Black Pepper Cookies

Black Pepper Cookies

Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.), pg. 189.

These spice cookies are delicious and pretty addictive. They are very firm, you might even call them "hard", but so good. They have a caramel-like flavor.

About the baking time - 12 minutes seems accurate but I would begin checking at 10 minutes and take them out as soon as they begin to turn a light, golden brown and before they turn too dark. When trying a new recipe, I always bake one sheet at a time to know if I need to adjust the time for the remaining. Once you know that, you can certainly bake several sheets at once, just flip and swap them about halfway through. 

This recipe once again brings up the evil pastry cloth. Not really evil, I suppose, but I do not own one and have never used one. I found an array of alternatives online that can be used for such, ranging from paper towels to cheesecloth. I wondered about my silicon mat and asked that question online and the answer was yes you can!

One drawback I found to the silicone mat is that the dough tended to stick after rolling it out, even with a generous dusting. However, the dough is very firm and forgiving. You can easily slide it off the mat with a spatula or flat knife (which is what I used) and the dough stays firm. It reminded me of making biscuits. 

Makes 36 cookies

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) butter
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper, ground fine
Generous pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. powdered cloves
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. powdered ginger
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg

Adjust the oven rack to high and preheat to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment.

Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

Beat the butter to soften it and then add the salt, pepper, cayenne, cloves, cinnamon,  and ginger.  You should scrape the bowl to make sure everything gets mixed.

Beat in the egg and the sugar, mixing and scraping the bowl.

On lowest speed, add the flour mixture.

Transfer to a board or flat surface and knead lightly. Divide the dough into three pieces. Work with one piece at a time. 

On a lightly floured pastry cloth (I used a silicon mat), roll out the dough to 1/8 to 1/4 thickness. 

Place the cookies about 3/4" apart on the cookie sheet. Use a spatula or a flat knife if the dough is sticking to your surface. This is a firm dough and easy to work with.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. I found that 10 1/2 to 11 minutes was good. You want to remove them from the oven before they begin to turn dark which they will do in a hurry. They will also continue to bake once removed so it is best to get them transferred to a wire rack immediately.

Store in an airtight container.

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. 

Lemon Walnut Wafers

Lemon Walnut Wafers  (Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 78.

I made these in a rush and didn't have time to take my usual photos of the process. I was looking for something quick and easy and I had an overabundant supply of lemons on hand. I recall making a similar recipe called "Old-Fashioned Jumbo Lemon Wafers" (in fact, that recipe is on the opposite page from this one in the book). I don't recall how they compared to this recipe, but I think they are very similar.

Maida simply describes these as "semi-soft with a tart lemon flavor - an old-fashioned cookie from Florida." An apt description. I baked these one sheet at a time, like I normally do, as I find that you can adjust baking times for the next batch if needed. The first batch was a tad overdone (the bottoms of the cookies were overly dark) so I deducted a few minutes for the subsequent batches and they came out perfect. Like she says in the directions, they do not appear done and only show slight browning around the edges.

They are an addictive little cookie and I added a little more lemon juice for extra tartness.

The recipe makes about 36 cookies.

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Generous pinch of powdered ginger
Finely grated rind of 1 large lemon
3 tbsp lemon juice
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks
1/2 cup walnuts, in medium-sized pieces

Preheat the oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

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

Cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat well.

Add the egg and yolks until the mixture is light and fluffy.

On low speed, add the sifted dry ingredients, scraping the bowl to make sure all is incorporated.

Stir in the lemon zest and juice and nuts.

Use a rounded teaspoon to form the cookies, placing them about 2 inches apart on the baking pan.

Bake 18-20 minutes. If baking one sheet at a time, use the upper rack. 

When done, they will have a thin brown edge but not brown on the tops. They will spring back when lightly pressed with fingertip. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Ralph's Cookies

Ralph's Cookies (Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 111. 

These cookies are described as being the same as the nut bars made by Betsy's Place in New York City with the exception of a chocolate bottom layer. The chocolate was suggested by Maida's husband Ralph. The cookies are delicious and addictive but very fragile. I think I had more trouble getting a photograph than I did baking them. 

Since this is a multi-process recipe, I suggest getting all your ingredients lined up and ready. I did this earlier in the day and that was helpful. 

After the cookies have cooled completely in the pan, I placed them in the freezer for about a half-hour. I think this makes it easier to cut them. It also helps to use a sharp knife and a scraper. After making them, it dawned on me that lining the pan with parchment paper might be a good idea. 

This recipe can make anywhere from 32 to 64 bars depending on how you cut them. She describes an elaborate method of using toothpicks and a ruler for marking and cutting them in equal sizes. I didn't adhere to any of that and just cut them in a haphazard fashion. 

I goofed and did not see the instruction for mixing in the nuts when making the top layer. So, I sprinkled them over the layer at the end. I don't think this affected the outcome too much but if I do it again, I will do it the way she instructed.

Bottom Layer

1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter, cubed

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons prepared coffee, cooled

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and use the center rack. Butter a 10.5" x 15.5" x 1" jelly roll pan.

Melt the 1 ounce chocolate in top of a double boiler or the method you prefer. Set aside to cool.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

Two methods are given - I went with the food processor method. Place the flour mixture in the food processor, add the butter and process until the mixture is fine. 

Add the egg yolk, coffee and melted chocolate and process until the mixture forms a ball.

(The non-processor method: Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork. Add the egg yolk, coffee and melted chocolate. Stir with a fork until the ingredients are well mixed and the dough holds together. Knead briefly if it is not smooth.)

Place small bits of the dough over the prepared pan and smooth it out with your fingertips. This will be a very thin mixture. You will think there is not enough dough but just keep pushing it until the pan is covered.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Prepare the top layer.

Top Layer

3 oz. (3/4 stick) sweet butter 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans

Cream the butter. Beat in the vanilla and sugar.

Add eggs, one at a time, scaping with a rubber spatula and mixing well. The mixture will look curdled. This is ok. Stir in the nuts and set aside. (Note: I forgot to add the nuts but sprinkled them over the layer at the end.)

Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the baked layer. 

Return it to the oven and bake for 2 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to smooth out the melted chocolate. Let stand for 2-3 minutes.

Spoon the batter in dollops over the chocolate. Notice the mixture looks thin and runny. If I had added the nuts, it would have been different!

This is where I sprinkled the nuts instead of adding it to the mixture earlier -

Return to the oven once again and bake for 30 minutes until the top is a rich golden brown. 

Cool on a baking rack until completely cool. 

After cooled, cut into squares. (You can put the pan in the freezer for a half-hour to harden the mixture and make it easier for cutting). 

Store in an airtight container.