Books for cooks

BARBARA BURKE

"Holiday Hearts," By Pamela Sheldon Johns and Jennifer Barry (Ten Speed Press, 2002, $14.95, softcover)

Cookbook helps put
heart into mealtime

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Calling all romantics! You won't want to miss out on the love-inspired homemade gifts and edible treats found in "Holiday Hearts." Even if you don't end up making anything from the book, simply perusing its extraordinary photography and creative crafts is sure to get you in the mood for Valentine's Day.

But don't wait until Feb. 14 comes around. Any day is a day for romance, according to authors Pamela Sheldon Johns and Jennifer Barry. It doesn't take much time at all to make a heart-shaped garnish for a midweek dinner, to wrap little treasures and slip them into a pocket or a lunch box, or to serve breakfast in bed.

Most of the 33 recipes in this specialty book are fairly simple to prepare, even though many fall into the category of "gourmet food." You may be surprised to learn how quick and easy it is to make an elegant pupu such as Belgian Endive stuffed with Red Pepper-Cream Cheese Filling. For a stunning dessert presentation in just minutes, prepare Rose Cup Fruit Sorbets. Here, a generous scoop of your favorite sorbet is placed in the center of a fresh, unsprayed rose from which the stamen has been removed and the petals gently opened.

To copy the authors' irresistible presentations, you may need to go shopping for some special heart-shaped equipment, such as muffin pans, tart pans with removable bottoms, cookie cutters, cake molds and ramekins. For households with children, the authors provide kid-friendly ideas such as crustless cookie-cutter heart sandwiches and jiggling strawberry heart gelatin squares.

Don't stop with the meal. Johns and Barry show you how to create 12 heart-inspired decorations and gifts, including place mats, napkin rings, soaps, sachets and hand-stamped Valentines.

When preparing the following recipe, the authors recommend using a variety of heart-shaped cookie cutters for a rustic artisan look. Sprinkle with a dusting of confectioners' sugar when cool, if desired.

Dried Cranberry Shortbread Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus extra for dusting (optional)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter until softened, then beat in the confectioners' sugar. Stir in cranberries, walnuts, flour and salt; mix well. Press into a large flattened disk, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

With a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a floured work surface to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Cut into hearts with cookie cutters. Gather dough scraps into a ball, and repeat the process until all the dough is used.

Place on prepared baking sheets and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool completely before dusting with confectioners' sugar. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Approximate nutritional information per serving (2 cookies, 24 cookies per recipe): 260 calories, 16 g total fat, 11 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 24 g carbohydrate.

Rating Scale: Best in its class / Highly recommended / Recommended / Not recommended

Barbara Burke is a Hawaii-Pacific University instructor who teaches and writes about food and nutrition. Contact her at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or e-mail her at: features@starbulletin.com