The holiday episode of Reciprocity Radio will air tonight live at 5 p.m. on Radio Free Brooklyn! You can expect all sorts of wonderful seasonal recipes and stories from friends and family alike. Below I will share all the links and information mentioned in the episode, so you can follow along and create your own memories with these beautiful recipes. I would like to give a huge thank you to everyone who reached out and shared their cherished recipes and holiday stories with me, you helped immensely to make the show what I've always hoped it could be. Here's looking forward to a new year and new stories for the show, and here's wishing you and yours a beautiful holiday season. May all your kitchens be both warm and filled with the company of loved ones.
Featured in the holiday episode:
A beautiful cocktail recipe from renowned illustrator and incredibly talented bartender, David Antonio Perezcassar. This recipe originally appeared on Kitchenette.Jezebel.com.
If that's not quite strong enough for you, you can try your hand at Charles Mingus's infamous egg nog recipe. It's detailed in full, and adapted to match Alton Brown's egg nog recipe, over on the Village Voice: Charles Mingus's Eggnog Will Knock You On Your Ass.
As you'll hear in the episode, I've also detailed a bit about my friend Pierce's take on hot chocolate. He's strongly against the addition of sugar to the mixture, and I'm inclined to agree, though the little package of store bought stuff never really disappointed me either. Here's the recipe as he wrote it:
My hot chocolate recipe is not that complicated. Whisk two large squares of 70% dark chocolate into not-quite-boiling full-fat milk. Our milk is very good here though, so results might vary.
He and Helene also sent a recipe for Orangetten, which is candied orange peel that you can either toss in sugar or, as they prepare this treat, dip in melted dark chocolate. This is their holiday tradition, and it sounds like a really beautiful one! Imagine the glorious citrus scent that would fill your home as the oranges slowly simmer and candy. Also, as a Florida native, I'm definitely ready to find some good local oranges and give this recipe a try! I also shared Helene's beautifully illustrated recipe for Vanilla Kipferl, which is very similar in a way to the Mexican Wedding Cookies I've prepared on the show.
Speaking of Mexican Wedding Cookies, I had the good fortune of getting to make that recipe with my friend Leah before we both headed home for the holidays. It turned out great! Not only that, but she shared with me two recipes that she likes to make for her family at the holidays. Those are: Oreo Balls and Vegan Rosemary Chocolate Chip Cookies! Thanks Leah!
In addition to those two wonderful recipes, I also received two exciting cookie recipes from my friend Lauren! I'll detail them both as she adapted them below, but I really can't wait to try them!
Vanilla Cherry Double Chocolate Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
PREPARATION
- Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and a second rack in the lower third then preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar and beat on medium speed, scraping the bowl occasionally, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and the vanilla and beat on medium until combined, about 1 minute. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in 3 batches, stirring until just combined. Add the cherries, white and semisweet chocolate chips, and the walnuts and stir until just incorporated.
- Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Bake, switching the cookies between the upper and lower racks about halfway through baking, until light golden brown and just set, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool the cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Pistachio Cardamom Cookies with White Chocolate Glaze
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup chopped unsalted, shelled raw pistachios
For the chocolate glaze:
- 8 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup finely chopped unsalted, shelled raw pistachios (about 2 1/4 ounces)
Make the cookies:
- Cook butter and cardamom in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is golden brown and fragrant, 6–8 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes, then strain butter through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Freeze until just firm, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl.
- Transfer butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; add sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until pale and well combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg and beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add dry ingredients and pistachios and beat on low speed just until combined.
- Turn out dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half. Place each half on a 9x13" sheet of parchment paper with the long end facing you. Roll dough into 2 logs about 1 1/2" in diameter. Wrap each in parchment paper, making sure to cover ends completely. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°F. Let dough stand at room temperature until soft enough to slice, about 15 minutes. Slice logs into 1/4"-thick rounds. Arrange rounds on 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets about 1" apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until bottoms are lightly golden, 12–15 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool.
- Make the glaze and assemble the cookies:
- Combine chocolate and oil in a small heatproof bowl. Heat in 10-second intervals in microwave, stirring, until melted and combined, 30–40 seconds total.
- Dip cookies halfway into melted chocolate and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle chocolate with pistachios. Chill until chocolate is set, about 10 minutes.
Thank you so much for sharing these recipes with me, everyone! I hope to try each of them very soon, and of course if I do I will report back when Reciprocity Radio resumes in the new year.
Finally, I shared with you four recipes for holiday treats, which I'll link to below, though you can listen to me talk through them in the episode as soon as it airs!
Fantasy Fudge - As detailed on All Recipes, this is a treat I ate growing up and am very fond of!
Mexican Wedding Cookies - These are great and look like little snowballs when you bake them!
Bakers One Bowl Brownies - A very easy go to that can can be adapted for any occasion.
Peppermint Bark! (Recipe TBF, but it's detailed in the episode!)
Ok, that's it! May you have a wonderful holiday season, and I'll see you in the new year!
- Amanda
