The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (112 page)

3.
Bake until the cookies are golden and just set, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on the sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set over parchment paper to cool completely.

4.
Whisk the confectioners’ sugar with the syrup and 3 tablespoons water until smooth. Drizzle the icing over the cookies; let set.

oatmeal bars with dates and walnuts

MAKES 24

You can use a blender or a food processor to grind the rolled oats; 1¼ cups rolled oats yields 1 cup ground.

1 cup finely ground old-fashioned rolled oats

¾ cup whole-wheat flour

1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

2 cups packed light-brown sugar

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3 large eggs

2½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1½ cups walnuts (5½ ounces), toasted and chopped

1 cup dates (5 ounces), pitted and chopped Vegetable oil cooking spray

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk together the ground oats, flour, 1 cup whole oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in a large bowl; set aside.

2.
Put the brown sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the eggs and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3.
Reduce speed to low. Add the oat mixture; mix until just combined. Mix in the walnuts and dates.

4.
Coat a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the batter evenly in the dish. Scatter the remaining ½ cup whole oats over the top. Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack; cut into bars.

coconut cream bars

MAKES 24

The custard-filled crust can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Wait until just before serving to cut the dessert into bars; if crumbs and filling stick to the knife, wipe the blade clean between slices. Then decorate each bar with whipped cream. If you don’t have a pastry bag, use a resealable plastic bag with a corner cut off.

2½ cups sweetened flaked coconut

3 boxes (5.3 ounces each) shortbread cookies, coarsely broken

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

6 tablespoons cornstarch

½ teaspoon salt

4½ cups whole milk

6 large egg yolks

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1½ cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the coconut in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring once or twice, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Leave the oven on.

2.
Process the cookies and ½ cup coconut in a food processor until finely ground and the mixture begins to clump together, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a 9 × 13-inch rimmed baking sheet; press into an even layer on the bottom. Bake until golden and firm to the touch, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on the sheet on a wire rack.

3.
Whisk together the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan. Whisk in the milk and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil, 5 to 6 minutes. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat. Add the butter, whisking until combined. Stir in 1½ cups coconut.

4.
Spoon the custard onto the cooled crust; smooth the top with an offset spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto the custard surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.

5.
Beat the cream and confectioners’ sugar in a large chilled stainless-steel bowl until stiff peaks form.

6.
Cut the custard-filled crust into 24 bars (each about 3 × 1½ inches). Transfer to a platter. Spoon whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Beginning at one corner, pipe a zigzag pattern over each bar. Sprinkle the bars with the remaining ½ cup coconut.

chocolate-almond-marsala cookies

MAKES ABOUT 24

½ cup whole raw almonds with skins

1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 teaspoons baking powder

1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon coarse salt

2 large eggs

¹
/
₃
cup Marsala wine

½ cup finely chopped candied orange peel

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons honey

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toast the almonds in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 12 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop. Reduce the oven temperature to 250°F.

2.
Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Beat 1 egg with the wine; stir into the flour mixture. Stir together the almonds, orange peel, and chocolate; stir into the flour mixture. Stir in the honey.

3.
Knead the dough on a generously floured work surface just until it holds its shape. Divide the dough into 2 pieces; pat each into a 10½ × 1½ × 1-inch rounded log. Refrigerate the dough 15 minutes.

4.
Cut each log into ¾-inch-thick slices. Gently press the edges of each slice to flatten. Lightly beat the remaining egg. Place the cookies, standing vertically, on a parchment-paper–lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with beaten egg.

5.
Bake 20 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 350°F; bake until the cookies are deep golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on the sheet on a wire rack.

cream cheese–walnut cookies

MAKES ABOUT 48

4 cups all-purpose flour

1¼ teaspoons salt

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 ounces cream cheese (not whipped), room temperature

1¼ cups sugar

2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2½ cups walnut halves (1½ cups toasted and chopped; 1 cup finely chopped)

1.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl; set aside.

