Cinnamon Christmas tree cookies 

Course cookies, sweet

Cuisine American, New Zealand

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

fridge time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 18 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 275 g All-purpose flour 2 cups and 2 Tbsp, 10 oz
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 100 g Brown Sugar 4 oz
• 75 g Butter at room temperature 3 oz
• 1 Eggs
• 50 ml Golden Syrup 2 Tbsp
• 2 tsp Mixed Spice or 1 tsp ginger and 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

• Mix the dry ingredients together.
• Rub in the butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
• Mix together the egg and golden syrup, then add to the dough.
• Knead the dough until it forms a ball.
• Wrap the dough in cling-film and leave in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 180°C /350°F.
• Roll the dough out onto a floured bench and cut out cookie shapes.
• Bake for 8 - 10 minutes.
• Leave to cool on a rack then ice as desired.
• The cookies will keep in an airtight container for at least two weeks.

What are Fave Dei Morti cookies?

I decided not to translate the name of these biscuits in the title, Fave Dei Morti, as I’m not sure how many people would want to read about cookies called “Broad Beans of the Dead”.  They don’t sound very appetising in English! The almond cookies are traditionally made in many regions of Italy at the end of October to be eaten during the period of Ognissanti, or All Saints’ Day. I read in a few places that these cookies were originally eaten at funerals in Ancient Greece.  I don’t know whether this is true or not, but it’s kind of nice to think that people could have a tiny taste of joy at such a sad event.

The origins of  fave dei morti

The biscuits were originally made with broad beans, but the main ingredient was changed to almonds as broad beans can be very toxic for certain people. In many Mediterranean countries, such as Italy, there is a hereditary condition called favism. For these people, eating broad beans leads to nasty symptoms and possible death (so the cookies were actually very aptly named once upon a time). The name fave has stuck, but now pretty much everyone can eat them without worrying about their health afterwards.

To colour, or not to colour?

The recipe for the fave dei morti cookies varies a little in different parts of Italy. Depending on where they are made also changes whether they are coloured or just left with the dough’s natural colour.  I liked the idea of making colourful biscuits, so I decided make them as they do in the North-East of Italy, with three different hues.  The red ones you see in the photo should actually be pink, not red.  I got a little carried away with the food colouring!  They tasted delicious anyway, but maybe are not as traditional to look at as they should be.

This post is part of the Cucina Conversations group.  This month you can find recipes from its members, celebrating Ognisanti and the Fall season. Here’s what you can check out:

Marialuisa’s Nzulli biscotti with almonds

Carmen’s Savoiardi biscuits

Rosemarie’s Castagnaccio

Francesca’s Fettuccine con Zucca e Porcini

Flavia’s Apple Torta Sbrisolona

Daniela’s Chestnut Pancakes (Necci) with Ricotta

By Lisa Watson

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Fave dei Morti

Colourful Fave Dei Morti Cookies are made in Italy at the end of October to celebrate "Ognisanti" (All Saints). Find the easy recipe to make them here.

Course cookies, Snack, sweet

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 45 cookies

Ingredients

• 150 g All-purpose flour 1 1/4 cups
• 250 g Peeled almonds 8.8 oz
• 50 g Pine-nuts 1.8 oz.
• 100 g Icing sugar 3.5 oz.
• 2 Eggs
• Lemon zest from 1 lemon
• 2 tsp Cocoa powder
• 1 pinch or drop Red Food Colouring

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 180°C /350°F.
• Use a food processor to blend the almonds and pine-nuts into a  "flour".
• Beat the eggs until they become thick.
• Sieve the all-purpose flour and icing sugar. Add it to the 'nut' flour, and mix.
• Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix well.
• Break the dough into three pieces.
• Knead the lemon zest into one ball, the cocoa powder into the second, and the food colouring into the third, until they are evenly coloured.
• Roll the dough balls into long sausages.
• Line a baking tray with baking paper, then break off bits of dough a little smaller than the size of a walnut and roll them into a ball, then flatten them very slightly. Place them on the baking tray with at least 5 cm/2 in distance between the cookies.
• Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until they are slightly browned.
• The cookies can keep for a week in an air-tight container.

What is a snickerdoodle anyway?

I spent a few years living in California, which is where I was introduced to these fabulous cookies called snickerdoodles. When I first heard the name “snickerdoodle”, I thought it was another one of those strange poodle crosses, like the labradoodle (now, who wouldn’t want one of those?!). In fact, I eventually found out that snickerdoodles were butter cookies rolled in sugar and cinnamon, which was a little disappointing, but much easier to keep as a pet. The origins of the strange name seem to be lost in the mists of history.  My guess is that one day some cook just decided that it would be terribly funny to make everyone in the world try to say snickerdoodle as often as possible.

