Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream-Cheese Filling ( Martha Stewart)

THE CREAM-CHEESE FILLING ( half of the amount )

3 cups confectioners' sugar ( 1 ½ cup)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened ( ¼ cup )

8 ounces cream cheese, softened ( 4 oz )

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ( ½ tea spoon)

PUMPKIN WHOOPIE COOKIES ( half of the amount )

3 cups all-purpose flour  ( 1 ½ cup flour)

1 teaspoon salt ( ½ tea spoon salt)

1 teaspoon baking powder (1/2 teaspoon baking powder)

1 teaspoon baking soda (1/2 teaspoon baking soda)

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (1 tablespoons ground cinnamon)

1 tablespoon ground ginger (1/2 tablespoon ground ginger)

1 tablespoon ground cloves (1/2 tablespoon ground cloves)

2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar (1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar)

1 cup vegetable oil  (1/2 cup vegetable oil)

3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled ( 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, chilled)

2 large eggs or 2+6 flax +water (1 large egg)  1+3 flax +water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1

Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.

STEP 2

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.

STEP 3

Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.

STEP 4

Make the filling: Sift confectioner' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)

STEP 5

Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.

Hamantaschen ( Tori Avey )

• 2+ 6 flax + water
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 to 5 tsp water (if needed)
• Nonstick cooking oil spray

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, orange zest and vanilla.
• In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet, using a large wooden spoon and using circular motions till a crumbly dough begins to form.Knead until smooth and slightly tacky to the touch. Try not to overwork the dough, only knead till the dough is the right consistency. If the crumbles are too dry to form a smooth dough, add water slowly, 1 teaspoon at a time, using your hands to knead the liquid into the dough. Knead and add liquid until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky to the touch (not sticky), with a consistency that is right for rolling out. It can easily go from the right consistency to too wet/sticky, so add water very slowly. If the dough seems too wet, knead in a little flour till it reaches the right texture.
• Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to 1/8 inch.Use a 3-inch cookie cutter (not smaller) or the 3-inch rim of a glass to cut circles out of the dough, cutting as many as you can from the dough. Place a teaspoon of filling (whichever filling you choose) into the center of each circle. Assemble the hamantaschen.
• Place them in the oven and let them bake at 350 F ( 175 C ) for 20-25 minutes, till the cookies are cooked through and lightly golden.

Nut and Jam Thimbles (Green Kitchen Stories)

1 flax egg (1 tbsp flax seeds + 3 tbsp water)

1 cup / 240 ml / 120 g finely chopped sunflower seeds

1 cup / 240 ml /90 g rolled oats (or oat flour), choose gluten free if intolerant

1/2 cup / 120 ml / 60 g buckwheat flour ( I used rye flour)
1 1/2 tbsp arrowroot (or corn starch or potato starch)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract1/3 tsp salt
5 tbsp (75 g) olive oil
5 tbsp maple syrup ( I used honey)1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup Raspberry & Prune Jam, recipe below (or jam of choice)

Put half of the sunflower seeds in a high-speed mixer together with the oats and mix until you have a coarse flour.  Add the rest (rye flour, starch, baking powder)  of the dry ingredients to the sunflower and oat flour and stir to combine. Whisk together oil, honey and flax egg in a large bowl and beat until everything is mixed. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until the dough comes together. Scoop out about 20 portions of the dough and roll them between your hands into balls. If they crack easily you can add a splay of cold water to the dough. Pour the plant milk in a glass and chop the rest of the sunflower seeds coarsely. Dip and roll each ball in the plant milk and then in the sunflower seeds. Place them on the baking sheet and use your thumb to carefully press into the center of each cookie. Fill the indents with 1 teaspoon jam  Bake for 10-14 minutes at  Set the oven to 350°F/175°C.   . Let cool slightly before moving them to a wire rack. They can be a little soft and fragile at first, but will firm up as soon as they chill.

Raspberry & Prune JamThis makes more than what you need for the cookies.

1,5 cup / 200 g raspberries, during winter we use organic frozen berries (no need to thaw)

4 dried prunes, pitted and chopped

a splash of water

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Pour into a bowl and place in the fridge until chilled and thick.

Baklava

The Dough

3 cups of flour
10.5 table spoons of oil ( 8 oz of butter)
1 cup of sour cream or yogurt mixed with teaspoon of baking soda
2 + 6 flax + water
1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/3 teaspoon of clove, ground

The Filling

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 egg whites
2/12 cups walnuts, finely chopped
1 tea spoon cinnamon
Incorporate oi into the flour using pastry cutter. Add sour cream and soda mixture and add flax egg. Continue incorporating with the pastry cutter until it comes together. Divide into 3 parts and chill for 1 hour.

For the filling combine sugar, spice and egg whites and add to the chopped nuts.

