French Pastry Cookies

Two Sisters, or on the Terrace, 1881  

by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

I don't know where this recipe came from, but it was in my recipe box and was hand written by someone other than me.  It looks very tasty.

Dough:

2 cups flour
1 cup sour cream
1 cup butter, softened

Mix up the dough, divide into two balls, wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix:

3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Roll out each dough into a circle and sprinkle with filling.
Cut into wedges and roll up like crescent rolls.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Gramma’s Special Rolled Cookies

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This recipe was originally a winner in the Pillsbury Bake-Off some time in the late 50s or early 60s. I’m not sure what exactly the first recipe was like, but then my Mom is not known for tweaking recipes, and I got the recipe from her.  This might be the only recipe I ever got from her.

These are just about my favourite cookies. The only cookies that might beat it out for first are the macaroons at Ladurree in Paris. But what could compete with that?

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (new addition to the recipe)

glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup strong coffee
1/4 cup honey

ground almonds

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the zest and orange juice. Combine the dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture. Divide the dough into about 3 blobs and wrap each with plastic wrap and form into flattened discs and chill for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Make the glaze by heating all the ingredients in a small sauce pan until the sugar melts. Roll out the dough to about 1/6 inch and cut with a cookie cutter. A crescent or moon is a very nice choice. Bake for about 7 minutes, until just golden brown. While the cookies are still warm, brush on the glaze and then liberally sprinkle on the almonds. Let the cookies cool and set.

You need to keep an eye on the baking cookies, as they can burn quickly, being so thin. Also, to apply the almonds I often just take the glazed cookie and turn it upside down on the dish of almonds to get a nice coating. Once the cookies are glazed, almonded, and cooled, they are sturdier.

Sarah's Chocolate Chip Cookies

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This is most assuredly the very first original recipe by my youngest daughter, Sarah. She's surely made many more since. Based on the book I wrote this down in, she was likely not quite 6 years old at the time.

2 sticks of butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp black walnut extract
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
8 oz chocolate chips
2 oz walnuts, chopped up

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream the butter and sugar and eggs.
Mix in the extracts.
Combine the dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture.
Stir in the chocolate chips and the nuts.
Put daubs of dough onto cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes.
Cool on a baking wrack.

Rum Raisin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup golden raisins

2 Tbls rum

1 cup butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup organic raw sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbls wheat germ (or a little more if you like)

2 cups oatmeal

1 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 cup chocolate chips (more if you like)

Put the raisins to soak in the rum.

Preheat oven to 370 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar

Mix in the egg and vanilla.

Combine the flour and salt and baking soda and add to the creamed mixture.

Add the raisins and the rum, then the chips and nuts, and finally the oatmeal.

Mix well.

Bake for about 8 minutes. Your oven will influence the baking time.

They want to be lightly golden brown.

Cool and a baking rack, and store.

Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

These are really yummy. My daughter Sarah first came up with them. I'm sure you can use other 'chips' if you want. And of course, you don't have to use cinnamon, any other spice or no spice. What you want to keep is the ratio of butter/flour/oats/eggs to remain the same.

6 oz butter, softened

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups flour, 6 ounces

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups quick-cooking or regular rolled oats, uncooked

1 3/4 cups Butterscotch Chips, that's about 11 oz.

1/2 cup chopped nuts, (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cream butter, white sugar and brown sugar in large bowl until well blended.

Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in oats and butterscotch chips; mix well.

Drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

I use a scoop to ensure that I have even cookies and cooking.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool slightly and remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

About 4 dozen cookies.

4th of July Organic Brownies

9 ounces of organic semi-sweet chocolate chips

4 ounces of organic butter - 1 stick

3/4 cup organic sugar

2 ounces organic white flour

a pinch of salt

scant 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 organic free-range eggs

scant 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

3 tablespoons brandy

4 ounces of organic walnuts, well chopped

Preheat oven to 367 degrees.

Grease a 9x9 baking pan, and put into a big piece of parchment paper.

Put the chocolate chips and butter into a porcelain dish and zap for about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir go mix well, making sure the chips are reasonably melted.

Stir in the sugar.

