Cook & Be Merry » Cookies

Golden Orange Almond Biscotti Sprinkled With Turbinado Sugar

Lynne — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 05:06:43 +0000

Here I am, still posting about what I made for my Christmas dinner. And this is not the last one either. I hope you don’t mind. We really enjoyed these Biscotti for dessert with ice cream and sherbet. After a big meal – and we were stuffed – biscotti are a light, sweet end with serious flavor, but small portions. This biscotti recipe calls for ¼ cup of orange zest, so you can understand why they are orange colored. They also smell so amazingly of orange essence, that I have found myself walking through the kitchen and opening the biscotti container just to smell them. Aaah….

Biscotti is the plural form of biscotto, which originates from medieval Latin biscoctus meaning “twice-baked/cooked.” As they are very dry, they’re traditionally served with a drink into which they maybe dunked. In Italy, where they originated, they’re served with a Tuscan fortified wine called vin santo. Outside of Italy they more frequently accompany coffee, cappuccino, lattes or black tea. In Spain, they’re served with a small glass of a sweet dessert wine, such as muscat or moscatell. We had ours with coffee, but I didn’t see any dunking. They didn’t last long enough.

It took 4 huge oranges to generate the ¼ cup of zest called for in the recipe. I prefer to use my box grater because it captures more of the juicy zest below the hard skin.

The toasted almonds are roughly chopped in small handfuls. Each nut is cut into only 2 or 3 pieces.

The dough for these biscotti is the stickiest stuff I have ever seen. Let it rest in the bowl for about 30 minutes for the gluten to rest.

Using a large spatula, remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface. I know it looks like a big shaggy blob, but do not despair. You are going to transform this homely thing into beautiful butterflies.

And this is what they will look like. Orange-hued and sparkling with turbinado sugar. A sight to behold.

Take that big blob of dough and form/pat/roll it into a log about 12 inches long and divide it into 4 portions.

Take each portion and pat/roll it into a baton about 12 ½ inches long and place on parchment lined sheets.

Cool baked batons completely on cooling racks on parchment.

With a serrated knife, the batons are sliced on the diagonal.

This photo shows the wonderful texture of the interior of the biscotti. Now they are brushed with beaten egg white and sprinkled with turbinado sugar, and baked again.

Your kitchen is going to smell so good and you are going to eat too many right out of the oven. I had to put them in a container so I couldn’t see them. Just sayin’.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Orange Almond Biscotti Sprinkled with Turbinado Sugar

Makes about six dozen 3-inch cookies

2 cups whole raw skin-on almonds

20 ounces (4 ½ cups) all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup turbinado sugar (also sold as Sugar in the Raw)
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup finely grated orange zest (from 4 to 5 oranges)
2 teaspoon anise seeds, ground or crushed

8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch slices
4 large eggs
¼ cup strained fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla

For the glaze:
2 egg whites, beaten until slightly frothy
1/3 cup turbinado sugar, in a small bowl

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place top two oven racks in middle and top of oven. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. On a separate baking sheet covered with foil, toast the almonds for about 15 minutes, until skins just start to crack. Remove foil with almonds to cool surface.

3. Roughly chop almonds, with each nut only being cut into two or three pieces. Chopping a handful at a time makes it easier to chop them evenly. Place chopped nuts back on foil.

4. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in the bowl in an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the turbinado sugar, granulated sugar, orange zest and anise seeds until well combined. Add this mixture to the flour in the mixer bowl and mix to combine.

6. With mixer on slow speed add the chilled butter and mix until butter pieces are the size of large peas. You may want to cover the bowl with your hands or a kitchen towel as the flour flies out quite a bit.

7. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the eggs, orange juice and vanilla extract. Add to dough, mixing until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

8. Add the chopped almonds and mix for a few seconds to blend. The dough will be very sticky. Let it rest in the mixer bowl for about 30 minutes.

9. Remove the dough from the mixer bowl with a firm spatula onto a liberally floured surface. It will be a large, sticky, shaggy mass. With floured hands, pat and roll the dough ball into a log about 12 inches long. Cut the log into 4 equal pieces.

10. Pat and roll each portion into a 12 ½-inch baton and place 2 on each parchment covered cookie sheet. Place both sheets in oven on top two racks and bake for 30 minutes, switching position of sheets half way through.

11. Remove from oven and slide each piece of parchment with batons from sheet onto cooling racks. Cool completely and remove from parchment. Reserve parchment and replace on two sheets.

12. With a serrated knife, cut one baton on an angle into ½-inch slices. Place slices on parchment covered sheets about ¾-inch apart, fitting as many as possible on two sheets.

Note: If bottom of biscotti are too dark brown, shave that part off with your serrated knife before brushing with egg white.

13. With a pastry brush, brush one biscotti with egg white and, using your fingers, sprinkle liberally with turbinado sugar. Do egg white and sugar on second biscotti, and continue in this manner until all biscotti are sugared.

Note: Do not brush all biscotti with egg at once and then sprinkle sugar. The egg white sinks into the cookie and the sugar will not stick.

14. Bake 2 sheets for 13 minutes, then turn biscotti over. Switch position of sheets in oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from parchment and cool on racks. Reuse parchment.

15. Continue with remaining batons as above.

Note: Can be stored in air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Top 10 Recipes of 2012

Lynne — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 05:59:26 +0000

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope 2012 was as great a year for you as it was for me and Cook & Be Merry. For everyone who visited my blog, Thank You. And to all my great commenters, you are the absolute best! You make my day and make my blog so much more interesting. I have some really good recipes coming up in 2013 that should make you smile with happiness, so stay tuned as we enter year number four of Cook & Be Merry.

Without further ado, here are the top 10 most popular recipes of 2012 on Cook & Be Merry, chosen by you, dear readers. Above is the most popular recipe by far, the #1 in pageviews of all time, Twisted Cookies with Rolled-In Sugar.

