THE ELECTRIC KITCHEN
Bake treats for your administrative pro
THE ELECTRIC KITCHEN
Hawaiian Electric Co.
IF YOU forgot that today is Administrative Professional's Day (formerly Secretary's Day), cut yourself some slack -- most workplaces pay tribute to this most indispensable employee throughout the week. Make it even more special by baking up some yummy, yet easy to prepare treats for your honoree.
Hawaiian Chocolate Chip Cookies and Macadamia Cheesecake Cookies were favorites of our now-retired home economists.
The Lemon Bar recipe was shared by an employees who shared some tips: "Be sure to cut the chilled butter into the flour and sugar mixture only until it resembles crumbs, then pour this crumbly mixture into the baking pan, shake to distribute the crumbs evenly, then very gently pat the crumbs down to form the crust.
"The second secret lies in the topping -- after pouring the topping mixture onto the partially baked crust, bake it until the edges are a dark golden brown. This will allow the lemon bars to be crisp on the bottom and slightly chewy on top, rather than soft and soggy throughout."
Hawaiian Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter-flavored shortening
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups quick oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup macadamia nut bits
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well.
Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually mix into creamed mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Shape into 1-1/2-inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets and flatten. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 3 dozen large cookies.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 190 calories, 12 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 85 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 13 g sugar, 2 g protein.
Macadamia Cheesecake Cookies
» Crust:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup macadamia nut bits
» Filling:
1 egg
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat electric oven to 350 degrees.
To make crust: Combine flour, butter and brown sugar. Beat until fine particles are formed. Stir in nuts. Reserve 1 cup for topping. Press remainder into ungreased 8-inch square pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
To make filling: Beat ingredients well; spread over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Cool; cut into 16 squares.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per square: 180 calories, 12 g total fat, 6 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 75 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 3 g protein.
Lemon Bars
» Crust:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, chilled
» Topping:
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13-by-9-inch pan.
To make crust: Combine flour and powdered sugar. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or two forks, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gently press into prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes.
To make topping: Beat together eggs; add sugar and lemon juice. Add flour and baking powder; mix well, pour over crust.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until top is slightly brown and edges are dark golden brown. Sprinkle top with powdered sugar. Cool, then cut into 24 bars.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 180 calories, 9 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 75 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 15 g sugar, 2 g protein.
Hawaiian Electric Co. presents this weekly collection of recipes as a public service. Many are drawn from HECO's database of recipes, accessible online at
www.heco.com.