Banana-Ginger Jumbles
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine — softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 tablespoon grated gingerroot
OR
1 teaspoon ground ginger*
2 eggs
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
1/4 cup milk
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar, if desired
Heat oven to 375º. Beat brown sugar, butter, shortening, gingerroot and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in bananas and milk. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched in center. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while warm.
Banana-Cornmeal Cookies
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine — softened
1/2 cup mashed very ripe banana (1 medium)
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Heat oven to 375º. Grease cookie sheet. Beat brown sugar, 1/2 cup
granulated sugar, the butter, banana and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. (If dough is too soft to shape, cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm.)
Mix 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place about 3 inches apart on cookie sheet. Flatten slightly in crisscross pattern with fork dipped into cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
Apricot-Cherry Bars
1 package yellow cake mix
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup butter or margarine — softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup cut-up dried apricots
1/2 cup drained chopped maraschino cherries
Powdered sugar
Heat oven to 375º. Grease and flour jelly roll pan, 15 1/2 × 10 1/2 × 1 inch. Beat half of the cake mix (dry), the water, butter, brown sugar and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining cake mix, the apricots and cherries. Spread evenly in pan.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out
clean. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into 6 rows by 5 rows.
Applesauce-Granola Cookies
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granola
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Heat oven to 375º. Beat brown sugar, shortening, vanilla and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in applesauce. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched in center. Cool 1 to 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
Anise Biscotti
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine — softened
2 teaspoons anise seed — ground
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Heat oven to 350º. Beat sugar, butter, anise seed, lemon peel and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into rectangle, 10 × 3 inches, on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out
clean. Cool on cookie sheet 15 minutes. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch
slices. Turn slices cut sides down on cookie sheet.
Bake about 15 minutes or until crisp and light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
Almond-Filled Crescents
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whipping (heavy) cream
2 eggs
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (7 ounce) package almond paste (7 or 8 ounces)
3/4 cup butter or margarine — softened
Easy Glaze — (recipe follows)
EASY GLAZE
1 cup powdered sugar
6 teaspoons milk (6 to 7 teaspoons)
Mix powdered sugar, whipping cream and eggs in large bowl with spoon. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt (dough will be stiff). Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm.
Heat oven to 375º. Break almond paste into small pieces in medium bowl; add butter. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat on high speed until fluffy (tiny bits of almond paste will remain).
Roll one fourth of dough at a time into 10-inch circle on lightly floured
surface. Spread one fourth of almond paste mixture (about 1/2 cup) over circle. Cut into 12 wedges. Roll up wedges, beginning at rounded edge. Place on ungreased cookie sheet with points underneath. Repeat with remaining dough and almond paste mixture. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
Drizzle with Glaze.
EASY GLAZE:
Mix ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle.
Almond Macaroons
1 (7 ounce) package almond paste (7 or 8 ounces)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 egg whites
3 dozen blanched whole almonds
Grease cookie sheet. Break almond paste into small pieces in large bowl. Stir in flour, powdered sugar and almond extract. Add egg whites. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed about 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until smooth.
Place dough in decorating bag fitted with #9 rosette tip. Pipe 1 1/2-inch cookies about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet. Top each with almond. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 325º. Bake about 12 minutes or until edges are light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Store in airtight container.
Almond Bonbons
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine — softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 (7 ounce) package almond paste (7- or 8-ounce size)
Almond Glaze — (recipe follows)
Sliced almonds — toasted, if desired (see Notes)
ALMOND GLAZE
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 teaspoons milk (4 to 5 teaspoons)
Heat oven to 375º. Beat flour, butter, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Cut almond paste into 1/2-inch slices; cut each slice into fourths.
Shape 1-inch ball of dough around each piece of almond paste. Gently roll to form ball. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set and bottom is golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Dip tops of cookies into Almond Glaze. Garnish with sliced almonds.
ALMOND GLAZE:
Mix all ingredients until smooth and spreadable.