#2 BBQ Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

#3 Mini Tart Shells, Food Art & An Optical Illusion

#4 26 Food Porn Sites That Are Not Tastespotting

#5 Twirly Lemon Butter Cookies with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

#6 Snickerdoodle Cookies

#7 Parmesan Panko Zucchini Fries

#8 Chicken, Sausage, Asparagus & Mushroom Pasta From Grace-Marie’s Kitchen

#9 Gumbo ~ Shrimp, Chicken & Andouille Sausage

#10 Blueberry Pudding Cake for My 4th of July BBQ

Here’s to us in 2013. I wish you abundant happiness, prosperity and great cooking!

Lynne xo

~One Year Anniversary for Cook & Be Merry
~Top 10 Recipes of 2011

Food Bloggers L.A. Holiday Cookie Exchange 2012

Lynne — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 01:16:41 +0000

If you are looking for a last minute cookie recipe for your New Year’s celebration, you have come to the right place. Have you ever seen so many cookies in one place in your life? I have to admit, I haven’t and it was amazing to behold. This was the Food Bloggers Los Angeles Holiday Cookie Exchange 2012, with about 30 bloggers contributing upwards of 1500 cookies to enjoy and share.

The meeting was held at Erika’s home, of In Erika’s Kitchen, and the cookies were spread over her very large dining room table. It was a beautiful sight.

You can see additional photographs of the individual platters of cookies, with links to the recipes, taken by Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious. She did a fantastic job on this very large project. Astounding, in fact. Check it out.

These are the cookies I brought ~ Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Dipped in Chocolate and Honey Roasted Peanuts ~ and the recipe can be found here.

We were asked to bring a savory dish, if we wanted to, as the event was held at lunch time. I brought these Spicy Korean BBQ Turkey Sliders with Ginger Sesame Slaw and the recipe is here. These sliders were a big hit and would be perfect for a New Year’s party.

There were so many cookies that they didn’t all fit on the table, so near-by chairs were drafted for the task. I took home a huge platter of cookies, and my family and friends were thrilled, believe me.

Happy New Year everyone! Here’s to us in 2013!

Lynne xo

Happy Holidays Cookie Exchange Party Part 2 From Grace-Marie’s Kitchen at Bristol Farms

Lynne — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 06:41:11 +0000

Here we are with Part 2 of the Holiday Cookie Exchange from Grace-Marie’s Kitchen at Bristol Farms. If you are looking for something to bake at the last minute, you’ve come to the right place. The cookies this year were extra delicious and I’m going to tell you about four of the recipes today. Two were made by Grace-Marie and two were made by students who brought their own favorite cookies from home to share. I love cookie exchanges, don’t you? All those different cookies to take home, and with none of the work. What could be better.

You can see the cookies from Part 1, Hazelnut-Nutella Kisses and Cranberry Delights and the recipes by clicking here. You should check these out. They’re really good.

On the left are Grace-Maries Peppermint Shortbread Thins and right are Cherry Shortbread Cookies made by Sue Carlin. I have never had cookies with finely ground peppermint in the dough, so the Shortbread Thins were an interesting delicious surprise. Sue’s Cherry Shortbread Cookies also had a surprise when you bit into them: that little ping on your tongue from the dried cherries along with the sweet crispiness of the cookie. Both of these are refrigerator cookies that were rolled into logs, chilled and then cut into slices to bake. So easy. Plus the logs can be frozen for future use.

Grace-Marie’s cookies had hard peppermint candies that were pulverized in the processor before being added to the dough. Above you can see Grace-Marie demonstrating how to drizzle the icing over the cookies with a fork. And, no, those are not cookies, they’re container tops. Just keeping you on your toes.

On the left are Grace-Marie’s White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies and right are Starlight Mint Surprises made by Jennifer Mayer. The Blondies were a cornucopia of white chocolate, with whole chunks in the dough and melted white chocolate in the cream cheese frosting. These were dusted with powdered sugar, but you could also drizzle melted chocolate over the top. Oh yes, they were really decadent. Jennifer’s Mint Surprises were just that. Unassuming to look at, and a lovely Andes Mint hiding inside. I took a bite and went, Oh Wow!

Here you can see Grace-Marie, who looks so happy when she’s baking. The White Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting is spread with a large offset spatula and the dried cranberries are sprinkled on top. We were advised to push the cranberries down into the frosting with the flat of our hand so they wouldn’t fall off later, a big pet peeve of Grace-Marie. I want you to look at how she sliced the Blondies, with a finger on each side of the knife and firmly pressed against the bars. This way the knife comes out clean, which I think is just a brilliant maneuver. I always learn some technique like this when I go to Grace-Marie’s classes.

I Wish You Wonderful Cookie Baking and Happy Holidays!

Lynne xo

For additional recipes from Grace-Marie’s Kitchen, look under Categories in the right-hand column.

For more information about the new schedule of cooking classes, visit Grace-Marie online at Bristol Farms or email her at gmj@bristolfarms.com.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Peppermint Shortbread Thins

Makes about 28 cookies

12 hard round peppermint candies, unwrapped
1 cup butter, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

Make the glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons milk
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
¼ teaspoon red paste food color

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a food processor, place peppermint candies. Cover and process until finely ground.

3. In large bowl of electric mixer, beat butter and ½ cup powdered sugar on medium speed 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.

4. On low speed, beat in ground candies, flour and salt until blended. Shape dough into 8×2-inch log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.

5. Unwrap dough and cut into ¼-inch slices. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

6. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.

7. In a small bowl, mix 1 cup powdered sugar, milk and peppermint extract. Divide glaze in half. Tint half of glaze with red food color. Using a fork, or ziplock bag with corner cut off, drizzle red and white glazes over cookies. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Cherry Shortbread Cookies

By Sue Carlin

Makes about 6 dozen cookies

2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup corn starch
1 cup chopped, dried cherries

1. On day of baking, preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment.

2. In mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract until combined.

3. Stir together flour and cornstarch, and gradually mix into butter mixture until well combined. Mix in cherries.

4. Divide dough into 4 portions. Roll each portion into an 8 to 10-inch log and wrap in parchment paper. Chill in refrigerator over night. (or freeze).

