Tuesday, November 11, 2014

TWD | Baking Chez Moi | Palets de Dames, Lille Style

Tuesdays with Dorie baking through Baking Chez Moi
by Dorie Greenspan


Our Tuesdays with Dorie group is starting with a new book which was just released at the end of October - Baking Chez Moi - Recipes from My Paris Home to Your Home Anywhere, by Dorie Greenspan; and this is the first recipe from the book, Palets de Dames, Lille Style (Lille - a city in France).


We still have just under two years left with Baking with Julia, and will be posting on opposite weeks. That means a TWD recipe every week, instead of every other week. Oh my... anyone in need of a few baked goods?


These cute little cookies have a fancy name, but basically they are a cakey sugar cookie with a simple confectioner's sugar glaze.


I decided to make these pretty much at the last minute, and they came together rather quickly, aside from the dough needing an hour or so rest in the refrigerator to firm up a bit - just long enough for me to run to the store to grab something for dinner.


This simple dough is made from butter, sugar, salt, eggs, vanilla extract, and all purpose flour. As with most cookie doughs, you first beat the butter until creamy, then add the sugar and salt and beat until combined. The eggs are added one at a time and mixed until incorporated. The vanilla extract is added next, then the flour is added in three increments, until combined.

The dough is then chilled for at least one hour or until firm enough to shape.

Once the dough has chilled, balls of dough (about two teaspoons each) are placed on cookie sheet about two-inches apart, to allow for spreading (mine did not spread hardly at all). They are baked for about eight minutes, or when you see a slight brownness around the edge of the cookies.

The recipe states to transfer the cookies to a rack and allow to cool to room temperature. I always leave them on the baking sheet to cool, ever since I read somewhere.. that bakeries do not transfer their cookies to racks.


Once the cookies have cooled, they are ready to be iced. This icing consists of powdered sugar, milk, and lemon juice. The recipe states that if it needs to be thinner, add more milk - a drop at a time. I added more lemon juice to thin it, and next time, I'm thinking I'll use mostly, or all juice and omit the milk, for a more lemony flavor.

Some of my fellow bakers who happen to be in another on-line cooking group - French Fridays with Dorie, have already made this recipe; and reading their posts on this, it was mentioned the bottoms of the cookies were frosted, to give the look of a top (child's toy) or parasol; though the recipe given to us (before the book was released), states to dip one side into the icing - so I just assumed it was the domed side.

After dipping the cookies into the icing, I added a bit of lemon zest to the top for a little pizazz - which was very last minute. Next time, I would zest the lemon ahead of time and spread it out to allow it to dry a bit to make it easier to sprinkle atop the cookies - I had issues with it wanting to clump, with it being so moist.

I made only half the recipe - I wish I had made the full recipe - though grateful I did not.



We have been asked not to post the recipes from this book on our blogs. However, the recipe is available on Amazon - you can find it by clicking here and scrolling down the page. 

Do venture over to the TWD site for the links of my fellow bakers to read their thoughts on this recipe.

47 comments:

  1. Wow…your cookies are gorgeous…as are your photos!! I love the bit of lemon zest on top! Looking forward to baking along with you for TWD…BCM! Happy baking, Cathleen!

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    1. Thank you, Kathy! I'm excited about this book, and am looking forward to seeing your posts! I'm glad you have joined the group!

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  2. So glad that you are baking with us! Your cookies are lovely.

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  3. Your photos are beautiful! I am so glad you are jumping in with BCM, its going to be a lot of fun!

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  4. OK seriously- that lemon zest addition is genius. GENIUS. Beautiful job with these and happy to be along on the new adventure with you ~

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  5. These are lovely! What a great little treat!

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  6. Halving recipes is totally going to be my strategy for posting every week...otherwise, this group will be very dangerous.
    Lemon zest - lovely idea!

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  7. I thought of adding lemon zest too! The little mounds look cute despite of what you may think. Nice meeting you, Cathleen. :-)

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  8. Oh, I like the little lemon zest on top, sets it off nicely and anything with more lemon gets my vote immediately!

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  9. Your little lemon zest gives these just the pizzazz they needed! Beautiful! Glad to baking along with you!

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  10. These were delicious cookies weren't they, and the lemon zest is the perfect finish. Lovely!

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  11. Beautiful presentation! I wished I had more lemon in mine as well.

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    1. Thank you, Carlene. I plan on using even more lemon next time!

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  12. I love your addition of the zest! I didn't realize that I should have glazed the bottoms either. I'm saying that's just fine. Right? I loved these.

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    1. Thanks, Karen. Not sure where the idea came from about the bottoms being glazed. My book does not state to ice the bottoms. Though I have read it is the traditional way.

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  13. Beautiful photos and lovely cookies! I love the little clump of lemon zest, actually - it looks very elegant. And I decided not to glaze the bottoms, even though it would be more authentic. I think they look pretty all the same.

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  14. So interesting - my cookies spread all over the place. I had to cut them apart. Maybe my hour long chill wasn't long enough...The lemon zest topping is gorgeous, and I love the idea of using lemon juice instead of milk in the icing. I think I would have enjoyed these more with the additional lemon.

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    1. It is interesting how we can come up with different results, even if we all follow the recipe as directed.

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  15. Cathleen your pictures are lovely! I look forward to baking with you again! I struggle with baking very often but I'm going to try harder with this project. My book also says to dip one side of the cookie in the glaze. I wonder if some of the books are different. The lemon zest on top really gives a pop of color!

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    1. Thanks, Guyla! I am looking forward to baking along with you as well!! I hope you have been able to get in some hiking!

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  16. Your cookies look great! I didn't realize another version said to do the bottom. I totally did the top too. I too have no idea how to handle the BWJ and BCM. Ackk! I don't have enough sweet toothed people to give it to. :) Oh well, I guess the winter weight will be coming in early this year. :P

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  17. Lovely cookies! Sounds citrusy good with the lemon zest over the top!
    Either iced the cookies at the bottom of top, one thing's for sure, these cookies are delightful!
    Thanks for the welcome!
    Looking forward to all the yummy bakes in this book!

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  18. I'm looking forward to baking with you! Love your idea of using the lemon zest...so pretty on the cookies.
    I find your blog to be inspiring and will be picking up my copy of Cottage Cooking to try more of the recipes you've tried..thanks for sharing and look forward to our next TWD Baking Chez Moi assignment :)

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    1. Happy to be baking along with you!! You, yourself are inspiring. Always love your photos.

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  19. These look so simple and delicious. My favorite kind of cookie, really. I saw one in your group put colored sprinkles on top. I am thinking that for Mardi Gras, I will make "Kings Cookies" instead of the cake and sprinkle them with purple, green and yellow sugar crystals!

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  20. Love that zest! And such pretty photos (and kitchen thingys) too!

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  21. The lemon zest looks so pretty on top of your cookies! I wish I had used more lemon juice in my icing too. Next time!

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  22. Lovely photos. I like the lemon zest on top. Thank you for commenting on my cookies on Instagram.

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  23. Hi Cathleen,
    You are right about not transferring to baking racks. I work as a pastry cook and we never transfer the cookies. We didn't do that in culinary school, either. So weird that you saying that actually made me realize it. Well done! :)

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  24. I agree with you that this was a rather easy recipe to make. I loved your photos, very professional. I never make a half batch of cookies, I have cookie monsters in my house. But I love to load of my freezer if I do bake too much. It is nice to have cookies in reserve. Happy baking.

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