Fresh Orange Cookies

More Marion Cunningham. I'm beginning to like her Supper Book as much as her Breakfast Book! I've never processed whole lemons and oranges and used the results in a cookie. The flavors are dense and delicious. So, if and when you're looking for something different or in the mood for something sweet and fragrant of oranges and lemons, give this cookie a try. I like them refrigerated, but you can serve them room temperature easily.

Fresh Orange Cookies
From The Supper Book by Marion Cunningham

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 medium unpeeled orange, cut into pieces, seeds removed

1/2 lemon, unpeeled, cut up, seeds removed

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Icing:

3 tablespoons butter, softened

2 cups confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons finely chopped orange and lemon (from above)

2 tablespoons orange juice

Method:

Preheat oven to 350. Do not butter cookie sheets.

Put butter and sugar in mixer and beat until creamy. 
In your processor, add the orange and lemon and process until finely chopped. Squeeze out excess juice. You should end up with about 1 cup.

Add 1/2 cup of the orange/lemon mixture to the butter mixture. (Reserve two tablespoons of the orange/lemon mixture and freeze the rest for another use.)

Add the flour, baking soda and salt and beat until combined.

Drop the dough by tablespoons onto the cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches in between. Dampen your fingers to flatten the dough a little.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Remove to racks, carefully.

Make the icing by mixing all ingredients together. Spread on top of the cookies while they are still warm.

Dark Chocolate Chunk and Dried Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Yet another Pinterest find! So easy to make, your kids can do it in no time at all. And they're chock full of everything good...oatmeal, chocolate and dried cherries. Something delish in every bite. They'd be a great take along for any picnic or casual party; I don't classify them as an elegant tea cookie, but one everyone will love.

Dark Chocolate Chunk and Dried Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
From Bake or Break

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter 
1 cup light or dark brown sugar, firmly packed 
2 large eggs 
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
3 cups old-fashioned oats 
1 cup dried cherries 
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Method:
Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Beat butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add vanilla. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture just until combined. Do not overmix. Stir in oats, cherries, and chocolate. 

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lined baking sheets. I made slightly bigger cookies and used an ice cream scoop. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (mine took a little longer), or until bottom edges are lightly browned. Cool on pans for a few minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Lemon Limoncello Biscotti

Biscotti are one of my favorite things..........just barely sweet with tea or savory to serve with wine. I ran across this simple recipe and because anything lemon makes my mouth water I simply had to try them. If you really want them a little sweeter, you could dip one end of them in a limoncello glaze, but these were light and perfect with a cup of tea just as they were. Elegant simplicity.

Lemon Limoncello Biscotti
From Liv Life

Ingredients:

2  3/4 cups all-purpose flour 

1 cup sugar 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1  1/2 tablespoon grated lemon rind 

2 tablespoons limoncello (or lemon juice)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

3 large eggs 

Method:
Preheat oven to 350°. 

Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Combine rind, limoncello, and eggs in another bowl and add to flour mixture, stirring until well-blended (dough will be dry and crumbly). Knead it with your fingers a few times until it comes together.

Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into an 8-inch-long roll. Place rolls 6 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten each roll to 1-inch thickness. 

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove the rolls from baking sheet; cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Cut each roll diagonally into 15 (1/2-inch) slices. Place the slices, cut sides down, on baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 325°; bake for 10 minutes. Turn cookies over; bake an additional 10 minutes (the cookies will be slightly soft in center but will harden as they cool). Remove from baking sheet, and cool completely on wire rack.

Pierre Herme's Viennese Chocolate Sables

You can always tell when my daughter is coming to visit because you'll see a chocolate cookie recipe on my blog! Although calling Pierre Herme’s Viennese Chocolate Sables a "cookie" is an understatement. They are unique, ambrosial, delicate, velvety and elegantly simple. I didn't decorate mine, but just took a photograph on a white plate so you could see how gorgeous they are. These are perfection. With tea, with coffee, with anything....a show stopper. 

But I really want you to see them decorated too, so please give the Butter and Brioche blog a look...HERE...she's decorated them fit for a magazine shoot. (Which it may have been!) If you want to decorate yours, you could use a simple dusting of confectioner's sugar or go all out using white and dark chocolate for dipping and top with chopped, flaked or slivered nuts or almond nougatine. I'm too lazy and anyway, my daughter is all about the sable, not the decorations.

