The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book - Camilla V. Saulsbury [71]
With spatula, transfer logs to cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice each rectangle into (approximately) ¾-inch slices on the diagonal. Return slices to sheet, cut sides down. Return baking sheet to oven. Bake biscotti for 10 minutes. Turn oven off and let biscotti remain in oven until crisp, 30–40 minutes longer. Remove from oven and transfer biscotti to a rack. Cool completely.
If desired, prepare Cinnamon Chocolate Dip and with a butter knife or small offset spatula spread over one side of each biscotti. Place on wax-paper-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set melted chips. Store in an airtight container or plastic zip-top bag for up to 3 weeks.
MAKES ABOUT 32 BISCOTTI.
CLASSIC MADELEINES
French writer Marcel Proust praised the tender, buttery sponge cakes known as madeleines in his work Remembrance of Things Past. You, too, will sing their praises once this recipe is tried. A few standard pantry items transform a box of yellow cake mix into these classic cookies, worthy of a Parisian patisserie.
Vegetable shortening and all-purpose flour to grease pans.
1 (18.25-ounce) package yellow cake mix
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
¼ cup milk
4 large eggs, separated
2–3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Position oven rack in middle of oven. Grease molds of large madeleine pan (3 x 1¼-inch shell molds) with vegetable shortening. Sprinkle with flour to coat pan, shaking off excess.
In a large bowl place the cake mix, melted butter, milk, and egg yolks. Blend for 1–2 minutes with an electric mixer set on medium speed until well blended and smooth. Set aside momentarily. Clean beaters.
Beat the egg whites in another large mixing bowl with an electric mixer set on high speed until soft peaks form. Stir ¼ of the beaten egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it; fold remaining whites into batter.
Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon batter into each indentation in pan (do not overfill; batter will spread as it bakes). Bake until puffed and set at center, 8–10 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes; gently remove madeleines to wire rack. Repeat process, greasing and flouring pan before each batch. Sift powdered sugar over cooled cookies.
MAKES ABOUT 30 MADELEINES.
Variation:
ALMOND MADELEINES: Prepare as directed above but use vanilla cake mix in place of the yellow cake mix and add ¾ teaspoon almond extract to the batter.
COCONUT MACAROONS
I’m a bit of a snob about macaroons—I like the kind that strike a good balance between chewy and crisp with just a slight nuance of almond flavor. This recipe fits the bill. Better still, you can bang out a batch in well under an hour.
1 (18.25-ounce) package white cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large egg whites
¾ teaspoon almond extract
2 (14-ounce) packages sweetened flaked coconut
Preheat oven to 350°F. Position oven rack in middle of oven. Grease cookie sheets with vegetable shortening.
Place the cake mix, water, oil, egg whites, and almond extract in a large bowl. Blend with an electric mixer set on medium speed for 1–2 minutes; stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Blend for 1 minute longer on medium-high speed until smooth and all dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in coconut with a wooden spoon until blended.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets.
Bake for 12–14 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies to wire rack with metal spatula and cool completely.
MAKES ABOUT 72 COOKIES.
Variation:
CHOCOLATE-CHIP MACAROONS: Prepare as directed above but add 2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips to the batter along with the coconut.
COFFEE TOFFEE CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI
You’ll want to keep a stash of these handy for yourself or for very, very good friends.
1 (19.5- to 19.8-ounce) package brownie mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon instant coffee or espresso powder
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 cup English toffee baking bits
1 recipe Chocolate Dip (see page 361), optional
Preheat oven to 350°F.