Croissants

For the dough

1 lb. 2 oz. (4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling
5 oz. (1/2cup plus 2 Tbs.) cold water
5 oz. (1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs.) cold whole milk
2 oz. (1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs.) granulated sugar
1-1/2 oz. (3 Tbs.) soft unsalted butter
1 Tbs. plus scant 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
2-1/4 tsp. table salt

For the butter layer
10 oz. (1-1/4 cups) cold unsalted butter

For the egg wash
1 large egg

Make the dough

Combine all of the dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed for 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the mixing bowl once if necessary. Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured 10-inch pie pan or a dinner plate. Lightly flour the top of the dough and wrap well with plastic so it doesn’t dry out. Refrigerate overnight.

Make the butter layer

The next day, cut the cold butter lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slabs. Arrange the pieces on a piece of parchment or waxed paper to form a 5- to 6-inch square, cutting the butter crosswise as necessary to fit. Top with another piece of parchment or waxed paper. With a rolling pin, pound the butter with light, even strokes. As the pieces begin to adhere, use more force. Pound the butter until it’s about 7-1/2 inches square and then trim the edges of the butter. Put the trimmings on top of the square and pound them in lightly with the rolling pin. Refrigerate while you roll out the dough.

Laminate the dough
Unwrap and lay the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a 10-1/2-inch square. Brush excess flour off the dough. Remove the butter from the refrigerator—it should be pliable but cold. If not, refrigerate a bit longer. Unwrap and place the butter on the dough so that the points of the butter square are centered along the sides of the dough. Fold one flap of dough over the butter toward you, stretching it slightly so that the point just reaches the center of the butter. Repeat with the other flaps . Then press the edges together to completely seal the butter inside the dough. (A complete seal ensures butter won’t escape.)
Lightly flour the top and bottom of the dough. With the rolling pin, firmly press the dough to elongate it slightly and then begin rolling instead of pressing, focusing on lengthening rather than widening the dough and keeping the edges straight.
Roll the dough until it’s 8 by 24 inches. If the ends lose their square shape, gently reshape the corners with your hands. Brush any flour off the dough. Pick up one short end of the dough and fold it back over the dough, leaving one-third of the other end of dough exposed. Brush the flour off and then fold the exposed dough over the folded side. Put the dough on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for 20 minutes to relax and chill the dough.
Repeat the rolling and folding, this time rolling in the direction of the two open ends until the dough is about 8 by 24 inches. Fold the dough in thirds again, as shown in the photo above, brushing off excess flour and turning under any rounded edges or short ends with exposed or smeared layers. Cover and freeze for another 20 minutes.
Give the dough a third rolling and folding. Put the dough on the baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap, tucking the plastic under all four sides. Refrigerate overnight.
Divide the dough

The next day, unwrap and lightly flour the top and bottom of the dough. With the rolling pin, “wake the dough up” by pressing firmly along its length—you don’t want to widen the dough but simply begin to lengthen it with these first strokes. Roll the dough into a long and narrow strip, 8 inches by about 44 inches. If the dough sticks as you roll, sprinkle with flour. Once the dough is about half to two-thirds of its final length, it may start to resist rolling and even shrink back. If this happens, fold the dough in thirds, cover, and refrigerate for about 10 minutes; then unfold the dough and finish rolling. Lift the dough an inch or so off the table at its midpoint and allow it to shrink from both sides—this helps prevent the dough from shrinking when it’s cut. Check that there’s enough excess dough on either end to allow you to trim the ends so they’re straight and the strip of dough is 40 inches long. Trim the dough.
Lay a yardstick or tape measure lengthwise along the top of the dough. With a knife, mark the top of the dough at 5-inch intervals along the length (there will be 7 marks in all). Position the yardstick along the bottom of the dough. Make a mark 2-1/2 inches in from the end of the dough. Make marks at 5-inch intervals from this point all along the bottom of the dough. You’ll have 8 marks that fall halfway between the marks at the top.
Make diagonal cuts by positioning the yardstick at the top corner and the first bottom mark. With a knife or pizza wheel, cut the dough along this line. Move the yardstick to the next set of marks and cut. Repeat until you have cut the dough diagonally at the same angle along its entire length—you’ll have made 8 cuts. Now change the angle of the yardstick to connect the other top corner and bottom mark and cut the dough along this line to make triangles. Repeat along the entire length of dough. You’ll end up with 15 triangles and a small scrap of dough at each end.
Shape the croissants

Using a paring knife or a bench knife, make a 1/2- to 3/4-inch-long notch in the center of the short side of each triangle. The notch helps the rolled croissant curl into a crescent. Hold a dough triangle so that the short notched side is on top and gently elongate to about 10 inches without squeezing or compressing the dough—this step results in more layers and loft.

