SCHOKILADEN-BUTTER-PLÄTZCHEN (CHOCOLATE-DIPPED SHORTBREAD COOKIES)

The recipe for these Christmas cookies comes from the bakery Rischart in Munich. 

Ingredients

12 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

¹⁄₄ cup sugar

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

2 cups flour, plus more for dusting

¹⁄₂ tsp. kosher salt

4 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted

Multicolored nonpareils, to decorate

Instructions

Heat oven to 400°. Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add flour and salt; beat. Transfer dough to a floured work surface, form into a disk, and roll until ¹⁄₃" thick. Using a 1 ³⁄₄" star cutter, cut out cookies; transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spaced 2″ apart. Bake until brown, 6–8 minutes; cool. Dip top of each cookie in chocolate; decorate with nonpareils. Chill until set.

Coconut Macaroons

Coconut Macaroons

By Jennifer Segal

Servings: 26 macaroons

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Total Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

• One 14-ounce bag sweetened shredded coconut (such as Baker's Angel Flake)
• 7/8 cup sweetened condensed milk (just short of a full can)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs whites, room temperature 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces chocolate (2 parts Hershey's Special Dark [5.3 ounces] to 1 part Hershey's milk chocolate [2.66 ounces])

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with sil pats (do not use the 13x9 sheets of parchment from Webstaurant or the macaroons will stick)!
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
4. Using two spoons, form heaping tablespoons of the mixture into mounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake for about 25 minutes (check at 20 minutes), until the tops are lightly golden and the bottoms and edges are deeply golden.
5. If dipping the macaroons in chocolate, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at medium power, stopping and stirring at 15 second intervals, until just smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water.) Dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate, letting any excess drip back into the bowl, and return to the lined baking sheets. Place the macaroons in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. The cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week.

Orange Cranberry Muffins

Follow recipe for Blueberry Muffins, substituting the lemon zest and blueberries with the zest of 2 navel oranges and a 5-oz. bag of craisins (that have been reconstituted in hot water for 20 minutes). Also, skip the coconut oil. Use unflavored oil.

Lasagne

Sauce:

• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 3 TBSP butter
• 2 TBSP oil
• 1/2 medium onion
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed, tied in cheesecloth
• Celery and carrot sticks (optional)
• Pinch red pepper flakes

Add all ingredients to a sauce pan. Bring to gentle simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered. Towards the end, salt to taste. Remove vegetables. Set aside.

Filling:

• Ricotta cheese
• Parmesan, grated in food processor
• One beaten egg

Combine and set aside.

Other:

• 9 oven-ready lasagne noodles
• 1 lb. cheese (I like provolone slices and shredded Italian blend)
• Additional grated Parmesan.

Assembly:

1. Spray casserole pan with cooking spray
2. Spread a small amount of sauce over the bottom of the dish.
3. Place three noodles side-by-side.
4. Spread 1/2 of the filling over the noodles 
5. Spread 1/3 remaining sauce over the filling
6. Place 1/3 of the cheese over the sauce
7. Repeat steps 3 - 6
8. Place the last three noodles, remaining sauce and cheese.
9. Cover with foil that has been sprayed with Pam.
10. Bake at 375 for thirty minutes.
11. Remove foil, sprinkle with additional Parmesan and bake for another 5 -10 minutes.
12. Remove from oven and let lasagna rest at least 10 minutes before serving.