Italian Ricotta Cookies

Italian Ricotta Cookies

Yield: About 4 dozen

"Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups (495g) all-purpose flour*
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups (370g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 15 oz. ricotta, whole milk or fresh (1 3/4 cups)
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs

Glaze

• 1 Tbsp butter (salted or unsalted), melted
• 3 3/4 cups (460g) powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, or 1 1/4 tsp almond extract and more milk as needed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 - 6 Tbsp milk

Directions

• For the cookies:
• In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whip together butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest until pale and fluffy (scrape down sides and bottom of bowl occasionally throughout entire mixing process). Mix in ricotta and vanilla extract then blend in eggs one at a time. Set mixer on low speed and slowly add in flour mixture and mix until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours or up to 2 days. Preheat oven to 350 degrees during last 20 minutes of dough chilling.
• Scoop chilled dough out 1 Tbsp at a time and shape into balls (if it's too sticky just drop onto sheet using two spoons), drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake in preheated oven 12 - 14 minutes until underside of cookies are golden. Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
• Once cool dip tops of cookies in glaze and return to wire rack, immediately add sprinkles if using. Allow glaze to set at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in a single layer.
• For the glaze:
• In a mixing bowl whisk together powdered sugar, melted butter, lemon juice or almond extract, vanilla and 4 Tbsp milk until smooth, adding in more milk 1 tsp at a time to thin as needed (you don't want it to be very thin, it should be quite a bit thicker than a doughnut glaze).
• *Scoop flour directly from container using measuring cup and level top using a butter knife. Don't whisk or sift before measuring and don't spoon into a cup. I thought I better note that because in the recipe I adapted these from it stated 4 cups flour (480g) but it only took me 3 1/2 cups to get to the weight they had listed and then some (495g). The best option is to use a kitchen scale, I highly recommend investing in one if you don't already have one. I always use mine when baking.
• Recipe source: adapted from New York Times"

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  It's linked to:

From <http://www.cookingclassy.com/italian-ricotta-cookies/> 

  







My notes:  I would definitely weigh the ingredients next time I make these.  Mine spread a little too much, but they were delicious!  I used the lemon juice in the glaze.  The cookies were soft and cakey with just a hint of lemon.  Very yummy!!

Grinch Cookies

I found this recipe on Pinterest and could not resist making them!  They were so cute....plump little crinkled green cookies glistening with powdered sugar with a red candy heart in the center!  Any Grinch fan would love these!

Grinch Cookies

1 box French Vanilla cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 drop green food coloring
Confectioner's sugar for dusting/sprinkling
Heart Shaped decorating candies/sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 350^F.

Cream together the cake mix, oil, eggs and food coloring until it's completely mixed and forms a ball of dough in the bowl of the mixer.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Drop by tablespoons into the confectioner's sugar and roll into balls.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart and press a heart into the center of each ball.  Bake for 8 minutes or until just set.  (Mine took closer to 10 minutes!)  Let cool on the cookie sheet for at least 2 minutes before attempting to transfer them to a wire rack.  They are very soft and will fall apart if you try to do this before they are cool enough!  Trust me, I mangled several before I realized what I was doing. They oozed between the wires and fell apart.  :-(

So...mine did not look like the pleasingly plump little morsels on Pinterest....mine spread and were much flatter and all the confectioner's sugar completely dissolved into the cookies.  I was a little disappointed, but they were still tolerably cute.  And they tasted pretty good, though they do not keep well at all.  They dry out really quick, but since they only make a couple dozen cookies, that shouldn't be a problem for anyone who has kids!

If I were to make them again, I would use a scant 1/2 cup of melted butter instead of the oil and use the Non-Melting Confectioner's Sugar from King Arthur Flour.

Fudge Puddles

1/2 cup butter, softened 

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 

1/2 cup white sugar 

1/2 cup packed brown sugar 

1 egg 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 

3/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 cup milk chocolate chips 

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). 

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. 

Cream butter, peanut butter and white and brown sugars. Mix in egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir the flour mixture into creamed mixture. Shape the dough into 48 balls, 1 inch each. Place each ball in one compartment of a mini muffin tin. 

