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Linzer Cookies
When I baked my first Viennese Linzertorte (page 85), I could not believe how beautiful it was. I feel exactly the same way about these Linzer cookies. They are like little jewels, with their ruby centers of raspberry preserves. You can also fill them with apricot jam, which is equally pretty. The almond dough is short, meaning it is rich, and it is sweet and melts in your mouth. These cookies are among my all-time favorites.
1 cup all-purpose flourLarge pinch of ground cinnamon
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted margarine
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup finely ground unblanched almonds
Raspberry preserves, with or without seeds
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
1. In a bowl stir together the flour and cinnamon.
2. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the margarine and the granulated sugar on medium speed until fluffy.
3. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the dough comes together in a ball. Add the ground almonds and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, shape the dough into a disk, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for several hours until firm enough to roll out.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick. With a 2 1/4-Inch fluted cookie cutter, cut outrounds and place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Reroll the scraps and cut out more cookies. (When done, you should have about 24 cutouts in all.) Cut out the center of half the cookies, 12 of them, using the wide end of a 3/4-inch-wide pastry bag tip. They will be the "top" cookies. Discard the little bits of cutout dough.
6. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, or until fragrant and just set. Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool.
7. To assemble: Sprinkle the cutout (top) 12 cookies generously with confectioners' sugar and reserve. Place a level teaspoon of raspberry preserves on each of the bottom cookies. Place a sugared cutout on top. Store, in a single layer, in an airtight container for up to I week, if you are lucky enough to have them for that long.
Makes 1 dozen cookies
Velvet Chocolate Cake
Here is another of my signature desserts. Twenty-four ounces of chocolate make it intensely rich and delicious, almost more like candy than cake. Despite that, I am never surprised when guests ask for Just a "sliver" more. Recently I heard a funny anecdote: A woman confided to her good friend that the only reason she is able to sit through a family seder she goes to is that she knows she will be rewarded with a slice (or two) of this fabulous flourless chocolate cake!
1 1/2 pounds semisweet chocolate, chopped
15 tablespoons unsalted margarine, cut into chunks
1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee
8 extra-large eggs, separated, the whites at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Confectioners' sugar for stenciling
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch cake pan, 3 inches deep. Cut a round of parchment paper to fit the pan and line the pan with it.
2. In the top of a large double boiler set over hot water, melt the chocolate with the margarine and instant coffee, stirring, until smooth and glossy. Remove the top of the boiler and let the mixture cool slightly.
3. Stir in the egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed to soft peaks. Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat until the whites stand in stiff but not dry peaks.
5. With a rubber spatula, stir about one-quarter of the whites into the chocolate base to lighten it. Fold the remaining whites in gently but thoroughly, mixing until no streaks of beaten whites show.
6. Pour the batter into the pan. Place the cake pan in a larger baking pan and pour hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Carefully transfer the pans to the oven and bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes (the top of the cake in the center will just be set). Remove the baking pan from the oven, remove the cake pan from the water bath, and let it cool completely on a wire rack at room temperature. Transfer the cake in the pan to the refrigerator and chill overnight or until serving time.
7. Unmold the chilled cake, remove the paper liner, and invert the cake right side up. Do not try to unmold the cake before it is fully chilled or it will break. Place a decorative stencil on top of the cake and dust confectioners' sugar through a fine-meshed sieve over the top. Carefully remove the stencil.
8. Serve the cake in slices. Some people love it with fresh raspberries as a garnish. (The cake can also be served at room temperature, although it will be softer.) The cake keeps, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Makes one 18-inch cake, 12 to 14 servings
My Most Favorite Dessert Company Cookbook. Copyright © by Doris Schechter. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.