Bring on the holiday baking
Talking to the experts about their favourite family recipes
Gingerbread, shortbread, even love-it-or-hate-it Christmas cake — we all have a repertoire of tried and true holiday recipes. But what does a top culinary pro crave when school’s out for the holidays?
We recently chatted with Bonnie Gordon, founding director of the famous Bonnie Gordon College of Confectionary Arts, and two of her top profs — chefs Julie Montgomery and Michael Smith — to talk about traditional treats, as well as ideas for new twists on old family favourites.
Bonnie Gordon: The holidays always remind me of my grandmother. My earliest memories of food revolved around her, spending all my free time with her in her kitchen. She taught me how to make “munn” cookies, which is a Yiddish poppyseed cookie. The name comes from the German word for poppy — mohn — and making them together was a beloved ritual. My grandmother had one special glass that was the perfect size — a dedicated cookie cutter was an extravagance! — and we spent hours rolling out dough. My job was to carefully cut out the small rounds. The holidays were not complete without them. And, even though Hanukkah was not that important a holiday growing up — it’s become more so in recent years — for us then, it meant fried potato latkes, a little Hanukkah gelt (coins) and some dreidel spinning!
Julie Montgomery: My very first job as head pastry chef was at a little restaurant in Toronto called The Corner House. The chef-owner, Herbert Barnsteiner, was Bavarian and had an absolute passion for pastry and baking that had been instilled in him by his mother. Determined to pass that on to his own family, he started a tradition of Christmas baking day with his wife and two sons. I was lucky enough to become part of this tradition with them, spending many happy hours baking delicious, homey and traditional holiday cookies and sweets. Two of my holiday must-haves are from him: vanilla kipferl cookies and apple strudel. My third pick is all mine: sticky toffee pudding. It’s pure comfort!
Michael Smith: At the holidays, everything my family enjoys are old-school British — steamed puddings, shortbread, mincemeat pies — perhaps a bit too old-fashioned for bakers today, but I’ve got to have them! One of these is my mom’s shortbread. The recipe has always been a staple of Christmas baking for Mom, and it has a unique flavour that comes from an odd technique of toasting the flour, which gives the shortbread a wonderful hazelnut-like flavour and aroma. Any inclusions can be added to your shortbread, but I’m especially fond of the addition of some good-quality dark chocolate and pecans.
Bonnie’s Grandmother’s Munn Cookies
Makes: about 50 cookies depending on thickness 1 cup (250 mL) sugar 1/2 cup (125 mL) butter 2 free-run eggs Zest and juice of 2 lemons, (separated) 4 oz (114 g) butter 1/3 cup (80 mL) poppy seeds (fresh)
2 cups less 2 tbsp (455 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder
Cream sugar with lemon zest together until sugar turns a pale yellow from the oils in zest. Add butter and cream until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and mix well. Add lemon juice and poppy seeds.
Sift dry ingredients and add in. Mix just to combine. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes. Remove from fridge and roll out to 1/8-inch (3-mm), thickness), and cut into circles (you can use a cookie cutter). Place cut cookies on a prepared baking sheet and chill dough again for 20 minutes. Bake in preheated 350 F (175 C) oven for 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
Julie’s Vanilla Kipferl Cookies
Makes: about 40 cookies
1¼ cups (310 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup less 3 tbsp (205 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup (125 mL) white sugar 1/2 cup (125 mL) ground almonds 2 free-run egg yolks Vanilla sugar (see recipe)
Sift all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add butter to this, with egg yolks, and mix by hand just until ingredients are well combined and dough comes together. Refrigerate dough overnight. Roll dough into small crescent shapes and bake at 325 F (160 C), just until golden brown (about 10 to 12 minutes).
Meanwhile, pour vanilla sugar onto a small clean baking tray. Let cookies cool only slightly (1 minute or so), and turn each one upside down on vanilla sugar. Sugar will stick to cookies as long as they are still slightly warm. Vanilla Sugar 2 cups (500 mL) white sugar 3 vanilla pods, scraped
Place white sugar in bowl. Cut a slice into each vanilla bean; use small paring knife to scrape seeds out of bean. Put seeds into sugar and mix thoroughly into sugar by hand. Reserve.
Michael’s Mom’s Shortbread
Makes: about 2 dozen cookies 2½ cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour 2 cups (500 mL) butter, soft 1 cup (250 mL) white sugar ¾ tsp (4 mL) salt 1 cup (250 mL) rice flour or potato starch Optional: 8 oz (226 g) good quality dark chocolate, cut in chunks
1/3 cup (80 mL) pecans, roughly chopped
Preheat broiler to high heat. On an unlined baking sheet, spread 1½ cups flour into an even layer. Place 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm) below broiler. With oven door open, toast flour under broiler, turning flour often with metal or wooden spatula.
This should take about 5 to 7 minutes; don’t let flour get too dark — only a light brown. Be very careful: flour can easily burn! Let cool completely.In mixing bowl, cream together soft butter and sugar until very light. In a separate bowl, sift together remaining flour, toasted flour, rice flour and salt.
Add to butter; gently mix until everything comes together in a soft dough. Stir through inclusions, if desired. Chill for 1 hour before baking (dough can also be frozen for later).
Preheat oven to 275 F (135 C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. When ready to bake, scoop cookies using a 1- or 2-oz (28- or 58-g), scoop, or roll into 1¼-inch (3-cm), balls. Place onto parchment-lined trays and flatten slightly. Bake for about 35 to 45 minutes or until lightly golden around edges. Let cool completely before serving. Cookies keep about 1 week in an airtight container, or can be frozen airtight for several weeks.