"Easy Baking"
Show 144
A Bit More
Sweets & Specialities
Springfield, Virginia
Phone: 703-644-2015
Email: abitmore@cox.net
Website: www.abitmoreonline.com/
Lynn Dysart - Chef/Owner
Linzer Squares
Ingredients:
1) 1/4 of the Almond Paste Dough (see ingredients below for the full amount of the dough)
2) 1/4 cups Raspberry Preserves
3) 1/2 cup finely chopped Pecans
4) 1 Egg Yolk
5) 1 tsp. Water
Preparation:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2) Line a 9" square pan with foil and spray with a cooking spray.
3) Divide dough into two portions.
4) Roll one portion of dough between sheets of waxed paper to 9" square.
5) Pell off waxed paper and transfer to a pan.
6) Combine preserves with pecans and spread over the dough in the pan.
7) Roll remaining portion of dough between sheets of floured waxed paper to 12" square.
8) Cut with pastry cutter into 1/2 inch strips.
9) Place half of the dough strips diagonally across the preserves.
10) Place the remaining dough strips perpendicular across the first strips.
11) In a small bowl, combine egg yolk and water and brush on dough.
12) Bake at 375 degrees f. for 30 minutes until golden.
13) Trim edges if desired and cut into squares.
Almond Paste Dough
Ingredients:
1) 14 oz. Almond Paste
2) 2 cups Butter
3) 1 3/4 cups Granulated Sugar
4) 3 large Eggs
5) 2 tsp. Vanilla
6) 5 3/4 cups Flour
7) 1/4 tsp. Salt
Italian Tri-Color Cookies
. 
Ingredients:
1) 7
oz. Almond Paste
2) ¾
cup Sugar
3) ½
tsp. Almond Extract
4) ¾
cup softened Butter
5) 3 Eggs
6) 1
cup All purpose Flour
7) ¼
tsp. Salt
8) Green
and Red Food Coloring
9) 2/3 cup Apricot Preserves (pressed through sieve to remove large pieces)
10) 3
oz. Semisweet Chocolate
11) 2
tsp. Vegetable Shortening
12) ¼
cup White Chocolate (optional)
Preparation:
1) Preheat
oven to 350 degrees.
2) Grease
3 8”x8” metal baking pans. Line bottom
and two sides with waxed paper,
grease and flour pan.
3) In
a processor with metal blade, process the almond paste, sugar, almond extract,
and butter until smooth.
4) Transfer
to large mixer bowl and beat in eggs until well blended.
5) Reduce
speed to low and add flour and salt and mix until combined.
6) Divide batter equally into three bowls. Add
red food coloring a few drops at a time
to one bowl and blend until batter is
pink. Repeat with green food coloring in
second bowl to desired color. Leave
third bowl plain.
7)
Spoon
the three batters into separate pans. With metal offset spatula spread batters
evenly (layer will be about ¼ inch thick).
8)
Bake
until set (10-12 minutes), until cake springs back, rotating pans between racks
if needed for even cooking.
9)
Cool
in pans for 30 minutes. Cake should be cool to the touch.
10) Run
tip of knife around edge of pan to loosen cake.
11)
Lay
a piece of waxed paper on a flat surface that will fit into the refrigerator.
12)
Invert
the green layer (waxed paper liner side up) on to waxed paper and gently pull
off pan liner. Spread with 1/3 cup of apricot preserves.
13)
Repeat
with plain layer (removing liner) on top of green layer and spread with
remaining preserves.
14) Place
inverted pink layer on top and remove liner.
15)
Combine
chocolate and 1tsp shortening in microwave safe bowl and heat in 30-second
increments, stirring often, until chocolate is melted. Set aside.
16
(Optional)
Place white chocolate chips and 1tsp shortening in plastic freezer bag and
heat
in microwave in 20-second increments until melted. Press bag frequently to
blend and watch carefully to avoid overheating. Cut small tip off corner of
sealed bag.
17) Spread
chocolate on top of pink layer evenly using offset spatula to smooth surface.
Do not cover sides.
18)
Squeeze
thin parallel lines of white chocolate over chocolate. Immediately draw cake
tester or toothpick across lines to create pattern.
19)
Refrigerate
until chocolate is cool, at least one hour (may be covered and kept in
fridge
for 3 days before serving).
20)
To
serve, with a large serrated knife, trim ¼ inch from edges. Cut into 6 strips
and
cut strips crosswise into 6 pieces. (Yield 36 pieces.)
21)
Place
cookies in single layer in waxed paper lined container. Keep for 1 week
refrigerated or 3 months
frozen.
Cookies made from extra dough
Easy Baking!!!