I revisited a December 2000 issue of Cooking Light that I had tucked away for "awhile". Upon leafing through the pages, a section of the magazine titled "How to Make the Ultimate Light Cookie" caught my interest. I chose to make this raspberry strippers recipe because of its festive look and simplistic ingredients. It turned out that the prep is so easy despite the illusion of fussiness.
...and the finished product. These are SO yummy. You absolutely must make them!
Raspberry Strippers
1/3 cup sugar
5 tbsp butter, softened
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 large egg white
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
cooking spray (or butter)
1/3 cup raspberry or apricot preserves
½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp almond or vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat sugar and butter with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add 1 ½ tsp vanilla and egg white; beat well. In a small bowl, combine flour cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, mixing until well blended. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each portion into a 12-inch log. (I found it easier to roll into four 6-inch logs.) Place logs 3 inches apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. (I used butter.) Form a ½-inch deep indentation down the length of each log using your index finger or the end of a wooden spoon. Spoon preserves into the center. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove logs to a cutting board. Combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and almond (or vanilla) extract; stir well with a whisk. Drizzle sugar mixture over warm logs. Immediately cut each log diagonally into 12 slices (or into 6 slices if you chose to make 6-inch logs). Do not separate slices. Cool 10 minutes then separate slices. Transfer slices to wire racks. Cool completely. Yield: 2 dozen