Field Guide to Cookies: How to Identify and Bake Virtually Every Cookie Imaginable
If there's one cookie cookbook that belongs in every cookie-lover's cookbook collection, it's definitely the Field Guide to Cookies: How to Identify and Bake Virtually Every Cookie Imaginable. Anita Chu, author of the popular and award-winning Web site, Dessert First, has written the only cookie cookbook with recipes ever needed to make over 100 delightful cookies from all over the world,accompanied by an inset of 100 superb photos.
Anita shares her notes on the Perfect Cookie, Baking Tools, Baking Ingredients and her delicious home-made cookie recipes which are divided among four chapters: Drop Cookies, Bar Cookies, Molded Cookies and Rolled Cookies. Each recipe begins with a General Description, Historical facts, Serving Suggestions and Baking Notes.
With recipes such as Amaretti, Chocolate Espresso Cookies, French Macarons, Rainbow Cookies, Madeleines, Speculas, and Biscochitos, this cookie cookbook will appeal to all levels of baking skills.
Field Guide to Cookies is the perfect holiday gift to add to every cookie-lover's cookbook collection.
Fig Bars Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Fig Filling:
- 1 1/4 cup dried figs, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sugar
How to make Fig Bars:
- Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
- In a stand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar on medium speed for several minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and orange zest and mix until combined.
- Add flour mixture and mix on low speed just until combined.
- Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten into a disk, wrap tightly, and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour. Meanwhile, make the filling.
- Combine figs, sugar, and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until it reaches a jammy consistency. Set aside and let cool.
- Roll out half of the dough on a lightly floured surface into an 8 by 13 by 1/8-inch thick rectangle. Transfer dough to a piece of parchment paper and trim to 7 by 12 inches.
- Spread half the filling down the middle long third of the dough.
- Fold the top third of the dough over the filling, using the parchment paper to help guide your fold.
- Fold the bottom third of the dough over the filling, overlapping the top third by about 3/4 inch. Press dough together to seal seam.
- Flip cookie log over onto the seam side and chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Repeat with the second half of the dough and rest of the filling.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Place both logs on sheet about 4 inches apart.
- Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until the logs are golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool completely on wire rack before cutting.
- Using a serrated knife, cut log into 1 1/2-inch wide slices.
Yield: About 16 slices.
Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Fig Bars are a great addition to a holiday gift basket or a holiday cookie tray.
Additional Holiday Fig Recipes:
Written permission to reprint the Fig Bar Recipe and photos granted by author Anita Chu and Quirk Books.
- Field Guide to Cookies: How to Identify and Bake Vitually Every Cookie Imaginable
- Softcover,304 pages
- Publisher: Quirk Books
- ISBN 9781594742835
- Published September 2008
- Author: Anita Chu
- Photography: Steve Legato
- Price: $15.95 US/$21.95 CAN
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