Making Martha

Say what you will about Martha Stewart, but she does know her way around the kitchen. I mean, you can't hate anyone who gives the melon baller a true purpose in life (making candlesticks out of mini pumpkins) TOO much. Plus, she had Snoop Dogg on her show. And real dogs. So stop sipping on that haterade and move on.

I'm going to share with you two recipes that are probably meant for fall, but taste good any time of year. In fact, I just made the oatmeal cranberry cookies yesterday and they were a hit. The pumpkin cupcakes I made for Halloween; also a hit. I made them with the intention of having them as muffins and didn't frost them. Martha swears they would be delicious with a cream cheese frosting and she's probably right. I just haven't tried that yet. A word of wisdom: with the modern world of spices, you can substitute pumpkin pie spice for all the spices and then add the allspice.

As for the cookies, I don't see why you can't substitute raisins (or any other dried fruit) for the craisins and have yourself a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies instead.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Martha Stewart Living

Makes 18 cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

Martha Stewart Living

Makes 36 cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons milk

2 large eggs

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup dried cranberries

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together vanilla, milk, and eggs. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low, gradually add milk mixture, and beat well. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Remove bowl from the electric mixer and stir in the oats and cranberries. Place dough in refrigerator until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Shape 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball and set aside. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing 3 inches apart. Press with the bottom of a glass to flatten dough into 2-inch-diameter rounds.

Bake until golden, but still soft in the middle, 16-18 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove from oven; transfer with parchment paper to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Lunch for Mama

Sometimes my ma decides to spruce up the house a bit. This spring, she took to the living room floor: taking up the carpet (to be replaced with one from her darling daughters), sanding the floor, and staining it. Rather than involve myself in this (somewhat smelly) project I decided to make lunch instead. I stumbled upon a recipe (Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese involving all of Mama's favorites for when she took a break.

The recipe as written is meant as a side dish; when you use a whole pear person, rather than a half, it makes a nice sized lunch. I imagine it would also make a nice a side salad served with steak for dinner.

To be fair, I have to warn you this is a bit pricey to make. Especially if you do your shopping at Whole Foods. But no price is too large for Mama! However, if you want to save a few dollars, you could easily substitute the Stilton for a less costly bleu cheese.

Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese

Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics (Ina Garten)

Serves 6 (or 3 if using 1 pear per person)

3 ripe but firm Anjou pears

Freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)

3 ounces coarsely crumbled sharp blue cheese such as Stilton

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup walnut halves toasted and chopped (see note)

1/2 cup apple cider

3 tablespoons port

1/3 cup light sugar, lightly packed

1/4 cup good olive oil

6 ounces baby arugula

Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Peel the pears and slice them lengthwise into halves. With a small, sharp parking knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling. Trim a small slice away from the rounded sides of each pear half so that they will sit in the baking dish without wobbling. Toss the pears with lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snuggly.

Gently toss the crumbled blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentation.

In the same bowl, combine the apple cider, port, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture over and around the pears. Bake the pears, basting occasionally with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside until warm or at room temperature.

Just before serving, whisk together the olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl. Add the arugula and toss well. Divide the arugula among 6 (or 3) plates and top each with a pear half (or two). Drizzle each pear with the some of the basting liquid, sprinkle with salt, and serve.

*Note: Toast walnuts in a dry saute pan over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, tossing frequently, until lightly browned.

. . . with a Cherry on Top

Oops I went MIA for a bit. Then a certain someone, who probably felt he hadn't had gotten any train treats in a while, reminded me I hadn't posted any recipes . . . he knows who he is. He also received his treats this morning.

In my family we have a habit of celebrating birthdays a bit late. We're often lucky if we have the party in the same month as the actual birthday. This time we made it by a day and did Uncle's birthday on Feb 28. When it comes to desserts, Uncle has 2 simple requests: cherries and chocolate. This year he got to have both, making for a rather decadent after dinner surprise.

First there was the cherry cheesecake (adapted from Ina Garten's raspberry cheesecake recipe), which gave me an excellent excuse to scurry over to Bed Bath & Beyond and pick up a springform pan to add to my kitchen collection. Then the white chocolate truffles (also Ina) giving me the perfect opportunity to use my new set of glass bowls.

Not to brag or anything, but both came out looking just like the ones in Ina's photos! Before you feel badly about yourself thinking your food never comes out so picture perfect, you can take solace in the fact that my first batch of truffles ended up in the trash on account of bad taste AND appearance. The cheesecake came out rather close to perfect (it didn't even crack on top) and has a nice butter-graham cracker crust. And I love me some graham cracker crust!