Tea Cookies
1 ½ cups pecans
½ cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
¼ tsp. salt
16 tbs. butter, room temperature
2 tsps. vanilla
1 egg yolk
½ cup confectioner’s sugar, for sprinkling
• In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse the nuts until half of them are finely chopped and the other half are ground.
• Transfer them to a bowl.
• Clean the food processor or wipe it and add the granulated sugar.
• Process it into a powder.
• Add the flour and salt and pulse just o blend it.
• Add the butter in small chinks and then the vanilla and egg yolk.
• Work the mixture in the pulse mode until it is damp and begins to clump into a mass. Add the nuts and pulse it to just combine it.
• Transfer the dough to a glass bowl and cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Make 1¼ inch balls, which takes a level tsp, and place them 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.
• Bake the cookies for 2 to 4 minutes until they start to brown.
• Rotate the sheets to distribute the heat evenly as they bake.
• After you remove them from the oven let the cookies cool completely and then dust them with the confectioner’s sugar.
Yield: 2 dozen
Sugar Cookies with Brandy
2 cups flour
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baling powder
¼ pound (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tbs. brandy
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Icing (see below)
• Sift together the dry ingredients.
• In an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light.
• Add the egg, brandy and vanilla and beat well.
• Add the dry ingredients a little at a time and mix until well blended.
• Wrap and chill the dough for 1 hour before rolling.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured board, rollout one third of the dough at a time.
• Roll to about 1/8 inch thick and cut out with cookie cutters.
• Place the cookies carefully on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes. Do not allow to brown.
• Cool on racks.
• Decorate with the icing below.
Yield: 2 dozen
Icing for Cookies
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg white
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Food coloring
• Mix together the sugar, egg white and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth and creamy.
• It will be like thick cream.
• Add food coloring in the color you like.
• This will dry hard.
Yield: ¾ of a cup
Shortbread Cookies
¾ pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 cup cornstarch
Icing (see below)
• Cream together the butter and the sugar in a large bowl.
• Stir in the vanilla.
• Sift together the flour and the cornstarch.
• Stir thoroughly into the creamed mixture.
• Place the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and form the dough into a flat disk.
• Wrap the dough and chill it overnight or for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut out shapes with a cookie cutter or cardboard stencil.
• Bake for 5 to 8 minutes.
• Remove from the baking sheets and cool on racks.
• Decorate with the icing below.
Yield: 4 dozen cookies.
Icing for Cookies
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg white
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Food coloring
• Mix together the sugar, egg white and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth and creamy.
• It will be like thick cream.
• Add food coloring in the color you like.
• This will dry hard.
Yield: ¾ of a cup
Ladyfingers
3 eggs separated
1/3 cup plus 1 tbs. sugar
1 tsp, vanilla extract
¾ cup sifted flour
1. Line baking sheets with baking parchment.
2. In an electric mixer bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar at a high speed.
3. Add vanilla and continue to beat until the mixture is very thick, about 5 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl and with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff.
5. Fold one third of the flour and half of the egg whites alternatively into egg white mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
6. Do this carefully with a light touch.
7. Put batter into a large pastry bag fitted with a plain round tube and pipe batter out onto lined baking sheets, making straight lines about 3 inches long.
8. Space them e2 inches apart.
9. Place baking sheets on the middle shelf and bake until set, about 7 minutes.
10. Do not brown.
11. Remove from the oven and lifting with a spatula let them cool on wire cake racks.
Yield: 2 dozen ladyfingers
Anise Cookies
Use a standing mixer for this because you will need to beat these for quite some time to make the puff up.
2 eggs
1 cups sugar
1 ¼ cups sifted flour
1 tsp. anise seeds
Anise oil (if you have it)
Grated lemon zest
• Beat the eggs until they are light.
• Add the sugar and keep on beating using a medium speed for 30 minutes.
• Add the flour and anise seeds and anise oil and lemon zest.
• Beat for 5 more minutes.
• Using a teaspoon, drop the batter one by one on top of a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Place cookies 2 inches apart and let the whole things stand for 10 hours at room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Let the cookies bake for 10 minutes only.
• They will puff up like meringues.
