I have a confession...I am a dreamer and a super romantic...to a fault sometimes. I know, I know, its not always going to be a fairy tale. There are no glass slippers and pumpkin carriages in my everyday life. True love will not always turn a beast into a prince, but there are times in life when I like to dream, and think up crazy romantic things to do. I mean for my first anniversary with Charles, I had my mom teach me how to shag dance (it's a Southern thing). I then bought one set up a picnic shelter, and with the help of some great friends, lined the path with candles to the shelter where there was a fire setup, music and dessert waiting for us...did I mention I can be over the top. Sometimes you just have to dream bit though, and although there are tough, really hard days sometimes, there are other that you will never forget. They are the moments that make up for the hard times. The times when you beat yourself up, but you just have to keep dreaming and striving for those better times.
This week my friend Meghan was the first to share this video with me, which you have probably seen by now, but I have to share. It is basically amazing and one of those videos I need to watch on the days when I am down, and have stopped dreaming for a bit. Kid President says to "Create something that will make the world AWESOME."
This week I was in a funk, and I just needed to get out of it. So, I went back to the basics for me...to the one thing that lets me take my mind off of things, and stop beating myself up. Back to baking a sophisticated yet simple and playful cookie. I have to thank Courtney and Dusty for these awesome cookie cutters and the inspiration for baking cookies. It only took me a drive home after dinner with them to know that I was going to be making shortbread cookies when I got home. Then with a little help from Martha Stewart and a little twist, I had these fun and playful cookies under way. What I would like to call my hipster hazelnut espresso shortbread. If you have ever had a chocolate covered espresso bean, these cookies taste like those with just a hint of hazelnut. They almost melt in your mouth and have a delicious buttery coffee flavor. This might sound truly crazy but they taste like the smell of a donut shop...like coffee and sugar. I am not a huge shortbread fan but these are delicious! Will definitely be making them again!
Oh yes!!
Hazelnut coffee finely ground, flour + salt, super strong hazelnut coffee, butter and powdered sugar.
Butter and powdered sugar meet coffee two ways.
Dough formed...now into the refrigerator.
Time for the fun! Roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick then cut out!
Back into the refrigerator for 20 minutes and then into the oven.
Hazelnut Espresso Shortbread: (recipe adapted from Martha Stewart)
*makes approximately 1 dozen large cut out cookies or 2 dozen regular
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 + 1/8 cup
1/2 tablespoon super strong hazelnut coffee (or regular)
1 tablespoons finely ground hazelnut coffee beans
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using the back of a fork or a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the coffee and ground coffee beans to butter mixture; beat to combine.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add to butter mixture, and whisk or beat on medium low speed until well combined, about 4 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
5. Role out the dough so that is 1/4 inch thick on parchment paper, covering the dough with the plastic wrap so that the dough does not stick to the rolling pin. Cut dough out using desired cookie cutter. (Or shape heaping tablespoons of dough into ovals. Using a wooden skewer dipped in flour, make an indentation in dough lengthwise to achieve the look of a coffee bean. ) Arrange cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Freeze or refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. While the cookies are chilling, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
6. Bake cookies for 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cookies have cooled, melt chocolate over a double boiler and decorate or dip the cookies in the chocolate. Let the chocolate harden on the cookies and then store up to 1 week in airtight containers at room temperature. Enjoy!
*makes approximately 1 dozen large cut out cookies or 2 dozen regular
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 + 1/8 cup
1/2 tablespoon super strong hazelnut coffee (or regular)
1 tablespoons finely ground hazelnut coffee beans
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using the back of a fork or a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the coffee and ground coffee beans to butter mixture; beat to combine.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add to butter mixture, and whisk or beat on medium low speed until well combined, about 4 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
5. Role out the dough so that is 1/4 inch thick on parchment paper, covering the dough with the plastic wrap so that the dough does not stick to the rolling pin. Cut dough out using desired cookie cutter. (Or shape heaping tablespoons of dough into ovals. Using a wooden skewer dipped in flour, make an indentation in dough lengthwise to achieve the look of a coffee bean. ) Arrange cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Freeze or refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. While the cookies are chilling, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
6. Bake cookies for 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cookies have cooled, melt chocolate over a double boiler and decorate or dip the cookies in the chocolate. Let the chocolate harden on the cookies and then store up to 1 week in airtight containers at room temperature. Enjoy!
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