Chocolate Dreams

from Mrs. Fields cookie book
REFRIGERATE

325°F     YIELD: 2 ½ DOZEN

Cookies:

¾ cup salted butter, softened

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

2 large egg yolks

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Chocolate filling:

½ cup heavy cream

1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Topping:

2 Tbsp. White sugar

In a medium bowl cream butter using an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add confectioners’ and brown sugars and beat until smooth. Add yolks and vanilla, and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl. Add the flour and blend at low speed until thoroughly combined. Gather dough into a ball and flatten to a disk. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap or place in plastic bag. Refrigerate for one hour.

To prepare the filling: Scald the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Remove from the heat. Preheat oven to 325 °F Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough on a floured board to ¼” thickness. Cut circles with a 2” cookie cutter and place on ungreased cookie sheets, 1” apart. Continue using dough scraps, re-rolling and cutting until all dough is used. Drop 1 tsp. of chocolate filling in center of each circle and top with another circle. Completely seal the edges using the tines of a fork. Bake 15-16 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. Transfer cookies to a cool flat surface with a metal spatula. Sprinkle with white sugar, if desired.

Coconut Honey / Agave Bars

from Favorite Cookie Recipes by Lou Seibert Pappas

350F
Yield 28 cookies

1/2 cup butter at room temp
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
6 tbsp honey or agave
2 eggs
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped almonds, walnuts or pecans
1 cup bran flakes or rolled oats

Beat butter and sugar together until creamy.
Mix in honey/agave and eggs, beating until smooth.
In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt.
Add to creamed mixture.
Stir well.
By hand, stir in coconut, nuts and bran flakes. Mix well
Spread batter into a greased 7 x 11" baking pan
Bake in a 350F oven for 30 minutes or until set and golden brown.

Let Cool. Cut into squares

Almond Galettes

1 8 oz can almond paste
1 cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. almond extract
2 cups all purpose flour
Prep: 30 minutes Bake 7 – 9 minutes
1. lightly grease cookie sheet (or line with parchment)
2. Crumble Almond paste into Quisenart – pulse to smooth. Add butter and pulse to combine. Add sugar and ½ tsp. almond extract. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in flour. Divide dough in half.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of dough at a time to ¼ inch thickness, use ravioli cutter to cut into 2 inch squares. Place on prepared cookie sheet.
4. Bake at 375F oven until edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, transfer to wire rack.
Makes about 36 (2 inch) cookies.