For filling, put chocolate chips in a double boiler over simmering water. Stir in milk and vanilla, mix well.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and immediately make wells in the center of each using a melon baller. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Then carefully remove to wire racks. Using 2 teaspoons fill each shell with the chocolate mixture. Top with mini red and green chocolate morsels, if desired.

From allrecipes.com

Season's Best Sugar Cookies

Season's Best Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS

Cookies

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

White Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Sprinkles

Red edible glitter or red sugar

DIRECTIONS

1 In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and the butter with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and the egg. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm. 2 Heat oven to 375°F. On lightly floured cloth-covered surface, roll half of dough at a time 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. On ungreased cookie sheets, place 2 inches apart. 3 Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely. 4 Mix glaze ingredients until smooth and desired spreading consistency, adding a few extra drops milk if needed. Spread glaze over cookies. Sprinkle with sugars. When you're making cutout cookies, always work with well-chilled dough. Cold dough rolls out smoothly, with less sticking. The cookies are easy to cut, remove, and transfer to baking sheets, and they hold their shape in the oven.

Santa Grahams

 

Santa Grahams

INGREDIENTS

Red food color

1 1/4 cups vanilla frosting (from 16-oz. can)

12 (2 1/2-inch-square) graham crackers

1 cup (about 75) miniature marshmallows, halved crosswise

6 small red gumdrops, halved crosswise

24 red cinnamon candies

DIRECTIONS

1 Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In small bowl, stir 1/4 teaspoon red food color into 1/4 cup of the frosting; blend well. In separate bowl, stir 1 drop red food color into remaining 1 cup frosting; blend well. 2 For each cookie, frost 1 inch of one corner of cracker with dark red frosting for Santa's hat. Place 1 marshmallow piece in corner for pom-pom. 3 Frost remainder of cracker with pink frosting. Place marshmallow pieces on pink frosting around 2 sides for beard. Add gumdrop for nose and cinnamon candies for eyes. Place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.

Use your favorite flavored graham cracker for these Santas. Break the graham cracker squares in half at the center perforation.

Use kitchen scissors lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to cut gumdrops and marshmallows.

Kissed Peppermint Brownie Bites

Kissed Peppermint Brownie Bites

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon CRISCO Vegetable Oil

1 small bag powdered sugar

1 package BETTY CROCKER Original Supreme Brownie Mix with HERSHEY'S Syrup Packet

48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates

1/4 cup crushed hard peppermint candies (About 12 candies)

1 egg

3 tablespoons water

1/4 cup  Cocoa

Directions:

Stir together brownie mix, cocoa and crushed peppermint candies in large bowl. Add contents of syrup, pouch, water, egg and oil, beating until well blended. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm enough to roll.

Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease. Remove wrappers.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in powdered sugar and place on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until set. (Some peppermint may melt out along edges of cookies. After removing from oven, immediately use edge of knife or spatula to push melted peppermint back to edges of cookie.) Cool 2 minutes. Press candy piece into center of each cookie. Slide parchment paper and cookies to wire rack or remove cookies from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. 

I use the peppermint kisses rather than the chocolate kisses. These cookies are delicious and very festive looking!

Christmas Wreath Sugar Cookies

 

Christmas Wreath Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 roll (16.5 oz) refrigerated sugar cookies

1 container (1 lb) vanilla creamy ready-to-spread frosting

4 or 5 drops green food color

2 tubes (0.68 oz each) red decorating gel

About 2 tablespoons holiday red and green candy decors

DIRECTIONS

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Remove half of cookie dough from wrapper; refrigerate remaining dough until needed. Cut dough into 12 slices, 1/4 inch thick. On floured work surface, roll each into 6-inch long rope. On ungreased cookie sheet, form into wreath shapes 2 inches apart; pinch ends of each wreath together. 2 Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining half of cookie dough. 3 In medium bowl, mix frosting and food color until well blended. Frost tops of cookies. With decorating gel, form bow at top of each wreath. Sprinkle with candy decors.

Once the frosting has set, place cookies in a flat container; cover tightly. Cookies can be frozen, if desired.

