Cream Puffs in Venice

Cream Puffs in Venice Has Moved!

Well I just couldn't wait any longer! Finally, a brand new look for Cream Puffs in Venice is born! As part of that new look, I've decided to change blog hosts. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about TypePad, however, the new Cream Puffs in Venice is now being hosted by WordPress.

You can see the new blog at www.creampuffsinvenice.ca.

For those of you using the www.creampuffsinvenice.typepad.com, you'll have to change your link to the new one. I apologize for any hassles this may cause.

Thank you all for your patience. Let me know what you think of the new site!

Ciao!

Just a Little Bit Longer ...

Hi everyone!

Thanks so much for your eager comments! I'm glad to know that you're excited to see what the new Cream Puffs in Venice will look like.

I'm working out the last few details so you're going to have to wait just a bit longer ... but not too much longer.

Hope you're having a great week!

Ciao!

Changes Afoot ...

Lest you think that I've forgotten about my little blog, I haven't! There's been a lack of posts this week as there are some design changes happening at Cream Puffs in Venice!

After wanting a little makeover for awhile, the time is finally here. Stay tuned for a new look, more treats from Tea Party (the Flavour of the Month) and news about my dream lunch with Dorie Greenspan!

See you in a few days ...

Ciao!

I Heart Yellow

I heart yellow.

Yellow is the sun. Yellow is bright and warm and always makes me happy when I see it.

Yellow is a friendly smile and blooming flowers. Yellow is everywhere a loved one is.

Yellow is courage. Yellow is Barbara of winosandfoodies.com and The Taste of Yellow event to celebrate LiveStrong Day.

Yellow is strong. Yellow is fearless.

Yellow is a hug. Yellow is a night out with friends.

Yellow is laughing until you cry. Yellow is the funny story everyone begs you to tell.

Yellow is the book you've read a thousand times. Yellow is the movie that makes you cry. Yellow is the funny pair of socks that you'll never part with.

Yellow is intelligence. Yellow is compassion. Yellow is lending a helping hand.

Yellow is the picture of the one you love. Yellow is the song that you love. Yellow is music.

Yellow is bravery. Yellow is staring down the bad guy.

Yellow is the cure for cancer.

Yellow is my father.

I heart yellow.

Ciao!

Lemony Lemon Bars with Raspberry Coulis

Adapted from Afternoon Delights by James McNair and Andrew Moore.

Note:  These bars are a bit unusual in that they are creamier than your average lemon bar. I've added a bit of cream to the bar to give it a creamier texture. These bars can be a bit difficult to cut but I find that refrigerating them before slicing and using a hot knife helps a lot. The recipe will yield anywhere from 24 to 30 bars, depending on how small you cut them.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 large eggs
• 2-3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 9 x 13-inch pan.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat at medium high speed until the mixture is creamy and combined. Add the salt and mix to combine.
3. Add one cup of the flour and mix on low speed until combined. Add the second cup of flour and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined.
4. Put the dough into the buttered pan and with your hands, spread it out into an even and flat layer.
5. Bake the crust for about 20 minutes. It should be nicely golden.
6. Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
7. In a large bowl, mix th eeggs, sugar, flour and salt. Whisk until the mixture is combined.
8. Add the lemon juice, the heavy cream and the lemon zest and stir to combine.
9. Pour the lemon mixture onto the baked crust and put the pan back in the oven.
10. Bake the bars until the lemon filling is golden on top and doesn't jiggle in the middle (about 30 minutes).
11. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
12. Once cool, you can either cut into bars and serve or refrigerate for up to 2 days. I recommend refrigerating before you cut into bars.
13. Using a small cookie cutter or even a small spoon, cut out or scoop out a bit of the centre of each bar.
14. Fill the indentation with a bit of raspberry coulis (recipe follows). Dust with icing sugar if you like and then serve immediately.
15. Enjoy!

Raspberry Coulis

Note:  You can make this as thick or thin as you like. I like a medium consistency. I also don't like it to be too sweet, but feel free to add more sugar if you like. This will yield about 2 cups of raspberry coulis. The coulis will keep in the refrigerator for a week.

