If taking your mom out to eat for Mother’s Day is a way to say “I love you,” then taking your time to personally do some cooking and baking for Mom has got to be the highest form of love. Warm, homemade baked goods can put a smile on anyone’s face, but especially the person who makes — or used to make — goodies for you. The following recipes are easy and enticing. Any of them would look good in a gift basket or other special container, perhaps paired with her favorite beverage. So go ahead: Bake someone happy.
Mocha lace cookies
These thin, coffee-flavored crisp cookies are great with a cup of coffee or with fresh fruit. For a special touch, stand the rolled cookies in a coffee mug and wrap with cellophane and ribbons. Recipe from “Sweet Nothings” by Jill O’Connor; makes 15 to 18 cookies at only 36 calories and 1.3 grams fat per cookie.
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons brandy or dark rum
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Sift flour and cocoa powder together into a bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine butter, sugar, corn syrup, honey, instant coffee and brandy or rum. Place over medium heat; stir until butter melts. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a rolling boil. Remove from heat; whisk in the flour-cocoa mixture. Spoon batter, by level teaspoonful, onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Cookies will spread as they bake — usually only 3 or 4 cookies can bake on each sheet. Bake in preheated oven until cookies spread thin and have a lacy appearance, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool a few seconds, then mold cookies into thin tubes by rolling tightly around the handle of a wooden spoon or a small wooden dowel. Cookies will become very crisp as they cool.
Caraway tea bread
If your mom prefers a good cup of tea, here is a delicious accompaniment. When spread with light cream cheese and jam, this cake-like bread is addictive. Recipe from “Light and Easy Baking” by Beatrice Ojakangas; makes 1 loaf.
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup skim milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan or coat with nonstick spray; set aside. Put caraway seeds in a small skillet; toast over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until aromatic. Grind seeds in a small food chopper, coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Combine with the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add butter; mix with electric mixer until butter is completely blended into flour mixture. Add milk and egg; mix well, then turn out onto a lightly floured board. Knead just until dough forms a smooth ball. Gently shape into a loaf; place into prepared pan. Bake 60 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean and dry. Cool on rack before wrapping.
Black pepper biscuit pretzels
If mom is more the ice-cold beer or juice lover, buy her favorite beverage and serve it with these savory snacks; they won’t last long. Another plus: they can be made in advance and frozen before baking. Recipe from “Biscuits and Scones” by Elizabeth Alston; makes 32 small pretzels.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut up
2/3 cup chicken broth
Preheat oven to 450 F. Place flour, baking powder, pepper and salt into a large mixing bowl; stir to combine well. Add butter; cut in with a pastry blender or rub with your fingers until mixture looks like fine granules. Add chicken broth; stir with a fork until mixture clumps together to form a dough. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured board; knead 12 to 15 times. Shape into an 8-inch-long cylinder; cut into 8 equal pieces. Cut each pieces into 4 small pieces. One at a time, roll each piece of dough with the palms of your hands to a 12-inch rope; twist into a pretzel shape and put on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 5 minutes; turn pretzels over, using tongs or a towel, and bake about 3 minutes more, or until light brown. Cool pretzels, uncovered, on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.
Chocolate heaven
These bar cookies pack it all in one sweet little package: dark, milk and white chocolate, plus nuts, coconut and raisins, on an easy graham cracker crust base. A nice cold glass of milk would taste great here. Recipe from “The Complete Cookie Book” by Elizabeth Wolf Cohen; makes about 3 dozen bars.
Graham Cracker Crust:
32 graham crackers
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup golden raisins
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 15 1/2-by-10 1/2-inch baking sheet. In a food processor fitted with metal blade, process graham crackers, cinnamon and nutmeg until even, fine crumbs. Pour into a bowl; add melted butter, tossing well to mix. With the back of a spoon, press crumbs evenly onto bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of pan. Sprinkle coconut evenly over crust, then sprinkle raisins over coconut; set aside.
Topping:
2 cups pecan halves, coarsely chopped
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 ounces fine quality milk chocolate, chopped
6 ounces fine quality white chocolate, chopped
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
In a large bowl, toss together pecans and chocolates. Pour condensed milk over; toss well, then pour mixture over coconut and raisins. Smooth top, distributing nuts and chocolate as evenly as possible. Bake in preheated oven until chocolate looks soft and liquid is golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely. When cool, run a knife around edges to loosen. Using 2 metal pancake turners, slide onto a board. With a sharp knife, cut into bars. Store in airtight containers in single layer or with waxed paper between layers.