Pierre Herme's Viennese Chocolate Sables
Adapted From Pierre Herme's recipe via Butter and Brioche

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour, sifted
5 tablespoons best quality Cocoa, sifted
1 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature.....very soft
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
Pinch salt
3 tablespoons lightly beaten egg whites ( I lightly beat 2 large egg whites, then measured out 3 tablespoons.)

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use two racks in the oven....line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Get a pastry bag ready with a medium-sized open star tip. (You can make these any shape you want.)

In a small bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa; set aside.

In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, beat the butter until it is light and creamy. NOTE: For the recipe to be successful, the butter must be very soft.  

Whisk in the sugar and salt, then stir in the egg whites. NOTE: Don't be concerned when the mixture separates, as it will come together when you add the dry ingredients.  

Gradually add the flour/cocoa mixture and blend only until incorporated. Don't overwork. A light touch is what will give these cookies their characteristic crumbliness.

It is easier to work with this dough in batches. Spoon about 1/3 of the dough into your Pastry Bag. Pipe the dough into "W" shaped cookies, each about 2-inches long and 1 1/4-inches wide, and place 1-inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets. If desired, you may pipe the cookies in any shape that you desire. 

Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes (no more) or until they are set but neither browned nor hard. Remove from oven. Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Repeat with the remaining dough, making sure that you don't put the dough on hot baking sheets.


Before serving, you can dust the cookies with powdered sugar or decorate any way you like.  

Fresh Apricot Oatmeal Bars

Ah yes.... following closely behind peaches, I've found fresh apricots in my market! Almost as exciting as finding fresh rhubarb...almost. Apricot season doesn't last long, so grab while you can and make these delicious bars. Not the kind of bar you can pick up with your fingers (or do it cautiously with a napkin underneath), more like a piece of pie with a crumb crust. You don't need a thing on top...these are the perfect sweetness and texture. You're going to love this recipe.

Fresh Apricot Oatmeal Bars
From pastry studio

Ingredients:
8 (1 lb, 4 oz) ripe apricots                                      
3 tablespoons sugar, to taste                     
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon water                                                                                               
1/4 vanilla bean

1 1/2 cups flour                         
1 1/4 cups old fashioned oatmeal                                          
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar                                     
6 oz (12 tablespoons) cold butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease an 8” square pan and line with a piece of parchment paper large enough to form an overhang along two sides of the pan.

Cut the apricots into 1/2" slices.  Place them in a saucepan along with the sugar, honey and water.  Split and seed a 1/4 portion of a vanilla bean and add the seeds and the pod.  Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes at a slow simmer or until the apricots just begin to become tender.  Add more sugar to taste as baking brings out the tartness of apricots. Take off the heat and cool.  Remove vanilla pod. (I didn't have a vanilla pod, so used a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste.)

Combine the flour, oatmeal, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process until ingredients are combined and the oats are chopped up a bit but not ground completely.

Cut the cold butter into 1/2” pieces and add to the dry ingredients along with the vanilla.  Pulse. The mixture should remain a bit loose but hold together when pinched.  Pour into a bowl and toss with your hands.

Press about 2/3 of the oatmeal mixture into the prepared pan to form an even bottom layer.  Bake until the surface is puffed up and looks dry and slightly browned, about 15 – 20 minutes.

Pour the simmered apricots on top and spread to within 1/4” of the edges.  Top with the remaining crumb mixture, making sure to distribute to the edges and the corners to form a border.  Press down gently to secure.


Bake until the crumb topping is lightly browned around the edges, about 20 - 25 minutes.  Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.  Run a thin knife around the edges and gently lift out of the pan using the parchment overhang to assist.  Cut into bars.

Fresh Peach Shortbreads

My Garden Club had their last meeting of the season this week and it was again my turn for the food. My name's only supposed to come up once a year, but I don't really mind as it gives me the opportunity to try new recipes and get immediate feedback. This month, we had a young woman speak to us about the environmental problems in the Everglades and South Florida in general. Enlightening and she made this complicated topic entertaining as well as informative. Quite a combo.

What did I serve for our morning meeeting? My Almond Raspberry Muffins, Gayle's Walnut Tweed Cake, and Smitten Kitchen's Fresh Peach Shortbreads. While I have served the shortbreads before, I've never posted the recipe, just a link. So because peaches have finally arrived in my market and because the plate was licked clean, I am finally going to post the recipe and a photo.

These are great for a crowd...nice big pan and I cut mine small enough so that I got more than 30 or so out of the pan. These women only like a mouthful....which always makes me smile because then we eat more of them! 
I can't think of a better recipe to begin peach season....Deb's recipes are the best!