Cherry Cheesecake
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style (Ina Garten)
Serves 12-15

For the Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling
2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 whole extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Topping
1 large jar pitted dark cherries in light syrup (best found at Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
Note: if you use fresh cherries (about 2 cups worth) increase to 1/2 cup water and 1/2 sugar.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Crust
To make the crust, combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter until moistened. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1 inch up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Filling
Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees.

To make the filling, cream the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs and egg yolks, 2 at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater, as necessary. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust.

Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature to 225 degrees and bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door wide. The cake will not be completely set in the center. Allow the cake to sit in the oven with the door open for 30 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for another 2 to 3 hours, until completely cooled. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Topping
To make the topping, drain the majority of the syrup from the cherries. Add the water and cherries to a saucepan and heat over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Mix in sugar and corn starch and continue to cook until syrup is thickened. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

Arrange the cherries on top of the cake and refrigerate until ready to serve. Leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan for serving.

White Truffles
Ina Garten
Makes 15-20 truffles

2 tablespoons heavy cream
7 ounces good white chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur (recommended: Baileys)
1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract
6 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate, chopped (I used chips)

Place the cream in a heat-proof bowl, and set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Cook until heated through. Using a wire whisk, slowly stir the white chocolate into the warm cream until completely melted. Whisk in the liqueur and vanilla. Cover and chill about 1 hour or until pliable but firm enough to scoop.

With 2 teaspoons or a 1 1/4-inch ice cream scoop, make dollops of the chocolate mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, until firm enough to roll into rough spheres.

Melt the bittersweet chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, set over a pan of simmering water.

Drizzle the melted bittersweet chocolate over the truffles. (I just used a spoon and let the melted chocolate drip from the bottom) Chill until ready to serve.

Barefoot and in the Kitchen

Yes, yes it's been a while. But here I am, back again. I've been so busy in the kitchen I haven't had time to post the latest recipes. Today's post is of course brought to you by Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa.

I've used these recipes multiple times, but most recently was for the Superbowl. For the shortbread hearts (I also did stars!) I like to dip half of them in my chocolate ganache. It provides a little visual variety on the plate, not to mention it pleases the chocolate lover in all of us. The other nice thing about the hearts and the linzer cookies is they have the same shortbread base, which has VERY few ingredients. The difference comes when you cut out the shapes. If you choose to arrange them on a plate together, you have 3 different cookies with a consistent "theme," but not too boring to look at.

As a last note: take the butter out of the refrigerator AT LEAST two hours before using; don't be afraid to leave it out over night.

Shortbread Hearts

Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (Ina Garten)

3/4 pound unsalted butter (3 sticks), at room temperature

1 cup sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3-inch heart-shaped cutter. Place the hearts on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Linzer Cookies

Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (Ina Garten)

3/4 cup good raspberry preserves

Confectioners' suger for dusting

Follow directions for shortbread hearts until you take the dough out of the refrigerator.

Roll the dough 1/4-inch thick and cut 2 3/4-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter. With half of the rounds, cut a circle out of the middle with a 1-inch cutter. Place all the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes.

Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature. Spread raspberry preserves on the flat side of each solid cookie. Dust the top of the cut-out cookies with confectioners' sugar and press the flat sides together, with the raspberry preserves in the middle and the confectioners' sugar on the top.

*Once you cut out the shortbread you can store them in the refrigerator for up to a week or even freeze them for longer if you need.

Mustard Mayhem

Since it's finally feeling like winter in the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan area (sort of, anyway), I've been trying to do some things in the oven. And not just desserts this time! Now that the holidays are over I can get back to actual meals rather than just cakes, cookies and scones.

Last night I decided to whip out Barefoot Contessa's "Back to Basics," her latest cookbook. As it was a weeknight and my back is 75 years old, I decided to try one of her simpler concoctions: Mustard Roasted Fish. She calls for creme fraiche, which I didn't have so I used Greek yogurt instead; this worked JUST fine.

Tonight I'm hoping to have time to make Ina's mustard roasted potatoes, from "Barefoot Contessa at Home." I almost convinced my dad to make these on Christmas, but he changed his mind at the last second, so I haven't tried these yet. But I don't see how I can go wrong with them.

I worried that making these two items together might result in a little mustard overload, but it is convenient to have two dishes use the same oven temperature as well as many of the same ingredients.

I also feel the need to note that Ina is VERY specific in her new cookbook about the importance of the correct salt in recipes; when she says kosher she MEANS kosher.



