Christmas Pudding Cookies #CookieWeek

These little rounded Christmas Pudding Cookies have the rich taste of Christmas pud – dried fruit, dates, orange peel, spices - in bite-sized portions, complete with brandy butter to serve.

It’s Day Four of Cookie Week and I’m finally getting around to my second cookie! It’s been a busy week. But if this year’s Cookie Week is anything like last year’s Cookie Week, I know folks are going to be using our Pinterest board for holiday baking inspiration in weeks to come, so I wanted to share something a little different, with a British twist.

This recipe comes from a Jamie Oliver Christmas magazine a couple of years ago, December 2012, in fact. But, of course, he called them Christmas Pudding Biscuits. I think the only thing I’ve changed, besides the name, is to put just a little bit less flour so that the round cookie I like to bake is less dry. 

Jamie rolls them out and bakes them flat, like sugar cookies, but my cookie scoop makes the most perfect little Christmas pudding-shaped cookies and when that idea originally popped into my head, I couldn’t resist.

Make sure you scroll on down to see the other cookies we’ve baked for you today.

Ingredients
For the cookie dough:
2 2/3 oz or 75g toasted flaked almonds
5 1/3 oz or 150g medool dates, pitted
3 oz or 85g dried mixed fruit
Grated zest 1 orange
1/3 cup + 1 rounded tablespoon or 85g caster sugar
1/3 cup or 85g butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/3 cups or 165g flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice

For the brandy butter:
1/4 cup or 50g butter, softened
1 cup or 125g icing or powdered sugar
Pinch salt
1-2 teaspoons brandy

Method
Put the toasted almonds in your food processor and process briefly to chop them up.

Add in the dates, mixed fruit and orange zest and pulse until finely chopped. This could make your food processor jump around quite a bit so make sure to hold it down while pulsing.  Set aside.

There are still going to be some small chunks and medium-sized chunks.

Combine your flour, baking powder, cinnamon and mixed spice in a bowl.

In another larger bowl, cream together your butter and sugar. Add the egg to the butter and sugar and beat well until combined.

Stir in the flour mixture, mixing well.

Now fold in the almond/fruit mixture from the food processor. It looks like it’s going to be dry and bits keep falling out but persevere. Soon it will come together into a nice thick dough.

At this point you can wrap the dough in cling film, chill it for 20 minutes and then roll it out and cut it as you would sugar cookies or  - my idea - you can scoop it into little balls with a cookie scoop.  They look like little Christmas puds!

Either way, preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare a baking pan by lining it with parchment or a silicone baking mat.

I scooped mine into little balls and baked for about 14-16 minutes, until they were golden on the outside and a little darker on the bottom.

While they bake, you can make your brandy butter.
Use a wooden spoon to beat the softened butter together with the powdered sugar and a pinch of salt.

Once it’s light and fluffy, add in the brandy one teaspoon at a time, beating well in between.

The brandy transforms the butter and sugar into something even more fluffy and light and wonderful. If you aren't using it right away, it will stiffen back up in the refrigerator and you may need to let it warm up a little before it will spread.

Once the cookies are baked, allow them to cool completely before you top them with a swipe of brandy butter.

Enjoy!

I cannot tell you how perfectly these go with a cup of tea!

Many thanks to our Cookie Week hosts Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Susan of The Girl In the Little Red Kitchen! We’ve got a great team of 12 bloggers bringing you five fantastic days of cookie recipes to get you in to the holiday spirit. Are you feeling like a cookie monster yet? If not, you should be – because resisting all these delicious cookies is nearly impossible!

Grab a warm cookie from our Cookie Week bloggers!

• Christmas Pudding Cookies from Stacy at Food Lust People Love
• Dulce de Leche Stuffed Chocolate Crinkle Cookies from Susan at The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Nutella Skillet Cookie from Erin at Dinner, Dishes and Desserts
• Pink Coconut Cookies from Kim at Cravings of a Lunatic
• Triple Ginger Snaps from Liz at That Skinny Chick Can Bake

And here's what you might have missed from Tuesday and Wednesday while I was shaking cocktails and stirring noodles!

• Banana Walnut Biscotti by Chocolate Moosey
• Brown Butter Pecan Toffee Cookies by The Cooking Actress
• Candy Topped Toffee Squares by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Chocolate and Hazelnut Skillet Cookie by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Guava Thumbprint Cookies by Mind Over Batter
• Fudge Filled Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups by Chocolate Moosey
• Homemade Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Oreo Cookies by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Maple Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Maple Walnut Shortbread Cookies by Hungry Couple
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Pineapple Cookies with Vanilla Rum Glaze by Cooking in Stilettos
• Savory Cheddar Coins by Crumb
• S'mores Cookies by Cravings of a Lunatic
• White Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Cookies by Jen's Favorite Cookies
• White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies by The Girl In the Little Red Kitchen

Sesame Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce #FoodieExtravaganza

Chinese egg noodles with shrimp and crispy vegetables make a tasty, nutritious meal when tossed with savory peanut sauce. Great room temperature or cold.