Fresh Peach Shortbreads
From Smitten Kitchen

Cook's note: Deb suggested browning the butter, which I did, and stuck it in the fridge overnight. But if you don't want to bother,  just use unsalted butter as listed below in her recipe.
Here are her directions for browning butter: 
Melt butter in a small/medium saucepan over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden (At this point, mine always foams again....why does nobody ever mention this? Happens to me every time.) and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Keep your eyes on it; it burns very quickly after it browns and the very second that you turn around to do something else. Set it in the freezer until solid (about 30 minutes), or overnight in the fridge like I did. Make sure it's firm all the way through before using. If not, stick in the freezer for a bit.

Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 and 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cups all-purpose flour (or you can measure 3 cups and remove 2 tablespoons flour)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) cold unsalted butter
1 large egg
2 peaches, not peeled, pitted and thinly sliced (between 1/8 and 1/4-inch thick) My peaches were small probably because it's early in their season and I ended up needing 5 or 6.

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9×13 inch pan. 
In food processor pulse the sugar, baking powder, flour, salt and spices a couple times to mix. Add the butter and egg into the flour mixture. Pulse until mixed. It will be crumbly. Pat 3/4 of the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing firmly. Tile peach slices over crumb base in a single layer. Scatter remaining crumbs evenly over peaches, press down slightly and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until top is slightly brown and you can see a little color around the edges. Cool completely in pan before cutting into squares.

I kept mine covered in the fridge overnight, but think you could easily freeze these as well.

Rhubarb Custard Bars

Take my word for it...these are fabulous! And somewhat of a surprise, as after reading the directions, I didn't have a clue how that middle layer would turn out. Of course, I'm prejudiced about anything rhubarb....it's my favorite, so considering all the recipes I make and post with it, don't you think it's saying something if I classify these as fabulous? From the crisp bottom crust to the rhubarb custard filling to the unusual topping...nothing but YUM. 

Rhubarb Custard Bars
From Taste of Home

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup cold butter

For filling:
2 cups sugar
7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream, not whipped
3 large eggs, beaten
5 cups finely chopped fresh rhubarb

For topping:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

Method:
Combine the flour and sugar; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into a greased and floured 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
Make the rhubarb custard filling: combine sugar and flour in a bowl. Whisk in cream and eggs. Stir in the rhubarb. Pour over baked crust. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until custard is set. Cool.

Make the topping: beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth; fold in whipped cream. Spread over top. Cover and chill. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator. 

Chocolate Chip Palmiers

Palmiers are so versatile...savory or sweet. Easy to make, impossible to mess up and best of all: fast. Mostly, I prefer savory palmiers. The choices for fillings are everywhere online if you need guidance, but use your imagination. I serve them frequently with cocktails.
I've only made sweet palmiers once before, last fall: the apple cinnamon version.  We have to be careful in Florida as palmiers don't like humidity much so it's best to serve them fairly quickly after you make them. Certainly the same day. At any rate, I saw this chocolate chip idea on Pinterest (forgot to write down whose) and thought I'd make them. Using Ina Garten's basic sweet palmier recipe but adding mini chocolate chips, you'll find these a big hit...everyone will love this crunchy, sticky cookie with the little bits of chocolate hiding in the swirls.

Chocolate Chip Palmiers

Ingredients:
2 cups granulated sugar
dash kosher salt
2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted in fridge overnight
1/3 cup or so mini chocolate chips

Method: 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray it with cooking spray.

Spread 1 cup sugar on a flat surface, the size of your puff pastry. Place the pastry sheet on top of the sugar. Sprinkle generously with sugar (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup) Use a rolling pin to roll the pastry gently. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and with your fingers, press them into the puff pastry. 
Fold the short ends over about halfway to the center. Fold them over again, so that the two folds meet in the center of the pastry sheet. Gently fold one side over the other, so when you look at the end, it looks like an oblong heart. Slice the cookies about 3/4 of an inch thick and place on your cookie sheet.  Repeat with other sheet of puff pastry.
Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully turn them over. Use a metal spatula and remember how hot melted sugar is. Bake an additional 6-8 minutes, until the bottoms are as browned as the tops. Let sit for a minute and then remove to cool completely.

