Cooking
Page 134 in the old book / page 170 in the new book
"Busy" is the word that comes to mind for these cookies. "Busy" as in cluttered and "busy" as in you're going to be busy for a while making these cookies ;) Unlike some other two-tone cookies, the two doughs for these cookies do not share a common base dough.
Not only are the two doughs made of entirely different recipes, they have different consistencies. This difference is slight after they are baked, but I noticed it and liked the contrast. The different consistencies of the raw doughs created a little problem in assembling the cookies. The light dough is softer than the dark dough, so it squished around a bit when I pressed the top layer of dark dough into the loaf pan that served as a mold. I considered chilling the partially filled loaf pan before adding that final layer of dark dough, but didn't. If you'd prefer cleaner lines in your cookies, sticking the pan in the freezer for a half hour or so might help.
So what is in these cookies? You name it - chocolate, pistachios, brown sugar and spices, currants, lemon, and candied cherries. They have a nice texture, but for all the additions and flavorings, the taste is only average. I kind of wonder if one or the other of these doughs might be more memorable on its own.
The cookie panel was divided on these...
Suzanne: I feel terrible that Cathy put so much work into this cookie and I have to say that this was not my favorite cookie. I could barely taste the brown sugar and chocolate chips. I did enjoy the spices and pistachio and the cookie was crunchy on the edges and soft in the middle. I don’t care for candied fruit in cookies or cakes. Rating - 3.0"
Denny: "Very good. Look fancy and hard to make. Definitely a 4.5. Rating - 4.5"
Herman: "I rate these cookies as 2.5 out of 5 only because I’m not a big fan of pistachios, cherries, and currants in cookies. Rating - 2.5"
Terri: "These cookies are not only delicious, but a work of art! The mixture of the two doughs and spices makes this a wonderful combination. This would be one of my "top 10" picks! Rating - 5.0"
Overall rating by the panel - 3.8
Next week - Fruitcake Icebox Cookies
Nutrition Facts
- Mondays With Maida - Chocolate-chip Pillows
Page 194 in the old book / page 222 in the new book Wouldn't you know... chocolate finally shows up again and Denny is away for the week on travel. It would be hard to imagine anyone not liking these little pie-shaped cookies filled with chocolate...
- Mondays With Maida - Ginger Shortbread Cookies
Page 188 in the old book / page 217 in the new book These cookies are mildly spiced and very crunchy. The texture was verging on a candy-like crunch and wasn't at all what I expected for a cookie labelled as shortbread. When I first read the recipe...
- Mondays With Maida - Ischler Cookies
Page 171 in the old book / page 206 in the new book I knew these were going to be a hit - how could they not? Two cookies, rich with butter and ground almonds, are sandwiched together with some sweet and tart apricot jam and then given a crowd-pleasing...
- Mondays With Maida - Fruitcake Icebox Cookies
Page 136 in the old book / page 172 in the new book A little tamer than last week's cookie, this one is quite attractive and has a wonderful sandy texture. Even though they're called "Fruitcake" Icebox Cookies, the candied fruits are limited...
- Mondays With Maida - Cobblestones
Page 132 in the old book / page 168 in the new book These are not cookies that stand up and say, "look at me!", yet they are everything I look for in a cookie - delicious, easy-to-make, chewy and satisfying. Though not unusual in any way, they are arguably...
Cooking
Mondays with Maida - Neapolitans
Page 134 in the old book / page 170 in the new book
"Busy" is the word that comes to mind for these cookies. "Busy" as in cluttered and "busy" as in you're going to be busy for a while making these cookies ;) Unlike some other two-tone cookies, the two doughs for these cookies do not share a common base dough.
Not only are the two doughs made of entirely different recipes, they have different consistencies. This difference is slight after they are baked, but I noticed it and liked the contrast. The different consistencies of the raw doughs created a little problem in assembling the cookies. The light dough is softer than the dark dough, so it squished around a bit when I pressed the top layer of dark dough into the loaf pan that served as a mold. I considered chilling the partially filled loaf pan before adding that final layer of dark dough, but didn't. If you'd prefer cleaner lines in your cookies, sticking the pan in the freezer for a half hour or so might help.
So what is in these cookies? You name it - chocolate, pistachios, brown sugar and spices, currants, lemon, and candied cherries. They have a nice texture, but for all the additions and flavorings, the taste is only average. I kind of wonder if one or the other of these doughs might be more memorable on its own.
The cookie panel was divided on these...
Suzanne: I feel terrible that Cathy put so much work into this cookie and I have to say that this was not my favorite cookie. I could barely taste the brown sugar and chocolate chips. I did enjoy the spices and pistachio and the cookie was crunchy on the edges and soft in the middle. I don’t care for candied fruit in cookies or cakes. Rating - 3.0"
Denny: "Very good. Look fancy and hard to make. Definitely a 4.5. Rating - 4.5"
Herman: "I rate these cookies as 2.5 out of 5 only because I’m not a big fan of pistachios, cherries, and currants in cookies. Rating - 2.5"
Terri: "These cookies are not only delicious, but a work of art! The mixture of the two doughs and spices makes this a wonderful combination. This would be one of my "top 10" picks! Rating - 5.0"
Overall rating by the panel - 3.8
Next week - Fruitcake Icebox Cookies
Nutrition Facts
- Mondays With Maida - Chocolate-chip Pillows
Page 194 in the old book / page 222 in the new book Wouldn't you know... chocolate finally shows up again and Denny is away for the week on travel. It would be hard to imagine anyone not liking these little pie-shaped cookies filled with chocolate...
- Mondays With Maida - Ginger Shortbread Cookies
Page 188 in the old book / page 217 in the new book These cookies are mildly spiced and very crunchy. The texture was verging on a candy-like crunch and wasn't at all what I expected for a cookie labelled as shortbread. When I first read the recipe...
- Mondays With Maida - Ischler Cookies
Page 171 in the old book / page 206 in the new book I knew these were going to be a hit - how could they not? Two cookies, rich with butter and ground almonds, are sandwiched together with some sweet and tart apricot jam and then given a crowd-pleasing...
- Mondays With Maida - Fruitcake Icebox Cookies
Page 136 in the old book / page 172 in the new book A little tamer than last week's cookie, this one is quite attractive and has a wonderful sandy texture. Even though they're called "Fruitcake" Icebox Cookies, the candied fruits are limited...
- Mondays With Maida - Cobblestones
Page 132 in the old book / page 168 in the new book These are not cookies that stand up and say, "look at me!", yet they are everything I look for in a cookie - delicious, easy-to-make, chewy and satisfying. Though not unusual in any way, they are arguably...