• 2 to 2-1/2 cups frozen raspberries (you can also use fresh)
• 1/2 to 1 cup hot water
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup sugar

1. Combine all the ingredients, except the water, in a food processor.
2. Process for about a minute, or until the raspberries have been processed and the mixture is combined. Add 1/2 cup of hot water and process until smooth.
3. Taste the coulis and adjust for sweetness. If you want a thinner coulis, then add more hot water and process again.
4. Once the coulis is to your liking, strain through a fine mesh sieve.
5. Pour the strained coulis into a bowl and keep refrigerated when you're not using it.
6. Enjoy!

Technorati tags:livestrong, livestrong day, a taste of yellow, winosandfoodies, lemon, lemon bars

Anyone for a Cup of Tea?

I would be lying if I didn't say that the tea party holds a very special charm for me.

As with so many little girls, I loved "hosting" pretend tea parties and insisted that all my dolls and stuffed toys attend. Once I was grown, my very first experience hosting an event on my own was a tea party that I held in the backyard for a handful of dear friends. I became addicted to the defunct (but soon to be revived) Victoria magazine, which always featured the beauty of the art of taking tea. And one day, I will make it to London where I will have a proper tea at one (or more) of the city's best establishments.

Strangely enough, it wasn't until very recently that I actually began to learn a bit more about tea. As a child, my experience of tea was limited to Italian chamomile and Tetley tea bags. But a burgeoning love of the beverage has led me to slowly begin learning a bit more about it. Tea originates from the bush known as Camellia sinensis. Tea can be divided into four basic types including black tea, oolong tea, green tea and white tea. In recent years, green and white teas have increased in popularity due to the numerous health benefits associated with them. Used to drinking black tea, I've come to love green tea and more recently white tea. I'm also a big fan of herbal teas, which are usually herbal infusions.

While I wish I could tell you a lot more about tea, I'm only just learning myself, although the history of this beverage is more than fascinating. If you're interested in reading about the history of tea I recommend Liquid Jade:  The Story of Tea from East to West by Beatrice Hohenegger or The Empire of Tea by Alan and Iris Macfarlane, both very interesting reads.

This month, though, I'm particularly interested in the taking of tea. That's why, when given the opportunity to review Tracy Stern's gorgeous book Tea Party, I just couldn't resist. What I particularly love about this book is the presentation of the tea party in many different forms. Tea is not just for the afternoon. The book is divided into menus for twenty themed parties ranging from the traditional afternoon tea to a Moroccan Valentine's Day dinner to a Russian tea. There's even a menu for a gentleman's tea! I just can't wait to spend the month of May exploring this book and I'm especially excited because I think a tea party is the perfect way to celebrate Mother's Day.

To begin my look at the book I started at the beginning with a tea party planned around a New Year's Day brunch. Stern's menu for the occasion includes bibb lettuce, avocado, and green apple salad; steamed white and green asparagus with herbed goat cheese sauce; mini spinach quiches and vanilla tea-infused sponge cake. It's the sponge cake that got me.

The original recipe is a very basic sponge cake recipe consisting of eggs, sugar and flour. The cake is flavoured by the addition of brewed vanilla tea leaves. This cake sounded so intriguing! While I didn't have any vanilla tea on hand, I did have a variety of loose chai teas. I adore chai teas, especially in winter when their spiciness seems perfect for the season.

I decided to use a tea called Chai Indienne from one of my very favourite tea purveyors. Distinctly Tea is a charming tea shop based in Stratford, Ontario, home of the famous Stratford Festival. The Chai Indienne is a black tea with warm and spicy notes, but not too spicy. I brewed some of the tea and then let the tea leaves cool. Once cooled, I began mixing my batter.

This particular sponge cake has a very interesting preparation method. The eggs are separated and the yolks are mixed with the sugar in a pot over very low heat. I'm guessing this technique helps to dissolve the sugar quickly in the warming yolks. As the original recipe indicates you have to be very careful not to let the yolks get too hot or they will cook.

After heating the yolks and sugar, I removed the mixture from the heat and added the chai tea leaves. I immediately felt the urge to add cinnamon, which I did, and I also added a few drops of vanilla extract for good measure. I left the mixture alone for about five minutes so that the yolks could cool completely and the tea could infuse.

While the yolk mixture rested, I whipped the egg whites to stiff peaks. I added the flour (self-rising flour) to the yolks and then carefully folded in the whites. I decided to bake little Bundt cakes rather than one larger cake. The batter had a lovely golden tinge thanks to the tea and the cinnamon and I just couldn't wait to see the end result.