Whole Lemon Bars

Not another lemon bar recipe! But yes, and I hope you'll give it a try. This is the second citrus recipe I've made recently that included the rind in the ingredients. (Please use organic citrus; wash it well.) These bars were originally a David Lebovitz recipe; Pastry Studio made some adaptations and commented on her pleasure of the pucker quality of these bars, especially when you're used to the old fashioned (and quite sweet) lemon bars. I liked them too, pucker and all, and found the slight texture in them interesting as well. You can use either crust...I included both Pastry Studio's almond crust, which I used here, and the Lebovitz crust which is what you're more accustomed to seeing.
These are definitely not your generic lemon bars!


Whole Lemon Bars

From :Pastry Studio, adapted from David Lebovitz

Ingredients for the crust:
(David's Crust)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 oz (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

(Pastry Studio's Almond Crust, used in this recipe)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup  toasted sliced almonds
3 tablespoons sugar 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
4 oz (8 tablespoons) cold butter cut into 1/2" pieces
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

Ingredients for the filling:
1 large or 2 small - medium lemons (6 oz)
1 cup  sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 eggs at room temperature
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon  cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 oz (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

powdered sugar, for dusting

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease an 8" square pan and line with parchment with a slight overhang on two sides.

For David's pastry crust:, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt until combined.  Add the melted butter and vanilla and stir with a fork just until smooth.  Press into the bottom of the pan, distributing the dough as evenly as possible.
For :pastry studio's crust: put flour, almonds, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process to combine.  Add the cold butter (cut into 1/2" pieces) and pulse just until the mixture looks like coarse meal.  Add egg yolk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and process until the dough just starts to clump.  Press evenly into prepared pan.

Bake the crust until it's golden brown, about 25 minutes. 

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degree F. 

For the filling
Cut the lemon/lemons in half and remove the seeds.  Cut the lemon into smaller chunks and place them in the bowl of a food processor or blender along with the sugar and lemon juice.  Process until the lemon is finely chopped.  Add the eggs, cornstarch, salt and melted butter and blend until almost smooth.

Pour the lemon filling over the hot crust and bake for 25 minutes or just until the filling stops jiggling and is barely set.  Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. 


Carefully lift and remove the cooled pastry from the pan using the parchment overhang to assist.  Cut the bars into squares or rectangles and sift powdered sugar over the top just before serving.

Jam Bars

I've been watching the Great British Baking Show on Netflix and it's put me in the mood to make some jam bars. I always think of them as being a British invention, but mainly, a treat for kids and an easy carry-along to a picnic. Simple to make and in no time at all you have a lovely little bar everyone will love. Use your homemade or a good quality jam (I used raspberry here), as it makes or breaks these bars. You'll probably have every ingredient needed in your pantry; they'll be done in 40 minutes.  
I really can't credit anyone with this recipe as it's pretty basic and you can find some version of this easily online, from Martha Stewart to various blogs.

Jam Bars

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup oats (don't use instant)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
4 or 5 large spoonfuls of your favorite jam

Method:
Preheat over to 350. Line your 8 inch square baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Stir in the almond extract.
In another bowl, mix the flours, baking soda and salt. Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture. By hand, stir in the oats and almonds.
Save about half a cup or so of this mixture for the topping and set aside. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan. (I used my hands) Spread the jam over the top, leaving 1/2 an inch or so on all sides. Sprinkle the reserved mixture on top of the jam.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden and the jam is bubbly. Cool completely in the pan and then remove and cut into squares.

Eggnog Cheesecake Tart

Here are the famous Elizabeth's Eggnog Cheesecake Bars from Martha Stewart Living magazine. (But I made them in tart form.) Been wanting to make these for ages as I am an eggnog fan. Unfortunately, I never make eggnog anymore and even when I made the effort, I was always the only one drinking it. Looks pretty, but no takers in my family.
Then I tried a friend's recipe for Harvard Milk Punch. Well. A close second to eggnog, much simpler to make and after the first time, I made it every year as there were three of us who imbibed. (If you're the hostess and serve milk punch, watch yourself or you'll never get dinner on the table! It may look innocuous, but oh no! Voice of experience speaking here.) I posted that delectable milk punch recipe HERE.

Back to eggnog. I'm hoping the family will like this tart/bar more than they do regular eggnog. I gave it a test run and decided to make it a dressier dessert by baking it in my 9 inch springform pan rather than a square pan. I think a wedge of this looks prettier plated for Christmas dinner than a bar. It will all depend on how you're going to serve it. If you use a springform pan, keep in mind it bakes in a bain marie...you'll need to seal the entire outside of the pan with foil. Please note the recipe below is the original, made in a square pan.
I thought this lovely Christmas dessert was delicious; keeping my fingers crossed for the family reviews.

