We left early this morning for the drive down to Tucson to pack up Marissa and move her back to Scottsdale. Of course, I love having her home, so that is the really sweet part. But I also know how eager she is to “begin” her independent life, her career, and to have a place of to call her own. I remember that feeling of longing and yearning and wish all those wonderful things for her. But with today’s economy and job market, she is just one of thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, of young adults and college graduates in the same situation. Daily she is sending out resumes, searching on-line, reaching out to every possible connection; lucky to ever get a call, acknowledgement, or interview. So, we’ll store her furniture and other belongings that one doesn’t need when living with your family (meaning parents) in mini-storage and continue to give her all the love and support we can while she waits for her new beginning. And of course, if you are reading this and know of any positions or possible openings for a brilliant, beautiful, and bold graduate with a bonafide Journalism degree, (such as writing, editing, public relations, journalist, newspaper, magazine, etc.) who will move anywhere for an opportunity; please email or call right this very minute!

Happily, Marissa has some very generous, kind, and loving male friends in Tucson who will help us load up the U-Haul in the 100+ degree heat today. So, Alberto and Will and anyone else who is there today – these bittersweet treats are for you, as a small token of my thanks and appreciation. xoxo

No-Bake Haystack Cookies

2 cups (12 ounces) bittersweet chocolate chips, divided
1 3/4 cups butterscotch chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces dry chow mien noodles
1 cup peanuts

1/4 cup melted white chocolate chips, if desired

Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with wax paper.

Melt 1 3/4 cups chocolate chips and all the butterscotch chips in a large microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute, stir and return to microwave 45 seconds at a time, until chips are completely melted. Stir in vanilla extract and then carefully mix in noodles and nuts until completely coated. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoon onto wax paper. Put in refrigerator to set. If desired, drizzle with melted white chocolate to “fancy them up”.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, using the same wax paper to place in-between the layers of cookies.

Makes about 3 dozen haystacks

One of my favorite movies is the 2002 sleeper hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I’ve seen it so many times, but I still laugh out loud in all the same places. Especially at Toula’s (the bride-to-be) father, Gus and his love for Windex, the popular window cleaner. Toula Portokalos explains while narrating, “ My dad believed in two things: That Greeks should educate non Greeks about being Greek and every ailment from psoriasis to poison ivy can be cured with Windex.” Throughout the film you see Gus with his beloved Windex, spraying it here and there as the remedy for just about everything. Then on the morning of the big (fat and Greek) wedding this conversation takes place between Toula and her non-Greek groom, Ian.

Toula Portokalos: I woke up with this huge zit this morning.

Ian Miller: Where?

Toula Portokalos: [points to spot on face] There.

Ian Miller: I had a huge zit this morning too!

Toula Portokalos: Really? Where?

Ian Miller: [points to his face] Well, it was there, but it’s gone now.

Toula Portokalos: Why?

Ian Miller: I put some Windex on it.

Too Darn Funny! If you’ve never seen the movie, make some of these traditional Greek sugared almond cookies (pronounced koo-rah-bee-YEH-thess), go out and rent the DVD, and have a fun and sweet night in.

Kourabiethes

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
2  1/2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice or brandy (brandy is more traditional)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted almonds
6 cups flour
Powdered sugar (for dusting)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until white. Dissolve the baking powder in the orange juice or brandy and slowly add to mixture, along with egg yolks, vanilla, and almonds. Add flour gradually, 1 cup at a time. Remove from mixer and knead the dough by hand until malleable.

Shape the cookies by hand into dome-shaped circles or crescents about 2 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch thick, and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes or until cookies barely start to brown.

While cookies are baking, sift powdered sugar onto a large tray or cookie sheet. As soon as the cookies are done, roll in the sugar. When all the cookies have been coated once, repeat and cool.

When cooled, place in layers on a serving platter that has been dusted with sugar, sift a liberal amount of sugar on each layer.

