etalanian

I don't think I made myself clear, either. If you freeze the shaped, unbaked dough in zipper bags that are properly sealed, you can take out what you need and bake it, keeping the rest in the freezer for another time. I do it all the time. No sense having old cookies around if you can bake them fresh. Lay the shaped dough out on baking sheets and place the baking sheet in the freezer uncovered. When the cookies are frozen, quickly transfer them to the zipper bags and return to the freezer. Shortbread does last a long time, and I know some people prefer it "aged" but I'm not one of them. However, that being said, I do let the butter set out for a couple days before I make shortbread with it. Hope that helps. Eileen

You can do it either way. If you freeze the unbaked dough it will last a little longer than freezing the baked dough. Just be sure you wrapit airtight and your freezer is very cold, and the dough will last for 2 months. Eileen

I used to help my Finnish grandmother make wonderfully light and delicious pasties filled with beef, onions, and potatoes. The suet was always from the kidney, and very finely chopped. She would never buy suet from a grocery store - only from her special butcher. She was very particular about that. Just reading through this thread makes me want to make them for my husband and kids. They will love them. Thanks for starting this one! Eileen

We drive into town most every weekend from Chestnut Hill area to catch a movie at one of the ritz theaters and a bite afterwards. We noticed Amada a short while back, and have commented on it every time we've passed by on our way to the 2nd street parking garage, but never tried it because we knew nothing about it. I am so glad to read this thread. It sounds like just our kind of restaurant. And kudos to you, Katie, for helping to bring such a wonderful place to Old City!! I will report after this weekend when we will probably try it for a small bite and drink thing after our next movie. Eileen

Andiesenji, that looks like a great recipe. I am going to try it asap - probably after my whole Christmas cookie extravaganza is over. Is the flour you use for this recipe bleached flour? I use Callebaut Dutch cocoa, but I suspect that will work as well as the KA dutch stuff. Thanks so much! Nightscotsman - (I just LOVE that name!) - do you notice any difference in the texture of the things you have used it in? Do I need to allow for the lower acidity in my recipes over and above what I would allow for regular dutched cocoa? And thanks to everyone who responded. I always buy things impulsively and then have to figure out what to do with them. Super-alkalized. Hmmmm. Eileen

Thanks, Kobi! I have never been to POD, but have often thought about it. I will definitely give it a try now. Eileen

Thanks for the info, Ilene! Eileen

I've been using Cuisinart FP's for (yikes) nearly 30 years. I have no complaints. I still have the dc-7 I started with, the pro-14 I use now, another one in our vacation home, and the small prep one which I use pretty much daily. I really like them. I have other Cuisinart machines that I like, also. Just another cook's opinion.

I use Plugra exclusively. Unsalted for baking and salted on our bread. My teenage daughter, who is a stickler for excellent baguettes, prefers salted Plugra. The unsalted also makes an excellent all-butter pie crust. No need for (ugh!) shortening. The plugra makes a wonderful flaky, crisp crust. IMHO.

What a great solution, Wendy! I'm going to make our Christmas cheesecake that way this year. Thank you! You are a marvel! Eileen

I use the Sawa, and I have a camel disc. Although I can't remember if it actually came with it or if I picked it up at a garage sale. I use the Sawa to deposit Christmas trees. But I use a pastry bag to pipe stars and other shapes. I prefer the pastry bag, also. Eileen

I bought some "black cocoa" from King Arthur. Has anyone out there ever used it? Before I start playing with it I want to check to see if there are any secret ways to use it. Or if there are any problems with it. Thanks in advance for any help or ideas. Eileen

Wonderful link. I love to see other people's cookies. I guess I'm a cookie stalker. We did a "cookie walk" at my son's school for a few years. All of the moms (well, many of them) baked a couple hundred each of dozens and dozens of different types of cookies. We laid them out on a series of tables in the cafeteria, and people from the community came in and walked through the line putting the ones they wanted into the box they were given when they walked in the door. At the end of the line we weighed their boxes and they paid. It was a lot of fun. And very popular. Eileen

Great thread! Thanks, Wendy. dark chocolate + ancho chile + espresso lemon + basil goat cheese + fig + port + rosemary goat cheese + long pepper + apples or pears chai spices + green tea powder (matcha) + cheesecake + plum brandy sauce dark chocolate ice cream + homemade dark chocolate chips + fresh spearmint banana + cinnamon + creme fraiche + dulce de leche butterscotch + rum blood oranges + balsamic blood oranges + zinfandel lime + cilantro mascarpone cheesecake + fresh berries blueberries + corn mango + caramel sauce pate a choux + lemon lemon + orange blossom honey cookies containing dried fruits and nuts + fleur de sel hazelnuts + meyer lemon + berries bananas + pineapple + coconut + rum + black pepper wafers valencia oranges + honey + saigon cinnamon pears + ginger + lemon and my favorite savory: filet of beef + fig balsamic + long pepper This is a GREAT thread!!

