Advent Day 16: Gingerbread

So it turns out that the story of the Gingerbread Man actually has a great Biblical lesson behind it - or so claims Joel Murethi in his blog on "We Are God's Gingerbread Man."  Definitely worth a read!

GINGERBREAD MEN

(From Glutenfreeonashoestring.com)

INGREDIENTS

For Gluten Free

• 1 1/2 cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour (I used Better Batter)
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)

For Regular:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons (84 g) unsulphured molasses
• 1 tablespoon (21 g) honey
• 1 egg (60 g, weighed out of shell) at room temperature, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Royal Icing, for decorating (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.
2. In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, (or regular flour) baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt, and whisk to combine well. Add the brown sugar and whisk again to combine, working out any lumps. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter, molasses, honey, egg and vanilla, mixing to combine after each addition. The dough will be thick and sticky.
3. Transfer the dough to a large sheet of unbleached parchment paper, cover with another sheet of parchment and roll into a rectangle about 3/8-inch thick (more than 1/4-inch, less than 1/2-inch). If you are concerned that the dough will be difficult to handle, place it in the refrigerator or freezer after you roll it out to allow it to firm up. Pull back the top sheet of parchment paper, dip a gingerbread man cutter in all purpose gluten free flour or cornstarch, and use it to cut out shapes from the cookie dough. With each cut, jiggle the cutter back and forth to create a neat shape. Place the dough on a flat, portable surface like a cutting board and place in the freezer until firm (about 10 minutes).
4. Once the dough has chilled, peel back the rest of the dough from around the cut-outs and gather the scraps. Then carefully peel off the cut-out shapes and place them, about 1 1/2-inches apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat the process with the remaining dough until you have used it all.
5. Place the cut-outs on the baking sheets in the refrigerator or freezer until firm (about 20 minutes in the refrigerator, or just 5 minutes in the freezer). This will help them keep their shape during baking. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until just set, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheets. Decorate the completely cooled cookies with royal icing, if desired. Allow the icing to set for 24 hours before stacking the cookies.

Advent Day 15: Old Fashioned Fudge!

Now, fudge, as we know it, didn't begin to exist as a sweet treat until cacao hit Europe in the mid-17th century.  Prior to that, it was well known well before the start of the Common Era in the South American cultures and used in religious ceremonies - certainly not as personal use.  The beans were actually used for bartering, and could pay for a wide variety of goods and services.  But the concept of sweetening the cacao bean didn't happen until much later, and a bitter chocolate drink was made from it. 

However, within the Bible, while they might have been unaware of cacao, they used sweetened cakes and wines as treats and foods to be used in celebration.  And as is pointed out in the quote from Nehemiah below, those who had nothing were to be provided for - for holy days were days of hospitality and grace.

Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

Let that run through your mind the next time you make fudge - and give some to someone who doesn't have, or can't cook.

OLD FASHIONED FUDGE

(Recipe from Rosemary of An Italian in my Kitchen)

Ingredients

• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa (unsweetened good quality)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Line an 8 inch square pan with buttered parchment paper.
2. In a medium heavy saucepan stir together sugar, cocoa and salt, then add the milk and stir with a wooden spoon (not a whisk or metal spoon).
3. Cook over medium heat stirring continuously until mixture starts to boil (a strong boil), approximately 15 minutes.
4. Turn heat to low and continue to cook without stirring until temperature reaches 234 °F.  Approximately 30 minutes.
5. Remove pot from heat, add the butter and vanilla.  Do not stir.  Cool to room temperature (110°F), approximately 30 minutes.  Then beat with a wooden spoon just until mixture begins to lose some of it's gloss (approximately 6-8 minutes).
6. Then spread quickly in prepared cake pan and let cool completely, even overnight (at room temperature).   Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
7. You can also freeze the fudge in a double bag, well wrapped.  Freeze either in pieces or the whole slab.  Can be frozen up to 3 months.  Keeps in an airtight container for approximately 2 weeks or in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. 

A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT TIPS TO MAKE THIS THE BEST FUDGE.

