Cecilia's Linzer Sables

These are a classic. You can fill them with any jam you like, you can use any shape you like, and I imagine any combination of spices as well.

Ingredients
1.5 cups finely ground almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts (I used walnuts)
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 tsp. freshly grated cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground cloves
1 large egg
2 tsp. water
1 stick unsalted butter at room temp.
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup jam (I used raspberry jam)

Method
1. Whisk together the ground nuts, flour, cinnamon, salt, and cloves.
2. Using a fork, stir the egg and the water together in a small bowl.
3. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
4. Add the egg mixture and beat for 1 min more.
5. Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the dough. Don't work the dough much, and if need be mix the dough by hand if the mixer is unable to do it for you.
6. Divide the dough in half. Put the dough between two large sheets of plastic wrap, and press down with your hands until fairly flat. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is around 1/4 inch thick. Make sure that at this time you make sure the dough is not stuck to the plastic wrap.
7. Place on a chopping board (still covered with plastic wrap) and place in the freezer for 45 min.
8. Center a rack in the oven, and preheat to 375F.
9. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
10. Take out the dough from the freezer. Remove the plastic wrap from 1/2.
11. Cut out the shapes, making sure that you cut a small window in 1/2 of the cookies, so that the jam can be viewed. Make sure you save the scrapes, so that you can combine them with the other half's worth of scraps, and re-freeze to make more cookies.
12. Place cut outs on the baking sheet, and bake for 11-13 min. Or until they are lightly golden and firm to the touch.
13. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
14. When cool, spread the jam on.

From Baking: From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan, pp.134-6.

Apple Shortbread Cake

This is a plain cake that goes well with a coffee or a tea. It is sweet, but not too sweet.

Ingredients: Shortbread
2.5 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 stick + 5 Tbs. unsalted butter at room temp.
1 cup + 2 Tbs sugar
1 large egg
1 large yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Ingredients: Caramelized Apples
3 apples (I used fuji)
3 Tbs unsalted butter
3 Tbs sugar

Method: Shortbread
1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. With a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on low speed. Beat until soft and smooth.
3. Add 1 cup of the sugar, and mix until it mixes well into the butter.
4. Reduce the speed to low, and add the egg and egg yolk, beating until they are incorporated.
5. Beat in the vanilla extract.
6. Take the bowl out of the mixer, and using a rubber spatula add the flour mixture in until it is just incorporated.
7. Turn onto a work surface and mix in any remaining dry ingredients by hand.
8. Divide the dough into 2, and make each into a flat disk. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 15-30min.
9. Center a rack in the oven, and preheat to 350F. Lightly butter a 9 inch springform pan, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
10. Make the caramelized apples.

Method: Caramelized Apples
1. Peel and core the apples, chop in half, cut each half lengthwise into 8 slices, and then crosswise.
2. Put a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter.
3. When the butter has melted, sprinkle over the sugar. Cook together for 1-2 min (you want the sugar to caramelize not burn, so adjust the heat accordingly).
4. Toss in the apples. Turn the apples once or twice, until they are tender but not soft (around 3-5min). They should have a golden color.
5. Transfer to a plate.

Method: Assembly
1. Work with 1 piece of dough at a time. For the bottom layer put the dough in the springform pan and spread out with finger tips until it covers the bottom of the pan.
2. Place a layer of caramelized apples on top (at this stage you can add some spices if you like to the apples).
3. On a work surface, spread out the second piece of dough on the plastic wrap until you have a size that will cover the top of the caramelized apples.
4. Place the dough on top of the apples, and remove the plastic wrap. Use your fingers to even it out if necessary.
5. Brush the top of the cake with a little water. Sprinkle over the 2 tsp of sugar.
6. Bake for 35-40 min, or until the top of the cake is lightly golden, and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Place on a cooling rack and cool for 20 min.
8. Run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan, and remove the sides of the pan.

Dorie Greenspan From My Home to Yours. pp. 208-9 and 408.

Salt and Pepper Cocoa Shortbread

These are really hard to describe. They are chocolaty, but more like a dark chocolate with a slightly bitter edge. Great with a coffee, or a sweet hot chocolate.

Ingredients

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 sticks unsalted butter

2/3 cup confectioners sugar

1 large egg yolk

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Method

1. Sift the flour and cocoa together.

2. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on low speed until soft and smooth.

3. Add the confectioners sugar and mix until the butter is smooth.

4. Add the egg yolk, salt, pepper, and vanilla and mix until smooth.

5. Add the flour and cocoa mixture in 3 additions, beating on low speed - just until incorporated.

6. Put the dough onto a work surface and divide it in half.

7. With each half form it into a 6 inch long rod.

8. Wrap them in glad wrap, and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours (you can freeze these, or they can be refrigerated for up to 4 days).

9. Preheat the oven to 350F.

10. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

11. Cut dough into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick, and place on the baking sheet.

12. Bake for 14-16 min, making sure that at the 7 min mark you swap the trays around from top to bottom and from back to front.

13. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Dorrie Greenspan again, pp. 128-129