Category: Uncategorized

Black and White Cookies

Makes about 8 large cookies

Active time: 25 minutes      Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 1 1/4 cups cake flour (NOT self-rising)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg

Icings:

• 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 to 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

To make cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a cup.
3. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then add egg, beating until combined well. Mix in flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately in batches at low speed (scraping down side of bowl occasionally), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix until smooth.
4. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Very lightly spray with cooking spray or brush with melted butter. Using ice cream scoop, scoop approximately ¼ cup of batter about 3 inches apart. Four cookies to a baking sheet.
5. Bake in middle of oven until tops are puffed and pale golden, and cookies spring back when touched, 15 to 17 minutes.
6. Transfer with a spatula to a rack and cool completely.

 While cookies are cooling, make icings:

1. Stir together confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Transfer half of icing to another bowl and stir in cocoa, adding more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to thin to same consistency as white icing.

 Ice cookies:

When cookies are completely cooled, turn cookies flat sides up, then spread white icing over half of each first. Let set for a little while, then spread chocolate over other half.

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Festive Panna Cotta

Yields: 4 servings

This rich and silky Italian dessert looks and tastes fancy, but takes only minutes to make! As a special treat, click the photo to ring in the New Year with this lovely Ella Fitzgerald song.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup milk (we used 2%)
• 2¼ teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
• 2 cups heavy cream
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, or ½ vanilla bean, split and seeded
• 12 fresh raspberries
• 2 T crushed pistachio nuts

Instructions

1. Place milk in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over the surface in a single layer. Be sure not to pile it as that will prevent the crystals from dissolving properly. Let stand for 5-10 minutes to soften.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat cream, sugar. (Note: *If using vanilla pod and vanilla seeds, add these to the saucepan now and remove just prior to stirring in gelatin. If using vanilla extract, stir in just before adding gelatin.) Cook on medium heat and bring just to a boil until sugar dissolves. *Remove from heat. Stir in gelatin and immediately whisk until smooth and dissolved. If the gelatin hasn’t fully dissolved, return the saucepan to the stove and heat gently over low heat. Stir constantly and don’t let the mixture boil.
3. Pour cream into 4 individual serving dishes (ramekins or something similar). Refrigerate for at least 2-4 hours, or until completely set. Unlike the picture, we usually leave the panna cotta in the ramekin to serve.
4. Top with 3 fresh raspberries and a sprinkle of crushed pistachio nuts. You can always add a little whipped cream!
5. Panna cotta can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days.