1.  Line your pan with parchment paper.
2.  Use a wooden spoon and not a whisk or metal spoon.  Apparently it is easier on the fudge.
3.  Once the fudge boils, stop stirring and continue to cook on low heat so you don’t burn the fudge.
4.  Make sure your candy thermometer isn’t touching the bottom of the pot because you want the most accurate reading.
5.  Stir only until the mixture starts to lose it’s gloss.
6.  Be patient when making this fudge and enjoy every bite!

Advent Day 14: Shrimp Fajitas

One of the interesting graces to come with Christ was the advent of a New Covenant, made with His body and blood.  As our Eucharist service (and the Bible, Mark 14:24) indicates, this is the blood of the [new] covenant.  The older covenants had included some pretty strict dietary laws, which precluded the eating of shellfish (or anything that comes from the sea without scales or fins).  Now, there are certainly some reasons not to eat shellfish that have more to do with biology than Biblical law, but that's another topic.

Christ said:  "there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile."  (Mark 7:15)   We Christians have taken that to mean that it's not the food that can be unclean, but rather ourselves, our words and actions that show themselves to be unclean.  It's an advisement to watch ourselves and be good representatives of the word that Christ brought us.

That said, by request, we have:

SHRIMP FAJITA BOWLS
(Taken from Skinny Taste)

INGREDIENTS:

For the shrimp:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound large peeled, deveined, tail-off shrimp

For the veggies:

• 2 medium red bell peppers, sliced
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the rice:

• 3 cups cooked brown rice
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Juice of ½ lime

For the salsa and topping:

• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup chopped white onion
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• Pinch kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 small (4-ounce) Hass avocado, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For shrimp:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the shrimp ingredients from olive oil through pepper.
2. Add the shrimp and toss to evenly coat.
3. Set aside and allow to marinate while you make the veggies.

For veggies:

1. Combine all veggie ingredients in a large bowl.  Use your hands to toss and evenly coat veggies with oil and seasoning.
2. Transfer to a sheet pan and roast 20 minutes, tossing halfway through.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the rice and salsa.  In a medium bowl, combine rice with cilantro, salt and lime juice.
4. In small bowl, make the salsa by combining the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, salt and pepper.
5. Remove veggies from oven and place marinated shrimp (leaving excess marinade in the bowl) evenly among the veggies.
6. Return to the oven and roast 8 minutes.
7. Place ¾ cup rice in each of 4 bowls.  Evenly divide the shrimp, veggies, salsa and sliced avocado among each bowl and serve.

Advent Day 13: St. Lucy's Crown

St. Lucy said to her mother, "...whatever you give away at death for the Lord's sake you give because you cannot take it with you. Give now to the true Savior, while you are healthy, whatever you intended to give away at your death."   [Ælfric's Lives of Saints". Walter W. Skeat, ed., Early English Text Society, original series, vols. 76, 82, 94, 114 [London, 1881–1900], revised)]

Today is St. Lucy's day, one of eight feast days where the mass is celebrated within the Catholic Church on behalf of a woman.  St. Lucy had dedicated herself to God, unbeknownst to her mother, and when her mother became ill, she arranged a marriage for Lucy with a wealthy pagan nobleman.  According to medieval accounts, the scorned suitor put out Lucy's eyes, and she was martyred for being a Christian during the Diocletian Persecution in 304 CE. 

Lucy's wish to grant her dowry monies to the poor wasn't going well with her mother, and thus the conversation above may have taken place.  Her grace and hospitality towards all makes her worth remembering this day.

Saint Lucia's Braided Bread

(Source: Catholic Cuisine Blogspot)

INGREDIENTS

Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 1/4-ounce packages active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 1/2 o 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Glaze and Garnish:

• 2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• Candles (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Warm the milk in a small saucepan, then pour 1/2 cup of it into a large bowl.
2. Add the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar and let it set for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in the remaining milk.
3. Add the butter and milk mixture to the yeast mixture. Whisk in the eggs, juice, 1/4 cup of sugar, orange rind, and salt.
4. Stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough can be gathered into a ball. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 minutes, adding more flour until the dough is smooth and elastic and does not stick to your hands.
5. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, turning it once to coat it. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
6. Punch down the dough and divide it into 3 equal parts. Roll each part into a 30-inch rope and braid the ropes together.
7. Transfer the braid to a greased baking sheet, pinch together the ends to form a circle, and let it rise until it has again doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
8. Heat the oven to 375°. Bake the bread for 25 minutes or until golden brown, then let it cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes.
9. For the glaze, stir together the confectioner's sugar and orange juice in a medium bowl until smooth.
10. Drizzle the glaze mix over the bread, then garnish with the cranberries. Finally, add candles, if you'd like. Serves 12.