Mustard Roasted Fish
Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics
Ina Garten



4 8-ounce fish fillets such as red snapper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces creme fraiche
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1-2 teaspoons dried capers

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, or prepare a baking dish. Place the fish skin side down on the baking sheet and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Combine the crème fraîche, two mustards, shallots, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.

Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.) Be sure not to overcook it! Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.

Mustard Roasted Potatoes
Barefoot Contessa at Home
Ina Garten

2.5 pounds small red potatoes
2 yellow onions
3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on their size, and place them on a sheet pan. Cut onions into half-rounds and toss with potatoes on sheet pan. Add olive oil, mustard, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and pepper, and toss everything together.

Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until potatoes are lightly browned. Toss from time to time during baking so they brown evenly. Sprinkle hot potatoes with parsley and more salt to taste, and serve.

Ms. Desserts

It's the (post) holiday season, so I suppose that means it's time for me to share some dessert recipes. I did 5 desserts in 5 days this year; yes I'm fatigued. I let Poppers take care of the main courses and I came in for the big finish. 

Christmas Eve featured Bananas Foster Bread Pudding with Caramel sauce. What a treat! Compliments of Emeril, this wasn't too hard to make and is a real find if you like bananas. 

Christmas Day we had munched on Pumpkin Banana Mousse Pie (Ina Garten), which was already a hit at Thanksgiving. I also tried my hand at a Cranberry Upside Down  Cake from Baking Illustrated. Aside from being tasty, this is possibly the most festive looking dessert you could make for the Season.

In my family, we have an extra holiday on Dec 26: my grandmother's birthday. Since she loves Harry & David Pears so much, I did the Pear and Nutmeg Upside Down Cake. 

Last, but not least, I made Peanut Butter & Chocolate Shortbread for a family friend. I'll let you know how that one was received. I will say I snuck a corner and wouldn't have minded another spot of shortbread. 

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce

Emeril Lagasse

Serves 8-10

9 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 firm-ripe bananas, peeled and cut crosswise into 3/4 inch slices

1/4 cup banana liqueur

1/2 cup dark rum

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

6 cups (1/2-inch cubes) day-old French bread

Vanilla ice cream

Caramel sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10 by 14-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. 

Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup of the brown sugar and the cinnamon and cook, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add the bananas and cook on both sides, turning, until the bananas start to soften and brown, about 3 minutes. Add the banana liqueur and stir to blend. Carefully add the rum and shake the pan back and forth to warm the rum and flame the pan. (Or, off the heat, carefully ignite the rum with a match and return to the heat.) Shake the pan back and forth, basting the bananas, until the flame dies. Remove from the heat and let cool. 

Whisk together the eggs, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, the cream, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the cooled banana mixture and bread and stir to blend thoroughly. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake until firm, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. 

To serve, scoop the pudding onto dessert plates. Top each serving with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzle with caramel sauce and serve immediately. 

Caramel Sauce

Makes a generous 3/4 cup

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup whole milk

Combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a medium heavy saucepan and cook, stirring over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Let boil without stirring until the mixture becomes a deep amber color, 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn. Carefully add the cream (it may splatter), whisk to combine and remove the heat. Add the milk, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. 

Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature before serving. Sauce will thicken as it cools. 

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Cook's Illustrated: Holiday Baking

Serves 8

Topping

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups (12 ounces) cranberries fresh, or thawed from frozen

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake

1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs, separated

For the Topping

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9-inch round cake pan, line with parchment round, and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add cranberries, sugar and jam and cook until cranberries are just softened, about 4 minutes. Strain cranberry mixture over bowl, reserving juices. 

Return strained juices to empty skillet and simmer over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 1 cup, about 4 minutes. Off heat, stir in vanilla. Arrange strained berries in single layer in prepared pan. Pour juice mixture over berries and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

For the Cake

Process almonds and 1/4 cup flour in food processor until finely ground, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, salt and pulse to combine. Whisk milk, vanilla extract and almond extract in liquid measuring cup. In stand mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, 1 at a time, until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of milk mixture.

Using clean bowl, beat egg whites in stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Whisk one-third of whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites. Pour batter over chilled cranberry  mixture and bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool cake on wire rack 10 minutes, then run paring knife around cake and invert onto serving plate. Serve.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Shortbread Bars

Fine Cooking: Cookies

Yields 4 dozen 1 1/2-inch bars

Shortbread Crust

14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to just warm

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon table salt

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, finely chopped

Peanut Butter Filling

1 cup creamy peanut butter (such as Jif)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ganache

5 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped (about 1 heaping cup)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Make the Shortbread Crust

Line a straight-sided 13x9-inch metal baking pan with foil, letting the ends create an overhanging edge for easy removal. 