Sugarbuzz, thanks for that tip! I will try the chocolate water to coat a cheesecake for Christmas. I never would have thought it would work, because I thought the chocolate would seize. But, why do you strain it? Eileen

Either way will work...if you bake the cookies and then freeze them, you can take them out of the freezer as you need them. (You can refresh them in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes.) I prefer to mix and shape the dough and freeze it uncovered on baking sheets. When the cookies are hard, I transfer them to zipper freezer bags. I find that unbaked, shaped dough keeps a little longer in the freezer than baked cookies. The frozen dough will definitely keep 2 months packaged airtight in a good freezer. I have been unhappy with baked cookies that have been frozen that long. Good luck with your baking! Eileen

DonnaMarieNJ - When you try to convert rolled cookies into drop cookies, be sure to test one in the oven first to get an idea of how it will turn out. The dough for many rolled recipes is very dense (so you can roll it out easily) so it sometimes doesn't spread like a regular dropped cookie would. If you find the recipe you are using doesn't spread, try flattening the dropped dough with the palm of your hand, or using a cookie stamp to flatten it with an attractive pattern. Good luck! Best, Eileen

Karen C. - now I'm also grateful that there are such helpful people on eG, and that there is such a place as StudioKitchen in Phila. Thanks! Eileen

I joined this summer, and I really have been enjoying eG! I am thankful for all of this and more: Infusion coffee shop in Mount Airy for their wonderfully rich and delicious lattes; RTM; the small cheese stand at the Flourtown Farmers' Market; my foodie friends who love to eat good food and drink good wines; living in a city that is such an amazing food town; Moore Brothers; and much more. BUT I have to ask: What is the Studio Kitchen??? Is it a place? Or just a way tooorganize get togethers??

We tried the Sacher torte at the Hotel Sacher and were shocked at how dry and flavorless it was. We love to eat desserts "mit schlag" but it would have required a bowlful to make that cake palatable. That being said, there seemed to be many locals there who were eating it with pleasure. We went to Demel, but after having one bad experience with Sacher Torte, we never ordered it again. Sorry now that we didn't. Maybe I would have a better opinion of it if I had. So one more negative vote for the Sacher. Eileen

Here's a recipe for a chewy chocolate cookie that has a texture similar to traditional snickerdoodles: Chewy Chocolate Pixies You can add some instant espresso powder if you like, and/or chocolate chips. Be sure to allow time for the dough to chill. The unbleached flour adds to the chewiness of the cookies. Melt together in a microwave until the chocolate is almost melted, then stir with a fork until it is all melted and smooth, and set it aside: 4 ounces unsw. choc. 1/4 cup unsalted butter Beat on high speed for 3 minutes til light, thick, and smooth: 2 cups granulated sugar 4 large eggs 1 cup confectioners' sugar Scrape the bowl, add, and beat for 20-30 seconds: 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon salt On low speed, add the melted chocolate and butter. Add in on low speed just until evenly mixed: 2-1/2 cups AP unbleached flour The dough is very loose. Spread it into a shallow pan, cover, and chill for 2 hours or overnight. It will keep in the fridge like this for 4 or 5 days. When you are ready to bake, preheat a convection oven to 310 or a conventional oven to 325. Place 1 cup of confectioners' sugar into a shallow bowl. Drop the dough by 2-tablespoonfuls (#40 scoop) into the sugar and place onto parchment-lined baking sheets. These will spread, so keep them about 3 inches apart. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes. They will rise and then fall, and will no longer look wet, but will still feel soft when touched lightly with your finger. Do not overbake. Cool on wire racks. Hope that helps. Eileen

Trader Joe's sells almond, walnut and pecan flour in their nut section. The almond flour is with skins.

OOOPS! Sorry, Rebecca! I was down to the wire preparing for a class and my brain was obviously scrambled. (That's my excuse today, anyway. Unfortunately, my brain has been in scrambled mode for quite some time.)

I vote for Lemon Curd, also. It's great with cookies that contain nuts.

There's a recipe on my web site for a soft and chewy Triple Ginger Cookie that uses crystallized ginger, fresh ginger, and dried ginger. The recipe also calls for molasses, so you can sub some of the syrup for that if you wish. (A part whole wheat variation of this recipe just won second place in a Philadelphia Magazine chef's cookie contest for the holidays.) edit by Eileen: I tried to put the URL in this message, but I can't figure out how to do it. If you go to the site (see under my signature), click on recipes, then scroll down to the bottom of the column for cookie recipes.