Lay the croissant on the work surface with the notched side closest to you. With one hand on each side of the notch, begin to roll the dough away from you, towards the pointed end.
Flare your hands outward as you roll so that the “legs” become longer. Press down on the dough with enough force to make the layers stick together, but avoid excess compression, which could smear the layers.

Roll the dough all the way down its length until the pointed end of the triangle is directly underneath the croissant. Now bend the two legs towards you to form a tight crescent shape and gently press the tips of the legs together (they’ll come apart while proofing but keep their crescent shape).

Shape the remaining croissants in the same manner, arranging them on two large parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets (8 on one pan and 7 on the other). Keep as much space as possible between them, as they will rise during the final proofing and again when baked.
Proof the croissants

Make the egg wash by whisking the egg with 1 tsp. water in a small bowl until very smooth. Lightly brush it on each croissant.

Refrigerate the remaining egg wash (you’ll need it again). Put the croissants in a draft-free spot at 75° to 80°F. Wherever you proof them, be sure the temperature is not so warm that the butter melts out of the dough. They will take 1-1/2 to 2 hours to fully proof. You’ll know they’re ready if you can see the layers of dough when the croissants are viewed from the side, and if you shake the sheets, the croissants will wiggle. Finally, the croissants will be distinctly larger (though not doubled) than they were when first shaped.

Bake the croissants

Shortly before the croissants are fully proofed, position racks in the top and lower thirds of the oven and heat it to 400°F convection, or 425°F conventional. Brush the croissants with egg wash a second time. Put the sheets in the oven. After 10 minutes, rotate the sheets and swap their positions. Continue baking until the bottoms are an even brown, the tops richly browned, and the edges show signs of coloring, another 8 to 10 minutes. If they appear to be darkening too quickly during baking, lower the oven temperature by 10°F. Let cool on baking sheets on racks.
Make Ahead Tips

The croissants are best served barely warm. However, they reheat very well, so any that are not eaten right away can be reheated within a day or two in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes. They can also be wrapped in plastic or aluminum foil and frozen for a month or more. Frozen croissants can be thawed overnight prior to reheating or taken from the freezer directly to the oven, in which case they will need a few minutes more to reheat.
Variations

Chocolate Croissants: Chop some good-quality bittersweet chocolate and distribute it along the length of the notched end of the dough triangle after you’ve stretched it—use about 1/2 oz. or 1-1/2 Tbs. for each one. Roll it up just like a plain croissant but without stretching out or bending the legs. Proof and bake the same.

Ham and Cheese Croissants: After stretching but before rolling up each croissant, put a thin layer of sliced ham on the dough at the notched end. Tuck it in if it lies more than a little outside the surface of the dough. Put a layer of thinly sliced or grated cheese—good Cheddar or Gruyère is best—on top of the ham. Without stretching or bending the legs, roll the dough tightly. Proof and bake the same.

Citrus Poppy Seed Cake

Cake:

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon orange zest
3 eggs
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Citrus Glaze:

2 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat a 9 x 12 (or 13)-inch baking spray..


2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add juice, vanilla, zest and eggs and continue beating. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.

3. In another bowl combine milk and yogurt.

4. Add milk mixture and flour mixture alternately to butter mixture and beat well to combine. Fold in poppy seeds. Pour batter evenly onto pan and bake for 35 minutes. Remove and cool.
Meanwhile, prepare frosting and glaze.

5. For frosting, in a medium bowl cream butter and cream cheese by using a mixer, then add lemon juice and vanilla and incorporate. Sift icing sugar into butter mixture a cup at a time. Mix until smooth.

6. For glaze, simply combine all ingredients and stir until smooth. Cover and set aside.

Assemble cake.
7. Cut 3″ or 4″ rounds out of the 9×13″ cake.

8. Place one cake round on a serving plate, top with a generous layer of cream cheese frosting. Layer each
round and leave the top without frosting. Pour glaze over the top of cake until it begins to run down the sides.

9. Garnish with orange or lemon peels — or birthday candles!

Raw Chocolate Pudding

2 avocados (ripe)
1/2-3/4 cup agave nectar (blue)
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
2 tbsps coconut cream (concentrate)
1 tbsp alcohol (free vanilla)
1 dash sea salt
1 dash cinnamon (optional)
1 tbsp Chia Seeds (optional)
slice banana (strawberry slices to garnish)

1 Place everything in a high-power blender or food processor and blend on high until very smooth. You may need your temper /spoon to move the contents a little so the motor doesn't bog down on you.

