Heathan Cookies

The name is just a play on words. These chewy sweet drops of love have Heath bits and chopped pecans in them, two of my favorite things. Heath + Pecan = Heathans!! They are heavenly good!

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter (softened) or butter flavored shortening, not margarine
8 oz Heath toffee bits
1-1/2 cup chopped pecans (This is not an exact measure. I love pecans and just chopped up a huge amount!)

In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter or shortening until fluffy. Add sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla and beat for 30 seconds, or until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated after each. Turn beaters to low and SLOWLY add the flour. Once the flour is well integrated, stir in, by hand, the toffee bits and chopped pecans. Drop by rounded teaspoon (I use a miniature ice cream scoop) on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 9-11 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes approximately 5 dozen cookies

LETS TALK! If you haven't invested in them already, I highly recommend silicone baking sheets. SILPAT is the brand name, but there are others out there. I have KitchenAide and SILPAT (thank you Holly!). Once you start using these, you will never go back. They are amazing!

LETS TALK FLOUR! If you have it available, I suggest you give King Arthur All-Purpose Flour a try. I didn't think the brand mattered, until I tried the King Arthur. It's silky, smooth, and just a superior flour.

Cocoa Rounds

These scrumptious chocolate gems may be little in stature, but they're BIG on flavor! And they're just the right size to pop in your mouth. Like their cousins, the Italian Wedding Cookie, they're all melt in your mouth sweetness on the outside and light and airy on the inside.
So enjoy one ... or five!!






Cookies
1-1/2 c Butter or Margarine, unsalted
3/4 c Confectioners' Sugar
3/4 tsp Salt
1-1/2 c Almonds, ground
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Vanilla
3 c All-Purpose Flour, sifted
1/2 c Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa

Coating
2 c Confectioners' Sugar
1/2 c Ghrirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa

Preheat oven to 325 F. Sift the flour and chocolate together and set aside. Cream the butter or margarine in a bowl, gradually add confectioners' sugar and salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the almonds and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture gradually and mix well. Shape into balls, using about 1 teaspoon for each cookie. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet (I use a silicone mat) and bake for 15-20 minutes until set, but not browned. Cool slightly and roll in confectioners' coating. Cool completely and roll in confectioners' coating a second time.

These little darlings are even better the next day. The sugar softens the exterior of the cookie, just a wee bit. The crunch is still there, but the initial bite is effortless.



Makes 80 - 100 cookies

Shortbread Blossoms

These cookies are a delicate delectable melt in your mouth sensation! They aren't overly sweet which makes them a perfect accompaniment to an afternoon tea. They're crispy and crumbly and straight-up yumm-o. I dare you to eat just one!

I had been thinking about designing a cookie and wondered what would make me happiest. I adore shortbread cookies, but I knew I wanted them to be more than that. I originally tried this recipe with cherry preserves and named them Cherry Blossoms after the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC - which I love; however, the cherry preserves were way too difficult to work with. Instead, I used raspberry - another favorite - but you should feel free to use whatever makes you happy!

NOTE: A friend needed a Vegan version of these cookies and I was more than happy to oblige. It took some finagling but we were able to come up with a suitable alternative (actually it was her suggestion; I just did the trial run)! Use 1-3/4 c. butter flavored vegetable shortening and 4 oz. of applesauce (that’s one individual serving cup of applesauce). You may need to add a little more flour. The key here is to make sure the dough is cold and your surface is well floured. It probably wouldn’t hurt to freeze, or refrigerate, the rolling pin either. Work in smaller batches if you’re concerned. I won’t deny, they are fragile … but oh are they good!!

3 3/4 c. Flour
3/4 c. Sugar
3/4 c. Unsalted Butter
1 c. Butter Flavored Shortening
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 10 oz. jar Seedless Red Raspberry Spreadable Fruit
Confectioner's Sugar (for dusting)

In a bowl sift flour and sugar together. Cream shortening, butter and vanilla together. Add the flour mixture slowly until incorporated. You will need to scrap the bowl at least once - the mixture should resemble cornmeal.




Squeeze dough to form a ball. Move the dough to a floured work surface and kneed until smooth (about 10 times). Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic and chill for an hour.

Preheat oven to 325. In a saucepan, over low heat, or in a bowl in the microwave, melt a little less than half the Spreadable Fruit and set aside. Soften the remaining Spreadable Fruit with a spoon, or fork, and spoon into the corner of plastic bag, or pastry bag. Snip a small hole off the corner and set aside also.

Turn one half of dough out onto a well flour work surface and roll to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out your cookies (make sure the result is an even number). Cut the center out off half the cookies using a small, round cookie cutter.



Transfer the "solid" cookies to the baking sheet. Brush with the melted fruit (this is your glue).



Place a "cut-out" cookie on top to of the solid cookie. Fill the cut-out with fruit from the pastry bag.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until set but not brown. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough.

Cool completely on a wire rack and dust with powdered sugar.



Store in an air tight container. These cookies freeze beautifully! But! Be sure to freeze them without powdered sugar and then thaw and dust with sugar before serving.

Makes approximately 3 1/2 dozen 2 inch cookies.