Cooks' Books by Lisa Messinger

"One Girl Cookies: Recipes for Cakes, Cupcakes, Whoopie Pies, and Cookies from Brooklyn's Beloved Bakery" by Dawn Casale and David Crofton (Clarkson Potter, $22.50).

A lot of the goodies shown off in the photographs in Dawn Casale's and David Crofton's "One Girl Cookies: Recipes for Cakes, Cupcakes, Whoopie Pies, and Cookies from Brooklyn's Beloved Bakery" are partially eaten. That's fitting, since that's not only the state they are most often in once they get an inch over that bakery counter, but it's also the way the authors have seen them most over the decades as their families have feasted on them.

Sometimes, the enjoyment even starts earlier. "If you are able to refrain from eating these while making them, congratulations are in order," they write of "Sfinge," the Sicilian doughnut holes made famous both by one of their late grandmothers and carried on by an aunt.

Whether it's longtime family favorites or additional chapters of whoopee pies, cakes, party cookies or comfort cookies (Really, every recipe in the book would qualify under that heading.), it's easy to see why the lines long have been out the door at the New York hotspot, even though it's tucked away on a quite, tree-lined street.

This kind of succulent variety of best-ever-tasted traditional fare (apple pie with flaky butter crust, the "best" chocolate cupcakes) and innovative showstoppers (pumpkin whoopie pies with maple spice filling, winter spice cookie sandwiches with orange cream) screams special. The fact that the pair is also expert at clearly and concisely teaching secrets is just icing on the cake.

CREAM CHEESE SHORTBREAD

1 cup walnuts

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 1 / 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3 / 4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Yields about 36 cookies.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in oven for about 10 minutes.

Let nuts cool (leave oven on). When walnuts are cool enough to handle, put them in a food processor and pulse 2 or 3 times, until all of the large pieces have been chopped.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the chopped walnuts and stir to combine.

In the electric mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until mixture is light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add vanilla extract, and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce mixer speed to low, add flour mixture and mix for 20 seconds. Take mixing bowl off mixer and finish mixing dough with a rubber spatula.

Scoop out a small round of dough, about 1 1 / 2 tablespoons in size. Roll the scoop into a ball, place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet and gently press the ball. Repeat, leaving 1 inch between cookies.

Bake cookies for 14 to 16 minutes, until they are light brown around the edges. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool.

PASSION FRUIT ANGEL FOOD CAKE GLAZE

1 1 / 2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons passion fruit puree (see note)

1 homemade or store-bought angel food cake

Yields enough drizzle/glaze for 1 angel food cake.

Combine the confectioners' sugar and the puree in a medium bowl and whisk vigorously to combine. Just before using, warm mixture in a microwave on high power for 30 seconds or in a saucepan over medium heat.

Carefully drizzle the glaze over the top of angel food cake.

If not serving immediately, the glaze can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Note: Look for passion fruit puree in the Latin foods section of your supermarket, at a Latin market or substitute another fruit puree of your choice.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "After-Work Gourmet" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website www.creators.com.

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