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Quick & EasyBy Beverly Barbour
Ace in the hole cookiesCan one ever have too many cookies on hand? No! There is nothing so handy when unexpected company comes or you suddenly remember someone you overlooked when Christmas shopping. Never worry about too many cookies...only too few. Another reason for some last minute baking is that you may have extra kitchen hands looking for exercise. Mary Helland's sister Judy lives in Oklahoma City and like all of the Bishop girls she is one great cook. She served these bar cookies to Mary and husband Don, when they came to visit and Don liked them so much that Mary sent the recipe on to share with you. SISTER JUDY'S MIXED NUT BARQuick, easy, good keepers and good freezers. Any nuts can be used. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9 x 13-inch pan. Combine flour, sugar and 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter. Pat into pan and bake 10 minutes. In a saucepan heat to boiling the syrup, 2 tablespoons butter and the chips. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle with nuts. Pour boiling mixture over nuts and bake 10 minutes. Cool before cutting. Makes 12 or more. CHOCOHOLIC'S DELIGHTSo rich and so chocolaty that they just miss being candy. 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped Melt chocolate, butter and 1 cup chocolate chips in heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Cool. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Beat together sugar, eggs and vanilla until pale and frothy, about 2 minutes. Mix in melted chocolate mixture and then flour mixture at low speed until well combined. Stir in remaining chips. Chill, covered, until firm, about 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. Dampen hands and roll heaping teaspoons of dough into 1-inch balls. Arrange balls 2-inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake in batches in middle of oven until puffed and set, about 10 minutes (cookies will be soft in center). Move cookies off pans to racks to cool. Makes 6 dozen. If you had a Scandinavian grandmother or neighbors you have developed a taste for cardamom. "The Nordic people all love it and so will you," says Lisa Tracy of Marion, IA. ALMOND RUSK COFFEE DUNKERSIt isn't only the Italians who love dry, hard, flavorful cookies. The Swede's call them rusks and the Italians call them biscotti. By any name they keep forever! 3 cups all-purpose flour Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together flour, cardamom, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Beat together butter, sugar and extract until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each. Mix in flour mixture at low speed just until combined, then stir in almonds. Form dough into 4 (11 x 2-inch logs). Place 2-inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in middle of oven until pale golden, about 20 minutes. Cool logs on sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board and cut logs diagonally into 1/2-inch slices with a serrated knife (use a sawing motion). Reduce temperature to 300°F. Arrange rusks, cut sides down, on baking sheets and bake in batches in middle of oven until golden, about 18 minutes. Cool on racks. Makes about 5 dozen. My dear friend Dolores Snyder a born and bred Texan spent sometime in England and came back to devote much of her professional life to educating Americans in the rites of the British high tea. Texan to the core, Dodie chooses to use pecans in this shortbread recipe where the Brits use hazelnuts or almonds. So you have three nuts to choose from. You could go nuts trying to decide which is best. TEXAS PECAN SHORTBREADThis very special shortbread is another great keeper. 2 sticks (l/2 lb.) butter, softened Preheat oven to 325°F. In food processor place butter, sugar, flour and pecans; process until mixture comes together. Turn out on plastic wrap and chill 10 minutes. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and draw three 7-inch circles on the paper. Divide dough in three and place one part in each circle. Press dough to cover each round forming a fluted edge on each. Prick dough with fork and score each round into 8 wedges. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or just until edges are golden. Remove from oven and let stand about 2 minutes. Slice through scored rounds. Place shortbread on cooling racks. Store in airtight containers. Makes 24 pieces. A STASH OF COOKIES IS LIKE A POT OF GOLD IN THE KITCHEN!
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