Christmas Cookies: Orange-Hazelnut Shortbread

There are two methods to getting the skins off hazelnuts, and this link will give you both. One is to roast them and rub the skins off in a dishtowel; the other is to blanch them first, rub the skins off in the sink, and then roast them. I found the latter technique much, much easier.

Orange-Hazelnut Shortbread

• 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts (about 6 ounces), toasted, skins removed (or vice-versa)
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons sanding sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Process nuts in a food processor until finely chopped, about 20 seconds (do not overprocess). Transfer nuts to a large bowl; add flour, granulated sugar, butter, zest, and salt. Mix with hands until dough just comes together and forms a ball.

Halve dough; shape each into a disk. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. With lightly floured hands, shape 1 disk into a 7-inch round, and score to mark 12 equal wedges (do not cut through). Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sanding sugar. Repeat with remaining disk and sanding sugar.

Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. While shortbread is warm, cut wedges to separate completely. Let wedges cool slightly on sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Christmas Cookies: Chocolate-Orange-Espresso Thins (Two Ways)

Log Method

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling

1.  Sift together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.

2.  Put butter, confectioners' sugar, orange zest, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low, and gradually add flour mixture until just combined.

3.  Transfer dough to a 12-by-16-inch piece of parchment; shape into a log. Roll in parchment to 1 1/2 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of paper at each turn to narrow the log and force out air. Transfer in parchment to a paper towel tube; chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

4.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut log into 1/4-inch-thick slices; transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Brush tops with water; sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until set, 15 to 17 minutes. Cool on sheets on wire racks. Store in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.

Roll-and-Cut Method

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 1 tbsp espresso powder
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• zest of 2 oranges
• Sanding sugar, sprinkles or non-pareils

1.  Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and espresso powder into a large bowl, set aside.  Put butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer; mix on medium speed until creamy.  Add in egg, vanilla and orange zest.  Reduce speed and add flour mixture until combined.  Halve dough, and wrap in plastic.  Refrigerate about 1 hour.

2.  Preheat oven to 325.  Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick.  Cut with cookie cutter, sprinkle  and place on baking sheets.  Bake until edges just begin to brown, about 12 minutes.  Cool on wire racks.

Christmas Cookies: Ugly Earls

So mean to call them that but come on. They're delicious but they're ugly. The ground tea leaves makes the dough this really unattractive gray and the flecks of orange zest don't help.

Ugly. But yummy. To be honest, Earls don't taste very good straight out of the oven. Or even after cooling. But, if you put them in a cookie tin and leave them alone for a couple days, some strange settling-in, resting alchemy happens and then they are delicious.

Ugly Earls

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

Whisk flour, tea, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.

Put butter, sugar, and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture until just combined.

Divide dough in half. Transfer each half to a piece of parchment paper; shape into logs. Roll in parchment to 1 1/4 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow the log and force out air. Transfer in parchment to paper towel tubes; freeze until firm, 1 hour. (Note all this parchment-ruler-paper-towel-tube bullshit is Martha Stewart making simple things complicated. Just roll it in a log, wrap in Saran and chill. Sheesh.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Seal in cookie tin for 2-3 days for best flavor.

VANILLA CHAI VARIATION

Substitute ground vanilla chai tea for Earl Grey. Add an additional 1 tsp of vanilla and omit orange peel.

If you want to go hardcore, scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean and add to the batter as well.