I’m not sure there is anything that tastes better than a freshly made pizzelle still warm of the iron. Of course you’ll need a pizzelle iron for these bad boys, but you can probably get one in the Italian Market. Make your pizzelles even more irresistible by sandwiching two together with cannoli cream (ricotta blended with sugar) or hazelnut spread in between. Pizzelles, while still warm, can also be rolled using a wooden dowel to create cannoli shells.
Pizzelle were originally made in south-central Italy, and the name stems from the word for “round” and “flat” (pizze). Other cultures have developed similar waffle-like cookies (for example, the Norwegian Krumkake). It is known to be one of the oldest cookies, and is believed to have developed from the ancient Roman crustulum.
Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. melted butter
1 tbsp. anise extract
1 tbsp. anise seed, ground
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 1/2 c. AP flour
4 tsp. baking powder

Directions:
To begin, beat the eggs with the sugar in a large mixing bowl on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the melted butter, extracts, and anise seed and mix thoroughly. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add, stirring gently just until a thick batter/sticky dough forms. Preheat your pizzelle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When it is ready, drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls into the iron. Cook until steam subsides (but does not stop completely). Remove the pizzelles from the iron and cool. Notes on this recipe: Some people like softer, chewier pizzelles; others prefer a very crisp cookie. The key to getting your pizzelles the way you like them is not, in fact, in the cooking but in the cooling. For soft pizzelles, cool on a dishtowel or a wooden cutting board and stack them when they are cool enough to be rigid. For crisp pizzelles, cool on a wire rack, not touching – and do not stack them until they are completely and totally cooled to room temperature.

Image from Sur La Table. Recipe from Tea and Limpets.

Mmm Mint Chocolate Crinkles… They remind me of a frozen puppy poo that’d you’d find after a fresh snowfall. I may or may not be writing this after a few glasses of wine. Recipe and photo from Fake Ginger.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 cup cocoa, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs, beaten
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cup (1 – 10 oz. package) Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together into a bowl and set aside. With a hand held or standing mixer, beat together the shortening and butter until creamy. Add the sugars and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Add the flour mixture and blend until smooth. Fold in Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips. Roll the dough, by hand, into a 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll the balls in the powdered sugar to fully cover ball. Flatten the balls gently into 1/2” thick disks and place about 2” apart, spacing them evenly on un-greased baking sheets. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies set 1 minute on baking sheet. Remove from sheet and move to wire rack to cool completely.

Christmas Eve:
10 Arts – $75 tasting dinner will be offered.
12 Steps Down – The Italian Market bar has been adding another special every day for the 12 Steps of Christmas. So on Christmas Eve there will be 11 specials.
Alfa/Walnut Room – Dance for a great cause as $20 admission goes to Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
Davio’s – Christmas Eve Seven Fishes Dinner
Devil’s Den – Normal business hours with Mad Elf 2009 and 2010.
The Institute – Open from 4pm to 2am.
Khyber Pass Pub – Opens at 11am.
National Mechanics -Free Chinese food from 5pm till they run out.
Pub on Passyunk East – Regular hours, no food.
Pumpkin – 3-course tasting menu.
Prime Rib – Regular a la carte menu served.
P.Y.T. – Open all-day and night.
Sidecar – Closing at 11pm.
Supper – Order a la carte downstairs or have a six-course seafood centric farmhouse feast upstairs.
Varga Bar – Tapping some special Christmas and winter brews at 11:30am.

Christmas Day:
10 Arts – $75 tasting dinner will be offered.
12 Steps Down – The Italian Market bar has been adding another special every day for the 12 Steps of Christmas. So on Christmas Eve there will be 11 specials.
Bar – Opens at 9pm.
Bridget Foy’s – Opens at 4pm.
Cantina Los Caballitos – Opens at 5pm.
Devil’s Den – Opens at 7pm with a limited menu and with Mad Elf 2009 and 2010.
The Institute – Opens at 7pm.
Khyber Pass Pub – The bar opens at 5pm and the “Jewtacular Christmas Party” begins at 9pm.
National Mechanics – Open with DJ Chris Bretz
Pub on Passyunk East – Opens at 6pm without food.
Prime Rib – Regular a la carte menu served.
P.Y.T. – Opens at 7pm.

