Buttercups Recipes

Steps:

• In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or using your fingers, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and, using your fingertips, pinch the ingredients together into a sandy, crumbly mixture. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), mix the sour cream and egg yolk until very smooth. Add the flour mixture and mix until the dough comes together. The dough may feel a little dry. Form into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, egg, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest. On a work surface thickly dusted with confectioners' sugar, roll out the pastry to a squarish or rectangular shape, 1/8-inch thick. Using the tip of a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut into 3 by 3-inch squares. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each square. Lift up one square, gathering the center of the square around the filling into a cup. Hold it in the fingers of one hand. Use the fingers of your other hand to gently push the midpoints of the sides inward, so that the 4 corners become the points of the petals. The cookie will look like a flower that is opening. Place the cookie in a mini muffin cup. Repeat with the remaining squares and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake until light golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
• Toss the squash with the oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a rimmed baking sheet until completely coated. Roast, tossing once halfway through, until the squash is tender and browned on the edges, 35 to 45 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Add pistachios; mix well., Shape dough into 1-in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press a deep indentation in center of each with your thumb; fill each with 1/2 teaspoon jam., Bake until bottoms are light brown, 13-16 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. If desired, dust with additional confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• In a large pot, melt the butter and cook the onions until tender. Stir in the carrots and jalapeno and toss to coat. Stir in the squash and potato. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender in batches. Return to the pot and stir in the cream. Season to taste and garnish with the sliced scallion and bell pepper.