I had big plans for the 2021 Baking Olympics (i.e. the Christmas holidays). I’d been training all year, honing my photography skills, obsessively planning out my baking schedule to give my stollen time to age and keep my ricotta cookies as fresh as possible, and mapping and scheduling an epic number of cookie deliveries. Yeah, major plans. But 2021 wasn’t quite done with me yet, and on December 1 I unexpectedly found myself on a plane back home due to a family emergency that kept us in NY through the New Year.
Thankfully everyone is now doing well, and I am so grateful to have been able to support and help when it was needed. And amidst all the upheaval and disorientation, I actually felt more centered than I have in a long, long time. All my scheming and obsessive planning, my struggle for absolute control, faded to the background as I fully engaged in what was most important here and now. Being with my family, letting them lean on me and leaning on others when I needed to, and tending to the needs of others as my first priority. Without my laptop, I couldn’t stress over my dissertation. Without my camera, I couldn’t worry about the perfect shot and how it would look on the internet to people I’ve never met and maybe never will. Instead, I cooked to nourish, to give others a break, to connect with my husband, and to soothe my own anxiety. I hadn’t felt that level of contentment and satisfaction in the kitchen for a long time. I filled the blank space of December 2021 with things that were more meaningful, more real, than I could have if everything had gone to my rigid, silly plans.
After a month away, we returned to a frozen Seattle late at night after what seemed like an eternal cross-country flight. While foraging the kitchen to find anything edible, I discovered a batch of chocolate marzipan kolbasa, made the weekend after Thanksgiving and stashed away, the only Christmas cookies I had a chance to make this year. After a half hour thaw on the counter, I sliced into the sweet chocolatey rolls and was delighted to remember that I riffed on the classic version with the addition of marzipan and a healthy glug of spiced dark rum.
These are no bake and very customizable. Most recipes call for nuts and if you’d prefer to use them instead of marzipan, just use an equal weight of almonds, walnuts, or whatever you like. The rum is also my own addition, I fully intended to use cherry brandy but supply chain issues prevented me from finding any in our local liquor store. If you’d prefer a non-alcoholic flavor, stick to 1 tsp of vanilla or other extract.
The photos prove that a month in the freezer has no ill effects on these cookies. So if you can’t bear the thought of another cookie after an indulgent season, rest assured you can make them now and freeze until your sweet tooth returns.
Chocolate Marzipan Kolbasa
Ingredients
- 4 oz plain or vanilla cookies (think Nilla wafers, tea biscuits, Maria biscuits, or similar)
- 100g marzipan, chopped into 1/2 inch dice (not almond paste)
- 113g (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 6 oz (3/4 cup) sweetened condensed milk
- 125g bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp rum or brandy (optional, sub 1 tsp vanilla or rum extract if preferred)
- confectioners sugar to roll
Directions
- Break up the cookies with hands, a potato masher, or using short pulses in a food processor. Stop when the largest pieces are about 1/2 inch square. Sieve cookies in a colander over the sink or bin to remove crumbs.
- Toss the remaining cookie crumbles with the diced marzipan until well distributed.
- In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Whisk in chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt until mixture is smooth. Whisk in rum or brandy if using. Do not allow chocolate to separate; once it has smoothed out, remove it immediately from the heat and allow to cool for 2 minutes.
- Add chocolate mixture to bowl with cookies and marzipan, fold in gently with a spatula until well distributed, taking care to leave the marzipan as intact as possible. Set aside for 15 minutes to slightly set.
- Cut out as many rectangular sheets of wax or parchment paper as you would like – you can either make 2-3 large kolbasa or 7-8 small ones. Divide the cooled chocolate into the papers and using slightly damp hands and the paper, form into rough logs. Don’t worry about making them smooth, the confectioners sugar will fill out any lumps and bumps. Roll and tie the ends of the paper, then wrap securely in aluminum foil.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving. Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks. The kolbasa will also set well and keep in the freezer for at least 3 months.
