Spoon dough out at a diagonal (corner to
corner) onto a parchment paper–lined
rimmed baking sheet. Using wet hands,
shape dough into a 14- x 7-inch loaf. (Loaf
will spread considerably while baking; cen-
ter on baking sheet as much as possible.)
- Bake in preheated oven until loaf is
lightly browned and set, 24 to 26 minutes.
Let loaf cool on baking sheet 5 minutes.
Using a serrated knife, cut loaf crosswise
into^1 / 2 -inch-thick slices. Transfer slices,
cut sides down, to 2 parchment paper–
lined baking sheets. Bake slices at 350°F
until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. - Stir together remaining^1 / 2 cup sugar
and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
Sprinkle about^1 / 4 teaspoon cinnamon-
sugar over each hot mandel bread slice.
Transfer slices to a wire rack, and let cool
completely, about 1 hour. —MOLLIE KABO
MAKE AHEAD Mandel bread can be stored
in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Triple Chocolate–Peppermint
Cookies
PHOTO P. 115
ACTIVE 45 MIN; TOTAL 2 HR, PLUS 4 HR
CHILLING; MAKES 24
The peppermint bark in these cookies
from Big Fat Cookies in Chicago is simple
to make and adds a festive pop of color
and flavor in each cookie, though store-
bought bark will work well here, too.
PEPPERMINT BARK
5 peppermint candy canes (about 2^1 / 2
oz.)
15 red and white peppermint
chocolate kisses (such as Hershey’s
Kisses) (about 2^1 /^2 oz.)
3 (4-oz.) white chocolate baking bars,
chopped
Pink food coloring gel
COOKIES
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
(about 21^1 /^4 oz.)
(^1) / 2 cup red Dutch-process
unsweetened cocoa (such as
Guittard Cocoa Rouge)
(^1) / (^2) cup Dutch-process cocoa blend
(such as Hershey’s Special Dark)
(^1) / 2 cup crushed chocolate wafer
cookies (2 oz.)
2 tsp. baking powder
11 / 2 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups unsalted butter (16 oz.),
chilled and cut into^1 / 2 -inch pieces
3 cups granulated sugar
4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips,
melted and cooled
4 large eggs
1 (12-oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate
chips
- Make the peppermint bark: Pulse
candy canes and chocolate kisses in a
food processor until finely chopped, 10 to
14 times. Set aside. Bring 1 inch of water
to a simmer in a medium saucepan over
medium. Place chopped white chocolate
in a medium heatproof bowl, and place
over simmering water, ensuring base of
bowl does not touch water. Heat, stirring
often, until chocolate is melted and
smooth, about 6 minutes. - Remove from heat; stir in candy cane
mixture and 1 drop of food coloring gel
until incorporated. Pour chocolate mix-
ture onto a parchment paper–lined baking
sheet; spread into a 12- x 10-inch rectan-
gle. Freeze, uncovered, until firm and set,
about 2 hours. Break or cut bark into^1 / 2 -
inch pieces. Store in an airtight container
in freezer until ready to use, up to 1 week. - Make the cookies: Stir together flour,
red Dutch-process cocoa, cocoa blend,
crushed wafer cookies, baking powder,
and salt in a large bowl; set aside. - Add butter and sugar to bowl of a
heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with a pad-
dle attachment. Beat on medium speed
until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add
melted semisweet chocolate, and beat
until combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time,
beating until well combined after each
addition. With mixer running on low
speed, gradually add flour mixture, beat-
ing until just incorporated. Stir in choco-
late chips. Wrap dough tightly in plastic
wrap, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or
up to 3 days. - Preheat oven to 375°F. Using your
hands, roll dough into 24 balls (about 3
ounces each). Place 6 dough balls 2
inches apart on a parchment paper–lined
baking sheet (keeping remaining dough
balls chilled). Bake in preheated oven until
cookies are set but still soft, 12 to 16 min-
utes. Remove from oven, and immediately
top cookies with 6 to 8 peppermint bark
pieces, slightly inserting edges of bark
into warm cookies to hold in place. Let
cookies cool on baking sheet 5 minutes.
Serve warm, or transfer to a cooling rack
to let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Repeat with remaining cookie dough balls
and peppermint bark. —LINDA LEVINSON
FRIEND
MAKE AHEAD Peppermint bark may be
frozen for up to 1 week. Freeze any
remaining dough balls for up to 6 months
in an airtight container, or freeze baked
cookies in an airtight container and
reheat in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes.
AT MY TABLE
Lemon-Tahini Cookies
PHOTO P. 132
ACTIVE 30 MIN; TOTAL 2 HR 30 MIN
MAKES ABOUT 30 COOKIESFor the crispiest cookies, be sure to chill
the dough; it helps reduce spreading dur-
ing baking and concentrates the flavor by
allowing the dough to dry slightly.(^3) / 4 cup unsalted butter (6 oz.),
softened
(^3) / 4 cup granulated sugar
(^1) / 2 cup well-stirred smooth tahini
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. lemon zest plus 2 tsp. fresh
lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 8^1 / 2
oz.)
1 tsp. kosher salt
(^1) / 2 cup cacao nibs (optional)
(^1) / 3 cup black sesame seeds
(^1) / 3 cup white sesame seeds
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment
paper. Beat butter, sugar, and tahini in a
medium bowl with a hand mixer on
medium-high speed until light and fluffy,
3 to 5 minutes. Add egg, lemon zest and
juice, and vanilla; beat until combined,
about 1 minute, scraping down sides of
bowl as needed. With mixer running on
low speed, gradually add flour and salt;
beat until dough comes together. If using,
fold in cacao nibs until combined. - Divide dough in half; place each half on
a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic
wrap over to cover dough, and, using your
hands, roll each into a smooth log 1 inch in
diameter. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1
hour and 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. - Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine ses-
ame seeds on a small sheet pan or flat
plate. Remove dough logs from plastic
wrap, and roll in sesame seeds, pressing
firmly so seeds adhere evenly. Slice dough
logs into^1 / 4 -inch-thick rounds. Place 1 inch
apart on prepared baking sheets. - Bake cookies in preheated oven until
golden around edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Let
cool on baking sheets 5 minutes; transfer
to a wire rack, and let cool completely,
about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight con-
tainer at room temperature up to 5 days.
—GAIL SIMMONS
MAKE AHEAD Dough can be made and
frozen up to 3 weeks ahead. Let thaw 30
minutes before rolling in sesame seeds.