After about 35 minutes in the oven, I ended up with six beautiful little cakes. Once cooled, I cut into one of them and I could see the flecks of tea leaves dispersed throughout the cakes. Biting into one, I experienced the familiar comfort of a good old sponge cake combined with the unique flavour of chai.

If the rest of May is going to taste this good, it's just going to be one big tea party!

Ciao!

Mini Chai Sponge Cakes

Adapted from Tea Party by Tracy Stern.

Note:  The original recipe calls for vanilla tea leaves but I found this worked very well with what I had on hand, which was chai tea. The flour called for in the recipe is self-rising flour. I used Brodie Self-Rising Cake & Pastry Flour. I baked the cakes in a bundt pan that yields six mini bundt cakes. But you can bake this in a standard 10-inch Bundt pan. If baking in a large pan, bake for 50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. brewed chai tea leaves (if the leaves are larger, chop them into very fine pieces)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup self-rising flour

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a mini bundt pan.
2. Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a pan and the whites in the bowl of an electric stand mixer.
3. Over very low heat, combine the yolks and the sugar and whisk until the sugar is completely incorporated and has dissolved. Continue whisking for a minute or two until the egg yolks have become very pale in colour and increased in volume. Be very careful not to get the yolks too hot or they will cook.
4. Remove the yolk mixture from the heat and add the tea leaves, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Mix and let sit while you whip the egg whites.
5. Using the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form (4 to 5 minutes).
6. Sift the flour into the egg yolk mixture and combine. The mixture may be stiff but don't worry about it.
7. Add one-third of the egg whites to the yolk and flour mixture and stir until combined.
8. Add the remaining egg whites and fold them into the lightened batter.
9. Once done, spoon the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. If using a mini-Bundt pan, bake your cakes for 30 minutes and then check for doneness by inserting a cake tester into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cakes are done. If not, bake for an additional 5 minutes and test again.
10. Once the cakes are baked, remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Unmold the bundt cakes and let cool completely.
11. Serve with tea and enjoy!

Technorati tags:  chai tea, sponge cake, tea party, tea

Pie of Comfort

During the winter, I wrote a post about rice pudding and how I find it one of the most comforting dishes imaginable. A mere spoonful of rice pudding will cure whatever ails me and I suspect that it's the same for so many other who enjoy this dish.

For this reason, as I looked through Jamie Oliver's beautiful cookbook, Jamie's Italy, I could not help but be drawn to the recipe for Torta di Riso. Imagine a rice pudding or risotto baked in a tart shell and you will begin to see what Torta di Riso is. I've seen recipes for rice cakes as dessert before, but I'd never seen a recipe for rice baked in a tart shell. And of course I knew right away that I'd have to try it.

What I did not know, nor could I have foreseen, was how quickly April would fly by! While I had initially resolved to try so many recipes for Jamie's Italy, the fact is I've only been able to try a handful. But no matter. That handful has more than convinced me of the beauty and worthiness of this cookbook.

Never mind the gorgeous photos, the book is filled with recipes that sing of Italy and all that is great about Italian food. While many of the recipes were not possible for me to try as at this time of year we simply don't have access to the fresh fruits and vegetables the recipes called for, I already have a list as long as my arm of dishes that I look forward to trying in the summer when we are overwhelmed by fresh produce from our gardens.

I remember watching Jamie Oliver's first programs on The Food Network. It's interesting to see how this chef has grown and matured. Jamie's Italy is a very clear sign of that growth. While many would look at the recipes and call them simple or plain, I believe that he has succeeded in capturing the essence of some of the best dishes representing the various regions he visited.

Italian food is so varied that it's impossible to encapsulate regional cooking in one book. But with Jamie's Italy, Oliver features some of the most beautiful and worthy dishes out there. And of course the photos are tremendous. It's not just the food that stars in the photography, but it's also the people.

I wanted to end April, and my focus on Jamie's Italy as the Flavour of the Month, on a very high note and I'm happy to say that the Torta di Riso accomplishes that. Like so many of Jamie's recipes this one is open to improvisation. Essentially you're making a sweet risotto that you partially cook and then pour into a par-baked tart shell. After baking until firm, you end up with a very unique Italian treat - a firm rice filling in a buttery crust.

