A Sister Baking Day at Norwyk Manor with Cost Plus World Market

This post was sponsored by Cost Plus World Market . I feel delighted and privileged to be able to work with brands that I genuinely love and that help me keep this site up and running! Thank you so much for continuing to support my passions and efforts by being here! As always, all opinions are my own!

It might be a little early to start tossing around the peppermint extract, but I've got a cabinet filled with pine-scented hand soaps and the ole' Bing Crosby station playing, and I just can't help myself. 

For many years, my sister and I have shared holiday baking days.  We first began making assorted tins of cookies and truffles for our teachers, but as we have grown past the school years the tradition has continued.  Our baking endeavors have changed from year to year, but whether we are assembling pies or rolling peanut butter balls, the laughter is bountiful, the sugar plentiful, and the rewards sweet. 

This year, Cost Plus World Market helped us make our baking day extra special! If you have not yet visited your local store you must! I fell completely in love with their nordic-inspired Christmas decorations.

Last week I invited my sister over to test a few of the holiday cookies that I plan to share with my friends and neighbors this year. I knew that I wanted to simplify our efforts a bit by making one basic dough that could be easily transformed into two entirely different cookies.  I love creating assorted cookie tins and trays for parties or gifts, but sometimes the thought of making several different doughs at once is overwhelming.  Having one basic dough that can play two entirely different roles is a lifesaver. 

This simple, chocolate shortbread is rich and buttery.  The combination of both cocoa powder and melted dark chocolate really takes these cookies to the next level of indulgence. 

After making the basic dough, we divided it into two equal parts, adding a bit of peppermint extract to one half of the dough. 

I wanted to make at least one of my cookies very simple - the kind I like to enjoy alongside a mug of tea. I rolled the peppermint dough somewhat thin and used these darling cookie molds to punch out the cookies. While they were still warm, we dusted them with a generous layer of confectioner's sugar and a sprinkling of peppermint dust.

The result was a wonderfully crisp, buttery cookie that is just the thing to serve alongside your morning mocha. 

For the second half of the cookie dough we had to pull out all the stops, beginning with glittery jam. I was first introduced to glittery jam last year in London and, as you would expect, it kind of rocked my world, so I was beyond delighted to find these two delicious flavors at my local Cost Plus World Market in Williamsburg, Virginia.

After rolling the dough into balls, we indented the center of each cookie, leaving a shallow cavity ideal for holding a spoonful of jam and a smear of red wine ganache. The combination of the jam and the rich chocolate was truly delightful.

In the end, it was hard to pick a favorite. Thankfully, we did not have to. 

After hours of juggling sheet trays, we stepped away, and though we still had confectioner's sugar in our hair and flour on our jeans, we stole a few moments and shared a pot of sweet, peppermint hot cocoa .

While we are not handing out any Christmas cookies yet, I am cataloguing these winning recipes for December and tucking half of the remaining dough into my freezer for last minute baking emergencies. 

Thank you for joining me and my sister in our pre-Christmas baking extravaganza! All the products and specialty ingredients in this post are linked below, along with another fantastic holiday recipe from Brandi Milloy!

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Sweeten your holiday entertaining with Brandi Milloy's easy Christmas baking recipe for a classic icebox cake made with Walkers Gingerbread Biscuits, Butter Toffee Pretzels and Salted Caramel Bark from Cost Plus World Market. Plus, see her cheery dessert table presentation. Imagine the joy you'll bring.

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SHOP THIS POST! 

terracotta cookie molds // jolly heart mugs // mimosa glitter spread // red measuring cups // peppermint dust // guittard chocolate chips // peppermint chocolate chaud // snowflake marshmallows // retro sifter // gnome cookie jar // christmas glitter spread // parchment paper

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Chocolate Christmas Cookies 2-Ways 

for the cookie dough

• 1 1/2 lbs unsalted butter, softened 
• 2 cups granulated sugar 
• 7 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder 
• 12 ounces semi sweet chips, melted 
• 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Fit your stand mixer with the paddle attachment.  Place butter in the work bowl and beat on medium speed for one minute; until fluffy.  Add granulated sugar to the butter and cream on medium speed for two minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

With the mixer on low speed, beat in flour one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Beat in cocoa powder and melted chocolate.  Divide the dough and turn half of it out onto a floured surface.  Shape into two equal discs and wrap in plastic wrap. 