Makes about 60 cookies

A quick note: Happy Birthday to my dear friend, Anne Lyons! Annie, I’ll see you this afternoon to celebrate your special day – so your “real” birthday post will be tomorrow, with pictures and all! Until then, I love you and HaPpY BiRtHdAy!!! xoxo

The theme of one of our kid’s cooking classes this week was “Mexican”. For dessert we made these chunky quadruple chocolate cookies. What made them “Mexican” was the inclusion of Ibarra chocolate, which can be readily found in Arizona grocery stores.  If you live elsewhere and your store doesn’t have an expansive hispanic section, Ibarra can be purchased online. What makes this chocolate special is the distinct cinnamon flavor. It is imported from Guadalajara, Mexico and the ingredients are sugar, cocoa nibs, lecithin and cinnamon. It is primarily used to make hot cocoa or in baking. Ibarra is not often eaten like a candy bar because it’s undissolved granulated sugar makes a rough and gritty texture. Each package contains six 3.1-ounce chocolate tablets. Another fun aspect of these treats is the dipping of each cookie into three different chocolate glazes, making them extra festive and decadent. Muy bien!

Mexican Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1  1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg
2  1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted and chopped walnuts or pecans
1 round tablet (3.1-ounce) Mexican chocolate (such as Ibarra), chopped into chunks
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Triple Dipping Glaze
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening, divided
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the brown sugar and the butter together until light and creamy.  Add the egg and mix well.

In another large bowl whisk together the flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda and salt.  Mix into the butter mixture.  Stir in the chopped nuts, chopped Mexican chocolate, milk chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool slightly.

Triple Dipping Glaze: Place 1 teaspoon of the shortening with semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 60 seconds. Remove and stir, if not completely melted, return to microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stir until completely melted and smooth.

Dip each cookie into chocolate along one edge. Repeat with remaining shortening and chocolates. Rotate dipped edge of cookie for each type of chocolate.

Makes about 24 large cookies

For the past year, I’ve been providing 2 dozen cookies a month to the winner of an auction item I donated to a local charity.  This is my last delivery of the year and these cookies are real winners.  I have a thing for malted milk balls, Whoppers, as it were.  They have long been one of my all-time favorite candies.  I’m sure my mistreated baby sister, Sloane, could tell some awful stories about my mean-younger self, involving Whoppers… I’ll just leave it at that.  I dearly love you, Sloane and I am truly sorry for that very mean big sister whom you had to put up with, when we shared a bedroom, all those years ago… please forgive me! xoxo

Malted Milk Ball Cookies

1 1/2 cups malted milk balls
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.

Place the malted milk balls in a zip-lock bag, seal and use the bottom of a small pot or a smooth-sided meat pounder to coarsely crush the balls, set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

Using a mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in milk and vanilla, then gradually add in the flour mixture. Do not overmix; you should still be able to see some of the flour.

Use a spatula to stir in the crushed malted milk balls.

Drop 1/2-inch balls of the batter on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 11-12 minutes, or until browned.

Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will keep well in an airtight container for several days

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

Time to gear up for the green! Tomorrow it is finally St. Patrick’s Day, and coincidentally I need to make a couple dozen cookies for a friends, so green it is! These soft cake-like cookies would be perfect for a Tea or Brunch. The “High Tea” theme is popular for wedding and baby showers, and so are these cookies. For a wedding shower you could tint one half of the icing the color of the bridesmaid dresses and leave the other half white. For a baby shower, pink and blue are the obvious choices. No matter what color theme you choose, these cookies will disappear as fast as you put them out!

I tested baking the cookies on both a Silpat lined baking sheet and one that was sprayed with Pam. Although I generally use the Silpat when baking, the cookies turned out a crisper on the unlined pan and in this case, crisper is better. You can see the results for yourself in the pictures below. And thanks to my “cookie tester and model”- Connor, who is home for spring break!

Lemon Tea Cookies

Cookies
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
1/3 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
Icing
3 cups powdered sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
Food coloring of your choice

Cookies: Position oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Spray 2 baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl, set aside. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then add egg and vanilla, beating until combined well.

Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and mixing just until smooth.

Drop rounded teaspoons of batter 2-inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking; until tops are puffed, edges are pale golden, and cookies spring back when touched, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a racks to cool.

Icing: Stir together powdered sugar, zest, lemon juice, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth, adding drops of water, if needed for a smooth spreadable consistency.

Transfer half of the icing to another bowl and add drops of food coloring as desired. With offset spatula, spread colored icing over half of flat side of each cookie. Starting with cookies you iced first, spread plain white icing over other half of each cookie.

Wait until the icing is dry before stacking cookies, with sheets of parchment or wax paper, between layers. May be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 or 5 days.

