Dokeyanas / Pets de Sœurs

Dokeyanas

December 9: National Pastry Day

Whenever we have leftover pastry or pie dough, Highlander makes “dokeyanas,” a bite-sized snack similar to a cinnamon roll. This family recipe was handed down through generations by Highlander’s maternal grandmother from Canada, according to his sister, Linda R., with whom we celebrated a recent Thanksgiving holiday with her husband Gary and their daughters Nichole and Danielle in Nevada.

“Dokeyanas” are similar to other pastry recipes using leftover pie dough. They may be called “pie crust cookies, swirlies, pinwheels or rugelach” “cinnamon snails, slices, roll-ups or spirals,” “gobblies,” “winky dinks,” roly polys,” “dum dums” or “nun’s farts” (pets de sœurs).  The latter is a French-Canadian creation for Acadian cinnamon rolls.

Despite its many names, “dokeyanas” are a delicious way to use up leftover pastry or pie dough. Thanks to our nieces, Nichole and Danielle, for being the guest chefs of HI Cookery and making “dokeyanas” for our blog post for National Pastry Day.

Recipe

(From Highlander’s Grandmother)

Ingredients

  • Leftover pastry or pie dough
  • Butter or margarine
  • Brown sugar
  • Ground cinnamon

Directions

Sprinkle flour on a clean surface to prevent the leftover pastry or pie dough from sticking. Roll out about ¼ inch thick. Cut into rectangles.

Dokeyanas

Spread butter or margin on the dough, leaving about ½ an inch on all sides. Generously sprinkle brown sugar on top, followed by cinnamon. Dot with butter or margin.

Dokeyanas

Carefully roll up the dough. Score the edge with a knife and moisten with water. Press down to seal the edges.

Dokeyanas

Pinch the ends of the roll and fold over slightly to close. Place the roll(s) on a foil-lined baking pan with edges. Slice them about an inch thick. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Dokeyanas

Remove from the oven. While still hot, use a spatula to move the rolls around the pan so the sides get coated with the melted “syrup” before it hardens. Separate the slices and transfer to a foil-lined plate to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Dokeyanas

Notes

  • In France, nun’s farts (pets de nonne) are made of choux pastry instead of pie dough and are deep fried instead of baked.
  • Pre-made pie crust dough, located in the refrigerator or freezer sections of grocery stores, may be used instead of leftover pastry or pie dough. Highlander’s sister Linda made extra of the latter so that her daughters could demonstrate how to make “dokeyanas” for our blog.

Chocolate Brownies

Chocolate Brownies

December 8: National Chocolate Brownie Day

Brownies have had a bad reputation for including a “special ingredient.”  Perhaps that is why we seem a bit paranoid at potlucks and parties when brownies are served! Considered a cross between a cake and a cookie, brownies can include ingredients, such as nuts and chocolate chips, and may be iced with chocolate frosting or dusted with powdered sugar.  But we prefer them “basic and boring”—no additional ingredients, “special” or otherwise—with a tall glass of milk (lactose-free for Islander) or a cup of coffee (Kona for Highlander). For us, plain brownies are simply sweet enough at snacktime to satisfy our chocolate cravings. Urban legends aside, bake brownies for National Chocolate Brownie Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Kraft Foods)

Ingredients

  • 4 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate (we used Baker’s brand)
  • 3/4 cup (1 ½ sticks) butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3  eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup  flour

Directions

Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with heavy duty foil. Mist with cooking spray. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate with the butter on high for two minutes. Stir until smooth. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla and blend well.

Chocolate Brownies

Gradually mix in the flour. Spread the batter into the baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Carefully lift the foil out of the pan. Cut the brownies into squares and serve.

Chocolate Brownies

Notes

  • To this basic brownie recipe, add a cup of chopped nuts or chocolate chips for a crunchy texture. After it is baked and cooled, spread chocolate frosting or dust with powdered sugar for a rich topping.
  • A plastic knife is recommended for slicing the brownies. Use cookie cutters for interesting shaped brownies.
  • Search our blog for variations of brownie recipes.

St. Nikolaas Koekjes

St. Nikolaas Koekjes

December 6: Feast Day of St. Nicholas

Children traditionally leave out a plate of cookies for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve to thank him for delivering gifts and to give him some sweet sustenance for his nightlong journey around the world before returning to his home in the North Pole.

In Holland, there are special cookies named specifically after the legendary gift-giver Santa Claus:  St. Nikolaas Koekjes. These crisp cookies contain nuts and seasonal spices. In the tradition of Santa Claus/St. Nikolaas, and in the spirit of giving, we baked these cookies for a crowd at Christmas parties and for the Feast Day of St. Nicholas.

Recipe

(Adapted from 1001 Cookies Recipes by Gregg R. Gillespie and CooksRecipes.com)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ¼ – ½ cup walnuts, chopped

Directions

In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. In another bowl or mixer, cream the shortening with the sugar.

St. Nikolaas Koekjes

Stir in the sour cream until smooth. Gradually add the flour mixture. Blend to make a dough. Add the nuts.

St. Nikolaas Koekjes

Transfer the dough onto wax paper. Shape into a log with a diamter of 2 inches. Wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 8 hours or overnight.

St. Nikolaas Koekjes

Slice the log about ¼ inch thick. Place 2  inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a wire rack. Allow the cookies to cool to a crisp. Yield: Approximately 3 dozen.

St. Nikolaas Koekjes

Notes

  • Other nuts may be substituted for the walnuts in this recipe.
  • After refrigerating the dough overnight, we firmed it up in the freezer for around 30 minutes for easier slicing.
  • During this commercialized Christmas season, even Santa Claus/St. Nicholas knows that the greatest gift of all is Jesus! Thanks to Islander’s brother for gifting us with the “Kneeling Santa” ornament in the final food photo above. “Kneeling Santa” is inspired by scripture (Philippians 2:10-11).
  • Read more about “Kneeling Santa.” There is a sermon from The Interim and a prayer/poem from the Santa Lady sites.