I Love King Arthur Flour
I took a couple of bread baking classes in Pasadena when King Arthur Flour was having a "traveling baking tour." It was terrific. I learned a great deal, although I have always been a tad hesitant when trying to bake bread. They eased my mind and made the day fun (and delicious, might I add...) But, you don't have to wait for them to come around to you...you can go to them. Online. Here.To aid with two great cancer foundations, The Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, they have a great "pink" baking pie dish from Emile Henry. Get yours HERE.
And, of course, they have great recipes in their books...and online.
Terri's Teacakes
Terri Bartlett recently won first place in our King Arthur Hallowe'en costume contest, dressed as a chef clothed in a giant bag of King Arthur Flour. Little did you realize that if you called us on the Friday before Hallowe'en, you could very well have talked to Big Bird, the Jolly Green Giant, Dracula, or Glinda, the Witch of the West. Luckily, we don't yet have "viewing" telephones! These cookies are very reminiscent of Mexican Wedding Cookies, if you've ever come across that recipe. So tender they truly melt in your mouth, they're another good candidate for some glitter decoration.
- Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter 1/4 teaspoon salt* 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar or glazing sugar* 1 teaspoon vanilla OR 1 teaspoon almond-vanilla powder* 2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Coating
1 cup glazing* or confectioners' sugar 3 to 4 tablespoons edible colored glitter* (to color cookies, optional)
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter and salt until soft and fluffy. Mix in the confectioners' or glazing sugar and flavoring. Add the flour and mix until well-combined, then knead in the chopped nuts.
Form the dough into 1-inch balls; a teaspoon cookie scoop is a real time-saver, and your cookies will be nice and uniform, as well. Place the balls on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake them in a preheated 350°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes. The cookies should be very light brown on the bottom and feel "set."
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before disturbing; they're very fragile when they first come out of the oven. Mix the confectioners' or glazing sugar with the edible glitter (if you're using it) and place it in a shallow pan. Roll the warm cookies in the sugar. Let them cool completely then re -roll in the sugar. When completely cool, store them in airtight containers for 1 week, or freeze for longer storage. Yield: approximately forty 1-inch cookies.
