Festive Cookie Delights: A Twisted Tale of Sugar Plum and Coffee Flavors
As the holiday season approaches, many of us are on the lookout for delicious treats to brighten up our festivities. One such confectionery delight is inspired by The Nutcracker's whimsical Land of Sweets sequence, where coffee and sugar plums come together in a harmonious union. In this recipe, Brian Levy has created a mouthwatering cookie that embodies these two flavors.
The twist? The addition of amarena cherries, which serve as the embodiment of "sugar plum" in this context. These tart cherries add a welcome acidity to balance out the richness of buttery dough and the bitterness of coffee powder. Oat flour also plays a crucial role, lending a subtle shortbread-like quality that complements the cookie's texture.
To bring these flavors together, Levy begins by creaming butter, sugar, instant coffee, cocoa powder, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt in a stand mixer until it reaches a smooth consistency. The addition of both flours ensures no dry flour remains, but overmixing can result in a tough cookie – a delicate balance.
Once the dough is chilled for at least 30 minutes (and up to 48 hours), Levy shapes it into balls and presses an index finger into each center to create craters for the cherries. The cookies are then coated with turbinado sugar, or alternative decorating sugars, before baking in the oven at 190C (375F) for approximately 13-14 minutes.
The result is a delicate cookie that invites the sweetness of the cherry and the richness of buttery dough to coexist. It's a testament to Levy's skillful hands as a baker and a true holiday delight.
With these cookies, you can indulge in a whimsical world reminiscent of The Nutcracker's Land of Sweets – where sugar plum and coffee flavors come together in perfect harmony.
As the holiday season approaches, many of us are on the lookout for delicious treats to brighten up our festivities. One such confectionery delight is inspired by The Nutcracker's whimsical Land of Sweets sequence, where coffee and sugar plums come together in a harmonious union. In this recipe, Brian Levy has created a mouthwatering cookie that embodies these two flavors.
The twist? The addition of amarena cherries, which serve as the embodiment of "sugar plum" in this context. These tart cherries add a welcome acidity to balance out the richness of buttery dough and the bitterness of coffee powder. Oat flour also plays a crucial role, lending a subtle shortbread-like quality that complements the cookie's texture.
To bring these flavors together, Levy begins by creaming butter, sugar, instant coffee, cocoa powder, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt in a stand mixer until it reaches a smooth consistency. The addition of both flours ensures no dry flour remains, but overmixing can result in a tough cookie – a delicate balance.
Once the dough is chilled for at least 30 minutes (and up to 48 hours), Levy shapes it into balls and presses an index finger into each center to create craters for the cherries. The cookies are then coated with turbinado sugar, or alternative decorating sugars, before baking in the oven at 190C (375F) for approximately 13-14 minutes.
The result is a delicate cookie that invites the sweetness of the cherry and the richness of buttery dough to coexist. It's a testament to Levy's skillful hands as a baker and a true holiday delight.
With these cookies, you can indulge in a whimsical world reminiscent of The Nutcracker's Land of Sweets – where sugar plum and coffee flavors come together in perfect harmony.
. like, what's next? special edition cookie mix with built-in guilt trips 
. and don't even get me started on those amarena cherries... just an excuse to buy more expensive stuff 
. and of course, overmixing = tough cookies 
... just another thing for us to mess up 
.
they got this twisted tale of sugar plum & coffee flavors goin on and it sounds like a match made in heaven! I mean, who wouldn't wanna indulge in a world reminiscent of the nutcracker's land of sweets? 
the combination of sugar plums and coffee is literally genius what if they added some espresso beans to give it an extra boost 
and those amarena cherries are like the cherry on top (pun intended) 
anyway i think its awesome that someone took inspiration from The Nutcracker and created something so delicious
It's like they're performin' in a little flavor symphony - cherry solo, followed by coffee riffs, all harmonizin' together. The use of oat flour is genius too, it gives these cookies this amazing shortbread vibe! Can't wait to try 'em out myself... might have to whip up a batch (or three) for the holiday season 
. And what's up with using amarena cherries? Don't get me wrong, they're tasty and all, but come on, we already have enough tartness in life 
. I'd rather stick with classic flavors that don't try to be something they're not 
. Give me a good ol' sugar cookie any day of the week 
. This festive cookie business is just too much, if you ask me 
.