Daily Demo with Dina: Black Gesso Ideas

Recipes I talked about on the broadcast:

Sugar Cookie Bars from The Food Nanny

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

5 cups white flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese (room temp)

1/2 cup butter

4-5 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 drops red food coloring

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg. Add vanilla and almond extracts and mix. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until combined (if you over-mix, cookies will be tough). Spread on greased baking sheet (a half-sheet is too big, and a 9x13 pan is too small...you need a cookie sheet about 11x17). Bake at 375 F for 10 to 15 minutes. Don't overbake.
Frosting: mix all ingredients. Spread on cooled cookie bars. ADD SPRINKLES

Glazed Lemon Cookies

1 1/2 sticks butter, at room temp

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large egg yolks

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups flour

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tb fresh lemon juice

2 Tb grated lemon zest, divided

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks, vanilla, 1 Tb lemon zest, and salt and beat to combine. Gradually add flour, mixing until just incorporated (do not overmix).
Divide dough in half and shape into 1 1/4" logs. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 350 F. Slice logs into 3/8" thick pieces (I do them thicker than this) and space them 1 1/2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until lightly golden, about 16 to 20 mins. Let cool.
In small bowl whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and 1 Tb lemon zest until it forms a thick but pourable glaze. Add more lemon juice if necessary. Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and let set.

ponderings