Sliced Cookies: Licorice Snaps

There's no actual licorice in these licorice snaps. Instead, a combination of anise seed, cinnamon, and cloves is used to approximate a licorice flavor. These cookies spread a lot when baking, so make sure you leave at least 2 inches between cookies.. If you don't, you'll end up with a giant cookie that you'll actually have to cut apart to eat.


Ingredients


½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp anise seed
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ cup pecans, chopped


Preparation


Place sugars, butter, and egg in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add all other ingredients and blend until you have a soft dough. It will be sticky. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours for easier handling.


Remove dough from fridge and shape into a 12-inch long roll. Wrap this roll in plastic wrap or wax paper. Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours. Overnight would be better. You want the roll to be completely frozen before you try to slice it.


When it is frozen, heat the oven to 375°F. Slice the dough into ½-inch rounds. Place these rounds onto a prepared cookie sheet, keeping them at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 9 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets immediately and cool on wire racks.


This recipe will make 2 dozen cookies. They will keep for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container.

Yeast Breads: Dilly Cottage Bread

This easy batter bread is sure to impress. Use a quality cottage cheese and you'll have a bread that can be eaten plain, used for sandwiches, or toasted. Your family and friends will be amazed at this tasty and moist bread.


I've baked this loaf in a casserole dish. You can, of course, use a standard bread pan.


Ingredients


1 cup cottage cheese
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp dried dill
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
1¼ tsp quick rise or bread machine yeast
¼ cup water
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 egg


Preparation


Place the cottage cheese in a large, nonmetal bowl and use an electric mixer to cream it. Blend the cottage cheese until it is smooth and soft. Add all other ingredients to the bowl and mix together until you have a stiff batter. Cover and place in a warm location to rise. It will take about an hour for the dough to double in size. Be patient with it.


Spray a round casserole dish with baking spray to prevent sticking. Stir the dough to remove all air bubbles, then turn dough into the casserole dish. Smooth the top and cover the dough. Set it aside to rise once more, this time for about 45 minutes. It needs to double in size, so it may take a little longer depending on the temperature and humidity.


Heat oven to 350°F. Uncover dough and bake for 40 minutes, until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from casserole dish immediately and cool on a wire rack.


This loaf will keep up to 4 days if stored in an airtight container.

Sandwiches & Burgers: Arepas

Arepas are a Venezuelan dish that is delicious and very sandwich-like. The arepas themselves are made with corn flour. They're simple with few ingredients, so they're incredibly easy to make. You can use either white corn flour or yellow. Whichever you prefer. But it does need to be corn flour. Corn meal or corn starch won't work.


If you make a lot of bread products, you'll notice the ratio of water to flour seems off. This is because corn flour absorbs liquid differently than wheat flour. You can substitute all purpose flour if you like, but you'll need more of it than indicated in this recipe. The resulting product will also no longer be true arepas, but if you're just serving them to yourself and your family, it doesn't matter. You can also use all purpose flour and corn meal, if that appeals to you. Again, you'll have to adjust your ratios.


You can use anything you like for the filling. I've chosen potatoes, cheese, and turkey because that's what my kids wanted when I was making these. You can do any fillings you like.


Ingredients


For the Arepas
2½ cups warm water
1 tbsp salt
2 cups corn flour
1 tbsp oil


For the Filling
1 large potato
12 slices of cheddar cheese
12 slices of ham, turkey, or chicken


Preparation


Combine all arepas ingredients in a large bowl and mix until you have a soft dough. There's no kneading involved here, so just mix with your hands until you have a dough you can handle. Don't be afraid to add a little more corn flour or water to achieve a dough you're comfortable working with.


Divide the dough into 12 portions. Flatten each portion into a disc that is ¼- to ½-inch thick. They need not be too large or too thick. Remember that they will not rise due to the lack or baking powder or yeast, so the size you make is the size you will get.


Heat oven to 350°F. Take a little excess oil and rub it over both sides of the discs. Heat a skillet over medium heat, then fry the discs for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from heat and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.


Meanwhile, peel the potato and cut into thin rounds. The thinner the better. Fry these in a bit of oil in a skillet (usually the same one you cooked the arepas in) until they are golden brown, turning once. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.


Split the arepas open and remove the tops. Add several slices of potato, a single slice of cheese, and a single slice of turkey (or other protein) onto the bottoms of the arepas. Replace the tops. Return areaps to the oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.


Sprinkle with parsley and parmesan cheese, if desired, before serving.

Yeast Breads: German Rye Bread

Caraway, onion, and celery seed come together to give this hearty rye bread a distinctive flavor that's sure to please the whole table.


