Funny thing about traditions, you sometimes forget they are your own. And then when you hear what someone else is doing or making you think, how weird.
But really, is it weird? Probably not.
Is the likelihood of what your doing weird?…. probably.
I’m sure I have many a tradition that might raise an eyebrow or two, but I still do them regardless, because it is after all, tradition. In fact the only holiday tradition I didn’t keep from my childhood was one my mother made us do. Now keep in mind part of this tradition was my mother’s need for all things to be perfect and the other I think was to get back at us for waking her up all night. You see, I can’t sleep the night before Christmas…still can’t, even though I know everything I am getting. And it was WAY worse as a kid. Starting usually around 3:30am, I would sneak into my parents room and say “did he come yet?” and they would say “no, go back to bed.” The he of course was Santa. About every half hour I would creep in and as the same question and would get the same answer until about 6:30am…and then the answer changed to “go and see.” Like a nerd I would creep downstairs, I think part of me was still afraid that I might run into Santa and he would subtract a toy from my stash. Couldn’t have that. 😛 Of course, I would see that he had indeed come, race back up the stairs and scream “he came, he came.” To this day, if I am spending Christmas with my parents I wake them up(more like around 8am now) and say, “he came, he came!” and they know they have to get up.
We always got to open our stockings without anyone being around. And then the torture would happen. No one was allowed to open ANY gifts until we all got our hair done, and for me that meant my mother curling my hair. Ugh. It to me always looked stupid to be in our pj’s with our hair all gussied up. Our photos today represent the real us, crappy hair and all…and it is some crappy hair. Once that was done my mother would make hot chocolate and we would have that, with a peppermint stick in it and we would get to pick out two Christmas cookies to eat while we opened gifts. It gave you something to do while you had to wait your turn to rip open your gift.
Which brings me to my point. It is so amazing to me, the variety of Christmas cookies that people feel are traditional. I know we have a few that would fall in the non-traditional category. One cookie that we never had growing up but a lot of my friends had as their “traditional” Christmas cookie was that of the Linzer cookie. I just loved them so, not even so much the taste as a kid, but the neat little cut out in the middle.
So I offer up my take on a Christmas tradition…a Linzer cupcake. It is a hazelnut brown butter cupcake, with raspberry jam and a reverse of the cut out, with a linzer cookie cut out on top.
Linzer Cupcakes
2 cups seedless raspberry jam
1 recipe Browned Butter Nut Cupcakes(recipe follows)
48 mini linzer or shortbread cookies(recipe follows)
½ cup powder sugar, for dusting
Brown Buttered Nut Cupcake
1 ¾ cup unsalted butter
1 cup hazelnut flour
3 1/3 cups powder sugar
1 cup plus 1 TBSP all-purpose flour
12 egg whites
2 TBSP raspberry honey(if don’t have use regular honey)
Preheat oven to 375F. Line 48 mini-cupcake tins with baking papers or grease and flour them(that is what I did).
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. When the butter begins to brown and gives off a nutty aroma, 7-10 minutes, transfer the brown butter to a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking.
Mix hazelnut flour, powder sugar and flour together in a bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the flour mixture and whisk until combined. Whisk in the brown butter and the honey. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Fill each baking cup ¾ full. Bake about 18 minutes until golden brown.
Source: Adapted from Cupcakes Year Round by Sara Neumeier
Linzer Cookie Dough
12 oz unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 cup cornstarch
2 cups hazelnut flour
1. Cream the butter with the sugar until light. Add in the egg and mix well.
2. Mix together the flour and cornstarch. Add this to the creamed mixture and blend. Mix in the hazelnut flour thoroughly.
3. Form the dough into a bowl and wrap in plastic. Chill for about 4 hours.
4. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a mini cookie cutter(mini ones are widely available). Place cookie on a grease baking sheet.
5. Chill the cookies for 10 minutes and preheat oven to 325F. Bake cookies for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a rack.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
To Assemble:
Place jam in a double boiler and heat for about 4 minutes, until it is a liquid. Spread thin layer of jam over the top of each cupcake.
Place one cookie, sugar side up, on top of each cupcake.
Cheryl says
That is an awesome creation. I think you have created a perfect new tradition for Christmas. I love that mom had to have all your hair done for the pictures.
I used to hide in my bed and peek out the blinds for Santa in the sky. Didn’t want him catching me.
VeggieGirl says
haha yes, it is quite funny how we view others’ traditions as rather odd, but then don’t think much about the “oddness” of our own traditions. wow, you certainly had to go through a lot of prep just to open Christmas presents!! My family just opens presents while still wearing pajamas :0)
your Linzer cupcakes are not only brilliant, but strikingly gorgeous as well – here’s to a new, delicious tradition for you, with these cupcakes!
Gretchen Noelle says
Very cute cupcakes! Love the tales of Christmas morn’!
Lydia says
Every family seems to have its own quirky traditions — but I think your linzer cupcakes are a lovely tradition that will live on in your family.
Mary says
I love how you share so many memories in your posts. Your Christmas mornings sound so much more organized and calm compared to the Christmasses of my childhood.
Your cupcakes, as usual, are beautiful.
jann says
So much value in traditions~ good to read about yours and learn more about you! The cookies are beautiful~You have that magic touch!
laurie says
I agree your Christmas mornings sound way more calm than the clusterf*** that happens in ours. Its a whirlwind baby! lol
Your cupcakes couldnt be cuter! Absolutely adorable!
