The Ultimate Macaroon

Passover sweets are notoriously bad. Even with a host of cakes, candies and confections to choose from, the end result is always the same--regrettable. Fortunately, there is the macaroon. Simple and delicious, these cookies are light, chewy and nothing like the macaroons you find in the cardboard canisters. A virtual oasis in a kosher desert. Adorn with an artful schmear of chocolate and consider the cardboard canister ancient history.

Coconut Macaroons, Adapted from Ina Garten's Coconut Macaroons

1 (14 oz) bag of sweetened coconut

1 (14 0z) can of sweetened condensed milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 large egg whites, room temperature

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the coconut, condensed milk, vanilla and almond extracts. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and salt with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture, taking care not to deflate the egg whites. Using two teaspoons, drop the batter onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Chill the baking sheets in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and enjoy!

Sweet Rewards

After spending the entire week reorganizing my Nana's old recipes, I felt it was high time to reward myself. Having had a craving for cookies all week, the choice was clear. I decided to try my Nana's recipe for sand tarts. In theory, these crunchy, crumbly cookies are the perfect sweet little bite. In practice, the sand tart is often dry and practically flavorless. Appalling is it not? Never one to serve up a bland cookie, I took up the challenge with relish.

At first glance, everything seemed to be in order. Sifted flour to keep the cookies light, loads of pecans for added crunch and a healthy dusting of powdered sugar for extra sweetness. However, as the dough came together, it became clear that it needed a little help. There is nothing more disappointing than flavorless dough and we all know where that road leads--flavorless cookies. I started with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon, which added a layer of warmth and complexity to the cookies, followed by the addition of plain old sugar. It's amazing what a little sugar can do, elevating the recipe from blah to brilliant. After 12 short minutes in the oven, my sand tarts were ready for the final touch--a dusting of powdered sugar and cinnamon for the ultimate sweet finish.

Sand Tarts

Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter

4 tsp sugar

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted and divided

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, divided

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350℉. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and baking powder. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and the flour mixture, mixing until the flour is fully incorporated. Fold in the pecans. Give the dough a quick taste test. If it needs additional sugar, add it one teaspoon at a time until you achieve the right level of sweetness. Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Sift together the remaining cup of powdered sugar and teaspoon of cinnamon. Set aside. Shape the dough into crescents and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. While the cookies are still warm, cover them in powdered sugar. Since the cookies are rather delicate, I use a mesh sieve to sprinkle the powdered sugar over the sand tarts. That way, you avoid the always upsetting sight of broken cookies. Yields 2 dozen.

Chocolate+Orange

It's around Christmas time that I especially look forward to noshing on a few sweet treats. Every year, my family and I drive to Lubbock, Texas to visit my grandparents and spend the week in a veritable food coma. Stacks of cookie tins line the kitchen counter, while my grandfather sneaks off to uncover the canister of homemade fudge he has been stashing away all week. As I sift through the tins, I find all of the familiar favorites: buttery sugar cookies topped with red and green sprinkles, homemade toffee and chocolate espresso cookies dredged in powdered sugar. I can feel the sugar high already. Of course for me, the sweetest treat always awaited me at home. As the car pulled back into the driveway, my brothers and I raced into the living room and ceremoniously dumped the contents of our stockings onto the living room floor. There lay three oranges, nuts galore and my absolute favorite Christmas treat--the chocolate orange. Now, I realize that not everyone appreciates the magic of the chocolate orange. There are those that find this flavor combination odd. Unusual flavor combinations aside, I believe there is one thing on which everyone can agree--whacking them open on the countertop is absolutely fantastic. You just can't do that with a fruit cake.

As I was reflecting on all these Christmas memories and my beloved chocolate orange, I began toying with the idea of turning my favorite Christmas treat into a cookie I could enjoy year round. I combined toasted pecans with orange zest, dark chocolate, and a pinch of cinnamon. The end result is toasted pecan, orange, and chocolate cookies--the perfect treat to hold you over over until next Christmas.

Toasted Pecan, Orange and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup granulated white sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ cups flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1.5 tsp orange zest

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup toasted pecans, chopped

½ - ¾ cups of dark chocolate chips (depending on your level of chocolate obsession)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and place the pecans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast the pecans for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Watch them carefully, as they can burn easily! Remove the pecans from the oven and chop them up. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and both sugars together. Mix in the egg, orange zest, and vanilla. Whisk all the dry ingredients together and add the dry ingredients in thirds. Fold in the pecans and chocolate chips. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and bake for 12 minutes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Remove the cookies from the oven and place them on a cooling rack. After they've cooled, grab a few cookies, a glass of ice cold milk and enjoy!