cook like james

 
World’s Best Lemon Squares

Also known as Lemon Bars, these sweet, buttery, tart confections are synonymous with summer. They are easy to throw together and transport which makes them perfect to take to barbecues or picnics. I’ve tried numerous variations and I prefer the creamy texture that this recipe’s filling delivers - and the shortbread-like crust absolutely melts in your mouth.

Download Worlds Best Lemon Squares recipe

The Crust

1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, plus extra to decorate finished bars

¼ cup cornstarch

¾ teaspoon table salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1½ sticks), at very cool room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces, plus extra for greasing pan

Lemon Filling

4 large eggs, beaten lightly

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest from 2 large lemons

2/3 cup lemon juice from 3 to 4 large lemons, strained

1/3 cup whole milk

1/8 teaspoon table salt

 For the crust:

1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish and line with one sheet parchment or wax paper. Dot paper with butter, then press second sheet crosswise over it .

2. Pulse flour, confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch, and salt in food processor workbowl fitted with steel blade. Add butter and process to blend, 8 to 10 seconds, then pulse until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal, about three 1-second bursts. Sprinkle mixture into lined pan and press firmly with fingers into even, 1/4-inch layer over entire pan bottom and about 1/2-inch up sides. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

For the filling:

1. While the crust bakes, whisk eggs, sugar, and flour in medium bowl, then stir in lemon zest, juice, milk, and salt to blend well; set aside until crust is baked.

To finish the bars:

1. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Stir filling mixture to re-blend; pour carefully into warm crust. Bake until filling feels firm when touched lightly, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack; cool to near room temperature, at least 30 minutes.

2. Transfer to cutting board, fold paper down, and cut into serving-size bars, wiping knife or pizza cutter clean between cuts, as necessary. Sieve confectioners’ sugar over bars, if desired.

Whole Wheat “Earthy” Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a great wholesome, whole grain cookie recipe adapted from Rosie’s Bakery Cookie Book (http://amzn.to/15M22mP). It's one of my favorite cookbooks and it filled with wonderful, easy to follow recipes. Rosie’s is a classic bakery in Boston that’s been baking up confections for over 30 years that use no preservatives or chemicals - if you're visiting Boston, make sure to stop by. (http://rosiesbakery.com/) These cookies taste best the day they are baked, but they can be stored in the freezer for up to two weeks.

Download Whole Wheat Earthy Chocolate Chip Cookies 

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ cup quick cooking oats

2 tablespoons wheat bran

¼ cup unsweetened coconut

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs, room temperature

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (Guittard is my favorite)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and adjust oven rack to center position. Line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl, whisk it together and set aside; in another small bowl mix together oats, wheat bran, and coconut and set aside.

3. In the bowl of standing mixer, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, softened butter, and vanilla; beat at medium speed until creamy, about 1 ½ -2 minutes.  Add eggs and beat for 30 seconds. Scrape bowl down.

4.  Add flour mixture and mix on low for 10 seconds.

5. Add oat mixture and mix on low just to combine. Remove bowl from stand and stir together with large rubber spatula, scarping sides and bottom of bowl. Stir in chocolate chips.

5. Drop cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.

6. Bake until cookies edges are dark golden and the centers are puffed up 9-11 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and allow them to cool for 2 minutes on sheet and then transfer to wire racks to cool.

Best Old Fashioned Apricot Squares

Apricot Squares are perfect to make during the winter months when good fresh fruit can be tough to find. They are similar to the Date Nut Bars and Raspberry Squares but the apricot crust is more like shortbread. Feel free to experiment with other dried fruit, like figs or cherries.

Download Best Old Fashioned Apricot Squares

Filling:

12 ounces chopped dried California apricots

2 tablespoons brandy

½ cup sugar

¾ cup orange juice

¾ cup water

Crust & Topping

2 ¼ cups (9.5 ounces) unbleached flour

1 ¼ cups (5 ounces) confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes (at room temperature but still cool)

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup shredded sweetened coconut

2-3 tablespoons Turbinado Sugar

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350ºF. Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13- by 9-inch baking dish, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and, if using extra-wide foil, fold lengthwise to 12-inch width; fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil-lined pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Make the filling: In a medium sized saucepan, stir together apricots, brandy, sugar, orange juice and water and bring to boil over medium -high heat. Cook the mixture for 8-10 minutes, until the fruit is soft and has absorbed most of the liquid. Remove from heat and cool slightly, then puree in food processor or use an immersion blender. Set aside.

3. Make the crust and topping: In a bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, confectioners’ sugar, salt and baking powder just to combine. Add butter cubes and pulse 6-8 times until mixture is crumbly, but holds together when squeezed. Measure out 1 ¼ cups of mixture to a medium bowl and stir in pecans and coconut. Set aside.

4. Firmly press the remainder of the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared 9x13 pan. Bake the crust for 14-16 minutes until pale golden; remove from oven.

