It's a Wicked Good Life!

When I was growing up my mother usually made lots of cookies at Christmas.  How lucky was I right?  But here’s the thing about those cookies…98% of them were crispy.  Even if they weren’t intended to be that way in the original recipe.  My Mum doesn’t like “soft” cookies.  They must be crisp to bordering on biscotti crunchy.  She wonders now in my desire for a mix of cookies soft to crunchy.  She will grudgingly try all my cookies and then say “this would be really good if it was crisp” to which the answer is often “Mum, this is a ______(insert traditionally soft cookie name like snickerdoodle etc.) it is supposed to be soft.”  I usually get some kind of “hrumph” in return.  

The 2% of exception to the crispy cookie situation at Christmas were gingerbread (which she tried to make crispy but usually my Daddy strongly requested she take out early) and spritz cookies which due to their buttery nature are usually a flaky not crispy cookie (not that she didn’t try).  

Mum hasn’t make spritz (she usually makes chocolate ones) in years.  I have a cookie gun and thought it would be fun for the kiddos and I to make shaped cookies that they could quickly decorate and weren’t quite the process of cut-out cookies.  

This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart’s Vanilla-Bean Wreath Spritz cookies. A note about Spritz…depending on your cookie press some shapes are easier to make than others.  I tried some very decorative shapes, but ended up having to scrap them as they didn’t turn out well.  So I ended up sticking with Christmas trees which the kids decorated with vanilla sugar and green sprinkles.  Martha’s recipe was double the recipe below and adds some cinnamon. 

Vanilla Bean Spritz

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved or 1 TBSP vanilla paste
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugar (vanilla sugar if you keep such a thing on hand)
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• vanilla sugar or colored sugar for decorating (optional)

There are some people who never met a cookie that didn’t like.  My husband tends to lean in that direction while I am really picky about cookies (my diet thanks me).  So it is probably saying something that I LOVE these cookies!  The entire batch has almost been wiped out in a startlingly short amount of time by my husband and MIL who is visiting with a little help from me.  

I currently have this “rule” in which I try to make a new cookie/dessert recipe before cycling back.  The semi-obvious reason being the massive list of dessert recipes I want to try.  However, there are exceptions like biscotti, angel food cake and now these cookies.  Seriously, they are that good!

This is a super simple recipe, but don’t let it fool you.  I may have mentioned before that brown-butter is a reason I will never become a vegan.   There really isn’t a substitute for that wonderful nutty buttery taste.  These cookies also rely on a good dose of vanilla (in a couple forms) and cardamom which you either love or hate.  Being Indian, we love it in this house!

This recipe is adapted from Brownie Bites .

•  1 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup vanilla sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• pinch Kosher salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat, occasionally stirring until butter just starts to turn golden brown and gets foamy and bubbly – about 4 minutes. (It turns quickly once it starts so don’t leave unattended.  Immediately remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and cool in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

This cake is rustic and simple looking, but so wicked yummy!  There are a number of myths/folklore surrounding the name “buckle”.  My favorite is that the cake is so full of fruit that it “buckles”.  

The recipe comes from Rustic Fruit Desserts by way of Bon Appetit.  The recipe that appeared in the magazine was made with cranberries and orange.  The recipe calls for some vanilla crumb.  I made a triple batch of the vanilla crumb and put it in the freezer.  Now this recipe comes together in a couple of minutes.  

Vanilla Crumb

1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated vanilla sugar
1/4 cup packed (1⅞ ounces) light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

In the bowl of a food processor, process the flour, sugars, salt, and butter until coarse crumbs form.  Drizzle the vanilla extract over the crumbs and pulse briefly to distribute.  Store leftovers in the freeze for future use.  

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature, for pan

1 cup Vanilla Crumb

1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter

3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated vanilla sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (or half extract half vanilla bean paste)

1/2 cup (5 ounces) sour cream

2 cups sliced strawberries

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. 

Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and vanilla-sugar together on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the sour cream in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. 

Fold in 1 cup of the strawberries. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. 

Distribute the remaining 1 cup strawberries over the cake and sprinkle the crumb topping over the strawberries. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until lightly golden and firm on top.

