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Quick & EasyBy Beverly Barbour
It's time to make cookiesNo matter how much pumpkin pie, pudding and cake we enjoy during the holidays it is really the cookies that suddenly appear everywhere that put us into fat suits. Suddenly it isn't too much work, too time consuming, too troublesome to dip into the recipe file and pull out those most impressive recipes that you have been meaning to try "someday." After all, they will make great gifts and they're nice to have on hand for starving friends and family. Here are some crowd pleasers to have on hand when that "someday" comes. The first is from a dear friend who was the pastry chef at one of the country's finest steak houses, The Post House in New York City. Meredith Frederick is an artist, married to a sculptor, hence her stint as a pastry chef (the arts aren't noted for producing regular paychecks). It was a sad day at the Post House when Meredith hung up her apron and went back to her paintbrushes. You'll note that she uses a small brush in this recipe -- a pastry brush will do. MEREDITH'S LACE COOKIESThin, thin, very thin lacy cookies frosted with chocolate keep very well but they are too popular to last a season. Teflon baking sheets make it easier to remove the baked cookies. l/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter and flour 3 baking sheets. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until well blended. Blend in vanilla and rum. Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl. Stir in pecans and peels until coated. Add to the butter mixture and mix just until blended; do not overmix. If you have time, chill the batter until firm, about 1 hour. Drop the batter by half teaspoonfuls, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Bake until cookies are bubbly, medium-golden brown and set, about 7 minutes. Cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheets on a wire rack. Transfer to the rack to cool completely. With a small brush, paint l/2 of the top of each cookie with melted chocolate. Put the cookies back on the rack until the chocolate is set. Makes about 8 dozen. Angel Whispers is a wonderful name, isn't it? These little devils just melt in your mouth and they are so small that each one is a single mouthful. The recipe comes from Mrs. Carl Holmgren of Devils Lake and I think that I've had it about 30 years. ANGEL WHISPERSTiny cookies put together with lemon curd (filling) which you can either make or buy. Devilishly good! 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter Preheat oven to 400 F.; grease baking sheets. Cream butter and sugar together. Stir together the flour, cornstarch and baking powder; add alternately with the eggs and vanilla. Drop in small amounts, no larger than a hazelnut, and bake about 8 minutes. Cool slightly and put together with Lemon Curd. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar while still warm. Makes about 4 dozen sandwiched cookies. Lemon Curd: Slightly beat egg and beat in the remaining ingredients. Cook in a double boiler until thick enough to hold the cookies together. BAKLAVAIt is overflowing with nuts and butter so you don't need much to satisfy your sweet tooth. Defrost the phyllo pastry sheets overnight in the refrigerator. Lemon syrup: Dissolve sugar in water and bring to a boil; add lemon juice and simmer about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Step 1.) Lay one-third of the phyllo in a greased 15 x 12-inch shallow pan (Zehra uses glass) brushing each layer generously with the melted butter. Step 2.) Then spread the chopped nuts over the layered leaves of phyllo and sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar over the nuts. Step 3.) Repeat step 1. until all of the remaining leaves have been put on top of each other and brushed with butter. Step 4.) Cut the pastry into diamond shapes and brush generously with the remaining butter. Bake in preheated 350 F. oven for 25 minutes or until a light golden brown. Baste with the cold lemon syrup and let it rest overnight. Baklava keeps almost indefinitely and freezes very well.
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