5. Heat oven. Slice cookies about ½-inch thick and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.

6. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until edges are golden. Cool on wire rack.

Optional: Roll in colored sugar before slicing or drizzle with chocolate after cooling.

White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies

30 Servings

¾ cup butter, cubed
1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
]1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup dried cranberries
6 ounces white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

Frosting
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange zest, optional
3 ounces white baking chocolate, melted
½ cup dried cranberries

3 ounces white baking chocolate, for drizzling, optional
Powdered sugar, for sprinkling, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 13×9-inch baking dish.

2. In microwave, melt butter and stir in brown sugar. Transfer to large bowl and cool to room temperature. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Gradually add to butter mixture. Stir in cranberries and chopped white chocolate (batter will be thick).

4. Spread batter into greased baking dish. Bake for 18 to 21 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool on wire rack.

5. For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and orange zest, if desired, until blended. Gradually add 3 ounces of melted white chocolate and beat until blended.

6. Frost Brownies and sprinkle with cranberries. Drizzle with remaining melted white chocolate, if desired, or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

7. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Starlight Mint Surprises

By Jennifer Mayer

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, unbeaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box Andes Mints, cut in half

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Measure flour, soda and salt together. Cream butter, gradually adding sugars.

3. Add unbeaten eggs, vanilla and blend in dry ingredients. Refrigerate 2 hours.

4. Form small ball of dough around mint. Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 9 to 12 minutes.

Happy Holidays Cookie Exchange Party 2012 ~ From Grace-Marie’s Kitchen at Bristol Farms

Lynne — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:52:53 +0000

The one class I look forward to the most every year at Grace-Marie’s Kitchen is the Holiday Cookie Exchange. It’s the one class I just won’t miss. For me it starts the Christmas Holiday time, as I bring home a big platter of many kinds of festive cookies to share with my family. This year Grace-Marie made four different kinds of treats and six students brought their own favorite cookies from home to share. You can see on the plate above how yummy they all look.

There is now Happy Holidays Cookie Exchange Part 2, featuring Peppermint Shortbread Thins, White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies, Starlight Mint Surprises, and Cherry Shortbread Cookies. Check them out, too.

The two cookies I’m going to tell you about today are the Hazelnut-Nutella Kisses made by Grade-Marie, and the Cranberry Delight Cookies made by Margene Schlackman, a friend who came to class. The Hazelnut Kisses are beautifully nutty and the Nutella, which I’m crazy about, is smooth and chocolate-y. What a great combination.

The Cranberry Delights are made with a cream cheese dough which bakes up really flakey, and with the piquant Crazen-Cherry preserve filling is really delicious. Not to mention, they are pretty in pink with sparkly red sugar sprinkles. I think you would be proud to have either of these confections on your Holiday buffet.

The Hazelnut Kisses are made in the stand mixer and Grace-Marie used a small ice cream scoop to portion out the dough. Then she rolled them between her hands into perfect spheres.

Using a measuring teaspoon, she made indentations in the top of the dough balls. When they were done baking and cooled, the cookies were filled with Nutella squeezed from a zip-top bag.

Grace-Marie used an offset spatula to make the Nutella look pretty and then they were dusted with chocolate sprinkles and crowned with a beautiful hazelnut. Perfect.

You know what baking cookies smell like in your own kitchen. Imagine that multiplied by ten. That was the Holiday Cookie Exchange at Grace-Marie’s Kitchen. I’ll be giving you the recipes for all of the other cookies in upcoming posts, so stay tuned. Happy Holidays!

For additional recipes from Grace-Marie’s Kitchen, look under Categories in the right-hand column.

Grace-Marie Johnston

For more information about the new schedule of cooking classes, visit Grace-Marie online at Bristol Farms or email her at gmj@bristolfarms.com.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Cranberry Delight Cookies

by Margene Schlackman

Makes about 40 cookies

2 cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 8-ounce pkg cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
Red food coloring

Crazens
Cherry preserves

1 egg, beaten
Red sprinkles

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment.

2. Mix together the flour, salt, butter, cream cheese, vanilla and food coloring. Chill the dough.

3. Roll out the dough until it is consistently thin. Cut into 3-inch circles.

4. Put 4-5 Crazens and about 1/4 teaspoon preserves on one half of dough circle. Brush edge with egg, fold over and seal with a fork. Make sure none of filling seeps out.

5. Brush top of cookies with egg and top with sprinkles.

6. Bake at 400 F for 12 minutes.

Hazelnut-Nutella Kisses

By Grace-Marie’s Kitchen

Makes 2 dozen cookies

1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
¾ cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
Pinch salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup (2 ½ ounces) granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup Nutella, in plastic zip bag with corner cut off

Chocolate sprinkles
30 hazelnuts for garnish

1. Adjust oven rack to middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

2. Process flour, hazelnuts and salt in food processor until finely ground, about 45 seconds.

3. In stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat until incorporated.

4. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture. Mix until just combined.

5. Working with 1 tablespoon dough at a time, roll into balls and space them 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Using a greased rounded teaspoon measure, make an indentation in center of each ball.

6. Bake 12 to 16 minutes until cookies are jut beginning to brown around edges.

7. Remove cookies from oven and gently reshape indentations with teaspoon measure. Transfer to rack and allow to cool completely, about 45 minutes.

8. Pipe about1 teaspoon Nutella into indentations and smooth with offset spatula. Dust with chocolate sprinkles and press one hazelnut into center.

Note: You may alternatively fill indentations with lemon curd and sprinkle with powdered sugar. For this small amount of lemon curd, you may use purchased, preferably Wilkin & Sons.

