A Few of My Favorite Things

T H I S IS T H E S W E E T N E S S R E VO L U T I O N

COM PLE TE LY S W E E T. TRU LY R E VO LUTIO N A RY. S W E E TN E S S W ITH OUT TH E S UGA R .

peppermint

PEPPERMINT BAR COOKIES

ACTIVE: 40 min l TOTAL: 1 hr 10 min (plus cooling) l MAKES: about 32

Cooking spray 2½ cups all-purpose flour ¾ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon baking powder 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature 1¼ cups sugar 1 large egg, at room temperature 2 teaspoons red gel food coloring 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract ¾ teaspoon pure peppermint extract 1¼ cups white chocolate chips ⅓ cup red candy melts ⅓ cup lightly crushed peppermint candies 1. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl. 2. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, then beat in the food coloring and vanilla and peppermint extracts, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the flour mixture in two batches until just combined. 3. Spread the dough in the baking dish, pressing it with your hands until flat and even. Bake until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. 4. As soon as the bars come out of the oven, top with the white chocolate chips in a single layer. Let sit 2 minutes to soften, then spread into a thin layer with an offset spatula. Put the red candy melts in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted. Transfer to a small resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Pipe diagonal stripes on top of the white chocolate. Sprinkle with the peppermint candies. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the bars cool completely. 5. If the white chocolate is still soft, place the baking dish in the freezer for a few minutes until set. Lift the bars out of the baking dish, peel off the foil and cut into pieces.

ACTIVE: 50 min l TOTAL: 1½ hr (plus 2 to 4 hr chilling) l MAKES: 12

Cooking spray 25 marshmallows 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature ½ cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ½ cup white sanding sugar ½ cup marshmallow cream 1. Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. Spread the marshmallows on the baking sheet and broil until puffed and toasted (but not charred), flipping halfway through, 1½ to 2 minutes. Set aside to cool. 2. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the cooled toasted marshmallows and stir with a rubber spatula, smashing in the marshmallows until incorporated (a few marshmallow lumps are fine). Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Cover the dough and refrigerate until no longer sticky, 2 to 4 hours. 3. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350˚. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread the sanding sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop the chilled dough into 24 balls, about 1½ tablespoons each. Roll in the sugar and arrange about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are set and lightly golden around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool 3 to 5 minutes on the pans, then remove to a rack to cool completely. 4. Turn half the cookies over so the flat side is up. Top each with about 2 teaspoons marshmallow cream. Let stand about 5 minutes so the marshmallow starts to spread, then top with a second cookie, flat-side down. Gently press and let stand about 10 minutes more; the marshmallow cream will spread to the edge.

marshmallow

ACTIVE: 45 min l TOTAL: 2 hr 15 min (plus cooling) l MAKES: about 24

½ cup blanched hazelnuts 1¾ cups all-purpose flour ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting ¼ teaspoon salt 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature 1½ cups confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped 1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350˚. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake on the lower rack until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely, about 20 minutes. 2. Pulse the hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and pulse to combine. 3. Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add ½ cup confectioners’ sugar and the vanilla; beat on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium high and beat until well combined. Reduce the speed to low again, add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Beat in the chopped chocolate. Cover the dough and refrigerate until slightly firm, about 30 minutes. 4. Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough and roll into balls. Arrange about 2 inches apart on 2 unlined baking sheets. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies spread slightly, have a matte finish and look slightly darker around the edges, 18 to 24 minutes. Let the cookies cool 5 minutes on the pans, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. 5. Put the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl. Gently roll the cookies in the sugar to coat completely, rerolling as needed. Dust the tops of the cookies with cocoa powder.

chocolate

sprinkles

SPRINKLE SU G AR COOKIES ACTIVE: 1 hr l TOTAL: 2 hr 15 min (plus cooling) l MAKES: about 30

FOR THE COOKIES 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar ¾ teaspoon salt 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract ¾ cup classic sprinkles (avoid hard sprinkles like nonpareils and dragées)

FOR THE ICING 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 3 to 5 teaspoons water 1 cup mixed sprinkles (classic sprinkles, nonpareils, dragées and sugar pearls) 1. Make the cookies: Whisk the flour, confectioners’ sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Beat in the vanilla, then beat in the sprinkles. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes. 2. Preheat the oven to 325˚. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough until ¼ inch thick. (If the dough starts to crack, let it warm up for a few minutes before continuing.) Using a 2½-inch fluted round cookie cutter, cut out cookies and arrange about 1 inch apart on one of the baking sheets. Gather the scraps, reroll and cut out more cookies. 3. Bake until the cookies are lightly golden, about 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool 5 minutes on the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely. Meanwhile, repeat with the remaining disk of dough. 4. Make the icing: Mix the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and 3 teaspoons water, adding more water 1 teaspoon at a time until the icing is spreadable. Spread the mixed sprinkles on a plate in an even layer. Spread about 1 teaspoon icing on each cookie, then dip the cookie icing-side down in the sprinkles to coat. Let set 30 minutes.

