RECIPE: How about a cookie swap? REC: Anise Scented Fig & Date Swirls...

RECIPE:
REC: Key Lime Sparkler Cookies

I love these things. --but not as much as regular snowball cookies!

I usually add extra finely ground citric acid to the powdered sugar these are rolled in

Key Lime Sparkler Cookies with Citric Acid (King Arthur Flour)
Mouth-puckeringly tart AND satisfyingly sweet, these crunchy, sugar-coated cookies are bound to quickly become a family favorite.
Cookies
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons Key Lime Juice
1/8 teaspoon lime oil
1/8 teaspoon sour salt (citric acid)* OR 1/2 teaspoon Tart & Sour Flavor
1 large egg
2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Coating
1/8 teaspoon sour salt (citric acid*)
1 cup glazing sugar or confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons white edible glitter (optional)
*Sour salt (citric acid) is what gives the cookies their sour bite—if you want less tang, use just a pinch; more tang, add another pinch.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, salt, and baking powder till well blended. Beat in the lime juice, lime oil, sour salt (citric acid), and the egg. Blend in the flour thoroughly.

Roll the dough into 1" balls, and place them on lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake the cookies in the top third of a preheated 350°F oven for 14 to 16 minutes, until the cookies are browned on the bottom. Remove them from the oven, and cool on the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring to a rack.

Mix together the sugar coating ingredients in a pan or bag. Gently shake and roll the still slightly warm cookies in the sugar till coated. Allow the cookies to cool completely, then repeat, coating again with the sugar. (If you're freezing the cookies, you may choose to recoat the cookies in sugar once they've been removed from the freezer, before serving.)

Yield: 3 dozen cookies.

 
REC: Jane's Crispy Oatmeal Cookies. These are fussy but when done right. . .

produce delectable, crispy but tender cookies. Make sure they are cooked all the way; they should NOT be chewy, but should be tenderly crisp. Make sure you follow the tips at the end.

Jane's Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

1 3/4 sticks of butter (14 tablespoons), unsalted, at room temp.
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups rolled oats (do not substitute quick oats)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside. In electric mixer bowl beat butter and sugars together at low speed until just combined. Increase speed to medium and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and combine thoroughly. On low speed, add dry ingredients until barely incorporated, do not over-mix. Stir in oats by hand.

Scoop out balls of dough (about 2 tablespoons worth) on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Gently press to 1/2" thickness. Cookies will spread a lot so leave plenty of space between each one, perhaps 2 1/2 ".

Bake until golden brown; for small cookies, 10 - 12 minutes. If you have (optionally) made larger cookies, bake 12 - 15 minutes. Turn your baking sheet around about halfway through the baking time. Check cookies to be sure they are baked through. Remove baking sheet from oven and slide parchment with cookies onto a cooling rack and allow the cookies to rest a few minutes before removing to be placed directly on the rack--otherwise the cookies will break apart as you move them. Alternatively, you can simply allow the cookies to remain on the baking sheet while they cool enough for safe removal.

Makes about 24.

Advice: (a) Use a small kitchen scoop, if you have it, to pick up the dough. Make your cookies whatever size you like; you only have to adjust the baking time. (b) Do not fail to use parchment paper. © Do turn the baking sheet around at the halfway mark to insure even browning. Cookies brown/burn easily. (d) Cookies are really easily broken so handle gently as they come out of the oven, when you transfer them from the parchment to the cooling rack, and then to your storage container. (e) Do not substitute margarine for butter.

Optional: add 1/3 cup nuts or raisins after stirring in the oats. Also optional: zest of one orange.

 
And my last cookie for the swap: Cook's Illustrated Lemon Bars. . .

These are, bar none, the finest example of cookie bars I have ever had or tasted (and I taste them every year when I judge fairs!)

I have even over-cooked the shortbread base, till the point where it was all brown, and these cookies were wonderful

Cookies Lemon Bars Cooks Illustrated

The Crust
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12.25 oz)
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar(2.6 oz) , plus extra to decorate finished bars
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks or 6 oz), at very cool room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces

Lemon Filling
4 large eggs , beaten lightly
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar (9.3 oz)
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest from 2 large lemons
2/3 cup lemon juice from 3 to 4 large lemons, strained
1/3 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon table salt

For Crust
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Take two sheets of foil, criss-crossing and line 13 by 9 baking dish, with a 2 or 3 inch overhang. Spray with oil spray.
2. Pulse flour, confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch, and salt in food processor work bowl fitted with steel blade. Add butter and process to blend, 8 to 10 seconds, then pulse until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal, about three 1-second bursts. Sprinkle mixture into lined pan and press firmly with fingers into even, 1/4-inch layer over entire pan bottom and about 1/2-inch up sides. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

For the filling: Meanwhile, whisk eggs, sugar, and flour in medium bowl, then stir in lemon zest, juice, milk, and salt to blend well.

