berger cookies

 Makes 24 cookies ( I say double the cookie recipe and leave the frosting as is. This makes a ton of the frosting) I freeze mine, if I do not have time to make them all!
 
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

or the cookies:
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup milk

For the icing:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line 2 baking sheets ( like to make cookies on stones...perfect edges and evenly baked to perfection! with parchment paper of Silpat mats and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, salt, vanilla, and baking powder. Add in sugar, then egg and blend to incorporate. With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour and milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just blended.

Drop teaspoon sized drops of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Using the bottom of a greased glass, flatten each cookie to about 1 1/2 inches.


Bake for 10-11 minutes until the bottom of the cookies are just beginning to brown. Be sure not to overbake the cookies, they should be soft and cake-like. Cool cookies on pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

While the cookies are cooling, make the icing. Place chocolate chips, corn syrup, vanilla and cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until chocolate begins to melt. Stir mixture until smooth. Add in confectioners' sugar and stir until blended completely. Allow icing to cool to room temperature.
Dip the bottom of the cooled cookies into the icing and place icing side up on baking sheets. After all cookies have been dipped, dollop remaining icing on top of iced cookies (you want LOTS of icing!) and evenly spread using a small knife. Allow icing to set. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Note: Icing will set completely in about 6 hours, but you can of course eat them before it has set. Just don't store them until the icing is hardened.

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cream puff cake

1 stick margarine
1 c water
1 c flour
4 eggs
1 box instant vanilla or white chocolate pudding (large box)
3 cups milk
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese softened
1 8 oz carton cool whip
chocolate syrup

Boil together the margarine and water.

Add flour and mix well. Cool slightly and stir in eggs, one at a time. Mix well and spread into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Cool completely.

In a large bowl, mix pudding, milk and cream cheese. Beat until lumps disappear. Pour into cream puff crust.

Spread cool whip on top of pudding and drizzle syrup on top. Refrigerate.

This keeps well for days.

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plum torte

1/4 pound unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup plus 1 or 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
Pinch salt
24 halves pitted Italian (prune or purple) plums
1 teaspoon cinnamon or more, to taste

1. Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and the 3/4 cup of sugar. Add the flour, baking powder, eggs, and salt and beat to mix well. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 9- or 10-inch springform pan. Cover the top with the plums, skin sides down. Mix the cinnamon with the remaining 1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar and sprinkle over the top.
3. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired.
4. To serve, let the torte return to room temperature and reheat at 300 degrees until warm, if desired. Serve plain or with vanilla ice cream.

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