Take 8 by 12 inch pan. Roll out the first piece of dough to approximately fit the pan, transfer to the pan and adjust with your hand up to the edges. Spread half of the filling. Roll out the second piece of dough. Stretch a bit with your fingers to fit the pan up to the edges. Spread the second half of the filling. Roll out the third piece of the dough. Lay it on the top of the filling. Brush the top with egg wash.

Cut the pastry into diamond shapes with the sharp knife. Place a walnut piece on each piece of pastry.

Bake at 350 F for about 40 minutes. Let cool completely.

Honey Slices (Торт Мозаика)

3/4 cup of oil
1/4 cup of honey
3/4 cup of sugar
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of nuts
1 egg or 1+3 flax+water
1 tea spoon of baking powder
1 tea spoon of cinnamon
pinch of salt

For top coat: 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 tea spoon of vanilla, 1 table spoon of water, 1 table spoon of honey, 1 table spoon of oil ( warm up sugar, water and honey, add oil and vanilla.

Mix egg with sugar, add oil, honey, salt. Mix flour with baking powder and cinnamon, sift into the egg- oil mix, add nuts.

Bake at 355F ( 180 C) for 20 minutes in the 23 cm  X 23 cm pan.
Spread top coat syrup while cake is warm. let cool and cut into cookie slices. Can serve right away or after 3-4 days.

Milk Biscuits

110 ml of milk
200 gr sugar
Vanilla extract
Coffee extract
4.5 table spoons of oil
1 egg or 1+3 flax+water
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
400 gr flour

Egg yolk for glaze

Mix milk and sugar in a heat proof bowl, bring to a boil and let sugar dissolve. Pour syrup over butter and let butter melt and dissolve in syrup. Add vanilla and coffee extract, egg, baking soda and flour. Mix gently until soft dough forms. Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut the biscuits out with about 5 inch biscuit cutter, brush with egg yolk and let stand while the oven is heating up to 400 F. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden.
Can keep for 2 to 3 days in an air tight container.

Cherry Cheesecake Cookies ( America’s Test Kitchen Holiday Cookies 2010 )

 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour  ( 1 3/4 cups of flour )

2 teaspoons baking powder ( 1 teaspoon baking powder)

1 teaspoon salt ( 1/2 tea spoon salt)

2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened ( 1 package of cream cheese)

13 table spoons of oil ( 6 1/2 table spoons of oil)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar ( 3/4 cups of sugar)

2 large eggs or 2+6 flax seeds+water ( 1+3 flax + water)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract ( 1 teaspoons of vanilla)

3 (20 oz) cans cherry pie filling, drained of juice or cherry in light syrup or jam

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

2.  In the bowl of a mixer, beat cream cheese, oil and sugar on medium-high for 2 minutes.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined.  Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add flour mixture.  Divide dough in half, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

3.  Preheat oven to 350.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

4.  Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, can coat  in graham cracker crumbs or ground nuts.  Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.  Using a rounded spoon, create an indentation in the center of each cookie and place 3 cherries in the center.

5.  Bake until cookies are cracked and set, about 13 minutes.

6.  Cool on sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

NOTES: Makes about four dozen.

Farmers Cheese Cookie Dough

200 gr of farmers cheese or ricotta
1 egg or 1 table spoon of ground flax seeds and 3 table spoons of hot water
1 table spoon of oil ( can omit)
130 gr of whole wheat flour
110 gr of sugar
pinch of salt
1 tea spoon of baking powder
1 tea spoon of vanilla
1 table spoon of rum

Mix flour and sugar, add baking powder, add salt and baking powder. Mix in separate bowl cheese, egg, vanilla and rum. Tip the wet mix into the flour. Mix it carefully by hand. Let rest in refregerator for 15-20 minutes.

Can be used for little braid cookies or jam roll ups.

Apricot Almond Cookies ( Martha Stewart)

2 1/4 cups flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for work surface ( can change 1/2 cup for ground almonds)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup almond paste

3/4 cup sugar

5 table spoons of oil

2 large eggs or 2 table spoons of ground flax seed and 6 table spoon of hot water hot

1/2 cup jam (apricot, blackberry, or raspberry)

1 cup confectioners' sugar

4 teaspoons whole milk

Directions

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a food processor, pulse almond paste and sugar until smooth. Add oil and eggs and blend until smooth. Add flour mixture and pulse until dough forms. Divide into 4 equal pieces, wrap in plastic, and chill 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface roll each piece into a 10-inch log. Transfer logs to two parchment-lined baking sheets and flatten to about 2 inches across. Bake until just dry, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Remove from oven; with the handle of a wooden spoon, make a trench down each log. Spread 2 tablespoons jam into each trench. Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes more. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
4. Whisk together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over logs. Let glaze harden, 20 minutes. With a serrated knife, cut logs on the diagonal into 1-inch slices. (Store in airtight containers, up to 1 week.)

Cook's Note

This dough can be prepped and frozen up to a week in advance. Just thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.