Then stir in the flour.

Then stir in the eggs, one at a time.

Add the vanilla and brandy.

Add walnuts.

Pour into the pan and bake for about 30 minutes.

Wednesday Brownies

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This recipe came about as I was in a big hurry to get a dessert made before our church group came in just over an hour.  So of course when you are in a hurry mistakes happen.  But you just keep going, adjusting the mistakes.  

1 stick of butter

8 ounces of dark chocolate chips

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

2 Tbls dark chocolate cocoa

2 eggs

2 Tbls brandy

1 tsp vanilla

a pinch of salt

as many chopped pecans as you'd like

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put a piece of parchment paper into an 8 inch square pan, with the paper sticking up above the edges.

Put the butter chips and sugar into a microwave proof bowl, and process for about 1 1/2 minutes in the microwave.  Remove from the microwave and give it a vigorous stir with a wooden spoon.

Mix the flour, cocoa, and salt and stir into the mixture.

Stir in the eggs, one at a time.

Add the brandy and vanilla.

Finally, stir in the pecans.

Pour the batter into the pan, spread around to level.

Bake for about 30 minutes.

I cut this into 36 pieces, but that makes for 1 1/4 square pieces.

Madeleines


4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups butter, melted
Vanilla extract or lemond rind

Preheat the oven to 50 degrees.
Butter and flour the madeleine molds and place in the freezer.

Place the eggs and sugar in a kitchenaide mixing bowl and place over simmering water and stir until creamy and lukewarm. Remove from the heat and put into the mixer and beat until cold.
Add the flour gradually, mixing with a wooden spoon, then the butter and the flavoring.
Get the molds and fill them 2/3 full.
Bake until done - I will record this time later.
You want the madeleines to puff up in the middle.
Place on a rack to cool.

Yields 24 to 30 small Madeleines.

Brandy Pecan Brownies

This is not a sturdy brownie, but a lovely delicate and rich brownie, a bit on the soft side, like a truffle.

12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 ounces of butter - 1 1/2 stick
1/4 cup brandy
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2-3 ounces flour
a pinch of salt
6-8 ounces of pecans, chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Preheat the oven to 367 degrees.
Grease and flour an 8 x 11 or 8 1/2 x 12 baking pan or dish. I have a fluted pan with a removable bottom.
Put the chocolate and butter and brandy into a big microwavable dish and microwave to melt the chocolate.
Give it a good stir. Stir in the sugar, then stir in the eggs, one at a time. Then stir in the flour and salt.
Finally, stir in the pecans.
Pour into the pan and bake for about 30 minutes.
Cool completely before cutting.
If it's not cooled it will crack.

Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are so decadent that they can only be made for a special occasion. They're definitely one of my favorite chocolate chip cookies, and they're flat and chewey.

4 sticks butter, softened (1 pound)
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

1 pound unbleached flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

9-12 ounces real chocolate chips, I like dark chocolate
1/2-1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the butter, sugars, and eggs.
Add in the vanilla.
Combine the dry ingredients and stir into the creamed mixture.
Add the nuts and chocolate chips.
Put onto the cookie sheet in 2 tablespoon blobs. I like to use a scoop. Make sure they are rather far apart, because they will spread. Bake for about 8 minutes.

If you'd like to hang them on the Christmas tree, use a chop stick to poke a hole near the edge. Then when cold insert a ribbon for hanging.

Lemon Sugar Tea Biscuits

I absolutely adore these cookies, which is a very good reason for my not making them very often. Last time I made them I think I used a little less sugar, but I forgot how much little. And maybe I used all organic sugar and no brown sugar. I just about ate the whole batch all by myself. Well not really, but I was excessive.

15 ounces flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon salt
zest of 1 small lemon

2 sticks butter, softened
1 3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
juice of 1 lemon
some raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the first 4 ingredients.
Cream the butter, sugars, and eggs.
Add the lemon juice and then the dry ingredients.
Put some sugar in a bowl and drop scoops of the cookie dough in the sugar and roll into balls.