Pour the peppermint extract into the remaining half of the dough and mix well.  Turn the dough out onto the floured surface, pat into two discs and cover with plastic wrap. 

Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. 

Cook's Note:  At this point you could wrap the dough in wax paper, place in freezer bags, and freeze for up to two weeks, just allow the dough to defrost before rolling or shaping.

Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

for the peppermint cookies

makes about 48 cookies

• 2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 cup peppermint dust sprinkles or finely crushed candy canes 

Place the confectioner's sugar in a sifter. 

Place the peppermint dough on a well-floured surface and roll out to 1/4-inch in thickness.  Use cookie cutters or molds to cut the dough, placing the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes until slightly puffed and crisp on the edges.  Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and cool for 5-10 minutes, until just warm.  Dust the warm cookies with confectioner's sugar and sprinkle with peppermint dust. 

Place in airtight containers and store for up to a week.  Enjoy! 

for the red wine ganache and jam thumbprint cookies  

makes about 36 cookies

• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips 
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping 
• 2 tablespoons merlot (at room temperature) 
• 2 cups Wildy Delicious Glitter Spread (I used both the Mimosa and Christmas flavors for variety) 

Use a cookie scoop to portion the prepared dough into 1-ounce balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment.*  Use your thumb to make an indent into the center of each cookie and bake for 15-20 minutes until slightly puffed and crisp on the edges, but soft in the center.  These cookies are intended to remain somewhat chewy. 

*Cook's Note: It is important to keep the dough cold, so try to work it as quickly and as little as possible.  If you find that the indentation is not as prominent as you would like after the cookies have baked, just use a small spoon to press down on the center of each cookie while they are still hot. 

Transfer the cookies to cooling racks and allow to cool completely.  While the cookies cool, prepare the ganache. 

Place chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream in a large, glass bowl.  Microwave for thirty seconds, then stir, and heat for an additional thirty seconds.  Do this until the chocolate is shiny and has completely melted.  Whisk in merlot.  

Use a spoon to fill each cookie with one teaspoon of ganache, following with one teaspoon full of jam.  Store cookies in an airtight container for to 3 days.  Enjoy! 

10 Lords-a-Leaping - A Holiday Collaboration

My mother has always had a stack of Christmas books that she only rescues from the depths of the closet once a year.

Each of us children have always had our favorite, and my mother would rotate through each beautifully-illustrated volume throughout the cozy evenings of December.  Those were some of the best evenings of the whole year. 

One of my favorite books was a richly colored picture book - each of its twelve pages containing but one line from a classic tune. 

"The 12 Days of Christmas" - it was an illustrated interpretation of one of my very favorite carols. 

Those sweet memories all returned when Cost Plus World Market approached me with the whimsical notion of creating a 10 Lords-a-Leaping-inspired recipe.

I invited two of my sweet young lady friends over to share with them my treasured book, and to make use of some of their endless energy as we assembled these miniature Lord Baltimore cakes. 

Bing Crosby serenaded whilst we baked and whipped and frosted.  

You can find the full recipe for these tiny cakes on the World Market Blog - along with eleven other deliciously inspired Christmas baking recipes!

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

This post was sponsored by Cost Plus World Market . They have been my faithful and trusted source for all things festive - from Christmas entertaining essentials, to whimsical bakeware, World Market has you covered! This post was a joy to put together and I am delighted to share it with you! It is a great privilege to work with a brand that I love so much! All opinions here are my own, as always. Thank you for reading and allowing me to continue doing what I love!

Don't forget to enter Cost Plus World Market's Great Holiday Baking Sweepstakes" for a chance to win a trip for two to London, with pastry classes, a guided food tour, a $1,000 World Market gift card, and more! Enter every day, now through December 31st!

