Elisabeth Prueitt, Shortbread

1 cup + 2 tblspns Unsalted butter, very soft
1/2 tspn salt
1 3/4 cups+ 2 tblspn All purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 tblspn Cornstarch
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup superfine or granulated sugar for topping


1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 6-10 inch glass baking dish.

2. Place the bitter in a mixing bowl. The butter must be very soft- consistency of mayonnaise or whipped cream. Add the salt to the butter and mix well with a wooden spoon or whisk so that it dissolves completely before you add the rest of the ingredients. Sift the flour and the cornstach together into a bowl. Add the granulated sugar to the butter and mix just until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix just until a smooth dough forms.

3. Pat the dough evenly into thte prepared baking dish. The dough should be no more than 2/3 inch deep. Bake until the top and bottom are lightly browned about 30 minutes. The middle of the shortbread should remain light. Let cool on a wire rack until warm to the touch.

4. Sprinkle the shortbread with the superfine or granulated sugar. Tily the dish so that the sugar fully and evenly coats the surface and then tip out the excess sugar. With a very thin, sharp knife, cut the shortbread into rectangular fingers about 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long. If the cookies have becom cold they will not slice well, so they must warm to the touch at this point. Chill thoroughly before removing from the baking dish. (will keep up to 2 weeks)

Sherry Yard, President Clinton's Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tspn baking sode
7 ounces ( 1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cups sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tspns freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 tspn ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups Far Raisins (see recipe

1. Sift together the flour and baking soda and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter on high speed until lemony yellow, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle or beaters. Add the sugar, brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Continue creaming the mixture on high speed until it is smooth lump-free, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Beat on low speed for 15-30 seconds, until the eggs are fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides and paddle.

4. On low speed, add the sifted flour mixture, beating until all of the flour is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, mix in the oats and raisins.

5. With a rubber spatula, scoop out the dough and divide it in half. Center one half along the bottom fo a sheet of parchment paper and roll it up in the paper, creating a log about 2 inches wide and 12 inches long. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Fold over the parchment, creating a sausage. Twist the ends over and wrap in plastic. Chill the dough logs for a minimum of 1 hour. (At this point the dough will keep nicely, wrapped well, in the regfrigerator for up to 3 days, or up to 1 month in the freezer.) You can also simply spoon the dough onto parchment covered baking sheets and bake at once.

6. Place racks in the middle and lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. When the dough is chileld, remove it from the parchment paper. Using a chef's knife or an offset serrated knife, slice 1/2 inch rounds off the log. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spaved 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back, and bake for another 5-8 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove the cookies from the oven and slide the parchment off the sheets and directly onto the work surgace. Cook the making sheets between batches. WAit a minumum of 5 minutes before eating, or allow to cool completely before storing the cookies in an airtight container (last up to 3 days)

Sherry Yard, Chocolate Covered Chocolate Mint Cookies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tspn baking powder
1/4 tspn baking soda
1/4 tspn salt
6 ounces ( 1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 tspn peppermint oil
1/4 tspn vanilla extract
1 1/2 bittersweet chocolate

1. Place the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse a few times to combine the ingredients. Add the butter and pulse to cut the butter into the dry ingrediets. Add the egg yolks, peppermint oil, and vanilla and pulse until a dough forms on the blades of the food processor.

2. Remove the dough from the food processor and shape into a 2 inch thick log. Wrap in plastice wrap or parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

3. Place racks in the middle and lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Cut into 1/4 inch thick disks and arrage 1/2 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Switch the baking sheets from top to bottom and rotate from front to back and continue to bake for another 3-4 minutes, until the cookies are light brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on racks. Make sure to let the baking sheets cool between batches. Do not handle the cookies until they are cool or they'll break.
5. Melt and temper the bittersweet chocolate (follow prev. recipe)

6. Place a sheet pan upside down on your work surface, next to the melted chocolate. Cover with parchment paper. Dip the cookies one by one in the chocolate, using a fork to turn over and then lift them out of the chocolate. It helps to tilt the bowl forward by leaning it on a folded kitchen towel.

7. Set the dipped cookies on the parchment, beginning at the far end so your don't drip chocolate on the other cookies when you set them down. (cookies will keep for 3-5 days in the regigerator or 2 weeks in freezer.

