I have many food aspirations, but the highest ranking right now is to become a better baker. In reality, it should be labeled “Become a good a baker as Willa Mae,” because that is the level I aspire to.

The aforementioned Willa Mae is a lovely elderly lady my mom visits and does errands for at a local retirement home in KC, who often gifts my mother with her latest baked goods. Back in high school Willa Mae’s zucchini bread was unbeatable (still is), and now every Christmas her cookies are just beyond to die for. Perfection. All her own recipes (now that is art) and all delicious.

My mom passed this recipe along to me after declaring it “The best cookie I have ever eaten,” which is really saying something. I loved the recipe. It has all the great quirks of a seasoned and creative baker – steaming the apricots, specifying store-brand vanilla wafers, and then the best instruction of all – you have to let the cookies sit for at least 4 days to let the flavors develop.

It sounds like torture to wait (it was), but it is incredibly important you do! I tried the cookies right away and then the next day, and found them to be just okay – but I didn’t lose faith. I tried them again 4 days later and it was like magic. The texture had solidified, the almond had mellowed, and everything seemed to gel. They were divine. It was so mind-boggling how different (and better) they tasted, I couldn’t get over it! So I ate another… and another… and another…

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Willa Mae’s Apricot Balls

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups crushed vanilla wafers (I used about ¾ of a 9 ounce box and Willa Mae specifically says to use store-brand wafers because they’re less sweet than name brand)
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• ¾ cup powdered sugar, sifted and divided
• 1 cup dried apricots
• ¼ cup light corn syrup (Karo brand preferred)
• 1 tablespoon almond extract

Directions

1.) Using a small saucepan and strainer (or even better, a pot with a steamer insert), steam the apricots until softened, stirring occasionally, about 6-7 minutes. Set aside to cool and then chop into very small pieces.

2.) In a medium-sized mixing bowl, toss together the crushed vanilla wafers, pecans, ½ cup of the powdered sugar. Add the apricots, corn syrup, and almond extract. Mix until you have good dough.

3.) Roll into ½-tablespoon sized balls with both hands. Pour the remaining ¼ cup powdered sugar into a large ziploc bag, add the balls a few at a time, and roll around until evenly covered in sugar.

4.) Store in an air-tight container and let sit 4-5 days before eating. No, really!

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cookies, dessert, fruit

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I don’t know about you – but I am so over winter. The snow has been beautiful, the root veggies have been great, the sweaters comfortable, but I am dying for sunlight and sandals and summer produce!

Thankfully, spring is en route, and these lemon bars are a perfect transition into the season. Using good winter citrus and a buttery shortbread crust, but still getting that zing found in fresh fruit desserts, they toe the line perfectly between the seasons, as we are doing right now.

My special addition here is limoncello, a traditional Italian digestif made from steeping lemon zest in alcohol and then adding sugar. We used to make it in-house at Lidia’s but you can find it at any liquor store. However, if you’re trying to save money, just sub the limoncello with lemon juice and they’re still molto deliziosa.

Bright and sunny!

Such an odd measuring spoon, but I love it.

Baked.

Thiiiiiiiick!

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Lemon Squares

Based loosely on the recipes from  Epicurious, Ina Garten, and CHOW.

I prefer my lemon squares to have a closer crust-to-curd ratio than many out there, so they’re not as thick as many you may see. When the filling is tart and ooey-gooey rich enough as it is here, however, I think you’ll warm to the idea!

Ingredients

For the shortbread crust:

• 1½ sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and kept very cold until used (reserve the wrapper to grease the pan)
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tablespoon lemon zest (be sure to scrub and wash your lemons before zesting)

For the filling:

• 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons grated lemon zest (be sure to scrub and wash your lemons before zesting)
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4 lemons, depending on size)
• 3 tablespoons limoncello
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• About 1/3 cup powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 350° F with rack set in center of oven. Grease a 9x13x2-inch baking dish with the reserved butter wrapper and set aside.

2.) Prepare the crust. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt, sugar, and zest. Get the butter out of the fridge and add to the bowl, pulsing a few times until incorporated. The dough will be very loose, but stick together when clumped.

3.) Dump the dough out into the prepared baking dish, jiggle to evenly distribute, and using either your floured hands or a drinking glass with the based dipped in flour, spread and press the dough into the pan. Bake until stiff and fragrant, about 15-20 minutes. The dough will not brown. Remove and make the filling while it cools on a wire rack.

4.) Make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, limoncello, and flour. Pour over warm (but not hot) crust and bake 25-30 minutes until set, but still slightly jiggly.

5.) Let cool completely on wire rack before sprinkling with more powdered sugar. Cut into 24 squares and enjoy!

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cookies, dessert, dough, lemon

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This past weekend was a whirlwind of activity, much of which required favors being received and thank yous being doled out in spades. Buying a couch, borrowing a friend’s truck, asking a neighbor to help move said couch, etc, all warranted more than just a verbal acknowledgment, so I of course baked some delicious treats as an extra thank-you.

Snickerdoodles (which by the way, is the most fun cookie name ever) are one of those easy, but special things to make and eat. You don’t see them often enough at bakeries or coffee shops, despite the fact they’re delicious, simple, and can last for days if properly stored. I had been craving them the past few weeks and then suddenly they popped up in my Martha Stewart Cookie-a-Day newsletter. C’est parfait!

These are insanely good eaten warm so I recommend either eating them fresh from the oven (which believe me, I did… in great quantities) or microwaving the cookies for 15 seconds before devouring. Don’t worry, the amount of fat in the dough prevents them from drying out. It’s a good thing.

—

Snickerdoodles

Based on the recipe from Martha Stewart.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies (I used a half-ounce cookie scoop).

Ingredients

• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1¾ cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 400° F with rack set in center of oven. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2.) In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat together 1½ cups of the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until just combined, then with the mixer running, slowly add the dry ingredients until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix once more.

3.) In a small bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon. Using a half-ounce scoop, scoop the dough into small balls and roll in the cinnamon-sugar until well coated. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet and bake until spread and crackled, but not too done – only about 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire racks but eat while still warm.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cookies, dessert, spicy, sweet

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I love Valentine’s Day. As my friend Beth put it the other day, “I don’t care what my romantic situation ever looks like, I will forever get 4th-grade decorate-a-shoebox-for-your-valentines excited for Valentines Day,” and I have to agree. Cards and flowers and chocolate and everything in special boxes and packaging… to me, Valentine’s Day is about love – not romance. It’s a day set aside to appreciate those you love most, regardless if they’re your best friend, spouse, significant other, relative, etc. It’s just an opportunity to show you care, if you want to.

I send cards to those closest to me, give out flowers, and of course, make special treats. Originally I wanted to attempt strawberry macarons for this holiday, but since I’m moving at the end of the month (full oven! fridge! dishwasher in my new place! – HOORAY!) with a better oven in the future, I decided to postpone. These popped up in my daily cookie newsletter from Martha Stewart and sounded delish. Plus I had an entire container of malt powder sans one tablespoon begging to be used.

I had fun renaming these with a little  dry humor knowing a lot of my friends and peers roll their eyes at Valentine’s Day and the entire stigma of it, but it really does fit. The cookies are rich and dark, with such a great added pungent flavor from the malt, and the filling is just so divine. Like drinking a chocolate malt, only in frosting form. How can you eat that and not feel the love?

<3

Frosting.

Open hearts.

Did I mention how excited I am to have a dishwasher again?

Sprinkles.

All you need is love.

—

Chocolate Malt ‘Hearts of Darkness’

Makes 2 dozen sandwich cookies.

Based on the recipe by Martha Stewart.

I obviously made sandwich cookies here, but you could easily just make 48 cookies, frost them with the filling, and then decorate them with awesome, obnoxious heart sprinkles or fun nonpareils of your choice. Just enjoy it.

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup plain malted milk powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1¾ cups granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons hot water

For the filling:

• 5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• ½ cup plain malted milk powder
• 2 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons half & half
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

For the cookies:

1.)   Preheat oven to 350° F with the rack set in the center. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2.)   In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, malted milk powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

3.)   With the mixer running on low, add the egg, sour cream, and hot water. Reduce speed to lowest and add the dry ingredients.