jam

AMARE T TO PIZ ZELLES W ITH CHERRY JAM

ACTIVE: 1 hr 10 min l TOTAL: 3 hr 10 min MAKES: about 30

1¼ cups cherry jam or preserves 2 tablespoons cornstarch 4 teaspoons water 1½ cups all-purpose flour 1½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 3 large eggs ¾ cup granulated sugar ½ cup vegetable oil, plus more for brushing 3 tablespoons amaretto liqueur ½ teaspoon pure almond extract Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1. Bring the cherry jam to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk the cornstarch and water in a small bowl to make a paste, then stir into the jam. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. 2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the eggs and granulated sugar in a large bowl, then add the vegetable oil, amaretto and almond extract and whisk until combined. Add half of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Add the remaining flour mixture and whisk until smooth; the mixture should look like thick pancake batter. 3. Heat a pizzelle iron to medium high and lightly brush with vegetable oil. Working one at a time, add 1 tablespoon batter to the center of the iron, then press and cook until golden brown, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Remove the cookie and immediately roll it around a chopstick to form a thin cylinder. Place seam-side down on a rack, then remove the chopstick. Repeat with the remaining batter. Let the cookies sit at room temperature until crisp, about 2 hours. 4. Transfer the jam to a piping bag or resealable plastic bag; snip off a corner. Pipe the jam into both ends of the cookies to fill the center. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

coffee

COFFEE AND MILK THUMBPRINTS

ACTIVE: 1 hr 15 min l TOTAL: 2 hr (plus cooling) l MAKES: 24 to 30

FOR THE MILK JAM 1¾ cups whole milk ⅓ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE COOKIES 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature ½ cup granulated sugar ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar ¼ cup ground coffee beans (preferably freshly ground) 1 large egg, at room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar 1. Make the milk jam: Whisk the milk and granulated sugar in a large microwave-safe bowl until dissolved. (The bowl should be at least 3 quarts to prevent the milk from overflowing.) Microwave 10 minutes, then stop and whisk. Microwave 10 more minutes, whisking halfway through. The mixture should be thick, bubbling and dark ivory in color. If it is still loose, continue microwaving in 1-minute intervals until thickened. Whisk in the vanilla until smooth. You should have about ½ cup; the mixture will continue to thicken as it cools. 2. Make the cookies: Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and ground coffee in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in two batches until just combined. 3. Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. (If the dough is too soft to roll, refrigerate about 20 minutes.) Dip the tops of the dough balls in the turbinado sugar, then make a ½-inch indentation in the center of each with the handle of a wooden spoon. Place on a large plate and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes. 4. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350˚. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the pans. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are set around the edges (but not browned) and the centers are still soft, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and re-indent the center of each cookie with a ½-teaspoon measuring spoon. Fill each indentation with ½ teaspoon of the milk jam. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Milk jam is a thick, sweet spread made from caramelized milk and sugar, similar to dulce de leche. It’s great as a cookie filling!

coconut

COCONU T-OAT COOKIES

ACTIVE: 40 min l TOTAL: 1 hr 15 min (plus cooling) MAKES: about 24

1½ cups unsweetened coconut flakes ½ cup granulated sugar 1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon pure coconut extract ½ cup rolled oats 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350˚. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine ½ cup coconut flakes with the granulated sugar in a blender and process until the sugar is finely ground and the coconut is in very small pieces. 2. Put the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted; let cool slightly. Stir in the coconut-sugar mixture, brown sugar, salt, baking soda and coconut extract, then stir in the oats. Add the flour and ½ cup coconut flakes and stir to combine. 3. Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough and gently shape into balls. Arrange about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are set around the edges and the centers are puffy, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool 3 to 5 minutes on the pans, then remove to a rack to cool completely. (For crunchy cookies, gently flatten the dough balls and bake until browned all over, 18 to 20 minutes.) 4. Put the remaining ½ cup coconut flakes in a medium skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until toasted, 5 to 7 minutes; let cool. Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted and smooth. Transfer to a small resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the cookies, then sprinkle with the toasted coconut. Let the chocolate set, 10 to 15 minutes.