Volume 9, Issue 109 - December 1, 2005

Hello Recipe Club Member,

I've already had a number of comments and praises about that Lemon Pie Bar recipes from Tuesday's Recipe Club. I told you they were good! Another one of my favorite cookies from Pam's Christmas Platter is the one right below. It reminds me of a cookie my Grandmother used to make around the holidays.

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Maple Macadamia Nut Bars

Makes 32 2-inch by 1 1/2-inch bars

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks (cold)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour

Filling:

1 1/2 cups unsalted macadamia nuts, very coarsely chopped
1 cup dark brown sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons corn syrup
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Preparation:

Soften the butter. In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla extract and scrape the sides of the bowl. At low speed, gradually beat in the flour just until incorporated.

Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and use the wrap, not your fingers, to press the dough together to form a ball. Flatten the ball into a thick disc and roll it out into a 10-inch by 14-inch rectangle between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper. Slip it onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes or until firm but still flexible.

Prepare a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan by lining entirely with aluminum foil and then buttered or greased. Peel of the top piece of plastic wrap from the dough and invert the dough into the prepared baking pan. Peel off the bottom piece of plastic wrap. Don't worry if the pastry breaks. Simply press it evenly into the bottom of the pan. Press the edges of the dough up the sides of the pan, forming a 1/2-inch border.

Tear off a piece of aluminum foil a little larger than the size of the pan and lay it on top of the dough. Place enough copper pennies or dried beans on top of the foil to hold it down and keep the crust from rising. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes or just until lightly golden.

While the crust is baking, make the filling.

Filling:

If your macadamia nuts are salted, rinse them in a strainer under hot tap water and re-crisp them in a 350 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Spread the macadamia nuts over the baked crust.

In a heavy, medium-size saucepan, preferably with a nonstick lining, combine the brown sugar, butter, heavy cream, corn syrup and maple syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Stop stirring and allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture evenly over the nuts. Bake for 10 minutes. The filling will be bubbling. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Remove the cookie from the pan by lifting out the aluminum foil. Invert onto a cookie sheet and peel off the foil. Re-invert onto a cutting surface and cut the cookie lengthwise into 4 strips (each about 2 inches wide) and then crosswise into 8 strips (about 1 1/2 inches wide).

Source: Adapted from Rose's Christmas Cookies

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Buttered Rum Cookies

Makes approximately 32 2-inch sandwiches

Ingredients:

Cookie Base:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup blanched sliced almonds
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 tablespoons light rum
1 2/3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Butter Rum Cream Filling:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 teaspoon light rum
2 teaspoons heavy cream

Preparation:

Cookie Base:

Soften the butter. Grate the almonds finely. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, grated nuts and salt. In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the almond extract and rum until well blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture until incorporated. Scrape the dough into a bowl and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Working with a small amount of the dough at a time, briefly knead it until it is malleable but still well chilled, and roll it on the floured cloth to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out the cookies, using a small metal spatula to transfer them to the cookie sheets, 1 inch apart. Re-roll the scraps, chilling the dough as necessary.

For a decorative effect, if desired, use the pastry tube to cut out 1/2-inch holes in the center of half the cookies. These cookies with holes in the center will serve as the top portions of the sandwich cookies.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in a 375 degree oven, or until just beginning to become golden. Use a small, angled metal spatula or pancake turner to transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Butter Rum Cream Filling:

Soften the butter. In a mixing bowl, with the mixer at low speed, cream the butter and sugar until well mixed. Still at low speed, beat in the rum and heavy cream.

To fill the cookies, use a small metal spatula to spread a rounded 1/2 measuring teaspoon of the buttercream on the underside of 1 of the whole cookie bottoms. Place a second cookie (if desired, one with a hole in it), bottom side against the buttercream and press the 2 cookies together.

Source: Adapted from Rose's Christmas Cookies

Miniature Nut-filled Pastries

Makes 8 dozen

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups unsifted flour
1 cup margarine
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups ground pecans or walnuts
2/3 cup dark corn syrup
confectioner's sugar

Preparation:

Place flour in large bowl. With pastry blender or two knives cut in margarine until coarse crumbs form. Stir in egg yolks and sour cream until well mixed. Turn onto floured surface, knead until smooth. Chill dough 20 minutes.

Stir together nuts and corn syrup, set aside. Divide dough in half. Roll out half of dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into 2-inch squares. Put 1/2 teaspoon nut filling diagonally across square. Bring up unfilled corners of pastry to meet in center over filling. Pinch corners together firmly to secure. Place on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.