Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of ground coriander
• 2/3 cup sugar
• Grated zest of 1 lime
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup finely chopped macademia nuts (don’t be afraid to use salted nuts)

Preparation

Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt and coriander.

If you want to get a little more flavor out of the lime zest, put the sugar and zest in the mixer bowl and, using your fingertips, work the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and the mixture fragrant.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and zest on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Add the coconut and nuts and pulse to incorporate them. There will probably be some dry ingredients in the bottom of the bowl–don’t work them in with the mixer, just reach into the bowl and knead them in.

Transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9-x-10 1/2-inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or for up to 2 days.

GETTING READY TO BAKE: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the dough out onto the board (discard the bag), and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut it into 32 squares, each roughly 1 1/2 inches on a side. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them, and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies to the sheet.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and fromt to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack and cool to room temperature.

Makes 32 cookies.

Dorie Greenspan, Baking: From My Home to Yours, pg 145, from Barefoot Kitchen Witch

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1½ cups chopped macadamia nuts
• 1½ cups white chocolate chips
• coarse sea salt (for topping)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.

3. Beat together the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the egg, then beat in the egg yolk, then beat in the vanilla.

4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture until just moistened. Stir in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips by hand with a rubber spatula.

5. Roll into balls or drop by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets, and press down on the cookies with your palm a bit to flatten (not too much!). Sprinkle tops of cookies with sea salt.

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges look golden brown and the middles don’t look quite set. Allow to finish cooling on the baking sheet.

Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients

Shortbread:

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened but still cool, divided
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch, divided
• 1 large egg, separated
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces) chopped hazelnuts
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 heaping teaspoon coarse fleur de sel or sea salt
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

Preparation

Place 1/2 stick of butter (4 tablespoons) in small saucepan over moderate heat. Melt and cook until butter stops foaming, smells toasty and begins to brown, about 10 minutes. The browner the butter, the deeper the flavor, but don’t let it blacken or burn. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Place the remaining butter (12 tablespoons) in a bowl. Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat until creamy. Add the sugars and salt and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, vanilla and cooled brown butter. Mix to combine. Then add flour, 1 cup at a time, and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Chill the batter for 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with oven rack in the middle. Butter a 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pan. Divide dough into 8 rough portions and arrange them evenly in the pan. Press dough into an even layer to fill the pan.

In a small bowl, beat the egg white with a pinch of salt. Brush mixture evenly over the dough. Sprinkle hazelnuts over the top; press down lightly. In another small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon and nutmeg and sprinkle over nuts. Sprinkle fleur de sel or sea salt over the top.

Bake, rotating the pan once halfway through baking, until golden brown and crisp, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and cut into 1- to 2-inch squares or diamonds. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Melt chocolate in a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Using a very small-tipped pastry bag or the tines of a fork, drizzle the chocolate over the tops of the shortbreads.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ingredients

• 2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1 stick butter
• 3 eggs
• scant 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 1 c. buttermilk
• Two pie crusts

Preparation

Cream sugar, flour, and butter. Blend in eggs. Add baking soda, vanilla, and buttermilk. Pour into two (yes, two) crusts. Bake at 300–325 degrees, for at least 1 hour or until set.

Ingredients

• 1 c. vegetable oil plus oil for the pan
• 1 c. sugar
• 2/3 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. light honey, such as clover
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 c. flat cola or brewed coffee, room temperature
• 1/3 c. slivered or sliced almonds
• 1/2 c. coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate or chips
• confectioners’ sugar or cocoa powder, for dusting

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil the bottom and tube of a 9- or 10-inch angel-food-cake or tube pan. Cut out a circle of parchment or baking paper and line the bottom.

In a medium-size bowl, blend the oil with the sugars, honey and vanilla. Blend in the eggs and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly stir in the wet ingredients, slowly adding the cola (or coffee). Blend well to make a smooth batter.

Spoon the batter into the pan and sprinkle the top with slivered almonds.

Bake the cake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake for an hour, or until the cake springs back when touched. (Make sure the center of the cake, near the tube, springs back as well as the outer edge, or the center will remain undercooked.) Remove the cake from the oven.

