Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with kitchen parchment paper or grease lightly.
    
2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla and sour cream.
    
3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring just enough to blend. Add nuts with the last addition of flour.
    
4. Drop by level measuring tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set and very lightly browned (do not overbake). Transfer to wire racks to cool. Prepare icing and ice when cool.
    
5. Top each cookie with a cashew half. Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies. In a small saucepan over medium heat, lightly brown butter, stirring often to prevent burning.
    
6. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes. Add vanilla and gradually add sugar, beating until smooth after each addition. Stir in just enough half-and-half to make an icing that can be spooned over the cookies.

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
One third cup rice wine or dry sherry
One third cup soy sauce
One quarter cup cornstarch
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 6-oz. can water chestnuts
2 cups Chinese cabbage, (bok choy) chopped
1 cup bean sprouts fresh or canned
One quarter cup hoisin sauce
One third cup cashews

Heat oil in skillet or wok. Cook chicken until no longer pink and set aside in a bowl. Add onion and celery to skillet and cook until crisp-tender. Combine rice wine or sherry, soy sauce, cornstarch and ginger together and stir until cornstarch dissolves. Return chicken to celery and onion in the skillet and add water chestnuts and sauce. Cook until sauce starts to thicken. Add Chinese cabbage and bean sprouts and cook for just one or two minutes; do not overcook because the cabbage will become mushy. Stir in hoisin sauce and cashews and serve over hot rice or noodles.