Holiday Cookie Recipes from Temecula Chilled: Festive Treats to Sweeten Your Season

Ingredients (Gluten-Free Cinnamon Shortbread):

• 3/4 stick + 1 tablespoon salted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon gluten-free flour blend (we use Bob's Red Mill) 
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of sea salt (optional)

Ingredients (Cinnamon Sugar):

• 3/8 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Instructions:

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, preheat the oven to 350ºF, line a large baking sheet with parchment (baking) paper.  
2. In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, mix together the softened butter, sugar and vanilla until combined. Don’t cream the butter – just stir it all together until you get equivalent mixture. 
3. Sift together the gluten-free flour blend, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt (if you like extra) add to the butter-sugar mixture.  
4. Mix well until combined, it will be quite crumbly, which is what you want. 
5. Knead the dough by hand until it comes together- shaping a ball – this may take up to 5 minutes,  the dough will come together eventually.  
6. Roll out the cookie dough between two sheets of baking/grease-proof paper to a thickness of about 5-7mm, dependent on how thick you like them. 
7. Once you’ve rolled out the dough to desired thickness- using a cookie cutter, cut out your cookies!   
8. Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 16-18 minutes until light golden brown. 
9. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. 
    

Tip: Rolling out cookie dough between two sheets of baking/grease-proof/parchment paper prevents it from cracking during rolling. It also eliminates the need for dusting your work surface with extra flour, as you don't want to incorporate more flour into the cookie dough. 

Tip: Be gentle, they are fairly fragile. 
 

Espresso Ganache

150ml double cream 

50g espresso beans 

250g milk chocolate, chopped 

1. Heat espresso and cream to just below a boiling point.   
2. Place chocolate in a bowl, then pour hot cream-espresso mixture through a sieve over the chocolate.  Discard the beans and leave the chocolate to melt for 3 minutes, then stir to a smooth ganache.   
3. Leave to cook until firm, then transfer to the piping bag fitted with a 1.5cc plain nozzle.

Classic Italian Meringue
1 cup sugar (7 ounces; 200g) 

1/2 cup water 

4 large egg whites, at room temperature 

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Juice from 1 lemon 

1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. 
2. Heat over high heat, stirring only until it comes to a boil.  
3. Once it reaches a boil, stop stirring.  
4. Cook until sugar syrup registers 240°F (115°C) on an instant-read or candy thermometer.  
5. Brush down sides of pot as necessary with a pastry brush dipped in water. Hot sugar is just as dangerous as fryer oil, so use caution!
6. Meanwhile, combine egg whites and cream of tartar or lemon juice in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. 
7. Set mixer to medium speed and mix until soft peaks form (when lifted, the head of the mixer should form gentle peaks in the egg whites that very slowly collapse back into themselves), about 2 minutes. 
8. With the mixer running, carefully and slowly drizzle in hot sugar syrup. Increase speed to high and whip until desired stiffness is achieved.  
9. Soft peaks are often used to aerate mousses, for example, while a stiff peak is best for buttercream.