Pecan Sandwich Cookies

Pecan Sandwich Cookies

32 large 60 small cookies

 

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

½ tsp. salt

1 lb. Sweet butter (unsalted)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups finely ground pecans

1x 10-12 ozs. Jar raspberry preserves, apricot preserves or blueberry preserves

Powdered sugar for topping 

1 part powdered sugar to 1 part all-purpose flour mixed for rolling out

 

Procedure

1. In a mixer equipped with a paddle blend together 4 cups flour, sugar and salt. Add butter, vanilla and nuts and continue to mix until dough forms a ball.

 

2. Remove dough from mixer and divide into two portions. Flatten to create discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough for several hours (or 3-4 days).

 

3. Remove dough from refrigerator 20 minutes before ready to roll.   Preheat oven 350°F.

 

4. Roll dough between two sheets of wax paper using a flour/ powdered sugar mixture to prevent from sticking to 1/8-inch thick. Cut cookies into desired shape and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake cookies 12-14 minutes or until golden. Cool cookies and freeze at this point if desired. Repeat process with remaining dough.

 

To Assemble cookies. Place base side of ½ of the cookies on a clean work surface. Top each with a small dab of jam (I use a baby spoon). Top each cookie with remaining top and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Store in a tin container until ready to serve.

 

Kathleen K. Sanderson

 

                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cookies and Cream!


SEA SALTED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies or 3 dozen medium

Ingredients
3-1/2  cup all-purpose flour                                                                                                     1 1/4 tsp. baking soda                                                                                                             1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

 ½ tsp. coarse salt  (kosher)                                                                                                   2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter                                                                                 1 cup light brown sugar                                                                                                         1 cup plus  granulated sugar                                                                                                 2 large eggs                                                                                                                           2 tsp. natural vanilla extract                                                                                                   1-1/4 lb. bittersweet chocolate chunks                                                                                 Coarse sea salt (Maldon)

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours. Dough may be used in batches and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside. 

Scoop 6 x 2 ½ -ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto each baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.
Adapted from Jacques Torres                                                                                                                                  

MARSCAPONE & STRAWBERRIES Marinated in Balsamic Vinegar
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients
3 pints strawberries, sliced if large
3-4 tablespoons granulated sugar, more to taste
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste*
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
2 Tbsp. pistachio nuts

Method

1.  Put the strawberries in a bowl and scatter generously with the 2 Tbsp. sugar followed by the balsamic vinegar. Stir and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. 

2. Mix the vanilla seeds with the mascarpone cheese and sweeten to taste with remaining sugar. 

3. For each serving, place a spoonful of mascarpone on a plate, cover with a generous heap of strawberries and drizzle on some of the balsamic juice and a sprinkle of pistachio nuts. 

Kathleen Sanderson
 

Molten Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the molds
  • 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped  
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp.  flour, plus more for dusting the molds

Preparation

1.     Put the butter and chocolate in a medium bowl or Pyrex cups and melt it in the microwave 1 ½ -2 minutes. Stir well to combine and until melted.

 

2.     Crack 3 eggs into a bowl, and add 3 more yolks (discard the extra whites). Add the sugar, and beat or whisk until light and thick, about 1 minute. Add egg mixture and flour to the melted chocolate; beat until combined.

 

 

3.     Butter 6x6-ounce molds or ramekins (make sure not to miss any spots, or the cakes will stick). Divide the batter among the molds. (At this point you can refrigerate them for up to 24 hours; just bring them back to room temperature before baking.)

 

4.     When you’re ready to bake, heat the oven to 425°F. Put the molds on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the cakes have puffed up a bit, the tops are barely set and the cakes still jiggle slightly when shaken, 8 to10 minutes (better under baked than over baked). Let sit for 2-3 minutes.

 

5.     Put a plate on top of the ramekin and (with a potholder to protect your hand) carefully invert the cake onto the plate. Let it sit for 10 seconds, then lift up the ramekin. Serve immediately, with ice cream, sorbet or whipped cream.

