Banana Whoopie Goldberg Pies

www.marthastewart.com/339333/banana-whoopie-pies

350°F 10-12 min. YIELD: 3 dozen cookies                                  

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup mashed banana (from 1 large ripe banana)

½ cup sour cream

4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

16 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup confectioner’s sugar + more for dusting

·    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Combine banana and sour cream in another bowl.

·    Beat butter and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed, until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, beating until incorporated. Add banana mixture in 2 additions, alternating with flour mixture.

·    Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip. Pipe batter into 1 1/4-inch rounds on baking sheets, spacing rounds 1 1/2 inches apart.

·    Bake until edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Slide parchment, with cookies, onto wire racks. by Ashley 2013 cool. (Unfilled cookies can be stored for up to 1 day.)

·    Beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.

·    Pipe or spoon 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture onto the flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve immediately.

First baked by Ashley Brooks 2013         

Lemon Angel Wings

375°F 14+5 min.  YIELD: 3 DOZEN                     REFRIGERATE

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter, chilled and cubed

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp grated lemon peel

10 Tbsp Dixie Crystals/Imperial sugar divided

·    Place flour in a large bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in sour cream and lemon peel until well blended. Place a piece of waxed paper; shape into a 4-1/2 inch square. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

·    Cut dough into four 2-1/4 inch squares. Place one square on a piece of waxed paper sprinkled with 2 Tbsp Imperial sugar. Cover with another piece of waxed paper. Keep remaining squares refrigerated. Roll out dough into a 12 inch x 5 inch rectangle, turning often to coat both sides with sugar.

·    Lightly mark center of 12 inch side. Starting with a short side, roll up jelly-roll style to the center mark, peeling paper away while rolling. Repeat rolling from other short side, so the two rolls meet in the center and resemble a scroll.

·    Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Repeat with remaining squares, using 2 Tbsp Imperial sugar for each. Chill for 1 hour.

·    Unwrap the dough and cut into ½ inch slices; dip each side in remaining sugar. Place 2 inch apart on foil –lined baking sheets. Bake at 375F for 14 minutes or until golden brown. Turn cookies over; bake 5 minutes longer. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Palmiers

375 degrees                REFRIGERATE

1 ½ cup all purpose flour

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup cold unsalted butter (no substitution) cut up

½ cup sour cream

Granulated sugar

Cinnamon-sugar

1. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl, cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the sour cream. Turn dough out onto a smooth surface and knead 6-8 times, until mixture holds together. Shape into a ball, then flatten slightly into a disk and wrap well in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
2. Unwrap chilled dough and cut into 4 equal pieces. Work with 1 piece at a time while remaining dough is refrigerating. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar on a 15 inch sheet of wax paper and roll the dough, rotating and turning often, into a 12x5 inch rectangle. Remove wax paper. With a sharp knife, lightly mark the halfway point of the 12” side. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar onto the entire face of dough. Roll both 5 inch sides jelly roll fashion until they meet in the middle. Wrap well and freeze for 30 minutes. Repeat.
3. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Cut rolls into ½ inch slices. Dip each cut side into cinnamon-sugar. Place cut side down onto cookie sheet 2 ½ inches apart. Return the cookies to the freezer until firm.
4. Adjust oven rack to top position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake15 minutes until the edges are golden around the edges. Turn the cookies over and bake 5 minutes more. Take out and cool.