May 11, 2013

TARDIS Self-Destruct Buttons, AKA Jammie Dodgers

So you might remember when I said the 11th Doctor was a bit of a foodie? Yeah, he saved the world using a cookie. This cookie. Well, actually, he ate the cookie he used, but it was this kind of cookie.

I remember watching The Victory of the Daleks, which was the 11th Doctor's first encounter with the hereditary enemy of the Time Lords (involving Winston Churchill. Historical episodes are fun). The Doctor threatened the Daleks with a TARDIS self destruct button, and I remember thinking that it looked like a cookie. But, it's Doctor Who. The spaceship is a plywood box and the Daleks themselves look like pepper mills. Either the props department didn't have anything better, or the Doctor was bluffing with a cookie. Or the props department designed it specifically to look as cheesy as something from the original series. And one of the best things about Doctor Who is that there was an equal chance of each. (Well, probably not the first, as this reboot seems to have a pretty epic budget.)
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It ended up being a cookie, but he was promised tea.
See, that's funny, because Winston Churchill thought the Daleks were friendly little robots that were going to fight the war for him and be his little robot butlers and they kept roaming around the halls asking people if they wanted tea, which was funny but also mildly terrifying.

Just take my word for it, okay?
Yes, I own a plush dalek. That talks. Why does this surprise you?
This was one of the early episodes with Eleven, and his first encounter with the Doctor's oldest enemies, so this was an episode that really set the bar for this most recent incarnation of the Doctor.

And the fact that he fearlessly bluffed his way through an encounter with one of the most merciless races in the universe, one that completely despises him, with nothing but a cookie, was absolutely fantastic.

Umm, wait, no, Nine says that.

It was brilliant? No, that's Ten.

Cool. It was definitely cool.
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But maybe that's just the foodie in me talking. Still, it speaks a lot to the kind of Doctor Eleven is. Fearless, thinks himself a sort of cowboy, is actually more of a little boy playing cowboy.

Although he can totally rock a stetson. Which, as you may suspect, are also cool. Monks, however, are not cool.
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Don't you just want to pinch his cheeks?

That's not to say that the Doctor is always fun and light-hearted and full of devil-may-care antics, but he is whenever there are Jammie Dodgers involved. So obviously I had to learn how to make them, in case the Doctor ever shows up. How else can I ensure he takes me with him? And in case the Daleks ever show up, Imma need a fresh batch of TARDIS self-destruct buttons to protect me.

(Am I the only one who always hears the word 'obviously' in Sherlock's voice?) (Mixing my fandoms again. I can't help it! So much Benedict on the news with Into Darkness coming out, and so little Series 3...)
Jammie Dodgers are apparently quite a popular cookie (or biscuit, if you're a native) in England, but here in the good ol' U.S. of A. we have to make our own. Although we have cowboys, so there.
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Shut up! He doesn't count. He's not a real cowboy. He's just pretending. There are no cows in space.

...

Now's not the time for a Firefly reference. Stop it, fangirl.
Anyway, Jammie Dodgers are just basically a shortbread or butter-style sandwich cookie with, you guessed it, jam filling.

The recipe I used came from Dining With The Doctor...

Yes. There is a Doctor Who-themed cookbook, and yes, I own it. Surprised? Anyone?

...and while I can't speak to how authentic the recipe may or may not be, it was delicious. I mean, you can't go wrong with shortbread and jam. And this recipe uses brown sugar, which keeps the cookies from getting overly crispy, and adds that sort of deeper, molasses-y sweetness. Even G, who doesn't normally like sweets, loved them. Although Bossman said that next time, I should dust them with powdered sugar.

I told him next time, he could make his own.
My one problem with the recipe: it made a sh**load of cookies. And I even rolled them out pretty thick (because I hate rolling out cookie dough, and I was short a little flour, so the dough softened really quickly), so I probably could have gotten more. I've halved it for you

I mean, after all, the Doctor only needs:
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Because fezzes are cool.
Jammie Dodgers
Yield: 2-3 dozen sandwich cookies

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp. milk
1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Approx. 1/4 cup your favorite seedless jam (I used raspberry)

Directions
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl with electric beaters, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture, until fully incorporated. If the dough seems sticky, add an extra 1/4 cup flour. Separate the dough into 3 equal parts. Flatten into disks and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, 2-4 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly dust your workspace with flour or powdered sugar*. Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into circles using a 2 inch round or scalloped** cookie cutter. Using a small heart or round cutter, cut out the middles of half the circles (I used the bottom of my 1M pastry tip). Place about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Bake 7-10 minutes until the edges are set, and the cookies are a light golden brown. Let cool on the pan about 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Heat the jam in the microwave for a few seconds until a nice spreadable consistency. Spread a thin layer on the solid cookies, and top with the cutout cookies. Serve as-is, or dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

*I use powdered sugar because it tastes better, and you won't have streaks of flour on your cookies.

**Or use the one you got from the dollar store that falls somewhere in the middle.

Recipe adapted slightly from: Dining With The Doctor: The Unauthorized Whovian Cookbook

Use ALL the Doctor Who props!
Disclaimer: Treats & Trinkets does not guarantee that these cookies will save you from the daleks. Nor does it guarantee that they will cause you to travel through time and space with a certain two-hearted alien. We can only guarantee that these are some tasty cookies.

*Real Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links*