Black and White Cookies- Brooklyn Style

In her book"Desserts by the Yard", Sherry Yard had these cookies under her chapter entitled "Brooklyn Inspirations". And this larger size is the Brooklyn size!

These delicious cookies have that typical cakelike consistency with a wonderful vanilla and chocolate glaze. My son, Kris, absolutely loved these! They're really quite easy to make, just the glaze can be a bit tricky. The book doesn't give the best description of how thin or thick the glaze should be but you can kind of tell when you begin to spread it on top of the cookie that you need more confectioners' sugar to thicken it or more hot water to thin it.


Begin by sifting the dry ingredients into a medium bowl, then set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar in your mixer bowl for 2 minutes.

Add the egg and vanilla and mix til incorporated, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

In 2 to 3 additions, on low speed, add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk.

Beat til the ingredients are all mixed together.

Then, scoop out the batter and place onto the prepared baking sheet. I used my large scoop.

Bake 10 minutes, then rotate pan and bake another 8 to 10 minutes.

While cookies are cooling, make the glaze by combining confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, water and vanilla. Mix til smooth and divide the mixture between 2 bowls.

So you have the vanilla in one bowl...

Then you add the cocoa powder and melted chocolate to the other bowl and make the chocolate glaze.

Both my glazes did need more hot water, adding about 1/2 teaspoon at a time til I got a nice thin but not too runny consistency.

Then scoop up a little bit and begin by spreading one of the flavors on one side , then the other flavor on the other side. ( It was suggested to allow one of the flavors to set before adding the other, but I'm too impatient!). You'll know you have too much glaze on top if it runs down the side too much!

Black and White Cookies Brooklyn Style ( from "Desserts by the Yard" by Sherry Yard)

Makes 24 Large Cookies ( I only got about 18, however!)

Cookies:

1 cup cake flour

1 cup AP flour

1 tsp. baking powder

6 ozs. ( 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, room temp.

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

Icing ( or glaze):

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more as needed

1 tbsp. light corn syrup, plus more as needed

2 tbsp. hot water, plus more as needed

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350. Place a rack on the lowest postition of the oven. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cookies:

1. Sift together cake flour, AP flour and baking powder. Set aside.

2. In large mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar at medium speed til fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl.

3. Add the egg and vanilla and mix on medium speed til incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl and paddle.

4. In 1 or 2 additions, beating on low speed, add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Beat til all incorporated.

5. Spoon 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter per cookie onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving a couple of inches apart for spreading.

6. Bake one sheet at a time, for 10 minutes, then turn and bake another 8 to 10 minutes.

7. Allow cookie to cool a few minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack.

Glaze:

1. In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, water and vanilla. Stir together til smooth.

2. Divide between 2 bowls.

3. Melt chocolate either in a microwave safe bowl or using a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir til smooth.

4. Scrape the melted chocolate along with the cocoa powder into one of the bowls. Add a little more hot water ( up to 2 tablespoons) and up to 1 teaspoon more corn syrup to get a smooth shiny mixture.

5. Brush half of each cookie with chocolate icing and allow to set. ( I used a knife to spread on each cookie and was too impatient to allow to set and it was fine). Then brush with vanilla flavor. Allow to set. ( Pop into the fridge for a quicker set.)

Cookies will keep, stored air tight, for 2 days.

Lemon Heart Cookies with Lemon Glaze

The other day my local market had for sale ( and on sale), tons of packaged up lemons. I'm talking about 10 lemons per package for like way way less than a dollar! So, there was no way I could leave all those lemons there for someone else! Nope. I had to have them..all! Now I'm on a mission to find some great recipes to make lemon everything.

This lemon cookie is very much like a shortbread cookie with lemon in the dough but the extra kick of delicious lemony flavor comes from the glaze you dip or spoon on top, ( depending on the consistency you like).

The cookies are wonderfully light, which comes from the combo of cornstarch and confectioners sugar. I urge you to give them a try. If you love lemon flavor, you'll love these!

