When the new cookbook Crumbs: Cookies & Sweets from Around the World by food writer, recipe developer, and self-confessed baking obsessive Ben Mims arrived in my mailbox, I was instantly smitten. Not only because I LOVE fresh-baked cookies in all varieties, but because this book is stunning, from the elegant cover to the beautiful photography by Simon Bajada inside. My mom was visiting and she was obsessed too, but I couldn't bring myself to part with it! It's also a great holiday gift for the baker in your life — or a great gift to give yourself. 😉 Regardless, here's Ben's best baking tips — plus three international cookie recipes you can bake right now!
Swirled Pig's Ears Cookies (Vietnam)
Simon Bajada
Bake your way around the world with Crumbs's 300 irresistible cookie recipes from nearly 100 countries, from classic chocolate chip cookies to date-filled maamoul, and almond macaroons to cardamom biscuits, Italian waffle cookies, and Okinawan brown sugar shortbread.
Simon Bajada
"Cookies are condensed pieces of excess," says Ben. "They allow everyone to feel extravagant and rich for a second. I think that’s a universal appeal for everyone. They bring joy while eating them, no matter how you feel the rest of the time. And sharing in that joy is what cookies do best; they allow you to physically give out happiness in a few bites."
He's sharing an excerpt of three cookie recipes below!
Simon Bajada
Chocolate-Glazed Polish Gingerbread (Poland)
Adapted from Crumbsby Ben Mims
Preparation time: 50 minutes, plus cooling and setting time
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Makes: 30 cookies
INGREDIENTS
For the cookies:
- 6 tablespoons (125 g) honey ¼ cup (50 g) white US granulated (UK caster) sugar
- 2½ tablespoons (35 g) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2¼ cups (315 g) all-purpose (plain) flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the chocolate glaze:
- 1½ cups (200 g) powdered (icing) sugar
- 1/3 cup (30 g) natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons whole milk, plus more if needed
DIRECTIONS
- Make the cookies: Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/Gas Mark 4). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Pour the honey into a small frying pan and place over medium-high heat until the honey starts to bubble around the edges and is loose. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the white US granulated (UK caster) sugar, butter, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and cardamom until the sugar dissolves. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the sour cream until smooth, then add the flour and sprinkle over the baking soda (bicarb) and salt. Fold the mixture with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until the dough just comes together and there are no dry pockets of flour remaining.
- Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to ½ inch (13 mm) thick. Using a 2½- to 3-inch (6.5 to 7.5 cm) round or heart-shaped cutter, cut out cookies and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, spaced 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Reroll the scraps to cut out more cookies.
- Bake until the cookies are risen, golden brown at the edges, and give just slightly when pressed on top, 15-20 minutes, switching racks and rotating the baking sheets front to back halfway through. The cookies will firm up considerably upon cooling so err on the side of underbaking them.
- Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks. Let the cookies cool on the pans for 1 minute, then transfer them to the racks to cool completely.
- Make the chocolate glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered (icing) sugar and cocoa. Add the vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the milk and stir until a thick paste forms. Add another 1 tablespoons milk and stir until the glaze is pourable and smooth but not too runny. Add more milk if needed to reach the consistency you want.
- Balance a cookie on the tines of a fork and position it over the bowl of glaze. Use a spoon in your other hand to spoon glaze over the cookie, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Once the glaze stops dripping, return the cookies to a rack or a baking sheet. Repeat glazing the remaining cookies. Let the glaze dry until set before serving.
Simon Bajada
Rainbow Sprinkles-Covered Cookies (Mexico)
Adapted from Crumbsby Ben Mims
Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling time
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes: About 36 cookies
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups (280 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup (150 g) white US granulated (UK caster) sugar
- ½ cup (115 g) cold-rendered leaf lard or vegetable shortening, softened
- 4 tablespoons (2 oz/55 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, preferably Mexican
- 2 eggs, 1 whole and 1 separated
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ cup (120 g) rainbow-colored nonpareils (hundreds & thousands) or small dragées
DIRECTIONS
- Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/Gas Mark 4). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, combine the sugar, lard, butter, and vanilla and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the whole egg, beat until smooth, then add the egg yolk to the bowl, beating until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and stir until a dough forms and there are no dry patches of flour remaining. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (cling film) and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to firm.
- Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Using a 2½-inch (6.5 cm) round cutter, cut out cookies and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, spaced 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Reroll the dough and cut out more cookies. Place the baking sheets in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm the dough rounds.
- Meanwhile, make an egg wash by whisking the remaining egg white with the water until smooth. Place the nonpareils in a shallow dish or large plate.
- Using a pastry brush, brush some of the egg wash over the top of a dough round and place the round, brushed-side down, in the nonpareils to completely encrust that side. Invert the cookie and return it to its spot on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds.
- Bake until light golden brown at the edges and just set in the center, 12-15 minutes, switching racks and rotating the baking sheets front to back halfway through.
- Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks. Let the cookies cool on the pans for 1 minute, then transfer them to the racks to cool completely.
Simon Bajada
Flower Shaped Butter Cookies (Italy)
Adapted from Crumbsby Ben Mims
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes: About 24 cookies
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup (140 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
- ¾ cup (105 g) potato starch or cornstarch (cornflour)
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 hard-boiled egg yolks
- 1 stick (4 oz/115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (65 g) powdered (icing) sugar, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or almond extract
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
DIRECTIONS
- Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/Gas Mark 4). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, potato starch, and salt. Place a fine sieve over a large bowl and use a silicone spatula to press the hard-boiled egg yolks through the sieve, scraping the back of the sieve to ensure you get all the egg yolk. Add the butter and sugar, and beat on medium speed with a hand mixer until pale and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients and stir until the dough forms and there are no dry patches of flour remaining. Gather the dough into a ball.
- Working on a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick. Using a 2½-inch (6.5 cm) flower-shaped cutter, cut out shapes of dough. Reroll the scraps to cut out more cookies. Transfer the shapes to the prepared baking sheets, spaced 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Using the end of a narrow-handled wooden spoon or a ½-inch (13 mm) round piping tip (nozzle), punch out the center of each dough flower. Reroll the centers to make more cookies or discard them.
- Bake until golden brown at the edges and dry to the touch on top, 10-15 minutes, switching racks and rotating the baking sheets front to back halfway through.
- Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies rest on the pans for 1 minute. While they are still hot, dust the cookies with sugar and then transfer directly to the racks to cool completely.
VARIATION
Castagnese
Substitute the same weight of chestnut flour for the potato starch.
Chocolate Chip Cookies (United States)
Simon Bajada
"Ben's best baking tip? "Be patient. So much of the success of your baking comes down to simply giving things the time they need to set up or cool down. Don’t rush things. Always set a timer. Oh, and use a scale! Using the proper weight of ingredients (versus using volume measurements) will be the single greatest determining factor in the outcome of your cookies and all baked goods."
There's so much inside of Crumbs, including the origin story of each cookie and its region. Try them for breakfast, with afternoon tea, on holidays, or as a late-night snack, they are that good!
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