The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook - Martha Stewart Living Magazine [354]
4. Remove from heat, and immediately add the cream, vanilla, and salt. Gently stir with a clean wooden spoon or heatproof spatula until smooth. Add the pecans; stir until the caramel begins to cool and thickens slightly, about 1 minute.
5. Pour the caramel over the brownies; spread evenly with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until cold, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
walnut shortbread
MAKES 16 WEDGES
1¼ cups walnuts
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole-wheat flour
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons light olive or canola oil
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans; set aside. In a food processor, combine the nuts, flours, sugar, and salt; pulse until the nuts are finely ground but not oily. Add the butter, oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice; pulse until the mixture just comes together.
2. Divide the mixture between the pans and press in until even. With a sharp knife, cut each round of dough into 8 wedges. Lightly prick the tops with the tines of a fork. Bake until set and pale tan, about 22 minutes.
3. Transfer to a wire rack and cut through each wedge. Cool 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
blackberry-almond shortbread squares
MAKES 12
10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
1¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ cup whole blanched almonds (2 ounces)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting
¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
1 pound blackberries (about 4 cups)
Freshly grated zest of 1 orange
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 × 13-inch baking pan. Line with parchment; butter the lining. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Arrange the nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden, 15 minutes; let cool. Grind in a food processor until fine.
2. Whisk together the flour, nuts, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside. Put ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the almond extract. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches; mix until a crumbly dough forms.
3. Press all but 1 cup dough onto the bottom of the pan. Toss the berries with the zest; scatter over the dough. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon sugar; crumble the reserved dough on top. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Cut into 12 squares; dust with sugar.
chocolate-caramel pecan clusters
MAKES 12
1 cup pecan halves (3¼ ounces)
12 soft caramel candy cubes
1½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into 12 pieces (½ inch each)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven (leave the oven on); set aside 36 pecans on the baking sheet. Finely chop the remaining pecans (for about ¼ cup); set aside.
2. When the pecans are cool enough to handle, make 12 clusters by arranging 2 pecans vertically, side by side, below 1 pecan placed horizontally. Gently flatten each caramel; place 1 on top of each cluster. Bake the clusters 5 minutes. Remove from the oven (leave the oven on).
3. Place 1 piece of chocolate on top of each cluster. Return to the oven; bake until the chocolate begins to melt, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the oven. With the back of a spoon, gently spread the chocolate over the caramel without completely covering it.
4. Sprinkle the clusters with the reserved chopped pecans.