Who knew what America needed over the last two difficult years was a TV show about a good-natured, “kindness is king," football-coach-turned-soccer-coach who believes in everyone?
But "Ted Lasso" is just what the doctor ordered. The Apple TV+ show, set to release a third season next summer, has been a darling with critics and fans alike. It walked away with seven Emmys earlier this year, including “Outstanding Comedy Series,” and has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The show is about a college football coach from Kansas named Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) who takes a job coaching soccer in England. The Brits are skeptical by his lack of experience, but he tries to win them over with his folksy optimism, kindness and determination.
This being America, plenty of companies are capitalizing on all things "Ted Lasso" this Christmas. You can find some really fun clothing and other gift options with a simple Google search.
But I took a different approach and opted to give homemade Ted Lasso cookies to the fans on my Christmas list. To refresh your memory, in one of the earliest episodes, Ted walks into the office of his prickly boss, Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), and hands her a pink bakery box of cookies (or to the English, “biscuits”). He insists they start their day with “Biscuits with the Boss.”
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Rebecca, being a world-class pill, at this point in the series, seems none too pleased with the idea, but slowly changes her tune the more she bites into the buttery cookies. She even asks her director of football operations, Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift), to find out where Ted buys them. Of course, we find out later that Coach Lasso makes them himself.
After watching Rebecca devour the biscuits week after week, viewers started wondering what they taste like. Their curiosity and taste buds can now be satisfied. Apple TV+ has shared the official recipe, and it is honestly one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever tackled, with just four ingredients — flour, powdered sugar, butter and salt.
It’s very much like a regular shortbread cookie, but maybe a little thicker and chewier. It’s a dry cookie at first bite, but with all of the butter in the recipe, it quickly melts in your mouth and is perfect accompanied by a cup of coffee or tea. (If you’re Ted, you’d choose coffee as he has described tea as both "hot, brown water" and "garbage water.")
Now to the best part — how inexpensive they are to bake. Chances are you probably have most of these ingredients in your pantry or refrigerator already. But even if you don’t, you won’t break the bank buying them. I did the math and based on the cost of the ingredients in the grocery store and the amount used in the recipe, an entire 8-by-8-inch pan (probably between 12 and 16 servings, depending on the size of cookie) will cost less than $3 to bake.
I decided to go the extra mile and make it look more authentic by putting the cookies in a pink bakery box like the kind Ted uses. The boxes come in all kinds of sizes. I bought a 10-pack for $10 on Amazon. The boxes I bought are big enough for nearly a full batch, but there are also tiny little boxes that would fit one or two cookies and might be fun stocking stuffers.
I also ordered some Ted Lasso stickers to decorate the box. It was $5 for 100 stickers, also on Amazon. So even adding those touches, the entire Ted Lasso cookie gift cost less than $5 a batch.
Easy, inexpensive and completely yummy — a gift that’s sure to make everyone as happy as goldfish.
Ted Lasso 'Biscuits with the Boss' Cookies
Makes: 8-by-8-inch pan (12-16 servings)
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Ingredients:
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Directions:
Place 2 sticks unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if using an electric hand mixer). Let sit at room temperature until softened. Coat an 8- or 9-inch square metal baking pan with more butter.
Beat the butter on high speed with the paddle attachment until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually add 3/4 cup powdered sugar and continue to beat until pale and fluffy.
Stop the mixer. Sift 2 cups all-purpose flour into the bowl, then add 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt. Mix on low speed until just combined. Transfer to the prepared pan and pat to an even thickness no more than 1/2-inch thick. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slice the dough into rectangles or squares in the pan. Bake until golden-brown and the middle is firm, 45 to 60 minutes. Let cool completely. Re-slice, if needed, before serving.
— Recipe courtesy: Apple TV+