Sprinkle on the chopped chocolate. Refrigerate the cake to set the chocolate. Once the chocolate is set, invert and remove the cake from the pan. To serve, dust the top with cocoa and/or confectioners’ sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 c. flour
• 1/3 c. cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 stick plus 3 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small bits

Preparation

1. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together in small bowl; set aside. Beat the butter until smooth in bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed. Add the sugars, vanilla and salt; beat 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low; add the flour mixture, mixing until incorporated but still crumbly, and being careful not to overwork the dough. Stir in the chocolate pieces.

2. Turn the dough out onto a smooth work surface; squeeze it so that it sticks together in large clumps. (If you need to, it’s okay to lightly flour the work surface.) Gather the dough into a ball; divide in half. Shape each ball into a log 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap logs in plastic wrap; chill at least 1 hour.

3. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Gently slice logs into 1/2-inch rounds using a serrated knife (some will crumble; simply press broken bits back onto cookie). Place 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.

4. Bake, one sheet at a time, 14 minutes; cookies will not look done or be firm. Cool on pan 5 minutes; transfer to cooling rack. Cool to room temperature.

Ingredients

• 3 c. flour
• 1 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 c. each, chopped: almonds, dried cranberries
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 c. canola oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together the flour, 1 c. of the sugar, almonds, cranberries, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl with electric mixer on low speed; slowly beat in the eggs, oil, vanilla and orange zest.

2. Scrape dough onto a lightly floured wooden board; knead until well mixed. Roll into ball; divide into four pieces. Roll each piece into a log about 10 inches long and 3 inches wide. Bake logs, 3 inches apart, on lightly oiled foil-lined cookie sheets until lightly brown and firm, 30-40 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, mix together the remaining 1/4 c. of the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Remove logs from oven; slide onto cutting board. Let logs cool 5 minutes. Gently cut each log into 12 pieces using a serrated knife. Return cookies, cut side up, to cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mix. Return to oven, bake 5 minutes. Turn off oven; leave cookies overnight to dry out.

Chicago Tribune

Ingredients

• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup butter cut into tablespoons
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon each: baking powder, salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, but not natural peanut butter
• 1/2 to 2/3 cups chopped peanuts

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chips and the butter in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly; let cool. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in small bowl; set aside.

2. Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until combined; gradually add the dry ingredients, beating well. Add the reserved chocolate mixture; beat well. Spread the dough onto a greased 15-by-10 inch rimmed baking sheet; bake until firm, about 12-15 minutes. Cool until barely warm, about 20 minutes.

3. Spread the peanut butter over the chocolate layer; sprinkle with the peanuts. Melt the remaining 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chips; spread while warm over the nut layer. Let cool completely; cut into squares.

Note: Sue Manos says she microwaves the peanut butter for 5-10 seconds to soften it for spreading.

Chicago Tribune

Ingredients

For crust

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 10 tablespoons (about) ice water

For filling

• 3 1/2 cups 1/2-inch-thick slices trimmed rhubarb (1 1/2 pounds untrimmed)
• 1 16-ounce container strawberries, hulled, halved (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg yolk beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon water (for glaze)

Preparation

Make crust: Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor. Using on/off turns, cut in shortening and butter until coarse meal forms. Blend in enough ice water 2 tablespoons at a time to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; cut in half. Flatten each half into disk. Wrap separately in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.)

Make filling: Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Toss gently to blend.

Roll out 1 dough disk on floured work surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter flass pie dish. Trim excess dough, leaving 3/4-inch overhang.

Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Cut into fourteen 1/2-inch-wide strips. Spoon filling into crust. Arrange 7 dough strips atop filling, spacing evenly. Form lattice by placing remaining dough strips in opposite direction atop filling. Trim ends of dough strips even with overhang of bottom crust. Fold strip ends and overhang under, pressing to seal. Crimp edges decoratively.

Brush glaze over crust. transfer pie to baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake pie until golden and filling thickens, about 1 hour 25 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely.

Bon Appetit, April 1997

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 12 oz. package vanilla wafers (bashed into fine crumbs)
• 1 c. nuts (pecans)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 7 oz. flaked coconut

Preparation

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time. Add crumbs, vanilla, coconut, and nuts. Bake in tube pan that has been greased and lightly dusted with flour at 325 for 1 1/2 hours.