Alain Ducasse, Mascarpone Macaroons

For the Macaroons:
1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds
2 cups confections' sugar
4 large egg whites, at room temperature

For the Filling:
1/2 cup mascarpone
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 granulated sugar

How to make the Macaroons:
Preheat over to 450 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with kitchen parchment and set each on top of a second baking sheet

Put the almonds in a food processor and grind to a powder. Add 1 3/4 cups of the confectioners' sugar and pulse until well blended. Sift onto a sheet of waxed paper or kitchen parchment and set aside.
In a large bowl beat the egg whites until frothy. While beating, gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar. Continue to beat until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the sugar-almond mixture over the egg whites and using a large rubber spatula, gently fold in. Working gently so that the egg whites do not deflate gradually fold in the remaining sugar almond mixture.

Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag equipped with a plain 1/3- to 1/2 inch tip. Pipe 1 1/2 inch rounds, about 2/3 inch high onto the parchment lined baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them. Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F and place the baking sheets in the center of the oven - bake for 9-10 minutes. Ideal is for them to remain as white as possible, delicately crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Remove pan to a wire rack. Gently lift one corner of the parchment and pour a tablespookful of room temperature water between each pan and the parchment, then tip the pan so that the water flows over the bottom. Wait for about 30 seconds, until the steam and the moisture have permeated the paper, then, using a metal spatula, very carefully transfer the macaroons to a wire rack to cool. (can prepare 1 to 2 days ahead and once filled 1 hour)

To make the filling:
Combine the mascarpone, cream, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat just until the mixture holds soft peaks. Cover and refrigerate

To assemble the sandwiches:
When macaroons are cool, spread 1/3 inch of filling on the flat side of one macaroon and very gently press a second macaroon on top. Repeat with the remaining macaroons and filling.

Jacque Torres Chocolat Chip Cookies

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)

Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Thomas Keller's Chocolate Chip Cookies

(makes about thirty 3-inch cookies)

Thomas Keller writes in the book: This is our version of what is arguably the best cookie ever. I like to use different chocolates, one sweeter, one with a more complex bittersweet balance. After you chop the chocolate, sift it to remove any tiny fragments to give the cookies a cleaner look. If you like softer cookies, don’t underbake them, just mist them with water before baking.

2 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

5 ounces 55 percent chocolate, cut into chip-sized pieces

5 ounces 70 to 72 percent chocolate, cut into chip-sized pieces

8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup packed dark brown sugar, preferably molasses sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

Position racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.

Sift flour and baking soda into a medium bowl. Stir in the salt.

Put chips in a fine-mesh basket strainer and shake to remove any chocolate “dust” (small fragments).

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat half the butter on medium speed until fairly smooth. Add both sugars and the remaining butter, and beat until well combined, then beat for a few minutes, until mixture is light and creamy. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating until the first one is incorporated before adding the next and scraping the bowl as necessary. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed to combine. Mix in chocolate.

Remove bowl from mixer and fold dough with a spatula to be sure the chocolate is evenly incorporated. The dough or shaped cookies can be refrigerated, well wrapped, for up to 5 days or frozen for 2 weeks. Freeze shaped cookies on the baking sheets until firm, then transfer to freezer containers. (Defrost frozen cookies overnight in the refrigerator before baking.)

Using about 2 level tablespoons per cookie, shape dough into balls. Arrange 8 cookies on each pan, leaving about 2 inches between them, because the dough will spread. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the tops are no longer shiny, switching the position and rotating pans halfway through baking.

Cool cookies on the pans on cooling racks for about 2 minutes to firm up a bit, then transfer to the racks to cool completely. Repeat with second batch of cookies. (The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.)

Note: If your brown sugar has hardened, soften it in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds.

Bill Yosses’ Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup light brown sugar

¼ cup unsweetened hazelnut paste or peanut butter (all natural, no oil added)

2 large eggs

2 vanilla beans, seeds scraped out

2 1/3 cups AP flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

12 oz chocolate chips or chopped chocolate of choice

Cream the butter and sugars in the large bowl of a free standing mixer. Add the nut butter/paste, beating until smooth (I used al natural peanut butter). Beat in the eggs and the vanilla beans, scraping the bowl as needed.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet, and combine at low speed until the dough comes together. Mix in the chocolate. Cover the dough with plastic wrap (or transfer to Tupperware) and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon ice cream scoop, drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the cookie sheet—I got 12 exactly onto my cookie sheet.

