Pecan Biscotti

3 cups cheap all-purpose flour (or 2 1/2 cups of King Arthur flour)
1 cup sugar
1 cup raw pecans, chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 Tbsp hazelnut syrup
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt*

optional spread
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp brown sugar

* Only use 1/2 tsp salt if you’re skipping the butterscotch spread.

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a small mixing bowl, set aside.

Beat sugar and softened butter until smooth. Add eggs, syrup and vanilla, beat until smooth. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix just until just blended. Fold in pecans.

Pecan Biscotti with Butterscotch

Divide dough into two pieces. Form into long flat loaves about 1/2 inch tall and 12-15 inches long. Place the loaves 3-4 inches apart on a prepared or non-stick baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10-15 minutes (or until you can handle the loaves without burning yourself) on a cooling rack or cutting board.

With a serrated or extremely sharp kitchen knife, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, turning over once. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Melt butterscotch chips, brown sugar and butter on low in a double boiler on the stove or on low heat in the microwave, stirring frequently.  Spread warm butterscotch mix across the side or bottom of biscotti. Transfer to wax paper to cool.

Makes about 2 dozen.

The butterscotch chips were apparently more packed with sugar than I anticipated. This makes for an incredibly sweet and somewhat “thick” spread instead of what I’m used to with chocolate. Next time, I’ll not be using any brown sugar. It still cooled and became solid, but I’d much prefer to dip or drizzle it over the top of the biscotti instead of having to spread it on like peanut butter.

The biscotti tastes pretty darn good without the butterscotch.

Ginger Lemon Biscotti

3 cups cheap all-purpose flour (or 2 1/2 cups of King Arthur flour)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup – 1/2 cup minced ginger root
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a small mixing bowl, set aside.

Beat sugar and softened butter until smooth. Add eggs, zest and vanilla, beat until smooth. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix just until just blended. Fold in ginger.

Divide dough into two pieces. Form into long flat loaves about 1/2 inch tall and 12-15 inches long. Place the loaves 3-4 inches apart on a prepared or non-stick baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10-15 minutes (or until you can handle the loaves without burning yourself) on a cooling rack or cutting board.

With a serrated or extremely sharp kitchen knife, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, turning over once. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 2 dozen.

I’ve used both lemon zest and orange zest to great, tasty success.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1/2 c raisins, soaked for 30-60 minutes, then drained
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c white sugar
1 c cheap ap flour
1 egg
1.5 c rolled oats
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsps vanilla

Preheat the oven to 360.

Cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add egg, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, mix well.

Add flour and baking soda, mix lightly until just incorporated. Add oats and mix lightly to incorporate. Fold in raisins gently.

Spoon out dough by large tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie.

Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely on cookie sheets before moving to cooling rack (about 5 minutes).

Butter Tarts with Almonds

1 cup flour *
3/4 cup almonds, chopped
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (one stick), softened* + 1 Tbsp butter, melted
6 Tbsp cream cheese, softened*
1 egg
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of allspice

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter. Add flour to make a dough. Press pastry into the bottoms and sides of a tassie pan (24 tassie size) or muffin tin (8-12 muffin size).

Mix together remaining ingredients. Spoon 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp of filling into each tart for tassie pan or 2-3 Tbsp of filling into each muffin cup.

Bake 20-35 minutes. Long range, I know; but what you’re looking for is for the pastry to turn golden and/or the filling to puff up. Tassie pans are typically 20-25 minutes. Muffin pans are 30-35 minutes. You definitely want to watch after you round the mark to make sure the golden doesn’t turn brown (it happens fast, apparently!).

Inside the Butter Tart

* Use these items to make your own dough, or use store bought pastry shells, or use your favorite pie crust/pastry dough.

Canadian butter tarts are made like American pecan pies. You want for your gelatinous filling to settle at the bottom and for any nuts or filling to “float” to the top and create a crisp top.

I used my muffin tin, and I got 10 butter tarts. They were perfectly done at 25 minutes on 350. A toothpick came out clean.

It’s embarrassing how quickly these were devoured, so I’m just not going to tell you how many are left.

Cinnamon Almond Biscotti

3 cups cheap all-purpose flour (or 2 1/2 cups of King Arthur flour)
1 cup sugar
1 cup toasted, unsalted almonds
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 tsps ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl, set aside.