 

YIELD 6 servings

  • Originally published with Operation: Mother’s Day NYTIMES
  • By MARK BITTMAN, May 5, 2013
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Tender Biscuits with Peppercorn & Parmesan

 

 

 

Buttermilk Biscuits

12x 2-inch biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour+ more for rolling

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 stick sweet butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup buttermilk

Procedure

Pre-heat oven 400 ° F

1. In the bowl of a food processor combine 2 cups flour, baking powder and soda and salt. Process 30 seconds to blend and aerate. Add butter (and desired ingredients) and process until flour resembles a coarse meal. Add buttermilk and pulse until dough forms DO NOT OVER MIX.

 2. Turn sticky dough onto a well-floured board and knead lightly. Pat dough into a square and roll out dough to ½ inch thickness. Fold dough in half and re-roll lightly to 3/4 inch. Cut dough with well-floured biscuit cutter.  Place biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake biscuits for 8-10 minutes or until golden.

Variations

Cheddar & Chive: Add 1 cup shredded cheddar and 1/4 cup chopped chives with butter in step # 1

Sage & Stilton: Add 2 Tbsp. of chopped fresh sage (2 tsp. ground dry sage) and 3 oz. crumbled Stilton (or other blue veined cheese) with butter in step # 1.

Pepper Parmesan: Add 1/2 Tbsp. of cracked peppercorns and 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan to step # 1.

Short Cakes Biscuits: Add 2-3 Tbsp. of sugar to step #1 and proceed as directed above.

 

 

 

 

Summer desserts

 

Double Chocolate Brownies
10-12 Servings

Ingredients
8 ozs. Quality bitter or dark sweet chocolate
3 ozs. Unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sweet butter (2 sticks)
2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 ½ cups chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
Procedure
Pre-heat oven 350 degrees F.

In a double boiler or microwave melt dark and unsweetened chocolate and butter. Stir to create a smooth mixture and cool slightly. (Microwave full power for 1 minute and then in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval).

Combine sugar, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add chocolate mixture and mix well. Add flour and salt and mix to just combine. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9x13x2-inch pan lined with buttered parchment and bake for 30-35 minutes or until knife comes clean.

Cool brownies 15 minutes in pan before turning onto a board to cut. Cool brownies completely before cutting into squares or triangles.

Hot Fudge Sauce
1 1/2 cups

Ingredients
8 ozs. Dark sweet or semi-sweet chocolate
1/2-cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla
Water as needed

Procedure

1. In a heavy saucepan combine; broken chocolate and cream, simmer on low until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla serve warm over ice cream with brownies. Add water if needed. Sauce will last 2-3    weeks refrigerated.

COCONUT KEY LIME PIE
Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
For crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup toasted coconut
¼ cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For filling
2x (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup fresh or bottled Key lime juice

For topping
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
½ cup toasted coconut
Procedure
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Make crust: Stir together graham cracker crumbs, coconut, mixed sugar, and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined well, then press mixture evenly onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch spring form pan. Bake crust in middle of oven 10 minutes and cool in pie plate on a rack. Leave oven on.
Make filling and bake pie: Whisk together condensed milk and yolks in a bowl until combined well. Add juice and whisk until combined well (mixture will thicken slightly). Pour filling into crust and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes. Cool pie completely on rack (filling will set as it cools), then chill, covered, at least 8 hours.
Make topping:
Just before serving, beat cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Serve pie topped with cream and sprinkle with coconut.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buttermilk Short Cake Biscuits
6x 4-inch biscuits

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour+ more for rolling
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick cold sweet butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup buttermilk

Procedure
Pre-heat oven 400  F.

1. In the bowl of a food processor combine 2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder and soda and salt. Process 30 seconds to blend and aerate. Add butter (and desired ingredients) and process until flour resembles a coarse meal. Add buttermilk and pulse until dough forms DO NOT OVER MIX.

2. Turn sticky dough onto a well-floured board and knead lightly. Pat dough into a square and roll out dough to ½ inch thickness. Fold dough in half and re-roll lightly to 3/4 inch. Cut dough with well-floured biscuit cutter.  Place biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake biscuits for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

Berry Shortcakes
3 cups mixed berries
3 Tbsp. warmed berry jam
2 cups heavy cream
1 10-11 oz. jar lemon curd

Combine berries w/ jam. Whip cream to form light peaks fold in lemon curd and serve over berries and biscuits. 

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