97 bake from scratch
CASADINHOS
Makes 35 to 40 sandwich cookiesDerived from the Portuguese for “married,”
these sandwich cookies are a staple at Brazilian
weddings. Speckled with warm spice and spiked
with rum, the tender butter cookies are joined by
a sweet-tart guava jam, symbolizing the union of
two people through marriage. Commonly fi lled
with guava paste, casadinhos are so beloved in
Brazil that they’re also baked for any special
occasion, especially the year-end holidays.1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
⅔ cup (133 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg (50 grams), room temperature
2 large egg yolks (37 grams), room
temperature
2 tablespoons (30 grams) spiced rum
1 tablespoon (13 grams) vanilla extract
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose fl our
1 cup (128 grams) cornstarch (see Note)
1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) kosher salt
½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1½ (14.1-ounce) packages (600 grams)
guava paste, cubed
⅓ cup (80 grams) water
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (35 grams)
fresh lemon juice
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting- In the bowl of a stand mixer fi tted with the
paddle attachment, beat butter and granulated
sugar at medium speed until creamy, about
2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl.
Add egg and egg yolks, one at a time, beating
until well combined after each addition. Beat in
rum and vanilla. - In a medium bowl, whisk together fl our,
cornstarch, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and
allspice. With mixer on low speed, gradually
add fl our mixture to butter mixture, beating
just until combined. Divide dough in half; shape
each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap.
Freeze until fi rm, about 2 hours. - Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking
sheets with parchment paper. - Unwrap one half of dough, and let stand at
room temperature until slightly softened,
10 to 15 minutes. On a heavily fl oured surface,
roll dough to ⅛-inch thickness; lightly fl our
dough and work surface as needed. Using a
2-inch fl uted round cutter dipped in fl our, cut
dough, rerolling scraps as needed, and place
1 inch apart on prepared pans. Repeat with
remaining half of dough.- Bake, in batches if needed, until edges are
lightly golden, 10 to 13 minutes, rotating pans
halfway through baking. Let cool on pans for
2 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool
completely on wire racks. - Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine
guava paste, ⅓ cup (80 grams) water, and
lemon juice; cook over medium heat, stirring
occasionally, until melted and smooth. Remove
from heat; let stand at room temperature or
refrigerate until an instant-read thermometer
registers 85°F (29°C). - Dust half of cookies with confectioners’
sugar. Transfer guava mixture to a piping bag
fi tted with a ¼-inch round piping tip (Wilton
No. 10). Pipe about 1½ to 2 teaspoons (about
12 grams) fi lling onto fl at side of remaining
cookies. Place sugar-dusted cookies, fl at side
down, on top of fi lling.
Note: Don’t be alarmed by using a whole cup of
cornstarch in your cookie dough. This ingredient
helps create that signature melt-in-your-mouth
casadinhos texture.“FOOD FOR THE GODS” BARS
Makes 24 barsDuring the holiday season in the Philippines,
Filipinos bake these walnut- and date-studded
bars to give to loved ones as individually wrapped
treats. The grand name (pagkain para sa mga
diyos in Filipino) is thought to go back to the
days of Spanish rule over the archipelago, when
dates and walnuts were delicacies not many
could aff ord, making them fi t only for divine
consumption. While we can’t vouch for the
accuracy of that story, we can confi rm these bars
are pure buttery bliss.1½ cups (334 grams) bourbon
1½ cups (250 grams) packed whole Medjool
dates
2 cups (440 grams) fi rmly packed dark
brown sugar
1½ cups (340 grams) unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
3 large eggs (150 grams), room temperature
1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
1½ cups (187 grams) all-purpose fl our, divided1½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) baking powder
¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) kosher salt
¾ cup (85 grams) roughly chopped toasted
pecans
¾ cup (85 grams) roughly chopped toasted
walnuts- Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat
bourbon on high until an instant-read
thermometer registers 180°F (82°C),
about 2 minutes. (Alternatively, in a small
heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat bourbon
over medium heat until an instant-read
thermometer registers 180°F [82°C].) Stir
in dates; let stand for 20 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Drain dates, reserving liquid
for another use, if desired. Spread dates on
prepared pan, and pat dry. Remove pits; chop
dates into ¼- to ⅓-inch pieces. - Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a
13x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper,
letting excess extend over sides of pan. - In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar,
melted butter, and granulated sugar until well
combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well
combined. - In another large bowl, whisk together
1¼ cups (156 grams) fl our, baking powder, and
salt. Gradually fold fl our mixture into butter
mixture just until combined. - In a medium bowl, stir together dates,
pecans, and walnuts; add remaining ¼ cup
(31 grams) fl our, stirring until well combined.
Fold date mixture into batter. Spoon into
prepared pan, smoothing top. - Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300°F
(150°C); bake until a wooden pick inserted in
center comes out clean and an instant-read
thermometer inserted in center registers
205°F (96°C), about 40 minutes more.
Let cool completely in pan. Using excess
parchment as handles, remove from pan. Using
a serrated knife, cut into 24 bars.
PRO TIP
To recreate our packaging on page 94, cut
2-inch strips of parchment paper, wrap around
each bar, and secure with baker’s twine.