Cinnamon-Sugared Pumpkin Donut Holes

Lynne — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 03:00:43 +0000

Last Sunday was my Food Bloggers Los Angeles (FBLA) meeting for October, which I was fully planning to attend. And then my life went sideways, you know what I mean, and I couldn’t make it. I made these Cinnamon-Sugared Pumpkin Donut Holes and they were ready to go. Everyone was bringing a dish with pumpkin and I was really looking forward to it. Oh well.

You can see a really nice write-up about this meeting on Shockingly Delicious (Thanks Dorothy!) and there are links at the bottom of her post with many pumpkin recipes from our FBLA members. I hope you enjoy them.

These little morsels are actually mini-muffins, but after being rolled in melted butter and the cinnamon-sugar mixture, they really are like donut holes. The muffins are flavored with the wonderful pumpkin pie spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves and when you bite into them you are transported to a little bit of pumpkin pie heaven.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Cinnamon-Sugared Pumpkin Donut Holes

Makes about 40 donut holes

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup low-fat milk

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/16 teaspoon ground cloves

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 12-cup mini muffin tins with nonstick spray and place on baking sheet side by side.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until smooth.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir until just combined. Do not over mix.

4. Fill the muffin tin cups 3/4 full, about 1 tablespoon in each. I used a 1-1/4-inch ice cream scoop.

5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean.

6. Melt butter in medium bowl in microwave. Mix sugar and cinnamon in another medium bowl.

7. When muffins are cool enough to handle, dip several in butter to coat and toss in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Eat and enjoy.

Note: Pumpkin muffins can be made ahead and frozen. Bring to room temperature, uncovered, then coat with butter and cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies Dipped in Chocolate & Honey Roasted Peanuts

Lynne — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 00:26:21 +0000

Being able to bake sweet little goodies is an ability cherished in our family and passed down from generation to generation. So when I got a call from my Auntie Meggie, announcing a birthday bash for my Cousin Rosie, which included a dessert buffet, I knew I had to go all out. You know I am a salt freak, but Rosie is the family chocoholic. I’m talking major. If anyone would appreciate the Scharffen Berger I used, it would definitely be her. Chocolate in the cookie and dipped in chocolate, I knew this would be the one I should bring. Happy Birthday Rosie!

This cookie is decadently rich with the chocolate and peanut butter, each contributing in equal amounts. The chocolate in the dough is grated on a microplane, instead of melted as you would expect. I used my go-to bittersweet chocolate Callebaut, which we used exclusively when I was going to culinary school. I know there are other fine chocolates out there, nuances and all, but my loyalty still lies with Callebaut. The Scharffen Berger bar came in the goodie bag from Camp Blogaway last May and I wanted to use it in a way befitting its quality. It was a little less sweet than I like for just eating, but was perfect for melting, combined with the honey roasted peanuts and brown sugar in the cookie. And Rosie LOVED them.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Dipped in Chocolate & Honey Roasted Peanuts

Yield: about 40 cookies

Cookie Dough

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, softened
½ cup creamy peanut butter (I used Skippy’s)
½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely grated with a microplane (I used Callebaut)

Finishing

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (I used a Sharffen Berger bar)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup honey-roasted peanuts, finely chopped, but not ground

1 cookie sheet covered with parchment, set inside second sheet of same size, for baking
1 cookie sheet, for chilling dough in freezer

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Set rack in middle of oven.

2. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk or stir well to mix.

3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter, peanut butter and sugars on medium speed until well mixed and light, about 2 minutes.

4. Add vanilla and egg and beat until smooth.

5. Lower speed and beat in flour mixture and chocolate. Remove bowl from mixer and finish mixing dough with a large spoon or rubber spatula.

6. Divide dough into 3 pieces. Roll out one piece to 3/8-inch thick on parchment. Do not use additional flour. Place on sheet and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

7. Cut chilled dough with a cookie cutter or into diamond shapes with pizza wheel or knife. Use offset spatula to lift chilled cut shapes from parchment and place onto second parchment covered sheet.

8. Bake cookies double-panned for about 9 to 10 minutes until firm. Cool on paper.

9. Repeat with remaining 2 balls of dough. Collect dough scraps and re-roll to use all of dough. Do not use additional flour.

Prepare Chocolate Mixture

1. In a small bowl stir melted chocolate and butter together. I melted in microwave for 1 minute. Have chopped peanuts in another small bowl nearby.

2. Dip both ends of each cookie in chocolate mixture, then into peanuts. Place cookies on parchment covered pan as finished. Let cool at room temperature for several hours to allow chocolate to set.

3. Store cookies at room temperature between sheets of parchment in plastic container with tight-fitting lid.

Note: Prior to serving, any messy-looking crumbs on the cookies can be brushed off with a pastry brush.

Pecan Sandie Cookies

Lynne — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 02:10:48 +0000

I have one cup of coffee per day, the first thing in the morning. Five days a week I go to work and make a fresh pot upon arrival. On the weekends I have a huge cup of really good coffee that lasts me all morning. Recently I was sort of craving a little somethin’ somethin’ to go with the coffee. Shut up, you, not that somethin’ somethin’. I’m talking about something sweet, but not something intense that knocks your socks off, like my Plum Kuchen. No chocolate. No lemon. No, just a little cookie that is calm and not too sweet, to nibble along with my coffee. Maybe even two of them. A serious indulgence here. Ha.

Anyway, these Pecan Sandies are perfect with my coffee and I have enjoyed them very much. They are dredged in sugar after they’re cooled, but truthfully, not very much sticks. It’s minor. Really. And the ground pecans give them just the right flavor to complement my creamy sweet coffee. So, if you are looking for a little somethin’ somethin’ sweet to go with your hot beverage, give these Sandies a try. You’ll be happy you did.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Pecan Sandie Cookies

Yield: about 50 cookies

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces (about 1 cup) pecan pieces, finely ground in food processor
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Sugar for coating baked cookies

2 cookie sheets covered with parchment or foil
2-inch fluted cookie or biscuit cutter

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar and salt with a fork until thoroughly combined. Beat 50 more strokes until light and fluffy.

3. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the pecans.

4. Add the flour 1/3 at a time, combining each completely.

5. On a floured work surface or pastry cloth, divide the dough into 3 pieces. Roll out one piece to about 3/8-inch thick. Cut dough with fluted cutter and place on prepared sheet about one inch apart.

6. Save dough scraps until the end, reroll and cut more cookies.

7. Bake cookies about 20 to 25 minutes, until light golden brown on bottom and very pale on top.

8. Cool cookies on parchment or foil on rack. When cool, roll in granulated sugar.

9. Store between sheets of parchment paper in airtight container at room temperature.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Matcha Filling

Lynne — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 06:46:00 +0000

St. Patrick’s Day will be here in less than a week on Saturday, March 17, so I thought I would get my green recipe posted in a timely manner. Actually, only the icing is green and it is made with Japanese matcha green tea powder, but what the heck, it’s green, right? Do they have St. Patrick’s Day in Japan? Yes! St. Patrick’s Day parades are now held in nine locations across Japan. The first parade was in Tokyo in 1992 and was organized by The Irish Network Japan (INJ). There are parades and events nowadays spread across the entire month of March.

I started my hunt for matcha at Penzeys Spices, but was informed that they carry no tea. They kindly suggested I go to the nearby Japanese market, Marukai. There I found about twenty different matcha products, so I asked and was told to get the Culinary Quality matcha for my icing project. But another thing happened, which I try not to let happen, but I wandered around the store and homed right in to the dishes and utinsel area. Think Props. I went there for a little can of matcha and left with three interesting plates, two sizes of tongs and a ginger grater. Does this ever happen to you? I was laughing at myself as I walked backed to my car. Food blogger malaise. Never enough props.

These chocolate cookies look smooth and firm on the outside, but on the inside they are like chocolate cake. But not too sweet. They leave the sweetening job to the frosting. If you have ever had Green Tea Ice Cream, then you can imagine the flavor of the cream cheese filling. This was my first time cooking with matcha and I was so pleased with the result. And surprised how well the matcha flavor paired with the chocolate cookie. These would be perfect to take in your lunch box to work, or with a cup of tea in the afternoon. I stored my filled cookies in the fridge in an airtight container, but they are already going fast. Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Matcha Cream Filling

Makes about 25 filled sandwich cookies

Cakes
2 cups flour
½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup salted butter, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

Matcha Filling
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 ½ tablespoon matcha
3 oz. cream cheese
3 oz. mascarpone
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.

3. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl of stand mixer on medium speed until very fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture. Then gradually beat in buttermilk until smooth, scraping down inside of bowl as needed.

5. Put batter in a piping bag with a large tip (or cut a ½-inch corner off a resealable plastic bag and spoon batter into it.) I used a 1-tablespoon ice cream scoop.

5. Form 1-tablespoon mounds of batter 2 inches apart on sheets. Bake about 8-9 minutes or until cakes spring back when poked. Transfer to rack to cool.

6. Make filling: Sift powdered sugar and macha together with your smallest gage strainer into your stand mixer bowl. Add cream cheese, butter and mascarpone, and beat with on low speed at first, then on medium until very smooth and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Using an offset spatula or a butter knife, generously spread some filling on the flat side of a cake and top with another cake. Or use a piping bag. I used a little Ateco 27 tip to make the fluted curls. Repeat for rest of cakes.

Note: Make cakes ahead up to 3 days, stored in an airtight container between sheets of parchment at room temperature. Make filling up to 2 days ahead , chilled. Bring to room temperature before spreading. Store frosted cookies in airtight container in fridge.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Twisted Cookies ~ With Rolled-In Sugar

Lynne — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 07:24:43 +0000

My Mom and I made Twisted Cookies for the first time in 1959 from a recipe printed on the inside of a cake yeast wrapper. My Mom made bread from scratch, without a recipe, and this tricky and unique recipe using yeast was right up her alley. When I left home and married, this recipe went right along with me. You might say I have been leaving a trail of Twisted Cookies behind me for the last 48 years. This is our family cookie and I only make them at Christmas time. If I ask my older son (age 42) what he wants for Christmas, he always says, “You know what I want, Mom.” And my older daughter and grand daughter have taken up the baton and are making their own Twisted Cookies now, carrying on the tradition.

My two older beautiful red heads, David and Anna, as teenagers at Christmas in 1986 with their gift cans of Twisted Cookies

In fact, originally I was going to call my blog Twisted Cookie. I even have a photo file on my computer called Twisted Cookie pics that I took in anticipation of my blog launch. I looked online to see if the domain name was free and it was! The next day I went to purchase it and someone had bought it and was offering it for sale for $16,000. I was furious and I cried. I had never thought of calling my blog anything else, so I had no Plan B. My blog was ready to launch and had no name. It took me 6 months to come up with a new blog name I felt I could live with. But that is a story for another post.

The Twisted Cookie Affair Menu in 1992

In 1992 I took my third hands-on cooking class in culinary school at UCLA. At the end of the quarter, we prepared a banquet for about 100 friends and relatives. It was held at historic Castle Green in Pasadena. If you go to their website and look at photos 10-12 in the gallery, you will see the gorgeous dining room we were so lucky to use. During the quarter, all the students brought different dishes we thought might go on the menu, and one of mine was my Twisted Cookies. They liked them so much, they decided to call our event The Twisted Cookie Affair. The other recipes that were mine were the Potato Blocks and the Chocolate Praline Terrine, both of which may appear on this blog at some point. In retrospect, I cannot fathom why the potatoes were given such a pedestrian title. Couldn’t we have called them Potatoes Lynnaise or something. Lol. Oh well, I was younger then.