Dulce de Leche Cookies

Dulce de Leche Cookies

INGREDIENTS

Garnish

1 cup flaked coconut

Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

3 tablespoons dark rum or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract plus 2 1/2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

Filling

1 cup caramel apple dip (from 16-oz container)

DIRECTIONS

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut in ungreased shallow pan. Bake uncovered 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Turn off oven. In food processor bowl with metal blade, place cooled coconut. Cover; process until ground. Set aside. 2 Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Add egg yolks, rum and vanilla. On high speed, beat about 1 minute or until blended. 3 In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture until well blended. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes. 4 Heat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. On ungreased nonstick (not insulated) cookie sheets, place balls about 2 inches apart. Dip bottom of small glass into 1/4 cup sugar; press on cookies to make about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. 5 Bake 10 to 11 minutes or just until edges begin to brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes. 6 For each sandwich cookie, spread about 1 teaspoon of the caramel apple dip on bottom of 1 cookie, spreading to edge of cookie. Top with second cookie. Gently squeeze until filling oozes out a little around the side. Roll edges of cookies in ground coconut.

As a substitute for the coconut garnish, use finely chopped peanuts.

Next time, try dulce de leche (caramelized sweetened condensed milk) instead of the caramel apple dip. Look for it in the Hispanic section of your supermarket.

Cherry Almond Cookie Cups

Cherry Almond Cookie Cups

INGREDIENTS

24 whole maraschino cherries, well drained

1 package (16 oz) Pillsbury® Ready to Bake!® refrigerated sugar cookies (24 cookies)

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Red sugar

DIRECTIONS

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Line 24 mini muffins cups with paper or foil candy cups (about 1 1/4 inch). Pat maraschino cherries dry with paper towel. Flatten each cookie slightly. Place 1 cherry in middle of each flattened cookie. Shape dough around cherry to completely cover; shape dough-wrapped cherry into ball. Place dough balls into candy cups. 2 Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes; remove candy cups from pans. Cool completely, about 20 minutes. 3 In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, melted butter, almond extract and enough milk for spreading consistency. Spread over cookies; sprinkle with red sugar.

Pfeffernuesse

Ingredients

2/3 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup molasses

1/3 cup water

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon anise seed

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/8 teaspoon cardamom

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1 In large bowl, combine butter and brown sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Stir in molasses and water. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, anise seed, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom and pepper; blend well. Stir in nuts. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 hours for easier handling. 2 Heat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. 3 Bake at 350°F. for 9 to 12 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Roll in powdered sugar

Raspberry Poinsettias Blossoms

Raspberry Poinsettias Blossoms

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 box (4-serving size) raspberry-flavored gelatin

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons yellow candy sprinkles

DIRECTIONS

1 In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, gelatin and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. On low speed, beat in flour. 2 Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. 3 Heat oven to 375°F. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls about 2 inches apart. With sharp knife, make 6 cuts in top of each ball about three-fourths of the way through to make 6 wedges. Spread wedges apart slightly to form flower petals (cookies will separate and flatten as they bake). Sprinkle about 1/8 teaspoon yellow candy sprinkles into center of each cookie. 4 Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until set and edges begin to brown. Cool 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

During the holidays, time can be the greatest gift. Why not get together with a few friends and host a cookie exchange? This is a great recipe to share.

For a flavor twist, use strawberry-, cranberry- or cherry-flavored gelatin instead of the raspberry.

Berry Christmas Shortbread Bars

21 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled to room temperature (yep...21 TBSP! you read it right)
3/4 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
3 cups + 3 Tbsp all purpose flour (note: I had to use closer to 4 cups)
1/2 recipe Blue Cranberry Sauce (see recipe)
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 325^F. With a wooden spoon, mix the 3/4 cup sugar into the melted butter and whisk in the egg yolks. Stir in the flour to make a very stiff dough. (I had to use 1 whole cup more than the original recipe called for to make a stiff dough!)

Remove two cups of this dough and pat evenly into a foil lined 9 x 13 pan. (The foil should hang over the ends of the pan to make it easy to remove after it's baked) Prick the dough all over with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or put in freezer for 7 minutes). Set the rest of the dough aside.

Bake the 9 x 13" chilled pan of dough, on the middle rack of your oven, for 20 minutes at 325. After 20 minutes, the dough will still be very pale in color and will not have any golden color on the edges.