To finish the bars: Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Stir filling mixture to reblend; pour into warm crust. Bake until filling feels firm when touched lightly, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack; cool to near room temperature, at least 30 minutes. For cleaner cut, chill for about an hour and cut, wiping the knife blade each time with damp paper towel. Sprinkle with powder sugar and serve.

 
Mom used to make cookie sheets full of these...and I looked down my nose on them

because they didn't have chocolate chips.

Oh, the snobbery! And now the shame.

 
Petits Palmiers - One of the 12 kinds I make (1,000 plus cookies)

Petits Palmiers
Servings: 48

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar, ( or more) for dusting board


Directions:

Place the unsifted flour in a bowl and coarsely cut the butter over the flour. With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the sour cream. (This works very well in a food processor.) Turn out onto a board or smooth surface and knead briefly only until the mixture holds together. Divide into 2 equal balls, flatten slightly, place on wax paper and wrap airtight. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, overnight or freeze.

Cover a section of a large board or smooth work surface generously with granulated sugar. Place the dough on the sugar, turning it to coat all sides. Keeping the dough well-sugared, roll it into a square about 1/8 inch thick and 12 inches square. Trim the edges. Sprinkle top of dough generously with more sugar. Determine the center of the dough and mark lightly with a ruler or the back of a knife. Fold each side in thirds toward the center, folding so that, rather than meeting in the center, ther is a 1/2 inch space between the edges. Then close it along that space like a book, making a compact roll of 6 layers about 2 inches wide, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, and 12 inches long. Wrap airtight. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more, or freeze for 1/2 hour, until dough is firm enought to be sliced evenly.

Adjust rack to center of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

With a very sharp thin knife, slice the dough 1/2 inch thick. Dip both cut sides into sugar. Place cookies on their sides at least 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake only 1 sheet per oven at a time. Keep the remaining dough refrigerated until ready to bake.

Bake 9-10 minutes or until the sugar on the bottom has melted and is well caramelized. (During baking reverse position of pan if necessary to insure even browning.) Turn palmiers over and continue to bake about 1-2 minutes longer until the sugar is lightly browned on the second side. Do not under bake because they won't be crispy. Slide the parchment off the cookie sheet and let stand until palmiers have firmed up and can be easily lifted off. Finish cooling on a rack.

Store in an airtight container. If they are not to be served soon, they may be frozen.



For Christmas - make 1 1/2 batches.

Notes: A "must have" for the Christmas cookie tray.



Source: Maida Heatter (Roz)

Sent from Paprika Recipe Manager. http://www.paprikaapp.com

 
Mocha Mountain Cookies

These came from the old Epi and may have been Ruth's of San Francisco.

Mocha Mountain Cookies

4 oz. Unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into bits
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 T instant espresso powder
2 1/2 tsp. Vanilla

In a metal or glass bowl set over a sauce pan of simmering water, melt chocolate, 1 1/2 cup of the chips and butter stirring until the mixture is smooth. Forget that and melt it in the microwave. Much easier. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat eggs with sugar until thick and pale; beat in espresso powder and vanilla. Fold chocolate mixture into the flour mixture, stir in remaining chips. Let batter stand for 15 minutes. I put mine in the refrigerator to harden.

Drop by heaping T onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or one of those new mats that prevent sticking. Bake cookies in the middle of a preheated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until they are puffed, shiny and cracked on top. Let cookies cool on baking sheets, transfer them to racks to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen.

 
Double Chocolate Walnut Biscotti

Double Chocolate Walnut Biscotti

2 cups flour
½ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp salt
6 Tbls butter
1 cup sugar
2 lg. Eggs
1 cup walnuts
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour (or cocoa) a large baking sheet

Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs. Stir in flour to form a stiff dough. Stir in walnuts and chips.

Form dough into two flattened logs. Dust tops with cocoa.

Bake 35 minutes. Cool 20 minutes. Slice diagonally. Bake 9-10 minutes.

 
Mother's 5lb Fudge

Mother's 5lb Fudge

5 cups sugar
1 1/3 sticks butter
1 large can evaporated milk

Put this on to cook and watch carefully as it sticks easily.
Let it boil 8 to 10 minutes. Pour in 3 pkgs. chocolate
drops, 1 pt. marshmallow cream and nuts. Beat until
chocolate melts. Pour into a greased pan or platter.

 
I made the Mexican version the other day, Polverones

They are exactly the same except twice the nuts, and you grind half of them & finely chop the rest. You can add cinnamon to the sugar you roll them in.

 
Another favorite variation- Turtles

Wrap the dough around half a kraft caramel, then dip the tops in melted milk chocolate instead of rolling in sugar.

 
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