5 Star Cookies
Matthias Schuebel
Copyright Matthias Schuebel 2010
Published by Matthias Schuebel Publishing at Smashwords
Introduction
To make fabulous cookies and mini sweet pastries it is essential that the basics are thoroughly understand. Pastry work, more that any other aspect of cooking, demands close attention to detail for the best results. Flaws and mistakes are more difficult to hide and is often impossible to correct if the basics are faulty in the first place. The recipes in the following chapter form the foundation for more elaborate creations; it is a comprehensive list of basic recipes covering a variety of fundamental preparations. By working through them you will have an indispensable resource form which to draw when making more elaborate creations. Take command of these preparations and work with your imagination and skill and experience the wonderful and exciting world of fine tea biscuits and mini sweet pastries.
A few machines and utensils
The equipment of a cookies maker should be adapted and efficient enable the user to work in a precise and effective way. Here are the most important ones:
~ small beater : for kneading the dough , beating egg whites, butter . etc
~ small liquidizer : for grinding , refining or mixing different ingredients
~ fluted rolling pin : to flute different dough
~ model for tuiles : to shape the tuiles
~ silicon sheet ‘silpat’ : non-stick sheet, can be replaced by baking parchment
~ stainless steel or P.V.C bars or rulers of 2,5 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm and 10 mm
thickness, to roll out the doughs to the desired thickness
~ piping bags : to arrange, fill or decorate different mixtures or thin dough
~ assortment of plain and fluted nozzles
~ assortment of round, plain and fluted pastry cutters
~ containers for storage of the petits fours, preferably letting in no light or humidity
~ P.V.C tuiles chablon round type ( 40 mm meter, 1,5 mm stick) to spread different
tuiles and mixtures
~ silicon petit fours chablon, oval, square or heart type, 3 mm thick to spread different
dough
storage of cookies
~ the dry petits fours ( tuile, butter cookies or duchesse) should be kept in an air-tight
container or vacuum packed, away from light and at 17-19.
The shelf –life of these products is 2 to 3 weeks in an air-tight container and 6 to 8
weeks if vacuum-packed.
~ do not keep both kinds together in the same container or pack as the dry petits
fours would lose their crunchiness and the time-soft ones on the other hand would
harden.
~ the soft petits fours cookies (macaron) should be kept in an air-tight container or
vacuum packed with reinjection of inert gaz and can be frozen (preferably deep-
frozen) the thawing should be slow and in stages:
~ 1 st stage : keep for 12 hour at 3C
~ 2nd stage : keep for 12 hours at 16 to 18 C
~ 3rd stage : open air tight containers and leave the petits fours to stand for 2 to 3
hours before use
Do not keep for more than two months in freezer
A few Tips and raw material advices
~ the cookies/ petits fours need care and attention which is why I find them so
interesting. The choise of the raw material is every important. The taste, texture and
satisfaction of the gourment depents on them. How should one choose the raw
materials? It is important to
note the place or origin, the date of manufacture and then to select them using your
eyes, nose and month. Take your time when shopping and don’t hesitate to try out
different makers and places of origin until completely satisfied. Choose different
textures of powdered nuts depending on the type of dough you need : aerated,
compact, crisp, thin etc… the finer the powder the more absorbent it will be but also
runs a risk of being too compact. Using simple laws of physics, estimate yourself
which product is best for each recipe.
~ use wheat flour low in gluten, type 55, as gluten proteins when in contact with water
become elastic and hard. A long kneading would coagulate the proteins and result in
a very hard dough. The eggs should be fresh, left at room temperature for
24 hrs before use, so as to obtain the best results when beaten.
~ the baking of the cookies/ petits fours is tricky and your whole attention. The baking
time is short and the slightest moment of inattention would be fatal. When baking
chocolate / cookie / petits fours, bake a recipe of the same type at the same so that
you can base the cooking time on the non chocolate ones
Butter Cookies
CHOCOLATE DIAMANT *
PORTION: about 90 pcs
INGREDIENTS
400 gm butter
160 gm icing sugar
50 gm egg
400 gm flour
50 gm cocoa powder
pinch of white pepper
METHOD
1) Mix the room temperature butter, icing sugar and eggs.
2) Sift together flour, cocoa powder and pepper and add.
Mix gently so as not to give too much body to dough.
3) Shape into rolls (200g, 40cm long).Leave to stand in
Refrigerator (3-6 Deg c) for 12 hours.
4) Brush with egg yolk and roll in granulated sugar, chill
briefly, then using a knife, slice off 1.5cm thick
Diamonds put on baking parchment.
5) Bake at 175c about 15 min depending on oven.
SABLE ALMONDS ORANGE *
PORTION: about 110 pcs
INGREDIENTS
300 gm butter
75 gm honey
1pc orange skin
150 gm icing sugar
150 gm ground almonds
90 gm egg yolks
410 gm flour
Pinch of salt
METHOD
1) Mix icing sugar, honey, ground almond, orange skin, salt and egg yolks with
the room temperature butter.
2) Add sifted flour. Mix gently so as not to give too much body
to the dough.
3) Roll out dough to thickness of 4 mm, then using a fluted rolling-
pin, flatten to 2.5 mm. Chill then cut out, using round fluted pastry
Cutter (40mm diameter).
4) Put the sables on baking parchment, leave to stand in refrigerator
(3-6 degree) for at least 6 hours.
5) Bake at 180 C until slightly colored.
CHOCOLATE NUT SQUARE *
PORTION: about 120 pcs
INGREDIENTS
270 gm unsalted butter
300 gm icing sugar
55 gm eggs
220 gm finely chopped walnuts
110 gm finely chopped pistachios
powdered cinnamon to taste
220 gm flour
55 gm powdered cocoa
METHOD
1) Mix the room temperature butters, icing sugar, eggs, cinnamon,
walnuts and pistachios.
2) Sift flour and powdered cocoa and add. Mix gently so as not to
give too much body to dough.
3) Roll out dough to thickness of 30 mm in special frame (12/30cm)
4) Chill then, using a knife cut into 30 mm strips.
5) Leave to stand in refrigerator (3-6 deg c) for 48 hours.
6) Using knife or guitar, slice off cookie (7.5mm thick), bake at 180 C
until colored 10-12 min on baking parchment.
SABLE BUTTER VANILLA
PORTION: about 110 pcs
INGREDIENTS
400 gm butter
160 gm icing sugar
40 gm egg yolks
1 pcs vanilla pod
450 gm flour
METHOD
1) Mix the room temperature butter, icing sugar, scraped-out
vanilla pod and eggs yolks.
2) Add sifted flour. Mix gently so as not give too much body