What to use instead of cream of tartar

Snickerdoodles call for an ingredient called cream of tartar, which can be difficult to get in some countries.  My supplier (i.e. my mother) brings it into France when she comes to visit from New Zealand. If you can’t get hold of cream of tartar, apparently you can replace it with 2 tsp of lemon juice for the taste, and/or 1 tsp of baking powder.  Now, I haven’t tried either of these replacements, so I can’t guarantee that they will taste/work the same (although the internet assures me that they do!).  I can’t see that they would hurt the snickerdoodles, so if you try it, let me know how it goes.

Snickerdoodles keep well for a week or so in an air-tight container after they’re made.  It’s very unusual that they last that long though.

Travel Photo of the Week

This photo comes from the U.S.A.: the home of snickerdoodles.  This is one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever hiked to. Arches National Park lies in the State of Utah near a very hip small town called Moab. The park is full of eye-bending rock arches, but this one is the most stunning, in my opinion. The rock formation is called Delicate Arch, for obvious reasons.  It is perched on the edge of a cliff that drops away into a deep valley.  I’ve hiked up here a couple of times, and the best time was just before sunset.  The sun setting on the orange rocks turns them a deep red colour.  If you go, take a headlamp with you so you can find your way back down the trail!

This recipe for snickerdoodles is adapted from a recipe from a fantastic cookie book called (wait for it!) “Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt In Your Mouth Cookies” By Alice Medrich.

By Lisa Watson

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Snickerdoodle cookies

How to make Snickerdoodles: The Great American Cookie

Course Dessert, sweet

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

fridge time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 35 - 40 cookies

Ingredients

• 225 g Butter 7.9 oz
• 275 g Sugar 9.7 oz
• 2 Eggs
• 380 g Flour 13.4 oz
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
• For The Coating:
• 4 Tbsp White Sugar
• 1 tsp Cinnamon

Instructions

• Cream the butter (at room temperature) and sugar together until fluffy.
• Add the eggs and beat in.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients, except those for the coating.
• Add the flour mixutre to the creamed butter and stir until the dough becomes smooth.
• Cover the bowl with clingfilm and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to one day.

When you are ready to make the cookies:

• Heat the oven to 180°C (375°F).
• Mix the sugar and cinnamon for the coating in a shallow dish.
• Roll the cookie dough into walnut-sized balls, then roll them in the coating mixture.
• Place them on a cookie sheet covered with baking paper. Leave about four fingers of space between each cookie so that they can spread.  I usually fit 12 cookies on a regular-sized cookie sheet.
• Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until the cookies are golden in colour.  Take them out of the oven and leave them to cool on the tray for a few minutes.

Why it’s time to make your own cookies

My kids have been eating way too many commercial cookies out of a packet recently, so I decided it was time to get baking. I often make ginger/cinnamon cookies with this recipe that I am going to share with you, but decided it was time for a change.  I used the same dough, but added some cocoa powder instead, and Lo and Behold! Out came chocolate caramel cookies!  And they were great! Usually when I make cutout cookies, the kids spend ages decorating them with all sorts of garish coloured sugar pearls and stars.  This time I managed to make these chocolate caramel cookies while they were out, so we adults can now eat them too without feeling sick from the sugar rush.  If you want to make them a little prettier, you could always drizzle chocolate glaze over the top of them.  Or find some random kid to smush silver balls and coloured sugar confetti all over them.

Tips to make the cookies more quickly

If you don’t want to do the whole thing with cookie cutters, you can roll the dough into a cylinder, wrap it in plastic wrap, refrigerate it, then slice it onto the cookie tray to bake.  If you want to be super lazy, don’t even cook the dough. Just eat it raw.  But, that may be going a little far.  If you’re that unmotivated, it might be better just to get some store-bought chocolate caramel cookies in the shape of stars. You can’t find them in the supermarket?  Well, that’s a good reason to make these cookies then!  My cookie-cutters are a little wonky after years of indelicate use from young children.  The star looks like it’s imploding and the gingerbread man cutter seems to have one skinny leg and one fat, but I like them that way as it reminds me of all the times my boys  and I spent around the kitchen table together when they were smaller. They’re not so enthusiastic about making them anymore, but they do still like to eat them though.

Just a note about this recipe.  If  the dough doesn’t stick together very well, add a little milk or water, a teaspoon at a time until it clumps together.  If you have no golden syrup, or don’t want the caramel side of the cookies, add the equivalent volume in milk.