Now I just have to figure out what the heck to do with about 30 more lemons! Hmm, lemon curd perhaps? Or lemon tart or lemon cake or lemonade or...

Lemon Heart Cookies with Lemon Glaze

3 cups flour

3 tbsp. cornstarch

3/4 tsp. salt

3 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 tbsp. lemon zest

1 1/2 tsp. lemon extract

1/4 tsp. almond extract

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

5 tsp. lemon juice ( I used alot more to get it thinner. Just keep adding juice til you like the consistency).

1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest

Preheat oven to 325.

1. Combine in a small bowl, flour, cornstarch and salt.

2. In mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar til creamy.

3. Beat in zest and extracts.

4. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture and beat til combined. The mixture may seem dry at first but keep mixing on low and it will eventually come together and clean the sides of the mixer bowl.

5. Divide dough in half.

6. Roll out each half between 2 pieces of waxed paper to approx. 3/8" thickness.

7. Cut out heart shapes ( I used 3 different sizes, just for the heck of it!).

If the dough gets too soft, just pop it into the fridge for about 15 minutes.

8. Place 1" apart on ungreased baking sheets. ( I always sprinkle my ungreased sheets with a little sugar to prevent sticking).

9. Bake 15 minutes or til the edges brown slightly.

Glaze: Mix confectioners sugar, juice and zest til well blended and the correct consistency.

Dip cookie in glaze or spoon glaze on top of each cookie.

Allow cookie to cool and the glaze to set. Place waxed paper between layers to store.

Store in air tight containers for up to one week. Can be frozen up to one month.

Dried Cherry and Almond Cookie with Vanilla

This cookie recipe had so many good reviews from the Food Network cookie site that I just had to try it. It's another Giada de Laurentis recipe and I thought the use of dried cherries sounded like a great combo with the almonds and almond extract. Now, I'm sure it would have been great..if I only could have found dried cherries in my local markets! ( If truth be told, I actually did find some in the bulk foods section of one market but when I got them home and tasted one, it had an awful almost chemical taste and I couldn't use them.
So I had to substitute dried cranberries. The recipe also suggests using dried apricots but the cranberries are red and, you know, we want a festive, holiday cookie!
One note: The amount of icing that the recipe makes is way too much ( as noted in a few of the reviews) so just half it, but I will give you the amounts originally given.
These cookies are really so good! They are quick and easy to make. The almond extract flavor really comes through and the cranberries and almonds are still a great combo.

Start by beating, in a standing mixer, the first 6 ingredients til fluffy.

Beat in the egg and add the flour til just combined.

Chop the cranberries ( or cherries) so you don't have big chunks in there!

I used sliced and toasted almonds and I didn't bother chopping them. I just crushed them with my hand as I put them into the mix.

Shape the dough into a log or 2 logs and wrap in plastic and refridgerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. It can be made up to 3 days ahead.

Cut the logs into slices 1/2" thick. Space 1" apart on your parchment lined sheet and bake 15 minutes.

Cool completely and decorate with icing.

Dried Cherry and Almond Cookie with Vanilla

Cookies:
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp.

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. fine sea salt ( I didn't have this so I used table salt)

1 large egg

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried tart cherries or dried cranberries)

1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped.

Icing:

2 3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

3 tbsp. water

1. Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt til fluffy.

2. Beat in egg.

3. Add flour, beating on low speed til just combined.

4. With spoon, stir in cherries ( cranberries) and almonds.

5. Shape into a log ( or 2 logs) and wrap in plastic and refridgerate for 2 hours or overnight.

* It can be made up to 3 days ahead.

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. Cut logs 1/2 " thick and place on parchment lined sheet 1" apart.

7. Bake 15 minutes and cool completely on wire racks.

8. Icing: Put sugar into a medium bowl and add vanilla and water, whisking til smooth. Add more water, 1 tsp. at a time if needed.

9. Ice cookies and allow icing to cool. I filled icing into a sandwich baggie and cut a tiny end off the corner to pipe onto the cookies.

* Note: Can replace dried cherries with 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots and add 2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts. Also use 1 tsp. vanilla and omit almond extract.

