Snickerdoodles
 

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 Tbls. corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 large egg
3 Tbls. sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda and cream of tartar, stirring with a whisk. Combine 1 cup of sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add the corn syrup, vanilla, and egg; beat well. Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, beating just until combined. Cover and chill for 10 minutes.

Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon, stirring with a whisk. With moist hands, shape dough into 42 (1-inch) balls. Roll balls in sugar mixture. Place balls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Flatten ball with the bottom of a glass. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft). Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks. Cool completely. Makes 42 cookies with 54 calories and 10 carbohydrates per cookie.

Flour, for work surface
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
5 1/2 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1 1/2 lb asparagus
1 Tbls. olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400°. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place the pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score the dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce the dough inside the markings at half-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

Remove the pastry shell from the oven, and sprinkle with cheese. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over the cheese, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Nancy's tip: Scoring the dough with a knife ensures that the edges rise evenly; pricking the center of the pastry with a fork keeps it from puffing up too high as it bakes.

1 Tbls. vegetable oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
3/4 tsp. fresh rosemary or 1/4 tsp. dried
2 cups chicken stock
2 cans (14.5 oz.) white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned, chopped tomatoes
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cups lightly packed baby spinach, washed well and dried
2 cups ham, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat just until hot but not smoking. Add the chopped onion and rosemary and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock, 2 cups of water, beans, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Season with 1/8 tsp. pepper; reduce the heat and simmer, skimming occasionally, until the soup has thickened slightly, about 20 minutes.

Stir the spinach into the soup, and cook just until it wilts, about 1 minute; adjust seasonings. Divide the chopped ham among four bowls and ladle the hot soup on top. Makes 4 servings.