• Cool them on racks.
Yield: 2 dozen cookies
Almond Crescents
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg separated
1 large egg yolk
4 hard-boiled large egg yolks, crumbled
1 tbs. grated lemon zest
3 cups flour
¼ cup almonds, ground
Sugar for sprinkling (granulated)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In a large bowl cream the vegetable shortening and sugar until smooth.
2. Beat in the egg yolks.
3. Beat in the hard boiled egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Beat in the lemon zest.
5. Gradually blend in the flour.
6. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.
7. Break off small pieces of dough to form the crescent shapes.
8. Dip in the beaten egg white and place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle the cookies with almonds and sugar.
9. Bake for 10 to12 minutes, until lightly colored.
10. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Almond Cakes
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup almonds, ground
1 cup flour
For Decorations:
• Use glace cherries, nuts or melted chocolate for dipping to garnish these cookies.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
1. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.
2. In a large bowl beat the eggs until thick and light colored.
3. Beat in the sugar and vanilla extract.
4. Beat in the almonds.
5. Blend in the flour gradually.
6. Break off 1 inch pieces of dough and roll into balls.
7. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
8. Flatten the cookies at this point if you plan to place a nut or a cherry in the middle.
9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until a light golden color.
10. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Yield: 6 dozen
Lemon Cookies
Serving Size: 3
Preparation Time: 0:11
2 cups sifted cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons chilled stick margarine cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 egg lightly beaten
Vegetable cooking spray
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Position knife blade in food processor bowl; add first 4 ingredients, and pulse 2 times or until blended. Add margarine and lemon rind; process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add lemon juice and egg; process until dough leaves sides of bowl and forms a ball. Gently press mixture into a ball; wrap in heavy-duty plastic wrap, and chill 1 hour.
Shape dough into 42 (1-inch) balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Remove cookies from pan, and roll in powdered sugar. Yield: 3-1/2 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie).
Notes: Cool completely on wire racks.
Per serving: 712 Calories; 26g Fat (32% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 114g Carbohydrate; 60mg Cholesterol; 541mg Sodium
Devil’s Food Cookies
Serving Size: 30
Preparation Time: 0:20
1/4 cup margarine softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Vegetable cooking spray
2 teaspoons sifted powdered sugar
Cream margarine; add 2/3 cup sugar, and beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until blended. Add buttermilk, vanilla, and egg whites; beat well.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture, mixing well.
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 deg for 7 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire racks. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie).
Per serving: 60 Calories; 2g Fat (25% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 84mg Sodium
Shortbread with Crunchy Nut Topping
1 1/4 cups flour
3 ½ tbs. powdered sugar
10 tbs. cold butter, unsalted, diced
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbs. ice water, approx.
Crunchy Topping
5 tbs. unsalted butter
½ cup brown sugar
3 tbs. heavy cream
1 tbs. flour
1 cup pecans, diced
• Put the flour and sugar n a food processor with the butter.
• Process until it is the consistency of corn meal.
• With the processor on, add the vanilla and water and then turn it off right away.
• Turn the dough out onto a board and handling it as little as possible pull it together and pres it into two 8 inch round cake pans or 8 inch square ones.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Score the dough 1/8 inch deep with a sharp knife into pie wedge pieces (if round) or squares (if square).
• Prick the dough all over with a fork.
• Bake for 5 minutes until golden.
Cut while still warm and serve or cover it with the nut topping.
The Topping:
• Melt the butter and sugar in a saucepan, and stir in the cream and flour making it smooth.
• Bring it to a boil and remove it from the heat and add the nuts.
Spread the topping on the shortbread and bake it at 400 degrees F. until the top is bubbly and brown, approximately 15 more minutes.
Yield: 2 ½ dozen squares
Lemon Squares
1 cup sifted flour
¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
½ cup soft butter
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, grated
2 tbs. butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Combine flour and confectioner’s sugar and then cut in the butter.
