pecan pie muffins

recipe from Mom's friend Esther ????

1 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 c all purpose flour
1 c chopped pecans
2/3 c butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten

mix brown sugar, flour, and pecans. in separate bowl, beat butter and eggs together until smooth. add to dry ingredients and stir just until combined. spray muffin pans with baking spray that includes flour. spoon into muffin cups. bake at 350 for 30-35 mins if using regular muffin pans, 20 minutes if using mini muffin pans.

cinnamon-almond snaps

These are strangely addictive, especially with tea or coffee. Excellent for the holidays. I have no idea where we found this recipe, but we didn't create it ourselves.

makes about twelve dozen small cookies

3 c all purpose flour
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1 c unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t salt
1 3/4 c blanched sliced or slivered almonds

Sift first four ingredients into medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in both sugars. Add egg and egg yolk; beat to blend. Beat in vanilla and salt.

Add flour mixture and beat until dough comes together in moist clumps. Add almonds and knead gently in bowl wiht hands until blended.

David dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each into 10" long log, about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2" in diameter. Wrap dough in 2 layers of plastic and place in freezer until frozen, at least 4 hours. (Can be prepared 1 month ahead. Keep frozen.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Working with one log at a time, remove plastic and cut crosswise into 1/4"-thick-rounds. Place rounds on ungreased baking sheet, spacing 1" apart. Bake until light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer cookies ot rack and cool completely. Store airtight at room temperature.

Russian tea cakes

from Epicurious.com

2 1/4 c all purpose flour
1/4 t salt
1 c butter, room temperature
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract
3/4 c finely chopped husked hazelnuts, toasted
powdered sugar for rolling

Sift flour and salt together. using electric mixer, cream butter in large bowl until light. Gradually add 1/2 c powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Add vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients in three batches. Mix in hazelnuts. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Form dough into 1" balls. Space 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until just firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool slightly. Roll in powdered sugar. Cool completely. Roll cookies in powdered sugar again. Store in airtight container for at least a few days.

brown rice crispy bars

adapted from Alton Brown

3 oz puffed brown rice

3 T flax seed oil, plus extra for the pan

1 T honey

7 oz mini-marshmallows

3 oz toasted slivered almonds

4 oz dried chopped fruit (cranberries and cherries)

Lightly coat the inside of a 13x9x2" metal pan wiht oil and set aside. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Spread the brown puffed rice evenly on a sheet pan. Toast in the oven for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the rice is toasting, prepare the marshmallow mixture. Place the oil, honey, and marshmallows in a large mixing bowl set over a port of gently simmering water. Stir until the marshmallows are melted, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.

Once the marshmallows are melted, quickly add the toasted brown rice, almonds, and fruit; stir to combine. Coat your hands or a spatula with oil and spreadh the mixture evenly in the pan. Once the mixture has cooled completely, cut into squares and store in an airtight container for a few days.

Lebkuchen (German Spice Cookies)

1 egg
1 cup honey
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups flour
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Grated zest from 1 small orange
1-1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
5 teaspoons water1 teaspoon vanilla
In a large bowl, mix first 10 ingredients and 1-1/2 cups of flour. Mix well with wooden spoon, stir in walnuts, orange zest and rest of flour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two cookie sheets. Drop heaping
tablespoon, 1/2 inch apart. Bake 20 minutes, or until toothpick in center
comes out clean. Remove and cool.

In a small bowl, mix confectioner's sugar,
water and vanilla. Brush cookies when dry. Store in container.

Lavender, Orange, and Almond Cake

Source: adapted from Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons by Diane Henry
Serves: 8-10

for cake:
4 teaspoons dried lavender
250g/9oz (1 1/4 cups) sugar
225g/8oz (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
juice from 2 large oranges
finely-grated zest from 2 large oranges
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 eggs
1 scant teaspoon salt
200g/7oz (1 2/3 cups) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup ground almonds

for topping:
1/2 cup flaked almonds
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon dried lavender (optional)

Put the lavender and some of the sugar in a clean coffee grinder (or a food processor) and grind to a powder. Combine this with the rest of the sugar. Cream the lavender sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, then add the orange juice, zest, almond extract and the eggs. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, and beat into the wet mixture, along with the ground almonds.

Pour the batter into a 9-inch greased and lined springform pan. Sprinkle the flaked almonds evenly over the top, and sift the powdered sugar over them. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F/180C for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake, unmold and sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of dried lavender.

chocolate delight cookies

12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1 ½ c whole-wheat pastry flour
½ c all-purpose flour
½ t baking powder
½ t salt
½ c unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 c sugar
2 large eggs
2 t vanilla
48 chocolate-covered almonds (about 1 cup)

Place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave on medium in 30 second bursts, stirring after each burst to ensure even melting, until completely melted.

Meanwhile, whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar until well-combined. Add eggs, and vanilla, beat until creamy. Add the melted chocolate; beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients with a spoon until just combined. Refrigerate the dough until barely chilled, 15 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350º F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Roll tablespooonsful of dough into 1” balls and place on the prepared baking sheet, 2” apart.

Bake the cookies, one batch at a time, until puffed and slightly dried on top, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently press an almond into the center of each cookie. Let cool for 5 minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Allow the pan to cool slightly between batches.

Makes about 48 cookies.

Per cookie: 113cals, 6g fat, 14mg chol, 15g carb, 1g protein, 1g fiber, 33mg sodium