Elizabeth's Eggnog Cheesecake Bars
From Martha Stewart Living, December 2009

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil cooking spray, for pan
12 graham crackers, finely ground (1 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 pound cream cheese, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup eggnog
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon brandy
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for dusting

1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. I used a 9" springform pan, sprayed it and then lined the outside with foil. 
Stir together graham crackers, 3 tablespoons sugar, and the melted butter. Press into bottom of pan. Bake until crust is just brown around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool.
Meanwhile, beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, the eggs, yolk, eggnog, flour, brandy, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt; beat until smooth. Pour filling over crust. Set pan in a roasting pan, and add enough hot water to come halfway up sides of baking pan. Bake until just set, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove baking pan from water bath, and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool slightly, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. (And yes, it needs the overnight.)
Cut into 1 1/2-by-3-inch bars. Lightly dust tops of bars with freshly grated nutmeg just before serving.


Bars can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Alice Medrich's Seed Cookies

These anise-flavored gems will be an unusual addition to your cookie tray this season. I've made and posted another cookie along this line, but think these are even better. Love them with a cup of tea. 

Alice Medrich's Seed Cookies
From Chewy, Gooey, Crispy Crunchy Cookies by Alice Medrich

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
2 teaspoons flaxseeds
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1/4 cup Demerara sugar (or any coarse raw sugar)
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons bourbon

Method:
Preheat oven to 375. Line two cookie sheets with parchment.
Mix the seeds and Demerara sugar together and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth, but not fluffy. Add the egg and bourbon and then the flour mixture. I did this by hand. Do not over mix.

You can make round cookies or square. 
For round, take a big spoonful of dough and roll it into a ball. Roll it in the seed mixture, place on the parchment and flatten slightly.
To make square cookies:
On a floured board, roll out the dough to an 8 inch square. Sprinkle half the seed mixture on top and press into the dough with a rolling pin. Turn the dough over and repeat on the other side. Cut the dough into whatever size you like. I cut into 8 strips each way, making 64 square cookies. 

For both cookies: place on parchment paper about 2 inches apart. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until edges are brown. Reverse the pans in the oven and also reverse racks for even cooking. Cool. These will store airtight for 2 weeks.

Maida Heatter's Maxines

Some people think this is the best Christmas cookie ever. That's really saying something, even considering it's a Maida Heatter recipe...she's the queen cookie baker in my book, or books, as I have all of hers.  I think the best thing about her cookbooks are her instructions. Very detailed, which might put people off, but it's worth reading every word. The veriest novice cook can't mess up a Maida Heatter recipe.
I tried this recipe for the first time when my daughter was home last summer. She loves chocolate and I knew would give me a constructive opinion, chocolate-wise. (She gave it a win.) It's a refrigerator cookie, which you all know I love, and has a dark chocolate center studded with almonds, surrounded by a lovely brown sugary cookie batter. And guess what's mixed in with the chocolate? Condensed milk. Honestly, how can this cookie miss?

Cooks note: I froze my first batch after baking them and my daughter ate them out of the freezer with just a little thawing. I promise, they will disappear from your cookie tray.

Maida Heatter's Maxines
From Maida Heatter's Book of Great Cookies

Ingredients:
Chocolate Log Mixture
1 cup chocolate chips (I used semi sweet)
1 tablespoon crisco
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup blanched almonds, coarsely cut (each in 4 or 5 pieces)

Brown Sugar Dough
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg yolk


Method:
For the log:
Place the chocolate and butter in the top of a medium-sized double boiler over hot water on medium heat, cover, and cook until partially melted. (I did this in the microwave at first for 30 seconds and then in 15 second increments...don't wait until they are all melted...take out of microwave and stir.)  Remove from heat.  If using milk chocolate (I used semi sweet morsels), the mixture will be very stiff.  Don't worry, but work quickly no matter which chocolate you use.  Stir in the condensed milk and the vanilla, then the almonds. The mixture will become somewhat stiff.

Tear off a piece of wax paper about 15 inches long.  Place the dough by large spoonfuls the long way down the middle of the paper, forming a heavy strip about 10 inches long.  Fold the sides of the paper up against the chocolate mixture.  With your hands, press against the paper and shape the mixture into an even round or square roll 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Squeeze while you wrap to get all the air out. Wrap in the wax paper.  Slide a cookie sheet under the paper and transfer to the freezer or refrigerator until firm.

