12 Weeks of of Christmas Cookies - #1

I guess most of you are thinking I'm a bit off, starting Christmas baking this early ^__^, but I actually jumped at the idea when I read about this baking group, on Abby's Sweets.

If you like the idea of baking cookies at Christmas as much as I do, then I'm sure you'll love this idea, too.
I'm really excited to see what everyone else (and there are almost 30 people baking) will bring on their trays over the next 12 weeks.
I already have about 20 cookie recipes posted on my blog.
And I love(d) each and every one of them. But at the same time I'm always excited to try something new and different.
These simple but so cute cookies, that melt in your mouth (seriously, you don't even need your teeth for these ^__^), have been a great success with everyone in my family.
So get yourself comfortable, a cup of warm tea in one hand, and a couple of these delicate little rings in the other, while waiting for our next appointment with Chrismas baking, next Friday. I do have a recipe for most scrumptious chocolate and raspberry squares you'll love and crave from the very first bite, coming next. Be patient ;))) Happy baking, everyone.



Black and white cookie rings


300 g flour
250 g butter
100 g powdered sugar
1 medium size egg yolk
zest of 1/2 lemon
20 g bitter cocoa powder

Sift or whisk together the flour and the powdered sugar.
Add the finely grated lemon zest and the cold butter (chopped). Rub the butter into the flour or use a pastry cutter until you have rough dough crumbs.
Add the egg yolk and bring everything together to form a compact and soft dough. If necessary (in case the dough is too sticky), add a TBspoon or two of flour, but don't make it too dry or it will be breaking later when forming the rings.
Divide the dough in two equal parts and the cocoa powder in one, kneading it well until the colour is all homogenous.
Divide each half of dough into small parts (possibly same size).
Take one dark and one light piece of the dough, roll each one into a thin rope, about 8-10 cm long and 5 mm thick. Twist them toghether and join the two ends to form a ring. Do all this very delicately or the tiny and delicate ropes will break :-))





Place the rings on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
Bake the cookies in an oven preheated to 175°C for about 15 minutes or until you notice they are slightly golden.
Let them cool a minute or two on the baking sheet and then move them on a cooling rack to cool completely.



Once they are cold, store them in an airtight container.



Anellini bicolore


300 g di farina
250 g di burro freddo
100 g di zucchero a velo
1 tuorlo medio (biologico o da allevamento a terra)
1/2 limone (la scorza grattugiata
20 g di cacao amaro


Setacciate o mescolate con una frusta la farina con lo zucchero a velo. Aggiungete la scorza grattugiata di limone e il burro freddo a tocchetti. Strofinate con le punte delle dita fino a ottenere delle briciole. Unite il tuorlo e impastate velocemente. Se la pasta è troppo appiccicosa, aggiungete uno o due cucchiai di farina, ma attenti che non diventi troppo asciutta, deve comunque essere morbida.
Dividete la pasta in due parti uguali, e aggiungete il cacao in una. Mescolate bene fino a ottenere il colore uniforme.
Dividete tutti e due impasti in piccole parti, possibilmente di dimensioni uguali.
Prendete un pezzettino chiaro e uno scuro. Formate un piccolo bastoncino con ciascuno, lungo 8-10 cm e di diametro 5mm,  e arrotolateli insieme. Unite i due estremi per formare un anello/ciambellina.
Mettete i biscotti sulla placca da forno coperta da carta da forno e cuoceteli nel forno già caldo a 175°C per circa 15 minuti, o fino a quando cominciano a essere dorati.
Lasciateli raffreddare un minuto o due sulla placca, e poi trasferiteli su una griglia e lasciateli raffreddare completamente. Conservateli in un contenitore a chiusura ermetica.
Attenzione: spariscono molto in fretta, occhio ai topi in cucina ^__^




Dvobojni prstenčići


300 g brašna
250 g maslaca
100 g šećera u prahu
1 žumanjak
1/2 limuna (naribana korica)
20 g kakaa


Prosijte brašno sa šećerom u prahu, dodajte sitno naribanu koricu limuna i hladan maslac narezan na listiće. Trljajte vršcima prstiju da dobijete mrvice. Dodajte žumanjak i zamijesite tijesto. Po potrebi dodajte još žlicu ili dvije brašna, ako je tijesto ljepljivo.
Podijelite tijesto na dva dijela i u jedan dodajte kakao. Izmijesite ga koliko je potrebno da se ujednači.
Uzimajte po komadić svijetlog i komadić tamnog tijesta. Dlanovima ih zarolajte na malo pobrašnjenoj površini da dobijete dvije rolnice duge 8-10 cm debljine oko 5 mm. Uvijte ih jednu oko druge i spojite krajeve da dobijete prsten.
Stavljajte oblikovane kekse na pleh obložen papirom za pečenje. Pecite ih u pećnici zagrijanoj na 175°C oko 15 minuta. Ostavite ih par minuta na plehu pa tek onda izvadite i ostavite da se ohlade.
Najbolje ih je čuvati u metalnoj kutiji.




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Let's see what everyone else has baked...