Giant lemon cookies - viennese chocolate torte - banana pecan sweet rolls

Ingredients

For Giant Lemon Sugar Cookies:

• 2 cups sugar, divided
• Zest of 2 lemons, divided (zested 3 large lemons)
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (omitted, used 2 tsp Watkin's Lemon extract)
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

For Viennese Chocolate Torte:

• 1/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup buttermilk or sour milk
• 1/4 cup seedless black raspberry preserves
• Cream Filling (recipe follows)
• Cocoa Glaze (recipe follows)
• MOUNDS Coconut Flakes, toasted

CREAM FILLING:

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

COCOA GLAZE:

• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For BANANA-PECAN SWEET ROLLS:

DOUGH:

• 4 3/4-5 cup bread flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast (or 2 (1/4 oz. each) pkg. quick-rise yeast)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FILLING:

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 ccup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

ICING:

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1-2 tablespoon milk

You may like

Giant cookie

Preparation

• For Giant Lemon Sugar Cookies:
  Prepare lemon sugar: In a mini food processor, blend 1/2 cup sugar with 1 teaspoon. lemon zest. Pulse several times until the lemon zest is incorporated into the sugar. Put sugar mixture in a shallow bowl and stir lightly with a fork to break up any clumps. Set aside.
  Prepare cookie dough: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and remaining 1 1/2 cup sugar. Blend in eggs, one at a time then add vanilla, lemon juice, and remaining lemon zest. Add flour mixture, one cup at a time, blending well after each addition, until all flour is incorporated.
  Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  Shape the cookies: Using a jumbo cookie scoop or your hands, shape 2 tablespoonfuls of dough into a ball and roll in lemon sugar. Place ball of dough on cookie sheet and press down lightly with the bottom of a glass until cookie is about 1/2-inch thick. Repeat. Six cookies will fit on one 18x13-inch baking sheet.
  Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.
  
• For Viennese Chocolate Torte:
  Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 15x10 1/2x1-inch jelly-roll pan; line pan with wax paper and lightly grease paper.
  Stir together cocoa and boiling water in small bowl until smooth; set aside. Beat shortening, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl until creamy; beat in egg. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk to shortening mixture. Add reserved cocoa mixture, beating just until blended. Spread batter into pan.
• Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Remove wax paper. cool completely. Cut cake crosswise into three equal pieces. Place one piece on serving plate. Stir raspberry preserves to soften; spread 2 tablespoons evenly on top of cake. Spread half of Cream Filling over preserves. Repeat layering. Glaze top of torte with Cocoa Glaze, allowing some to drizzle down sides. Garnish with coconut. Refrigerate several hours. Cover; refrigerate leftover torte.
• CREAM FILLING:
  Beat 1 cup whipping cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until stiff. Makes about 2 cups filling.
  COCOA GLAZE:
  Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in cocoa and water. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Do NOT boil. Remove from heat. Whisk in powdered sugar gradually. Add vanilla and beat with whisk until smooth. Add additional water 1/2 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency.
• For BANANA-PECAN SWEET ROLLS:
  In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt.
  In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter to 120-130 degrees. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add the bananas, egg and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
  Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled, 45-60 minutes.
  Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 15x6-inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter to within 1/2" of edges. Combine pecans, sugar and allspice; sprinkle over dough to within 1/2" of edges.
• Starting with a long side, roll up jelly-roll style; pinch seam to seal. Slice each roll into 15 (1") slices. Place in (2) greased 13x9-inch baking pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
  Bake @ 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. If desired, brush tops lightly with melted butter . Remove from pans to wire racks.
  Combine icing ingredients; drizzle over rolls. Serve warm. Makes 30.