Photo: Davios

Here’s an amazing twist on the other-wise drab oatmeal cookie. The ingredients may seem a bit much for such a conservative cookie, but all these flavors together will make you sing. This recipe is also from Chow.com.
Tip: Ever wonder why your oatmeal cookies tend to spread out into an oily mess? Oats are mean to absorb moisture from their fellow ingredients, so the longer you let them all mingle together as a dough before you begin baking, the less this will happen.

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar1 large egg
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup toasted finely chopped pecans

Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 325°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and whisk to aerate and break up any lumps; set aside.
2. Combine butter and both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl; add egg, milk, and vanilla; and mix on medium until smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Reduce to low speed, add flour mixture, and mix until dough just comes together, scraping the bowl sides and bottom if necessary. Add oats, coconut, and pecans and mix for a few seconds on low speed until they are incorporated.
4. Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake the cookies until they are light golden brown around the edges and still slightly soft in the center, about 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Need a last minute gift for so-and-so, who you didn’t know was coming this year’s Christmas shindig? We’ve got you covered, with the following local chocolatiers in Philadelphia and the surrounding whose stores are choc-full (hah!) of chocolates for the holidays – from the basic to the breathtaking. There’s gotta be one close to you.

Center City:
Brown Betty Dessert Boutique- on 20th St and Liberties Walk.
Marcie Blaine – from Marcie Turney, over at Verde.
Max Brenner
Naked Chocolate Cafe – at Juniper & Walnut Streets and also at 3401 Walnut Street.
Swiss Haus Bakery
Miel Patisserie
Lore’s Chocolates
Scoop DeVille

Sadly Shane’s Candy down on market street in old city remains closed, but will reopen under the ownership of Franklin Fountain’s Berley Brothers, possibly in time for Valentine’s day.

South Philly:
Golosa Chocolate Bar – with chocolates from Pastry chef and chocolatier, Andrea Bianchini, originally from Florence, Italy.
Betty’s Tasty Buttons from Betty’s Speakeasy on Grey’s Ferry.
Termini Brothers
Potito’s Bakery

North/Northeast:
Frankford Candy & Chocolatesjohn and Kira’s

Beyond:
Antoine Amrani – in East Norriton
Eclat Chocolates – in West Chester, also available at Di Bruno Brothers and Fork:etc.

And there’s also Chocolate Covered Potato Chips by Herr’s, which you can get at local stores, but you can also visit the Factory Store in Nottingham Pa. In fact, tonight their having a performance and Christmas light hayrides, and tomorrow they’re giving 20% off last minute gifts in store only!

These simple icebox cookies have rich hazelnut and sweet anise flavors, perfect for the end of a hearty Christmas Dinner. The dough will also last up to a month in the freezer, so you can keep it on hand for for when you need another batch of these delicious treats. Hazelnuts usually have that thin, dark skin, which you can easily rub the skin off with a clean kitchen towel after toasting them. If there are a few bits left, all the more flavor and color it will add! If you’ve gone the freezing route, and are ready to bust them out on Christmas eve, allow the cookie dough to sit at room temperature for about 40 before you begin.

This recipe was featured as part of a feature called Winter Cabin Fever on CHOW.

Ingredients:
1 cup toasted hazelnuts, cooled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 teaspoons anise seed
2 sticks (8 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:
1. Combine hazelnuts and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse about 10 times until nuts are finely ground; then add flour, salt, and anise seed and pulse to combine.
2. Add butter and pulse until dough just comes together, about 1 minute. Divide dough in half and roll each half into a 1-1/2-inch-wide log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour or keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.
3. If baking right away, heat the oven to 350°F and arange a rack in the middle. Once the dough has chilled, slice 1 log into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and place rounds about 1/2 inch apart on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the bottom edges become pale and golden. Repeat with the other log. Cool cookies for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Lebkuchen is usually baked for Christmas in Germany and it is a lot like a soft gingerbread cookie, made with honey or molasses. Before Lebkuchen was perfected there was the “honey cake” of the Egyptians, the Greeks, and the Romans, who believed that honey was a gift of the deities and had magical healing powers. Lebkuchen is full of warm spices, and sometimes candied fruit peel. Apparently, the longer they sit, the better they taste, and these cookies are also great for shipping. Roll them out a little thinner and use a cookie cutter to make your favorite shapes. The glaze on these lebkuchen provides a nice addition of sweetness. For a traditional cookie recipe, we headed toward our dear Martha Stewart (photo from her website as well). The only thing we changed was adding a table spoon of lemon in the icing mixture.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup blanched whole almonds (about 1 3/4 ounces), toasted, plus more untoasted for decorating
1/3 cup blanched hazelnuts (1 1/2 ounces), toasted
1/3 cup diced candied orange peel
1/3 cup diced candied lemon peel
4 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
3 ounces almond paste, crumbled into small pieces
1/3 cup apricot jam
3 large eggs
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