Advent Day 12: Hot Chocolate Variations!

We have heard it said that "Variety's the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavour." (Taken from William Cowper's The Task, published in 1785.)  Now, while Cowper was the first one to phrase it in this manner, we note that spices were often a costly and welcomed gift within the Bible.  An interesting passage can be found at 1 Kings Chapter 10, when the Queen of Sheba came to challenge the wisdom of Solomon:

When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon (fame due to the name of the Lord), she came to test him with hard questions.  She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. When the queen of Sheba had observed all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his valets, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.

So she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your accomplishments and of your wisdom, but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. Not even half had been told me; your wisdom and prosperity far surpass the report that I had heard. Happy are your wives!  Happy are these your servants, who continually attend you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king to execute justice and righteousness.” Then she gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones; never again did spices come in such quantity as that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. (1 Kings 10)

Solomon exhibited hospitality for a monarch who had no bearing upon his reign, but handled her questions with the grace and wisdom God had given him.  So today's all about adding variety and spices to hot chocolate.

HOT CHOCOLATE VARIATIONS

Basic Hot Cocoa Recipe
Pour 4 c milk into a 1-qt measuring cup. Add 1 capful (about 1/2 t) vanilla, and set aside.

Place in a medium saucepan:

• 1/4 c cocoa powder
• 1/2 c sugar
• pinch of salt

1. (Save yourself some trouble, as well as the juggling of multiple small measuring cups, by making several individual batches of these dry ingredients and storing each in a small zip style plastic bag. You'll be amazed at what a time saver this can be!)
2. Whisk in 1/3 c hot tap water, and place over medium heat. Watch carefully and stir frequently until the mixture comes to a full boil; then continue to boil, stirring constantly, for two minutes.
3. Remove from heat and whisk in the reserved vanilla milk. Return to the stove at a low to medium setting, until heated through.
4. Serve as is, or topped with marshmallows or whippped cream. Guaranteed to "warm the toe bones," as we say at our house! :) Makes four (8 oz.) servings of hot cocoa.

German Chocolate Hot Cocoa

1. Substitute 1/2 c. brown sugar for the granulated white sugar.
2. Substitute 2 c. of coconut milk for half (2 c.) of the milk in the recipe.
3. You can use a 15.5 oz can of coconut milk, or use this recipe for Coconut-Infused Milk:
1. Place 2 cups of shredded coconut in a heat-safe bowl.
2. Bring 2 cups of milk to a boil in a small saucepan. It will foam, then boil over very quickly, so watch carefully!
3. Pour over the reserved coconut, and let stand for about one hour.
4. Place the coconut and milk mixture into a blender, and process for about 30 seconds.
5. Strain into a 1-qt measuring cup, pressing the coconut to extract as much milk as possible. Discard the coconut.
6. Fill the measuring cup to the 4 cup mark with additional milk, then continue the basic recipe as written.

Tastes great with gingerbread cookies!

Mexican Hot Cocoa

1. Prepare basic recipe as written; whisk in 2 t cinnamon and 1/2 t chili powder with the milk.
2. If desired, top with sweetened whipped cream and a few shavings of dark, sweet chocolate.

Serve with Mexican Wedding Cakes for a special treat!

Scandinavian Orange Chocolate Hot Cocoa

1. Prepare hot cocoa as directed in the basic recipe above.
2. Whip 1 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form.
3. Gently fold 2 T orange marmalade into the whipped cream.
4. Place a large dollop of the orange whipped cream on each serving of the hot cocoa; top with freshly-grated orange zest, if desired.