For the cookie:  
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.  In the small bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter.  Add the vanilla and sugar and beat well.  Beat in the egg yolk, and then, gradually, begin adding the sifted dry ingredients.  Add until the batter begins to be crumbly.  Beat only until thoroughly mixed, but not dry. It will look crumbly, remove dough form the mixer and press it together with our hands and it will form into a ball.

Place dough on a piece of wax paper a little more than 12 inches long.  With your hands, shape it into a flattened oblong.  Cover with another long piece of wax paper.  Roll a rolling pin over the top piece of paper to form the dough into an oblong 12 inches long and 8 inches wide.  While rolling, occasionally remove and then replace top wax paper; then invert and do the same with bottom wax paper, in order to keep both pieces of paper smooth and unwrinkled.

Remove the top piece of wax paper.  Unwrap the chocolate roll and center it on the brown sugar dough.  Using the wax paper, lift one long side of the brown sugar dough and press it firmly against the chocolate.  Then lift the other side so that the sides of dough overlap slightly.  If the dough does not fit perfectly, the excess may be cut off and pressed into place where needed.

Enclose the roll in the wax paper, then run your hands firmly over the roll to remove any air trapped between the dough and chocolate mixture.

Rechill the dough only until it is firm enough to slice.  If the dough is frozen firm, it will crack when sliced.
Preheat the oven to 375°.

Unwrap the roll of dough and place it on a cutting board.  With a sharp knife, cut slices 1/2 inch thick — no thinner!  Place the slices flat, 1 inch apart, on parchment paper. Bake about 12 minutes, until cookies are lightly colored.  Reverse sheets top to bottom and front to back once during baking to insure even browning.

Let the cookies stand on sheets for a minute or so until firm enough to transfer, then with a wide metal spatula transfer to racks to cool.

Black Velvet Whoopie Pies

These Halloween colored whoopie pies are a combination of recipes. The basic recipe and idea was from Amanda at I Am Baker. The additions I made to Amanda's recipe came from Hedy Goldsmith, a multiple James Beard Award nominee in the Outstanding Pastry Chef category. She has a fabulous and fun cookbook called Baking Out Loud. In this cookbook, Hedy makes Mochaccino Whoopie Pies, so I snitched an idea from her recipe and added espresso powder and cinnamon to Amanda's fun recipe for Halloween. 
Now I'm going to have to go back and make Hedy's recipe!

Halloween Black Velvet Whoopie Pies
From I Am Baker and Baking Out Loud

Ingredients:
1 package (15 1/4 to 18 1/4 ounces) German chocolate cake mix with pudding 
1/2 cup water 
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
1/4 cup vegetable oil 
3 tablespoons black food color 
3 eggs 
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Filling: 
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar 
1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow cream 
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 teaspoon red food color 
1/2 teaspoon yellow food color

Method:
For the cookies:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cake mix, water, cocoa powder, oil, food color, eggs, vanilla. espresso powder and cinnamon in your electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, scraping sides of bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. 
Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter, 2 inches apart, onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. (Cookies will spread so don't crowd.) 
Bake 8 minutes or until cookies are puffed and spring back when touched, turning baking sheets halfway through baking. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. 

For the orange filling:
Beat all ingredients with your electric mixer until light and fluffy.
To assemble:
Place 1 tablespoon filling on flat side of 1 cookie. Top with a second cookie, pressing gently to spread the filling. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling.

Pumpkin Shortbread

Here's a shortbread for autumn you're going to love with your cup of tea or coffee; these are great little dunkers. (Milk would work too.) Not too sweet, but with lovely pumpkin flavor and and nicely crisp. Your family might like them sweeter, so before you cut, glaze the whole thing with confectioners sugar mixed with milk (or eggnog!), or serve them with ice cream. I like them simple and elegant with just a sprinkling of confectioners sugar.
Spicy fragrance from your oven and an uncomplicated recipe for a perfect fall treat: a pumpkin spiced shortbread cookie. Win-win.

Pumpkin Shortbread
From Libby's

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/3 to 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (use 1/2 cup for a softer shortbread)
2 teaspoons sparkling or granulated sugar

Method:
Preheat oven to 300° F. Spray bottom of 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray. (I used a square tart pan)

Combine flour, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice and salt in small bowl.
Beat butter and powdered sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in pumpkin until combined. Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Spread dough into prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake for 80 minutes or until firm and golden brown. Cool for about 10 minutes; remove side from pan. When cool, sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Use a serrated knife to cut into wedges. (Or squares)