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DECEMBER
1998
Butter
Brings the World To Your Holiday Table
 Whether
you say "Buon Natale," "Joyeux Noel"
or "Feliz Navidad," chances are your holiday
extravaganzas will include an assortment of crowd-pleasing
desserts. This year, bring the world to your holiday
table with an international selection of dessert classics
reminiscent of Christmas past, but with a contemporary
sense of ease and elegance from Jose "Chef Pepin"
Hernandez, popular television Chef, Gale Gand, pastry
Chef/owner of Chicago's Famous Brassieri T" and
Mary Bergin, Head Pastry Chef for Spago Restaurants.
Because no matter where in the world you celebrate
the "sweetest season," baked goods, made
with quality ingredients, make the occasion ever merrier.
International
Holiday Fare
If you have
dairy related recipes you would like to share with
the Dairy community on MooMilk, send them to me, Aimee
Silva. I would love to get them!
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 Spiced
Butter Thumbprint Cookies
1cup (2 sticks) butter,
softened
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 Egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
Fruit preserves or jam
Powdered sugar
Cream butter and sugar
with electric mixer until creamy. Beat in egg yolks
and vanilla. Combine flour, spices and salt. Gradually
add to butter mixture and beat until well combined.
Cover and refrigerate dough about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1-1/2 inches
apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Make a thumbprint
in the center of each ball. Bake 12 to 15 minutes
or until golden. Cool on wire rack. Fill centers of
cookies with preserves just before serving, and sprinkle
with powdered sugar. Makes about 3-1/2 dozen cookies.
Note: Unfilled cookies
can be frozen for up to 1 month in a covered container.
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 Traditional
Butter Almond
Cut-Outs
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted
butter, softened
¾ granulated sugar
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted, finely chopped
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Decorator frosting, multi-colored
Sprinkles, etc.
Cream butter and sugar
with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in
almonds. Beat in egg, milk and almond extract. Combine
flour and salt together. Gradually add flour and salt
combination to butter mixture. Divide dough in half.
Wrap each half in plastic wrap, refrigerate a minimum
of 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch
thickness. Cut into desired shapes using holiday cookie
cutters. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Make
a hole on top of each cookie with a wooden skewer
for ribbon. Bake 12 to 1 5 minutes or until edges
are golden. Cool on wire rack, decorate as desired.
Makes about 16 large cookies or 32 smaller cookies.
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 Santa's
Chocolate Truffles
1 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) butter, softened
1cup whipping cream
16 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
Cocoa, chopped nuts, toasted coconut
And/or chocolate sprinkles
Melt sugar in heavy saucepan
and cook over medium-high heat until sugar melts and
turns golden, stirring occasionally. (Watch carefully,
as sugar melts and turns golden, stirring occasionally.
(Watch carefully, as sugar can burn easily!) Remove
from heat.
Stir butter into caramelized
sugar. Stir in shipping cream. Heat mixture to boiling,
stirring until caramelized sugar melts. Pour mixture
over chocolate in medium bowl, whisking until chocolate
is melted. Refrigerate mixture until firm enough to
handle, 4 hours or overnight.
Roll chilled mixture
into balls, using about 1-1/2 tablespoons for each
truffle. Roll truffles n cocoa, chopped nuts, toasted
coconut or chocolate sprinkles-drizzle with melted
chocolate. Arrange on serving plate, refrigerate until
serving time. Makes 3 dozen.
Note: Truffles can
be made 2 weeks in advance, refrigerate and cover.
Truffles can also be frozen upto 2 months, thaw in
the refrigerator.
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 Holiday
Butter Biscotti
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ cup sour cream
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces, softened
¾ cup coarsely chopped, toasted, walnuts or pecans
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder and
salt mixing bowl. Mix in egg and sour cream. Mix in
butter and stir in walnuts and rosemary. Knead dough
on floured surface several times; let stand, cover
for 5 minutes. Cut dough in half. Form each half into
flattened log, about 12 inches long and 3 inches wide,
on greased cookie sheet. Bake until lightly browned
10 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack
10 minutes or until cool enough to handle easily.
Diagonal cut dough into ½ inch slices. Place slices
(cut sides down) on a cookie sheet. Bake until very
lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes on each side. (Cool
on wire racks. Store in airtight container. Makes
about 2-1/2 dozen.
Note: Biscotti can
be frozen up to 2 months.
 Classic
Lemon Shortbread
1 cup (2 sticks) butter,
softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract rind
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal
¼ teaspoon salt
Lemon Glaze (recipe follows)
Colored sugar, cinnamon candies,
Multi-colored sprinkles, etc.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat butter until fluffy in a large bowl; beat in
sugar, egg, lemon extract and lemon rind. Combine
flour, cornmeal and salt. Gradually add flour mixture
to butter ingredients. Shape dough into logs about
2 inches in diameter; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate
until firm, about 2-3 hours.
Cut dough into ¼ inch
slices. Bake on greased cookie sheets until cookies
begin to brown at the edges, about 10 minutes. Cool
on wire rack. Frost cookies with Lemon Glaze or colored
Decorating Frosting; let stand until frosting is dry.
Place colored frostings in pastry bags fitted with
small plain or decorative tips; pipe holiday decorations
on cookies, sprinkle with colored sugar or other candy
decorations, if desired. Makes about 4 dozen.
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Lemon
Glaze
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick)
butter, softened
1½ cups powdered sugar
3 to 2½ tablespoons lemon juice
Beat butter and powdered
sugar with enough lemon juice to make a thin glaze
consistency
Makes about ¾ cup
Decorating
Frosting
Beat butter and powdered
sugar with enough milk to make a thick piping or spreading
consistency. Divide frosting into small bowls and
color with food colors. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.
Mexican
Wedding Cookies
8 tablespoons (1 stick)
butter, softened
1/3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1-1/4 cups all- purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup pine nuts, toasted, ground
powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat butter, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, vanilla and orange
rind in medium bowl until fluffy. Mix in combined
flour, salt and cinnamon. Mix in pine nuts. Refrigerate
dough until firm, 2 to 3 hours. Roll dough into crescent
or round shapes, using about 2 rounded teaspoons of
dough for each. Place 1 inch apart on greased cookie
sheets. Bake cookies until lightly browned, 12 to
15 minutes. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar and
cool on wire racks. Makes about 2 dozens.
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 Butter
Usage and Storing Tips
- Butter guarantees
superior baking performance; it makes baked treats
moister and flakier.
- Very cold, grated
butter is more easily incorporated into pastry dough.
- Butter can be frozen
in its original carton for up to three months. As
insurance, place the carton in an airtight plastic
food bag -- this will protect the butter's delicate
flavor.
- To save time, make
cookie dough early and store in the freezer until
you are ready to bake. Cookie dough will keep for
up to a month in the freezer.
- Another time-saver
is to bake your cookies prior to the busy holiday
season. Store in the freezer and defrost when entertaining.
Pre-made cookies will keep one month in the freezer.
- Butter enhances and
marries the flavor of other ingredients and foods.
These recipes are
compliments of American Dairy Association. For additional
butter recipes that can be enjoyed year round, write
to us at the American Diary Association, P.O. Box
760, Rosemont, Illinois 60018-7760.
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