Directions:
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Pulse almonds and hazelnuts in a food processor until very finely chopped. Add candied peels and dates, and pulse until finely chopped. Add almond paste, and pulse to combine. Add jam, and pulse. Add eggs and brown sugar, and pulse. Add flour mixture, and pulse. Transfer dough to an airtight container, and refrigerate overnight (or up to 3 days). Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a 2-inch ice cream scoop ( 1/4 cup), drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing cookies 3 inches apart. Place 3 almonds close together on top of each cookie. Bake until golden brown, about 14 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and milk, and brush over cooled cookies. Let stand until set. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

I love sweet potatoes, so much so that I always wind up buying so many that I can’t eat them all before they go bad. So this has been a wintry recipe I’ve used in years past, and they’re pretty good! Sweet potato cookies are good when they’re just plain too, with no oatmeal or raisins or nuts, but we like the depth that they add.

Tip #1 – Add some ground nutmeg, and clove in addition to the cinnamon if you like them aromatic and spiced for the holidays.
Tip #2 – Sweet potato cookies are also really great with a honey or lemon glaze on top.

Ingredients:
¾ cups Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
½ cups Brown Sugar, Packed
1 whole Egg
1 cup Peeled, Cooked, And Mashed Sweet Potato, Room Temperature
¾ cups All-purpose Flour
¾ cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
½ teaspoons Cinnamon
¼ teaspoons Salt
¾ cups Rolled Oats (not Instant)
1 cup Raisins, Nuts, Chocolate Chips, Or A Combination (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and sweet potato and mix well. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and sweet potato and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and oats. Carefully add to the sweet potato mixture and mix until just combined. If using, add raisins/nuts/chocolate chips, stirring by hand to combine. Form heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined sheets (I use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop.) Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. (3 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 egg yolks
3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup seedless raspberry preserves

Directions:
Beat butter and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Increase speed to medium; beat until light and fluffy. Add yolks one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add flour 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition to combine. Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula; give the dough one last stir. Transfer dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and press it into a 9″ × 11″ rectangle. Cover with more plastic wrap, place on a large plate, and let chill for 1 hour.

Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 325°. Divide chilled dough into 6 pieces. Rewrap 5 pieces individually in plastic wrap and chill. On a lightly floured surface, work the dough piece gently with a rolling pin to warm it slightly. Keeping surface and dough floured, roll dough into a 9″ square. (If dough sticks, gently run a spatula underneath it, to release it.) Using a 3″ round cookie cutter, cut out 9 circles of dough and transfer them to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet about 1″ apart; reserve scraps. Repeat process with remaining chilled dough pieces. Combine leftover scraps into a ball. Reroll dough and continue cutting circles. Using a 1 1/4″ round cookie cutter, cut a hole in the center of half of the circles—these are the tops. Bake all cookies in batches, rotating pans halfway through, until just pale golden, about 15 minutes. Let cookies cool completely.

Put preserves into a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring, over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring, until thickened and reduced by about one-quarter, about 5 minutes. Transfer preserves to a bowl; let cool. Put remaining 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar into a sieve; dust cookie tops. Turn whole cookies upside down—these are the bottoms; spoon about 1/2 tsp. of preserves onto each. Using a small spatula, spread preserves to within 1/8″ of the edges. Cover each with a cookie top. Transfer remaining preserves into a plastic bag and snip the end. Using it like a piping bag, pipe a small amount of preserves into each hole. Serve cookies immediately or store between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes 3 dozen.