I am an 80s child, I am proud to say so. Over the years (2 score to be precise), I have witnessed my world go from analogue/mechanical to digital and subsequently to IP, the food scene in Singapore gradually diversify and specialise as well. In the 80s, Western food as a broad category. In those days, when you went to a western restaurant, the nice ones (the likes of Troika, Shashlik or Cairnhill Steakhouse) were run by Hainanese chefs and the menu would be made up of classic dishes like oxtail soup, onion soup, sometimes a lobster bisque, shrimp cocktail, steaks on a hotplate, and for dessert, you will find peach melba, cherry jubilee, crepe suzette (oh I love love love this) and if you are lucky, a bombe alaska (my other favourite for the pomp and pageantry).
My father travelled a fair bit to Europe for work then and he would come home with what we would consider as new fangled and outrageous stuff. He loved food and was the biggest foodie that I knew (till he passed on). After a trip to Italy, I remembered him bringing back this box of candied orange peels dipped in dark chocolate. I was intrigued. Up until then, to me, orange peels belonged in the bin. They were bitter and foul tasting. If you have bitten into an orange skin out of curiosity, you will know what I mean. I had to inspect them. These Sicilian Orangettes were dipped into dark chocolate leaving only one thirds of the sugary orange peels exposed then laid out in a beautiful box in rows like proud precious objects on display. My father was an instigator and a very convincing one too. By the end of his usual lines, “You don’t know what you are missing out on. This is so good that you will forget your own name.” I would put on some false bravado, my fears aside and in this case, into my mouth the chocolate dipped peel went. I took a small mousey bite and my eyes in contrast widen and lit up, my head swirled in all that marvellous confusion. You’ll never forget your first experience of those moments that are initially shrouded with fear then followed by a realisation of how silly you are and how wonderful it is. This was one of it. No longer did I think that orange peels are meant to be thrown away. Instead, I started thinking of where else they could belong.
Every Christmas, I would bake cookies for my friends and family. Over the years, I have given out cranberry thumbprint cookies, minted shortbread, almond and orange wreath cookies drizzled with a whiskey orange icing, to name a few. Last year, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to pay homage to that love of dark chocolate and oranges. It may not be Christmas anymore by the time this is published, but I ensure you, this is a crispy cookie that would go well with a cup of coffee or tea any time of the year.
Please start the day before.
Will make at least 24 cookies, depending on size.
Ingredients:
225g Unsalted Butter, Soften
360g Dark Brown Sugar
340g Plain Flour
1 tsp Mixed Spices
1/4 tsp Ground Clove
2 Eggs (around 60g each)
1.5 tsp Fine Sea Salt
90g Hazelnuts
80g Pecans
360g Button Chocolates (I use Cacao Barry’s 75% Tanzania Couverture Chocolates)
100g Candied Peel.
Method:
Warm a frying pan on a low heat. Add in the pecans and hazelnuts while the pan is still cold. Every 10s, give the nuts in the pan a little toss. Put it back on the fire and repeat till you feel the nuts are hot.
Put it on your chopping board, let it cool and chop it roughly like below. Add the chop nuts to the candied peels and chocolate (items in purple). If you are using chocolate that is big in pieces, chop them into smaller pieces.
Sieve together the items in orange, then set aside.
Beat the butter till it is fluffy and then add in the sugar. Beat till the sugar is almost dissolved. Add into the mixture, the 2 eggs one by one, beating the mixture in between each addition.
Add in the sea salt.
Add in the flour in 3 parts, folding in with a spatula or mixing lightly with the mixer.
Add in the purple items and mix it together lightly. It should look like below.
This is the point that you have choices. You can either put it all into a container and scoop them later using a small ice-cream scoop/tablespoon or you can roll them into logs like below, wrapped in baking paper or waxed paper. They are approximately 2″ in diameter.
Refrigerate them overnight. Preheat your oven to 190 degC, Fan Forced with your rack in the middle.
If you have them in logs, cut them into 1cm thick pieces. If you have it in a container, scoop them onto a tray lined with a baking sheet. Bake for 12 mins.
Let them cool and then keep in an airtight jar.
Dreaming in Flavours 