Pecan Rugelach

 

 

 

 

 

I think Millie, our dog, is Jewish.   She enjoys challah, the Shabbat bread, and rugelach, a traditional Ashkenazic Jewish pastry.  I discovered her fondness for rugelach after I’d baked a batch for my dear friend Carrie, to celebrate her son’s baptism.  Carrie and I are both Catholic with non-Catholic husbands, and we have interesting conversations about faith.

The day before the baptism the best-looking cookies sat on a platter, wrapped in plastic, on our dining room table.  Not giving the table-to-dog height ratio a second thought, Mike and I went out to dinner.  When we returned, the plastic wrap had been peeled off, about four cookies remained, and Millie stood in the hallway guiltily licking crumbs from her nose.  Fortunately, the other half of the batch had been packed safely in a tin, so those were the cookies that made it to the baptism.

Rugelach are not for the faint of heart, or those who cannot abide a chaotic kitchen.  They require a serious commitment of time, employ various baking techniques and appliances, and will create a gigantic mess on your counter tops. In the end, though, they are worth it.  This batch is intended for Carrie and her family, who I hope can make it to Pittsburgh tomorrow for Memorial Day.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, cut into chunks and slightly softened
• 8 oz. cream cheese, cut into chunks and slightly softened
•  zest of 1 small lemon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 2 1/4 cups pecans, toasted and cooled
• 3/4 cup apricot preserves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

You will also need powdered sugar for rolling and sprinkling on the cookies.

Preparation

Begin with the dough, as follows:

In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.

Add flour mixture and beat until well combined.  You may need to knead your dough very slightly to get all of the bits of flour at the bottom of your mixing bowl to incorporate it fully.

Divide dough in half, shape into balls, then flatten into discs.  Wrap in plastic and chill for 1 1/2 hours, until firm but not hard.

When the dough is ready to work with, begin to make the filling, as follows:

In a food processor, combine preserves, honey, and cinnamon and pulse a few times until smooth.

Add pecans and process until coarsely ground.

Transfer filling to a large, four-cup glass measuring cup so you’re able to divide it evenly among the dough.  You should have about two cups of filling.

To assemble the cookies:

Sprinkle a clean counter top heavily with powdered sugar.

Roll one disc of dough into a 12-inch circle – don’t worry if it’s not completely round.  Dust with more powdered sugar and turn frequently to ensure the dough doesn’t stick to the counter.

Spread half of the filling over the circle to within one-quarter inch of the edge.

Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into quarters, then cut each quarter into five or six wedges, depending on the size of the quarter.  Your wedges do not have to be perfectly uniform in size; if I have some that are larger than others, I bake the larger ones toward the back of the oven, because my oven is hotter in the back.

Beginning with the outer edge, firmly roll up each wedge and place on a prepared baking sheet, then dust generously with powdered sugar.

Bake for 18-21 minutes, until lightly golden brown on the top.

Cool on a wire rack.

 

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Vanilla Cream Filling

 

 

 

 

 

As far as store-bought cookies go, I’m pretty loyal to the Nutter Butter and the Double Stuf Oreo. Regular Oreos don’t have quite enough filling for my preference, though I’ll certainly eat them.  This cookie is like a homemade Oreo on steroids; you can certainly make them smaller, using a one-inch cookie scoop if you prefer.  Someday soon, I’ll devise a recipe for a homemade Nutter Butter.

Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for flattening cookies
• 10 tablespoons of butter, softened
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• Vanilla Cream Filling (see below)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.

Add egg and beat well.

Slowly add the flour mixture, beating until combined.

Using a two-inch cookie scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets.

Pour about 1/4 cup of sugar in a small bowl.  Butter the bottom of a glass and dip it in the sugar, then press each ball of dough to flatten.  You will need to re-butter the glass several times; if the glass sticks to the dough after flattening, gently peel the dough away with a knife.

Bake for 10 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through.

Cool completely before filling and sandwiching.

Vanilla Cream Filling

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, beat together butter and shortening.

Add powdered sugar in small batches, beating until combined.  Once all sugar is incorporated, beat on medium speed for two minutes

Add vanilla and beat to combine.

Using a one-inch cookie scoop, drop scoops of filling onto half of the cookies.  Spread filling to the edges, then top with another cookie.

 

 

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Chips or Walnuts

 

 

 

 

 

My mom, Genny Kozusko, is awesome.  She is a dynamic Director of Athletics, coach, teacher, community member, and church volunteer.  She is beloved by many.  She is a woman with iron-clad willpower, particularly with regard to the consumption of sweets.  Sundays are Genny’s treat days, and since tomorrow is Mother’s Day, I decided to bake the banana walnut version for her; she doesn’t eat chocolate, so the cupcakes with the chocolate chips are really for Mike and his coworkers.

I began with a plain banana cupcake recipe and split it in half, then added semi-sweet chocolate chips to one half and toasted chopped walnuts to the other.  You could certainly add both chocolate chips and walnuts to the batter for banana chocolate chip walnut cupcakes (hmm…maybe next time).  The banana walnut cupcakes are frosted with traditional cream cheese frosting, while the banana chocolate chip cupcakes are frosted with peanut butter cream cheese frosting.

Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (from about four medium bananas)
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 12 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts, plus more for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners; you may need a few additional liners, as my batter yielded 27 cupcakes.

In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In another medium bowl, combine mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

Add the flour mixture and banana mixture in thirds, alternatively, beating after each addition until just incorporated.

Divide batter in half.

Toss chocolate chips with a dash of cake flour to lightly coat and prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes during baking.

Add chocolate chips to one half of the batter, then add walnuts to the other half of the batter.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown at the edges and tops and a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, cream together peanut butter and cream cheese.

Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Beat in vanilla until incorporated.

Frost cupcakes and top with two or three chocolate chips for garnish.

Cream Cheese Frosting (half-recipe for 12 cupcakes)

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter.

Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Beat in vanilla.

Frost cupcakes and garnish with toasted chopped walnuts if desired.

Once cupcakes are frosted, store in the refrigerator.  Bring to room temperature before serving. 

 

Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

 

 

 

 

 

What does a baker do the day before she walks Pittsburgh’s half-marathon?  She bakes herself chocolate cupcakes with caramel frosting.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with liners.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.

Add eggs, almond extract, and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Add half of the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Add half of the milk and beat until just combined.

Add remaining flour mixture and milk alternatively, beating until just combined.

Using a two-inch cookie scoop, scoop batter into prepared muffin tins.

Bake 20-22 minutes.

Cool completely before frosting.

Caramel Frosting

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

Combine butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan and slowly bring to a boil.

Boil for one minute, remove from heat, and stir in milk.

Return to heat and bring to a boil once again.

Pour mixture into mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

Beat caramel mixture on medium speed for a few minutes to disperse heat; the mixing bowl should not be too hot for you to touch, but if it remains warm that is fine.

Add one cup powdered sugar and one teaspoon vanilla, beating until smooth.

Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.

Working quickly, frost cupcakes; I use a flatware teaspoon to scoop the frosting onto each cupcake, then spread it with a knife.  Trust me when I say you need to work quickly; f you’re not a speedy froster, you’ll end up with a bowl of hardened caramel that is very tasty, but not spreadable.

 

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve discussed my sincere appreciation for lemons previously on this blog, and now I must take a moment to acknowledge poppy seeds.  As a gal with Eastern European roots, I feel that poppy seeds are the seeds of my people.  Slovaks and Hungarians are crazy about poppy seeds.  We grind them into dust and cook them with sugar and water to slather inside dough for poppy seed rolls.  We put them on breads and in muffins.  My dear friend Tara (to whom I would swear I am related, perhaps as a distant fourth-cousin) always offers a poppy seed cake as a condolence at wakes, as is her family tradition.

The person who wrote the recipe below claimed that it yielded 12 muffins when baked in a standard muffin tin.  I’m not sure in which universe a recipe with three cups of flour only yields 12 muffins, but hey, I’m not going to judge.  I tweaked the recipe slightly and added more lemon zest for extra flavor, and when all was said and done, I had 27 muffins.

A note about poppy seeds: they can turn rancid when not stored properly or used in a timely manner, so they must be frozen or kept in the refrigerator.  I keep my seeds in the fridge for up to six months; they should remain blue-black in color and retain their poppy seed smell when fresh.  If they look or smell suspicious, throw them out.

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 10 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 12 ounces plain yogurt (I used Stonyfield Organic)
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest

For lemon glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• About 3 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined.

Add lemon zest, beating until combined.

Add the flour mixture and yogurt in thirds, alternatively, beating until just combined – take care to not over-mix your batter.

Using a 2-inch cookie scoop or two tablespoons, drop batter into lined muffin tins, distributing batter evenly.  Refrigerate any extra dough while the first two batches bake.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for two minutes in tins, then remove to a wire rack.

Prepare lemon glaze; place powdered sugar in a medium bowl and add lemon juice, one tablespoon at a time, until you achieve a very, very drizzly consistency; I used about 3 ½ tablespoons of juice.

While muffins are still warm, brush the tops with the lemon glaze.  Muffins can be glazed a second time if you wish.

 

Strawberry Jam Scones

 

 

 

 

 

Mike and I traveled to England in 2007, where we had great fun traipsing through Bath, York, Keswick, Chipping Campden, and London in the rain.  Locals apologized to us for the weather, but I loved it, the gray skies and drizzles that turned into sudden downpours.  I’d been waiting to visit the UK since I was fifteen and read Wuthering Heights, and it definitely delivered.  I spent most of the drive (yes, we drove around England, in a mini-van we nicknamed Silver Sally) from York to the Lake District scanning the moors, keeping an eye out for Heathcliff, just in case.

As a tea drinker and avid dessert fan, I was in heaven.  If the Brits know anything, they know tea, and they’ve developed all manner of treats to accompany their varied brews.  In a charming tea shop in York, we had our first traditional British scones, studded with currants, topped with clotted cream so thick it looked like whipped butter and tart strawberry jam.  The recipe below is far more American than English, but it took me back to that little tea shop on that gray afternoon.  Now, if only I had some clotted cream…

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• About ¼ cup strawberry jam

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter.