In a medium bowl, stir the butter, sugar and salt. Stir in the flour and peanuts to make a stiff dough. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. prick the dough all over with a fork. Refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes, until the dough is firm. 

Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake the dough for 20 minutes, then decrease the oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake until the crust is golden-brown all over and completely set, 20 to 25 more minutes. Let the crust cool completely before topping. 

Make the Peanut Butter Filling

Put the peanut butter and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add about half of the confectioners' sugar to the bowl, along with the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon hot water. Beat on low speed until combined and then on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about another 1 minute. Beat in the remaining sugar and mix until the mixture is smooth and thick, about 1 minute longer. If the filling seems too stiff, add another 1 tablespoon hot water and beat for another minute. 

With a knife of metal offset spatula, spread the filling over the cooled crust. The filling may not spread, but worry; the ganache will cover it.

Make the Ganache

Put the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 3 minutes. Stir gently with a rubber spatula  until combined and smooth. 

Spread the ganache over the peanut butter filling with a metal offset spatula to coat evenly. Let the bars sit for at least 3 hours (or refrigerate for 1 hour) to allow the ganache to set before cutting.

Carefully lift the bars from the pan using the foil sides and transfer them to a cutting board. Separate the foil from the bars by sliding a spatula between them. Cut the bars into 1 1/2-inch squares. They will keep at room temperature for one week.

Ginger and Spice and Everything Nice

Well, it's that time of year. Christmas time! You know what that means . . . time for some holiday treats. I like to give little bags of goodies to people I don't buy presents for, but want to give something more than just a card. I find the easiest way is to just make a few treats and put them in festive bags (found at Target, of course). I tried out two new recipes just the other night. Both are from The Best of Fine Cooking Cookies and are good if you want to make them in advance. 

Ginger & Spice Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Fine Cooking Cookies, Dec 2008

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Pinch of ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup shortening

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup molasses

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. 

In another large bowl, beat the butter, shortening, and 1 cup of the sugar with a mixer or a wooden spoon until well combined. Add the egg and molasses to the butter mixture; beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix until well blended, scraping often (if you're using an electric mixer, set it on low speed). 

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Put the bals 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges and puffed, about 13 minutes. Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes on the sheets and then transfer them to a rack to cool completely. 

Cranberry Streusel Shortbread Bars

Make about 35 1 3/4 inch square bars

Fine Cooking Cookies, Dec 2008

For the Crust and Streusel

1 cup + 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to just warm

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoons salt

2 large egg yolks

3 cups + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the Cranberry Topping

One 12-ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries, picked over, rinsed and drained

1 cup granulated sugar

Make the Crust

Line a straight-sided 13x9-inch metal baking pan with foil, letting the ends create an overhanging edge for easy removal. 

In a medium bowl, stir the butter, 3/4 cup of the sugar and the salt. Whisk in the egg yolks. Stir in the flour to make a stiff dough. Transfer about 2 cups of the dough to the prepared pan, and press the mixture evenly into the bottom. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Refrigerate the pan for 30 minute (or freeze for 5 to 7 minutes) until the dough is firm.

Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and another near the top. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. 

Bake the dough on the center rack until the crust begins to set but does not brown at all on the edges (the center will not be firm yet), about 20 minutes. While the crust bakes, prepare the streusel and the cranberry topping.

Make the Streusel

With your fingers, combine the remaining  1/4 cup sugar with the reserved dough until crumbly. The mixture should hold together when pressed, but readily break into smaller pieces.

Make the Cranberry Topping

In a medium saucepan, bring the cranberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium high and continue to boil until the liquid is reduced to a thick syrup, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool for 5 to 10 minutes -- the syrup will continue to thicken as the mixture cools.

Spread the cranberry mixture evenly over the hot crust. Scatter the streusel over the cranberries (don't crumble the streusel too much or the texture will be sandy). Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake the bars near the top of the oven until the streusel is golden and set, about 25 minutes.  

Set the pan on a metal rack to cool until the crust is completely firm, at least 1 hour. 

When the bottom of the pan is cool, carefully lift the bars from the pan using the foil sides and transfer them to a cutting board. Separate the foil from the bars by sliding a spatula between them. Cut the bars into 1 3/4-inch squares. They will keep at room temperature for one week.