Peanut Butter Icebox Cookies

 

Peanut Butter Icebox Cookies (Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 160.

Another day, another icebox cookie recipe. These are just like regular peanut butter cookies but shaped like a wafer. The dough is very easy to work with and it slices beautifully after it has been frozen if you use a large, sharp knife. 

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg

Makes 40 to 48 cookies

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon. Set aside.

Beat the butter and peanut butter until soft.

Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Add the sugars. Beat until incorporated.

Beat in the egg.

On low speed, add the flour mixture and beat until mixed.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Knead it slightly and form it into a ball. Using the heel of your hand, "push off" the dough away from you. Do this to all of the dough and then reform it and push it off again. The dough will have a clay-like texture. 

Now form it into an oblong shape about 10-12 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze until firm (several hours if using refrigerator, about 45 minutes if freezing it). You can freeze it until you are ready to bake.

When ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with foil or parchment. Slice the dough about 1/4 thick and place them 1" apart on the sheets. Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly colored and slightly dark around the edges. Transfer to a rack to cool.

New Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cookies

New Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cookies (Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 163.

Maida Heatter fans are probably familiar with her Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cookies. I made them here (gulp...13 years ago!) and have heard many favorable comments about them. Since I have a tendency to make something new every time I'm in the kitchen, I don't think I've made those since then. So, I had to go back and look closely at that recipe to compare them with the "new" cookies. 

It turns out there are quite a number of differences. This recipe uses chocolate instead of cocoa powder, does not have cayenne or black pepper and has brown sugar instead of white. Okay, so the two recipes are entirely different from each other!

These cookies are quite good, and I found myself going back for more. The flavor is unique (another difference is this recipe calls for nutmeg instead of cinnamon).  I didn't bake the entire portion of dough at once so more to look forward to. That is the beauty of icebox cookies. 

A note about the loaf pan size - this calls for a 10 x 5 x 3 pan. I didn't have one so instead opted for an unusual pan that I have that measures 12 x 4 x 3. It worked fine and any size that deviates should probably only affect the size of the cookies.

Another note - the recipe lists pine nuts, but Maida says any other nut can be used or you may skip them altogether. I've never used pine nuts in my life and thought about using pecans but eventually decided not to use any at all.

This recipe makes 66 cookies.

3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, cut into pieces
2 2/3 oz. (5 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
3 oz. pine nuts (optional)

Prepare a 10 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan with two pieces of wax paper or aluminum foil. Cut one piece slightly longer than the length of the pan and the other slightly wider than the width so that you will have handles that overlap the edges.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.

Chop the chocolate in a food processor of use a heavy knife. The chocolate must be fine.

Cream together the butter and the shortening.

Beat in the sugar and mix well.

Add the egg, vanilla and sour cream.

Add the sifted flour ingredients on low speed. Beat only until thoroughly incorporated.

Add the chocolate and nuts (if using).

Press the dough firmly into the prepared pan. Fold the paper over the top and firmly press down.

Freeze for 6-8 hours or more.

When ready to bake, line cookie sheets with parchment or foil. Heat the oven to 400.

Remove the dough from the pan and carefully remove the paper. Cut lenghtwise with a sharp knife and then cut 1/4" inch slices. Place them 2" inches apart on the cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Belgian Almond Cookies

 

Belgian Almond Cookies (Source: Maida Heatter's New Book of Great Desserts (Alfred A. Knopf, 1982. pg. 326.

These cookies are known as "Pain d'Amandes" in the French Flanders region where they originate. They are very crisp and chewy. The dough is frozen so you can bake all or some at a time. 

The cookies are made with both finely ground almonds as well as whole almonds. When kneading, the whole almonds will keep falling out but as you knead, they will begin to stay in place. I was dreading slicing them (after freezing) since Maida says that they may tend to crumble. She suggested trying different knives and she likes using a serrated knife. So I tried the serrated knife first and had some crumbling. I then tried my large Chef's knife and it worked much better. Slice them gently. The blade should slide through smoothly and you should get an unbroken cookie.

2 1/4 sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups (10 oz.) whole blanched almonds
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup milk
Brandy or whisky
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

Set 1 cup of the whole almonds aside. Put the other cup of almonds in a food processor or blender and finely ground.

Add the ground almonds to the flour mixture.

Add the sugar.

Pour the milk into a measuring cup and add either whisky or brandy until it measures 1/2 cup. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and the melted butter. Mix with a wooden spoon.

Turn out onto a work surface and knead it until the dough is firm.

Add the reserved whole almonds to the dough and knead them in - they will have a tendency to fall out of the dough. Just keep sticking them back in.