Beat sugar and softened butter until smooth. Add eggs, zest and vanilla, beat until smooth. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix just until just blended. Fold in almonds.

Divide dough into two pieces. Form into long flat loaves about 1/2 inch tall and 12-15 inches long. Place the loaves 3-4 inches apart on a prepared or non-stick baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10-15 minutes (or until you can handle the loaves without burning yourself) on a cooling rack or cutting board.

With a serrated or extremely sharp kitchen knife, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, turning over once. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 2 dozen.

I used slivered almonds.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups leftover steel-cut oatmeal
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened, OR 1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, well beaten
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and both types of sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and egg, mix until smooth. Add salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, mix until smooth.

In a small bowl, combine half the flour and all the baking soda. Gradually add flour mixture to the dough.

Continue to add remaining flour slowly. If your dough starts to become “dry” before you finish, stop with the flour and move on.

Mix in oatmeal. Fold in chocolate chips and other optional ingredients.

Spoon out dough by large tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie.

Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets before moving to cooling rack.

Super moist deliciousness. Was it the cooked oatmeal? The shortening? I’m not sure, but my cookies were super soft, whether in the oven for 10 minutes or 18 minutes. They looked “undercooked” when I pulled them out at 13 minutes, but I found that 13 was definitely the magic number.

Be sure to let these cool on the cookie sheet before trying to move them, and if you’re using chocolate chips, make sure your spatula is tough enough to scoop the cookies off without ripping them in half.

2 cups peanut butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and both types of sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and egg, mix until smooth. Add peanut butter, mix until smooth.

In a small bowl, combine salt, baking soda and one cup of flour. Gradually mix into peanut butter mixture.

Continue to add remaining flour until the cookie dough is no longer sticky. If your dough starts to become “dry” before that, stop with the flour and move on. If your dough still feels sticky, you may need to refrigerate the dough before trying to shape into balls. Do not add extra flour until after you’ve baked one round and only then if your cookies come out super flat. Whenever I add too much, I get crumbly cookies!!

Roll the dough into small balls and dip them in sugar. With sugar side up, place on cookie sheet and gently create a criss-cross pattern with a fork or prongs on top.

Bake 10-12 minutes.

I always forget to take pictures of my pb cookies. My step-dad and I eat them so fast, by the time I remember, they’re all gone.

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

Molasses cookies! Crazy, I know! But they make the best ginger cookies.

Straight from the back of the jar.
http://www.bgfoods.com/recipes/detail.asp?RecipeID=122388&BrandSiteID=176

Ingredients

* 8 tbls. (1 stick) butter, or shortening
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup Grandmas Original or Robust Molasses
* 1 egg
* 2 cups all purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ginger
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

Beat butter with sugar and molasses. Mix in egg. Sift dry ingredients and add to wet mixture. Mix well. Chill in freezer 1 hour or in refrigerator 2 hours. Heat oven to 350ºF. Roll out a portion of the dough 1/4-in. thick on lightly floured board. Chill remaining dough. Cut with cookie cutter, place on greased baking sheets. If decorating with raisins, add them at this time. Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool. Pipe on royal icing and add candy pieces, if desired.

Gingerbread cookies from AllRecipes.com

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Big-Soft-Ginger-Cookies/Detail.aspx

* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons ground ginger
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup margarine, softened
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 tablespoon water
* 1/4 cup molasses
* 2 tablespoons white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture.
3. Refrigerate dough for at least 40 minutes.
4. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten generously.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Here’s a recipe for you: always a holiday hit around our houses.

These are technically Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Teacakes, but we call them snowballs or melt-in-the-mouths! Original recipe makes 5-dozen (30 servings).

From the recipe exchange.

Recipe has been scaled to make 60 servings. (They go quickly!)

2 cups butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped pecans
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Cream the butter with 1/2 cup of the confectioners’ sugar and the vanilla. Mix in the flour, nuts and salt. Roll about 1 tablespoon or so of dough into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Do not allow these cookies to get too brown. It’s better to undercook them than to overcook them. While cookies are still hot roll them in confectioners’ sugar. Once they have cooled roll them in confectioners’ sugar once more.