I like to use my littlest scoop because then when I eat one it isn't too big.
Place on the cookie sheet and put a raisin in the center of each cookie ball.
Spritz water on the cookies, or not, as you wish.
Dip a cookie press or a small glass in sugar and press on the top of each cookie.
Bake from 8 to 11 minutes, depending on the size of the scoops.
Cool on a rack.

Chocolate chip Frosted Mini-Wheat Crumbs Cookies

For a long time it has bothered me to throw out the crumbs at the bottom of the frosted mini-wheats bag. So finally today I did something about it.

1 stick of butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

9 ounces flour (just about 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4+ teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional, especially if using cinnamon mini-wheats)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional, but always good)

About 1 to 2 cups of the crumbs from the bottom of the frosted mini-wheats
2 to 3 handfuls of chocolate chips

Cream the first group of ingredients
Combine the dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture.
Finally, stir in the crumbs and the chocolate chips.
Heat oven to 370 degrees.
Put onto the cookie sheet in 1 tablespoon balls.
Bake for 11 minutes.

Brownies

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1 stick butter

2 squares chocolate

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon brandy or 1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup chopped nuts, pecans or walnuts

Grease and paper and grease an 8x8 pan.  I make the paper big enough to stick up above the pan so I can use it to lift the brownies out.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the butter and chocolate and sugar in a large microwavable bowl and put into the microwave for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.  What you are going for is melted butter and chocolate.  Take it from the microwave and give a good stir to make sure the stuff is melted.

Combine the flour and soda and stir into the melted mixture.  Then stir in the flavoring and eggs.  Stirring well, then stir in the nuts.  Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes.  The time depends on how you like your brownies - gooey or cake-like.

As soon as the brownies are cool enough lift up by the paper and place on a cutting board. I then cut the edges off, cutting as little as possible off.  Then I cut the brownies into 36 pieces and place them into small cupcake papers.   I buy the papers at the wholesale grocery store at about 500 for $3.50.

chocolate heart cookies

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I have to state up front that I got this recipe from Martha Stewart in her Entertaining cookbook, which is one of my all time favorite cookbooks. I first used these at my oldest daughter's wedding. They keep very well.

makes about 40 hearts

3 sticks butter, unsalted
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs

3 cups flour
1 1/3 cups cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 tsp finely ground black pepper
1 pinch of cayenne
1 tsp cinnamon

Cream the butter, sugar and eggs. Combine the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Wrap the dough up like pie dough for chilling, in 2 or 3 discs and chill for a while.

Preheat the oven to 370 degrees. Roll the dough out to 1/3" or 1/4" thickness and cut with a heart cutter, or whatever else you want to cut it with. Bake on parchment for 8-10 minutes. Cool

Icing for the hearts

1 egg white
1 cup icing sugar
1/4 tsp lemon juice (optional, maybe cream of tartar will do just as well)

Whip up these ingredients until lovely and white and fluffy. I like to ice the cookies by dipping them lightly in the icing so they are very smooth. For these cookies if you used the heart just did on side in the icing, so it's half dark and half white. Place on a wrack to harden.

Jan Hagel

1 cup butter, cold and diced up
1 cup sugar
1 egg, separated
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup very finely chopped walnuts or pecans or almonds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a 10 x 15 baking pan with parchment that sticks up a bit.
Combine the dry ingredients in a food processor.
Add the egg yolk and mix well.
Add the chilled diced butter and mix until like cornmeal.
Dump the mixture into the pan, spread around evenly, and pat down.
Combine the egg white and the water and mix until frothy.
Spread over the dough and sprinkle on the nuts.
Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove promptly from the pan, lifting by the excess parchment that is sticking up, and place onto a cutting board. Cut into strips, or any shape you like. A pizza cutter can be handy here. The reason for lifting out of the pan is because cutting the cookies in the pan ruins the pan.

Rice Krispies Treats

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1/4 cup butter
10 ounce package marshmallows
6 cups rice krispies

In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows and continue to stir until the marshmallows have completely melted. Remove from heat.
Stir in the rice krispies cereal coating them well with the melted marshmallow mixture.
Using a buttered spoon, or a buttered hand, press the mixture evenly into a 13 x 9 inch pan which has been buttered or lined with wax paper.
Cut into squares when cool.


Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bickies

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I was in a hurry the other day, needing to make some cookies. I couldn’t find the recipe I was looking for, so I made these up out of my head. In other words, I invented them on the spot. In the original batch I put in 1 tablespoon of brandy instead of the teaspoon of vanilla. I’m thinking to try them some time with two eggs, and I’m not sure that the baking soda is absolutely necessary.

2 sticks of butter, a bit soft

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla


2 cups flour

1/4 cup extra dark cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1 big pinch of salt


two big handfuls of pecans, chopped

2 or 3 big handfuls of chocolate chips



Cream the butter and the sugar. 
Add the egg and vanilla and mix until fluffy.

Combine the dry ingredients, and add to the creamed mixture.
Add the nuts and chips and mix well.

I use a scoop to form the cookies. The small one is exactly 1 tablespoon and the large one is 2 tablespoons. I usually like to make the small cookies, beause it makes people feel like they are getting more cookies, or if you want more it's still not too much.

375 degrees
9 minutes, for cookies that are 1 tablespoon
11 minutes for cookies that are 2 tablespoons
makes 8 dozen small cookies or 4 dozen larger cookies

Ginger Creams

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These are my family’s all time favorite Christmas cookie. It’s not really Christmas until we have made a batch of these. And then they eat them right away. Riley’s mother made them for him as a child. Annie thinks that this is the best cookie in the entire universe.

These cookies are very cake like, taste a lot like gingerbread.

1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup water
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cup icing sugar
2-4 Tbls of softened butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 + tablespoons cream


Cream butter, white sugar.
Add egg, molasses, and water, mixing well.
Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, baking soda, and spices and add in.
Chill dough until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
Bake about 8 minutes, or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly.
While slightly warm, frost with icing.

To Make Frosting: Beat together vigorously with an electric mixer the icing sugar and butter, until the sugar looks all yellow. Add the vanilla, and cream to make icing easy to spread. Spread on cookies when they have cooled. If the cookies are hot the frosting will slip off.
For Christmas, sprinkle with sprinkles, lot of them.

Zimtsterne

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I started making these cookies when I was in high school. They are very Christmassy and taste great. It’s not a make after school kind of cookie, but one does need the little bit fancy Christmas cookies. These are of course a German cookie, but this is Berry Crocker’s recipe, not a traditional German recipe.

3 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 egg, separated
1 tsp lemon juice
2 1/3 cups unbleached flour
2 1/2 tps baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream the butter, sugar, and 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk until fluffy
Combine the dry ingredients and add to mixture.
Stir in the chopped nuts.
Roll out batches of the dough (1/3 at a time) to 1/16 inch thick
on lightly floured board. But into stars. Place on cookie sheet
and brush with the egg white beaten frothy.
Bake for 5-8 minutes.

Lemon Squares

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For some unknown reason I have a great deal of trouble getting these done right. But despite that fact they are simple enough to make. I've forgotten the eggs, and I've forgotten the lemon juice or the lemon zest. But when I get them right they are a big hit.


CRUST:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, diced
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 cup unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tsp lemon zest

FILLING:

1 scant cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons unbleached flour

TOPPING:

Icing sugar (I think Americans say confectioner's sugar or powdered sugar)

Preheat to 350 degrees.

Grease with butter a 8 x 8 inch pan. I use a loose-bottom pan, which makes it much easier to get the final product out of the pan for cutting. If you don't have a loose-bottom pan I would recommend putting parchment paper in the pan with the sides sticking up on two ends. That way you can just lift the whole thing out of the pan. I do this with brownies. But there again, if you don't have parchment paper you can't do that.

CRUST: In a food processor mix the sugar, flour, and salt. Add the butter, cut into small pieces and pulse until the mixture looks like cornmeal. Pour this cornmeal-like mixture into the pan and press into the bottom of the pan. Don't press too hard. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

While the crust is baking, mix up the filling

FILLING: In a bowl beat the sugar and eggs until nice and smooth. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir to combine. Fold in the flour using a whisk. Pour the filling over the shortbread crust and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

To serve: Cut into squares or triangles and dust with icing sugar. I like to use a large pizza cutter to cut the cookies.