Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold Cookbook: A Love Story Told Through 150 Recipes (Fool's Gold #12.1)

4. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges and just firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

5. Sprinkle cooled cut-out cookies with powdered sugar. Turn the cookies without holes flat-side up; spread with jam. Top with cut-out cookies flat-side down.

TIP: Wait to create jam sandwiches until the day you’ll be serving them. Filled cookies will become soggy overnight.

WINTER

Coconut Vanilla Snowball Cupcakes

This big-batch cupcake recipe makes enough for a winter party. The cupcakes look especially pretty on a tiered cake stand.

Makes 24

Cupcakes

2½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1½ cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon pure coconut extract

¾ cup sour cream

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Frosting

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2–2½ cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

3 tablespoons sour cream

Sweetened flaked coconut, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt until combined.

3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and coconut extracts; beat until blended. Reduce mixer speed to low, and alternately add dry ingredients and sour cream, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Remove from mixer; fold in coconut.

4. Drop batter into cupcake liners, filling each just over halfway full. Bake 18–20 minutes, until golden and set. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. For frosting: In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and salt; beat until blended and fluffy. Add sour cream; beat just until blended. Fold in additional powdered sugar, if needed.

6. Spread the frosting on cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle a generous amount of coconut over cupcakes.

TIP: Eggs blend into cake batter best if they’re at room temperature.

WINTER

WINTER

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tart

An elegant tart for a party that (don’t tell anyone!) tastes like the most decadent candy bar.

Serves 10

Crust

30 (about 6 ½ ounces) chocolate wafer cookies (such as Nabisco Famous)

Pinch of salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

3 tablespoons hot coffee or water

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped

6 tablespoons heavy cream

3 large eggs, separated

9 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Caramel-pecan layer

2 tablespoons heavy cream

8 ounces caramel candies, unwrapped

4 ounces toasted pecans, chopped

Chocolate drizzle

¼ cup heavy cream

⅓ cup chopped semisweet chocolate or chips

For crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse cookies and salt until fine crumbs form. Add butter; pulse just until dough comes together. Dump dough into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Using the back of a spoon, press dough evenly in the pan and up the sides. Bake crust for 8 minutes, until slightly puffed and a bit darker in color. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For filling:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve espresso powder in hot coffee. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add dissolved espresso, cream and egg yolks. Warm until mixture measures 160°F on a candy thermometer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, whisk in chopped chocolate until melted. Pour mixture into a large bowl and let cool to lukewarm.

2. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites until foamy. Add sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold whites into cooled chocolate mixture until blended. Spoon filling into the cooled crust. Freeze 2 hours, or until firm.

For caramel-pecan layer:

1. Bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer over high heat. Place cream and caramels in a metal bowl; set bowl over simmering water. Cook until caramels are melted, stirring often. Drizzle warm caramel evenly over tart. Immediately sprinkle pecans over caramel so that they stick. Let cool.

For chocolate drizzle:

1. Microwave cream until hot but not boiling. Place chopped chocolate in a bowl; stir in hot cream until blended and of drizzling consistency. Drizzle in a zigzag pattern over the tart. Store tart in refrigerator; let it sit at room temperature until soft enough to cut.

TIP: Serve tart at room temperature so the caramel is chewy, not hard.

WINTER

Classic Guinness Gingerbread

Deep, dark, intensely spiced—this is a very special holiday dessert. More good news—the cake tastes even better the next day. Wrap cooled cake tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.

Serves 12

Cake

Butter, for greasing pan

¾ cup Guinness or other stout