Process until the mixture resembles coarse, crumbly meal.

Turn into a medium-sized bowl and stir in heavy cream, a little at a time, until a soft dough forms.

Knead very briefly, just a few times, then turn out onto a floured surface.

Roll dough into a 10-inch circle and cut with a 2-inch cookie cutter in the shape of your choice.

Using your half-teaspoon measuring spoon, press an indentation in the center of each scone.

Fill indentation with about ¼ to ½ teaspoon strawberry jam.

Bake 18-20 minutes, until edges are golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack; drizzle with powdered sugar icing or slather with clotted cream if desired.

 

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania boasts a proud history.  America’s Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence here.  President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address here.  Steelworkers forged the materials that built much of America here.  And in 1923, H.B. Reese invented a most outstanding confection, the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, right here in Hershey, PA.

Similar to the peanut butter blossom, that Christmastime favorite peanut butter cookie topped with a Hershey’s Kiss, the peanut butter cup cookie is a peanut butter dough baked in a mini muffin tin, then pressed with a miniature peanut butter cup.  I first heard of this cookie a while back, but only started baking them in the past few years.  They are highly popular – a favorite among family and friends – so make sure you save a few for yourself.

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ¼ cups flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 large bag Reese’s Miniature Peanut Butter Cups

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line two 24- cup mini muffin tins with paper liners.

Unwrap 48 peanut butter cups and place in a bowl in the refrigerator, to keep cool while dough is baking.

In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In another small bowl, combine sugars; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and peanut butter together until combined.

Add sugars and cream until combined.

Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

Add flour mixture and beat until combined; your dough should be soft, but easy to roll into balls.

Roll dough into small balls, less than one inch in size, and place in lined muffin tins.

Bake 10-12 minutes, until puffy and light golden brown.

Remove from oven and immediately press one peanut butter cup in the center of each cookie.

Cool completely in tins, away from the oven so the chocolate can set.

 

Oatmeal Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

In the history of the world, there have been many important questions.  Should we declare our independence?  Should we invade Normandy?  Should we put raisins in the oatmeal cookies?

To this critical question, I answer emphatically, no.  Most definitely not.  Why ruin a perfectly good cookie with shriveled fruit?  If you must put something in your oatmeal cookie, put chocolate chips, for goodness sake.  Even butterscotch chips.  But not raisins, please.  Many times, I’ve come upon what I thought was a chocolate chip cookie that turned out to be oatmeal raisin.  This is one of life’s great disappointments.

My friend Alex requested that I make oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies once, and I complied.  And someday, if I own my own bakery, they’ll be on the menu as “the Alex.”  You can be sure, though, that I’ll never eat one.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 14 tablespoons butter, softened
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars.

Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.

Add flour mixture and beat until combined.

Stir in oats, one cup at a time.

Drop by rounded tablespoons (or using a 2-inch cookie scoop) about two inches apart.

Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.

Cool for 1-2 minutes on cookie sheets, then cool completely on wire racks.

 

Sugar Cut-Outs: Rabbits

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Easter!  For this cookie recipe, please see sugar cut-outs.

Decoration

• Single recipe Zella’s icing
• Brown gel food coloring
• Blue liquid or gel food coloring
• Pink flower-shaped sprinkles

Prepare icing and reserve about 1/4 cup for white and blue details.

In your mixing bowl, tint icing brown using gel food coloring.

Frost rabbit bodies brown, leaving the tails bare.

Fit a pastry bag (or sandwich-sized plastic bag) with a large star tip; fill with small portion of white icing and pipe on tails.

Replace the star tip with a plain round tip and pipe a small circle for the eye.

Tint remaining icing blue; fit a pastry bag or sandwich-sized plastic bag with a small round tip and pipe on eye detail.

Press one pink flower-shaped sprinkle on each rabbit for the nose.

Allow icing to harden before storing.

 

 

 

Raspberry Almond Shortbread

 

 

 

 

 

Shortbread is a great cookie, and this thumbprint version is very easy to make, despite its somewhat fancy appearance.  The dough is basic; you could probably use any flavor jam or preserves for the thumbprint, and the almond glaze is optional.

Shortbread

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup seedless raspberry jam
• Almond glaze (see recipe below)

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds.

Add granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon almond extract and beat until combined.

Beat in flour.

Cover and chill dough for about one-half hour, until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place raspberry jam in a small bowl and stir it slightly to make it easier to spoon.

Shape dough into one-inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet about two inches apart.

Use your thumb to make an indentation in the center of each cookie.

Spoon about one-half teaspoon of jam into each indentation, filling it completely.

Bake 10-14 minutes, until edges are light golden brown.

When completely cool, drizzle with almond glaze.

Almond Glaze

Ingredients

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 teaspoons water
• 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract

Preparation

In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon water, and almond extract.

Add enough of the remaining water to make a drizzly consistency.

Drizzle over cookies and allow glaze to harden before serving.