I have already told the story of my second culinary school banquet in 1995 in my post titled Mini Lemon Tartlets and a Culinary School Banquet, which you can read here. That was the class where I had to seduce the other students into using my recipes, one of which was my Twisted Cookies. You can see one on the plate above at that banquet sitting proudly with the Mini Lemon Tart, Sabayon and Berries.

The Twisted Cookies photographed for this post were made at Christmas 2011, and the whole batch went to my older son for one of his gifts. It made him very happy. Here is how you make them:

After the dough is made, it is divided in two, wrapped in plastic and refrigerated.

The dough is rolled out over half the vanilla sugar and the excess around the edges is scooped up and rolled in on top.

The dough is folded in thirds and rolled out, and folded and rolled two more times.

The edges are trimmed to form a neat rectangle.

The dough is sliced in half, and each half divided in two. Just eyeball it.

Each of the four slices is divided in two to form 8 1-inch strips.

The cutting board is turned so the long side is facing you and the strips are cut in half, and each half divided in two to form 32 4x1-inch strips.

Each strip is twisted 2 times and placed on an ungreased foil-covered sheet.

They are baked to a golden brown and the sugar on the bottom caramelizes. The sugary top is crispy, and the yeasty pastry dough inside is soft and layered. I bet you have never had anything like this.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Twisted Cookies ~ with Rolled-In Sugar

Yield: 64 cookies

2 ¼ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast (1 pkg) (NOT Rapid Rise, Pizza Crust or Bread Machine)
¼ cup warm water (100 – 110 degrees F)
½ teaspoon sugar
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup salted butter (2 sticks), chilled, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
2 large eggs
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 1 cookie sheet with foil. Double pan to bake.

1. In a warm medium bowl, combine water, yeast and sugar. Proof until frothy, about 10 minutes.

2. In a separate large bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Cut butter into flour until rice-size with two knives or pastry cutter.

3. In the medium bowl, mix eggs, sour cream and vanilla into the yeast mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the large bowl with the flour. Stir thoroughly with a fork to make a dough.

4. Divide the dough into 2 patties, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. Place patties side by side, not stacked to assure even cooling. My patties were 18.5 oz each.

5. In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix together the sugar and vanilla until evenly distributed. Cover the bowl with a plate or plastic wrap so the sugar doesn’t dry out.

6. On a dry surface, place ½ of the vanilla sugar. Place one patty of dough on the vanilla sugar (leaving the other patty in the refrigerator) and roll into a 16 x 8-inch rectangle. Scoop up all the sugar from around the edges and spread evenly over top of dough.

7. With the long edge toward you, fold both edges toward the center, making 3 equal layers. Turn one quarter around and roll into a 16 x 8-inch rectangle. Scoop up any extra sugar and smooth onto the dough. Do not discard any of the vanilla sugar. Use it all.

8. Fold and roll into a 16 x 8-inch rectangle 2 more times. The dough should be about 1/4-inch thick.

9. Trim the edges slightly with a sharp knife to as perfect a rectangle as possible.

10. With the knife, cut the dough the long way into eight 1-inch wide strips. Cut each 16 x 1-inch strip into 4 equal pieces, each 4 inches long.

11. Twist half (16) of the 4 x 1-inch strips 2 times, over-twisting to stretch the dough in the middle. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Make sure the dough twist lies flat on the sheet. You may need to fan out the layers on the ends somewhat to make sure each is touching the sheet. Press down a little to help it adhere.

12. Double pan. Bake at 375 degrees F, 15 – 20 minutes or until a rich golden brown. With a spatula, remove from sheet immediately before the caramelized sugar hardens and sticks to the foil. Cool on a rack.

13. Discard foil on cookie sheet and replace with new foil. Repeat with remaining 16 dough strips.

14. Start over with the second dough ball and remaining half of sugar.

Note: Store in airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. Freeze in ziplock freezer bag for 2 weeks. Defrost at room temperature with top of bag unzipped, so that moisture can evaporate and not melt sugar or make cookies soggy. When room temperature is achieved, re-zip bag.

Food Bloggers LA Holiday Cookie Exchange 2011

Lynne — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 07:18:12 +0000

Last Saturday the Food Bloggers Los Angeles group got together for a Holiday Cookie and Cookbook Exchange. It was so much fun to see everyone and see what kind of cookies they brought. Everyone also brought one or more cookbooks to exchange. Erika, of In Erika’s Kitchen, whose house we were meeting at, contributed about 40 books. I brought one and came home with four. What a good deal. We also brought lunch dishes which we noshed on while we caught up on all the news. And then the fun part, we divided up all the cookies to take home. Links to the available recipes are at the end of this post.

Fig & Date Prairie Cakes ~ Chocolate Orange Macaroons ~ Rocky Cranberry Rugelach

Coconut Walnut Crescents ~ Hazelnut Blondies ~ Savory Parmesan Cookies

Nutella Chocolate Chips ~ Chia Crunch Cookies ~ Peanut Butter Fudge

Gingersnaps ~ Parmesan Smoked Paprika Cookies ~ Light Molasses Cookies

Ginger Snaps with Lemon Cream Filling ~ Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Persian Saffron Cookies ~ Lemoncello Pizelles

FBLA Holiday Cookie Exchange 2011

The Recipe List

Chia Crunch Cookies – Jeanne at The Jolly Tomato
Chocolate Orange Almond Macaroons – Gloria at The Ginger Snap Girl
Coconut Walnut Crescents – Lana at Bibberche
Fig and Date Prairie Cakes with Sherry Icing – Leslie at Bake This Cake
Gingersnaps – Lynne at Cook and Be Merry
Ginger Snaps with Lemon Cream Filling – Gloria at The Ginger Snap Girl
Hazelnut Blondies – Cate at Savour Fare
Lemoncello Pizelles – Nancy at Adventures with Nancy Rose
Light Molasses Cookies – Patti at Worth the whisk
Nutella Chocolate Chips – Valentina at Cooking on the Weekends
Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies – Bryce at Bite Sized Chef
Parmesan Smoked Paprika Cookies – Erika at In Erika’s Kitchen
Peanut Butter Fudge – Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
Persian Saffron Cookies – Laura at Family Spice
Rocky Cranberry Rugelach –
Savory Parmesan Cookies – Erika at In Erika’s Kitchen

Not Pictured
Chocolate Chip Macaroons — Melissa at Soul on a Platter
Pine Nut Rosemary Olive Oil Cookies — Greg at Sippity Sup
White Chocolate & Apricot Scones — Cathy at She Paused 4 Thought

White Chocolate Chunk and Pecan Cookies

Lynne — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 04:33:46 +0000

Hi everybody! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and your waistband is still the same size. My holiday was fantastic because I got to see my brother, who lives in San Francisco, and my older son, who lives in Davis, California. They came to our feast with their wives and it was so much fun. I hadn’t seen my brother for two years, so it was very special for me.