4.)  Scoop a heaping ½ tablespoon of batter and plop onto prepared baking sheet. Be sure you give ample space (at least 2 inches) in between each cookie. Bake until flattened and firm, but not crisp – about 9-10 minutes.

5.)  Cool for a few minutes on the pan, and then using a small, heart-shaped cookie cutter, press onto the cookies. Discard the scraps (unless you’re feeling super ambitious and then make cake pops with them) and let cool completely.

For the filling:

1.)   In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring until everything is incorporated. Let cool to room temperature.

2.)   In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cup of malted milk powder and cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the half & half, chocolate mixture, and vanilla. Refrigerate covered until set, about 30 minutes. Beat again on high until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

To assemble the cookies:

1.)  Spread a heaping ½ tablespoon filling on the bottom of one cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat. Cookies can be refrigerated between layers of parchment in airtight containers up to 3 days.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: chocolate, cookies, indulge

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Confession time. Although my blog is filled with homemade sweets and treats, and I fully support baking from scratch 99% of the time, I will confess I have a few boxes of brownie and cake mix sitting in my pantry. Sometimes you get a sweet tooth that is impatient, or you forget a coworker’s birthday, or you’re just plain lazy – but regardless, box mixes can be handy. There are cooks and books out there completely devoted to box mixes and the wonders they can do, but most of the time, I try to start from scratch.

Unless there’s the possibility of $5,000 on the line.

Betty Crocker is hosting a recipe contest right now which requires one of their pre-bagged cookie mixes and no more than 9 additional ingredients. I love a challenge, especially one with parameters, so I went at the contest with gusto. And a serious craving for wintry banana-raisin oatmeal for breakfast.

These are almost cake-like bars, but sweet and tender with the special addition of banana chip “sprinkles” as I came to call them. A perfect way to use up bananas on the cusp of being thrown away, the flavors and nature of these bars make them the perfect dessert, snack, or even breakfast. What? Oh come on, I’m not the only one who has cookie bars for breakfast.

… right?

B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

All you need for the cookie base. (All your cookie base are belong to us).

Batter.

Frosting that oddly resembles oatmeal.

Banana chips.

Crunchy topping.

Peeking inside.

—

Banana Oatmeal ‘Monkey’ Bars

Makes 18 bars.

I nicknamed these ‘monkey bars’ because of the bananas, but also because they’re hand-held and pretty messy. I found myself scooping the crumbs up with my fingers and, well, you get the idea. Also, if your bananas are a little underripe (aka hard to mash) – chop them up and pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds. They’ll also stir easier if they’re warm.

Ingredients

For the bars:

• 1 package Betty Crocker Oatmeal Cookie mix
• 1 stick (8 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed

For the topping:

• 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup dried, sweetened banana chips

Directions

1.) Preheat the oven to 375° F, with the rack in the lower third of the oven. Grease a 9×13 inch glass baking dish with butter or non-stick spray, and set aside.

2.) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the water, egg, butter, and mashed bananas. Don’t worry if it doesn’t quite come together. Add the oatmeal cookie mix and raisins, and stir until well combined. The batter should be loose and pourable.

3.) Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and firm. Cool completely to room temperature on a wire rack or your counter.

4.) While the bars cool, prepare the icing. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer), beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the butter, bananas, and vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl, and then beat until completely combined. Don’t worry if the icing looks a bit lumpy, it will never be completely smooth due to the bananas’ natural texture.

5.) Put the banana chips in a large plastic baggie and smash with anything heavy in the kitchen – a rolling pin, can of tomatoes, meat tenderizier – whatever is convenient. You just want the banana chips to be crumbly, but not powder.

6.) Once the bars are completely cool, pour the icing on and spread evenly with an off-set spatula. Sprinkle the banana chip bits all over the bars. Cut into 18 portions (6×3) and serve for breakfast or dessert!

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bananas, cookies, dessert, dried fruit

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