Mad About Maida

  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 i...

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 dou...

  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 c...