I made these White Chocolate Chunk and Pecan Cookies to set out on a plate with the other hors d’oeuvres in case someone wanted something sweet. I also made the Kalamata Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Toasts, and little garlic butter crostini topped with Boursin cheese for our appetizers. Alas, there were no leftovers.

The first time I made these cookies was about a month ago. I woke up one morning craving the original Chocolate Chip Cookies. I came home from work, after thinking about them all day, ready to mix and bake, only to discover I had no chocolate chips! Darn! Not to be deterred, I checked my pantry and discovered I had some Callebaut white chocolate. Ah ha! The project continued on. I threw in the pecans for textural interest. Actually, they don’t look like much, but all the little crumbs of white chocolate get mixed in and melt into the dough, making them so rich, you cannot eat just one. Truly.

My Cookie Monster sons, Brian and David

My original intent was to freeze those cookies and keep them for Thanksgiving. I made the mistake of leaving them in a container on the kitchen counter and not telling my younger son, Brian, not to eat them. So he did, plus he has friends. I ended up with five cookies, which I fully intended to photograph. I even put a note on them saying “Do Not Eat!” A couple of days later there were three cookies. I just threw up my hands and said to myself, forget it. So I made another batch a couple of days before Thanksgiving and hid them. And I hid the last dozen in order to take these photos. They are so good. Buttery. Nutty. Chocolate-y. Melt in your mouth. You get the idea.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

White Chocolate Chunk and Pecan Cookies

Makes about 6 dozen

1 cup butter (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
8 ounces white chocolate, chopped, pieces no larger than 1 inch, excellent quality, such as Callebaut
1 cup pecans, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugars with a fork until creamy.

3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until thoroughly incorporated.

4. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the dough mixture. Add half the flour and incorporate, then mix in the rest of the flour. Stir in the chopped white chocolate and pecans.

5. Drop 14 rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet. I use a 1 1/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop.

6. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from sheet immediately to rack or paper.

Orange Marmalade and Almond Crostate from The Mozza Cookbook

Lynne — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 03:40:54 +0000

The last time I was at my book store, I was so delighted to discover Nancy Silverton’s fabulous new creation, The Mozza Cookbook, was now on the shelf. When I paged through it, I found that there were recipes for each of the dishes my friend Michele and I had eaten at Osteria Mozza a year ago for our birthdays. I wrote an entire post about our fabulous meal with fuzzy photos, because I had just gotten my camera. Grilled Beef Tagliata, Rucola and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Lamb Chops Scottadito with Insalata di Fregola Sarda, Mint and Yogurt. Burrata with Leeks Vinaigrette and Mustard Bread Crumbs. Burricotta with Braised Artichokes, Pine Nuts, Currants and Mint Pesto. I had to buy it, of course.

When I got home, I was absolutely submersed for about four hours. These recipes are so reminiscent of the food I was helping prepare at Campanile when I did my internship there for culinary school. Nancy Silverton would usually wander through the prep area with her toddler son on her hip, talking to the kitchen manager on her way to the pastry kitchen on the second floor. In the early ‘90’s, she was the premier pastry chef in the nation, and I watched and listened to everything she said and did. Her desserts were known for their subtlety and perfection, and for not being too sweet. She was my idol.

These Crostate are so Nancy Silverton. Subtle sweetness; a hidden surprise under the almond hat in the filling with cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg; and the visual beauty of the sugar dusted almonds and glistening marmalade. Perfect. They are really good with your afternoon or after dinner coffee. These are a cross between a cookie and a crostata, so they are big enough that I could share half with a friend and still be happy. Just saying.

The dough circles are rolled out, cut and the edges turned over to make a rim. A tablespoon of orange marmalade is spread to the rim.

A teaspoon of the spiced almond filling is spread on the marmalade. The dough is rolled out and smaller circles are cut out to top the filling.

The dough hats are brushed with egg white and sprinkled with almonds. I was so pleased with how beautifully they turned out. Good enough to be served at Osteria Mozza.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Orange Marmalade and Almond Crostate

Adapted from The Mozza Cookbook by Nancy Silverton

Makes 16 Crostate with 3 ½-inch diameter

Equipment
Rolling pin
2 baking sheets
parchment paper
3 ¼-inch round cookie cutter
2 ¼-inch round cookie cutter

For the Crust
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
¾ cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons almond meal/flour (I used Red Mill)
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
12 tablespoons (1 ½ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon orange flower water
1 extra-large egg yolk
1 extra-large white, reserved for brushing tart later

1. To make the crust, combine the flour, powdered sugar, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse to combine the ingredients.

2. Add the butter and pulse until the crumbs are the consistency of fine wet meal.

3. In small bowl, whisk together the cream, orange flower water and egg yolk. Add it to the ingredients in the processor and pulse until the dough barely comes together.

4. Knead dough on a flour dusted surface until it comes together into a ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. May be frozen for two months and defrosted overnight in the refrigerator.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust two oven racks, one in the top third and the other in the bottom third. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

6. Dust a flat surface with flour and cut dough into chunks. Using both hands, squeeze each dough chunk until it is softened to the texture of Play-Doh. Reform all softened chunks back into one large fat cylinder. Cut off scant 1/3 of dough, wrap in plastic and return to fridge.

