Everyday Food - Martha Stewart Living Magazine [74]
½ cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons instant espresso powder (do not use instant coffee)
2 cups hazelnuts (about 10 ounces), skins removed (see note), coarsely chopped
1 Preheat oven to 375°F, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
2 With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in espresso powder.
3 Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and beat until incorporated. With a wooden spoon, stir in hazelnuts.
4 Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 1½ inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through, until golden, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets 2 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored up to 3 days in airtight containers.
PER COOKIE: 147 calories; 9.3 grams fat; 2.1 grams protein; 14.9 grams carbohydrates; 0.8 gram fiber
COCONUT MACAROONS
As they bake, these quick-to-make cookies get crunchy on the outside yet remain moist and chewy inside. And because they don’t contain flour, they are a nice gluten-free option.
MAKES 30 PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES
Nonstick cooking spray (optional)
3 large egg whites
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 package (14 ounces) sweetened flaked coconut
1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or coat sheet generously with cooking spray).
2 Whisk together egg whites, sugar, and salt until frothy. With a fork, stir in coconut until moistened.
3 Drop mixture by packed level tablespoons onto prepared sheet (cookies will not spread in the oven). Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until lightly golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container.
PER SERVING: 77 calories; 4.3 grams fat; 0.8 gram protein; 9.7 grams carbohydrates; 0.6 gram fiber
FUDGY BROWNIES
When lining the baking pan, press the foil neatly into the corners, and smooth the bottom and sides. If necessary, brush sides of pan with butter to help foil stay in place.
MAKES 16 PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 3 HOURS (WITH COOLING)
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more (room temperature) for foil
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1¼ cups sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (about 5 ounces; optional)
1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter the foil.
2 Place butter and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water; heat, stirring frequently, until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until completely melted.
3 Whisk sugar and salt into chocolate mixture until smooth; whisk in eggs until combined. Gently whisk in flour just until smooth (do not overmix). Fold in nuts, if desired.
4 Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
5 Use foil to lift brownie from pan; peel off foil and discard. Cut into 16 squares. Brownies can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature in an airtight container.
PER SERVING: 226 calories; 10.9 grams fat; 3.3 grams protein; 31.4 grams carbohydrates; 1.4 grams fiber
MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES
Many countries, including Greece and Russia, have variations on these crumbly, sandy, nut-rich cookies. Whatever their origin, the treats are nearly always rolled twice in confectioners’ sugar after baking, which is why there’s so little sugar in the dough.
MAKES 24 PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 2 HOURS (WITH CHILLING DOUGH AND COOLING COOKIES)
1 cup pecan halves (about 4 ounces)
1 cup all-purpose flour