Remove it from the oven and spread the cooled Blue Cranberry Sauce evenly over it. Increase oven to 350^F.

Add the 1/4 cup of flour to the remaining dough and stir gently until the mixture is crumbly but don't overdo it. You want some "lumps" but no bigger than about 1 inch. Sprinkle evenly over the cranberry sauce and return the pan to the oven for 20-35 minutes. (Mine needed closer to 35-40 minutes to attain the light golden brown color you want.

Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Lift the cookies out of the pan using the foil ends and cut into bars.

These things are REALLY tasty! I think if the butter is reduced to 16 Tbsp (or less) I wouldn't have had to add the extra flour - I'll try that next time.)  Adapted from coleensrecipes.blogspot.com

Bombshell Brownies

1 cup butter, melted
3 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

Combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the sugar mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove, and cool pan on wire rack before cutting.

aka Brooke's Best Bombshell Brownies from allrecipes.com... and HOLY cow, are these good!! They may be the best brownies I've ever eaten!   Next day: These dry out really fast...they were much better on day 1! 

Scottish Shortbread

Scottish Shortbread

1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter

In a medium bowl combine flour and sugar.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Form mixture into a ball and knead until smooth.

For wedges, on an ungreased cookie sheet pat the dough into an 8-inch circle.  Using your fingers, press to make a scalloped edge.  With a fork, prick dough deeply to make 16 pie-shaped wedges.  

Bake in a 300^ oven for 40 to 50 minutes or till edges are very lightly browned and center is set.  Cut along perforations while warm.

For strips or rounds, on a lightly floured surface pat dough 1/2-inch thick.  Cut into 24 (2x1-inch) strips with a knife or into 24 rounds with a 1-1/2' cookie cutter.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in a 300^ oven about 30 minutes or till bottoms are lightly browned.

Makes 16 wedges or 24 strips or rounds.

These are my favorite cookies to cut into shapes and decorate for Christmas.  They are easy to roll out and always come out tender and flaky. Plus they aren't too sweet which makes them perfect for icing and decorating. Cathy

Variations:

Spiced Shortbread: Prepare as above except substitute brown sugar for the sugar and stir in 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, and 1/8 tsp cloves into the flour mixture.

Lemon Poppy-Seed Shortbread: Prepare as above except stir 1 Tbsp poppy seed into flour mixture and add 1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel with the butter.

Butter Pecan Shortbread:  Prepare as above except substitute brown sugar for the sugar and stir in 2 Tbsp finely chopped pecans into the flour mixture.  After cutting in butter, sprinkle mixture with 1/2 tsp vanilla and knead until smooth.

Oatmeal Shortbread:  Prepare as above except reduce flour to 1 cup and stir 1/3 cup quick cooking rolled oats into the flour mixture.  (This version is Excellent!)

from Better Homes & Gardens 'Cookies for Christmas'

Scandinavian Almond Cookies

Scandinavian Almond Cookies

1-3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp almond extract
Milk
1/2 cup sliced almonds, coarsely chopped
Almond Icing

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt.  In a large bowl, beat butter till softened.  Add sugar and
beat until fluffy.  Add egg and almond extract and beat well.  Add flour mixture and beat till well
mixed.

Divide dough into fourths.  Form each into a 12-inch roll.  Place two rolls 4 to 5 inches apart on
ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten till 3 inches wide.  Repeat with remaining rolls.

Brush flattened rolls with milk and sprinkle with almonds.  Bake in a 325^ oven for 12 to 14 minutes
or till edges are lightly browned.  While cookies are still warm, cut them crosswise at a diagonal into 1-
inch strips.  Cool.  Drizzle with Almond Icing.  Makes 48

Almond Icing: Stir together 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp almond extract and enough milk (3-
4 teaspoons) to make icing of drizzling consistency.

Another of my favorite Christmas cookies.  From Better Homes & Gardens' 'Cookies for Christmas'

Malted Fudgy Brownies

Malted Fudgy Brownies

1 cup quick oatmeal
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup butter, melted
1 (21.5-oz) pkg Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix
¾ cup instant malted milk powder (dry)
1 cup powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla
2 to 3 tsp water

Heat oven to 350^.  Mix oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, soda and salt.  Mix in butter.  Press in bottom of ungreased square pan, 9x9x2 inches.   Bake 10 minutes.  Cool 2 minutes.

