COOK'S CORNER GREAT IDEAS FOR HOLIDAY COOKIES.Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor Cookies galore are synonymous with synonymous with adjective equivalent to, the same as, identical to, similar to, identified with, equal to, tantamount to, interchangeable with, one and the same as the holidays - and no doubt you have your favorites, as we all do. But you're also probably on the lookout each season, as I am, for new winners to star in gifts and on cookie trays along with the tried-and-true. A couple of interesting cookie renditions caught my eye in the new special issue of ``Martha Stewart <noinclude></noinclude> Martha Stewart (born Martha Helen Kostyra on August 3, 1941) is an American business magnate, author, editor and homemaking advocate. She is also a former stockbroker and fashion model. Holiday Cookies'' that crossed my desk. However, they seemed a bit time-consuming as making caramel from scratch was required in both recipes. I reworked them completely to use different size pans, streamline the directions and techniques, change ingredients and amounts - and use store-bought jarred caramel or butterscotch but·ter·scotch n. 1. A syrup, sauce, candy, or flavoring made by melting butter and brown sugar together. 2. A golden or tawny brown. caramel topping. The results were greeted with great success by tasters who gave them a thumbs up - and requested the recipes. Both are included below. In response to Van Nuys reader Marguerite Carper's request for Rugelach rug·e·lach or rug·a·lach n. A cookie of cream-cheese dough spread with filling, such as jam or nuts, and then rolled up. Noun 1. cookies, you'll find a wonderful version here from my ``Cookies'' cookbook. Fill them with chocolate chips or currants along with nuts and spices one time - and another try the jam-filled version for variety. Or better yet, make some of both. There's no time like the present to get in the holiday baking mood. Head to the kitchen soon with these recipes in hand! You and your family will be glad you did. PECAN CARAMEL FINGERS 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour 3/4 jarred store-bought caramel OR butterscotch caramel topping (such as Smucker's OR Mrs. Richardson's) 1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans In a food processor, process butter, brown sugar and vanilla until blended. Add 1 cup flour and process until mixture comes together in a ball. Press into a 7x11-inch buttered baking pan. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 12 minutes or until golden. Meanwhile, mix together caramel topping and remaining 2 tablespoons flour until well blended. Stir in pecans. Carefully pour over crust, spreading evenly. Return to oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes longer or until golden. Cool completely. Cut into fingers or squares. LAYERED CARAMEL BARS 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs Noun 1. cracker crumbs - crumbs of crackers used especially for coating or thickening crumb - small piece of e.g. bread or cake 8 to 10 ounces chopped semisweet sem·i·sweet adj. Having a small amount of sweetening: semisweet chocolate. Adj. 1. semisweet - having a taste that is a mixture of bitterness and sweetness bittersweet chocolate (OR use chocolate chips) 1 1/2 cups shredded OR flaked coconut 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans 1 (12.25-ounce) jar caramel OR butterscotch caramel topping 1/4 cup flour Place butter in a 13x9-inch baking pan. Place pan in preheated 350-degree oven a few minutes, until butter is melted, watching carefully. Remove pan from oven. Stir in crumbs until moistened and well blended. Spread crumb mixture evenly in pan, pressing gently with back of fork to form crust. Sprinkle with chocolate, then coconut and nuts. With a fork, mix together caramel topping and flour until well blended. Drizzle evenly over top. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 20 to 25 minutes, until light golden and bubbly. Cool completely in pan. Cut into bars or squares. Keep refrigerated re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. , covered, if desired. Makes 40 (1 3/4x1 1/2-inch) cookies. RUGELACH Cream Cheese Pastry 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces OR currants 1 cup finely chopped walnuts 1/2 cup granulated sugar Noun 1. granulated sugar - sugar in the form of small grains powdered sugar - sugar granulated into a fine powder refined sugar, sugar - a white crystalline carbohydrate used as a sweetener and preservative granulated sugar 2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted Powdered sugar for top Prepare Cream Cheese Pastry, cover and refrigerate re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. several hours or overnight. Prepare nut filling: In a medium bowl, combine chocolate pieces, nuts, granulated sugar, cinnamon and butter. To bake cookies, divide Cream Cheese Pastry into 3 equal portions. On a floured board, roll each portion into an 11- to 12-inch circle. Spread each circle evenly with 1/3 of nut filling. Cut each circle into 16 equal wedges. Roll up wedges, beginning from wide end, pressing tip to secure. Place point-side down on ungreased baking sheets. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Remove cookies from baking sheets; cool on racks. While warm, sift powdered sugar over tops, if desired. Makes about 48 (1 1/2-inch) cookies. CREAM CHEESE PASTRY: In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature, 1 cup butter, at room temperature, and 2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth. Add 2 cups flour; process until well blended and dough begins to cling together in a ball. Cover and refrigerate several hours before using. May be stored in refrigerator up to 1 week. May be frozen, wrapped airtight, in moisture-and vapor-proof paper up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator several hours before using. Use to make Rugelach. JAM-FILLED RUGELACH: Substitute jam filling for nut filling. To make jam filling, in a medium bowl, combine 1 cup finely chopped almonds OR walnuts and 1/3 cup raspberry OR apricot jam. Proceed as directed above. Can you help If you have recipes that can help these readers, please send them along to us at the address below to share in a future column. Several years ago I copied a good rolled and cut-out sugar cookie Noun 1. sugar cookie - cookies sprinkled with granulated sugar cookie, cooky, biscuit - any of various small flat sweet cakes (`biscuit' is the British term) recipe from a newspaper but I lost it recently. I remember it had 3 cubes of butter (no substitutes!). The amounts of the other ingredients are a mystery to me. Does anyone have such a recipe? - Lucille Morgan Santa Paula Santa Paula (săn`tə pôl`ə), city (1990 pop. 25,062), Ventura co., S Calif., on the Santa Clara River in a fertile valley that yields citrus fruits, avocados, vegetables, flowers, nursery products, and walnuts; laid out 1875, inc. I'm looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a recipe for gingerbread gingerbread In architecture and design, elaborately detailed embellishment, either lavish or superfluous. Though the term is occasionally applied to such highly detailed and decorative styles as the Rococo, it usually refers to the hand-carved and -sawn wood ornamentation of cookies. The recipe I have is from a '50s Betty Crocker Betty Crocker, an invented persona and mascot, is a brand name and trademark of American food company General Mills. The name was first developed by the Washburn Crosby Company in 1921 as a way to give a personalized response to consumer product questions. cookbook but they seem rather tough to me. Does anyone have a good recipe (that is better than this one)? - Jeanie Krimm West Hills |
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