Festive favorites: recipes from our readers, tested in Sunset's kitchen

Sunset, Dec, 2004 by Christina Schmidhofer

3. Beat the egg white until foamy and brush over tops of dough. Sprinkle evenly with the almonds and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

4. Bake in a 350[degrees] oven until tops are golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then invert pans to release loaves onto rack. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.

5. With a serrated knife, cut loaves crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices and arrange on a 10- by 15-inch baking sheet. Return to a 325[degrees] oven and bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 25 minutes longer. Let cool completely. Store airtight for up to 2 weeks.

Per serving: 148 cal., 34% (50 cal.) from fat; 2.7 g protein; 5.5 g fat (2.8 g sat.); 22 g carbo (0.5 g fiber); 89 mg sodium; 29 mg chol.

RELATED ARTICLE: TIP FROM THE TEST KITCHEN

Better shredding

Whether you're making our potato pancakes (page 100) or old-fashioned hash browns, one of the keys is to shred the spuds to the right consistency. Luckily, it's easy to do: Just think big. The common four-sided box graters have different-size holes on each side, but only the long, flat holes (the ones you use for cheese) will produce the right shreds for a crispy pancake. If you rub the potato against the tiny, raised, rough holes, you'll end up with a mixture that's more water than substance and a potato cake that's still mushy and raw in the middle when the outside is already burned. (The two rough sides of a box grater are more appropriate for hard foods like citrus and parmesan.)

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Food processors, of course, come equipped with a blade that makes short work of shredding--especially useful for large batches. And while mandoline graters claim to shred, most produce more of a julienne cut, about the shape and size of a matchstick. Potatoes cut that way make crispy hash browns but pancakes that are more likely to fall apart.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRISTINA SCHMIDHOFER

Have you created or adapted a recipe that you would like to share with other readers? Send it to us, with the story behind the recipe, and you'll receive $100 and a "Great Cook" certificate for each recipe published. Write to Reader Recipes, Sunset Magazine, 80 Willow Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025. (All recipes published become the property of Sunset and may be reused for other purposes.)