4 days ago
Crate Cooking School on Talk Pittsburgh
Jen Clark, of Crate Cooking School, is talking cookie tables on Talk Pittsburgh! So, she's giving us a couple of her own cookie recipes!
(Photo Credit: KDKA)
Thumbprint Cookies
Makes approximately 100 cookies
2 ⅔ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ⅓ cup sugar
8 eggs, separated (egg yolks in one bowl, whites in another)
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
zest of 2 oranges
2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 cups flour
3 cups finely chopped pecans (or walnuts)
Stonewall Kitchen Jam of your choice
Preheat oven to 350° and line baking pans with parchment paper.
Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks, vanilla, orange zest and salt. Beat until well combined. Add flour on low speed until blended.
Beat egg whites in a small bowl until frothy. Place finely chopped pecans in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Use a small cookie scoop (2 teaspoons), roll dough into balls, dip into egg whites and roll into nuts. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Make an indentation on the top of each cookie with your thumb or the stick of a wooden spoon.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and make indentation again. Place ½ teaspoon jam into each indentation. Bake an additional 5-7 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Caramel Cracker Bars
Makes about 3 dozen bars
For the cracker layers:
48-64 butter crackers (rectangular), divided
For the caramel:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
⅔ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons)
¼ cup milk
pinch of salt
For the frosting:
½ cup creamy peanut butter
⅓ cup chopped semisweet chocolate
⅓ cup butterscotch chips
For the topping:
⅓ cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
Coat a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick spray.
For the cracker layers:
Arrange half the crackers to cover the bottom of the pan. Spaces between the crackers are ok, just don't leave any gaping holes. Nonstick spray will keep any caramel that seeps through from sticking to the pan. Set pan aside.
For caramel:
Boil graham cracker crumbs, sugar, brown sugar, butter, milk and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar melts, about 3 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent scorching,
Pour caramel over crackers and spread with an offset spatula to cover evenly. Don't worry if caramel seeps between crackers, the bars will be fine. Top caramel with remaining crackers, arranging them in the same manner as the first layer.
For the frosting:
Melt peanut butter, chocolate, butterscotch chips in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Drizzle over crackers and spread with an offset spatula.
For the topping:
Sprinkle peanuts over chocolate and chill bars until set about 2 hours.
Cut bars lengthwise into 2 ¼ inch wide strips using a bench scraper or chef's knife. Remove strips from pan, then cut at a 45° angle to form diamond shapes.
