COOL LOWER THIRDS RECIPES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 6 with a handheld. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
• Form dough into a 12-inch log (2 inches in diameter) on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up dough in plastic wrap. Chill dough on a baking sheet until firm, at least 4 hours. (To roll cookies into balls, see cooks' note, below.)
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Cut enough 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick slices from log with a heavy knife to fill 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging slices about 1 inch apart (chill remainder of log, wrapped in plastic wrap). If garnishing with coarse sugar, sprinkle slices with it.
• Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes total. Cool on sheets 3 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets.
• *Available at specialty foods shops and New York Cake & Baking Distributor (800-942-2639).

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400° with oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
• Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Peel or scrub the carrots and quarter them lengthwise. Place them on the baking sheet; drizzle with the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Toss the carrots, then arrange them in a single layer. Roast on the top rack of the oven until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, line another baking sheet with parchment paper. Unfold the puff pastry sheet into a 9-inch square, with the floury side facing down. Using a paring knife, make a shallow cut along each side of the pastry square to create a 1/2-inch wide border. Using a fork, prick the inside of the square 8 to 9 times all over. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven (while the carrots bake on the top rack), until the edges are lightly golden, 12 to 14 minutes. (After baking, if the interior of the puff pastry square puffs up, cut through the shallow cuts once again, then press the center of the square down with the back of a fork, being careful of steam.) 
• Crumble the garlic-herb cheese into small pieces and sprinkle all over the pastry (within the border). Gently spread the cheese to cover. Sprinkle with monterey jack cheese. Arrange the carrots on top of the cheese and return the tart to the bottom rack of the oven. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is melty, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the tart to a cooling rack to cool slightly. Top with fresh herbs and slice to serve, or let cool completely and serve at room temperature—it's delicious either way!