Recipe of the month

This month's recipe, from Trish Milburn, looks absolutely scrumptious. Heck, with all that butter, cream cheese, sugar and chocolate, how could it be anything but? I don't know about you, but I'm going to buy what I need and whip up a batch this weekend!

Thanks, Trish.

Pistachio Fingers

1 cup sugar
1 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose or unbleached flour
1 (3 3/4-ounce) package instant pistachio-flavored pudding and pie filling mix
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ounces (3 squares) semi-sweet chocolate or 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening

In a large bowl, beat sugar, margarine and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, and level off. In medium bowl, combine flour, pudding mix, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to cream cheese mixture; mix well. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour. After one hour, heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. Wet hands to avoid dough sticking to hands. Shape teaspoonfuls of dough into 1 1/2-inch fingers. Place on cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool completely. In small saucepan, melt chocolate and shortening, stirring constantly until well blended. Drizzle small amount of chocolate over each cookie. Allow chocolate to set before storing. Yield: 8 1/2 dozen cookies.

Trish Milburn
Heartbreak River (as Tricia Mills), Razorbill (4/09)
Her Very Own Family, Harlequin American (5/09)
www.trishmilburn.com