I followed this recipe to the letter and did not make any variations so I won't post the recipe. However, I invite you to pick up a copy of Jamie's Italy and see firsthand that no matter where you are, Italy is close at hand.

Ciao!

Technorati tags:torta di riso, jamie oliver

The Daring Bakers Strike Again!

Move over, Martha. The Daring Bakers are claiming your territory!

Well, perhaps we're not quite claiming your territory but we are all over a dessert you showcased. And it's a good thing too as judging by my own experience and that of most of the other Daring Bakers, your recipe could do with a bit of help.

As many of you know, back in November Lis of La Mia Cucina and I decided to challenge ourselves to bake (or create) foods that we would normally not try. Since November, the little group that we affectionately named The Daring Bakers has grown to close to thirty members!

Each month our challenges have been exciting and we have been pushed to try new recipes and expand our creativity. But along with the growth spurt we've had some growing pains. Voting on our monthly challenge became a bit of a headache due to the number of people involved. As a result, we made a decision to move to a hosted event. Part of the duties of being hostess (or host) is that you must choose a challenge for the month, supply the recipe (and post the recipe on your own blog) and pick a date for the challenge.

The April edition of The Daring Bakers features Brilynn of Jumbo Empanadas as hostess. Brilynn had her eye on a Martha Stewart confection called Darkest Chocolate Crepe Cake. Martha's own creation is based on a famous crepe cake from the New York bakery, Lady M Cake Boutique.

This particular dessert consists of four components:  crepes, filling, glaze and decoration. While I have some experience with crepes, I was very intrigued by the idea of making chocolate crepes, which I'd never done before. The crepe batter, which included semisweet chocolate, was fairly straightforward to pull together. As I went to actually cook the crepes, however, I was a bit concerned as I know that some of my fellow Daring Bakers had experienced some difficulties.

While the first few crepes had their lives tragically cut short after tearing and generally not cooking properly, I found the rest of the crepes easier to produce. The only drawback to this part of the recipe was that it took so very long to make the crepes. This was partly my fault as I decided to make mini crepes. After some research, I "invested" in a $9 egg fry pan that has the most adorable handle ever! I don't usually eat a lot of fried eggs but the pan was so cute that I couldn't resist.

While the crepes were good, I didn't find anything particularly exciting about them. So I looked to the filling to offer the pizazz factor for this dessert.

I studied the recipe for the filling in the original but knew right away that I didn't want to make it. Have you ever looked at a recipe and thought, "You know what. I just don't want to go to the trouble"? That's precisely how I felt when I looked at the filling recipe. Did I really want to buy Hazelnut Cream? Did I really want to use six egg whites? Did I really want to use almost a pound of butter just for a filling? For some reason I just felt uninspired by the filling and decided it just wasn't worth using up precious butter.

Instead, I decided to go the simple route by spreading Nutella on the crepes. I figure you just can't go wrong with Nutella! After having filled and built my little crepe cakes, I put them in the refrigerator to set. While they rested, I made the chocolate glaze. This particular glaze was quite easy to make and definitely good, but again, there wasn't anything spectacular about it. It had a great pour quality that definitely covered a multitude of crepe sins, but other than that it was your average chocolate glaze.

For some strange reason, the further into the recipe I got the less interested I felt.

The final step before putting it all together was the decoration. The original recipe includes instructions on how to make candied hazelnuts with a decorative effect. Initially I wasn't going to make these as it seemed a lot of trouble, but I changed my mind. I reminded myself that part of being a Daring Baker is pushing yourself so I went ahead with caramelizing the hazelnuts. I'm glad I changed my mind. The hazelnuts were probably my favourite part of the recipe. I would be lying if I said it wasn't great fun creating strings of caramel sugar all over the kitchen.

The fun of the hazelnuts aside, at this point I was just eager to put the cake together and see the final result (and get it over with). I cloaked the crepe cakes in the chocolate glaze and let them set for a few minutes before transferring the cakes to a serving dish and then finally cutting into one of them.

The cakes were sweet with a nice touch of hazelnut from the Nutella. And the caramel decorations were a big hit. However, if I were to make this again, I think I would make a cream filling. As good as the Nutella was, I think some creaminess would have helped to lighten the cake just a bit.

But to be very honest with you, I just don't see myself making this particular crepe cake again. It was uninspiring. It tasted alright, but the taste doesn't match the visual appeal of the cake. It's hard to put my finger on it, but the end result just didn't live up to the hype.

