I'm no expert, but among my friends in southern Burgundy I am known as the "Le Cookie Queen". It's an American thing, we like to make cookies. I'm forever bringing them to parties and potlucks.
So, Merry Christmas y'all, and it's time to make cookies! This year the Christmas rush seems to have come early, at least chez nous, so we are offering up a quick Christmas cookie recipe.
There are French cookies loosely associated with Christmas, but the French don't have a strong Christmas cookie tradition like we do. We could make some fancy French macarons, or madelines, or palmiers, if we had the time and the skill. But folks, we've got presents to wrap and trees to decorate. Let's save those for a cold January day when we have time on our hands. I've got an easier fix for you.
But first, a French cookie vocabulary lesson. Hang on to your chapeau, it's a bit of a journey.
un biscuit: this is NOT a biscuit as we know it. It is a cookie, but also can be a cracker; sweet or savory.
un gâteau: for some reason they often use this word for cookie as well, even though it also refers to what we would call a cake.
(And speaking of that, the french word cake, is what we would call a quick bread, cooked in a loaf pan, and is often savory. Here is my recipe for Smoked Salmon Cake.)
un cookie: the French use this American word for cookie sometimes as well.
un sablé: a butter/shortbread French cookie, often almond flavored. Theirs are a little thicker than our sugar cookies, and usually large and round with fluted edges. They are not overly sweet, and not iced. And very delicious! You will see them in patisseries and boulangeries. They sometimes have mini-chocolate chips in them, and pass for the French version of a chocolate chip cookie. (I posted about sablés the last holiday season). Sometimes these are called galettes, but that gets into regional and linguistic differences that are way too lengthy for this blog.
So, now that we've got that straight, let's get cooking.
If I'm in a hurry and want to make some fabulous cookies, I make these 5-ingredient ones, from a recipe I got off the Baker's chocolate package a few decades ago. Since they have little red hats on them, we are going to call them Christmas cookies. (The French make wonderful coconut macaroons, which they call rochers à la noix de coco, but I've never seen chocolate ones). You are going to thank me if you serve these to guests, they are quite special and they take all of 20 minutes to make, and half of that time you can spend reading your book. Joyeux Noel to all, and I hope you'll get into your kitchen with some good Christmas music and your beloveds, and share the cookie-making love!
RECIPE: Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
NOTE: It's hard to find sweetened coconut in France. Unsweetened works fine, but you might want to change the chocolate to semi-sweet.
Pre-heat oven to 350
Ingredients:
1 can condensed milk, 14 oz. (395 grams)
3 oz (85 gr) unsweetened chocolate
1/4 t. salt
8 oz. (225 gr) shredded sweetened coconut
maraschino cherries. about 6, cut into quarters
Put condensed milk, chocolate, and salt in the top of a double boiler or stainless steel bowl, over low heat. Stir occasionally, until chocolate is fully melted. Remove from heat and stir in coconut until you can no longer see any white. Spoon mixture onto a baking sheet (with Silpat or parchment paper), about 1 tablespoon per cookie. Top each with a piece of cherry. Bake for 10 minutes. You may be tempted to bake them longer; you should resist. Remove to a rack to cool. Makes 2 dozen.
In the COMMENTS: Christine, wow, a month in Europe! Hope you’ll get to Beaune sometime. Pete, Scotlands loss is our gain.The fact that you like haggis is no surprise to me. You are quite the adventurous eater. And if you didn’t like the bridle cakes, no way I am going there. Joan, thank you for straightening me out on the chip butty. A French fry sandwich? Oh my Lord. These folks are serious about their carbs. Zandra, outdoor cafés are the best, I wish we had more of them in the States. Sounds like you are in a good spot.
Favorite READS: Vicky likes Lessons in Chemistry, which some of my friends are reading. I think it’s now a TV series too. Natalia recommends the Flowers of Provence by Jamie Beck, as a relaxing and beautiful escape from the world, which we all need right now. I am in still re-reading Mary Stewart. Try Thunder on the Right for one that is set in southwestern France, and her descriptions will take you there.