Makes about 2  1/2 dozen cookies

back to front: pink grapefruit, navel orange, Mexican lime, Lisbon lemon, Meyer lemon, and blood orange

In April, it will be two years since we remodeled our backyard and this winter has, literally, shown the fruits of our labor. We added a blood orange, Meyer lemon, and Mexican lime tree to our existing navel orange, Lisbon lemon, and pink grapefruit – for a true citrus grove!  Last year did not produce any of the new fruits, but this year, the proof is in the colorful picture above and I am one happy girl! The Meyer lemon has been the most prolific of the three new trees. These cookies are delicious with regular lemon zest too, so don’t discount them if you can’t find Meyer lemons.

The almond meal can be found at most grocery stores under the Bob’s Red Mill brand and at Trader Joe’s, or you can make your own almond meal. For about 1 1/3 cups almond meal, place 2 cups whole, unbalanced almonds in a food processor, pulse several times until a medium-fine textured meal forms. Do Not over-process or you will end up with almond butter! Put the ground almond meal in a clean flour sifter, sift and place any large almond particles back into processor and pulse again, sift. That’s all it takes!

Almond-Meyer Lemon Cookies

1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon almond meal, divided
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest (about 3 large lemons), divided
2 egg yolks

Whisk 1 1/4 cups of the almond meal, flour, cinnamon and salt together in a medium bowl, set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer beat the butter, 1 cup of the sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy on high speed, 2 or 3 minutes. Mix in egg yolks.  Add  the almond meal- flour mixture, then beat on low speed just until the dry ingredients are mixed in. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of each;  almond meal, sugar, and Meyer lemon zest.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with Silpat mats or parchment paper.

Use a 1-inch cookie scoop (which you can find HERE online, or make 1-inch-diameter balls by hand), place balls on baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Use your thumb to indent cookies, dipping thumb into almond-sugar-zest mixture in between the pressing of each cookie. Sprinkle each thumbprint lightly with additional almond-sugar-zest mix.  Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, reversing the position of the baking sheets after the first 6 minutes. Cookies are done when the centers are set and the edges are lightly browned. Remove cookies to a rack, and when completely cool, store in an airtight container.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

There are some things in the world of cooking that are like money in the bank or resemble beautiful gold treasure. Things like having a really well-stocked pantry and freezer. You know what I’m talking about; when you want to make a recipe that calls for chili paste or tamarind or cake flour… there is no getting in the car and going to the market for you, just open a cupboard and there it is – smiling back at you! Pure Jubilation! Hugs, high-fives, and kisses for everyone in the house!

Or how about when your spouse comes home and tells you that last week he/she signed up to bring two dozen homemade cookies to the office potluck, by the way, the potluck – well it is tomorrow!  Sure, as you walk towards that  pillow that is calling your name, you could say, “Darling, how absolutely fabulous! Now you have fun making those cookies tonight, sweetie, I’m off to bed.”  That method doesn’t work when the entire office knows you cook for a living.  Edible, in fact delectable, cookies are anticipated and expected! So that gold treasure in this case is “slice and bake” cookies that you have in your well-stocked freezer. Even your older kids (when they casually mention that they need fresh-baked cookies for the school carnival, that is (wait for it…) of course, in the morning.) could do the slicing and baking without you anywhere to be found.  Your home is instantly filled with Joy, Peace, and Happiness for all!

The espresso powder can be found at an Italian deli or ordered online, and I found the cappuccino chips at Trader Joe’s.  This recipe makes three logs of dough. I generally refrigerate all three for the 8 hours, then slice and bake one log. I double wrap and freeze the other two logs for up to 1 month. The frozen dough does not need to be defrosted before baking – just slice the logs and bake about 1 minute longer. Or the logs may be thawed in the refrigerator, if that works into your schedule better. After all it’s all about you – as it should be!!! Oh, and these are going in the “Easy-Breezy” category on the recipe index too, because they are just a more adult version (hence the “big girl” reference) of good old Toll House cookies and nothing is easier or breezier than slice and bake!

Chocolate and Coffee Chip Cookies

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup coffee, mocha, or cappuccino chips

In a large bowl; whisk together both flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and then set aside.

In the bowl of a large standing mixer; cream together butter, sugar, brown sugar, espresso powder and vanilla extract until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually mix in flour mixture, until just combined. (Do not overmix, it is better to still see a little bit of flour and mix it in when adding the chips.) Using a large rubber spatula, stir in chocolate and coffee chips.

see the flour still on the side of bowl and on the dough - this is good!