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Pecan Pie Bars with Cranberry Dark Chocolate Shortbread

It has been two weeks since returning from my honeymoon.  That is such a baffling statement.  Friday will mark one month since my wedding.  I do not know what is happening to the time, but my heart is fighting with my mind as I try to enjoy the present, rather than longing for the past.  

But oh, what a wonderful past it is!  

I looked into Mr. Pedantic’s deep brown eyes last evening and whispered “I miss our honeymoon so much it hurts.  I want to go back.” 

The days moved so slowly then.  We packed so much into those blissful twenty-four hour periods that each day felt more like three.  It was wonderful.  I love when Time moves slowly, but it is such a rarity, and one not likely to be enjoyed in the abyss of a busy routine.

I will be sharing some of the many, many snapshots from our ten-day European interlude next week, and I cannot wait to tell you all about the London streets, the most charming hotel, and the darling cabbies whose accents made me giggle with utter delight.  I hope you will find them at least partly as enthralling as I do. 

Real life is still exciting, there is still much that is new.  Our wedding photographs were just released and I cannot stop gazing at them with fond remembrance.  I am planning my hallway “gallery wall,” which will more closely resemble a wedding day shrine, but I am perfectly okay with that.  I am still excited about meal planning, grocery shopping, and dinner-making.  I am still somewhat excited to wake up and make breakfast for my darling husband.  I say somewhat, because, at times, 5:45am seems rather unappealing.  I was always an early riser, but on these chilly mornings the covers beckon more strongly than the frigid kitchen floors. 

Life right now is a melody of the new, the familiar, and constant longing for the nostalgic past.  Much like these bars. 

These squares are irresistible, striking the perfect balance between neoclassicism and tradition.

We greatly enjoyed Scotland’s buttery shortbread on our honeymoon, and I was eager to make a batch of my own when we returned.  This particular shortbread is tender and flakey, and studded with dark chocolate and dried cranberries. 

While shortbread is delightful on its own, especially alongside a strong Breakfast Blend, I wanted to blend it with my very favorite pecan pie filling.  The two layers meld seamlessly, creating a hefty bar that is rich, without being overly sweet. 

The memories of our Scottish adventures, the decadent layer of a familiar classic - all in one, delightful bite.  A bite that even those of you who fear the world of pie-baking can enjoy. 

If you are a texture nut like myself, you will enjoy the contrast of the crisp shortbread and the gooey pecan filling. 

The past and the present each have their own charms, but together they are truly brilliant.

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

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Pecan Pie Bars with Cranberry Dark Chocolate Shortbread

makes 9 large bars, or 18 “skinny” bars / shortbread recipe adapted from Ina Garten

for the shortbread 

- 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1/2 cup chocolate

- 1/2 cup cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In the work bowl of your stand mixer, combine butter and granulated sugar.  Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until the fluffy.  Stream in the vanilla extract. 

Sift to combine flour, salt, and ground cinnamon.  Add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and mix on low speed until all the flour is incorporated.  The mixture should form a rough mass.  Gently fold in the chocolate and cranberries. 

Press the dough into the bottom of an 8x8 baking pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the shortbread is just golden.  While the shortbread bakes, prepare the pecan layer. 

(Do not turn off the oven, as you'll be baking the second layer at the same temperature.)

for the pecan pie layer

- 1 cup raw pecan halves

- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1/4 teaspoon cloves

- 3 eggs 

- 1/2 cup corn syrup

- 1/2 cup granulated sugar

- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

In a medium sauté pan combine pecans, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves.  Place over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the pecans become fragrant and begin to release their natural oils - about 5-8 minutes.  Remove from heat and chop roughly.  

Sprinkle the spiced nuts evenly over the warm shortbread. 

In a large bowl, whisk to combine corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla extract.  Pour the filling over the pecans and transfer the pan to the oven.  Bake, at 350 degrees, for 20-30 minutes, or until the pie filling appears set, but jiggles just slightly in the center.

Allow the bars to cool completely (about 4 hours) before slicing and serving.  I know, it is going to require some patience, but the final reward is well worth the few hours of agony.  Enjoy!

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