Raising the Bar
The best bar cookies can be made with just a wooden spoon.
Like a lot of our friends, we are trying to declutter our kitchens, so we keep the electric mixer and food processor tucked away. When it's time to bake, we have to take out the machines, pull out canisters of flour and sugar - and there's hardly any counter space left. One day, we decided to leave the mixer and rolling pin where they were and make cookies the old-fashioned way: in a bowl with a wooden spoon and plenty of elbow grease. We pressed a buttery dough into a pan, scattered the top with chocolate, crumbled more dough on top, and baked sophisticated sandwich bars. But then we wanted to turn the dough into Linzer squares layered with raspberry jam - and ground almonds. Alas, the food processor had to make an appearance to whir the nuts. Still, creaming butter in a big mixing bowl with a well-worn wooden spoon is a satisfying kitchen chore. We'll hang onto the mixers, just in case.
CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD SANDWICH BARS
MAKES 2 0
Butter (for the pan)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Extra flour (for sprinkling)
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or 2 bars (4 ounces each) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely broken Granulated sugar (for sprinkling) Confectioners' sugar (for sprinkling)
Set the oven at 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fi t the bottom of the pan. Butter the paper. In a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon, cream the butter. Add the granulated sugar a little at a time until it is well blended. Beat in the yolks and vanilla.
Sift together the fl our, baking powder, and salt. Stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture a little at a time until it is all incorporated. The dough will be sticky.
Place two-thirds of the dough in the pan. Using your fingertips, press it into an even layer. Flour your hands as you work. Prick the dough all over with a fork.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips or pieces over the dough to within 1/4 inch of the edges. Place clumps of the remaining dough around the perimeter of the chocolate, making a 1/2-inch border. Then scatter the remaining dough clumps to fill in the rectangle. You will still be able to see chocolate through the dough. With a lightly floured hand, pat the clumps gently all over to flatten them slightly. Sprinkle the dough lightly with granulated sugar.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top of the pastry is pale golden. Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool.
Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate just until the chocolate sets. Remove from the refrigerator and cut the pastry into bars, making 3 horizontal cuts and 4 vertical cuts.
Lift out the bars, sprinkle them with confectioners' sugar, and stack them on a plate.
LINZER BARS
MAKES 20
Butter (for the pan)
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Extra flour (for sprinkling)
1 jar (12 ounces) raspberry jam Granulated sugar (for sprinkling) Confectioners' sugar (for sprinkling)
Set the oven at 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fi t the bottom of the pan. Butter the paper.
Spread the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast them in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until they are light brown. Set them aside to cool.
In a food processor, grind the almonds.
In a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon, cream the butter. Add the granulated sugar a little at a time until it is well blended. Beat in the yolks and vanilla.
Sift together the fl our, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir the dry mixture and the ground almonds into the butter mixture a little at a time until it is all incorporated. The dough will be slightly sticky.
Place two-thirds of the dough in the pan. Using your fingertips, press it into an even layer. Flour your hands as you work. Prick the dough all over with a fork.
With the back of a spoon, spread the jam on the dough, leaving a 1/4-inch edge. Place clumps of dough around the perimeter of the jam, making a 1/2-inch border. Scatter the remaining dough in clumps over the rest of the jam. You will still be able to see jam through the dough. With a lightly floured hand, pat the clumps to flatten them slightly. Sprinkle the dough lightly with granulated sugar.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the top of the pastry is pale golden. Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool. Cut into bars, making 3 horizontal cuts and 4 vertical cuts. Lift out the bars, sprinkle them with confectioners' sugar, and stack on a plate.
Ask the Cooks: Stalemate
What is the best way to store apple strudel? If kept uncovered, the filling tends to dry out over a few days; if covered, the pastry loses its crispness.
Phyllis Shernan /// Malden
Any way you look at it, there is an exchange of moisture going on. If you store the strudel uncovered, the sweet fruit filling will dry out and some of the sugar may begin to crystallize. When you cover the pastry, the moisture from the filling concentrates and may be absorbed by the dough. Try keeping the strudel in its bakery box, wrapped tightly with plastic, or tucked into a zipper bag. The cardboard box will act like those little packets of desiccant you find in leather products and electronics and absorb excess moisture without drying out the food. If storing longer than two days, consider cutting the pastry into smaller pieces and freezing them to preserve texture. Reheat your treat in the oven, which will refresh it and make the house smell good. Our antique Hoosier cabinet has a tin bread drawer that's a great place to keep pastries like strudel or Danish. The sliding lid seals out light, and the vents allow excess moisture to escape.
Pastry items that are glazed or frosted are the most difficult to keep, and the sugary coatings tend to dissolve after freezing. Some sweets make a great breeding ground for bacteria or mold. Any pastry that contains dairy products - cheese or whipped cream, for example - should be refrigerated. You may sacrifice some texture, but it is best to play it safe.
Answer by Peter J. Kelly, a chef-instructor at Johnson & Wales University. 