Melt-in-the-Mouth Shortbread

1 c cold salted butter, cubed

2/3 c icing sugar

1 ¾ c cake and pastry flour

½ c rice flour

In food processor cream butter and icing sugar. Add flours and pulse until dough pulls away from side. Remove to board and gently knead until dough is smooth. Add a little extra flour if the dough is too sticky. Roll out to ½ inch thickness and cut into rounds. Prick each cookie with a fork a few times. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet (one inch apart) in pre-heated 325-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Makes about 2 dozen 1 ½ inch cookies.

Jam Diagonals

1 c butter, softened

½ c granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

2-2 ½ c all-purpose flour

½ c raspberry or apricot jam

Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until fluffy. Gradually stir in flour. Divide dough into 6 even portions. On lightly floured board roll each portion into a 9 inch rope, then slightly flatten. Place on grease cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. Make a depression all the way down the center of each strip and fill this depression with jam. Bake in pre-heated 350-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely and cut into diagonals. If you want to ice cookies, mix icing sure with lemon juice and drizzle over cookies. If you want to make ahead and freeze, leave in strips on cookie sheet, freeze, then wrap and cut just before serving. Makes about 4 dozen.

Pecan Lace

½ c toasted, finely chopped pecans

2/3 c unsalted butter

1 c packed light brown sugar

¼ c corn syrup

1 tbsp milk

pinch of salt

1 ½ c old fashioned rolled oats

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 tspn vanilla

In saucepan, over medium heat, gently boil butter until solids on bottom turn golden. Remove from heat and add sugar, corn syrup, mild and salt. Stir in rolled oates, flour and vanilla until well mixed. Add pecans. Drop by teaspoonfuls unto greased cookie sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. They spread quite a bit. Bake in upper third of pre-heated 350-degree oven for 6 6o 8 minutes or until just golden. Let cool slightly and, using a spatula, gently transfer cookies to wire racks to cool. Store in airtight container between sheets of waxed paper (for 2 weeks). They freeze well (for 2 months).