Desserts - Adrienne's Classic Creations

Toffee Chew Bars

Ingredients for Crust
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

Ingredients for Filling
2 large eggs
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut, toasted
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

To Prepare Crust

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 13 by 9 inch baking pan with foil, leaving overhang on all sides. Grease the foil. With an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the butter, sugar, and salt until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and mix until combined. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared baking pan. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

To Prepare Filling Whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk until combined. Stir in the coconut and almonds and spread the mixture evenly over the crust. Bake until lightly browned around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool completely, about 2 hours. Using the foil overhang, lift the bars from the pan and cut into 24 bars. Makes 24 bars.

White Sugar Cookies

To Prepare

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

With an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the butter and 1/2 cup sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, add the egg and the vanilla, and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in two batches and beat until incorporated. Press the dough into a 4-inch disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to a 1/4 thick circle. Cut into rounds with a 2 1/2 cookie cutter, spacing them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the cookies with some of the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and bake until just golden around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Gather the scraps, re-roll the dough, and repeat with the remaining dough and sugar. Makes 24 cookies.

Ingredients
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup roasted, salted peanuts
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
96 Hershey's Chocolate Kisses (from two 1 pound bags), wrappers removed

To Prepare

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk 1 3/4 cups flour, the salt, baking soda, and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Process the remaining 1 cup flour and the peanuts in a food processor until ground, then stir into the flour mixture.

With an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter and continue to beat until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture in two batches, and mix until incorporated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough until stiff, about 30 minutes.

Roll 1-inch balls of dough and space them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake until just set and beginning to crack, 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Working quickly, remove the baking sheet from the oven and firmly press one Kiss into the center of each cookie. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies directly to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Cool completely. (The cookies will be cool enough to eat after 30 minutes, but the Kisses will take 2 hours to set completely.) Makes about 8 dozen cookies.

Date-Nut Pinwheel Cookies

To Prepare Filling

Bring the dates, granulated sugar, and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture becomes thick and syrupy, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

To Prepare Dough

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a measuring cup. With an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, add the egg mixture and flour mixture alternately in two batches, and beat until combined. Divide the dough into two pieces and flatten each into a 4 inch disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Roll one disk of the dough between two sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper into a 14 by 12 inch rectangle. Remove the top layer of paper. Spread half the date filling evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with half the nuts. Staring at the short end, roll the dough into a tight log. Place on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough, date filling, and nuts. (The chilled logs can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 month.)

Adjust two oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middles positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one log at a time, cut the chilled log into 3/4 inch thick slices, spacing them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the centers are set, 18 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Allow the baking sheets to cool, then repeat with the remaining log. Makes 32 cookies.


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DESSERTS
Toffee Chew Bars Ingredients for Crust 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour Ingredients for Filling 2 large eggs 1 cup packed light brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut, toasted 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted To Prepare Crust Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 13 by 9 inch baking pan with foil, leaving overhang on all sides. Grease the foil. With an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the butter, sugar, and salt until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and mix until combined. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared baking pan. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. To Prepare Filling Whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk until combined. Stir in the coconut and almonds and spread the mixture evenly over the crust. Bake until lightly browned around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool completely, about 2 hours. Using the foil overhang, lift the bars from the pan and cut into 24 bars. Makes 24 bars. White Sugar Cookies Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup buttermilk To Prepare Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. With an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the butter and 1/2 cup sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, add the egg and the vanilla, and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in two batches and beat until incorporated. Press the dough into a 4-inch disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to a 1/4 thick circle. Cut into rounds with a 2 1/2 cookie cutter, spacing them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the cookies with some of the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and bake until just golden around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Gather the scraps, re-roll the dough, and repeat with the remaining dough and sugar. Makes 24 cookies.	Peanut Blossom Cookies Ingredients 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup roasted, salted peanuts 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 3/4 cups granulated sugar 1 cup creamy peanut butter 2 large eggs, room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 96 Hershey's Chocolate Kisses (from two 1 pound bags), wrappers removed To Prepare Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk 1 3/4 cups flour, the salt, baking soda, and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Process the remaining 1 cup flour and the peanuts in a food processor until ground, then stir into the flour mixture. With an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter and continue to beat until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture in two batches, and mix until incorporated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough until stiff, about 30 minutes. Roll 1-inch balls of dough and space them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake until just set and beginning to crack, 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Working quickly, remove the baking sheet from the oven and firmly press one Kiss into the center of each cookie. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies directly to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Cool completely. (The cookies will be cool enough to eat after 30 minutes, but the Kisses will take 2 hours to set completely.) Makes about 8 dozen cookies. Date-Nut Pinwheel Cookies Ingredients for Filling 1 3/4 cups dates, chopped fine 2/3 cup granulated sugar 2/3 cup water 3/4 cup pecans, chopped fine Ingredients for Cookie Dough 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar To Prepare Filling Bring the dates, granulated sugar, and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture becomes thick and syrupy, about 15 minutes. Set aside. To Prepare Dough Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a measuring cup. With an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, add the egg mixture and flour mixture alternately in two batches, and beat until combined. Divide the dough into two pieces and flatten each into a 4 inch disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Roll one disk of the dough between two sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper into a 14 by 12 inch rectangle. Remove the top layer of paper. Spread half the date filling evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with half the nuts. Staring at the short end, roll the dough into a tight log. Place on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough, date filling, and nuts. (The chilled logs can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 month.) Adjust two oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middles positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one log at a time, cut the chilled log into 3/4 inch thick slices, spacing them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the centers are set, 18 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Allow the baking sheets to cool, then repeat with the remaining log. Makes 32 cookies.
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