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Quick & EasyBy Beverly Barbour
Does anyone make May baskets anymore?
When I was a child it wasn't Easter that was the harbinger of spring, it was the joy of little baskets of cookies and/or candies left on your doorstep by an admirer. Once the child opened the door and saw the basket a race began. The giver ran as fast as he could (or pretended to) and the recipient chased him as fast as she could and planted a big, fat, thankful kiss on the giver's welcoming cheek. Blushes all around.
Most of the fun was in making the baskets. Baskets in name only, they were either colored paper napkins holding sweets and tied with colorful ribbons, or they were paper cups decorated with crepe paper and ribbons. Paper doilies were particularly appropriate trim because to young eyes they were precious lace.
You were cheating if your Mom made the baskets. To really let the recipient know you cared the basket had to be made by you and there had to be a tag with your name. The really clever kids wrote poems or used the "Roses are red, violets are blue, is it true that I love you?" When you got one of those, your family would tease you unmercifully. What fun!
It could even be fun for a grownup dinner party to deliver the invitations as a May basket or to have a May basket for everyone at the table. You could let the colorful baskets march down the middle of the table filled with sweets maybe with a flower or two in each for your lucky guests. The baskets could even hold the dessert cookies.
Death by Chocolate Cookie
The happy bakers at Baker's Chocolate came up with this recipe some time ago. It makes a moist, rough surfaced, very very chocolate cookie that is every chocoholic's dream.
2 packages (16 squares) semi-sweet baking chocolate, divided
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups chopped nuts, optional
Preheat oven to 350 F. Coarsely chop 8 squares (1 package) of chocolate; set aside. Microwave remaining 8 squares (1 package) 1 to 2 minutes, stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Beat in sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and baking powder. Stir in reserved chopped chocolate and nuts. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and feel set to touch. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 1 1/2 dozen cookies.
Lemon-Coconut Bars
A lemon curd atop a coconut crust, it just can't miss. Add plus, it can be made 5 days ahead of party time.
Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted & cooled
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Filling:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon (packed) finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup confections sugar, to sprinkle on top
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 8- by 8- by 2-inch baking pan with foil, leaving overhang. Butter the foil. Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor or mix well with whip. Add coconut and butter and combine until mixture resembles fine meal and begins to clump together. Gather dough into ball. Press dough evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Bake crust until golden at edges, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare filling. Combine 3/4-cup sugar, eggs, lemon juice, lemon peel, flour, baking powder and salt; blend until smooth. Remove crust from oven. Pour filling evenly over hot crust. Return to oven and bake until filling begins to brown at edges and is just set and springy to touch in center, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; cool completely. Using foil as aid, transfer lemon bars from pan. Flatten foil edges. Cut into 16 bars. Sift confectioners sugar over top. Store in single layer in refrigerator or freezer.
Nutty Shortbread Sticks
To finely grind hazelnuts, pulse them in a food processor. Take care not to turn them into hazelnut butter. To husk hazelnuts scatter nuts on rimmed baking sheet and toast at 350 F until skins darken, 12 to 15 minutes. Wrap hot nuts in towel and rub together to remove skins. Other nuts can be used if you prefer.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter; room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup finely ground husked toasted hazelnuts (abut 2 oz.)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Icing:
4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup coarsely chopped husked toasted hazelnuts
Preheat oven to 325 F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt to blend. Beat butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in 1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture until just combined. Shape dough by tablespoonfuls into 3-inch-long logs. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies until light golden brown around edges, about 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely. Icing: Stir milk chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove pan from water. Place 1/3 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts in small bowl. Dip 1 end of cookie into melted chocolate, then into coarsely chopped nuts. Return to rack. Repeat with each cookie. Let stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour. Cookies can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature. Makes about 20.
Long ago and in warmer climates, May baskets were probably filled with flowers--candy for the eye!
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