Having said that, my Daring Bakers have all acquitted themselves admirably. In fact quite a few of them have given Martha a run for her money! To see what incredible confections the other Daring Bakers produced, you can check their blogs by clicking on the links under The Daring Bakers category in the sidebar to the right of this page.

And stay tuned ... The Daring Bakers will be back for more next month!

Ciao!

Note:  For those of you interested in trying this dessert, there is a video demonstration that you can watch from the Martha Stewart site.

Technorati tags: crepes, crepe cake, daring bakers

The Midnight Snack of Champions

It's hard to believe that a little over a month ago I barely had time to even talk to my family, much less blog. The long days and even longer nights put in at work seem but a distant memory.

And yet it was only a month ago that I would stumble into the house, sometimes as late as midnight. And while I'm completely in love with food, it was at those times that the very idea of cooking or baking seemed next to impossible, like a distant dream not meant for me.

Wandering into the kitchen, that late at night (or should I say that early in the morning), more often than not it was nothing more exotic than a bowl of Cheerios keeping me company. That's lonely business I tell you - sitting at the table alone, with a bowl of cereal at 1:00 a.m.

But as sad as that picture may seem, as with all things, the long hours passed and I began to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Naturally, the desire for for food breathed new life into me.

Inevitably the night comes when the bowl of Cheerios is cast aside in favour of something sweeter and divine. It's what I like to call The Midnight Snack of Champions:  walnuts with Parmigiano Reggiano and honey.

You can't have any one of these without the other two. The mellow butteriness of the walnuts is perfect against the sharp tingle of the Parmigiano, which is perfect dripping with the golden honey.

And there is no exact recipe for this snack. The proportions are entirely up to you. I like a handful of walnuts and a chunk of Parmigiano (cut into small pieces), covered in a few healthy teaspoons of honey (preferably chestnut honey).

The only rule here is that you must eat this with your fingers being sure to lick up every delicious drop of honey.

Forget the Cheerios.

In those quiet night hours, when hunger strikes, comfort yourself with the snack of champions all the while knowing that there will only be sweet dreams to follow.

Ciao!

Technorati tags:walnuts, Parmigiano Reggiano, honey

Mushrooms on the Side

Jamie Oliver is driving me batty! In a totally good way.

As much fun as I've been having reading Jamie's Italy, I'm frustrated by the fact that there are so many recipes I won't be able to try until the bounty of summer fruits and vegetables begins to find its way into our kitchen.

My mouth is positively watering over dishes like eggplant parmigiana that has me longing for the beautiful purple eggplant from our garden. Unfortunately those won't be here until August and September so I'll just  have to bide my time.

But I'm such an impatient Cream Puff! Sigh.

To comfort myself, I decided instead to give myself a little present courtesy of Mr. Oliver. Who doesn't like unwrapping a gift? The drama, the expectation, the excitement as you slowly reveal what's hidden inside. As soon as I saw Jamie's recipe for wild mushrooms roasted in a parchment paper sac, I knew I'd have to give it a try. Especially since I'm always looking for new side dishes to serve with meals.

I love mushrooms and was intrigued by the idea of roasting them in a paper packet. Usually we eat our mushrooms sauteed or grilled. Jamie's recipe calls for wild mushrooms which are combined with a variety of herbs and prosciutto in a parchment sac. A splash of wine is the final touch before the mushrooms go into the oven.

I used a variety of cremini, shiitake and oyster mushrooms for my attempt at the recipe. I brushed off any dirt and kept the mushrooms whole, except for any that were particularly large, which I cut in half. I combined the mushrooms in a bowl and drizzled on lots of extra virgin olive oil. I added sea salt, black pepper and fresh rosemary. While my paper packet wasn't nearly as neat-looking as Jamie's, it certainly did the trick. Just before popping it in the oven, I added a splash of cognac to the mushrooms because I've always believed (don't know why) that mushrooms and cognac go very well together.

After about fifteen minutes in the oven, my parchment packet had puffed up a bit (the hot air is trapped in the sac) and I eagerly opened it up to find a gorgeous melange of mushrooms that were cooked perfectly. The aroma of rosemary and the faint hint of cognac made the dish taste as wonderfully as it looked.

