Annulla Cooks

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon brandy OR 1/2 tsp almond extract & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 lb. powdered sugar
Optional: 1/2 cup blanched & finely chopped almonds

Cream together butter and 1 cup sugar until very light and fluffy. Stir in egg yolk and brandy, then add sifted flour and baking powder, a little at a time. If using almonds, add them now.

Knead well until dough is smooth. If it is too soft, add a little flour. Take small pieces of dough and shape into balls, crescents, or into small pears (if you are making pear shapes, insert a clove in the top of each).

Place on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake in moderate oven, about 20 minutes. While they are still warm, roll the kourabiethes in powdered sugar, then sift sugar on top. They should be very well coated. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

“This is my husband’s favorite cookie. It is proof that something can be really good, even without chocolate.”

1 1/4 cup sifted flour
3/4 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup quick oats
1 cup raisins
1 cup nuts, optional

Sift dry ingredients together. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

Texas Wren’s Cookies

A woman in the line at Sahadi’s market told me about this recipe created by Rachael Ray. She raved about it and told me to look it up online. I haven’t yet made it, but it sounds amazing.

1 loaf panettone, cut in half (enough for about 5 cups, diced)
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
3/4 cups sugar
2 cups half-and-half or heavy cream
1/4 cup rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Vegetable cooking spray

Optional accompaniments:
Vanilla ice cream
Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Place a tea-kettle of water on to boil for a water bath. With a serrated knife, remove the side crusts from the half piece of the panettone. Cut into 3/4 to 1-inch dice. You should have 5 cups. Reserve the cubed panettone in a large mixing bowl.

For the eggnog custard, in another bowl thoroughly whisk together the eggs, yolks, sugar, half and half, rum, vanilla extract, and a healthy grating of fresh nutmeg. Pour this over the bread cubes.

Spray a 12 hole muffin tin with vegetable cooking spray. Ladle the bread/eggnog mixture gently and evenly into the muffin tins. The big cubes sticking up look nice. Place the filled muffin tin in a tall sided cookie sheet or roasting pan. Transfer to the preheated oven and carefully pour the hot water from kettle onto sheet pan, creating a water bath for the muffin tin to sit in.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes until the tops are nicely browned, and a toothpick comes clean from the center. Serve warm or cold with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

NOTE: Panettone is available in Italian specialty stores. If you don’t have a panettone, use raisin bread and add 1/2 cup or so of choppped dried fruit.

Recipe on Food Network Site

You can buy prepared chocolate cups in most fancy-foods stores, or use the mousse to fill a cake or a sweet pastry shell. This recipe contains no sugar – if you want a sweeter mousse, you can use a sweeter variety of chocolate.

14 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 quart heavy cream
Prepared chocolate cups
Raspberries or other berries, to taste

Using an electric mixer or whisk, whip the quart of cream to soft peaks. Add about 1/3 of the whipped cream to the melted chocolate. Fold gently with a rubber spatula. Gently combine the mixture with the remaining cream (do not over-mix or you will deflate the cream). Spoon into serving dishes. If you are feeling ambitious, place the mixture in a large pastry bag or cornet (a piece of parchment paper rolled into a cone, with a cut tip) and pipe the mousse into the prepared chocolate cups or pastry shell. Top with berries and serve.

Yield: About 10 cups.

I don’t remember where I found this recipe for Latin American caramel sauce. It is simple and delicious. Serve it as a pudding. Mix it into vanilla ice cream. Use as a sauce over pound cake or a filling for pastries.

1 quart whole milk
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch cinnamon

Combine ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook without stirring until mixture boils, about 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, about 45 minutes to one hour, until the mixture is caramel color and thick enough that you can see the bottom of the pan while you stir. Keep refrigerated until used.

A simpler (but more dangerous) method is to simmer an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in water to cover for about two hours. Remember to replenish the water and, if you decided to try this, beware that the can become overheated and explode. As an alternative, you can empty the can into a pie plate, cover with foil and bake in a water bath at 425o F for one hour.

This old fashioned recipe makes the best cake ever. It produces a large, moist, tender cake, perfect for a celebration (use 2 9″ layer pans or a 13×9″ oblong pan).

Ingredients
1/2 cup hot water
3 sq. chocolate (3 oz.), melted
1/2 cup soft shortening
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 eggs (1/2 to 2/3 cup)
 2 1/8 cups *sifted* flour
1/4 tsp. soda
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder 
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1. Grease and flour 2 9″ layer pans or a 13×9″ oblong pan.
2. Combine hot water with chocolate. Stir until thick. Cool.
3. Cream together until fluffy soft shortening & sugar.
4. Beat in thoroughly eggs and cooled chocolate mixture.
5. Add *sifted* flour, soda, baking powder and salt.
6. Stir in alternately with buttermilk.
7. Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 350 (moderate oven) – layers take 30 – 35 minutes, oblong takes 40 – 45 minutes, until cake tests done. Cool & finish with chocolate icing.

From Betty Crocker’s Cookbook, 1955 edition.