2. Place the dough in an 8 inch square pan.
3. Bake for 20 minutes.
4. Beat the eggs and other ingredients.
5. Place them in the baked shell and bake for 20 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and cut when cool.
Lace Cookies with Orange and Pistachio
1 1/4 cups salted shelled pistachios (not dyed red; 5 1/2 oz)
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Special equipment: parchment paper
• Pulse pistachios and sugar together in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped (but not ground), and then stir together with remaining ingredients in a bowl.
• Spread dough in a 12-inch-long strip on a large sheet of plastic wrap and, starting with a long side, roll up dough in plastic wrap (dough will be very soft).
• Chill dough on a baking sheet until firm but still malleable, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Roll dough into a 15- by 1-inch log, using plastic wrap as an aid.
• Halve log crosswise and chill halves, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 3 hours.
• Cut 1 half crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with a serrated knife and arrange about 2 inches apart on 2 parchment-lined large baking sheets.
• Flatten each cookie into a 1 1/2-inch round with the back of a fork or spoon, dipping fork in water and shaking off excess for each cookie.
• Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes total.
• Cool cookies on sheets 5 minutes, and then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely.
• Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets (line sheets with clean parchment).
Note:
• Dough log can be chilled up to 5 days or frozen, wrapped in foil as well as plastic wrap, 1 month. If frozen, thaw dough just until it can be sliced.
• Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment (cookies should not overlap), in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.
Yield: 3 1/2 dozen cookies
Chunky Chocolate Brownies
2 cups butter
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 cups lights brown sugar
12 large eggs, beaten lightly
3 cups bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tsps. vanilla
2 tbs. cognac
4 cups four
1 ½ tsps. salt
2 tsps baking powder
½ tsp. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a 12 x 17 x 1 inch sheet pan and line the bottom with a piece of wax paper or parchment to fit.
• Butter the paper and then dust the pan with flour and tap the excess out into the sink.
• Melt 2 cups of butter in a saucepan over low heat.
• Add the semi-sweet and unsweetened chocolate and stir it until it melts.
• Add the sugar and stir to combine it all together.
• Remove from the heat and scrape the mixture into a bowl.
• With an electric mixer at a low speed mix in the eggs until they are combined and stir in the bittersweet chocolate and the cognac and the vanilla and set it aside.
• Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.
• Add this to the chocolate mixture with an electric mixture until it combines.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
• Bake in the center of the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This takes about 25 minutes.
• Cool the brownies before you cut them.
Yield: 2 dozen brownies
Chocolate chip with Pecan Blond Bars
1 tbs. Butter for the pan
½ tbs. flour
2 sticks of butter at room temperature
2 cups of dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 level cups of flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 cups of minced pecans
2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
Butter the pan and dust with flour.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter.
Add the brown sugar and beat for 2 minutes.
You will need to pause and scrape down the sides of the bowl once.
Beat the eggs followed by the vanilla into the mixture one at a time.
Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add the pecans and chocolate chips into the mixture until just blended and no more.
Spread the batter in the pan.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.
These will keep in a cookie tin layered with wax paper for up to one week.
Brownies with a Cream Cheese Swirl Topping
For swirl:
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, room temperature
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For brownies:
6 ounces sweet, good quality baking chocolate, chopped, or use chocolate pieces
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For the swirl:
• Lightly butter 8-inch square nonstick baking pan.
• Using electric mixer beat cream cheese and butter in medium bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat until well blended.
• Beat in egg.
• Mix in flour and vanilla.
• Set mixture aside.
For the brownies:
• Stir baking chocolate and butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool slightly.
• Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in large bowl until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
• Mix in flour, baking powder and salt.
• Mix in chocolate mixture and extracts.
• Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
• Spread half of chocolate batter (about 1 1/4 cups) in greased pan.
• Using a rubber spatula spread the cream cheese mixture over chocolate batter.
• Spoon the remaining chocolate batter over top of cream cheese mixture.
• Using tip of knife, gently swirl through batter, forming a marble design.
• Bake brownies until the tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes.
• Cool brownies in pan on rack.
• Cut into squares.
Note: Double this recipe for a 9 x 13 inch pan
Yield: 1 1/2 dozen brownies.