7. Dust work surface and rolling pin with flour and roll large piece of dough to scant ¼ inch thick. Cut the dough with 3 ¼-inch round cookie cutter, as close together as possible. Place rounds on parchment-lined baking sheets.

8. Gather scraps, roll and cut circles until all dough is used. You should have 8 circles on each baking sheet.

9. Roll the edges of each round toward the center to create a rim about ¼ inch high on each tart.

10. Place tart shells in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

For the Tart Filling
¾ cup almond meal/flour
2 extra-large egg whites (save yolks for another use)
½ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds

1. To prepare the filling, in a medium bowl, stir together the almond meal, egg whites, powdered sugar, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg.

2. Spoon 1 scant tablespoon of marmalade in the center of each tart shell and spread to the rim with the back of a spoon or offset spatula.

3. Spoon 1 teaspoon of almond filling onto the middle of each tart and spread it out slightly, leaving the marmalade visible around the edges of the tarts. (You may not use all of the almond filling.)

4. Place the reserved refrigerated dough on dusted surface and roll out until almost paper thin, about 1/16 inch thick. Using a 2 ¼-inch cookie cutter, cut out as many circles as you have tarts. Place one circle on top of each tart.

5. Brush each top circle lightly with reserved beaten egg white and scatter almond slices over egg wash. Press down gently to adhere them to tarts.

6. Bake crostate 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown, rotating baking sheets both from front to back and from the upper to the lower racks halfway through baking.

7. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before removing from parchment paper.

Maple Pecan Pie Bar Cookies

Lynne — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:17:42 +0000

The 2011 Holiday Season is upon us and it is time to start thinking about what desserts we are going to be serving at our feasts, buffets and cookie exchanges, and to give as gifts. That is why I love these cookies, because they can be make 3 days ahead and kept at room temperature. They don’t need to be taking up precious space in your fridge.

Another reason I adore Maple Pecan Pie Bars is you can cut them into small squares to serve. So instead of having to eat a big piece of really sweet Pecan Pie loaded with corn syrup, your guests can get the same great pecan flavor in a one-inch square sweetened with maple syrup. These are perfect for a buffet or brunch table. Or for taking as a hostess gift. And at home, you can cut the pieces as big as you want for yourself, of course. Who will know?

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Maple Pecan Pie Bar Cookies

Crust
1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, cold, cut into thin slices
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt

Filling
¾ cup maple syrup, grade B if you have it
¾ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (8 ounces) pecans, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 13×9-inch glass Pyrex baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter slices and cut into the flour with a pastry cutter until no butter is visible and it can be pinched into a clump. You can also use two knives or a fork to cut the butter into the flour, or your food processor.

3. With a sandwich zip bag over your hand, press the dough into the bottom of the baking pan. Poke all over with a fork and bake for about 25 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.

4. In a large bowl, mix together with a fork the maple syrup, sugar, eggs, melted butter and vanilla

5. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the baked crust and pour the filling evenly over all.

6. Bake about 25 minutes until the filling is set. Cool completely in the pan on a rack.

7. Cut into bars and serve. Cookies can be stored at room temperature for 3 days, then refrigerate.

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

Lynne — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 05:11:06 +0000

Today I received an email from my Food Bloggers Los Angeles group announcing there will be a Holiday Cookie Exchange on Saturday, December 3rd. Do you know what that means? OMG! It’s almost Christmas!! And I haven’t even started my Christmas shopping. I don’t know where my Christmas tree decorations are! I have no idea who is coming over for dinner. I don’t even know what I’m cooking for dinner! Heeeeelllpp!

Ok, seriously, it goaded me into thinking about what cookies I might want to bring to the Cookie Exchange. Chocolate Chips, Gingersnaps and Snickerdoodles won’t do, because they’re everyday treats we make all year. I am seriously considering my Linzer Cookies, though. They’re a Christmas tradition at our house. Oh goodie, I’m looking forward to all the cookies everyone will be bringing to the Exchange, plus the recipes.

When I was making these Chocolate Crackles, I had gone into my office at the other end of the house while the first batch was baking. The timer went off and as I walked into the living room, I was almost knocked over by the smell of chocolate that was undulating out of the kitchen. Thick and resonant. Is there anything that smells like something baked with chocolate? So delicious.

I got this recipe from a friend back in the day. I had gone to her house for a brunch and these Chocolate Crackles were on the buffet table. After one bite I knew I had to have the recipe, which she generously supplied. I have to laugh now when I look at that scrap of paper. It lists the ingredients, the temperature and baking time. That’s it. No method, whatsoever. But that’s what we do sometimes, don’t we? Thank you, LeeAnn.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped or 1 cup chocolate chips
(I used Callebaut bittersweet)

1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup AP flour

Optional: ½ cup nuts of your choice, chopped

1/2 cup of powdered sugar in a bowl for rolling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 4 sheets of parchment and place one sheet on doubled pans.

2. Place the chocolate in a large stainless steel bowl and set on a sauce pan containing 1 inch of simmering water. Do not let bottom of bowl touch the water. Stir occasionally until completely melted. Remove from heat and let cool to barely warm.

3. Add the brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla to the melted chocolate. Mix with a fork until homogenous.

4. Sprinkle baking powder and salt over mixture and incorporate. Add flour and mix thoroughly to form a dough. Add nuts, if using. It may resemble a thick batter. Let sit for 15 minutes to firm up, as chocolate cools.

5. With two teaspoons, form walnut-sized portions of dough into balls or use a 1-tablespoon-sized ice cream scoop. Place balls in bowl with powdered sugar and coat completely. Shake off any thick excess of powered sugar.

6. Place sugared balls on parchment on doubled cookie sheet 2 inches apart and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on parchment on flat surface. Remove cookies from parchment with a small sharp knife. Store in air-tight container.