For another kind of delectable cookie, you could try chocolate afghan cookies instead.

Travel Photo of the Week

This is a beach on the island of Sardinia, Italy.  I think the photo says it all! Pack your bags and go (after baking some chocolate caramel cookies).

By Lisa Watson

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Chocolate caramel cookies

Chocolate Caramel Cookies: better than store-bought! Use this recipe to make cookies with your kids!

Course cookies, Dessert, sweet

Cuisine New Zealand

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Resting time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 48 minutes minutes

Servings 35 - 40 cookies

Ingredients

• 275 g All-purpose flour 2 cups and 2 Tbsp, 10 oz
• 30 g Cocoa powder 4 Tbsp
• 100 g White sugar 1/2 cup, 3.5 oz
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 75 g Butter 3 oz
• 75 g Golden Syrup 3 Tbsp
• 1 Eggs

Instructions

• Sift all the dry ingredients into a medium-sized bowl.
• Add the room temperature butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mixture ressembles breadcrumbs.
• Mix the egg and golden syrup together then add it to the dough.  Mix in with your hands until the ball forms.  If the dough is too dry and won't stick together, add a tiny bit of water and keep kneading the dough.  Continue adding a teaspoon of water at a time until it sticks together.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.  You can keep it like this for at least two days.
• Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Take the dough out of the fridge and let it softn on the bench for 10 -15 minutes.
• Roll it out on a floured bench until it is about 1 cm thick.  Use cookie cutters or a glass to cut out the cookies and place them on a cookie tray lined with baking paper.
• Bake for 8 - 10 minutes.

The Venetian butter cookies that you’ve been longing to hear about

Last year we went for a trip to Venice, and I suddenly realized that the time has drifted away and I’ve told you nothing yet about our time there!  So, today I’m going to rectify that.  Sorry that I’ve kept you in suspense for so long.  I know that you’ve been waking up every morning thinking that maybe, finally, this will be the morning that Lisa writes about Venice.  Well, all your wishes are now coming true!  Tonight, you can go to bed and rest easy. The recipe I’m going to share with you today comes from the tiny island of Burano that lies in the lagoon surrounding Venice.  The island is famous for its lace and beautifully coloured houses, and also for these biscuits called Bussolai Buranei (let’s just call them Venetian butter cookies).  They’re delicious biscuits that are formed into a “s” or an “o” shape before baking. They are dipped in sweet wine (or coffee) before eating.  Actually, you can eat them without dipping them and nothing will happen to you…….

The cookies that are too good to only make for Easter

These cookies were traditionally made just for Easter, but they’re so delicious, and so many tourists want to eat them, they now make them all year round.  They come in different shapes, but essentially, they taste the same, whichever shape they are in.  That leads me to the important point that you don’t have to make them in the shape of an “s” or even an “o”.  If you make them straight, I promise that they’ll still taste just as good.

Today, I’m going to do something a little different.  Instead of just writing about the Venetian Butter Cookies, I’m going to assault you with a short piece I wrote about Venice.  I hope you like it!

A Day in Venice

Sitting in the back-alley restaurant, Venetian dialect eddies and swirls around us. My Italian husband shrugs. “No, I don’t understand anything either.”  As we eat Sarde in Saor, the old man at the next table hears our jumble of languages.  He breaks into Italian and says, “I used to live in Texas, but I missed the water.” The stray tourists a few tables over try to order a cappuccino after their lunch. “Scusate, but is not possibile,” murmurs the waiter politely in broken English.  I make a paper boat out of the ragu-stained place-mat for one of my sons.  His eyes shine. “Let’s go float it on a canal!”.

On the slippery, algae-covered steps, I hold his hand as he carefully launches his boat. It bobs gently on the murky water towards an arch, where people stop to take photos of it. A passing gondolier maneuvers his gondola around it and gives it a helping hand on its voyage by touching it gently with his pole. My son leaps for joy and punches the air with his fist.  The gondolier winks as he glides past. A boat-taxi steams past.  The tassista swerves to avoid the paper boat, then salutes my son. Finally the little craft meanders off down a side canal.

We elbow our way onto the Ponte di Rialto. We inch the kids to the rail, keeping one hand on them through the wall of people so that they can watch the aquatic ballet of near misses going on below. A vaporetto and a gondola play a game of chicken. “This is too scary”, says my eldest son, covering his eyes. Later, the boys stalk pigeons in Piazza San Marco. “What’s the bet that this is the only bit they’ll remember?” I say.

By Lisa Watson

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Venetian Butter Cookies

Venetian Butter Cookies (Bussolai Buranei) are a specialty from the island of Burano, which lies in the Venice lagoon in Italy. 

