Kolaczki

 

1 lb. salted butter, softened (see note 1)
6 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Fruit filling (such as Solo brand apricot, raspberry, etc.)
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Using a mixer, whip butter and cream cheese together.  Sift flour and baking powder into the butter/cheese mixture.  Divide the dough into two balls.  Roll out to 1/8" thickness.  Cut into rounds with the open end of a glass and place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center.  Fold two edges together and pinch.

Bake for 12 minutes.  After cookies cool, dust with powdered sugar.

Note 1:  Or use unsalted butter and add 1 teaspoon salt

Alfajores de maicena

Sofia (Maria’s daughter) shared this recipe when we visited in Magnolia Hotel in May, 2010.  The cookies are made from cornstarch, not flour. 

150 gr Butter
150 gr powdered sugar
3 egg yolks
500 gr  maicena (cornstarch)
10 gr baking powder
Vanilla
Dulce de leche repostero
Shredded coconut

Mix butter and sugar in processor for 5 minutes until smooth
Add 3 egg yolks, one at a time, and process
Add baking powder; process
Add vanilla; process
Wrap in plastic and allow to chill in refrigerator
Roll out and cut into circles with a shot glass
Bake at 180 deg. C for 10-12 minutes
Smear with dulce de leche
Coat edges with coconut

Snickerdoodle Cookies

We did a little babysitting today with Rachel and Kevin.  To keep Rachel busy and entertained we made cookies.  Following my instructions, Rachel, who will be 4 in May, did all the work, including breaking the eggs, mixing the batter with the hand held blender, shaping the cookies, and arranging them on the cookie sheet.  The dough is incredibly sticky, but the misshapen lumps turn into nice round cookies  during baking.  Natalie and Julia arrived to visit just minutes after the cookies came out of the oven.  Yes, timing is everything.

Science lesson:  I wondered what cream of tartar is and what it's for.  It's technical name is Potassium bitartrate ( aka potassium hydrogen tartrate) and it's a byproduct from wine making as it crystallizes in wine casks during the fermentation of grapes.  It is collected, purified and turned into an odorless, white, acidic powder.  It produces a creamier texture in sugary desserts, because it inhibits the formation of crystals.  It also is used to help stabilize and give more volume to beaten egg whites.  On top of that, it can be combined with vinegar to form a paste to clean copper pots and pans.

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla with an electric mixer until mixed thoroughly (until creamy). Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Mix until well blended. Shape into 1 1/4 inch balls.

1/4 cup of white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Mix sugar and cinnamon together thoroughly. Roll balls in the sugar/cinnamon mixture until covered. Arrange on an un-greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart and bake 7 to 9 minutes.  (notes:  I baked the cookies on the Convection Bake setting for 7 minutes.  The cookies had a nearly cake-like interior).