Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons Instant Coffee Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Water
• 2 cups Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
• 1-½ stick Butter, Unsalted
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 2 Tablespoons Coffee Liqueur (Kahlua)
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 5 ounces, weight White Chocolate, Cut Into 3/4″ Pieces
• ¾ cups Coarsely Chopped Pecans, Toasted
• _____
• FOR THE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE:
• 1 ounce, weight White Chocolate, Melted
• 1 ounce, weight Semi Sweet Chocolate Melted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch diameter cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment. If you don’t  have a 10″ round, you can use a 9×9″ square pan.

Combine coffee powder and the water in a heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until coffee dissolves. Add sugar and butter and stir until butter melts. Pour into a large bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Add eggs and coffee liqueur to butter mixture and whisk to combine. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl. Add to butter mixture and stir to blend. Stir in chocolate pieces and pecans.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out almost clean, about 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack. Run a small sharp knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the brownies. Turn out onto a plate; peel off parchment.

Cut into small wedges. Put 1-oz. portions of semi-sweet and white chocolates in small Ziploc bags and melt in hot water. Snip a small bit off the corner of each bag, and drizzle chocolate decoratively on wedges.

You can also leave off the drizzled chocolate, and serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

I think that this year, lemon/cranberry bars would be a good addition.

INGREDIENTS
Yield: 2 dozen bars

For the cranberry layer
1 (12-ounce/340-gram) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
¾ cup/150 grams granulated sugar
3 TB water
zest of 2 large lemons

For the crust
Nonstick cooking spray
1½ cups/190 grams AP flour
⅓ cup/65 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup/170 grams unsalted butter (1½ sticks), melted and cooled

For the lemon layer
1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
¼ cup/30 grams all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Powdered sugar (optional)

PREPARATION

Step 1
Start preparing the cranberry layer: Combine the cranberries, sugar and 3 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan. Zest 2 of the lemons directly into the saucepan; reserve the lemons.

Step 2
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until the berries burst and the mixture is jammy, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.

Step 3
Make the crust: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with one large sheet of heavy aluminum foil, making sure there are no gaps or holes, then generously coat with cooking spray.

Step 4
Whisk the flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the vanilla into the butter, then pour over the flour mixture. Stir until the dough comes together in a mass. Press into an even layer in the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown around the edges and
dry and golden on top, 17 to 20 minutes.

Step 5
While the crust bakes, begin preparing the lemon layer: Squeeze the juice from the 2 reserved zested lemons. You should have ½ cup. Squeeze the juice from another lemon, if needed.

Step 6
Whisk the sugar, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add the eggs and whisk gently just until incorporated. Add the lemon juice and stir gently with the whisk just until smooth.

Step 7
Let the crust cool for 5 minutes, then spread the cranberry mixture evenly over the crust. Carefully and slowly pour the lemon mixture on top to create two distinct layers.

Step 8
Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is set, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 2 hours. Using the foil, slide the bars out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into 24
squares, wiping your knife between cuts for clean slices. If desired, sift powdered sugar over the tops just before serving.

Scottish shortbread cookies from one of my favorite YouTube cooks.

My favorite sugar cookie recipe, from the 1986 Betty Crocker cookbook (I have a couple of older ones too!); this cookie is delicious, but it tends to spread a bit.

SUGAR COOKIES

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 egg
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
granulated sugar (for decoration)

Instructions:

Mix powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and egg. Stir in remaining ingredients, except granulated sugar. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

Heat oven to 375°. Divide dough into halves. Roll each half 3/16″ thick on a lightly floured cloth-covered board. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Place on a lightly-greased cookie sheet. Bake until edges are light brown, 7-8 minutes. Yields about 5 dozen 2 to 2-1/2″ cookies; fewer if you use large cutters.

Alternatively, leave off the granulated sugar and decorate cooled cookies as desired.

Last year I made date bars, an old favorite of mine and my daughter’s. I had not made them in years, and they were a big hit!

DATE BARS

Ingredients:

1 Cup packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup butter, softened
1/4 Cup shortening
1-3/4 Cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 Cups rolled oats
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking so

1 pound pitted dates, cut up (about 3 cups)
1-1/2 Cups water
1/4 Cup sugar

Instructions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix brown sugar, butter and shortening. Stir in the flour, oats, salt and baking soda. Remove 2 cups of the mixture; reserve. Press the remaining mixture in an ungreased 13x9x2″ baking pan.

Heat the cut-up dates, water and sugar over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes, then cool.

Pour the date mixture evenly over the crust in the baking pan. Top with the reserved oat mixture, and press lightly.

Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cut into bars while still warm (about 36 bars).

What are your favorite cookies to make (or eat!) for the holidays?