There are plenty of other options (including some slightly alcoholic, that I'll let you look up on your own), and links are below for the non-alcoholic:

Roasted Chestnut Hot Chocolate with Toasted Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

Pasilla Hot Chocolate with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

Lemongrass-Lavender White Hot Chocolate

Advent Day 11: Fish Tacos

Hospitality.  One of the best examples of hospitality was Jesus taking two loaves and five fish, and feeding thousands.  But that hospitality wasn't just about feeding a physical hunger, but also about realizing that people had come to get their daily bread from Him, and they were there as a result of that.  He had a responsibility to ensure that their bellies were filled enough that their minds and hearts could hear, understand and inwardly digest His words. 

When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”  Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.”  And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 14:14-21)

So think about that - if we don't help take care of the immediate needs (food, shelter, drink, clothing), are people able to hear the Word we try to give to them?

BAJA FISH TACOS

(Recipe from Ortega)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 package (1 1/4-oz)ORTEGA Taco Seasoning Mix - divided
• 1 pound (4 total) cod or white fish fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tbls. vegetable oil
• 2 tbls. lemon juice
• 1 package ORTEGA Taco Shells (12 ct), warmed (I will probably fry my own corn tortillas)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, cilantro and 2 tablespoons seasoning mix in small bowl.
2. Combine cod, vegetable oil, lemon juice and remaining seasoning mix in medium bowl; pour into large skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until cod flakes easily when tested with a fork.
3. Fill taco shells with fish mixture. Optional: Top with cabbage, tomato, sour cream mixture, lime juice and taco sauce.

Advent Day 10: Honey Cake

The first time we hear in the Bible about the Lord leading the Hebrew people to the "land of milk and honey" is in Exodus, where he describes the land that he will lead them to after Moses leads them out of Egypt.

Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey..."  (Exodus 3:7-8)

This land was mentioned 27 times in the Bible, split up between ten other books.  A land that flowed with milk and honey would be indeed be their idea of heaven on earth.  Again, the symbolism was that of a grace provided by God to an undeserving people who, even as he spoke the first time to Moses on the mountain, became bored and demanded that Aaron create a golden idol for them.  Is it any wonder that Moses lost his temper with them?  Or that God did not allow any of that generation to enter into the promised land? 

HONEY CAKE

(Taken from Deb Perelman of the Smitten Kitchen Blog)

Ingredients

Cake Layers

• 1/2 cup (170 grams) honey
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
• 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups (455 grams) all-purpose flour, divided

Frosting and Filling

• 32 ounces (just shy of 4 cups or 900 grams) sour cream
• 1 14-ounce can (400 grams) sweetened condensed milk

You'll want to start this a minimum of the day before you want to serve it, but can make the cake layers up to a week before, stored at room temperature.