5. Spread apricot filling over warm crust. Sprinkle reserved topping mixture over apricot filling. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Return pan to oven and bake for 28-32 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove squares from pan by lifting foil overhang. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve. (Store squares in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

Coconut Macaroons

These are delicious on their own, or you can dip the bottoms of each macaroon in melted semi-sweet chocolate and then let them cool on wax paper. 

Download Quick Easy Coconut Macaroons recipe

14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2.  Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

3.  Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or 2 teaspoons. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.

Best Traditional Scottish Shortbread Cookies

Another classic Christmas cookie - Shortbread is a traditional Scottish dessert that consists of three basic ingredients: flour, sugar, and butter. According to Wikpedia, this cookie resulted from medieval biscuit bread, which was a twice baked, enriched bread roll dusted with sugar and spices and hardened into a soft and sweetened biscuit called a Rusk. Eventually, yeast from the original Rusk recipe was replaced by butter, which was becoming more of a staple in the British Isles. Despite the fact that shortbread was prepared during much of the 12th century, the refinement of shortbread was actually accredited to Mary, Queen of Scots, in the 16th century. The name of one of the most famous and most traditional forms of shortbread, petticoat tails, were named by Queen Mary. This type of shortbread was baked, cut into triangular wedges as they are in this recipe from Cook’s Illustrated. 

Download Best Traditional Scottish Shortbread Cookies recipe

½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1½ cups (7 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ cup cornstarch

2/3 cup (2 2/3 ounces) confectioners' sugar

½ teaspoon table salt

14 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (Lurpak or Kerrigold if possible)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Pulse oats in spice grinder or blender until reduced to fine powder, about ten 5-second pulses (you should have ¼ to 1/3 cup oat flour). In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix oat flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. Add butter to dry ingredients and continue to mix on low speed until dough just forms and pulls away from sides of bowl, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Place upside-down (grooved edge should be at top) collar of 9- or 9 1/2-inch springform pan on parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet (do not use springform pan bottom). Press dough into collar in even 1/2-inch-thick layer, smoothing top of dough with back of spoon. Place 2-inch biscuit cutter in center of dough and cut out center. Place extracted round alongside springform collar on baking sheet and replace cutter in center of dough. Open springform collar, but leave it in place.

3. Bake shortbread 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees. Continue to bake until edges turn pale golden, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove baking sheet from oven; turn off oven. Remove springform pan collar; use chef’s knife to score surface of shortbread into 16 even wedges, cutting halfway through shortbread. Using wooden skewer, poke 8 to 10 holes in each wedge. Return shortbread to oven and prop door open with handle of wooden spoon, leaving 1-inch gap at top. Allow shortbread to dry in turned-off oven until pale golden in center (shortbread should be firm but giving to touch), about 1 hour.

4. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool shortbread to room temperature, at least 2 hours. Cut shortbread at scored marks to separate and serve.

Rich Chocolate “Slice & Bake” Cookies with Dark Chocolate Glaze

These incredible cookies graced the cover of Cook’s “Holiday Baking” issue and I couldn’t wait to try the recipe. Similar to shortbread, they are buttery and rich, like a chocolate Lorna Doone. The bittersweet glaze heightens the chocolate indulgence perfectly.

Chocolate Cookies   Download Rich Chocolate Slice and Bake Cookies recipe

2 ½ sticks tablespoons unsalted butter (2 1/2 sticks), softened to cool room temperature

½ cup cocoa powder (about 2 ounces)

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 cup sugar (7 ounces)

¼ teaspoon table salt

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (11 1/4 ounces)

½ cup sanding sugar or finely chopped pistachios (for rolling)

Dark Chocolate Glaze

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and espresso powder; stir until mixture forms smooth paste. Set aside to cool, 15 to 20 minutes.

2.  In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix remaining 16 tablespoons butter, sugar, salt, and cooled cocoa mixture on high speed until well combined and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping sides of mixing bowl once or twice with rubber spatula. Add yolks and vanilla and mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl.

3. With mixer running on low, add flour in three additions, waiting until each addition is incorporated before adding next and scraping bowl after each addition. Continue to mix until dough forms cohesive ball, about 5 seconds. Turn dough onto parchment paper and shape into dough log, 2 inches in diameter and about 12 inches long; use parchment paper or plastic wrap to roll into neat cylinder. Chill until very firm and cold, at least 1 hour.

4. Roll chilled log in sanding sugar or nuts and then slice dough into 1/4 inch thick cookies and place on parchment-lined baking sheets.

5. Bake until cookies show slight resistance to touch, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking time; if cookies begin to darken on edges, they have over-baked. Cool for 5 minutes and then transfer cookies to wire rack; cool completely.

For Glaze:

1. Melt bittersweet chocolate with butter in a double-boiler and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and add corn syrup and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and shiny. Use back of spoon to spread scant 1 teaspoon glaze almost to edge of each cookie. (If necessary, reheat to prolong fluidity of glaze.) Allow glazed cookies to dry at least 20 minutes.

Simple Buttery Christmas Sugar Cookies

If you’re looking for an easy sugar cookie that doesn’t require rolling and cookie cutters – this recipe is for you. Use high quality unsalted butter – like Lurpak or Kerrigold – to achieve the best flavor. The cookies can be rolled in regular sugar, but it’s nice to use red and green around the holidays.