Prepare brownie mix as directed on package – except add instant malted milk powder before mixing.  Carefully spread batter over baked layer.  Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until set.  (Do not overbake.)  Cool completely. 

Beat powdered sugar, vanilla and enough water to make of drizzling consistency.  Drizzle over cooled brownies.  Cut into squares to serve.
VERY good brownies!! 

Magic Cookie Bars

Magic Cookie Bars

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 6-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 3 1/2-ounce can flaked coconut (1 1/3 cups)
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In 13' x 9' baking pan, melt margarine in oven.  Sprinkle evenly with crumbs, pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs.  Top with remaining ingredients, press down.  Bake 25 - 30 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool.  Chill if desired.  Cut into bars.  (

A must have for Christmas - Donna

Jennifer thinks these are a must have too! She always insists on making these for Christmas.  My original recipe for this came from Granny's friend and neighbor, Mrs. George Raleigh.  She used crushed Life cereal crumbs instead of graham crumbs and they were marvelous! Cathy

Lemon Butter Snowbars

Lemon Butter Snowbars

Crust:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened

Filling:        
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp lemon juice
Confectioner' sugar for sprinkling

Heat oven to 350^.  For crust, combine all crust ingredients.  Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is crumbly, 2-3 minutes.  Press on bottom of ungreased 8-inch square baking pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

For filling, in small mixer bowl, combine sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and lemon juice.  Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 1-2 minutes.  Pour over hot crust.  Continue baking for 18-20 minutes, or until
filling is set.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar; cool completely.  Cut into bars.

This is my favorite bar cookie.

Meringue Mushrooms

Meringue Mushrooms

2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
Chocolate or Mocha Buttercream
cocoa powder

Heat oven to 200^.  Put a few drops of oil on a baking sheet and wipe it over the whole sheet with a paper towel.  Cover with sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper.  Wipe a very thin film of oil over the paper.  In small, deep bowl, preferably stainless steel, beat egg whites until soft peaks form when beater is lifted.  Add 2 tsp sugar and whip 2-3 minutes longer, till mixture is stiff and glossy.  Sprinkle remaining sugar over egg whites and gently fold it in with rubber spatula. Fit a large piping bag with a plain tube (#5 or #6).  Place the meringue in the bag and pipe 24 small round meringues for the mushroom 'caps' onto the pan.  Pipe stems separately by squeezing meringue into an upright 'stem'. Bake in center of oven about 45 minutes or until crisp, dry and a very pale coffee-ice cream color.  Remove from oven to wire racks to cool.  

To make the mushrooms, rotate point of small sharp knife in underside of each 'cap' to make a small hole.  Spread underside with a bit of frosting and insert point of stem into cap. Sprinkle mushrooms lightly with cocoa.  Tightly covered these will store several days (if you can keep Jennifer away from them!) in the refrigerator.  

I use these to decorate the Yule Log cake.  They need to be prepared on a dry, non-humid day or they'll be sticky instead of crisp.  I have to make a separate batch of plain meringues for Jen because she absolutely loves these things!

Mini Cherry Cheesecakes

Mini Cherry Cheesecakes

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 (10 oz) jar cherry preserves

Combine graham crumbs and butter, mixing well.  Line 1 3/4' muffin pans with miniature paper liners (the foil ones look nicer).  Spoon 1 teaspoon graham crumb mixture into each liner; gently press into bottom.

Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually add sugar and mix well.  Add egg and vanilla, beating well.  Spoon mixture into liners.  Bake at 350^ for 10 minutes.

Place cherry preserves in a small saucepan; heat just until preserves melt.  Spoon about 1 teaspoon preserves over each cheesecake.  Chill thoroughly.  

Yield:  2 dozen.

These are also great topped with a whole cherry from a can of Cherry Pie Filling instead of the Cherry Preserves.  I found this recipe in a Southern Living magazine back in the 1980's.  These are one of my favorites for Christmas pot-lucks.  Everyone raves about them!  CATHY