Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Apricot Cheesecake Pockets




Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup apricot jam
1 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar
Gold sparkling sugar, for decoration

To Prepare

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, granulated sugar and salt.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat 8 oz. cream cheese and the butter on medium-high speed, until fluffy, 1 minute. Beat in the flour mixture on low speed. Divide the dough in half; place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. Using the wrap to help, form the dough into disks and seal. Chill the dough until firm, at least 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix half the beaten egg into the remaining 4 oz. cream cheese. Stir 1 teaspoon water into the remaining egg. Chill both the cream cheese mixture and the egg wash.
4. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment. Working on a floured surface, roll out 1 disk of dough ¼ inch thick. Using a 4-inch round cutter, cut out the cookies and place on the pans. Repeat with the remaining dough disks. Reroll any scraps and cut out enough cookies to total 24.
5. Transfer 1 of the pans to the refrigerator. Working with the other pan, place 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture and 1 teaspoon jam in the center of each cookie. Using a pastry brush, coat the cookie edges with the egg wash; fold over the filling. Using the back of a fork, seal the edges. Brush the tops with egg wash. Place the pan in the refrigerator; repeat with the remaining cookies.
6. Bake the cookies until golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a rack; let cool.
7. In a medium bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar with 2 tablespoons water. Working over the parchment, drizzle the cookies with the glaze. Sprinkle with the sparkling sugar. Let the glaze set.

Coconut Snowflakes








Ingredients

2 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
2 sticks plus 5 tablespoons (10.5 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon coconut extract
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons half-and-half
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice plus teaspoon lemon zest
White sparkling sugar, for decorating
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

To Prepare

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream 11 tablespoon butter and the granulated sugar on medium low speed until fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and the extracts, scrapping the bowl, for 2 minutes. Mix in the flour mixture in 2 batches on low speed.
3. Divide the dough between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the wrap to help, shape the dough into 2 disks and seal. Chill for 2 hours.
4. Meanwhile, using the mixer, beat the remaining 10 tablespoons butter, ½ teaspoon salt, the confectioners' sugar, half-and-half, lemon juice and lemon zest on low speed until smooth. Beat on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Chill the filling.
5. Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, preheat to 375 degrees. Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment. Working with 1 dough disk at a time, roll out on a floured surface to 1/8 inch, rotating the dough as needed. Using a 2 ½ inch cutter, cut out the cookies. Divide the cookies among the pans, chilling the pans as you work.
6. Sprinkle the cookies with the sparkling sugar. Bake 2 pans at a time, switching them halfway through cooking, until the edges are brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a rack; let cool.
7. Spread the bottom of 1 cookie with 1 teaspoon of the filling. Sandwich with another cookie. Use your fingers to scoop and press the coconut onto the filing. Chill for about 30 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen sandwich cookies.