2 Keep stored in an air-tight container in the fridge if not eating right now.

Fudgy Vegan Brownies

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry (flour plain flour works fine)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 mashed banana (riper)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup soymilk (plain, cow's milk works fine)
1 tbsp flax seed meal (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Preheat oven to 350°F Coat 9-inch-square baking pan with cooking spray.

2 Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.

3 Melt chocolate chips with canola oil in double boiler, stirring until smooth. (Or heat in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.).

4 Remove from heat, and whisk in banana and sugar.

5 Combine soymilk, flaxseed meal, and vanilla in measuring cup, then fold into chocolate mixture.

6 Stir chocolate mixture into flour mixture until just combined, then spread in prepared baking pan.

7 (If topping with M&Ms, sprinkle them on now.).

8 Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out dry, but middle is still soft.

9 Cool in pan on wire rack, then cut into 16 squares.

Momma Valentini's Famous Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mix together well:

1 stick margarine, softened
1 stick butter, softened
¾ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup regular sugar

Mix in:

1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add:

1 cup flour
1 package vanilla instant pudding mix (full fat, not the fat free)

Add:

3 cups Old fashion Quaker Oats
1 bag chocolate chips or 1 ½ cups raisins
¼ cup coconut

Roll into balls and bake at 350 degrees until light golden brown, usually 11-12 minutes.
You can freeze the dough before baking and bake off as needed.

Blueberry Rubarb Coconut Pie

Ingrediants:
2 9-inch pie crust
3 TB cornstarch
3 TB rum
2 TB fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 - 3 cups fresh blueberries (depending how thick you want your pie)
1 & 1/2 cup fresh rubarb, chopped into 1 inch pieces
about 1 cup +/- of sweetened coconut
some heavy cream as a pie wash for the top then sprinkle on about 1 1/2 TB coarse sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl stir together the cornstarch, the rum, the lemon juice, the sugar, and the cinnamon. Add the blueberries, and combine the mixture well. Pour the filling into a 6- to 7-cup deep gratin dish or other shallow baking dish with 1 sheet rolled pie crust. (I used a deep dish/gratin).

Roll out the dough slightly larger than the dish. Roll out the dough slightly larger than the dish on a floured surface and drape it over the filling. Fold the overhang under, pressing the dough to the edge of the dish, and crimp the edge decoratively. Make slits and holes in the crust for air vents, brush the crust with the heavy cream, and sprinkle it with the coarse sugar.

Bake the pie on a baking sheet in the middle of a preheated 375 degree F oven for 1 hour to 1 1/4 hours, or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden.

If you want a toasted coconut topping, during the last 15 to 20 minutes of cooking remove pie from over, gently brush the top of the pie with a beaten egg and then sprinkle on the sweetened coconut. (using an egg wash not heavy cream, this time around helps the coconut adhere). Make the coconut topping as thin or as thick as you like.

When done baking, transfer the pie to a rack and let it cool.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients


1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk


Directions


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.


Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.


Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (Do not freeze as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.)

Pecan Pie

Ingrediants:

1 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup (or dark corn syrup)
1 tablespoon rum or bourbon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1/4 cup cream
1/4 salt
1 1/2 - 2 cups pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Place the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.

Make the Pecan Filling: In a large saucepan, heat the brown sugar, Lyle's Golden Syrup, rum, and butter until boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool until tepid. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. When the boiled syrup has cooled, beat in the eggs, salt, and cream.

Remove the chilled pastry crust from the refrigerator and evenly distribute the chopped pecans over the bottom of the crust. Then pour the filling evenly over the nuts. Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling is just set (a toothpick inserted into the center of the pie will come out clean. (If you find the edges of the pie crust are over browning during baking, cover with foil.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipping cream.

Makes one 9 inch pie.

Note: To toast pecans - Place pecans on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes in a 350 degree F oven until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.


Maple Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Make the Maple Whipped Cream: Place the heavy whipping cream and maple syrup in bowl of your electric mixer. With the whisk attachment, whip the cream until soft peaks form.

Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups solid-pack pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or other nuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan or dish. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter lining.

Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture.

Divide batter between two medium bowls (about 2 cups per bowl). Stir chocolate mixture into one bowl. In other bowl, stir in pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer half of chocolate batter to prepared pan smoothing top with a rubber spatula. Top with half of pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. Work quickly so batters don't set.

