Christmas Cookies Day #2

Another page from the same newspaper as yesterdays. Los Angeles Times Dec 1995! Cookie recipes are Chocolate Macaroons; Macadamia and Coconut Bars. These recipes come from a cookbook by Maida Heatter. I google searched her name and read some fun things about her cooking skills.



Chocolate Macaroons
1 1/3 cups blanched almonds
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch salt
3 egg whites

• Toast almonds in shallow pan in 350-degrees oven for about 10 or 12 minutes, shaking pan or stirring nuts once or twice. Set aside to cool.
• Chop 12 almonds into small pieces and set aside. Grind remaining almonds in food processor with chocolate, sugar cocoa and salt until fine, about 30 seconds. With motor running, add egg whites through feed tube and process until mixed.
• Shape mixture into round cookies about 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper of aluminum foil. Either use pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain round tube or drop from teaspoon. Sprinkle tops with chopped nuts.
• Bake at 350 degrees, reversing sheets top to bottom and front to back once during baking, until macaroons feel soft but dry, not sticky, about 10 minutes. Do not overbake.
• With metal spatula, transfer macaroon to rack to cool. Store in airtight container or loosely covered.
  

Makes about 20 macaroons.

Macadamia and Coconut Bars
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 eggs
salt
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sifted flour
1 1/2 cups salted macadamia nuts
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/2 cups shredded coconut, lightly packed

• Wet inside of 13x9-inch pan and line with aluminum foil. Butter foil. Chill pan in freezer or refrigerator.
• Beat butter until soft. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar and beat until well-mixed. Beat in 1 egg and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and then, beating on low speed, add 1 1/4 cups flour and beat only until incorporated.
• Place mixture by very small spoonfuls all over bottom of cold pan. Then, with floured fingertips, carefully, patiently and slowly spread dough in even layer all over bottom of pan, re-flouring fingertips often. Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let stand. Do not turn off oven.
• Shake nuts gently in wide strainer to remove excess salt; set aside.
• Sift together 2 tablespoons flour, pinch salt and baking powder; set a side.
• Beat remaining 2 eggs, vanilla extract and remaining 1 cup brown sugar until thoroughly mixed. Beat in sifted ingredients. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups coconut (reserve remaining) and nuts.
• Place mixture by tablespoon evenly over top of bottom layer. Then, with bottom of spoon, spread into smooth, very thin layer. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup coconut.
• Bake at 350 degrees, reversing pan front to back once during baking, until top is richly browned and toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
• Cool, then cover with baking sheet and turn upside down. Remove pan and carefully peel off foil. Cover with wax paper and another baking sheet or cutting board and turn upside down again, leaving cake right-side up.
• Refrigerate for a few hours or more or place in freezer for about 1 hour. Cut into 32 even bars. Wrap each bar in either clear cellophane or wax paper, or place bars in airtight container with wax paper between layers.
• Makes 32.