Maida Heatters Chocolate Spritz Cookies Recipes

MAIDA HEATTER'S TOLL HOUSE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375.
• Cut aluminum foil to fit cookie sheets.
• Cream the butter in a mixer.
• Add the salt, vanilla and both sugars and beat well.
• Add the eggs and eat well.
• Lower the speed of the mixer and about half of the flour and beat only until incorporated.
• In a small cup stir the baking soda with the hot water until it is dissolved. Mix it into the dough. Add the remaining flour and beat only to mix.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the chocolate and the nuts.
• There are various methods for forming the dough. You can simply drop the batter from a teaspoon or you can freeze the dough overnight (Ruth Wakefield did this). Maida prefers forming the dough into balls with your wet hands. She says they will have a more even color and taste better. Whichever method you chose, place the dough 2 inches apart on the foil and slightly flatten the top with a spoon or your fingertips. Bake for about 12 minutes until the cookies have browned all over. If using only one cookie sheet, use the upper rack. If using two sheets, reverse them from top to bottom half-way through the baking time. Let the cookies cool for a few seconds before transferring them to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

MAIDA HEATTER'S CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH GIN-SOAKED RAISINS

Steps:

• Combine raisins and gin in a cup and let stand at least 8 hours to macerate.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 2 large baking sheets, shaking off excess flour.
• Mix confectioners sugar, cocoa, espresso powder, flour, and salt with an electric mixer at low speed. Add egg whites and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth.
• Drain raisins in a sieve, without pressing, then add raisins to dough with pecans. Stir until thoroughly mixed. (Dough will be thick and sticky.)
• Working quickly, drop 1/4 cup dough for each cookie onto a baking sheet, spacing cookies at least 3 inches apart, and gently pat down each mound to about 1/2 inch thick.
• Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, in middle of oven, rotating sheet halfway through baking, 15 to 17 minutes total, or until cookies appear cracked and centers are just set. Cool cookies on sheet 1 minute, then transfer carefully to a rack to cool completely.

MAIDA HEATTER'S CHOCOLATE MADELEINES

Steps:

• You will need two special madeleine pans, available in fine kitchen equipment shops, to prepare these cookies.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Lightly brush the cookie indentations of each pan with butter, using a pastry brush. Take care not to leave any unbuttered spots.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa, coffee, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• Place the 1/4 pound of butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and cream thoroughly. Beat in the vanilla, rum or Cognac and granulated sugar. Add the whole eggs and egg yolks and beat thoroughly. The mixture may take on a curdled look, but that is proper. Start beating on low speed while adding the dry ingredients. Beat only long enough to blend.
• Place a rounded teaspoon of the batter into each of the cookie indentations. Do not spread; it will settle itself. Place in the oven and bake about 12 minutes or until madeleines spring back when touched with the fingertips.
• Remove from the oven and invert onto a rack. Arrange them patterned side up on the rack. Using a sieve, dust lightly with confectioners' sugar.

CHOCOLATE CHIP AND ALMOND BISCOTTI (MAIDA HEATTER)

Steps:

• First toast the almonds in a single layer in a shallow pan in a 350°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the pan a few times, until the almonds are lightly colored and have a delicious smell of toasted almonds when you open the oven door. Set aside to cool.
• Adjust two racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat oven to 375°F If possible, use cookie sheets without raised edges; otherwise use any sheets upside down. Line the sheets with baking parchment or aluminum foil, shiny side up, and set aside.
• Sift together into a large bowl (preferably one with flared rather than straight sides) the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the sugar and stir to mix.
• Place about 1/2 cup of these dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade. Add about 1/2 cup of the toasted almonds and process for about 30 seconds, until the nuts are fine and powdery.
• Add the processed mixture to the sifted ingredients in the large bowl. Add the remaining toasted almonds and the chocolate morsels; stir to mix.
• In a small bowl beat the eggs with the vanilla and whiskey or brandy, just to mix. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until the dry ingredients are moistened (Use a large rubber spatula). Be patient.
• Place a length of baking parchment or wax paper on the counter next to the sink. Turn the dough out onto the parchment or wax paper. Wet your hands with cold water-do not dry them-and press the dough into a round mound.
• With a long, heavy, sharp knife cut the dough into equal quarters. Continue to wet your hands as you form each piece of dough into a strip about 9 inches long, 2 to 2-1/2 inches wide, and about 1/2 inch high (you will press, not roll, the dough into shape). The ends of the strips should be rounded rather than squared.
• Place two strips crosswise on each of the lined sheets. Bake for 25 minutes, reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back once during baking.
• Remove the sheets from the oven and slide the parchment or foil off the sheets. With a wide metal spatula transfer the baked strips to a large cutting board and let them cool for 20 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 275°F With a serrated bread knife, carefully cut on a sharp angle into slices about 1/2 inches wide. This is tricky. Cut slowly with a sawing motion.
• Place the slices, cut side down, on the two unlined sheets. Bake the two sheets, turning the slices upside down and reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back once during baking.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (depending on the thickness of the biscotti). Turn the oven heat off, open the oven door, and let the biscotti cool in the oven. When cool, store in an airtight container.