Restaurant Recipes

Butter Cookies Three Ways

Yields: 60 to 70 cookies

Preparation time: 15 to 20 minutes
Baking time: 15 to 20 minutes per batch
Chilling time: about 1 to 2 hours
Equipment: electric mixer (optional); double boiler; baking sheet.

Basic Cookie Dough

• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter at room temperature*
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups unbleached white flour
• ½ teaspoon salt

Butternut Cookies
½ cup finely chopped nuts

Jam Drops
½ cup preserves or fruit spread

Pinwheel Cookies

• 2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

With a wooden spoon or an electric mixer, cream the butter until light. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then add the vanilla and beat until smooth. Gradually add the flour and salt, mixing just until the dough ins uniformly smooth. The dough is now ready to chill, shape, and bake or freeze or flavor for one of the three variations below.For Butternut Cookies, stir the chopped nuts into the dough. For the dough into two 6-inch-long cylindrical logs about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours. The dough needs to be firm enough to hold its shape when sliced.At the end of the chilling time preheat the oven to 350°.Using a sharp knife, slice the logs into ¼-inch-thick cookies and place them about an inch apart on unoiled baking sheets. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden. Cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to racks to finish cooling.For Jam Drops, cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. When it is firm, preheat the oven to 350°.Gently roll teaspoonfuls of the dough between your palms to form 1-inch balls. It is best not to over handle the dough. Place the balls about 1½ inches apart on lightly oiled baking sheets. With your fingertip, make an indentation in the center of each ball. Fill each hollow with a scant ¼ teaspoon of fruit preserves. Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.For Pinwheel Cookies, gently melt the chocolate with the sugar and cinnamon in a double boiler. Remove half of the dough from the bowl and set aside. Add the melted chocolate to the bowl and stir to make an evenly colored brown dough. Cut both the dark (chocolate) and the light (vanilla) balls of dough into halves. Wrap each piece in plastic and flatten into a ½ -inch-thick disk. Chill for at least 1 hour.

On four lightly floured pieces of wax paper, roll the disks into 12-inch squares. Flip each dark square onto a light square, peel off the wax paper, and press lightly with the rolling pin to seal the two dough layers together. You will have two double-layered 12-inch squares. (If the dough is already soft and sticky, refrigerate it for 10 minutes.) Roll up each square of dough, jellyroll fashion, to form two logs, removing the wax paper as you roll. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1½ hours, until the dough is firm enough to hold its shape when sliced.

When the dough is firm, preheat the oven to 350°. Using a sharp knife, slice the logs into ½-inch-thick cookies and place them an inch apart on lightly oiled baking sheets. Bake until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Tart Lemon Tart

A very tart tart with a cookie crust, this is a refreshing, sophisticated finale for a rich meal, especially welcome on sultry summer evenings. We like to serve this bright lemon tart on a cobalt blue plate.

Tart Pastry:

• 1.1/3 cups unbleached white flour
• 7 tablespoons butter
• pinch of salt
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

• 4 lemons
• 5 tablespoons butter1/2 cup sugar
• 5 eggs, well beaten
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 lemon, sliced in very thin rounds

Cut the butter into small pieces and work it into the flour with a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips. Mix in the salt, vanilla, and sugar, and then just enough ice water to bind. Press the dough with your fingers into a 9- or 10-inch drop-bottom tart pan. Chill the crust 1 hour or overnight.Preheat the oven to 425°. Line the chilled crust with waxed paper and fill with dried beans or rice to prevent the crust from buckling during baking. Bake at 425° for 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove the beans and waxed paper.Lower the oven temperature to 350°.

Mix together the juice of 4 lemons, the butter, and the sugar and heat until the butter melts and mixture is just warm. Pour the beaten eggs slowly into this mixture in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Continue to stir on low heat until the mixture thickens into a custard. Stir in the vanilla. Pour into the baked crust and bake for 35 to 50 minutes or until the custard sets and the top becomes golden.Serve chilled and garnished with thinly sliced rounds of lemon.