Olive Oil and Sweet Wine Cookies

First there was Gourmet.

 

Then there was Lucky Peach.

Some would argue with me about the literary comparison of these two culinary publications, but I loved them both.

Did you pick up on the passed-tense there?

Yep, I received an email toward the end of March announcing the demise of Lucky Peach.  Of course, it was told in true LP sardonic snarkiness:

Lucky Peach is you see, kids, sit down, here.

Your mom and I have been meaning to talk to you for a while. But there sometimes comes a time in a publication’s life where… jeez, this is difficult. Puberty usually only equals death for caterpillars… and sometimes food magazines.

What I’m trying to say is this: Until May 1, there’s still going to be the luckypeach.com that you love, publishing all its wild and wily stories.  Go click around and have fun. I know you always liked it when you were younger. The magazine will finish out with a crazy double issue in the fall after its last regular issue—themed “the Suburbs”—comes out in May.

🙁

May is over with.   Boo hoo.

I saw this recipe last October and have been saving it since then.  I think it’s finally time to highlight it here in memoriam for a great website and even cooler magazine.

Olive Oil and Sweet Wine Cookies

Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 c. flour
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1/2 t. baking powder
  • 1/4 t. fine sea salt
  • 1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 t. pure vanilla extract*
  • 3/4 c. sweet white wine (I used a Moscato.)*
  • sanding sugar*

Instructions

  1. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Pour in the olive oil, switch to a flexible spatula, and stir to incorporate—you don’t have to be thorough now. Stir the vanilla extract into the wine, then pour the wine mixture into the bowl and mix until you have an easy-to-work-with dough. It will be smooth on the outside, but peek inside and you’ll see that it looks like a sponge; when you pinch and pull it, you’ll be surprised at how stretchy it is.
  3. Divide the dough into pieces about the size of a large cherry or small walnut and roll each one into a ball. Next, roll each ball under your palm to shape it into a short sausage. When you’ve got the sausage shape, press down on the ends with your thumb and pinkie (don’t press the center), and roll up and back a few times to form a cookie about 4 inches long that is just a little plump in the center and tapered at the ends. Dredge each cookie in sugar and arrange the cookies on the baking sheets.* (Before they’re dredged, the shaped cookies can be frozen on the lined baking sheets, and then, when firm, packed airtight and kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. There’s no need to defrost before baking.)
  4. Bake the cookies for 20–22 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 10 minutes, until the cookies have brown tips and bottoms and golden bellies. (If baking from frozen, dredge the cookies in sugar and bake a minute or two longer.) Cool the cookies on the baking sheets and, if you can stand it, wait at least a day before serving.

I made a few changes (indicated with asterisks).  I increased the amount of wine.  I used  sanding sugar for rolling and I only rolled them in balls (because I’m lazy that way).  I also added 1 full teaspoon of vanilla because of a happy accident.  (Read “it worked out well.”)  My dough (both times I made these) never reached the “spongy” and “stretchy” consistency that Greenspan’s did.  In fact, it’s more shortbread like (but a bit doughier).

We baked up only one sheet pan and froze the rest for later indulgences.

These are a not-overly-sweet cookie that I enjoy.  They are great with coffee or tea (or the rest of that bottle of Moscato).

 

I’ve been a fan of LP since 2011.   Luckily it came into existence two years after the demise of Gourmet.  It helped me through a rough transitional period.

What will I do now?

Rest in peace, Lucky Peach.

What’s your favorite culinary magazine (that is still publishing)?

5 comments to Olive Oil and Sweet Wine Cookies

  • It’s sad to see your favourite magazine go down…these days I hang around quite a bit on Donna Hay’s site. The combo of olive oil and sweet Moscato in sandy cookies is new to me, and I find them quite intriguing and delicious.

  • That was a fine tribute. I just hate it when a favorite magazine goes belly up. Great cookies, I like the idea of a cookie that’s not overly sweet that I could enjoy with a glass of wine!

  • Oh was David Chan’s magazine. never saw it but know of it. Wow tat is too bad. But I adore these cookies. I hve done a few olive oil heavy dessert but with wine too, lovely!

  • Not familiar with this magazine. Sorry I missed it and sorry for you, that you’ve lost a great source. These cookies are a must make. I love, love, love Moscato and cookies – so to have those 2 in one, sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing!

  • I don’t know this magazine but I do know Dorie and she definitely has it with cookies! They look very indulging!