COOKIES, CAKES, AND CANDIES

FOOD & DRINK

Spiced Spritz Cookies

Holiday Baking Essentials Can’t-fail sweet treats perfect for gifting or enjoying at home.

Photographs by MIMI COUNCIL

he West is home to the highest mountains in the United States, and we don’t need to tell our readers who live (and bake) thousands of feet above sea level that cakes can fall flat and cookies can burn and pastries dry out if you don’t adjust your recipes and techniques. That’s where the brilliant Mountain Baking cookbook comes in handy. Written by Mimi Council and Kimmy Fasani, the co-owners of Dessert’D Organic Bake Shop in Mammoth Lakes, California, it’s the perfect companion for folks who live in the mountains or are just heading up over 8,000 feet for the holidays and want to do some baking in their vacation rental or home. When at high elevation, check your baked goods at the low end of the time to make sure they don’t cook too fast. Not in the mountains? Not a problem. These recipes work perfectly at sea level, too.

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Spiced Spritz Cookies

MAKES 50 COOKIES

“These little holiday cookies are all you need for those times when you want to curl up in front a fire and watch Christmas movies. Add a Hot Toddy and it just gets better.” —Mimi

1 cup salted butter, softened ¾ cup cane sugar, plus extra for topping 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 large egg 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon powdered ginger ½ teaspoon ground cloves

GLUTEN-FREE VARIATION:

Replace the all-purpose flour with 1½ scant cups gluten-free flour blend and ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon coconut flour.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined and no chunks of butter remain. Let the mixer mix on

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low for 5 minutes; set a timer. The butter mixture will look light in color and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the flour, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves and mix on low until combined into a cookie dough. Fit a piping bag with the Ateco tip #846 and fill the bag with half the cookie dough. (If you put it in all at once, it can be too hard to squeeze out.) Pipe the dough into 1½-inch dollops onto the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Sprinkle a little cane sugar on top after coming out of the oven. Let cool completely on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mendiants

MAKES 20 MENDIANTS

“Mendiants are a traditional French candy. They are little disks of chocolate topped with dried fruits and nuts. I like to think of these as packable fuel. When you mix dark chocolate and peanut butter together, you get a little protein plus some sweet and salty goodness that can keep you going until you get home.” —Mimi

1¼ cups finely chopped dark chocolate ¼ cup peanut butter Scant ¼ cup roasted and salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

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Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Temper the chocolate: Place about 80 percent of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside the remaining 20 percent. To create a double boiler, fill a small saucepan with water and place the bowl with the 80 percent of the chocolate on top; do not let the bowl touch the water. Turn on to high heat and melt the chocolate until it reaches 110°F on a digital thermometer. Remove from the

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heat. Immediately add in the remaining 20 percent of chocolate and stir vigorously to combine completely. Allow the chocolate to come down to 89°F. Once the chocolate is tempered, add in the peanut butter and stir to combine completely. Scoop 1 scant tablespoon of the chocolate–peanut butter mixture onto the parchment paper to form a round disk of chocolate. Top with chopped peanuts. Repeat until all the chocolate–peanut butter mixture and peanuts are gone. Place the tray in the fridge to set, about 1 hour. Store in a cool, dry place or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Chocolate Sweet Rolls

MAKES 8 ROLLS

“Rich, decadent, and not too sweet: I use Dutch cocoa powder instead of a sweeter chocolate to make these rolls. This allows the glaze to be just sweet enough.” —Mimi

DOUGH

¼ cup hot water 2 teaspoons active dry yeast ¼ cup plus ½ teaspoon

CANE SUGAR

¼ cup salted butter ¾ cup milk 3½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 large egg

FILLING

¹/₃ cup Dutch cocoa powder, sifted ¼ cup cane sugar ½ cup salted butter, softened

GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted 3 tablespoons milk

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To make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the hot water, yeast, and ½ teaspoon cane sugar. Stir to combine and let sit for 5 minutes until bubbly. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and milk. Stir until completely melted. Remove from the heat. Add the flour, ¼ cup cane sugar, and sea salt to the mixing bowl in that order. Add the egg and the milk mixture and knead on low for 3 to 5 minutes, until a smooth dough forms. Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 to 3 hours, until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 350°F and

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grease a baking dish, either a 9-inch circle dish or an 11-by-7inch dish. To make the filling: In a small bowl, combine the cocoa and ¼ cup cane sugar. Set aside. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle that is about 12-by-16 inches. Using a spatula, spread the softened butter all over the rolled-out dough. Sprinkle the sugar and cocoa mixture on top of the butter. Starting at the longer side, fold the dough over and start to roll the dough until it is completely

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rolled into a log. Trim off the edges and cut the dough log into eight rolls. Place the rolls in the prepared baking dish and bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. To make the glaze: In a mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons milk and whisk until you have a smooth glaze. Pour the glaze over the top of the warm sweet rolls. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Excerpted from The Mountain Baker. Copyright 2020 by Mimi Council and Kimmy Fasani. Reproduced by permission of The Countryman Press, a division of W.W. Norton & Company. All rights reserved.