Christmas Cookie Power
Cookies provided my introduction to baking, so it’s fitting that I’m launching this site in December. Like many home bakers, I go on a cookie baking bender every December.
This year was no exception.
Warning: What follows are sentimental musings on the power of Christmas cookies. It’s my truth.
I love Christmas cookies. Mostly I love to eat them, but I also love the tradition. I love how, whether giving or receiving, everyone has their cookie- that batch of fudge their co-workers anticipate, or their aunt’s famous caramels that come in the mail. For me, December would not be the same without a sleeve these teeny tiny sprinkled butter slice-and-bakes my best friend’s mom makes. Every year I find myself trying new recipes, but also trotting out the old favorites because each cookie belongs to someone. This must be how many of us home bakers end up with tins upon tins of cookies in December.
*My* first cookie was the Almond Roca Bar. One Christmas when I was still too little to bake I asked for a batch of the cookies. That’s how special they were- they were what I most wanted. (Santa delivered. Thanks, Mom!) A few years later, my mom taught me to bake cookies. That’s when I discovered that I loved to bake and share cookies almost as much as I loved to eat them. (I also learned the real secret to winning friends and influencing people.)
And here we are. Though most of my attention is spent on more technical bakes like breads and pastries, I love to tinker with a cookie. Cookies are a great way to get comfortable baking with whole grains. Since you don’t want a lot of gluten development in most cookies (versus, say, a bread or pasta), it’s not difficult to bring up the whole grain percentage quite a bit. Nutty, sweet whole grains also complement many cookies ingredients beautifully. Try it out in this Almond Roca Bar recipe!
I’ve never missed a Christmas baking Almond Roca Bars. They have a rich butter cookie base, a thick chocolate layer, and a sprinkling of chopped walnuts. Despite the name, they don’t include almonds or toffee, but the brown sugar/ butter combo does lend them a toffee-like taste. Most importantly, though, that’s the name on the ancient recipe card, so that’s what we’re going to call them.
Life is short, so go on and make them even though it’s January.
Almond Roca Bars
226 g butter (1 cup, 2 sticks), room temp
100 g granulated sugar (½ cup)
100 g brown sugar (½ cup)
1 egg yolk
280 g flour (2 cups), up to 50% whole wheat
½ t salt
1 t vanilla extract
12 oz chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)
1 big handful of walnuts, toasted and chopped
Preheat the oven to 375
Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg yolk, salt, and vanilla.
Mix in the flour until just combined.
Spread out evenly onto a half-sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (I find flouring my hands helpful here.)
Bake 10-12 minutes at 375, until puffed up and just beginning to turn golden brown.
Melt chocolate in a double broiler or in the microwave, one minute at a time
Spread over the cookie crust and sprinkle with walnuts.
Allow to cool and cut into squares