I do believe I've found something to keep my mind of eggplant parmigiana ... for now.

Ciao!

Roasted Mushrooms with Cognac

Adapted from Jamie's Italy by Jamie Oliver.

Note:  Parchment paper is available in baking shops and also in the baking section of most grocery stores. In addition (or instead of), you can also use thyme and sage to flavour the mushrooms. 

This recipe will serve 4.

• 1 pound of mixed mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake), cleaned with larger mushrooms cut in half
• 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1-1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. rosemary, chopped
• 2 tbsp. cognac
• chopped parsley for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Combine your mushrooms in a bowl and add the olive oil, making sure that the mushrooms are evenly coated.
3. Add the salt, pepper and rosemary and mix well.
4. Take one sheet of parchment paper (it should be roughly 18 x 22 inches in size) and place it on a counter.
5. Pile the mushroom mixture in the centre of the parchment, flattening the mushrooms slightly so that they're not mounded too high in the centre. Drizzle on the cognac.
6. Cover the mushrooms with another sheet of parchment of equal size.
7. Fold all the ends of the parchment up and in so that a tight seal forms on all sides.
8. Slide the parchment package onto a baking sheet and then place in the oven.
9. Bake for 15 minutes and then remove. Open the package (carefully as a lot of steam will be released).
10. Taste the mushrooms and adjust seasoning.
11. Place the mushrooms in a bowl and sprinkle on the parsley before serving.
12. Enjoy!

Technorati tags:  mushrooms, jamie oliver, jamie's italy

Have a Beautiful Weekend!

Spring has embraced Toronto in a huge way! It's a gorgeous day outside and for a change, I'm looking forward to being out there running errands.

I couldn't help but post these adorable cookies and wish all of you a wonderful weekend.

I'll post the recipe soon, but until then, enjoy the beautiful weather.

Ciao!

Jam Sandwich Cookies

Recipe from back of cookie cutter package. Cookie Cutters made by R&M International Corp.

Note:  Of all the cookie cutter sets that I have, these are my favourite. They're called Springtime Linzer Cookie Cutters and the set consists of a cutter attachment with little slots that anchor the various cookie cutters. This particular set has six cutters to choose from including chick, rabbit and butterfly. I bought mine at Golda's Kitchen, which ships internationally. Click here to see the cookie cutter set.

You can use whatever jam you like for these cookies. I like apricot because the lovely colour seems just right for spring! If you don't have orange extract, you can use vanilla extract.

With this particular cookie cutter set, I can get about 40 to 50 cookies, which will yield about 20 to 30 cookie sandwiches.

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure orange extract
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 2 cups sifted cake flour (sift your flour and then measure out 2 cups)
• 1 cup apricot jam
• additional icing sugar for dusting

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until fluffy (about a minute or two).
2. Add the orange extract and the icing sugar and mix until well combined (a minute or two). Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
3. Add the flour, one cup at a time, mixing well between each addition. Don't over mix the flour. If it appears as though the dough won't come together, remove the bowl from the mixer and mix in any remaining flour by hand.
4. Transfer the dough to a work surface and gather into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. After an hour, remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide in half. Place the portion you're not using back in the refrigerator.
7. Roll out the portion you are using to a thickness of a quarter of an inch. Take whatever cookie cutter you're using and begin cutting out cookies.
8. Transfer cookies to one of the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, just until the cookies between to turn slightly golden around the edges. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Reroll any scraps and cut out more cookies and bake them as directed above.
10. Remove the second portion of dough from the refrigerator and roll out as above. If you're using a stamped cookie cutter such as the ones that I used, then be sure to cut out the other half of the cookie sandwich (i.e., if you cut out the bottoms with the first half, then cut out the tops with the second half). If you're not using a cookie cutter with a stamp or with a design in it, then continue cutting the shapes you cut the first half with.
11. Once you've rolled out all the dough and baked all the cookies, let them cool completely.
12. Take the cookies that you intend to use as the tops of the cookie sandwiches and dust them with icing sugar.
13. Take your jam and give it a few stirs to loosen it. Taking the bottom part of the cookie sandwich spread a teaspoon of jam over the cookie and then top with the other half of the cookie sandwich.
14. These will keep in an airtight container, at room temperature, for 2 or 3 days.
15. Enjoy!

Technorati tags:  cookies, jam, apricot jam