Cookie squares, bars perfect to serve at holidays

This chilly December weather is perfect to turn on the oven and bake something that will fill your warm, cozy kitchen with the fragrances of Christmas. What a splendid time to share your goodies over a perfect cup of tea with a few friends or neighbors. Bring out your best china cups and festive plates and napkins and indulge in a traditional tea party.

But to suitably accompany your assortment of tantalizing cookie squares or bars first make a proper pot of tea.

Bring out your kettle, your favorite tea pot, and good quality fresh tea (preferably loose, but tea bags will do). Start with a heated tea pot. Tea releases its maximum flavor at the boiling point, and pouring hot water into a cold pot will lower the temperature. So heat the tea pot by swirling boiling water around in it. Then pour out the water, add the tea and pour fresh boiling over it.

Use one heaping spoonful of loose tea, or one tea bag per serving. Allow tea to steep for 3-5 minutes before pouring. Be sure to pour the tea through a tea strainer if you use loose tea. Serve with sugar, milk, or lemons slices; and bring on the goodies.

Linzer Torte

Cookie bars from Austria

Dry unseasoned breadcrumbs

CRUST: 1 1/3 cups sifted flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 tablespoon baking powder

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter or margarine

2 egg yolks

FILLING: 1 stick butter or margarine

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 cup finely ground blanched almonds

2 eggs

TOPPING: 1 jar (12 ounces) seedless raspberry jam

Grease an 8x10- or 9-inch square pan. Sprinkle bottom and sides with bread crumbs.

Make crust. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and baking powder. With a pastry blender, cut in the 6 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles corn meal. With a fork, beat in the egg yolks. Knead with hands to make a smooth dough; shape into a ball.

Between two sheets of waxed paper roll out dough and fit into the pan, Turning excess dough under the edges and flattening. Refrigerate while making filling.

Make filling. In medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Beat in sugar and almonds; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each.

Spread 1/2 jar of seedless jam over crust. If regular jam with seeds is used, allow a little extra and strain out the seeds. Spoon filling evenly over jam. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden. Cool in pan. Spread remaining 1/2 jar of jam over. Cut into bars.

Apricot Bars

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon lemon rind

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup oatmeal

2/3 stick butter or margarine

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

2/3 cup apricot jam

Powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and sugar. Mix in oatmeal. With a pastry blender or two knives cut in butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs.

Beat egg and milk together and gradually add to flour mixture. Blend well. Spread half of dough in an 8-inch pan that has been sprayed with pan spray. Spread jam evenly over dough. Spoon remaining dough by spoonfuls over jam.

Bake at 375 degrees until well browned, 35 to 40 minutes. Cut into bars while still warm. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Chocolate Hazelnut Dream Bars

1 cup whole skinless hazelnuts, toasted

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 teaspoons hazelnut liqueur such as Frangelico

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/4 vanilla wafer crumbs

1/2 cup flaked coconut

Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)

1 ounce white chocolate, melted for garnish

Toast hazelnuts on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden. Reserve 36 for garnish; chop the rest fine.

Combine sugar and cocoa in a heavy saucepan; add butter, hazelnut liqueur, and egg. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter melts and mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in finely chopped nuts, vanilla wafers, and coconut. Press mixture into an 8-inchy square baking pan. Cover and chill for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the frosting.

Turtle Bars

2 cups unbleached flour

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

3 tablespoons unwhipped whipping cream

1 cup toasted pecan halves

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

To toast pecans, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy.

Meanwhile, mix flour, 1 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup butter until crumbly. Press remaining mixture in 13x9x2-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

In a small saucepan over high heat boil together the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter and cream until sugar dissolves. Boil for 1 minute, stirring occasionally to caramelize. Remove from heat.

Sprinkle pecans over crust. Pour caramel over pecans. Bake until bubbles form and color darkens, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle over chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes until chocolate melts. Spread chocolate evenly over the top. Chill about 20 minutes before cutting into squares or bars.

Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting

1/3 cup butter

2 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur such as Frangelico

3 cups sifted confectioners’’ sugar

2-3 tablespoons half-and-half

Cream butter with an electric mixer at medium speed. Add liqueur. Gradually beat in sugar, alternating with half-and-half, beginning and ending with sugar. Beat until mixture reaches spreading consistency.

Spread over hazelnut mixture in pan. Cut into 1-inch squares. Dip reserved hazelnuts in melted white chocolate. Use one nut to garnish each square. Makes 36 squares.

Lemon Squares

A classic in the South

Cookie Base: 1 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 cups flour

Filling: 4 eggs

6 tablespoons flour

2 cups sugar

Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/2 cup)

Grated rind of 1 lemon

Powdered sugar for topping

With pastry blender, blend the butter or margarine with the powdered sugar and flour and press into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Combine eggs, 6 tablespoons flour, sugar, lemon juice and lemon rind. Beat well. Spread over warm pastry crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into squares or bars.