Cookie Box Blog

Rice Krispies with Pearls, Pan Forte, Sugared Herbs etc.

Last year I made cookie boxes to give as gifts - it was so fun planning the boxes, dreaming up different cookie combinations, colours, textures, designs, finding and testing different recipes and then delivering them to my friends - a very satisfying project. That being said, I don’t think I will be making the boxes again this year (it was basically a full time job for two weeks) - so instead I will give the memory of the cookie boxes in blog form ;)

Below is my cookie box menu from last year and recipe sources.

First - research:

One of my favourite things to do is browse grocery stores - and the basement of the St. Lawrence Market is especially great because they carry all sorts of specialty items (marzipan, golden syrup, a variety of Valrhona chocolate, skinless pistachios, maraschino cherries etc). I went to here to get ideas and pick up some decorations. I also went to Soma to pick up some hazelnut cookies and Forno Cultura for a bag of their biscotti (in the summer of 2020 I went here every afternoon for a cortado and a biscotti so have tried them all - my favourite is the chocolate shortbread with espresso and black olive).

Cookie box warm up with this giant hazelnut shortbread - I recommend inviting a friend over for a large cookie

Research continues - chocolate chip cookie test, PERFECT Baci Di Dama from SOMA, ditto the chocolate raisins, candied peel, little slice of something chocolate I made

cookies from St Lawrence Market/Forno Cultura biscotti bag

Cookie Box Menu:

candied oranges, sugared cherries, cookie storage, brown sugar walnut shortbread topography

sugared herbs for shortbread decoration (a winter garden!)

I knew I wanted to use sugared cherries and herbs to decorate a shortbread (and also have something in the box that I could make and freeze ahead of time to slice and bake at a later date) - I used Nicola Lamb’s vanilla shortbread recipe as the base for this - I also used her double chocolate shortbread recipe. Both were SO good.

In a cookie deep dive I came across this recipe for Marlow & Sons Brown Sugar Walnut Shortbread (cookie blog!) and it was so easy and tasty I made it once when I was testing it out and then had to make it again to put in the box - I added pearls and silver balls too.

Pan Forte in the sun

Something I will definitely make again this year is David Lebovitz’s Pan Forte - it lasts forever, is so easy to make and what a beautiful cross-section. I used hazelnuts and candied oranges in mine.

From 101 cookbooks I made the Sicilian Pistachio cookies and Triple Ginger cookies (these I also must make again this year).

Pinched Orange Macarons (I LOVE an almond cookie) came from Martha.

I used Claire Ptak’s Egg Yolk Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe (and added dried mission figs and rolled them in sesame seeds). These I recommended to eat first when delivering the box.

Swiss Meringue (I forget which recipe I used) - these were included more for looks - a little cloud in the corner of the box!

Also from David Lebovitz I got the tip to add white chocolate to rice krispie squares - he also suggests using candied peanuts, which I didn’t do - but I did add little candy pearls on top and smoked Maldon. These late additions were a favourite in the box…(low effort/high reward).

Last but NOT least, Pecan Sandies from Smitten Kitchen - these I also made in advance and baked - they were Joel’s favourite.

Pro tip I learned from Patti Robinson (who is making cookie boxes again this year at her bakery, which I highly recommend) is to get plastic shoe boxes for storage - if you’re in Toronto these are available at Tap Phong and worked very well.

Cookie box assembly

Thank you for reading <3 Please let me know your favourite cookie recipes.

Louise Bourgeois 🍪