This picture doesn’t do this dip or the strawberries justice.  It is so wicked easy to make!  I’ve been testing some dips to make for fruit and veggies for an upcoming cooking class where the focus will be on healthy good foods for kids.  My kiddos usually eat fruit no matter what the form.  But I know that isn’t always the case for other people’s children.  Vegetables are a different story for another day…

I got the bones of this recipe from Dine and Dish.  Then I tweaked if to be a bit more of my tastes.  Ultimately, this dip has some of my absolutely hands-down favorite flavors.  Out of the many sugars in my pantry dark brown sugar is my fave!  This dip also has two different kinds vanilla and cinnamon.  I used Penzy’s double strength vanilla (I also love Trader Joe’s vanilla) and vanilla bean paste.  I also used Penzy’s China cinnamon (really flavorful “regular” cinnamon) and Ceylon (or Mexican) cinnamon.  If you don’t have Ceylon cinnamon you can omit it or add some more regular cinnamon.

I served this with a variety of fruits.  Our favorites were apples and strawberries.

Brown Sugar Fruit Dip


2 8oz packages light cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla (used 1 TBSP double strength vanilla and 1 TBSP vanilla bean paste
1/2 tsp cinnamon + ¼ tsp Ceylon cinnamon

1. Using an electric mixer, mix the softened cream cheese for about 2 minutes on medium speed
2. Add the brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and continue to mix until ingredients are full incorporated
3. Place in 2 small bowls and serve with fresh fruit

I may have mentioned a time or two, or three, or maybe four how much I love my Heritage Bundt pan.  Doesn’t this cake look lovely and all I did was mix it up and pour it into the pan!  Thanks Mom!

A word, okay a couple of words about this cake…LOVE IT!  I know what you might be thinking…”vanilla cake? isn’t that a bit, well, vanilla?”  Please don’t mistake vanilla with plain and flavorless.  This cake is packed with vanilla flavor.  Sweet, slightly floral, sun on your face, blue water lapping at your toes kind of vanilla.  It is a perfect foil for some berries, (I used Blackberries this time 12 oz for a $1 at Meijer…Whooo HOO!) some vanilla cream, caramel sauce, fudge really whatever you have lying around or just “plain” it is yummy!  The texture is more sponge cake like than pound cake.

About vanilla sugar…I make my own.  If you have some leftover vanilla pods from a recipe dry them out again and then throw them in a container with some sugar.  In any vanilla based recipe I use vanilla sugar.  You can buy it but really it is more expensive.  Or you can just use plain sugar and adjust the vanilla extract/paste.  I adapted this recipe from Bon Appetit.

Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Vanilla Glaze and Strawberries

10 to 12 servings 

Adapted from Bon Appétit April 2010 

Nonstick Pam Baking Spray

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (used 1 TBSP vanilla paste)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks), room temperature

3/4 cup vanilla sugar

1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup buttermilk

glaze

2/3 cup powdered sugar

4 teaspoons (or more) whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon vanilla paste

strawberries

1 1/2 pounds strawberries, hulled, sliced

3 tablespoons sugar

Standard Bundt pan (10-inch-diameter Bundt pan with 33/4-inch-high sides)

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Butter and flour standard Bundt pan, then spray pan with nonstick spray or spray really well with Pam Baking. 

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and egg yolk 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat vanilla and vanilla paste. Add flour mixture in 2 additions alternately with buttermilk in 1 addition, beating just until blended after each addition. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top evenly (batter will come only halfway up sides of pan).

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Invert cake onto rack and cool completely.

Whisk powdered sugar, 4 teaspoons milk, vanilla and vanilla paste in small bowl to blend, adding more milk by 1/4 teaspoonfuls if glaze is too thick to drizzle.

Place sheet of foil on work surface. Place cake (still on rack) atop foil. Using spoon, drizzle glaze over cake in zigzag pattern. Let cake stand at room temperature until glaze sets, about 15 minutes. DO AHEAD Cake can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.

Toss strawberries and sugar in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature until juices form, tossing occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Cut cake into wedges and divide among plates. Spoon strawberries with juices alongside and serve.