Free Tea and Cookies by Rick Rodgers Page B

cloves together. Cream the butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in 1½ cups of the sugar and beat until the mixture is light in color and texture, about 2 minutes. Do not overbeat. Gradually beat in the eggs. Gradually stir in the flour mixture.
3. Combine the remaining ¼ cup sugar and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Using a scant tablespoon for each cookie, shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in the sugar mixture to coat. Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake, switching the position of the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the edges of the cookies are light golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. (For crisper cookies, bake until the tops are beginning to brown, about 16 minutes.) The cookies will be puffed, but they will deflate and have crackled tops when cooled.
4. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire cake racks and let cool completely. (The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.)
NOTE: Remove the seeds from cardamom pods, and grind the seeds in an electric spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. The flavor will be fresher than preground cardamom in a jar. You’ll find reasonably priced cardamom pods at Indian grocers.

Bar Cookies

    C hunky bar cookies, which are typically eaten with your fingers, add a casual, friendly note to a selection of tea cookies. They can be homey (as with the moist-and-chewy Granola Bars), creamy (Blueberry Cheesecake Bars), or elegant (Linzer Squares, with a hazelnut crust and raspberry filling).
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Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
    MAKES 16 BARS
Cool, creamy, and bursting with blueberries, these bars are perfect for summertime entertaining. For a smooth, lump-free filling, have all of the ingredients at room temperature, as the cream cheese will firm up if it comes into contact with a cold egg or sour cream. Be sure that the cream cheese is well softened—let it stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours before mixing. And keep in mind that frozen berries will chill the filling batter, and so if they are used, add a few minutes to the baking time. Make these bars with the classic graham cracker crust, or crush store-bought gingersnap cookies into crumbs and use them as a variation.
    CRUST
Softened unsalted butter for the pan
1 cup well-crushed graham crackers or gingersnaps
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
    FILLING
8 ounces cream cheese, well softened at room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
3 tablespoons sour cream, at room temperature
Grated zest of ½ orange or 1 lemon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly butter the inside of an 8-inch square baking pan. Pleat a 17-inch-long piece of aluminum foil (preferably nonstick) lengthwise to an 8-inch width. Place in the pan, lining the bottom and two of the sides with the foil, letting the excess foil hang over the sides to act as “handles.” Butter the foil, even if it is nonstick.

2. To make the crust, combine the crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the butter and stir until moistened. Press the crumbs firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake until the crumbs are set and give off a toasty aroma, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven.
3. Meanwhile, make the filling. Mix the cream cheese in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed just until smooth. Gradually beat in the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, then beat in the egg. Add the sour cream, zest, and vanilla and mix just until combined. Stir in the blueberries. Spread over the crust in the pan.
4. Bake until the filling moves as a unit when the pan is lightly shaken (the center may seem slightly unset) and the edges are slightly puffed and barely beginning to brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
5.