Orange-Walnut Russian Tea Cakes

I have so many memories of lying in bed at night at the beginning of winter hoping that in the morning would bring a blanket of fresh snow. When it happened, there was an excitement that started deep in my belly and spread in excited tingles all the way to my finger tips. I always knew there was snow before even glancing out the window that there was snow because the light changed completely. It always felt new and fresh after weeks of golden autumn sun. The first snow of the season calls for something special. Hot chocolate for breakfast, cookies baking in the oven, and Christmas music on in the background. We had a day like that a while back, and I immediately took advantage by spending the morning making Orange-Walnut Russian Tea Cakes with my favorite little kitchen assistant.

We also wore wintery sweaters. You can't have a snow day without the proper attire, am I right?

My mom used to make Russian Tea Cake cookies around Christmas time and I remember the way the powdered sugar stuck to my fingers. Something about their snowball appearance made it seem like winter was officially official. I took my mom's recipe and updated it a little with the addition of fresh, bright orange zest. The orange in combination with the walnuts combines all the wonderful things about winter in one tasty little cookie. They are easy for kids to help with and make the perfect introduction to holiday cookie baking season.

Between the snowflakes floating softly outside the window and this sweet little boy helping me make sweet treats, this snow day was the best thing ever. I'm wishing extra hard for more days like this in the coming weeks.

Orange-Walnut Russian Tea Cakes

Makes 2 dozen cookies

• 1 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• ¾ cups roughly chopped walnuts
• zest of one large orange
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1-2 cups powdered sugar for rolling

1. Heat oven to 400ºF. 2. Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the almond extract in a large bowl. Stir flour, nutmeg, walnuts, zest and salt in another bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture until the dough comes together. 3. Gently roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet with about an inch of space between each cookie. 4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Keep a close eye on the cookies so they don't turn golden on top- that means they're overcooked! Cool the cookies for about 5 minutes on a cooling rack. 5. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar and cool them completely on wire rack before arranging on a plate. If the first pass through the powdered sugar didn't quite stick, you can roll them a second time once they have cooled.

Shortbread with Dark Chocolate Ganache, Pistachios + Red Gold Sea Salt

I'm pretty sure the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is on TV as I write this. That's right. I'm writing about cookies in my flannel pajamas, without any makeup, my hair piled on top of my head (still not dry from my super fast shower this afternoon during nap time), and my black lab just burped at me from her perch on the sofa. I don't think I need to elaborate on how different my life is from that of a VS model.

What I will say is this: I would bet good money that none of them know how to make killer shortbread. At least I've got one up on them.

Seriously though. This shortbread turned out beautifully. It is light and airy with a perfect balance of buttery sweetness and a hint of salt. Many recipes call for cornstarch to help make the texture a little lighter than it would be using only flour, but I decided to take it a step further. Based on what I've learned about potato starch through Asian cooking, I decided to try it out in this shortbread recipe. Typically, I find potato starch has a more delicate, crisp result (very similar to a potato chip texture, actually). Cornstarch can get  a little heavy for my liking and sometimes leaves a sandy feeling in my mouth. I don't want any of that in my shortbread!

As if shortbread wasn't rich and decadent enough on its own, I decided to dip it in dark chocolate ganache and pistachios. A little sprinkle of red gold Hawaiian sea salt and the cookies were absolutely perfect. This shortbread is festive enough for a Christmas cookie exchange and simple enough to make for a coffee date with friends (although I'd recommend making it the day before). The red gold Hawaiian sea salt is not exactly necessary, but it adds a nice smokey, salty flavor that contrasts nicely with the rich chocolate.

To shape the cookies, I used a method from Cook's Illustrated Baking (if you don't already own that book, you should get on it). If you're not into this shape, feel free to change it up.

If it's all the same to you, I'm going to keep not watching the Victoria's Secret Fashion whatever show and eat another cookie.

Cheers to that!

Shortbread with Dark Chocolate Ganache, Pistachios & Red Gold Sea Salt

Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon potato starch
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 7 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup toasted, chopped pistachios
• red gold Hawaiian sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line a 9 inch cake pan with a circle of parchment paper and set aside.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
4. Whisk the flour, potato starch, sugar (reserve 1 tablespoon for sprinkling later) and salt together in a large bowl.
5. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or two knives. When the mixture resembles wet sand, transfer it to the prepared 9 inch cake pan.
6. Firmly press the dough into the pan with your fingers.
7. Gently turn the dough onto the baking sheet lined with parchment.
8. Place the baking sheet in the oven and reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F.
9. Bake for 20 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven and cut a circle in the center of the dough with a metal cookie cutter about 2 or 3 inches in diameter.
11. Remove the circle of dough from the center and leave the cookie cutter in its place.
12. Use a wooden skewer to etch lines into the dough creating 16 wedges.
13. Return the shortbread to the oven for another 40 minutes.
14. When the shortbread has finished cooking, sprinkle it with the remaining sugar and cut it using the lines you drew earlier as a guide. Transfer to a cooling rack and bring to room temperature.
15. Meanwhile, make the ganache by heating the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to steam. Remove from the heat.
16. Stir the chocolate into the cream until it melts completely and the mixture is smooth.
17. Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment and set aside.
18. Dip each shortbread wedge first into the ganache, then sprinkle with pistachios and a pinch of the red gold salt.
19. Place the wedges on the prepared cooling rack and allow the chocolate harden. It won't be like a chocolate shell, but it should be firm enough that it doesn't drip.