I grew up eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And peanut butter cookies. You know, the homemade ones that have a crisscross made with a floured fork. I remember vividly the first commercials on television where choosy mothers chose Jif and friendly collisions got peanut butter in someone’s chocolate. And chocolate in someone’s peanut butter.

It took a trip to Indonesia when I was 18 years old to introduce me to a new use, a new savory love of peanut butter: Satay dipping sauce. Succulent bits of chicken or beef, marinated in special spices and grilled over an open charcoal flame by the dusty roadside, were meant to be dipped in a savory, spicy peanut sauce but I would just spoon that stuff over, full coverage being the fundamental goal. However delicious the satay, it was still primarily a conduit for the peanut sauce.

Ever since, I have been on the lookout for other peanut sauce conveyances, in addition to the handy spoon. I first found this wonderful noodle dish a couple of years ago on one of my favorite blogs, Magnolia Days – you might remember me mentioning it recently when I was making sticky cinnamon figs for a guest post in that genteel space. Renee had adapted a recipe from the Mom 100 Cookbook and created a main course from a side dish. Or maybe salad. Doesn’t matter. What’s important is that the whole fabulous mess was coated in a savory, spicy peanut sauce. I don’t think I ever told Renee that I had made it then, or any time since, which is very remiss and ungrateful of me. Because it is good. And I am grateful.

This month’s Foodie Extravaganza theme is peanut butter so I figured it was time to share these delicious noodles. Over the last couple of years, I’ve made adaptations of my own, adding other vegetables that I have on hand, like bean sprouts, or substituting chicken for the shrimp. I like to put fresh red chilies and crunchy peanut butter in the sauce. This is a great dish for mixing things up and using what you have, as long as you keep the peanut butter in the mix. Because that’s my favorite part. I hope it will be yours too.

Many thanks to Kaylin from Keep It Simple, Sweetie, our Foodie Extravaganza host this month. To see more delicious Foodie Extravaganza treats or learn how to join the party each month visit us here. And make sure to scroll down to the bottom to see all 19 of the sweet and savory peanut butter dishes we have for you this month!

Ingredients
For the sauce:
1 piece (2 1/2 inches or 6.3cm) fresh ginger
4 large garlic cloves
1-2 small red hot chili peppers (You know I used two!)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup or 140g crunchy peanut butter
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
4 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

For the noodles:
Salt for the boiling water
Almost 9 oz or 250g dried Chinese egg noodles
1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
4 ounces or 115g haricot verts or fine green beans
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 medium carrot
1/2 small head Napa or Savoy cabbage (about 11 oz or 310g)
2 small or one medium onion
1 pound or 450g shrimp (Mine weighed 12 1/3 oz or 350g when peeled and deveined)

To garnish:
1/4 cup or 25g sesame seeds
Green onion tops

Method
Peel the carrot and cut it into sticks. Top and tail the green beans. Slice the cabbage finely as you would for coleslaw. Do the same with the onions.

Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil.

Peel the ginger and garlic. Chop the ginger into small pieces and cut the stems off of  the chilies. Put the ginger, garlic and chilies in the food processor and process for a quick minute.

Add in the rest of the sauce ingredients and process until they are well mixed. Leave them in the food processor and get on with the rest of the dish.

Add cold water and ice cubes to a medium-sized mixing bowl and set it in readiness next to your stove.

When the pot of water is boiling, put the carrots and green beans in for just a couple of minutes. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and put them into the bowl of ice water.

Add the noodles into the pot of boiling water and cook as per packet instructions. Some take longer than others so following the manufacturer’s recommended time, perhaps minus a minute or two, is your best bet.

When the noodles are almost cooked, scoop out 1/4 cup or 60ml of the noodle water and add it to the sauce in the food processor. Process to combine.

Pour the cooked noodles into a colander and rinse them with very hot water. Put the noodles in a large mixing bowl and toss them with 1 1/2 tablespoons of sesame oil.

Now pour the peanut sauce in the food processor over them and toss again to make sure the noodles are well coated.

In the now empty noodle pot, sauté the sliced onions in one tablespoon of peanut oil. Add in the sliced cabbage and cook briefly. You want it wilted a little but still crunchy.

Add the onions and cabbage to the noodles and stir well. Cover the bowl and allow it to hang out for 30 to 45 minutes so the noodles can absorb the flavors of the sauce.

While you are waiting for the noodles, you can lightly toast your sesame seeds in a small non-stick skillet on the stove and chop some green onions for garnish, if desired.

When the noodle sitting time is almost up, once again, use your same pot to cook the shrimp with a little peanut oil and a light sprinkle of salt, just until they turn pink.

Drain the carrots and green beans and cut them into bite-sized pieces with your kitchen scissors. Add them to the noodles along with the shrimp. Toss well to mix.

Serve with a generous sprinkle of the toasted sesame seeds and some chopped green onions, if desired.

This dish is supposed be served at room temperature but it is also quite tasty cold which makes it great lunchbox fare.

Enjoy!

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month.

Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board!