Brownies
1 tbs. Butter for the pan
1 tbs. flour for the pan
1/12 sticks of unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate squares
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups of flour
1/4 tsp. Baking powder
½ tsp. salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 9 x 10 inch pan and dust the pan with flour.
Melt the butter and chocolate in a large saucepan.
Meanwhile in a different bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla together and set aside.
Beat the chocolate and sugar together in a mixing bowl and then add the eggs and vanilla mixture. The mixture will go from grainy to smooth in texture.
Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt and beat it until everything is wet.
Spread the batter in the pan.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into the center.
These can be stored in a cookie tin with waxed paper to separate the layers of brownies for one week.
Brown Sugar Bars
1/2 c. butter
1 1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Frosting:
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp. milk
2 tbsp. butter
1 c. powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Combine butter, sugar and milk in a saucepan. Bring to boil (stirring).
2. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Pour into a well greased 9×13 pan and spread evenly.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Sugar Cookies
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, melted and cooled
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup sugar plus additional for coating the cookies
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large bowl stir together the lard or shortening, the butter, 1 cup of the sugar, the egg, and the vanilla.
• Into the bowl sift together the flour, the baking soda, and the salt and stir the mixture until it forms dough.
• Chill it, covered, for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Roll rounded tablespoons of the dough into balls, roll the balls in the additional sugar, coating them completely, and arrange them 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets.
• Flatten the balls with the bottom of a glass dipped in the sugar (the edges will crack slightly) and bake the cookies in batches in the middle of the oven for 8 to 12 minutes, or until they are pale golden.
• Transfer the cookies to racks and let them cool.
• The cookies keep in an airtight container for 1 week.
Yield: 2 ½ dozen cookies.
Sand Tarts
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 3/4 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg white, unbeaten
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1. Cream butter and sugar and stir in well beaten egg.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together, blend with first ingredients to make a soft dough. Set in refrigerator to chill.
3. When cold, place on well floured board (or use powdered sugar), roll out 1/8-inch thick. Knead in more flour if needed.
4. Shape with cutters.
5. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
6. Bake on a lightly greased baking sheet at 275 degrees F. for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Yield: 2 ½ dozen cookies
Refrigerator Almond Cookies
½ cup vegetable shortening
½ cup butter at room temperature
2 ½ cups flour
1 ¼ cups sugar
½ tsp. balking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp, almond extract
½ cup almond, ground
¼ cup almonds, ground
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• In a large bowl, cream the vegetable shortening and the butter.
• Blend in 1 cup of flour.
• Beat in the sugar, baking soda and salt.
• Beat in the egg and almond extract.
• Gradually blend in the remaining 1 ½ cups flour and the ground almonds.
• Roll the dough into a 1 inch thick log.
• Roll the dough in the ground almonds.
• Wrap in waxed paper and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the dough into ¼ inch thick slices and place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the tops a re a very light golden brown.
• Transfer to wire racks to cool.
• Melt the chocolate in a double boiled over low heat until smooth.
• Dip half of each cookie in the melted chocolate.
• Let it cool on wire racks lined with wax paper.
Yield: 4-5 dozen
Pignolia Cookies
½ pound almond paste
1 cup sugar
2 lightly beaten egg whites
¼ pound pignolia (pine) nuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Beat almond paste and sugar together to mix thoroughly.
2. Add egg whites and beat until blended.
3. With wet hands, form dough, 1 teaspoonful at a time, into crescents.
4. Dip tops of cookies in pignolia nuts and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or brown paper.
5. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Cool completely before removing from baking sheet.
Yield: 2 dozen
Peanut Butter Cookies
2/4 cup of peanut butter
¼ cup of white sugar
¼ cup of brown sugar
3 tbs. milk
1 egg
1 ¾ cup of flour
¾ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In a slow moving mixer, combine peanut butter, milk, sugars, vanilla, add egg and finally blend in the flour, salt, and baking powder.
2. Drop by teaspoonfuls and flatten the tops with a fork.
3. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes.