Pecan Snowball Cookies

1 cup pecans
1 cup unsalted butter, at room
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 cups AP flour

Heat oven to 350° F. Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes. Let cool and roughly chop.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts and salt. Gradually add the flour, mixing until just incorporated. Mix in the pecans.

Shape the dough into tablespoon-size balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Transfer half the balls to a second parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until lightly golden, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.

Place 1/2 cup of the sugar in a large bowl. Toss the warm cookies in the sugar and return to the baking sheet. Sift the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar over the cookies before serving.

*To freeze: Instead of refrigerating the balls of dough, freeze them on the baking sheet before storing them in bags for up to 2 months. To bake, follow the instructions, baking from frozen, and use the upper end of the time range.



from a Real Simple article ; original recipe; see also Raspberry Pinwheel cookies and Lemon Glazed Cookies.

Although we made other recipes from this series for MMA, we didn't do this one last year. I made these on my own and, holy cow!, they were a huge hit with everyone who got to taste one.

Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup (two sticks) butter
2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 cups chocolate chips
1/3 cup milk

Melt butter and peanut butter together in a sauce pan, stirring well. Remove from heat and add graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. Spread the mixture into the bottom of a pan (jelly roll pan for thin bars, 9x13 for thicker bars). Chill until firm. Melt the chocolate chips with the milk. Spread chocolate layer over crumb mixture. Chill until firm.

Cut into bars (24 or 48 depending on pan size). Wrap individually in plastic wrap or separate layers with waxed paper. Store in the freezer, if they last that long!

Frozen Peanut Butter Bars from 30 Day Gourmet.

Lemon Glazed Cookies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more if necessary
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, and salt and beat to combine. Gradually add the flour, mixing until just incorporated.

Divide the dough in half and shape into 1 1/4-inch-diameter logs. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate* until firm, about 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350° F. Slice the logs into 3/8-inch-thick pieces and space them 1 1/2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until lightly golden, 16 to 20 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and zest until it forms a thick but pourable glaze (add more lemon juice if necessary). Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and let set, about 15 minutes.

*To freeze: Instead of refrigerating the dough, freeze the logs for up to 2 months. To bake, follow the recipe instructions, cutting and baking the dough from frozen, and use the upper end of the time range.

from a Real Simple article ; original recipe; see also Raspberry Pinwheel cookies.

Raspberry Pinwheel Cookies

Last February, when I finally got around to reading the holiday issues of some of my magazines, I came across an article for four different cookies that can be prepped ahead and then frozen until you're ready to bake them. I tore out the pages and kept them with my other freezer recipes for this winter. I found a link to the original article on the web.

We are going to make one of the recipes, the Raspberry Pinwheels, for our November cooking day. Best of all, the dough doesn't need to thaw; the cookies go into the oven frozen!

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 oz bar cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

needed on baking day:
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons turbinado or some other coarse sugar

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour, mixing until just incorporated.

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and gently knead it 2 to 3 times, just to bring it together. Form the dough into two 1-inch-thick squares. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll one of the dough squares into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle. Spread half the jam over the dough. Cut the dough crosswise into thirds, making three 9-by-4-inch rectangles. Starting from a long side of each rectangle, roll into logs. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.* Repeat with the remaining dough.

*At this point, the logs may be frozen for up to two months. To bake, follow the recipe instructions, cutting and baking the dough from frozen, and use the upper end of the time range.

Heat oven to 350° F. Slice the logs into 1-inch pieces and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 1½ inches apart. Brush with the egg and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Check out the picture- it looks like the pinwheels are on their sides for baking, not laying on the cut edge.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.