When I was younger I helped an older friend of mine to make
cookies for the holidays. I had always baked traditional oatmeal, peanut
butter and chocolate chip cookies since I was a child, but her delicate
cookies impressed me with their elegance. She served them with tea,
and boxed them up for guests to take home. It made each guest feel
important and special. Unfortunately I did not get her recipes, but
through the years I have gathered these that are reminiscent of those
dainty festive cookies.
Almond Crescents
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups unblanched almonds
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups sifted flour
granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grind almonds fine. Cream butter
and sugar together. Stir in ground almonds, vanilla, salt and flour.
Chill dough until firm. Lightly grease baking sheets. Break off
walnut size pieces of dough and roll into sticks 1/2 inch thick.
Bend sticks into little crescent shapes. Place on prepared
cookie sheets. leaving 1/2 inch or so between crescents. Bake
15-20 minutes until cookies are dry but not brown. Cool slightly
and roll each cookie in granulated sugar. Makes about 36.
Cinnamon Stars
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups blanched almonds
1 lemon
1/3 cup room temperature egg whites 2-3
pinch of salt
3 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Heat oven to 250 degrees. Butter and flour baking
sheets. Grind almonds to a powder. Grate 1 1/2
tsp. zest from the lemon and squeeze about 2 tsp.
juice. Beat eggs whites and salt until foamy. Add
1/8 tsp. lemon juice and beat until soft peaks form.
Gradually add 3 cups sugar and continue beating
until whites form stiff peaks. Save 1/2 cup of this
mixture. Stir almonds, cinnamon and zest into
remaining whites. Gradually knead in up to 2/3 cup
sugar to make a manageable dough. Sprinkle work
surface with more sugar. Roll to 1/8 inch thick. Using
a 2 1/2 inch star shaped cookie cutter, stamp out
cookies. Gather and reroll dough until it all has been
used. Place on cookie sheets spacing 1 1/4 inches
apart. Gradually stir up to 2 tsp. lemon juice into
reserved egg-white mixture to make it spreadable.
Spread a thin layer of icing on each star. Add more
juice if icing starts to dry out. Bake cookies until they
are beginning to brown and are crisp, but chewy, 20-30
minutes. Cool on racks. Makes about 50 cookies.
Candy Cane Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. red food coloring
1/3 cup finely crushed peppermint candy
1/3 cup sugar
Cream shortening and butter in a large bowl
until fluffy; add the next 6 ingredients and mix
well. Divide dough in half; add food coloring to
one portion, mixing well. On a lightly floured
surface roll a tsp. of each dough into a 4 1/4
inch rope. Place ropes side by side, and
carefully twist together; curve one end down
to resemble a cane. Repeat with remaining
dough. Place cookies on an ungreased baking
sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 9
minutes or just until edges begin to brown.
Combine candy and sugar; mix well. Remove
cookies from pans while warm and coat with
candy mixture. Makes about 4 dozen.
Snowflake Cookies
Ingredients:
2 sticks, 1 cup, unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
mini nonpareil decorating candies
Spritz-cookie gun with tips
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, sugar
and vanilla until blended. With mixer on low
speed, beat in flour until blended. Spoon dough
into cookie gun. Press cookies out on lightly
greased cookie sheets (follow directions on
Spritz gun for best results). Place a candy in
the center of each cookie. Bake 8 minutes or
until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes
about 80 cookies.
Snowballs
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup crushed pecans, or finely chopped
In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt butter
until light brown in color (be careful not to scorch).
Pour into a small mixing bowl; chill until firm.
Cream browned butter with sugar and vanilla until
light and fluffy. Gradually add flour until blended.
Stir in pecans. Chill several hours for ease in
handling. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place on
ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees
about 20 minutes. Remove to wire racks. While
still hot, roll in confectioners' sugar.
About the author
Brenda Hyde is a wife and mom to three who lives in the
winter wonderland of Michigan. She is a freelance writer and
editor of OldFashionedLiving.com.