Bake until lightly browned, 9-13 minutes. Cool the cookie sheets on a cooling rack before removing the cookies.

Matt Lewis' (Baked) Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy. Scrape down bowl and add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Mixture will look light and fluffy. Add vanilla and beat for 5 seconds.
3. Add the flour mixture, bit by bit, mixing after each addition.
4. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Cover the bowl tightly and put in the fridge for several hours (Baked suggests 6; I did 2 and they were still delicious).
6. Preheat the oven to 375 F degrees.
7. If you want big cookies, use an ice cream scoop to scoop out 2-tablespoon sized balls. If you want smaller ones, use two teaspoons (one to scoop the dough and one to release it). Use your hands to shape into perfect balls and erase any imperfections. Place on prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1 inch between cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes for smaller cookies, 12-14 minutes for larger cookies. Make sure to rotate pans at the halfway mark to ensure even baking. They're done when the edges are golden and the tops are just starting to lose their shine.
8. Remove pan from oven and cool on wire rack. They are great warm, but you could also let them cool, if you're so inclined.
9. These babies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Doubt they'll last that long though.

Pichet Ong's Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 1/3 cups (4 ounces/113 grams) finely shredded Unsweetened dried coconut
• 2 cups (11 ounces/310 grams) all purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup (8 ounces/226 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (6 ounces/169 grams) packed dark brown sugar
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (6 ounces/169 grams) sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2½ cups (11 7/8 ounces/336 grams) bittersweet pistoles or

• bittersweet chocolate chips, or roughly chopped bittersweet chocolate (see Notes)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

2. Spread the coconut on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

3. Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

4. Put the butter, both sugars, the salt, and cooled toasted coconut into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the machine running, add the eggs one at a time, and then add the vanilla. Turn the mixer speed to low and add half the flout mixture. When incorporated, add the remaining flour and mix until no traces of flour remain. Stir in the chocolate chips. If you have time, cover the dough tightly and chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days, before baking.

5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

6. Scoop the cookie dough into 1-inch balls and put 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake until brown and crisp, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

CHEF’S TIP: Creaming the butter with the coconut maximizes the cookies’ distinctive nuttiness, which provides a great backdrop for the rich, deep flavor of bittersweet chocolate. Be sure to use unsweetened coconut here—not only does it taste much better than the sweetened variety, it also makes these cookies crumbly and crisp.

Pistoles, which are flat rounds of chocolate, are a convenient proxy for chopped chocolate, and I often use them in brownies and chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate chips can be used in cookies but are not good for melting.

Whatever its form, all chocolate keeps well in a dark, cool place at room temperature for up to 6 months. Keep it away from spices and other strong aromatics in your pantry, as chocolate readily absorbs different scents. If you are buying in bulk, wrap the chocolate tightly and store in the freezer for up to one year. Finally, if your chocolate develops pale creamy-white spots, what is called “bloom,” don’t worry: it’s not spoiled, and the spots will disappear when the chocolate is melted.

Magnolia Bakery's Peanut Butter Cookies

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c chunky style peanut butter
3/4 c sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
1/2 c firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 c peanut butter chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisscross pattern but do not overly flatten cookies. Lightly sprinkle cookies with sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.
Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack and cool completely.
Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.

Union Square Cafe Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick butter, soft
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c AP flour
1 1/4c cups rolled oats
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 oz semisweet chocolate (I've made it with more, or milk, or whatever - it works)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F. Butter or parchment (or preferably silpat) two cookie sheets.Cream butter and both sugars together until "smooth and fluffy". Add egg and vanilla and blend thoroughly (I add the vanilla to the egg first). Add everything else to the bowl except the chocolate. Mix on low to incorporate. Fold in the chocolate by hand with a rubber spatula. 12 cookies per sheet, 2tbsp each, flatten. Bake each sheet separately for 9 minutes "until the cookies have spread and puffed slightly, but have not browned". Cool for 10 mins, then put on a rack.