Desserts

Candy Cane Cookies

This blog post isn’t for you.

Don’t get me wrong, I would love you to love these cookies.

But this really isn’t about you. It’s about my grandma, Evelyn, and the most sought-after, fought-over treat she makes.

Two weeks ago, Evelyn celebrated her 90th birthday. I was so happy to be back in Nebraska celebrating. Evelyn is a quintessential farm wife who grew up in Nebraska during the Depression. Well into her 60s, she was still driving farm trucks and helping out on the farm (Update: my dad informs me she was “pushing 80” when she finally gave up driving trucks, and noted that she still brings out supper during harvest sometimes). To this day, you’ll still see her overexerting herself in her garden and flowerbeds.

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If there’s such a thing as a genetic sweet tooth, there’s no doubt I inherited it from her. The cookie jar and candy dish were never empty. She’d often say, “I think we should have dessert first, so we’re sure to have room.”

Every Christmas, Grandma made plates of holiday cookies and candies for family and friends. Of all the treats you might find on that plate — peanut butter blossoms, divinity, sugar cookies, fudge — the first to disappear on our plates was always the candy cane cookies. There were never enough. We’d beg her to only make candy cane cookies and cut out the rest, or at least make a double-batch. I don’t think we’ve ever succeeded.

On Christmas Eve, we had to be the first ones to our grandparents’ house, not so that we could inspect the presents under the tree (although my brother did plenty of that), but in hopes of sneaking an extra candy cane cookie. If she delivered cookie trays to our house or wanted us to come pick them up, I angled to be part of the transaction. I’m surprised these cookies have never used for outright bribery or gambling.

Grandma thinks she’s had this recipe at least 50 years. The first time I asked for the recipe, I had to call and ask her what a “slow oven” was (around 300 degrees).

Just yesterday, she confessed to me that she likes making the cookies, but doesn’t like frosting them. “Do you want to come over and frost these for me?” she asked. Note to family members within driving distance: missed opportunity!

The irony is that these cookies are the antithesis of a Christmas cookie: they aren’t buttery, gooey, indulgent, glittery, or magazine-photo-worthy. They’re dry and rather plain. Outsiders don’t get it. An in-law politely said, “I’m not really fond of them.”

I’m more than okay with that. These cookies are nothing special, and that’s precisely the point.

Besides, that means more cookies for me.

Candy Cane Cookies

Yield: 18-24 cookies

1 c butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c powdered sugar

2 Tbs. water

2 1/2 c flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c oats

For powdered sugar glaze:

1 1/4 c (or more) powdered sugar, sifted

2-3 Tbs. (or more) milk

Red food coloring

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream butter and vanilla. Add powdered sugar; blend well. Add water, flour, salt and oats. Mix well. Shape into canes and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until set and lightly toasted. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Combine 1 cup powdered sugar and milk to make a glaze to desired consistency. (The thinner your glaze, the more it will be absorbed into the cookie.) Dip cookies in glaze and place on waxed paper to set.

With the remainder of the glaze, add red food coloring and a few more tablespoons powdered sugar to make a thick glaze. Spoon glaze into a Ziploc bag, snip the corner, and pipe stripes onto the cookies.

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

You didn’t think I’d forgotten, did you?

Pumpkin Trifecta #3: Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

I first started making these pumpkin cupcakes from Smitten Kitchen a couple years ago. I love that they aren’t overloaded by oil or butter, which keeps them feeling light while allowing the pumpkin and spice to shine through. This is what a fall dessert should taste like.

These are a great treat all through fall, but they are especially fun for a Halloween party. For an easy but impressive decoration, pipe a few circles of black decorator frosting or gel and pull a toothpick from the center.

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes 18 cupcakes

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)

For frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a cupcake pan with 18 liners.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt into a medium bowl.

Add the eggs one at a time to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth.

Scoop batter into cupcake liners, about 3/4 full. Tap the filled pans once on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

In a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar. Frost cupcakes.

French Silk Pie

This semester, I’m teaching a course on campaigns & elections for college students interning in DC for the semester. Less than halfway through the semester, I have a new-found respect for teachers and professors — this takes a *lot* more time than I realized. But, it’s been a rewarding experience so far.

Of my eight students, two had birthdays early in the semester. For the first one, a classmate brought in cupcakes, so I offered to bring in dessert for the second. When I asked what he wanted, he requested pie. What kind?

“Surprise me.”

Challenge accepted! I pulled out this favorite from my files — it’s hard to go wrong with chocolate. :)

Some people prefer a traditional pie crust, but I like graham for this. I don’t own a food processor right now, so I just picked up a pre-made crust. The disposable pan also meant I didn’t have to worry about tracking down my pan later. Win-win.

French Silk Pie

Adapted from Gourmet

2/3 c sugar

1/4 c cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

4 large egg yolks

3 c whole milk

5 oz high-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

2 Tbs unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

Prepared 9″ graham cracker pie crust

3/4 c heavy cream, chilled

1 Tbs sugar

Cocoa, for dusting

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, and yolks until combined. Add milk in a stream, whisking. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, then reduce heat and simmer, continuing to whisk, for 1 minute (filling will be thick). Force filling through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then whisk in chocolates, butter, and vanilla, stirring until the chocolate and butter have melted.

Coat a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap with butter or cooking spray; press onto the surface of the filling. Cool the filling completely, about 2 hours. Spoon filling into prepared pie crust. Chill pie, loosely covered, at least 6 hours. Make ahead: Pie can be chilled (without topping) up to 1 day.

Just before serving, beat cream and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Spoon on top of pie. Dust with cocoa. Serve chilled.