Chocolate Chip Cookie Balls

These are retro and probably made all over the world, but I had to show you my spin on them.  My Chocolate Chip Cookie Balls aren’t covered in chocolate, I roll them in coconut and crushed amaretti cookies. This doesn’t skimp on flavour, but adds texture.  Of course I add my secret weapon, some Baileys liqueur.

I like these little balls because they are like truffles to eat.  The only problem is that they disappear quickly.  As an Italian, I wasn’t introduced to baking with cream cheese until the 70’s when I made my fist no-bake cheese cake. Then we fell in love with cream cheese.  Loved it on toast with jam.  Today, I use it in both savoury and sweet cooking.  The Italian equivalent of cream cheese is mascarpone.  For an interesting and well-written article on cream cheese go to https://mashable.com/article/cream-cheese-history/

This recipe is very versatile.  Choose your cookie and add the cream cheese and then choose your toping.  Flavour with your favourite liqueur.  Add some warm spices like cinnamon or nutmeg.  You are the artist!!

For a nice savoury dish from my blog, try this dip for your Christmas parties https://recipesatmytable.com/sausage-peperonata-cheese-dip/

Ingredients

• 21 Chocolate chip cookies
• 1 brick 250 grams cream cheese softened
• 2 tbsp Baileys
• 10 crushed amaretti cookies
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut

I place my chocolate chip cookies into a food processor and pulse.

Pulse until there are fine crumbs.

Then add the softened cream cheese.

Place into a bowl and add in the Baileys.

Roll half in coconut.

Roll the other half in crushed amaretti cookies.

Place on a tray and freeze. Once frozen, put into a container and keep in freezer.

So pretty!

 

Lauren’s Genetti Puffs

My daughter Lauren loves these traditional Italian cookies that are a showstopper any time of the year. Lauren’s Genetti Puffs are simple cookies that show up very pretty on any baking tray.  We can’t all be together this year, but Lauren is coming to do an outside walk with us soon.  I am getting all her favourite things ready.  She is truly a darling and during these troubling times, she makes an effort to call every day and sometimes twice a day.

When Lauren was ten years old, we moved to Iqaluit, Nunavut.  Both of us seemed to end-up at the same school.  I was very lucky to watch her grow into the strong, smart and savvy woman she is today.  A communication specialist by trade now, she had to endure this lady as an English teacher. LOL  We have many funny memories.

Today’s recipe dedicated to Lauren is her favourite and may become yours.  I did an earlier Christmas version of these cookies, but this is our traditional recipe.  For my other version with some jazzy spices see https://recipesatmytable.com/genetti-special-occasion-cookies/

I made the drop version of the cookie today, but if you want to braid it you can.  You need extra flour for dusting and that’s it.  This will be covered in the process portion. Also to note that some of these recipes call for butter, well real Italians always use oil.  LOL

With my daughter Lauren in Sicily.  We both love to travel and have a sweet tooth. 

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp Sambuca or anise flavouring

Icing

This is more of glaze and freezes well.  If you want a thicker icing, then decrease the amount of liquid.

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp sambuca

Set your oven at 350 F.  In a large bowl whisk the eggs and sugar until frothy.

Mix your vegetable oil and anise flavouring.

Slowly pour this liquid into the eggs and sugar and keep beating until very pale and velvety in colour.

In another bowl mix the flour, baking powder and pinch of salt.Add the dry ingredients by 1/2 cupful to the wet ingredients.  Mix well between additions.The dough will looks sticky but luscious.

I used my small meatball scoop from Pampered Chef.  I spray it with my own canola oil spritzer.

Drop the cookies onto a parchment lined baking pan.  If you don’t have a scoop, use heaping tablespoons.  This is where you can choose to make braids instead of puffs.  Take a tablespoon full of dough and drop it onto a floured surface.  Roll the dough into the flour and then roll between your hands to make a rope.  Place the rope back down and twist.  Press the bottom of the twist.

The cookies go into a 350 F oven for 10 minutes.

Remove and let cool before icing.

Iced and pretty!

Date Pinwheels

Dates are a favourite ingredient at our house.  For Christmas, my mother-in-law made pinwheels with a date centre. Date Pinwheels are pretty to serve at your Christmas table.  These little treasures are not hard to make, but require a little love and extra time.

The dough requires chilling and then once filled the logs need to be frozen overnight before cutting.  The date filling can be quite sticky to work with.  Always have a bowl of cold water handy when spreading the filling.  I used the back of a spoon dipped in cold water to spread over the dough.  This dough is similar to pie dough, so you will have to work quickly.  I think that the extra time and effort is definitely worth it when it comes to taste.

Don’t forget to try my date squares: https://recipesatmytable.com/tried-and-true-date-squares/

For health benefits of dates https://recipesatmytable.com/tried-and-true-date-squares/

Ingredients For Date Pinewheels

The dough

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup each of brown and white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• pinch of slat
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Filling

• 1 package pitted dates
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Process

Make your filling first and set to cool.  Add the dates, sugar and water to a pan.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Take it off the heat, mash with a potato masher and add the vanilla.

Add in the nuts and stir.  Put it in the refrigerator to cool.

Now cream the butter and add in both sugars and vanilla.

Go in with your dry ingredients next and mix until all incorporated.

Roll in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least one hour. Cut the cough in half. 

 Roll it out in a 12 X 9 rectangle.

Spread with half the filling and  roll up tightly. The filling is quite sticky and I used the back of a spoon dipped in water to spread it.  Also use an icing spreader to slide under the dough for easy rolling.  Do this for both pieces of dough.

Wrap each log in plastic warp and place in you freezer overnight.

Cut into small slice about 1/8 of an inch.

Bake in 375 F for 10 minutes.

A nice addition to any Christmas tray.