Divide the dough into three equal portions. Form each portion into a 2-inch-diameter log (about 11 to 12-inches long) on a sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 8 hours to firm up or up to 3 days ahead.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with either silpat mats or parchment paper.

Slice the cold dough into 1/2-inch rounds (be sure they are all as close as possible to being the same thickness, so they bake evenly) and place on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.

sliced and ready for the oven

Bake for about 12 minutes, or until just golden brown, switching the positions of the cookie sheets after the first 6 minutes, so the cookies bake evenly. Remove from oven, and allow to cool on the cookie sheets for 1 or 2 minutes before moving cookies to racks to cool completely.

Makes 6 dozen cookies
Each log makes about 2  dozen

Connor made these pretty bars to add to our cookie collection today. He used both the red peppermint and the green creme de menthe flavors of Andes candies and then sprinkled them in stripes on the bars. Pretty and sweet! Thanks, Con.

Chocolate Mint Bars

2 cups finely crushed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (about 24 cookies)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
18 Andes creme de menthe and/or peppermint crunch favored candies, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly onto the bottom of an 8-inch baking pan. Bake 6 minutes. Cool.

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in eggs, peppermint extract, and sweetened condensed milk, until smooth. Pour over cooled cookie crust and bake 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 20 minutes at room temperature, then chill for at least 15 minutes

In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening. Spread over the top of chilled bars. Sprinkle chopped chocolate mint candies over the top. Cut into bars.  Cover and refrigerate.

Makes 12 large or 24 small bars

fabric gingerbread house ornament

If you have an upcoming cookie exchange or you’re just looking for a little something different for your own cookie tray, these gingerbread blondies will fit the bill.  It’s hard to find an aroma or flavor that stirs up more Christmas memories then gingerbread. These pretty bars come together quickly and yield 2 1/2 dozen per pan. That’s hard to beat!

White chocolate can be such a pain to work with.  The reason? It’s not real chocolate. White chocolate is a confection of sugar, cocoa butter, and milk solids. It first appeared in the 1930′s in Switzerland and was invented by Nestle to use excess cocoa butter.  Nestle introduced it to the United Sates in 1948.  It burns even easier than real chocolate.  To melt white chocolate, place in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high for 1 minute. Stir, return to microwave and cook on high 1 more minute. Remove and stir until completely melted. I prefer Ghirardelli brand white chocolate chips, I find them the best tasting and easiest to melt.

White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondies

2  3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/4 cups (2  1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, melted in microwave
1/2 cup white chocolate chips, melted in microwave

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and both sugars on medium-high speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and yolk one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl between each addition. Add molasses and vanilla and mix on medium speed until combined.

Add flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Stir in white chocolate chips. Batter will be thicker than your usual brownie mixture.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and bake until golden and a toothpick, inserted in the middle, comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in pan, for about 1 hour; cut into 32 bars.

Place the melted milk chocolate and the melted white chocolate in two separate zip-lock bags, seal and snip off a small corner.  Drizzle bars with chocolates, allow chocolate to set before storing or packaging.

Blondies may be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to a month.

Makes 32

It’s been 2 weeks since Halloween and I still have candy around the house… this is not a good thing! Maybe your kids still have candy and you want to do away with it, or like me you have extra candy you didn’t give out and now you’re sneaking a piece everyday and just wish it would disappear and not to your hips. Why not put it to good use for your Christmas baking? These cookies freeze well and the recipe can be cut in half or even doubled depending on how much candy you need to get rid of. If you don’t have Nutella on hand, just use a full cup of peanut butter, although the Nutella adds a grown up edge to these big chewy cookies.

Halloween Candy Cookies

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup Nutella
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
20 REESE’S CUPS®, SNICKERS®, and/or MILKY WAY®s fun size bars, each cut in half
6 packages fun size M&M’S®

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of a standing mixer combine sugars, butter, peanut butter, and Nutella, beat until well creamy.  Mix in vanilla and eggs until just combined.

Add flour mixture in two additions, mix well. Shape a scant 1/4 cup dough around each candy bar half, making sure candy is completely covered. Place 4 inches apart on cookies sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. Flatten slightly and place    3 M&M’S® on top of each.

Bake for about 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on pan, then remove with a spatula to a rack to cool completely.

