Nut Diamonds (page 164)
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup very finely chopped pecans or cashews
1 large egg, beaten
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 10 by 15 inch jelly roll pan.
2. Cream together butter and sugar. Blend in vanilla and egg yolk. Combine flour, salt, cinnamon and 1/4 cup nuts, and stir into sugar mixture.
3. Press dough evenly into pan; it should be very thin. Brush top with beaten egg. Sprinkle remaining nuts over top evenly and press in lightly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until edges start to brown.
4. Remove from oven, run knife around edges of pan and cut into diamonds or triangles while hot. Cool on racks. Makes 4-5 dozen cookies.
Strawberry Sour Cream Streusel Cake (page 47)
1 cup hulled, sliced strawberries
3 Tbsp. strawberry preserves
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. vanilla extract
vegetable oil or butter for pan
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter, in 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. turbinado or light brown sugar
1. In a blender, combine strawberries and preserves. Make a paste by mixing cornstarch and vanilla, and add. Puree and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 9-inch spring form pan and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Sprinkle in butter cubes and, using your fingertips, rub them in until mixture resembles large coarse crumbs.
3. Remove 1/2 cup and set aside. Add sour cream, egg and vanilla to crumbs in large bowl. Mix well.
4. Drop dollops of half the batter into the prepared pan. Pat batter across bottom of pan and about 1 inch up sides; mixture will be very sticky and somewhat uneven. Add strawberry puree, making an even layer across the layer of batter and leaving a 1/2 inch border. Cover with remaining batter.
5. In a medium bowl, combine reserves 1/2 cup crumbs and turbinado or light brown sugar. Stir lightly with a fork to mix. Sprinkle evenly over cake.
6. Bake cake until lightly golden, about 45 minutes. Cool on a rack completely before removing sides of pan and serving. Serves 8 people.
Big Apple Pie (page 233)
3 pounds red or golden apples, 2 or 3 different kinds,
peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider, or apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
several grindings of black pepper
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
pastry for pie shell and top
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. water
Whipped cream or ice cream for serving
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place apples in a large bowl. Add sugar, apple cider or vinegar, cinnamon, salt, pepper and flour. Mix well.
2. Line a deep-dish 9 or 10 inch pie pan with half the pastry, leaving a generous top edge. Prick bottom of pastry shell with tines of a fork. Transfer apples to pie pan, mounding slightly in center. Cut butter into bits, and distribute over apples.
3. Cover apples with the other half of the pastry. Trim around edges, and crimp the top and bottom pastry together. Using a pastry brush, paint the top of the pastry with the egg wash.With a sharp knife, make a hole in the center of the pastry. Make 5 cuts, each about 3 inches long, radiating from the center hole.
4. Put the pie pan on a baking sheet, and bake on the lower level of the oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees, and bake for about 50 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown. Cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream. Serves 8-10 people.
Bolzano Apple Cake (page 40)
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
5 Granny Smith apples
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
Confectioner's sugar
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil, then grease with thick layer of butter. Dust with flour, and tap lightly to remove excess.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Set aside. Beat together eggs and half of the granulated sugar to blend. Continue to beat while slowly adding remaining sugar, until the mixture is thick and light and forms a ribbon when dropped from a spoon.
3. Peel, quarter and core the apples, then trim ends and slice thin.
4. Stir butter into egg-sugar mixture. Whisk together 1/2 cup flour and the baking powder, then stir it into the batter alternately with milk. Fold in apples, making sure they are well-coated with batter. Pour batter into pan and smooth top.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate the pan;bake for about 25 minutes more, until cake pulls away from pan and is brown on top. A thin-bladed knife inserted into the center will come out clean. Cool 30 minutes. Dust with sifted confectioner's sugar before serving. Serves 6-8 people.
