Almost 40 years later, the Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest’s bakers continue to submit delicious, and sometimes surprisingly easy, recipes that grab readers’ attention year after year.
This year’s winner of the 37th annual competition was no different, surprising a cadre of guest judges. Below is the recipe for her first place winner, Graham Cracker Praline, by Winnetka’s girlfriend Kathy Evertsberg. Chewy sesame chocolate chunk cookies by second place winner and Chicago native Clarissa Frain. The third place winner was Mary Kim of Chicago’s Coconut Tasies.
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Happy baking!
These cookies bring back memories of baking with my grandmother, Grace Vander Ley, while growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A simple combination of graham crackers, butter, brown sugar, and nuts transforms into something that tastes like caramel toffee. Don’t be fooled by the simplicity. — Kathy Evertsberg, Winnetka
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 10 minutes
yield: 36 pieces
material:
⅓ Box of graham crackers (1 wrapped package of 9 crackers or approximately 36 marked quarter sections)
1 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1/2 A tightly packed cup of brown sugar
1 Add chopped pecans or walnuts to cup
direction:
1. Preheating Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Location Crackers on jelly roll bread. Divide the crackers into 4 equal parts, but place them in rows so that they touch.
3. Slowly Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar and stir for 3 minutes. Add the nuts and mix, then pour the mixture over the graham crackers to coat.
4. Bake 10 minutes (longer than this is less likely to burn).
5. Delete Remove from tray and let cool on a rack.
As a kid, all I wanted was the sweetest cookie I could find, but these days I’m looking for something with more subtle flavors. These chewy Sesame Chocolate Chunk Cookies check the classic cookie comfort box, with sesame oil providing a warm nutty flavor and seeds creating a delicious texture and beautiful presentation. Perfect for the holidays! — Clarissa Frenn, Chicago
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Baking time: 10 minutes
yield: 16 cookies
material:
114 Grams (8 tablespoons) of browned butter, cooled to room temperature
2 tablespoon of roasted sesame oil
200 Light brown sugar (1 cup) grams
100 grams white granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
1 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 big eggs
1 large egg yolk
284 grams white all-purpose flour (2 cups)
1 baking powder teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon of salt
85 grams (1/2 cup) Chocolate Chunks Cacao 55% to 70%
2 tablespoon of black sesame seeds (for rolling)
2 tablespoon of white sesame seeds (for rolling)
flaky salt for sprinkling, if desired
direction:
1. Brown Butter: Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, begin stirring continuously. After 4-5 minutes, the butter will start to sizzle and foam. This is normal. Keep stirring. After about 7-10 minutes, the butter will turn golden brown and small brown lumps will begin to form. Be careful at this stage as it can burn quickly. You’re looking for a deep golden brown, but not black. Remove from heat and reweigh the browned butter to determine how much water has been lost. Add enough additional butter to bring the weight back up to 114 grams. Let cool.
2. Preheating Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
3. beat Combine the butter, sesame oil, vanilla, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl and add the eggs and egg yolks.
4. Whisk Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the stand mixer bowl and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not over mix.
5. Add Add the chocolate chips and use a rubber spatula to give the batter a final fold, making sure it’s completely incorporated.
6. Form Form the dough into balls of about 50 grams (2 tablespoons) and dip the balls into the sesame seeds, covering the top of the dough balls (leaving the base unseeded). Once on the baking sheet, sprinkle each cookie with a little flaky salt, if desired.
7. Bake Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until bottom edges are golden brown and cookies are slightly puffed. Let the cookies sit on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to complete cooling. Cookies are best warm, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
These special cookies were inspired by my 100-year-old father’s love of coconut. I experimented with macaron recipes and different flavors, and at my daughter’s suggestion, I combined her two types of cookies to make “coconut tassie”, or macarons with a rich, soft texture. So I asked my father to be my chief taste tester. And I was very happy when his father gave me a thumbs up. Other family members and friends also tried them and gave suggestions for improvements. This Coconut Tassie is the result of a heartwarming collaboration. It also offers texture and versatility. You can separate each batch and add whatever you like to the filling. For example, we like to season it with lemon zest, candied ginger, or chocolate, but you could also try sliced almonds, white chocolate, or whatever your family likes best. This means that each family’s coconut tassi will be different, but delicious and special to that family. I hope you guys try and enjoy these Tassie flavors and have someone as nice as my dad to share them with. — Mary Kim, Chicago
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Chill time: 30 minutes or more
Baking time: 25-30 minutes per batch
yield: 1 teaspoon 56 pieces
material:
crust
8 Oz. Cream cheese (room temperature)
1 Cup of unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 cup flour
coconut filling
1 Can sweetened condensed coconut milk (usually 11.25 oz)*
6 Cup of coarsely chopped unsweetened flaked coconut** (make sure to use unsweetened coconut or the cookies will be very sweet)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg whites (room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
fragrance
1/8 – 1/4 chopped dark chocolate cup
1 Candied ginger, finely chopped
2-3 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
*If you can’t find sweetened condensed milk, substitute 1 can (usually 14 ounces) of sweetened condensed milk.
**If you can’t find flaked coconut, substitute 6 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut.
direction
1. Beat Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl and mix until the dough is fluffy.
2. mix Gradually add the flour until the dough comes together. Remove from the bowl, pat the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3.Make While the dough is cooling, fill it with the coconut filling. Coarsely chop 6 cups unsweetened flaked coconut. When chopped, it makes about 5 cups.
4. Mix Combine the shredded coconut, sweetened condensed coconut milk, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
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5. Beat Combine the egg whites and salt in a separate bowl and mix until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
6. Split Divide the coconut mixture into three parts, each in a separate bowl, and you can add different flavors if desired. Place the chopped chocolate in one bowl. In a second bowl, add the chopped candied ginger. In the third bowl, add freshly grated lemon zest.
7. Grease The mini muffin pan allows the tussies to pop out easily when baking.
8. Take Once the dough has cooled, remove it from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. Take Add the chilled dough one teaspoon at a time and roll each tassie into a ball. Place the balls into the muffin tin and use your thumbs to press into the corners and sides of the dough. (Dough will be about 1/8 inch thick). After filling the muffin tin, prick the bottom of the dough with a fork 2-3 times.
10. Pre-bake Let the crust stand for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately fill each dough with 1 heaped teaspoon of coconut filling. Return to oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool in the mold for 2-3 minutes, then carefully remove the tassi from the mold and place on a baking rack to cool completely.
Note: We recommend using a mini muffin tin for two-bite tassies. If you prefer larger cookies, you can use a regular sized muffin tin. In that case, divide the dough into 24 equal parts and roll each part into a ball. Use 2 tablespoons of filling per tassie and bake for 18-20 minutes.