Makes 40 large cookies

Lemon… it is one of my all-time favorite flavors!  Savory or sweet … main course or dessert … international or all-American … in my mind, you can’t beat the taste of lemon.  I’ve made many different versions of lemon bars over the years; meringue topped, layered with cream cheese filling, raspberry topped, and so on.  The flavor of the day is a lovely tropical blend of lemon, coconut, and almond.  Until just recently you always had to toast most nuts yourself, but now you can find already toasted almond slices (and pine nuts too) at Trader Joe’s – another wonderful gift of convenience given to us by the wonderful TJ”s!

Dave and I are traveling down to Tucson for a quick 24 hour turn-around trip to visit our darling daughter, Marissa. After the Cut-Out Sugar Cookie post of the other day, Marissa asked me to bring her and her roommates, Kaley, Petra, Page, and Kelsey, a batch of decorated cookies. But as I said in the post, I don’t enjoy making those darn things, so the answer is “No!” But lemon bars, that’s another matter, these come together in moments, so girls, we, and these luscious lemon bars, are on our way down south…. see you soon! xoxo

Almond-Coconut Lemon Bars

Crust
1 cup flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted and cooled

Filling
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon flour
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Powdered sugar, for garnish

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9x13x2-inch baking dish. Combine flour, powdered sugar and almonds in the bowl of a food processor and blend until almonds are finely ground. Add butter, and using the pulse button, mix in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the coconut and pulse until just blended. Press mixture into bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Maintain oven temperature.

Filling: Place eggs, sugar, lemon juice, flour and lemon zest in the same food processor bowl, no need to clean first and turn on machine for a few seconds, just long enough to blend well. Pour filling into warm crust. Bake until mixture is set, about 20 to 22 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool.

When completely cool, cut into 24 bars. Sift powdered sugar over top before serving.

Makes 24

Like most mom’s, I’ve been making cut-out cookies for years and years, with or without the “help” of my kids.  Here’s the annual routine – as I make the dough, they are chomping at the bit to help cut-out the cookies while the dough chills.  We cut them out together and while the cookies bake, the kids just can’t wait until the cookies are cool enough to frost and decorate.  They rush into the kitchen, happy and excited as can be, decorate about 6 cookies each, destroying the kitchen in the process, and then are bored of the process and run off to play-while I am stuck decorating the remaining 5 dozen cookies and cleaning up sprinkles from every corner of the kitchen for months to come.  Sound familiar!?!  It’s a wonder I ever decided to teach kids to cook after this yearly event.  The other problem I used to have with cut-out sugar cookies is that they would spread out on the pan while baking, loosing much of their original shape.  It was often hard to tell a Santa from a snowman!  After research, trial, and error, I finally came up with two solutions.  First, instead of using flour to dust on the work surface and the top of the dough, use granulated sugar.  All that flour that gets incorporated into the dough when rolling and re-rolling, throws off the composition of the dough and causes it to spread.  Next, chill the cut-out cookies before baking to firm up the butter in the dough – problem solved.  Now Santa looks like Santa and a star actually has defined points at its ends. Another tip; if your circle of dough is too large to loosen from the counter with a pastry scraper (also called a bench knife), the bottom of a tart pan does a wonderful job of getting to the center of the dough to get it unstuck from the counter.

Thanksgiving Turkey and Pilgrim Hat

Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional sugar for rolling dough
Icing
6 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Food coloring
Colored sugar crystals, sprinkles, and other candy décor

Sugar Cookies: Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar in large bowl until creamed together. Add egg, sour cream, and vanilla; beat 1 minute. Add in flour mixture in 2 additions until just blended. Gather dough together; divide in half. Flatten each half into disk; wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour.  (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Soften dough slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)

tools of the trade; Silpat mat, French rolling pin, pastry scraper, and tart pan bottom

Line 2 baking sheets with Silpat mats or parchment paper. Sprinkle work surface and top of dough with additional sugar. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness.

position the cutters tight together so you have less scraps to re-roll

Using cookie cutters of your choice, cut out cookies. Transfer to baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather scraps and roll out on sugared surface; cut out more cookies. Repeat until all dough is used. Chill all cookies on baking sheets for at least 15 minutes before baking to firm up dough.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until light golden at edges, about 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.

cooling on racks, ready to ice and decorate!

Icing: Combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in medium bowl. Stir until icing is smooth and spreadable, adding more milk by teaspoonfuls if too thick or more sugar by tablespoonfuls if too thin.

Divide icing into as many separate bowls as you want to have colors of icing.  Mix a few drops of desired color into each bowl and mix to completely blend.

