Jan Hagel Cookies – Dutch Shortbread
Posted: 03/09/2013 Filed under: cookies, desserts, recipes | Tags: almonds, baking, cookies, Dutch shortbread, Jan Hagel cookies, recipe, shortbread cookies 49 Comments »
Jan Hagel Cookies
I had a huge decision to make today. Take a 3 mile hike on the mountainous trails in the state park near my house or bake cookies. I really wanted to go on the hike. No, really I did. But, it was cold and somewhat blustery. Blustery you say, in Southern California! Since leaving the east coast 32 years ago I’ve become a big wuss, and when the mercury dips below 60 degrees I am forced to stay in the house. Well, not really forced, but it seems like the only sane thing to do. Really, what kind of a crazy person would venture out into such grave weather conditions. So, there you go, baking cookies won out.
So naturally, that takes us to Jan Hagel Cookies (pronounced Yahn Hahgel) . I know, that’s a weird name, right. They’re Dutch cookies so I assume they were named for some Dutch guy who liked to bake. But I could be wrong. If you know where the name came from, please let me know. Anyway, when I was a kid growing up in the olden days, Keebler used to make a Jan Hagel cookie. It was one of my favorite cookies, and my mother always had a bag of them in the cookie drawer. But wouldn’t you know it, Keebler, unbeknownst to me, stopped producing the Jan Hagel cookie.
Well, as it turns out I don’t eat commercially packaged cookies anymore, anyway. It’s probably been twenty years since I had a Jan Hagel, so that’s what Mama baked. They’re just perfect. It’s a cinnamon spiced shortbread topped with sugar and almonds that get all sweet and crunchy when you bake them.
Dutch Shortbread – Jan Hagel Cookies
Jan Hagel Cookies
From Nick Malgieri
Dough
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (I used Vietnamese cinnamon)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 12 pieces
Topping
- small bowl of water and pastry brush for brushing dough
- 1 cup blanched, sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
- With a pastry brush and melted butter, butter the bottom and sides of a 10 x 15-inch jellyroll pan, then line the pan with parchment paper and butter that lightly too.
- Place your oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Put all your dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times to mix. Add the butter and pulse repeatedly until the mixture is reduced to fine crumbs and looks like coarse cornmeal.
- Evenly distribute the dough mixture in the pan and use the palm of your hand to press it evenly and to make it adhere together. I used a drinking glass turned on its side to act as a rolling pin to flatten out the mixture in the pan. Paint the dough with water and evenly scatter the almond, sugar, cinnamon mixture over the dough, gently pressing it in to make it adhere to the dough.
- Bake the cookies for about 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden in color and the cookies are firm.
- When the cookies are done, take them out of the oven and cut them immediately before they harden. I used a ruler to measure where to score the cookies. I chose to cut them into 1 1/2″ x 3″ bars. I used a large metal spatula to cut into the cookies, but a serrated knife will work fine also.
- When the cookies are sliced, you can place them on a rack to cool.
Makes 30 – 1 1/2″ x 3″ cookies
Jan Hagel Cookies – Dutch Shortbread
Mama’s Tips:
Slice the cookies immediately after taking them out of the oven as the dough will quickly harden making them too hard to cut.
Jan Hagel Cookies
Recipe: Easy
Orange Cardamom Shortbread Sweet-Hearts
Posted: 02/11/2012 Filed under: cookies, recipes | Tags: baking, cookies, orange cardamom shortbread, recipe, shortbread cookies, Valentine cookies 21 Comments »
Valentine’s Day is all about the Love, and I love cookies. I was recently contacted by Ogilvy Public Relations and asked if I would like to participate in a campaign for their client the American Chemistry Council. They had asked four bloggers to submit their favorite Valentine’s recipe for the campaign. As part of the project, ACC would send me an array of their plastic baking products such as mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, storage containers and silicone baking pans, (three big cartons full).
My recipe and photos are currently on their website for their “Plastics Makes It Possible” campaign, and you can view it right here. I was very honored that they chose to feature me, and was delighted to use the products that they sent me, as they really did enhance the baking process.
So, with Valentine’s Day being just a few days away, I hope you’ll try these shortbread cookies for your sweet-heart. The combination of fresh orange zest, cardamom and bittersweet chocolate is delish, and I put them on a stick…just because it’s fun! The first time I made these cookies, I dipped them in melted Nestle’s bittersweet morsels and I just couldn’t get the chocolate to the right consistency. I tried them again with Scharffen Berger Bitterweet Chocolate Baking Bar and the consistency was perfect, as was the taste. The better chocolate was twice the price of the morsels, but the appearance and taste of the Scharffen Berger was twice as good.
Bake some LOVE today!
Roll the cookies thick enough if you choose to insert the sticks
Orange Cardamom Shortbread Sweet-Hearts
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- zest of 2 oranges
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 2 teaspoons vegetable shortening
- paper lollipop sticks from craft store
- heart-shaped decorations
Directions
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, salt and ground cardamom, and whisk to incorporate all the ingredients. Set this bowl aside.
- Slice the butter into 1″ pieces and let it sit out until room temperature. Do not microwave. Using the paddle attachment on the electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the sugar to the butter, beating for several minutes to incorporate. Then add the vanilla and continue to beat a minute longer. With the mixer on low-medium speed, add the orange zest.
- With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the flour mixture just until incorporated and a dough begins to form.
- Take the dough out of the mixer bowl and press dough into a rectangular shape. Flatten out the rectangle with your rolling-pin and then wrap in plastic wrap for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- When dough is chilled, roll out dough turning the dough 1/4 turn to achieve consistent thickness of the dough. Using cookie cutter, cut heart shapes. Cookies should be on the thicker side so that the sticks can be inserted into cookie.
- Gently maneuver the sticks into the cookies. If the stick pops through in the back, patch with a piece of scrap dough. Chill cookies for 20 minutes
- Prepare cookies sheets with parchment paper. Bake cookies 9-11 minutes, or until edges turn lightly brown.
- Let cookies cool on sheets for 10 minutes, then place cookies on cooling rack.
- When cookies are completely cooled, gently melt chocolate over a double boiler, or in the microwave. Add the vegetable shortening and stir until dissolved.
- Dip cookies half way into melted chocolate and then place cookies on parchment covered sheets until chocolate is set.
- Decorate with chopped nuts, sprinkles of other garnish while chocolate is still wet.
Makes 24 cookies