Iced Italian Anise "S" Cookies

Ok, I know the title of this post is "Iced Italian Anise "S" Cookies" and that picture above isn't quite an "S" shape! It isn't even close! But, I kind of really liked the cookie in this straight shape and so, that's it. My explaination, plain and simple!
Now, as for the recipe. Well, I have been looking for a good, plain Italian cookie recipe for a while now. I was shopping at a local outlet store that has a pretty decent kitchen department when I came across a Christmas cookbook put out by a very well known cake decorating , food crafting company. So as I flipped through the book I came upon this recipe. Well, I didn't need all the other recipes in the book...just that one! So I jotted it down. Right there in the store! Ok, there, the truth is out!
This wonderful, soft, mild tasting cookie provides a perfect "canvas" for the easy sugar glaze and sprinkles that decorate the top.
The original recipe calls for anise extract and the first time I made them, that's what I used. But I got to thinking that perhaps replacing the anise with orange or lemon flavoring might be interesting, so that's what I did for these. The result is a mild orange flavor. Next time I'll try the lemon flavor. I think that will have more "punch"!
One note: I cannot remember what sort of glaze the original recipe used. ( I actually only wrote down the ingredient list). So, I made up my own.

Beat softened butter and sugar in a standing mixer bowl. Add eggs and extract.

In separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly combine with egg/butter mixture til just incorporated.

The extreme orangey color of my batter is due to the wonderful farm fresh eggs my friend was so kind to give me. Aren't they beautiful?!

On a floured work surface, take out a small handful of dough at a time and roll on the work surface to form long logs about 1" wide.

Tear apart the logs about 3" long and place on prepared baking sheet. ( At this point you can shape into the "S" shape if you like.

Bake and when done, let cool on baking sheet a few minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, make glaze and decorate with colored sprinkles.

Italian "S" Cookies

(I halved this recipe)

6 cups AP flour

2 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 sticks unsalted butter-room temp.

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp. anise extract ( or sub orange or lemon extract)

6 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Line sheet with parchment paper.

1.In bowl of standing mixer beat butter and sugar about 2 minutes.

2. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add extract.

3. In a medium bowl, whish flour, baking powder and salt.

4. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet mixture and stir til all combined.

5. Lightly flour your work surface and take small handfuls of dough at a time and roll into logs about 1" wide.

6. Tear or cut the pieces into smaller 3" long pieces.

7. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes.( Mine took quite a bit longer. More like 15 - 20 minutes).

8. Let cool on sheet for about 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Make glaze:

Place about 1 cup of confectioners sugar into a small mixer bowl. Add enough milk to make a smooth fairly thin glaze. Using a teaspoon, place a small amount onto a cooled cookie top and spread with spoon. Immediately decorate with colored sprinkles.

If using orange or lemon, just replace the milk with orange juice or lemon juice. Use just enough to make a thin glaze.

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies...Happy Autumn !!

Although I am really sorry that Summer is officially over, I do love the cooler temps and the changing colors of the foliage. The recipe for these cute frosted sugar cut out cookies came to me in a round about way. I was watching QVC early one morning...or was it late one night !!? OMG, I can't even remember !! And no, this is not something I do often!! Anyhoo, They were selling cute cut out cookies from Cheryl & Co. Cookies. Not really knowing much about the company or the product, I decided to check them out and I came upon a copycat recipe ( or so they claim) for the Cheryl & Co. cookies. I don't have any little ones in the house..just a big one!!( My 21 yr. old!) , but it was fun to take a little time to decorate these. I used the frosting recipe that is included with the recipe and tinted it with food coloring. I used green sprinkles for the stem but if I was going to make them again, I would decorate them with royal icing.
The flavor of the cookies was nice, not too sweet and I think they make a perfect "canvas" for frosting or icing. They are a soft cookie( like Cheryl& Co. claims theirs to be). They are rolled out 1/2" thick which makes them a good substantial sugar cookie.
So, go ahead...Celebrate the Fall season with some cute pumpkin shaped cookies...or any other shape that tickles your fancy!!