Using a small icing spatula, table knife, spread thin layer of icing atop each cookie. Alternately, use a pastry bag to apply the icing around the edges of each cookie and spread icing in the center. Ice cookies only 1 or 2 at a time and quickly decorate cookies with colored sugar crystals, sprinkles or any other candy décor before icing sets.

(Can be made several weeks ahead and frozen or 3 days ahead if left at room temperature.  Store in airtight containers between sheets of waxed or parchment paper.)

Makes dozens of cookies, exact quantity depends on size of cookie cutters

These unique and pretty Christmas cookies are from the December 2005 edition of Gourmet Magazine. Speaking of Gourmet, its final issue is this month, November, 2009. After 68 years, like so many other publications, it is now a thing of the past. What led to Gourmet’s demise? Even with nearly 1 million subscribers, who looked forward to the fantastic articles,recipes, and pictures each month, the magazine fell victim to a decline in ad sales due to popular television food shows and online recipe sites, like its own Epicurious.com, taking up its former advertising revenue.  Upon the announcement, on October 5, 2009, The Wall Street Journal said it was “like a giant soufflé falling.”  I have to agree, Gourmet was the first food magazine I subscribed to, some 27 years ago.  I kept every one of those issues until just a couple summers ago, when I donated some 300 issues of Gourmet and nearly 1000 issues of Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Saveur, Cook’s Illustrated, Cooking Light, and Martha Stewart Living to the Culinary Program at Scottsdale Community College.  It took two trips in my SUV because of the extreme weight and mass! Gourmet was the granddaddy of them all and it will be sadly missed by foodies worldwide.

Seven Layer Christmas Cookie Bars

4 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 (8-oz) can almond paste
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
25 drops red food coloring
25 drops green food coloring
1 (12-oz) jar apricot preserves, heated and strained
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and line bottom with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 ends, then butter paper.

Beat whites in a very clean bowl of a standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment at medium-high speed until they just hold stiff peaks. Add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating at high speed until whites hold stiff, slightly glossy peaks. Transfer to another bowl.

Switch to paddle attachment, (no need to wash the bowl) then beat together almond paste and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add butter and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks and almond extract and beat until combined well, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, then add flour and salt and mix until just combined.

Stir half of egg white mixture into almond mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Divide batter evenly among 3 bowls. Stir red food coloring into one and green food coloring into another, leaving the third batch plain. Pour green batter into prepared pan and spread evenly with offset spatula (layer will be about 1/4 inch thick).

Bake green layer 8 to 10 minutes, until just set. (It is important to undercook.)

Using paper overhang to pull layer out of pan, transfer layer to a rack to cool, about 10 minutes.  Clean pan, then line with wax paper and butter paper in same manner as above. Bake white layer in prepared pan until just set.  Transfer white layer to a rack. Prepare pan as above, then bake red layer in same manner as before. Transfer to a rack to cool.

When all layers are cool, invert green onto a parchment-paper-lined large baking sheet. Discard paper from layer and spread with half of  the warm apricot preserves. Invert white on top of green layer, discarding paper. Spread with remaining preserves. Invert red layer on top of white layer and discard wax paper.

green and white layers with apricot preserves, ready for red layer

Cover with plastic wrap and weight with a large baking pan and a large (coffee table-size) book placed on top of the pan.  Chill at least 8 hours.

Remove weight and plastic wrap. Melt chocolate in a double boiler, or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, or in a microwave, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.

rough edges trimmed and spreading with melted chocolate

Trim edges of assembled layers with a long serrated knife. Quickly spread half of chocolate in a thin layer on the red-colored top of cake. Chill, uncovered, until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper and place another baking sheet on top, then invert cake onto sheet and remove the top layer of paper. If chocolate has cooled and firmed up, reheat until warm. Quickly spread green layer with remaining chocolate. Chill uncovered 5 minutes to just allow chocolate to set. Remove from refrigerator and use parchment paper to move to a cutting board. Cut lengthwise into 4 strips. Score the strips crosswise into sixteen bars from each strip, for a total of 64 bars. (see picture below) Fill a tall pitcher or vase with hot water. Cut strips crosswise on the scored markers, dipping knife into hot water and wiping clean and dry with a paper towel between each cut.

left half is scored, right half is cut. hot water in pitcher to clean knife between cuts

(Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax or parchment paper, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks)

layered between sheets of parchment, in a tin for storage

Makes 64 bars