112 ROLLED COOKIES113 ROLLED COOKIESCRANBERRY CAT KISSESMAKES ABOUT 4 DOZEN COOKIESTo prepare cookies: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line the baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the almond extract and beat until thoroughly combined. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour and mix until just combined. Stir in the almonds and dried cranberries.Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set but not browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.To prepare chocolate coating: In a double boiler over gently simmering water (or in a bowl in a microwave oven), melt the chocolate chips and shortening, whisking until combined. Dip the top of the cooled cookies in the melted chocolate, decorate with an almond slice, and transfer to wax paper until the chocolate sets.For cookies: 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature ½ cup powdered sugar ½ teaspoon almond extract 2¼ cups flour ¾ cup finely chopped almonds ½ cup dried cranberries, finely choppedFor topping: 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 2 tablespoons shorteningSliced almonds for decoration Anne Park and her daughter Hannah Park, both of St. Paul, Minnesota, created this recipe while driving in the car. Well, at least the idea for it. “We were talking about what makes a good holiday cookie,” said Anne. “My contribution was chocolate.” And Hannah? Cranberries. “I really like Craisins,” she said, referring to dried cranberries. “Mom was convinced that cherries would be better, but I knew cranberries would be better.” Back in their St. Paul kitchen, they borrowed ideas from other favorite cookies: the taste of butter from spritz, an egg-free formula from Russian tea cakes (“So we could bake without having any eggs in the house,” said Anne), and a chocolate-dipped coating from peanut butter balls. The cookie (“Cat Kisses” is a nod to the family feline, Neko) was an immediate hit. Just another day’s work for the mother–daughter team.138 ROLLED COOKIESPISTACHIO ORANGE COOKIESMAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN SANDWICH COOKIESTo prepare cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line the baking sheets with parchment pa-per. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda, and reserve.In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until thoroughly combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, in thirds, mixing until just combined.Shape the dough into ½-inch balls (about the size of a chestnut). Roll the dough in granu-lated sugar and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set but not browned, about 11 minutes (the cookies will puff up in the oven, but then flatten). Remove the cookies from the oven and cool for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.To prepare filling: In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse ½ cup pistachios until very fine (the nuts should almost clump together in a paste between your fingers), and reserve.In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter with the orange zest until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the orange extract and vanilla extract, and beat until thor-oughly combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the powdered sugar, in thirds, alternating with the milk (or milk and orange juice), beginning and ending with powdered sugar, and mix until smooth (you may need another tablespoon or so of liquid to reach the desired consistency). Fold in the chopped pistachios and mix until thoroughly combined.To assemble cookies: Finely chop the remaining ½ cup pistachios and place in a shallow dish. Spread a generous dollop of the filling on the flat side of one cookie. Place the flat side of a second cookie against the filling, as if making a sandwich. Press gently just until the filling is at the edge of the cookies. Roll the filled edge in chopped pistachios. Repeat until all the cookies form sandwiches.For cookies: 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature ½ cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling dough ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extractFor filling: 1 cup raw shelled pistachios, divided ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperatureFreshly grated zest of 1 orange, finely chopped 1 teaspoon orange extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 cups powdered sugar 2 tablespoons milk (or use 1 tablespoon milk and 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice)139 ROLLED COOKIESWhen he’s not working, Scott Rohr of St. Paul, Minnesota, is baking. “It’s sort of a joke with my friends,” he said. “I don’t remember a time when I haven’t baked. I grew up in one of those houses where everything was homemade. Some people come home from work and boil water for dinner. I take out eggs and butter.” For his winning recipe, Rohr started with his tattered recipe card for a cream-of-tartar-based sugar cookie, which is a copy of a similarly well-worn card from his grandmother’s kitchen. The filling and the pistachios, however, were all his idea. “I just started messing around,” he said. “It’s really hard for me to follow a recipe. They’re not complicated, and they come together fast. They look like something substantial, but they’re not hard to make. If you’ve ever baked a cookie, then you can bake these, for heaven’s sake.”150 BAR COOKIESA lemon ricotta cookie encountered at a favorite restaurant sparked the imagination of Karen Cope of Minneapolis, Minnesota. She test-drove a few versions and liked them well enough, but ultimately decided to streamline the process by going the bar cookie route, adding an icing (her favorite cream cheese-based frosting) and then playing with flavors. “I love almond, and I always have almond extract on hand,” she said. “The recipe has the equivalent of a tablespoon of almond extract, and I was a little nervous about putting too much almond in. But then a friend didn’t think it was almondy enough.” It is.151 BAR COOKIESALMOND RICOTTA BARSMAKES ABOUT 4 DOZEN BAR COOKIESNote: To toast almonds, place the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring or shaking the pan frequently, until they just begin to release their fragrance, about 3 to 4 minutes (alternately, preheat the oven to 325°F, spread the nuts on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake, stirring often, for 4 to 6 minutes). Remove the nuts from the heat and cool to room temperature. For the best flavor, avoiding substitutions with this recipe—use whole milk ricotta, not low-fat. For more cake-like bars, use a 9- by 13-inch pan.To prepare bars: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 13- by 18-inch half-sheet pan. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and reserve.In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until thoroughly combined. Add the almond extract and vanilla extract, and beat until thoroughly combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the ricotta, a third at a time, and mix until just combined. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until the cake is set, lightly golden, and the edges are starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.To prepare frosting: In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, add the powdered sugar and almond extract, and beat until the mixture is uniform and creamy. Spread the frosting over the cooled bar cookies, slice into squares, and top squares with toasted almonds.For bars: 2½ cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for pan 2 cups granulated sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons almond extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheeseFor frosting: ½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 3 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon almond extract ½ cup sliced almonds, toastedWe hope youenjoyed this EYB Book PreviewThe complete book is available from all major booksellers. 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