Buttery Pecan Rounds

Buttery Pecan Rounds



Pecan halves hint at the rich flavor of these cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2/3 cup finely chopped toasted pecans (about 2 ounces)
• Pecan halves, for decorating

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift together flour and salt into a small bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg yolk until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until combined. Mix in chopped pecans.
2. Using a 1 1/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop batter onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 3 inches apart. Press 1 pecan half into the center of each. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.

Chocolate Pretzels



A sprinkle of coarse sanding sugar is the embellishment on these sweet versions of the salty snack.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon good-quality instant espresso powder
• 3 tablespoons boiling water
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg yolk
• Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Stir cocoa and espresso powders into the boiling water in a small bowl until dissolved; set aside. Meanwhile, put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until creamy. Mix in vanilla and salt. Reduce speed to medium-low. Mix in egg, then cocoa mixture. Gradually add flour, and mix until a smooth dough forms. Turn out onto a piece of plastic; pat into a square. Wrap dough, and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
2. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces. Roll into balls. Shape balls into 12-inch-long ropes. Twist each rope into a pretzel shape. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Brush cookies with egg wash; sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until dry, about 35 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.

Candy Stripe Cookie Stick



Festive Candy-Stripe Cookie Sticks are a holiday favorite, but can be enjoyed as a treat any time of year.

Ingredients

Makes 30

• 8 large egg whites
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Red gel-paste food coloring

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on medium speed until foamy. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and salt; mix until just combined. Add butter, cream, and vanilla, and beat until combined.
2. Transfer 1 cup batter to a small bowl (set remaining batter aside). Stir in red coloring until desired color is reached. Transfer tinted batter to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as Ateco #2). Secure end of pastry bag with rubber band. Set aside.
3. Put a 3-by-6-inch rectangle (cut out a stencil to use as a guide) on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat baking mat. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of plain batter into the rectangle, and spread with a small offset spatula. Repeat. Pipe diagonal tinted stripes onto each rectangle. Bake cookies until pale golden, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Immediately loosen edges with a spatula, and flip cookie over. Starting from one long side, roll cookie into a stick. Place, seam side down, on a clean work surface; let cool until set. Quickly repeat with second cookie.
5. Repeat process, tinting and baking 2 or 3 cookies at a time. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.

Cranberry Noels



Basic icebox dough gets a festive makeover when dotted with dried fruit and pecans.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add milk and vanilla. Beat until just combined. With mixer on low, gradually add flour, salt, cranberries, and pecans; continue beating until fully combined.
2. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface, and divide into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece into an 8-inch log, about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap logs in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a sharp knife, cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Remove from oven, and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Helpful Hint

Once formed into logs and wrapped well in plastic, the dough can be stored in the freezer for up to a month. Before slicing, leave the dough at room temperature until it just begins to soften. For a festive variation, roll the edges in colored sanding sugar before baking.

Chocolate Pistachio Cookies

Indulge your desire for chocolate with these decadent pistachio delights.

Ingredients

Makes 15

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 4 ounces salted shelled pistachios (about 1 cup), ground to a paste in a food processor
• 1 large egg white
• 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
• For the garnish: slivered, unsalted, shelled pistachios (optional)

Directions

1. Make filling: Bring 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved; set aside.
2. Put egg yolks in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk by hand until yolks are warm to the touch, about 2 minutes. Fit mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix yolks on medium speed; pour in sugar syrup. Raise speed to high; mix until mixture is cool and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium; drizzle in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.
3. Make cookies: Put pistachio paste and rest of sugar in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Mix in the egg white, vanilla, and salt.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a small (about 1/4 inch) plain round tip (such as Ateco #10). Pipe 1-inch rounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing about 1 inch apart.
5. Bake cookies until firm and golden around edges, about 10 minutes. Transfer on parchment to a wire rack, and let cool completely.
6. Place cookies, bottom sides up, on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Spread 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons chocolate filling on bottom of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies. Freeze 1 hour.
7. Make glaze: Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add shortening; stir until combined. Let cool, stirring, until mixture is lukewarm.
8. Using a chocolate fork or regular fork, hold 1 cookie at a time above bowl of chocolate glaze. Spoon glaze over cookie, letting excess drip back into bowl. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Garnish with slivered pistachios. Refrigerate until set, 5 minutes. Cookies can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days.

Helpful Hint

Note: The yolks in the filling are not fully cooked; it should not be prepared for pregnant women, babies, young children, the elderly, or anyone whose health is compromised.

Lebkuchen

The German town of Nuremberg has been famous for its lebkuchen since the late 1300s; the soft, cakey cookies are traditionally made with several spices, candied citrus peel, hazelnuts, and almonds. Packaged in quaint town house boxes, the cookies seem all the more authentic. For the how-to, see Town House Gift Boxes. To toast almonds and hazelnuts, spread them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake in an oven heated to 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Ingredients

Makes 17

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/3 cup blanched whole almonds (about 1 3/4 ounces), toasted, plus more untoasted for decorating
• 1/3 cup blanched hazelnuts (1 1/2 ounces), toasted
• 1/3 cup diced candied orange peel
• 1/3 cup diced candied lemon peel
• 4 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• 3 ounces almond paste, crumbled into small pieces
• 1/3 cup apricot jam
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons whole milk

Directions

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Pulse almonds and hazelnuts in a food processor until very finely chopped. Add candied peels and dates, and pulse until finely chopped. Add almond paste, and pulse to combine. Add jam, and pulse. Add eggs and brown sugar, and pulse. Add flour mixture, and pulse. Transfer dough to an airtight container, and refrigerate overnight (or up to 3 days).
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a 2-inch ice cream scoop ( 1/4 cup), drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing cookies 3 inches apart. Place 3 almonds close together on top of each cookie. Bake until golden brown, about 14 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
3. Whisk together confectioners' sugar and milk, and brush over cooled cookies. Let stand until set. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Butter Cookie Sandwiches with Chestnut Cream

These filled sandwiches are partially dipped in melted chocolate and then refrigerated so the glaze can set.

Ingredients

• FOR THE COOKIES
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 large egg
• FOR THE FILLING
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons chestnut cream (creme de marron)
• FOR THE GLAZE
• 6 semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Make cookies: Sift together flour and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar; mix until smooth. Mix in egg. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 1 1/2-inch rounds. Using a spatula, transfer rounds to baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 1 inch apart.
3. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.
4. Make filling: Put butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add sugar, salt, and chestnut cream; mix until smooth.
5. Make glaze: Melt chocolate in a small pan over low heat, stirring constantly; set aside.
6. Assemble cookies: Spread filling on bottom of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Dip sandwiches a third of the way into the warm glaze; transfer to wire racks set over baking sheets. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. Cookies can be refrigerated in a single layer in airtight containers up to 2 days.

Date-Pecan Bars

These chewy, sweet bars are a great alternative to fruitcake -- but they don't contain any alcohol, making them a kid-friendly holiday treat. You can substitute an equal amount of walnuts for the pecans. If you'd prefer another dried fruit, try using raisins. If you use a dark-colored baking pan to bake these bars, you need to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.

Prep: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Makes 18

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chopped pitted dates
• 3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pan; place it in the pan, then butter the paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in dates and nuts.
3. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool completely on a wire rack. Run a knife around edges to loosen, then cut it into bars using a serrated knife. To cut the baked dough into 18 bars, make 3 cuts horizontally and 6 cuts vertically. Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature up to a week.