Ingredients


2 tbsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp caraway seed
½ tsp celery seed
1 cup bran flakes
1¼ tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast
1½ cup warm water
¼ cup dark corn syrup
¼ cup oil
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup rye flour


Preparation


This is a batter bread, so it's easy enough to make. Place all ingredients in a large, nonmetal bowl and blend until a stiff batter forms. Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm location until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Rye flour can cause the rising to slow down a bit, so you might need a little longer.


Spray a bread pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Stir down the dough to remove all air bubbles. Stir briskly. The rye flour may hide some of the air bubbles otherwise. Turn the dough into the bread pan and smooth the top of the dough. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, again about 1 hour.


Heat oven to 350°F. Bake loaf for 35 minutes, until loaf has deepened in color and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then cool completely on a wire rack.


Allow loaf to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Sliced Cookies: Butter Almond Cookies

These cookies are great for anyone who like almonds or cinnamon sugar. They are soft and delicious, but make sure you use butter. Margarine doesn't give the same taste in this delicate icebox cookie.


Ingredients


½ cup sugar
½ cup butter, softened
2 tsp almond extract
1 egg
1¼ cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 pkg sliced almonds
1 egg, slightly beaten
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon


Preparation


Place butter and ½ cup sugar in a large bowl and cream together. Add egg and almond extract and blend until fluffy. Stir in flour and baking powder. Mix until you have a soft dough. Turn out the dough onto a piece of wax paper and shape into a 12-inch log. Wrap log in wax paper and place in the freezer until set, about 1 hour.


Heat oven to 375°F. Remove log from freezer and slice into ½-inch rounds and place round on prepared cookie sheet. Press three slices of almond on the top of each cookie. Brush the top of each cookie with beaten egg. Combine ¼ cup sugar with cinnamon until you have cinnamon sugar. Sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top of each cookie.


Bake for 12 minutes, until the edges of cookies are golden brown. Let cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then cool completely on wire racks.


This recipe makes 2 dozen cookies. They will keep for up to a week if stored in an airtight container.

Sliced Cookies: Cranberry Orange Pinwheels

These cookies are pretty and delicious. Make sure to cook the filling long enough for it to set, then let it cool completely. You'll also have to fully freeze the log before slicing. Otherwise you'll just have a complete mess on your hands.


Ingredients


For the Filling
1 tbsp corn starch
¾ cup whole berry cranberry sauce
¼ cup orange marmalade


For the Cookies
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1¾ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp orange zest
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp allspice


Preparation


Place all filling ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly so the cranberry sauce doesn't burn. Boil until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.


Meanwhile, cream together brown sugar, butter, and egg in a large bowl. Stir in remaining cookie ingredients and mix until you have a soft dough. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. This will make the dough easier to handle.


Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into an 8x16-inch rectangle. Spoon chilled filling onto the dough and spread carefully with the back of a spoon. Keep the filling about ½-inch away from all edges. This will give the filling room to spread as you roll up the dough.


Starting on one 16-inch side, roll up the dough like you would a jelly roll. Don't roll it too tightly or all the filling with squeeze out. Be gentle, almost turning the dough over itself without adding too much pressure. Smooth out the roll and wrap in parchment paper. Freeze until the roll is frozen through, at least 4 hours. Overnight is better.


Heat oven to 375°F. Remove roll from freezer and carefully slice the roll into ½-inch rounds. Arrange these rounds on a prepared cookie sheet, keeping them at least 1 inch apart. Bake for 12 minutes, until the edges have browned. Let cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet, then cool completely on wire racks.


This recipe makes 32 cookies. They will keep for at least 4 days if stored in an airtight container.

Yeast Breads: Pumpernickel Bread

Pumpernickel bread is hearty and delicious, especially with spinach dip. This version is a batter bread, so there will be no kneading or anything finicky. Just mix and ignore.


Ingredients


1¼ cup quick rise or bread machine yeast
1¼ cup warm water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp onion powder
½ tsp instant coffee granules
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp molasses
⅛ cup unsweetened chocolate, melted
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup rye flour
1 tsp caraway seed


Preparation


We're once again using a more instant yeast, so you don't have to dissolve it. Place all ingredients in a large, nonmetal bowl. Using a dough hook attachment, blend until you have a wet batter. Cover loosely and set aside to rise. It needs to double in size, which will take about an hour.


Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Stir down the dough to remove air bubbles. Scrap dough into prepared loaf pan. Cover and allow to rise once again. It will take about 45 minutes for the dough to double in size, but keep an eye on it. You don't want it to over rise.


Heat oven to 375°F. Uncover dough and bake for 35 minutes, until the dough is darkened in color and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.


This loaf can be store for up to a week if kept in an airtight container.