On a long piece of wax paper, shape the dough into a 13"x2" inch log. Wrap in the paper and transfer it to the freezer.

When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350. Use a sharp knife to slice 1/4" pieces. (You may need to test different knives to find the one that works best for you.) Place on a cookie sheet lined with foil and bake for 14-16 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown. 

Walnut Fudge Pie a' la Mode with Hot Fudge Sauce

 

Walnut Fudge Pie a' la Mode with Hot Fudge Sauce
Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.), pg. 48.

Not really a pie but more like a brownie made in a pie plate, this is a thin and dense dessert enhanced by adding ice cream and hot fudge sauce. It baked beautifully.

I was not a fan of the Hot Fudge Sauce but I'm sure there are better ones our there (in fact, she herself has many recipes of chocolate sauces). This one tasted fine but, like she says, it hardens very quickly, almost instantaneously. You can refrigerate it but you must reheat it over hot water. I thought I had ruined my sauce pan after making it but I finally cleaned it by boiling vinegar and water in it for a few minutes.

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar (divide into 3/4 and 1/4 portions)
2 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons hot water
1/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup walnuts, broken into medium-sized pieces
Pinch of salt

Use the center rack and preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9-inch oven-proof glass pan with foil. Brush the foil with melted or soft butter.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water. Set aside.

Beat the butter in mixer bowl until soft. Add the vanilla and 3/4 cup sugar (reserve the remaining 1/4 cup sugar). Beat for one minute.

Add the egg yolks and then the chocolate. Beat until smooth.

Add the hot water and then the flour, scraping the bowl as necessary.

Remove from the mixer and stir in the nuts.

Beat the egg whites until they hold a soft shape. Add the reserved 1/4 cup of sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is stiff (but not dry). Fold into the chocolate mixture. Spread into the pie plate.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. The cake will rise and then sink, causing a crust to form but the inside will be soft. Cool in the pan on a rack. After it has cooled, allow it to stand an additonal 1/2 to 1 hour. Invert and remove the foil and then replace the pie back into the glass pan.

Serve with ice cream and hot fudge sauce.

The recipe for the Hot Fudge Sauce follows. However, like I mentioned earlier, I would try another one.

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon butter
1/3 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Over low heat, combine the chocolate, butter and water until smooth. Mix in the corn syrup and sugar.

Increase the heat to moderate and stir occasionally until it comes to a boil. Stop stirring and let it boil for 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and place the pan in water to stop the boiling. Stir in the vanilla.

Use it immediately while still warm or let it cool and reheat it over hot water.

White Chocolate and Banana Cake

White Chocolate and Banana Cake 
Source: Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg.  62.

This is scrumptious and I think it is better than plain old banana bread. My initial intent was to make banana bread and then I stumbled upon this recipe and saw that I had all the ingredients on hand (a rare occurrence!). 

I usually adhere to the exact instructions but in this case, I took a chance on changing the pan and thankfully it worked. The recipe calls for 2 small loaf pans (6 cup size) but I don't have any that small. I thought about it making it in my long 12" loaf pan but at the last minute, I settled on the Bundt pan.

She indicates that the baking time is 1 hour and 15 minutes but my cake was done in 1 hour and I started checking it at 50 minutes. If using the smaller loaf pans, I would begin checking around the 45 minute range as I cannot imagine baking that long in small pans.

The cake is super moist and the coconut and nuts provide a great flavor boost. I also love the crisp edges around the crust. 

6 oz. white chocolate, chopped into 1/4 - 1/2 inch pieces
4 oz. walnuts (or pecans), chopped
3 1/2 oz. (1 firmly packed cup) shredded coconut
8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 3/4 cups unsifted unbleached flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 - 6 fully ripened bananas (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons dark rum (or brandy)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Optional: Sesame seeds (to sprinkle on top)

Adjust the oven rack to the bottom third and preheat to 350. Buutter two 6-cup loaf pans and dust with dry bread crumbs (this also works in a Bundt pan).

Melt the butter and transfer it to the mixing bowl and allow to stand briefly.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Peel and mask the bananas with a fork for a course mixture.

Add the sugar to the butter and beat to mix well.

Add the eggs, rum (or brandy) and vanilla and beat at high speed for about 5 minutes. The mixture will be pale and thick.

Add the bananas and beat just to mix.

On low speed, gradually add the sifted dry ingredients and beat until only incorporated.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the coconut, chocolate and walnuts.

Spread batter into the prepared pans. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds if using.

Bake for 50 to 70 minutes, depending on the pan(s) you use. Begin testing at 50 minutes. In a Bundt pan, the cake was done at 55 minutes.

Cool in the pans for 15 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.