With a small spatula or a table knife, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.

Magnolia's Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Curd

Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Buttercream

Ingredients
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 c. sugar
4 large eggs, at room temp.
1 1/2 c. self-rising flour
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon zest

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease and lightly flour three 9x2 inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed or
parchment paper.
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth.
Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time.
Combine the flours and add in four parts, alternating with the milk an dthe lemon juice and
zest, beating well after each addition.
Divide the cake batter among the cake pans.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out
clean.
Let the cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire
rack.
When cake has cooled, spread the icing and lemon curd evenly between the layers and over the top of the cake.

Lemon Curd Recipe:
3 large eggs
1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons) (do not use the bottled lemon juice)
1 tablespoon (4 grams) finely shredded lemon zest
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Lemon Curd Directions:

In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce) (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C). This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover immediately (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate for up to a week.
Makes 1 1/2 cups (360 ml).

Note: If you want a lighter lemon curd whip 1/2 cup (120 ml) of heavy whipping cream and fold into the lemon curd.

Lemon Buttercream

Ingredients:
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft
8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon zest

Directions:
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of sugar and then the juice and the zest.
Beat until smooth and creamy.
Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until the icing is thick enough to be of
good, spreadable consistency.
If desired, add a few drops of yellow food coloring and mix thoroughly.
Use and store at room temperature.

Kingsville Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake:

1 1/2 C Oil

2 C Sugar

3 Eggs

2 1/4 C Flour

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

2 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Salt

2 C Shredded Carrots

2 C Flake Coconut

1 C Chopped Walnuts or Pecans

12 oz. Can of Crushed Pineapple, drained

2 tsp. Vanilla

Combine ingrediants in order given. Bake at 350 for about an hour. Cool Completely on wire rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 C Butter, softened
8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

4 C Confectioners Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

Cream butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla, scrape bowl, add sugar 1 cup at a time, beat until smooth.

Rasberry White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Shortbreads:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 package Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling:
1/4 - 1/2 cup of raspberry jam
2 ounces white chocolate

Shortbreads:

In a separate bowl whisk the flour with the salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until smooth (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch (1 cm) thick. Using a 2 to 3 inch (5 to 7.5 cm) cookie cutter (round, square, heart, etc.) cut out the dough. Place the cookies about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. Use a smaller cookie cutter (3/4 - 1 inch (2.5 cm)) to cut out the centers of half of the cookies on the baking sheet. (You will be sandwiching two cookies together and there will be a small 'window or cut out' in the top cookie so you can see the jam underneath.) Place the unbaked cookies, on the baking sheet, in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

To Assemble Cookies:

Place the cookies with the cut-outs on a wire rack and dust the tops with the confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar.

On the bottom surface of the full cookie (top of cookie will face out) spread with about a 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Sprinkle with a little grated white chocolate. Place the cut-out cookie on top and gently sandwich them together, making sure not to smug the confectioners' sugar. Using a small spoon, fill the cut-out with a little more jam.

Makes about 12 sandwich cookies.

Note: You can store the unassembled cookies for several days in an airtight container. It is best, though, to assemble the cookies the same day as serving in order to keep the cookies crisp.

Bailey's Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 c. butter

1 /2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. Bailey's original Irish cream
2 1/4 c. cake flour

1 package Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (6 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 c. coconut
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Cream butter, sugars and egg until fluffy. Add vanilla and Bailey's Irish cream. Mix dry ingredients and blend into creamed mixture. Add coconut, nuts and chips. Drop onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool.

Pie Crust

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco)
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Roll out dough. Place in 9-inch pie pan and brush edges with egg wash. Bake at 375 degrees, in a preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes. until golden brown.

Cookies 'n Cream Fudge

3 (6 oz.) Packages white chocolate baking squares
1 (14 oz.) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/8 Teaspoon salt
3 Cups (about 20 cookies) coarsely crushed chocolate creme-filled sandwich cookies

Line 8-inch square pan with wax paper, extending paper over edges of pan.

Melt white chocolate squares with sweetened condensed milk and salt in heavy saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in crushed cookies. Spread evenly in prepared pan.

Chill 2 hours or until firm. Remove from pan by lifting edges of wax paper. Cut into squares.

Cherry Pistachio Nut Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 package instant pistachio pudding mix
1/2 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/4 cup pine pistachios, toasted

In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour and pudding mix until just blended. Mix in the cherries, almonds, and pstachios.

Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch-thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 13 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

You can ice the cookies once cooled with 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar and
5 to 7 tablespoons cream or milk.