danish almond puff pastry An Almond Puff is a flaky, tender, buttery pastry that appears to have made its way to America with the Dutch. The Almond Puff is incredibly easy to make. Its taste and delicate appearance will have others believing it came from a specialty bakery. The Almond Puff makes a deliciously divine centerpiece to any breakfast table. Ingredients: ½ cup margarine or butter, room temp 1
cup flour
2
tablespoons water
½
cup margarine or butter
1
cup water
1
teaspoon almond extract
1
cup flour
3
eggs
Method: Preheat oven to 350°F (See below for frosting) Cut ½ cup butter into 1 cup flour. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water over mixture and stir with fork. Round mixture into a ball and divide in half, forming two balls. On ungreased cookie sheet, pat each ball into an oblong strip, 12” x 2½”, about 3” apart so they are spread side by side. In a small pot, heat ½ cup butter and 1 cup water to rolling boil. Remove from heat and quickly stir in almond extract and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Drop by tablespoon on top of strips and then spread evenly, using a wet knife, to cover strips completely. Bake at 350ºF for 60 minutes. When you take them out of the oven they will look like mini French bread loaves that failed to rise. Cool completely, then frost. Serves 8-10. Frosting: Mix 1½ cups powdered (confectioners) sugar, 2 tablespoons soft margarine, 1 teaspoon almond extract and 1 – 2 tablespoons warm water until smooth. Spread over the top of the two pastries.
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cookies & milk WRITTEN BY Kathryn van Roosendaal
It’s a tradition: Just before going to bed on December 24, children around the world will carefully lay out a plate of cookies for Santa Claus. Most will add a glass of milk to go with it – after all, who can eat cookies without milk? – and many will add a carrot or two for the reindeer. Some will add a thank you note for the jolly old man, and others will leave a last-minute gift list. All of them will be delighted when they find the cookies gone the next morning.
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filled cookies These favorites from Grandma were traditionally round and filled with a cooked raisin mixture. For the holidays, mix it up by using different shapes and using different types of jam and fruit preserves. Ingredients: 6
cups flour
3
tablespoons baking powder
2
teaspoons salt
t is unknown when the tradition of leaving out cookies for Santa began, although it appears to have started in the 1930s. These sweet offerings were used by naughty kids to try to bribe themselves off the “bad” list. Then the nice kids got in the game because, well, they were nice kids and they wanted to thank Santa for all his hard work. Today, if you were to ask a child why they leave the cookies, they will likely answer that Santa Claus needs the cookies because he gets hungry delivering all the presents.
1½ cups butter
Fresh-baked cookies are always best, of course, especially if you are bribing your way off the naughty list. But don’t give all the cookies to Santa; your friends and family will appreciate a sweet bite or two as well.
Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs, then add the milk and vanilla. Mix until well blended. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just blended. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll out to about 1/4-inch thick. Cut the dough out with cookie cutters and lay half the pieces on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Put about 1 tablespoon of raisin filling, jam or fruit preserves in the center and top with another piece of the same shape. Pinch the sides together to seal. OPTION: Using a smaller cookie cutter, cut a “window” in the top cookie before placing it on top of the filling. Bake at 350ºF for 8 to 10 minutes or until just starting to brown on the edges. Cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack. Makes about 3 dozen.
2½ cups sugar 4
large eggs, beaten
1
cup milk
Jam or fruit preserves or raisin filling (below) Method:
Raisin Filling Ingredients: 1½ pounds seedless raisins Hot water 2
cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt ½ cup flour Method: Put the raisins in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let sit several hours or until they are plump and soft. Drain the raisins, reserving the water, and mash them up a bit. Put them in a medium saucepan and add the sugar, salt and 1½ cup of the water. Add or subtract fresh water as needed to get the correct amount. Mix the flour with just enough of the water to make a smooth paste and mix it into the raisin mixture. Heat to a boil, stirring regularly, then set aside to cool.
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sugar cookies These classic cookies can be cut into any shape you can think of and can be decorated with frosting, icing, sprinkles and candies. Ingredients: 2
cups butter, softened
2
cups sugar
3
eggs
1
tablespoon grated lemon peel, optional
2
teaspoons vanilla extract
6
cups all-purpose flour
1
teaspoon baking soda
Icing, frosting, candies and sprinkles
Method: Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Add the vanilla and lemon peel, if using. Sift together the flour and baking soda and gradually add to the butter/egg mixture and mix well. Separate the dough into 4 parts and cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate at least 4 hours or until firm. Working with one portion at a time, place the dough on a floured surface and roll out until about 1/4-inch thick. If the dough gets too soft, return to the fridge until it firms up. Cut the dough using the cookie cutters of your choice and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350ºF for 10 to 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely, then top with the decorations of your choice. Makes about 9 dozen cookies.
spritz cookies These buttery little cookies are easy to make with a cookie press. And food coloring makes it easy to class them up for the holidays. Ingredients: 3½ cups all-purpose flour 1
teaspoon baking powder
1½ cups butter, softened 1
cup sugar
1
egg
2
tablespoons milk
1
teaspoon vanilla
½
teaspoon almond extract
Food coloring
Sprinkles and colored sugar Method: Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the milk, egg, vanilla and almond extract and mix well. Sift together the flour and baking soda and gradually add to the butter mixture, beating until combined. Divide up the dough and add food coloring to each portion as desired. Fill the cookie press with the dough and press onto an ungreased cookie sheet according to the cookie press directions. Sprinkle the tops with colored sugar or candy sprinkles. Bake at 350ºF for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn yellow-brown. Cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then carefully transfer to a wire cooling rack. Makes 7 to 8 dozen cookies.
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