pink cookies

 

This recipe is a slight adaptation of one found in ‘A Homemade Life’ by local author, Molly Wizenberg.  They taste best the second day, after the frosting has had a chance to seep into the top layer of the shortbread-style cookie.  Trust me on this one.  Be warned, they are highly addictive, particularly when chilled.  Their secret weapon is a touch of almond extract in the cream cheese frosting.  Wizenberg’s version calls for kirsch or cherry extract and I imagine it would be just as good but I do love the way the hint of almond flavor plays off of the tangy cream cheese.  Whether you opt for almond or cherry, the flavoring adds that je ne sais quoi and these cookies wouldn’t be the same without it. 

yields approximately 24 cookies

ingredients

cookies
1 – 1/2 cups ( 3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted after measuring
3 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, rounded
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted after measuring
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 pinch salt
a touch of red or pink food coloring

 

directions

cookies
In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla and mix well. 

In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt until well combined.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until the flour is incorporated.  

Place the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap.  It should be a bit crumbly but not dry.  Shape the dough into a disc and wrap well.  Refrigerate for 1 hour. 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

On a floured sheet of parchment paper, roll out the dough to just under 1/4” thick.  Cut out either rounds, hearts or flowers, depending on preference.  Really, any shape will do.  Work quickly as the dough is difficult to handle as it softens.  If the dough becomes too soft, wrap it in plastic and return it to the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

Place the cookies 1 – 1/2” apart on parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake one sheet at a time for 16 – 20 minutes or until edges are very lightly colored.  Chill the other sheet of cookies in the refrigerator until ready to bake.  Carefully transfer the baked cookies, still on parchment, to a wire rack to cool.

 

frosting
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed, until fully combined.  Add the powdered sugar and beat on low speed, until incorporated.  Raise the speed to medium-high and beat until satiny smooth and free of lumps, scraping down the bowl, as needed.  Add almond flavoring and 1 or 2 drops of food coloring.  Add more color as desired.  I prefer a very light pink, reminiscent of a cherry blossom.

Once the cookies have fully cooled, spread the tops with a generous layer of frosting; the thicker, the better.  Allow the frosting to set for about an hour before storing, to prevent smudging.  The cookies keep for up to three days in the refrigerator or for several months in the freezer. 

Adapted from the recipe for Jimmy’s Pink Cookies in ‘A Homemade Life’ by Molly Wizenberg.

carrot masala macaroons

 

yields 36 bite-sized cookies

ingredients

3/4 cup whole almonds (substitute unsweetened coconut, if desired)
2 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Garam masala, pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 – 1/3 cups lightly packed, finely shredded carrot
3/4 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
1/4 rounded teaspoon lemon zest (Meyer lemon, when available)

 

directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit with racks in the upper and lower thirds.

In a food processor, pulse the almonds until finely chopped with some variation in texture.  Set aside.  Skip this step if you are omitting the almonds.

In a medium stainless steel bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy.  Stir in the sugar, masala and salt.  Add the carrot, almonds and lemon zest.  Stir until well combined.  Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve and the coconut to soften.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.  Fill a large, flat bottomed skillet with about one inch of water and set on a burner to lightly simmer.

Place the bowl directly in the pan of simmering water and stir the mixture with a silicone spatula, scraping the bottom to prevent burning.  Once the mixture is hot to touch and most of the liquid has thickened or been absorbed, about 5 – 7 minutes, remove from heat.

Drop heaping teaspoons of the mixture 1 inch apart on the parchment-lined sheets.  Form hive shapes with your fingers, if desired.  Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until the bottoms of the cookies are deep golden brown and the tips of the carrot shreds begin to color.  Rotate the pans from top to bottom and front to back  at the halfway mark.  If the bottoms are brown and the tops are still pale, turn off the oven and broil the tops on low for 1 – 3 minutes, keeping a close eye on them to prevent burning.  Transfer the cookies while still on the parchment to wire racks to cool.

 

Cool completely before storing.  Cookies keep for 3 to 4 days, loosely covered rather than airtight, to avoid sogginess.  Do not freeze. 

 

Recipe adapted from ‘Chewy, Gooey, Crispy, Crunchy Melt in your Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich

wookie cookies

yields approximately 24 cookies

ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened 
1 cup granulated sugar (I use ultrafine baker’s sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt*
1 cup crisped rice cereal (i.e. rice crispies)

directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Stir in vanilla and mix well.  In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, soda and salt.  Stir in the crispies and pecans.  Using a wooden spoon or your hands, add the dry mixture to the butter mixture until well combined.  Chill for 1/2 hour. 

Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place an inch or so apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Press down firmly with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.  Bake for 10 minutes.  The cookies should be pale but not doughy and must rest on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.  These keep for several days in an airtight container.

*do not add salt if using salted butter