2.
Put the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the sugar and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add the flour mixture, and mix until just combined (do not overmix). Mix in the toasted walnuts.

3.
On a clean work surface, divide dough in half; shape each piece into an 8½-inch-long log (about 2 inches in diameter). Wrap each log in parchment paper; freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

4.
Preheat the oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Remove one log from the freezer. Roll the log in ½ cup chopped walnuts, coating it completely. Cut the log into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Transfer the rounds to parchment-lined sheets.

5.
Bake, switching the positions of the sheets and rotating halfway through, until the cookies are golden around the edges, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely. Repeat the process with the remaining dough using cooled baking sheets.

caramel crunch

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

When making the caramel in step 2, keep an eye on your pan; the best indicator that the caramel is ready is appearance, not cooking time. Just before the syrup reaches the desired color, remove it from the heat; the caramel will continue cooking for a few more seconds.

2 cups toasted, sliced almonds (5½ ounces)

½ cup water

2 cups sugar

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

1.
Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Spread almonds on parchment paper to form a 9 x 12-inch rectangle.

2.
Make the caramel: Pour the water into a medium heavy-bottom saucepan. Add the sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, gently stirring occasionally, until the syrup is clear.

3.
Continue cooking, without stirring, until the syrup comes to a boil, washing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush 2 or 3 times to prevent crystals from forming. Let the syrup boil, gently swirling the pan occasionally, until medium amber. Remove from heat and set the pan in the ice-water bath to stop the cooking.

4.
Pour the caramel over the almonds to cover. Let cool until hardened. Peel off the parchment; break the brittle into pieces.

lemon poppyseed cookies

MAKES ABOUT 30

¼ cup fresh lemon juice, plus 3½ teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest (2 to 3 lemons)

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1½ cups sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon poppy seeds, plus more for sprinkling

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring the lemon juice to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook until reduced by half. Add 1 stick butter; stir until melted.

2.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream the remaining stick butter and 1 cup sugar on medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix in the egg and lemon butter. Mix until pale, about 3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla and 2 teaspoons zest. Mix in the flour mixture and poppy seeds.

3.
Stir together the remaining ½ cup sugar and 1½ teaspoons zest. Roll spoonfuls of dough into 1¼-inch balls; roll them in the sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Press each with the flat end of a glass dipped in the sugar mixture until ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle with seeds.

4.
Bake until just browned around bottom edges, 10 to 11 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

apricot-walnut biscotti

MAKES 24

Sanding sugar is used to coat the biscotti because it won’t melt in the oven. We dipped half of the batch in melted chocolate. To dip them all, double the amount of bittersweet chocolate.

1 cup walnut halves

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the baking sheet

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

¾ cup dried apricots, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons sanding sugar

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spread out the nuts on a baking sheet; toast in the oven, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven; reduce temperature to 350°F.

2.
Rub the nuts between paper towels to remove loose skins; coarsely chop the nuts.

3.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl; set aside. Put the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Mix in the eggs in 2 batches, mixing each until just combined. On low speed, mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the walnuts and apricots by hand.

4.
Butter a large baking sheet; set aside. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface; divide in half. With floured hands, shape each half into an 8½ x 2½ x 1-inch log. Place the logs at least 2 inches apart on the buttered baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a wire rack; let the logs stand 10 minutes.

5.
Transfer the logs to a cutting board. Clean and butter the large baking sheet; set aside. Brush the logs with egg white, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Cut each log crosswise on the diagonal into 12 pieces (each ½ inch thick). Lay flat on the buttered sheet. Bake 7 minutes; turn the pieces. Bake until golden, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool until crisp.

6.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.

7.
Dip a flat side of 12 biscotti in melted chocolate, arranging the cookies, chocolate side up, on parchment paper as you work. Let stand until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container, keeping the chocolate-dipped ones in a single layer on top, up to 2 days.