Cooking for Two - Bruce Weinstein [68]
2. Cream the brown sugar and butter in a small bowl with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer at low speed until the mixture is pale brown and fluffy, about 4 minutes by hand or 2 minutes with an electric mixer. Beat in the molasses, pasteurized egg substitute or quail eggs, and the vanilla for about 30 seconds, or until creamy. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour, ginger, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt, all at once but just until incorporated.
3. Dust a clean, dry work surface with flour. Turn the sticky dough out onto the floured surface. Dust your hands with flour, then press the dough into a small disk with your palm. Dust this disk with flour. Dust the rolling pin with flour, then roll the dough disk into a circle about 11 inches in diameter and ¼ inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter or a drinking glass, cut the dough into circles. Using a large metal spatula, transfer these to the baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 1 inch apart.
4. Bake for 12 minutes, or until set but soft, yet brown around the edges. Allow to stand on the cookie sheet at room temperature for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
LINZER COOKIES makes 2 large cookies
Linzertorte is an Austrian specialty: a crunchy, almond crust, spread with jam, and topped with a lattice crust. Here, two wafer cookies sandwich raspberry jam—or any jam you prefer. They’re perfect after any meal, or with a cup of tea midafternoon. Because the dough must be very fluffy and light, mix it only with an electric mixer, not by hand.
3 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons slivered almonds, finely ground (see Note)
teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
½ cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting the work surface and rolling pin
teaspoon baking powder
teaspoon ground cinnamon
teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pasteurized egg substitute, such as Egg Beaters; or 2 quail eggs
3 tablespoons raspberry jam, or other jam
2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
1. Position the rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Use a nonstick cookie sheet, or a regular one lined with parchment paper, or a silicon baking sheet.
2. Cream the shortening and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed; continue beating for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the ground almonds and lemon zest until well incorporated; then beat in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt all at once. Finally, beat in the pasteurized egg substitute or the quail eggs, just until a dough forms. Alternatively, the dough can be made in a food processor; add the ingredients in the order listed above; pulse with each addition and scrape down the bowl as necessary.
3. Dust a clean, dry work surface with flour. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface, then press into a disk with the palm of your hand. Dust the dough and a rolling pin with flour; roll the dough to a ¼-inch-thick rectangle. With a sharp knife, cut out four 5½-inch-diameter circles. You can use a small tart pan, ramekin, or baking dish as your guide. Cut a round hole in the middle of two of these circles, about 2 inches wide. Use a wide spatula to transfer the four circles to the cookie sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
4. Bake for 12 minutes, or until set and lightly browned. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Spread 1 ½ tablespoons of raspberry jam on each of the two cookies without holes cut into them. Top these with the cookies with the holes cut out in the center. Dust each cookie with 1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately; or store, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.
NOTE: Grind almonds in a clean spice mill or a coffee grinder, in a mini food processor, or in a mortar with a pestle until the almonds resemble fine meal. You can also buy ground almonds in bulk at some health food stores.
LEMON HAZELNUT BISCOTTI makes 8