The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page D4

D4 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012 main THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR INDYSTAR.COM Delicious cookies for the holidays From chocolate-covered to chocolate-drizzled, this year's cookie contest winners are a festive bunch, sure to brighten up any holiday cookie tray Honey Pecan Bars SECOND: Stephanie Hurt 2 cups all-purpose flour Vi cup powdered sugar 1 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces 2 cups toasted pecans, chopped 3A cup brown sugar, packed cup honey 6 tablespoons whipping cream 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-1 3-inch baking pan. 2. Blend flour and powdered sugar in food processor.

Add butter and cut in, using onoff pulses, until moist clumps form. 3. Press dough into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. 4.

Stir pecans, brown sugar, honey and cream in saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Cook until mixture bubbles, about 2 minutes. 5. Pour pecan mixture over crust. Bake until filling bubbles, about 20 more minutes.

Cool completely. Cut into bars. Holiday Biscotti THIRD: Harriett Carmack 2 Vt cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Vi teaspoon baking soda Vi teaspoon salt 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs 2 egg whites 1 tablespoon Disaronno liqueur cup dried cranberries soaked in cherry juice, drained 1 cup coarsely chopped pistachios White chocolate chips, optional 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 2. In another large bowl, beat the sugar, eggs and egg whites with an electric mixer until pale yellow. Mix in liqueur and then flour mixture and beat until just blended (the dough will be sticky). Stir in cranberries and pistachios.

Let dough rest for 5 minutes. 3. Divide the dough evenly into 2 equal mounds on prepared baking sheet. With moist hands, form into two 9-by-3-inch logs. Bake for 35 minutes until lightly browned.

Cool for 5 minutes. 4. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs crosswise into -inch-thick diagonal slices. Arrange cut sides down on the same baking sheet. Bake until pale golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Turn each slice over and let cool completely. 5. If using chocolate for dipping, melt the chocolate chips in microwave, stirring every 20 seconds. Dip one end of biscotti into melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper until chocolate becomes firm.

6. Store in cookie tins or place in resealable plastic bags and store in freezer. Turtle Cookies HONORABLE MENTION: Paige Rittgers Cookie: 1 cup all-purpose flour cup cocoa powder Vi teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened cup sugar 1 large egg, separated, plus 1 additional egg white 2 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 Vi cup pecans, finely chopped Caramel filling: 14 soft caramel candies (such as Kraft brand) 3 tablespoons heavy cream Chocolate drizzle: 2 ounces semisweet chocolate (such as Baker's brand) 1 teaspoon shortening 1. For cookie, combine flour, cocoa and salt; set aside. 2.

With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk and vanilla; mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour. 3.

Whisk egg whites in a bowl until frothy. Place chopped pecans in another bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, and then roll in pecans. Place balls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Using a Vi teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each dough ball.

Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 12 minutes. 4. For caramel filling, microwave caramels and cream together in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. 5. When cookies are done, gently re-press the indentations.

Fill each indentation with about Vi teaspoon of the caramel mixture. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 6. For chocolate drizzle, place chocolate and shortening in a small zip-top plastic bag. Set bag in a bowl of warm water to soften.

Gently knead the chocolate with your fingers until melted and smooth, placing back in the warm water for a minute or two as needed. 7. Snip a very small hole in the corner of the plastic bag. Drizzle chocolate over the cooled cookies. Hazelnut Truffle Cake Bombs FIRST: Christina Pope Cake: Vt cup butter, room temperature 1 cups brown sugar 1 egg 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda Vt teaspoon salt Vi cup milk 1.

Cream together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add egg to creamed mixture. Add melted chocolate and vanilla. 2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.

Add dried ingredients gradually to creamed mixture just until all of the dry ingredients are moist. Slowly add milk. 3. Pour into a 9-inch round cake pan that has been greased and lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan and placing on rack to cool completely. Frosting: Vt cup butter at room temperature cup chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella) Vi teaspoon vanilla 1 cup confectioner's sugar 1 to 2 tablespoons milk 1. For the frosting, cream together butter, chocolate hazelnut spread and vanilla. Add confectioner's sugar and enough milk to make spreadable consistency. Truffle: 16 ounces milk-chocolate chips 1 cup hazelnut-flavored non-dairy coffee creamer 1 tablespoon butter 1.