Henry VIII says
Sounds good. Looks to me like your hazelnut cupcake is basically a hazelnut financier, right? Good stuff.
Gigi says
Adorable cupcake! Your post was too funny, thanks for chuckle. 🙂
sher says
I started laughing with delight when I saw those adorable cupcakes! Once again–Peabody scores!
barbara says
Too cute Peabody.
Ashley says
Oh I like that tradition of eating cookies while opening gifts!
Dana says
So cute!! And hey, maybe these will become a tradition in other people’s homes 🙂
Deborah says
These are so cute!! It’s funny that your mom would curl your hair before you got to open presents – we (the kids) never got ready but we’d have to wait for my mom and dad to shower and get ready. It always drove me crazy.
Julie O'Hara says
Those cupcakes look so good. Very creative little holiday goodie you came up with!
Julie
Anita says
I love your twist peabody – so adorable and luscious looking!
Hillary says
These are gorgeous, not to mention adorable! It’s like a deconstructed, mini linzertorte! Great job.
Annemarie says
Oh my god, how much I love these. We had better get our kitchen installed and functional in time for Christmas because my list of things to bake is getter longer.
(P.S: I’m also the sort that set my alarm for 3.30 am on Christmas and woke my parents up. Indulgent sorts that they are, though, they actually got up, watched us open presents, and then we all toddled back to bed. If ever children of mine tried to do this, they would be threatened with all their gifts being returned to the store.)
Cakelaw says
These are both unique and gorgeous – great Christmas baking idea!
Kirsten says
Peabody – what a great story! I sadly wish my mom might have made a *bit* more of a fuss with us…I look terrible in most Christmas pics – but I guess that’s what it’s all about.
These look amazing!! And call me untraditional, but whatever feels right and fills us with love and holiday spirit is a tradition in my book. That is everything except EARLY risers. 🙂
Patricia Scarpin says
Pea, what a wonderful post, I love it!
The Christmas traditions here are a bit different from the ones we see in American movies, for instance. But nowadays some of the American traditions are part of our holiday celebrations, too.
We don’t bake cookies, here, but I do since I started my blog (one Xmas, so far, only). I made goodie bags for my friends, etc. This year, I’ll do it again. It will become my personal Christmas tradition.
Your cupcakes look fabulous – they’re insanely beautiful!
Marcia says
Peabody, these cupcakes are gorgeous – I love them! Here in Brazil, we traditionally have a very big dinner on Christmas Eve, and presents are usually opened at the stroke of midnight. If my boys had to wait until Christmas morning, no one would get any sleep in this household… 😀
Jes says
Oh my goodness–I am making these!!!
I love hearing about other’s traditions. 🙂
Deb Schiff says
Gorgeous photos. Love the close-ups. Beautiful cookies. They look just perfect!
Lynn says
Such cute cupcakes! For some reason my sister and I decided that we needed to wear night caps and tiptoe downstairs in the morning by candlelight. Kind of dorky, but it was fun.
Siri says
Those are such lovely and cute cupcakes!
~ Siri
Lydia says
These are adorable!
MyKitchenInHalfCups says
Always Peabody, you twist the regular and shove it out of the box and then you multiply it! Like the cupcake seems wonderful to me: hazelnut flour! That takes it over the top for me; but then it’s got raspberry honey! Then you top it with raspberry jam. And I’m content with a big smile on my face . . . but wait then there’s the Linzer cookie; holy moly! So you get a cookie and a cupcake!
Peabody always out of the box and over the top.
chris says
Okay, seriously? You are so fabulous at kicking things up! You have brought the linzer to a whole ‘nother level. Love these!
Andrea says
Those cupcakes are beautiful, especially with the contrast of the white on top!
janelle says
The problem is… if I made these… I would eat WAY WAY too many, then feel awful and have to go work out or something. And it is cold outside, so who wants to work out? INSTEAD, I am going to to make EGGNOG that has to officially marinate in my fridge for three weeks:).
Hey: love the house Peabody! (I kinda have a new house to, not the one I live in, but the one I live in online:) my blog is remodeled. I guess it is like another home, don’t you think??)
Maryann says
ooooo! That last photo is gorgeous! I simply could not have waited for my hair to be done up before opening gifts. We are a “rip em all open at the same time” sort of family! I wish you and yours a very happy and healthy holiday season 🙂
johanna says
you know that i grew up in linz? and don’t worry, i don’t mind you playing with a traditional recipe… especially not when it looks as delicious like this. i am in love with browned butter and i love linzer, so this a perfect for me. i haven’t even done ANY christmas baking yet, so incredibly behind… one exam to go and then i’ll put my apron on – promised!
Kristen says
Very creative!! You always amaze me.
Hey…would you consider adopting a food blogger? I could use a few more veteran bloggers! Thanks for considering it.
Kelly-Jane says
They are a great tradition, I can imagine looking forward to these every December =) The cookies on top are the perfect decoration!
Jenn says
I had a very similar reaction to yours around Christmas – as child I would not be able to sleep and hide around the tree to try to see Santa. My mom was usually pretty good at getting me out of the way, until one day I spotted her bringing the gifts in and that was a disaster for childhood dreams!
Your cupcakes look great.. maybe I can make them my tradtition too..!
aria says
oh peabody now you speken my language! i could pop those one after another, WOW
Pixie says
Those cupcakes look amazing, absolutely love them!
jenifer says
those are so adorable.