citrus thumbprints

 

the goods:

 

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, divided, plus more, sifted, for rolling

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice

1 tablespoon grated lime zest plus 1 tablespoon juice

1/3 cup fruit jam or citrus curd, for filling

 

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, and salt. In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat butter, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and citrus zest and juice on medium until combined; increase speed to high and beat until pale and fluffy, 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture on low. Roll rounded tablespoons dough into balls; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze 10 minutes.

 

Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven; with small end of a melon baller or a small rounded measuring spoon, make indents in centers of cookies. Return to oven, and bake until set and light golden at edges, 12 minutes more. Transfer cookies on parchment to wire racks, let cool 10 minutes. Gently toss in sifted sugar, then sift more sugar over tops. Fill centers with jams and curd.

molten chocolate cakes

 

the goods:

 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins

1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for muffin tins

3 large eggs

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

confectioners' sugar, for dusting

vanilla ice cream, for serving

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter 4 cups of a standard muffin tin. Dust with granulated sugar, and tap out excess. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour and salt until just combined. Beat in the chocolate (do not overmix). Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups.

 

Place muffin tin on a baking sheet; bake just until the tops of the cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is slightly shaken, 8 to 10 minutes.

To serve, turn out the cakes, and place on serving plates, top sides up. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

red velvet whoopie pies

 

the goods:

 

cookies:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1 ounce red food coloring

 

filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a heart template cut out from cardstock, or a cookie cutter, trace evenly spaced hearts onto pieces of parchment paper sized to fit two cookie sheets. Place the parchment on cookie sheets so that the side you have drawn on is facing down; set aside.

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, beat in about a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk, beating in each addition until just incorporated. Repeat with another third of the dry ingredients, remaining buttermilk, and finishing with dry ingredients. Do not overmix. Blend in food coloring.

Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off works fine too. Pipe the batter onto the parchment paper using the heart tracings as a guide. Bake 7-9 minutes or until the tops are set, rotating the sheets halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool on baking sheets at least 10 minutes, until they can easily transfer to a cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool completely before filling.

 

To make the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and beat until smooth.

 

Using another pastry bag with a plain tip, or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off, pipe the cream cheese filling on the bottom side of one cookie and sandwich with another cookie (it helps if you pair up the similar matches to each cookie first).

nutter butter cookies

 

the goods:

 

cookies:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus 1/4 cup more for rolling)

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

 

filling:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1-2 tablespoons milk

 

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, peanut butter, and sugars on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Lower mixer to medium and add egg and vanilla continuing to mix until combined. Turn mixer to low and add in flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix until combined. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Form chilled dough first into 1-inch balls, then into a log shape. Roll the log-shaped dough in granulated sugar and place on baking sheet 2 inches apart. Using a fork, press down on logs to form a criss-cross pattern. Pinch the center to create a peanut shape.

 

Bake for 6-7 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

 

Filling: In a large bowl beat butter and peanut butter together until smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar and turn mixer speed up to medium and beat until smooth. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.

Spread a heaping tablespoon of filling onto bottom side of half the peanut butter cookies and top with other half to create sandwiches.

pistachio-shortbread sandwich cookies

 

the goods:

 

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup coarsely chopped pistachios

1/3 cup strawberry jam

 

In a food processor, process butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt until smooth. Add flour and pulse until a dough forms. Stir in pistachios. Shape dough into two 8-inch-long logs, tightly wrap in plastic, and freeze until firm, 30 minutes.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut dough into 1/4-inch slices and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies are set and barely golden at edges, 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet on wire rack.

 

Spread 1/2 teaspoon jam on bottoms of half the cookies, then sandwich with remaining cookies.

lemon-raspberry semifreddo

 

the goods:

6 ounces raspberries (3/4 cup), thawed if frozen

2 tablespoons sugar

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup lemon curd

10 ladyfingers

 

Line a 4 and 1/2-by 8 and 1/2-inch loaf pan with 2 sheets of plastic wrap, leaving a 3-inch overhang on long sides. In a blender, puree raspberries and sugar, scraping down sides as needed. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on solids; discard solids.

In a large bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. With a rubber spatula, fold in lemon curd. Spoon 2 cups cream mixture into pan and smooth top. Dip ladyfingers in raspberry puree and arrange in pan, parallel to long edges. Pour remaining raspberry puree on ladyfingers. Top with remaining cream mixture and smooth top.

Wrap pan with overhang plastic and freeze 8 hours (or up to 2 weeks). To serve, invert onto a serving platter, remove plastic, and slice.

peppermint-chocolate sugar cookies

the goods:

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
12 teaspoon fine salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4-1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
3-5 tablespoons heavy cream
12 round peppermint candies, crushed for decorating

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract on medium-high until pale and fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in egg, then flour mixture on low. Stir in chocolate chips.

Roll dough into 1 and 1/2-inch balls and place, 2 inches apart, on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until edges are lightly golden, about 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks and let cool completely.

Stir together confectioners' sugar and enough cream to make a spreadable glaze (if you like a strong mint flavor, stir in up to 1/4 teaspoon extract). Spread a thin layer of glaze on top of each cookie and sprinkle with candies. Let dry completely on racks.