Mad About Maida

New Orleans Oatmeal Cookies Source:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.) , pg. 180. One of our favorite recipes in this household is Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. The Quaker Oaks "Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies" is my go-to recipe and remains the favorite.  This Maida Heatter recipe it a bit different and has the addition of spices which gives them a more holiday-ish taste. The addition of apricot preserves is also unusual. I baked the cookies in three separate batches. The trickiest part is the baking time. 20 minutes is insane and I wonder if that was a typo. I tried 10 minutes for the first batch and they burned slightly. After looking at the recipe again, I had overlooked the instruction that they should be baked on the top rack position. The last two batches were much better. I baked them for 10-11 minutes. The cookies are very soft if not overbaked. I would advise you to experiment with the first batch be...

Pennsylvania Dutch Chocolate Cookies   Source:  Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.) , pg. 215 . Traditionally served after dark on Christmas Eve, according to her introduction to this fantastic cookie, but if you make these early I bet you won't make it until dark. These are wonderful and I loved them. They are very dark, crisp but chewy and have an intense chocolate flavor. Fantastic with milk or coffee. The cookies feel hard and would make a good gift to mail to someone. If you have it, use Dutch -process cocoa. It truly makes a difference. I am currently using Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa. 1 cup sifted whole wheat flour 1 1/2 cups sifted unbleached flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process) 8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 cups granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 TBS. water Additional sugar (to sprinkle on the coo...

Phudge  Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 249. This may be the easiest recipe in all of Maida's books. After eating my first piece (and I could have easily ate the whole pan), I realized that I had this before. I think it is a fairly common recipe and I wonder if it originated from Maida Heatter. Whatever the source, it is fantastic. I haven't tried any of the other fudge recipes which require a bit more skill than this one but taste wise, this one is hard to beat. It can be eaten cold or at room temperature. I like it cold. It gets very soft when it gets to room temperature. 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate 6 oz. cream cheese (room temperature) 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/8 tsp. salt 4 cups confectioners sugar 1 cup walnuts or pecans (medium sized pieces0 After melting the chocolate, beat in the cream cheese, vanilla and salt. Beat in the remaining sugar and melted chocolate and ...

Panforte Cioccolata   Source:  Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.) , pg. 79 . Although listed in the "chocolate cakes" section of her book, this Italian delicacy is more like candy or bread. "Panforte" means "strong bread" and is a good name for this energizing concoction of honey, nuts, candied fruits, cocoa and spices. It keeps well for a long time and travelers packed it in their bags during the Crusades. This is a dessert for the Christmas holidays and it tastes a lot like fruitcake. It is rich and chewy (you need good teeth for this!). It is not overly difficult to make but does require some fast action and a candy thermometer.  Note: For the fruit peel, I just purchased a container of the blended fruitcake mix that is readily available in grocery stores during the holidays.  1 cup almonds (blanched or unblanched) 4 oz. diced glazed orange peel 4 oz. diced glazed lemon peel...

Mulattoes Source:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.) , pg. 199. Of the hundreds of Maida Heatter cookie recipes, this may be the most famous. These are chunky but soft, extremely chocolaty,  full of nuts and chocolate chips. Sinfully delicious! They are easy to make. The trickiest part may be the baking time. After making them numerous times, I have learned to only bake them 10 or 11 minutes at the most, then remove them and allow them to sit on the hot baking pan for about 5 minutes. They will be extremely soft to the touch but eventually they firm up nicely.  I just use my hand mixer for these. Although the recipe states that it makes 18 large cookies, I find that the yield is slightly higher, even when making them fairly large. I use a tablespoon scoop to form the cookies. 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate 3 oz. (3/4 stick) butter 1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking pow...