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Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Volume 3 Issue 114 - December 5, 2002 Chef2Chef Recipe Club Member Forum: http://forums.chef2chef.net Un/Subscribe: http://chef2chef.net/news/subscribe.htm -------------------------------------------------- Hello Recipe Club, When I was a child, I suppose, I was unwittingly preparing for my role as the Vanilla Queen, as I was simply mad about vanilla. While other kids loved to eat cookie dough, I preferred it when it was just sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla. As a result, the cookie dough was usually a little heavy on the flour and light on the butter/sugar mix. Just smelling the extract was a delightful distraction. Lots of people have told me stories about conning their younger sibling into drinking the vanilla because it "tastes so good!" As I was the oldest, no one pulled this on me and it never occurred to me to do it to my brother. My biggest "vice" was to beg my mother for the empty bottles so I could carry them with me and smell the vanilla fragrance every so often. Today we'll feature some good holiday cookies. Patricia Rain -------------------------------------------------- COOKBOOK WIZARD RECIPE SOFTWARE - offers a quick and easy way to organize your favorite recipes on your PC. Top Rated 5 star recipe software. Try it FREE for 30 days, download it now. Visit: http://www.mealmaster.com or Email: banyan@microblast.com -------------------------------------------------- Vanilla Butter Cookies Everyone who enjoys baking should have a few standard recipes that are so good that you become known for them. One of mine is this butter cookie recipe. Friends beg for me to make these cookies during the holidays. While it isn't necessary to use Tahitian vanilla extract, its unique flavor is definitely showcased in this cookie. Ingredients: 8 ounces unsalted butter 1 cup sugar 4 large egg yolks, beaten 2 tablespoons pure Tahitian vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon finely ground vanilla bean 2-1/4 cups unbleached flour 3/4 teaspoon baking powder Pinch of salt Instructions: In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the beaten yolks and vanilla and beat thoroughly. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, blending well after each addition. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate overnight,or place in freezer for about 30 minutes. Use non-stick pans or line pans with parchment paper. Spray lightly with baking oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place dough between 2 pieces of wax paper and roll to a thickness of slightly less than 1/4 inch. Using a cutter, stencil, or inverted glass, cut cookies and transfer to baking sheets. Bake for about 12 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Place pans on cooling racks for about 5 minutes, then carefully remove cookies. Allow cookies to cool thoroughly before serving. Frost with confectioners glaze, if desired. Place cookies in an airtight tin or jar until ready to serve. This recipe makes between 3 and 4 dozen cookies, depending on cookie cutter size. Confectioners Glaze Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup confectioners sugar 5 tablespoons milk 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Instructions: Melt butter until nut-brown. Remove from heat. Add sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir until smooth. -------------------------------------------------- WWKitchens.com Christmas is coming up! Is YOUR Kitchen ready? World Wide Kitchens (wwkitchens.com) -- featuring holiday specials, promos & more in cooperation with cooking.com. If it's not in your kitchen, try ours! Huge selection of cooking tools, bake-ware, table service & small appliances. Gourmet, specialty and international foods. Even an online butcher shop! NEW contests, cooking forums, our HUGE food glossary, tips & techniques. Did we mention over 5000 recipes?? VISIT us this holiday season at: http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=232 -------------------------------------------------- Vanilla Wafers Ingredients: 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/3 cup vanilla sugar 1/4 cup egg whites 1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract pinch of salt Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line heavy, large cookie sheets with parchment, then butter generously. Beat butter and sugar in medium bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg whites and vanilla. Gradually mix in flour and salt (batter will be soft). Drop batter by level teaspoonfuls 3 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake until edges are golden brown and centers of cookies are still pale, about 7 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely. Store in airtight container. (Can be prepared a few days ahead.) -------------------------------------------------- We have Tree Trimming Party Recipes, Caroling Party Recipes and a great Cookie Exchange. Plus you'll find all the holiday recipes you need for a Christmas Morning Buffet, Hanukkah, and New Years Eve. Visit our new Holiday Recipes Feature by clicking here and, go ahead and bookmark or forward it to a friend if you like: http://recipes.chef2chef.net/holiday-recipe-collection/index.htm -------------------------------------------------- Heavenly Chocolate Cookies This is one of my favorites for holiday cookie baking. They're part cookie, part candy, with lots of nuts. The recipe makes a large batch of cookies but the recipe can be cut in half. Ingredients: 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut into small pieces 12 ounces bittersweet bar chocolate, chopped coarsely 8 tablespoons unsalted sweet butter, room temperature 4 extra large eggs, room temperature 1-1/3 cups granulated sugar 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup unbleached flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 pound bittersweet bar chocolate, cut into 1/4 inch pieces 3 cups coarsely chopped, toasted English walnuts, pecans, or a blend of both Instructions: Place oven rack in middle of oven and heat to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment or foil. Melt unsweetened chocolate, 12 ounces of the bittersweet chocolate, and the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt the ingredients slowly, stirring until smooth. Let cool to warm. In a medium bowl, using a mixer on high speed, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until light and frothy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and beat in chocolate mixture. Add flour, baking soda and salt and beat just until blended. Stir in nuts and chocolate. Make mounds of cookies by the tablespoon (or by 1/3 cup if you prefer large cookies) on cookie sheets, allowing space for spreading. Bake 13 to 15 minutes. The surface should be dry but the centers soft. Cool cookies on racks. Best served warm so that chocolate pieces are soft. -------------------------------------------------- Shopping Lists: Unsalted butter Sugar 4 large egg yolks Tahitian vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon finely ground vanilla bean Unbleached flour Baking powder Salt Confectioners sugar Milk Pure vanilla extract Unsalted butter Vanilla sugar Egg whites Unbleached all purpose flour Pure vanilla extract Pinch of salt 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate 12 ounces bittersweet bar chocolate 1 pound bittersweet bar chocolate Unsalted sweet butter Unbleached flour Baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 extra large eggs Granulated sugar Pure vanilla extract 3 cups English walnuts, pecans, or a blend of both -------------------------------------------------- QUESTIONS, Comments, Technical Support: http://forums.chef2chef.net -------------------------------------------------- ARCHIVE: All Club e-mails are archived each Friday at: http://chef2chef.net/news/club/ -------------------------------------------------- |