Lemon Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups plus 3 tablespoons unsifted all-purpose flour
• ½ cup confectioners sugar
• ¾ cup cold butter
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup lemon juice
• Additional confectioners sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease 13” X 9” baking pan.
In medium bowl, combine 1 ½ cups flour and confectioners sugar; cut in butter until crumbly.
Press onto bottom of prepared pan.
Bake 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine eggs, granulated sugar, baking powder, lemon juice and remaining 3 tablespoons flour; mix well.
Pour over baked crust; bake 25 – 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Cut into bars.
Sprinkle with additional confectioners sugar.
Store covered in refrigerator; serve at room temperature.

Makes 2 – 3 dozen bars

Old Fashioned Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees


In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed – 1 to 2 minutes.
Add flour and salt. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed – 2 to 3 minutes.

Shape rounded teaspoons of dough into 1” balls. (Or use a cookie press) Place 2” apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten balls of dough to ¼” thickness with bottom of buttered glass dipped in sugar.

Decorate before baking.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet.

Marbled Cinnamon Marzipan Brownie Squares

Brownie Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 (7 to 8-oz.) package of almond paste
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 egg

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 X 9” pan with non-stick cooking spray. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and vanilla. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour; mix until smooth. Spread batter evenly in pan.

Crumble almond paste into food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and 1 egg; process until completely smooth. Drop almond mixture by small spoonfuls onto brownie batter. Swirl with a knife.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes approximately 48 bars

Almond Raspberry Macaroons

Ingredients:

• 2 cups canned almond paste (Do not use almond paste from a tube, mixture will be too thin)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• Powdered sugar
• Seedless raspberry jam, stirred until smooth

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray

In a food processor, mix almond paste and sugar until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
Mix in egg whites, a little at a time, until thoroughly combined.

Place heaping teaspoons 2” apart onto prepared cookie sheets.
Coat finger with powdered sugar and make an indentation in the middle of each cookie.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and fill each indentation with about ¼ teaspoon of raspberry jam.

Makes about 24