Orange Clove Snickerdoodles

Another use for orange sugar, these cookies are a new spin on the original cinnamon sugar snack. Using orange sugar and cloves gives this recipe and entirely new zest of flavor. 

I'm happy to say that this morning Gourmet's Live Blog linked to my orange sugar cubes! I'm happy to see them get a little credit, and to get to use them in more and more recipes.

Today I present to you the orange clove snickerdoodle! My latest little creation! I had my roommates do a taste test because cloves are such a tricky little ingredient. I swear just one itty bitty molecule too much and it will ruin everything. Our test was inconclusive however. Some of us liked  the cookies with a little less clove, and some of us liked the batch that had a little more clove. Boo. I was hoping it would be definitive, but everyone's palates are different. Such is the spice of life.....oh, that was a bad pun.

I'm not really thrilled at the inconclusive amount of cloves for the recipe. But really, odds are you'll just change it anyway! :) I know I do. Like most home chefs, those measurements are just a guideline. If it says 1/4 that means a little, and if it says 2 that means a lot....somewhere Butchie just snorted and said something along the lines of [The hell you are so lenient in the kitchen. You watch your measurements more than a prima ballerina with an eating disorder! Remember the flying teaspoon?"] Okay, so her insert would have been better.....but without getting sidetracked further.....use your own judgement on how cloves you like. I recommend baking a test cookie.

Cheers!

Orange Clove Snickerdoodles

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup orange sugar**
1 egg
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
2 tablespoons orange sugar**
1/4 tsp. ground cloves, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 400.

In a stand mixer combine the butter, sugar and egg thoroughly. In a bowl sift together the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Slowly add them to the wet ingredients, until a dough is formed.

Shape teaspoons of dough into rounded balls. Roll in the orange sugar and clove mixture.

Place two inches apart on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

**If using orange sugar cubes, grind cubes in a food processor to create orange granulated sugar. Measurements are for granulated orange sugar.

Eggnog & Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches

Cinnamon Snickerdoodles are the perfect compliment to Eggnog Ice Cream! A fantastic holiday treat! 

What a week! The thing about working in fundraising is that this is CRUNCH time. Yesterday at work we had a fun problem....our database refusing to do anything we asked it to! How wonderful it is to not be able to pull any of our donors names and mail them when we really need to the most! 

By this point in my fundraising career I simply find it humorous. All I can do it sit back, laugh, and play Queen's I want to break Free loudly....because really, I do! Every December the president of our organization has a panic attack, my boss has to deal with it, and I get to deal with him! Then the CPA starts asking questions, the auditor wants to do the taxes.....and I just want to sit in the corner and remind myself it's the holidays....a time of happiness....and joy.....well, at least it is in the stories. 

Yesterday was the day that I want to pull an Office Space on our database. If I knew how I would. The irony of it all is that even if I could beat up a computer program.....it wouldn't be able to work any worse than it already does. 

Sad. 

So, here's to hoping that today's work day goes better! My fingers are crossed for working computers and the ability to do the job I am paid to do.............and in the event that it doesn't work out, at least be able to surf the internet to bide the time until the IT guy fixes it. :) 

Since the work day had most of my office craving a drink, it seemed only fitting to go home and indulge in some lovely eggnog ice cream. I made mine without the rum since I'm not much of a rum person, but if you want/need it add no more than three tablespoons! 

Enjoy!

Eggnog Ice Cream

3 cups half and half

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

7 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

(3 tablespoons of rum if you like)

Scald one cup of half and half along with the salt over medium heat in a medium sauce pan. Remove from heat. 

In a stand mixer whisk together the yolks and sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually pour the scalded half and half down the side of the bowl as the mixer is still going. 

Pour the mixture back into the sauce pan, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture has thickened and will coat the back of the spoon. Remove from heat, and pour through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Add in the remaining half and half, vanilla and nutmeg. Chill the custard thoroughly. About two hours. 

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker. Allow the ice cream to churn until finished and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Snickerdoodles

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon (Vietnamese preferably)

Preheat the oven to 400. 

In a stand mixer combine butter, shortening, sugar, and eggs. Beat until thoroughly mixed. 

In a separate bowl mix the flour, cream on tartar, soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture in the stand mixer. Mix thoroughly. 

Shape dough by rounded teaspoons into balls. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together and roll the balls in the mixture. Place two inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. 

OR

Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper. Pull the top sheet of parchment paper off and sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar over top. Place the parchment paper with cookie dough on it, onto a baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until dough is baked through. 

Allow dough to cool, and cut using cookie cutters or into bars. 

To Assemble the Ice Cream Sandwiches: 

To make the ice cream sandwiches scoop a bit of ice cream onto one snickerdoodle and sandwich it with another!  OR If you are crazy like me and decided to go with the cookie cutters.....hold the cookie cutter so it lines up with an overturned cookie and press ice cream into the cookie cutter. Gently press the ice cream down as you pull the cookie cutter up (it takes some practice). Put another cookie on top and freeze until hardened!