Course Dessert, Snack, sweet

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Resting time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 18 -20 cookies

Ingredients

• 250 g All-purpose flour 2 cups, 8oz
• 125 g Granulated sugar 4.2oz, 1/2 cup
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 packet Vanilla sugar or 1 tsp of vanilla essence
• 100 g Butter at room temperature 7 Tbsp, 3.5oz
• Lemon zest from 1 lemon
• 3 Egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp optional Rum

Instructions

• Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl, then pour the mixture onto the kitchen bench.
• Make a well in the centre, then add the butter, egg yolks, rum (if using), and lemon zest.
• Work the mixture with your hands until it turns into a smooth dough.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes. If you leave it overnight in the fridge, you'll need to take it out about 30 minutes before you start making the cookies.
• Pull walnut size pieces off the ball of dough. Squeeze and roll them gently between your hands until you get a sausage shaped about the thickness of your little finger that measure about 12 cm (5 inches).  The length and thickness is to help you form the "s" shape.  Gently form it into an "s" and lay it on a cookie tray covered in baking paper.
• Bake the biscuits at 180ºC (350ºF) for 10 - 12 minutes until golden-brown.
• Leave them on the tray to cool for a few minutes after taking them out of the oven so that they "set" a little, then transfer them to a wire grill to cool.

Bringing back a traditional NZ cookie

These biscuits from New Zealand, called Elsie’s Fingers, are a very old (as far as history goes for New Zealand!) cookie that was an integral part of the childhood of anyone born before the 80’s. I remember often snacking on Elsie’s Fingers for afternoon tea when I was a kid.  For some reason, they were taken out of the NZ cookbook “bibles” at some point, and never put back again.  The powers-that-be don’t know what they’re missing out on!  They’ve destroyed a part of NZ’s heritage, and at the same time removed a rather tasty snack from the mouths of the youth of today! I say we rise up! Rise up and protest against the injustice brought against thousands of young Kiwis not knowing what Elsie’s Fingers are!  Or, you can just make this recipe and have a cup of tea while nibbling on them, and sit in an armchair, while watching someone on TV protest about something else if you prefer.

All about Elsie’s Fingers

Who is Elsie, and did her fingers really look like pale, puffed-up sausages?  We shall never know. But whoever she was, I say thanks to her for inventing this childhood favourite of mine. I guess if you really wanted to go crazy, you could add the zest of a lemon into the mixture, but you’d really be going out on a limb there.  The biscuits are kind of like shortbread in texture.  Perfect for dunking in tea.  Elsie’s Fingers are also great fun to make with kids, as the recipe is very simple to make, and in the end, you can form them into whatever shape you like.

If you look at the recipe you will see that the flour varies by 1/2 a cup.  This depends on the size of the egg you’re using.  Add all the flour, except the last 50g (1/2 cup) first and mix it in, the if the dough is still too sticky, keep adding flour until it doesn’t stick to your hands.

For other delicious New Zealand treats, you can check out these crunchy ANZAC biscuits or tickle your taste-buds with some Ginger Slice

Travel photo of the week

Before you run off to make Elsie’s Fingers, like I just know you will, I want to leave you with another photo from our trip to New Zealand in February. That way you can dream of this beach (Rawara Beach in Northland) while chomping on the cookies.  Can you believe it that the sand is so fine that it squeaks when you walk on it!

By Lisa Watson

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Elsie's Fingers

These cookies from New Zealand are called Elsie's fingers.  Why?  Come and find out and learn how to make them on Italian Kiwi.

Course Snack

Cuisine New Zealand

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 16 large or 30 small

Ingredients

• 125 g Butter 4.2oz, 1/2 cup
• 90 g White sugar 3 oz, 1/2 cup
• 1 Egg
• 250 - 300 g All-purpose flour 14.1 oz, 2 - 2 1/2 cups
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• Extra sugar for rolling cookies in

Instructions

• Cream butter (at room temperature) and sugar together until white and fluffy.
• Beat in the egg.
• Mix together the flour and baking powder, then stir it into the creamed mixture.
• Line a cookie tray with baking paper and heat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF) .
• Roll walnut size pieces of dough into sausage shapes, then roll them in sugar and place them on the baking tray.
• Bake for 12 - 15 minutes until they are light brown in colour.

Notes

If you look at the recipe you will see that the flour varies by 1/2 a cup.  This depends on the size of the egg you're using.  Add all the flour, except the last 50g (1/2 cup) first and mix it in, the if the dough is still too sticky, keep adding flour until it doesn't stick to your hands.