Place chocolate chips in a bowl. Bring non-dairy creamer to a boil and pour over chocolate chips and stir until melted. Add butter and stir until melted. Chill for 1 hour. Whisk for 30 seconds; form into small balls, about Vi inch in diameter, and chill.

Coating: 1 cup milk chocolate, melted Vt cup roasted hazelnuts, ground 1. To form, place cooled cake in large bowl and crumble with hands. Add frosting, mixing with hands until cake forms a doughlike consistency. 2. Take one of the truffle balls and form the cake dough around the truffle, roll into a ball and chill for 1 hour.

3. Drop balls one at a time in melted milk chocolate and place back on cookie sheet. Top with ground roasted hazelnuts. Salted Caramel Apple Bars HONORABLE MENTION: Molly Towns Salted Caramel Sauce: 2 cups granulated sugar 12 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into pieces 1 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon sea salt Apple bars: 5 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Vi cup flour 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1 cup granulated sugar Vi teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Vi teaspoon ground nutmeg Vi teaspoon ground all-spice Crust and crumb topping: 3 cups flour 1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder Vi teaspoon salt Vi teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1 egg, lightly beaten Vi teaspoon vanilla extract 1. For caramel sauce, heat the sugar over medium-high heat.

When it starts to melt, begin whisking. The sugar will clump, then melt. Continue whisking until sugar is melted, is a deep amber color and reaches 350 degrees. 2. Carefully add the butter, 3 to 4 tablespoons at a time, whisking until it melts.

3. Remove pan from heat and carefully pour in the cream while whisking. Continue whisking until cream is incorporated and caramel is smooth. Whisk in salt. 4.

Let caramel cool in pan, then transfer to a container for storage. (Caramel sauce will keep refrigerated for 2 weeks.) 5. For the apple bars, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. 6.

Place the peeled diced apples in a large bowl and sprinkle lemon juice over the top; mix gently. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground all-spice. Pour over apples and carefully combine. Set aside. 7.

For the crust and crumb topping, in a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the butter is mixed in. 8. Mix the egg and vanilla together. Add the flour and butter mixture and combine.

The crust will be crumbly. 9. Divide the dough in half. Pat half of the dough into the prepared baking pan. Spread the apple mixture evenly over the bottom crust.

Drizzle cup of the caramel sauce over the apple filling. Crumble remaining dough over the apple caramel layer. Pat very gently. Bake 45 minutes until top is golden brown. Cool completely.

Cut into squares. Cook's note: The remaining caramel sauce can be drizzled over the top, if desired. ft FACEBOOK FANS WEIGH IN if? Sometimes you can just tell a cookie will taste good. Based on looks alone, readers on The Star's Facebook page decided that their favorite finalist was Mint Cheesecake Cookies, submitted by Anna Renner of Nobles ville. Look for Renner's recipe at IndyStar.com.

Bomb 1 --Ar Do you have DIABETES? Do you atso experience HAND or VISION problems? Italian American LUNCH BUFFET $7.99 Mon-Fri if i inT-km Lli.lhi-lk i i i i FROM PAGE D1 Garnering an honorable mention in the contest was a recipe for Salted Caramel Apple Bars from 16-year-old 4-H'er Molly Towns of West Lafayette. "I thought it would be good because it's like easy apple pie," she said. "It's foodie, apple-y and delicious." Judges agreed. "I thought the flavor balance was really good," said Krowiack. Also receiving an honorable mention was a recipe for Turtle Cookies from Carmel resident Paige Rittgers.

Judges thought the chocolate-drizzled treats would look great on a holiday cookie tray. "It's basically a chocolate thumbprint cookie that's filled with caramel," said Rittgers. "They're so easy." Other finalists: Chocolate Pixie Cookies, Amber Wade; Mint Cheesecake Cookies, Anna Renner; Italian Gum Drop Cookies, Kathy Faenzi; Cappuccino Bars, Bonnie Hinkle; and Red Velvet Cookies, Darla Carter. Contact Star reporter Jolene Ketzenberger at (317) 444-6755, follow her at www.twitter.comJKetzenberger and subscribe to her updates on Facebook. vuli Li l'i i- jlulily i vi.m.l hi hv dh I IKI" I I'llc "villi ll.LYC I.I ll.zl I.

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