Savory Dishes

• Peanut Butter and Chicken Pumpkin Stew by Reneé at Kudos Kitchen by Reneé
• Peanut Butter Beef Stew by Joy at The Joyful Foodie
• Peanut Butter Curry Ramen by Marissa at Rae Gun Ramblings
• Peanuty Autumn Roots by Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Sesame Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce by Stacy at Food Lust People Love
• Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles by Melanie at Garnish and Glaze

Sweet Treats

• 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies by Lindsay at My Creative Days
• Applesauce Peanut Butter Muffins by Kathleen at Fearlessly Creative Mammas
• Buckeye Brownie Bites by Teri at The Freshman Cook
• Dairy Free Chocolate Syrup Swirled Peanut Butter Blondies by Mary Frances at The Sweet {Tooth} Life
• Hong Kong French Toast by Tara at Tara's Multicultural Table
• Reese's Krispies Popcorn by Rebekah at Making Miracles
• Peanut Butter & Potato Chip Fudge by Kaylin at Keep it Simple, Sweetie
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes by Jacklyn at Mrs. Penguin Bakes
• Peanut Butter Filled Steamed Buns by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Peanut Butter Potato Candy by Cindy at Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Pop Tarts by Kelly at Passion Kneaded
• Salted Vanilla Bean Peanut Butter Cup Fudge by Laura at Baking in Pyjamas
• Thai Peanut Chicken Skewers by LeeAnn at Pantry Friendly Cooking

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The Post Bender

The Post Bender is the perfect iced coffee drink for the morning after a night of excess. Fresh ginger is well known for its restorative influence on a queasy stomach and its ability to jumpstart circulation, so including it in a coffee drink for the morning after a night of excess is bound to help. Add a little molasses for a natural sugar boost and some deep, dark porter and you might well be on your way to recovery.

From the stalls of Asia to the street markets of France and the outdoor grills of Portugal and Peru, and just a few places in between, I’ve eaten a lot freshly prepared, deliciously seasoned local food in my life. I’ve spoken before of buying queso de mano from a little guy walking between cars in rush hour traffic in Venezuela and pulling over suddenly to buy curry roti in Trinidad. You can read more about it here, along with a recipe for deep fried bananas. I love street food! I tell you all this by way of introduction to a new cookbook being released this month that celebrates the most mobile of street food with 100 recipes for great dishes from food trucks in the US. It’s called Food Truck Road Trip - A Cookbook and every page, every recipe is a feast for the eyes. It’s going to take me a while but I’d like to try each one!

To research, photograph and write the book, authors Kim Pham, Philip Shen and Terri Phillips packed their bags, loaded up the car and they traveled across the United States to visit the cities and taste the food and hear the stories behind some of the best food trucks around.

But their journey started long before that with a blog called Behind the Food Cart, winner of the Saveur magazine’s Best Culinary Travel Blog in 2013. Their focus has always been the people behind the scenes on the food trucks and each little history and snippet from the cooks and chefs made me think of the recently released movie Chef.  They’d ALL make great movies, from the former attorney who gave up a life of anger and complaints to make gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches to the advertising executive who quit his job to become an executive chef to the plumber who found himself unemployed in the recession and is now serving award winning orange cake from his truck in New York. Seriously. Even without the food, this book is inspirational for the personal stories of dedication, perseverance and love of culture and fine ingredients.

You can buy your own copy of Food Truck Road Trip right now – The recipes are all originals from the actual food truck recipes, not inspired by or adapted from, but shared by the creators for inclusion in the cookbook.

Today I am sharing a cocktail recipe from Hubbub Coffee Company in Philadelphia. Owner Drew Crockett believes that coffee is a way for us to interact with friends and people we have yet to meet and I completely agree with him. I chose this recipe because I love coffee - especially meeting friends to drink it - and I was intrigued by one of its ingredients: porter, a beer with chocolate presence. I did a little research and found one called London Porter here that fit the description perfectly. The recipe is supposed to serve two but I made it in a glass mug and drank the whole thing. Whoops. The leftover syrup keeps nicely in the refrigerator for future drinks.

The Post Bender - from Food Truck Road Trip by Kim Pham, Philip Shen, Terri Phillips. Printed with permission of Page St. Publishing.

Hubbub Coffee Company—Drew Crockett—Philadelphia, Pa

Serves 2  - theoretically :)

Ingredients
For the simple syrup:
1 tablespoon or 22g molasses
1 teaspoon zested ginger (I grated mine on the side with the small holes.)
1 1⁄2 teaspoons (6g) sugar
1⁄4 cup or 60ml water

To assemble:
1⁄2 cup or 118ml freshly brewed coffee, at room temperature
1 (12-oz or 340ml) bottle porter beer (has strong chocolate presence)

Method
To make the simple syrup, combine the molasses, ginger, sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Stir to make sure all the ingredients are combined and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Pour in the coffee.

Then add 2 to 4 tablespoons or 30 to 60ml of the simple syrup and shake vigorously.

Strain into 2 cocktail glasses and top with about 3 ounces (90ml) of porter each.

(I put a little light brown sugar around the rim of my mug and strained all the coffee and two tablespoons of the syrup into it, topping up with about 4 oz or 120ml of porter.)

I’ll definitely be making this one again. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I received one copy of Food Truck Road Trip - A Cookbook for review purposes. No other compensation was received. This post contains Amazon affiliate links.