Directions

1. The day before, get ready: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Get 2 baking sheets (or even better, round pizza pans) down, more if you have them. Tear off 6 sheets of parchment paper large enough to have a 9-inch circle on it.
2. Make cookie/cake dough: In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the sugar, honey and butter over medium heat. Once simmering, cook for 3 to 4 minutes (no specific temperature needed), it should get a faint shade darker and smell wonderful. Whisk in baking soda.
3. Remove from heat and set aside for 2 to 3 minutes. It’s not going to significantly cool off, just settle a little. Lightly beat your eggs in a spouted measuring cup (for easiest pouring) or small bowl. Take a deep breath. Whisking the honey mixture vigorously in the pot the whole time, drizzle the thinnest stream (think: 1/2 teaspoon at a time, that slowly) of the eggs into the honey mixture. Do not stop mixing. Continue until all of the eggs are thoroughly whisked in.
4. Stir in the salt and vanilla and 3 cups (390 grams) of the flour with a spoon. The dough is going to be thick like a bread but you’ve got this. Stir in the last 1/2 cup of flour 1/4 cup at a time; you’ll get a bonus arm workout.
5. Shape and bake the cookies/cakes: [Plus, a bunch more layer tips at the end.] Lightly flour your counter and divide the still-warm dough into 8 even pieces. Roll the first one between two sheets of parchment paper (no flouring needed) to a slightly-bigger-than-9-inch round. Remove top sheet of parchment paper. Very lightly dust the top with flour if you’re going to put something on it (such as the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan or the rim of a 9-inch bowl) to trim the shape to an even 9-inch circle. Save the trimmings — put them aside on one of the sheets of parchment paper, it’s fine if they overlap a little. Dock the circle all over with a fork. Slide your 9-inch round onto a baking sheet and bake for 6 to 7 minutes; it should feel firmish and get slightly darker at the edges. Slide the cookie onto a cooling rack. Go ahead and reuse the parchment for another layer.
6. Meanwhile, while the first layer is baking, roll out your second piece so it’s ready to go into the oven as soon as the first comes out. If you’re making good time, get the third ready too and continue to bake them two at a time. Keep adding the unbaked cookie trimmings onto one piece of parchment paper. Repeat this process as you bake each round and you’ll have all 8 baked before you know it.
7. Finally, take that last sheet of parchment with all of the cookie scraps on it and slide it onto a baking sheet and bake it, checking in at 4 minutes, because the thinnest scraps will want to burn quickly. By 5 minutes, all should be baked until pale golden. Let cool completely and save until you’re ready to decorate the cake tomorrow.
8. Fill and frost the cake: Whisk sour cream and sweetened condensed milk together in a large bowl. Once cookies are cool, place a dab of the sour cream mixture on your cake plate and place the first cookie on top of it to help adhere it.
9. Cut or tear one of your used pieces of parchment paper into strips and tuck them all around the underside of the cake to protect your cake plate. Trust me, if you do not do this, you will regret it.
10. Scoop 3/4 cup sour cream mixture onto the center of your first cookie layer. Spread it only a little from the center, leaving a good 1- to 2-inch margin of unfrosted cookie. Stack the second cookie on top and repeat until you have 8 layers.
11. This will quickly become a huge mess. The sour cream is going to spill out and down the sides anyway (hear hear for those paper strips) and you’re going to start yelling at me/drafting an angry comment in your head. It’s also going to want to slide around and not stay neatly stacked. It’s totally okay because the filling will thicken as it absorbs into the cookies. Put the cake in the fridge for a couple hours (1 to 3) and when you come back to it, nudge the stack gently back into place and use a spoon and icing spatula to scoop the spilled-out filling back up the sides and onto the top of the cake. Don’t worry about it looking neat. Let it chill overnight.
12. The next day, finish the cake: Grind your baked, reserved cookie scraps in a blender or food processor, or bash them into crumbs in a bag with a rolling pin.
13. Take your cake out and do one final frosting clean-up. Spread any newly puddled sour cream back up the sides and across the top. If you’d like to make a decoration on top of your cake, take one of those used pieces of parchment paper (see how much Deb hates wasting parchment) and cut a stencil with it. Place it gently on top of the cake.
14. Use a small spoon to sprinkle the top and sides of the cake with the crumbs. In the coolest trick I saw on a cooking video, use a pastry brush (or extremely clean paintbrush, I won’t tell) to gently brush the crumbs off the stencil and across the cake in a thin layer. It sounds crazy but it works — on the sides too. Remove the stencil and parchment paper strips and look at that clean serving plate! (Bravo, you.)
15. You can serve the cake right away, or keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. When slicing, I found that a knife dipped in hot water made picture-perfect cuts.

Extra Tips

1. The dough is a bit stiff, but it will stretch to the size you need with pressure. If you’re finding it to be a huge pain, that the dough clearly wants to go to 8 inches but not 9, just go ahead and make the cake 8 inches round. It will be just as good of a cake; the layers might need a single extra minute to bake.
2. Ovens will vary, especially for such thin cookies, so keep an eye on the first round as of the 6-minute mark, checking in each minute after as it can brown very quickly, and then you’ll know how much time you need for the remaining ones.
3. This dough is easiest to roll/softest when it’s still a little warm; if yours has cooled quickly, I found that you could put each piece in the microwave for 5 to 7 seconds (only!) to get it a touch warmer again, without prematurely baking the cookie.
4. Go ahead and save all of those used pieces of parchment paper for the next step and beyond. We’re going to use them again.