Bon Appetit Desserts (155 page)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided

1 cup pecans, toasted

2 cups sifted unbleached all purpose flour (sifted, then measured)

¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt ½ cup butter in small skillet over medium heat. Cook until deep amber, stirring often, about 6 minutes (do not burn). Pour through fine strainer into small bowl. Chill just until firm, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, grind pecans in processor until coarse meal forms.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Whisk flour and coarse salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat brown butter, remaining ½ cup butter, and sugar in large bowl until creamy. Beat in vanilla, then pecans. Gradually beat in flour mixture just to blend.

Transfer dough to sheet of parchment paper. Form dough into rectangle. Place second sheet of parchment paper over dough. Press or roll dough into 12×8-inch rectangle. Remove top sheet of parchment. Transfer dough on parchment to heavy baking sheet. Using fork, pierce dough all over, spacing 1 inch apart.

Bake shortbread until golden brown and firm to touch, about 55 minutes. Cut warm shortbread (still on baking sheet) lengthwise into 8 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into quarters. Cool 10 minutes on baking sheet on rack. Transfer cookies to rack and cool completely.

DO AHEAD
:
Cookies can be made 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Italian Hazelnut-Espresso Shortbread

Favorite Italian flavors—espresso and hazelnuts—come together in these appealing treats. The cookies are drizzled with a coffee-flavored dark chocolate topping, but they would be equally delicious without embellishment.
Makes 4 dozen

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

⅔ cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons hot water

2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend flour, brown sugar, cornstarch, 1 tablespoon espresso powder, and salt in processor. Add butter and vanilla. Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add nuts; blend until finely chopped. Transfer dough to floured work surface. Knead briefly just until dough comes together. Divide dough in half.

Press each half into 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Bake until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer shortbread to rack and cool 2 minutes. Carefully remove pan sides. Cut each warm shortbread round into 24 wedges. Transfer shortbread to rack and cool completely.

Mix 2 tablespoons hot water and remaining 1 teaspoon espresso powder in small saucepan. Add chocolate. Stir over medium-low heat until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Drizzle chocolate mixture over cookies. Let stand until chocolate sets.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made ahead. Store in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month.

Pistachio Shortbread Cookies

The dough for this delicious and easy-to-make cookie comes together quickly in a food processor. The dough logs need to chill for at least four hours before they are firm enough to slice, so be sure to begin several hours ahead.
Makes about 5 dozen

1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup (1½ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

½ cup unsalted natural pistachios, lightly toasted, chopped

1 large egg yolk

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix flour, powdered sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter, pistachios, egg yolk, and vanilla. Using on/off turns, mix until moist ball forms. Transfer dough to work surface and divide in half. Form each half into 8×1¼-inch log (if dough is too soft, chill until firm, about 30 minutes). Wrap logs in plastic and chill until firm, about 4 hours.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Slice logs into ¼-inch-thick rounds, rolling each log on work surface after every few slices to retain round shape. Place rounds on heavy ungreased rimmed baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake shortbread until barely golden, about 18 minutes. Cool shortbread completely on baking sheets.

DO AHEAD
:
Cookies can be made 4 days ahead. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Mexican Chocolate and Pepita Shortbread Stars

Green hulled pumpkin seeds are also known as
pepitas.
They are popular in Central American, Mexican, and southwestern cuisines. They stand up well to cooking and give a crunchy texture and subtle, nutty flavor to all sorts of dishes, including these lovely shortbread stars. You can find pumpkin seeds at many supermarkets and at natural foods stores and Latin markets.
Makes about 1½ dozen

¾ cup shelled unsalted pumpkin seeds (
pepitas
), toasted

4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

2¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 large egg white, lightly whisked to loosen

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grind pumpkin seeds in coffee grinder or processor until coarsely ground. Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Transfer to large bowl and cool slightly.

Add butter, ½ cup sugar, cinnamon, and salt to melted chocolate. Using electric mixer, beat until well blended. Add flour and ground pumpkin seeds and stir until just blended.

Roll out dough on floured surface to ½-inch thickness. Using 3-inch star-shape cookie cutter dipped into flour, cut out cookies. Transfer cookies to heavy ungreased rimmed baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Reroll dough scraps; cut out additional cookies and place on baking sheets. Brush cookies with egg white; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake cookies until just firm to touch, about 18 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets. Transfer to rack and cool completely.

DO AHEAD
:
Cookies can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Mocha Shortbread

Cocoa powder and instant espresso powder flavor this version of Scottish shortbread. To set the chocolate piping more quickly, place the cookies in the freezer in a single layer for 15 to 20 minutes until the chocolate is firm.

Makes 2 dozen

1¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour

¼ cup cornstarch

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)

¾ teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

3 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped

3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Line 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar. Add flour mixture and beat until well blended.

Gather dough into ball; divide into 3 equal pieces. Place 1 dough piece close to each end of 1 prepared sheet. Place third piece in center of second prepared sheet. Using moistened fingertips, press each dough piece to 7-inch-diameter round. Using small sharp knife, mark each round at equal intervals to form 8 wedges after baking. Press fork tines around edge of each to make notched design.

Bake shortbread 12 minutes. Reverse baking sheets. Bake until shortbread looks dry and feels firm to touch, about 12 minutes longer. Cool on sheets 5 minutes. Cut warm shortbread into wedges along marked lines. Cool completely on sheets on racks. Transfer wedges to work surface.

Place white chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Place bittersweet chocolate in another bowl set over same simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth.

Fit 2 pastry bags with ⅛-inch plain tips; spoon white chocolate into 1 and bittersweet chocolate into other. Or spoon chocolate into 2 small plastic bags (cut off 1 tip from each bag). Pipe chocolates decoratively over cookies. Let stand at room temperature until chocolate sets, about 1 hour.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container in single layers between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.

White Chocolate and Peppermint Cookie Brittle