Secret Cookies

Makes 5 to 6 dozen cookies

These colorful cookies take on the pattern of whatever decorative glass, like a vintage water tumbler, you use to press them out. The bottom of a crystal bowl or vase works well, too.

Ingredients

• 24 Tbsp. (3 sticks) salted butter, softened
• 1¾ cups granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3½ cups all-purpose flour
• Red, pink, orange, or multicolored decorating sugar

Directions

Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Preheat oven to 350°. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add yolks and vanilla, beat again to combine, and then beat in flour.

Form dough into 1 balls and arrange on large, ungreased baking sheets, spacing cookies about 2 apart. Transfer decorating sugar to wide, shallow dishes. Press 1 ball of dough to the bottom of a decorative patterned glass, and then remove it (so that the sugar in the next step will stick to the glass). Then dip the glass in sugar and flatten a cookie with it, so the pattern and sugar transfer to the top of the dough. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Bake until cookies are lightly golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let rest on baking sheets 2 minutes, then gently transfer to baking racks to cool.

Adapted from The Food52 Cookbook, by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs (William Morrow) found on www.oprah.com.

Heart Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling

1/3 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread or jam

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread oats on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; stir in flours and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium until fluffy. Add vanilla; beat to combine. Scrape down bowl. Add oat mixture; beat until blended. Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough 1/8 inch thick, dusting lightly with flour as needed. Cut out cookies with a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter; place 1/2 inch apart on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden around edges, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough, chilling if too soft (reroll and cut scraps). Spread filling on flat side of half the cookies; top with remaining cookies. Yield: around 30.

Recipe Source:  www.marthastewart.com