Cookie Bakers' Pantry

Mixed Nut Bars

• To get even more flavor from nuts and coconut, toast them lightly. Spread the nuts or coconut in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Watch carefully and stir once or twice.
• Once containers of nuts and coconut have been opened, tightly close the packages and store them in the refrigerator, or for longer storage, in the freezer. This keeps the oils they contain from becoming rancid and developing off flavors.

Browned Butter and Cashew Shortbread

Butter Bits By law, butter must contain at least 80 percent milk fat (most of the remaining 20 percent is water). The fat gives cookies their distinctive flavor and makes them tender. Products that contain less fat do not give cookies the same texture and flavor as butter; the less fat the products contain, the less satisfactory your baking results will be. That's why many of our recipes call for no substitutes for butter. Unsalted butter is more perishable than regular butter and is stored in supermarket freezer sections.

Maple Log Cabins

• Pure maple syrup is made from maple sap that has been boiled down to thicken it. Maple-flavor syrup is a blend of pure maple syrup and corn syrup.
• Pure maple syrup is a little thinner, a little less sweet, and has a more subtle flavor than maple-flavored syrup.
• Opened containers of pure maple syrup should be stored in the refrigerator.
• You can use maple syrup that has crystallized by pouring the syrup into a saucepan and heating it over low heat until the crystals dissolve.