Lemon Tea Cookies

This is a delightful recipe I found on RecipeZaar posted by Lavender Lynn. This recipe is extremely close to the one I use for catering. These are very easy to make. You can use store-bought lemon curd for convenience. They are always a hit.

3 hours | 1¼ hours prep

Yield: 3 dozen

Cookies

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 2/3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Filling

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons lemon zest, grated
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten

1. In large bowl, Beat butter, 1/3 C powdered sugar, and vanilla with mixer on medium speed until well blended.
2. Stir in flour until dough forms.
3. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes
4. Heat oven to 350°F Shape dough into 1" balls.
5. Place balls 2" apart. Press thumb into center of each ball to make indentation.
6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Remove to cooling racks and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
8. In 1 qt saucepan, heat all filling ingredients over low heat about 25 minutes, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened.
9. Cool about 15 minutes.
10. Fill each thumbprint with rounded 1/4 tsp filling. Sprinkle 1 T powdered sugar over cookies.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

The difference between this chocolate chip cookie recipe and most others is the method. Do not omit the chilling period, it is significant.

1 Cup Butter, at room temperature
1 Cup Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
2 1/2 Cups Flour
1 1/4 Teaspoons Baking Soda
2 Cups Pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
2 Cups Chocolate Chips

1. Combine all dry ingredients and sift with whisk.
2. Beat butter in mixer with paddle at medium speed until light (about 2 minutes).
3. With speed on medium, add both sugars in a steady stream. Continue to cream sugars for 4-5 minutes, scraping down bowl twice.
4. Whisk eggs and vanilla together. Keep on medium speed and add egg mixture to sugar mixture very slowly. It should take 3-4 minutes. Mixture should be fluffy.
5. Reduce speed to lowest setting and add dry ingredients until well incorporated.
6. Add chocolate chips and walnuts and mix briefly.
7. Using #24 scoop, place balls right next to each other on a sheet pan and refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.
8. Remove and let come to room temp (about 30 min).
9. Put balls on sheet pan and flatten to about 3/4" thick. Try to keep edges straight up and down. Make slight depression in center with finger.
10. Bake in conventional oven: 400 F, 8-10 minutes or in convection oven: 375 F, 7 minutes.
11. Edges should be golden brown, but 1" circle in center should be pail.
12. Let cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to rack.

Almond Biscotti

Recipe Courtesy of Darlene O'Connor Raiente (Bridgeport / Stamford, CT)

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Dash salt
1/2 cup chopped almonds (toasted)
2 teaspoons milk

DIRECTIONS

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture. Stir in almonds. Line a baking sheet with foil and grease foil. Divide dough in half; spread into two 12-in. x 3-in. rectangles on foil. Brush with milk and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 300 degrees F. Lift rectangles with foil onto wire rack; cool for 15 minutes. Place on a cutting board; slice diagonally 1/2 in. thick. Place slices with cut side down on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn cookies over; bake 10 minutes more. Turn oven off, leaving cookies in oven with door open to cool. Store in airtight container.

Optional: Melt some chocolate chips over a double boiler and dip cookie in on one side or the whole bottom of the cookie to make it look fancy.

Lava Cookies by Shirley Corriher

Photo Source: CakeSpy.com

Yield: 16 cookies
Prep: 30 min
Refrigerate: 30 min
Bake: 12 min

• 1 1/2 cups pecans or walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips *
  
• 2 lg eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract *
  
• 1 cup bleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Arrange a shelf in the middle of the oven and place a baking stone on it. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Spread nuts on a baking sheet, place in the oven on the stone, and roast for 10-12 min. While nuts are hot, stir in 2 Tablespoons butter. Set aside.
3. Turn oven up to 375F. Spray several heavy baking sheets with nonstick spray and line with release foil (nonstick side up). Set aside.
4. In medium saucepan, melt remaining 6 Tablespoons butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Let stand for 1 min., and then stir. If all chocolate is not melted, place pan on very low heat for 1 min, remove, and stir. Let stand for 1 min, remove, and stir. Let stand for 1 min. and continue stirring. Repeat until all chocolate is melted. Set aside.
5. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla at high speed with an electric mixer for 2-3 min, or until light and pale yellow. Turn mixer down to low and pour in chocolate.
6. In medium mixing bowl, combine flour and baking powder, beating well with electric mixer. Stir flour into batter in several batches. Scrape down bowl and across bottom. Stir in roasted nuts.
7. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 min. Using a 2-inch (#30) ice cream scoop, scoop dough place portions approx. 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 1 sheet at a time.
8. Place baking sheet in oven on stone. Bake for exactly 12 min. Cool for 3-5 min. Best served warm, but you can reheat each cookie in the microwave for 10 seconds for running centers.
   

You can freeze cookies and thaw or microwave as you like.
*RESOURCES:
Chocolate Chips - FoodieAffair.com
Vanilla Extract - FoodieAffair.com

Pecan Macaroons

Recipe Source: Shirley Corriher
Yield: About 40 cookies

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 7 cups (24.4 oz/692 g) pecans
• 1 Tablespoon (0.4 oz/11 g) granulated sugar, divided
  
• 2 cups (15.4 oz/437 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
• 2 large egg whites 2 oz/57 g)
  
• 3 drops honey

1. Arrange a shelf in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees/163 C. Line a baking sheet with Release foil (nonstick side up), or parchment sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a food processor with the steel blad, process the pecans in three batches with 1 teaspoon (0.15 oz/4g) of the granulated sugar in each batch. You want to get the pecans finely ground but not to a powder or a butter. Measure out 6 cups (21 oz/593 g) ground pecans and place in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the brown sugar, salt, egg whites, and honey. With clean hands, work the ingredients into an evenly mixed dough. Shape dough into small (about 1-inch/2.5-cm) balls and place on the baking sheet Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
4. Place in the oven on the arranged shelf and bake for 20 minutes, until set. Allow to cool for 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack. When completely cooled, seal in a cookie tin or heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. These cookies will keep well for months and are better made several weeks ahead.

Wedding Cookies

Recipe Source: Shirley Corriher
These snow-white, delicate cookies are sweet, nutty morsels of delight. They fall apart in your mouth.

Yield: 4 dozen

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup (8 oz/227 g) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups (10 oz/286 g) confectioners' sugar, divided
• 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) pure vanilla extract *
• 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) water
• 2 cups (9oz 255 g) spooned and leveled all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon (15 g) salt
• 3/4 cup (29 oz/82 g) finely chopped pecans

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees/163 C.
2. Cover a baking sheet with Release foil (nonstick side up), or parchment sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a heavy-duty mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) of the confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, sprinkle the water over the flour and stir, then stir in the salt. Add the flour mixture to the mixer in several batches and beat on the lowest speed just to blend in. When all the flour is added, add the pecans and blend in.
5. Roll the dough into balls about eh size of a walnut and place on the baking sheet about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Bake until set but not browned, about 20 minutes.
6. While the cookies are warm, lift them with a spatula, one at a time, into a large mixing bowl with the remaining 2 cups 98 oz/227 g) confectioners' sugar. Gently roll them in the confectioners' sugar several times to coat generously, then place on a rack to cool. Re roll once again in confectioners' sugar before storing in an airtight container.

*RESOURCES:
Pure Vanilla Extract - FoodieAffair.com