Christmas Cookie Week - Speculoos & Sable Bretons

This week Nana tried her hand at Dorie's Speculoos

and the entire family enjoyed this very holiday appropriate recipe. 

One of the most fun parts of the experience was that

Tricia jogged her memory and searched her cupboards

for the "leftover" little packaged cookies that she and Nana

 kept receiving at the Paris cafes this Spring. 

Ah, memories.....

And guess what they are called :) 

Who knew ?? 

Tricia originally brought them home for her hubby

and sons to enjoy (since she was eating all the fresh...non packaged....baked goods while in Paris). 

The kids were none too excited, so the cookies

 got stashed with the Laduree jam and

 other not too perishable "precious" items

 to be enjoyed at a later date.

By someone who gets excited over them :)

Nana's Speculoos:

I was excited to try this recipe because I thought it

would make a lovely addition to the Christmas roster.

When I combined  the flour mixture and butter

 I immediately knew this would not work.  

I checked the recipe again, and finally realized

I had missed the note about the egg.  

After making that addition, I still could not make

the dough come together, so I added a smidge of water to hold it.  

 I'm certain, had I used the egg in the proper order, it

would have turned out better.

After three hours of chilling, I still

had my doubts about these little cookies.   

8-10 minutes of baking was not enough time so

I added an additional 5 minutes.  

This worked well, giving them a little brown edge.

These cookies were soooooo delicious, they may replace

NANA'S RICOTTA COOKIES for this season.    

Tricia's comment:

 We want them all, Nana.  Keep baking those cookies. 

 Ricotta and Speculoos alike ;)

Nana's Cookie Extra Credit -
Dorie's Sable Breton Cookies (page 465)

 

I really wanted to see if these cookies were in any way close

to the flavors in my mother's recipe for Breton cake

 that  I usually make at Christmastime.  

This recipe was fairly simple, but plan ahead because it

 must be chilled at least six hours. 

I prepared the cookie dough the night before so I could start baking early.  

There is something about the flavor of Breton, be it

cookies or cake that I just love.

The taste was the same in each, except that I brush

 an egg yolk on the top of the cake

which gives it a beautiful glaze finish.

I have tasted Breton in both Paris and

 in Brittany, and the flavor never changes.

I know this was not one of the recipes for December,

 but in the spirit of Christmas,

I had to try it.

Notice the lovely charger on display. 

Tricia's Comment: 

Nana is teasing about the charger plate,

because it is mine and she borrowed it for the holidays :)  

These cookies were absolutely lovely. 

 Breton cookies always are and these did not disappoint.