Download Simple Buttery Christmas Sugar Cookies recipe

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces), Pillsbury or Gold Medal work best

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon table salt

16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened but still firm (60 to 65 degrees)

1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)

½ cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces), for rolling dough

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1.  Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions; heat oven to 375 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.

2.  In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment or with hand mixer, beat butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add egg and vanilla; beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.

3. Place sugar for rolling in shallow bowl. Fill medium bowl halfway with cold tap water. Dip hands in water and shake off excess (this will prevent dough from sticking to your hands and ensure that sugar sticks to dough). Roll heaping tablespoon dough into 1 1/2-inch ball between moistened palms; roll ball in sugar, then place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, moistening hands after forming each ball and spacing balls about 2 inches apart on baking sheet (you should be able to fit 12 cookies on each sheet). Using butter wrapper, butter bottom of drinking glass; dip bottom of glass in remaining sugar and flatten dough balls with bottom of glass until dough is about 3/4 inch thick.

4. Bake until cookies are golden brown around edges and just set and very lightly colored in center, 15 to 18 minutes, reversing position of cookie sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking time. Cool cookies on baking sheet about 3 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Old Fashioned Date Nut Oat Bars

Date Nut Bars are rather old fashioned and pretty common in New England bakeries. This is similar to the Raspberry Squares recipe (click here) but I’ve added some whole wheat flour and a few spices to compliment the dates. On my drives from Los Angeles to Palm Springs I often stop by the famous Hadley Fruit Orchard which sells dried fruits and nuts including large plump Medjool pitted dried dates, which I used in this recipe. You can order them at their site http://www.hadleyfruitorchards.com

Download Date Nut Oat Squares Recipe

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (2.5 ounces)

1 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats 

1/3 cup granulated sugar  

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar 

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon table salt 

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 12 pieces and softened but still cool plus 2 additional tablespoons for topping

2 cups pitted dried dates (about 10 ounces)

1/2 cup boiling water

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 cup walnuts, toasted (toast nuts at 350F for 6-7 minutes and then set aside to cool)

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Fold two 16-inch pieces of foil lengthwise to measure 8 inches wide. Fit one sheet in bottom of greased pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan (overhang will help in removal of baked squares). Fit second sheet in pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In bowl of standing mixer, mix flour, oats, sugars, baking soda, salt, and nuts at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running at low speed, add butter pieces; continue to beat until mixture is well-blended and resembles wet sand, about 2 minutes.

3. Transfer 2/3 of mixture to prepared pan and use hands to press crumbs evenly into bottom. Bake until starting to brown, about 20 minutes. Work in remaining 2 tablespoons butter into oat mixture by rubbing mixture between fingers until butter is fully incorporated. Pinch mixture with fingers to create hazelnut-sized clumps; set streusel aside.

4. Meanwhile in a medium bowl, add boiling water to dates and stir to combine and soften dates. Add the brown sugar and zest and transfer to a food processor until pureed, about 1 minute. Add remaining cup of walnuts and pulse to chop nuts and combine filling. Spread the filling on top of the hot crust. Sprinkle the reserved streusel on top of the filling. Bake for about 30 minutes until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating pan from front to back halfway through baking time.

5. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 1½ hours, then remove from pan using foil handles. Cut into 1¼- to 1½-inch squares and serve.

Butterscotch Glazed Oatmeal Brownies

This is a great change of pace from traditional chocolate brownies. The oatmeal and butterscotch compliment each perfectly – buttery, chewy, delicious bars.

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 cups quick-cooking oats

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened, each stick cut into 8 pieces

¾ cup butterscotch chips

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

Glaze

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ cup butterscotch chips

For the bars:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 13 by 9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving overhang on all sides.

2. Mix flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl until combined. Heat butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until nutty brown in color, about 12 minutes. Pour hot butter over butterscotch chips in large bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in brown sugar until dissolved, then whisk in vanilla and egg until combined. Stir in flour mixture in two additions until combined.

3. Spread mixture into prepared pan and bake until edges are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 17 to 19 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack.

For the glaze:

1. Bring brown sugar, water, and salt to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat and add butterscotch chips and whisk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over warm bars and cool on rack until warm to touch, about 1 1/2 hours.

2. Using foil overhang, lift bars from pan and cool completely on rack, about 30 minutes. Cut into bars and serve. (Bars will keep in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

What’s not to love about these cookies? If you’re a fan of Reese’s peanut butter cups, these may become your new favorite cookies. I made mine with White Whole Wheat flour, but feel free to use all purpose flour, or a combination of white and wheat.

Makes about 18 cookies 

Download Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup creamy peanut butter

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

½ cup rolled oats

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

¼ cup unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, about 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl and add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Using large wooden spoon, stir in the oats and chocolate chips (and nuts if using).

4. Using an ice cream scoop (3 tablespoons), drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake each sheet for 11-13 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.