Hazelnut Crinkle Cookies

Hazelnuts are high in protein and relatively low in fat as compared to other nuts. Also known as Filberts, these babies have tons of fiber, iron, phosphorus, vitamins B1, B2, C, and E, folate, and other essential nutrients. They are the champion of nut family, contributing to lower cholesterol levels. Just think of what a daily dose of hazelnuts combined with a statin like Lipitor would do to lower your cholesterol.

Plus, did I mention they taste delicious to boot? That is, if you're not allergic.

As in life, with the good comes the bad. Hazelnuts have a skin which can be difficult (and messy) to remove. Perhaps that's why they're not as popular as walnuts or pecans (just a theory).

I'll be honest. These cookies took time to make. Most of it was spent removing the skins after a boiling, washing, and drying process which I'll describe later. That said, if you can find blanched hazelnuts, buy them. My local Wholefoods did not have them, so I was stuck spending nearly an hour trying to get the tough skins removed.

I tried a new method of removing skins and it worked well. The traditional way involves roasting the nuts in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes and then placing the nuts in a dish towel and rubbing the heck out of them until the skins come off. The new way is easier. Bring a quart of water to a boil in a saucepan and add 4 tablespoons of baking soda. Turn down the head to avoid a messy boil over and continue boiling for 3 - 4 minutes. Drain nuts in a colander and then rinse under cold water. Rub between your palms under the water and skins will come off easily. Dry on paper towels and roast in the oven as described above. Nuts may take longer to toast depending on how much water they absorbed.

Chop nuts by hand with a chef's knife or place in a food processor being careful not to chop nuts into a fine powder. You want to retain the texture.

Skinned and Toasted Hazelnuts Ready for Chopping















Hazelnut Crinkle Cookies
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, November 1995 issue)

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 11 ounce jar of chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella or similar)
1/4 cup shortening
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts (see above for toasting instructions)
Additional finely chopped hazelnuts (about 1 1/2 cups)
Confectioners sugar for rolling and dusting

In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine chocolate-hazelnut spread and shortening. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg. Beat until combined.

Alternately add flour mixture and milk to creamed mixture, beating on medium speed until just combined. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts. Cover and chill for about 2 hours until firm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Shape dough into 1 or 1 1/2 balls. Roll in finely chopped hazelnuts and then in confectioners sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet or on parchment paper.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes until surface is cracked and cookies are set. Cool on wire rack. When cool dust in confectioners sugar again and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes approximately 6 dozen cookies.

Cookie Press Review:
These cookies are bursting with hazelnut flavor and are a nice change from other chocolate and nutty cookies. The texture is light, with a soft and chewy center. Perfect with tea or a glass of milk, these cookies get my seal of approval. They would be great to include in a holiday cookie assortment or to be devoured at any time during the year.

Cookie Press rating: 4 cookies (out of 5)

Let it Snow!

Another winter storm is headed toward New York. Our third big winter blast of the year. Enough already I tell you! Instead of moping around the apartment and cursing the weather I've decided to embrace it. And what better way to do it than with Snowflake Cookies. I made these a few weeks ago as part of my holiday baking extravaganza and remembered to take a few photos so that I could share later.

The cookie itself is my mom's famous sugar cookie cutout recipe. It yields a flavorful, sturdy cookie with a tender crumb. I decorated the cookies with royal icing applied to the cookie using a simple plastic squeeze bottle which are available in craft stores. I found mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

To decorate, hold the cookie in one hand and swirl the icing onto the cookie with the squeeze bottle, making sure to touch the cookie with the tip of the bottle. Have fun with it. I decorated the cookies with white sanding sugar to give them a glisten. I also made stars at the same time. For the stars, I iced the whole cookie and finished it with sanding sugar.

Christmas Cookie Cut Outs

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar together in a mixer until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla, mix well.
Add dry ingredients and mix until ingredients come together. Do not over mix.

Roll out dough until 1/8 inch thick, cut into shapes and transfer to parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Let cookies cool on try for about a minute and remove to wire racks to finish cooling.

Decorate with royal icing.

Royal Icing
2 large egg whites
1 pound confectioners' sugar
food coloring and/or sanding sugar

Beat egg whites, sugar, and 2 t water on low speed for 10 minutes. For thicker icing continue to beat 2 or 3 minutes more. Transfer to smaller bowls and add food coloring as desired. If icing is too thick, add a drop or two of water to thin. Keep icing covered with plastic wrap when not using to avoid hardening.

Stars and Snowflake













Squeeze Bottles

Happy New Year!

I can't believe that we have just one day left in 2010! Seems like just yesterday we were ushering in a new decade and now we're on to 2011. And next year I'll be saying the same thing. Where does the time go?

This year for Christmas Eve dinner at my Aunt's home I wanted to bring a special dessert. I came across a page I had clipped from Martha Stewart Living magazine last year. She featured her take on a traditional French dessert, the croquembouche. It's not a gut-busting dessert (unless you decide to eat the whole thing!) but luckily, I wasn't the only one bringing dessert for the eight of us. I especially liked Martha's version because it is decorated with star cut-out cookies!

The words croque en bouche translate to mean "crunch in the mouth." It is made of about 50 puffs filled with a caramel cream and dipped in a thin caramel sugar that hardens when cooled. The result is crunchy, sweet, and soft all in a single bite. The puffs are assembled into a cone-shaped form and then decorated with the cookie stars or more traditionally, spun sugar.

I made the croquembouche over three days starting first with the sugar cookies. I used a basic sugar cookie recipe and cut out various stars in several sizes. I happened to have a tiny star cutter that came as part of a set used to make Linzer Torte cookies. It was perfect to create the tiny stars. I decorated the cookies with white royal icing and dusted them with white sanding sugar for some sparkle.

I've made cream puffs before so making the puffs wasn't too much of a hassle. I dusted off my pastry bag with a 1/4 inch tip and whipped out about 75 puffs fairly quickly. Then I made the caramel by melting sugar in a saucepan, adding 1 cup of heavy cream, and returning the mixture to a boil. Finally, I added creme fraiche, vanilla, and salt and let it cool overnight in the refrigerator.

The final steps involved making a light caramel sauce and carefully dipping the filled puffs into the scalding sauce without burning my fingers. After the tops are dipped and have cooled, I repeated the process this time dipping the bottoms and assembling the final cone-shaped masterpiece. In the final step, I added the decorated stars by affixing them with a dab of royal icing. Don't worry, it's not as difficult as it sounds!

For me, the best part of the whole process came when I was transporting the croquembouche down to the car. The elevator door opened on my floor and I strolled in holding the festive dessert in the palm of my hand. The couple on the elevator immediately stopped their conversation to marvel at the croquembouche and asked me if I had made it. When I answered that I had, the gentlemen replied with an accent, "the whole thing?"

"All of it," I said.

It took me a moment to realize that the couple on the elevator were French!
I didn't need to tell them what it was since they obviously knew. We chatted the rest of the way down and though the lobby. I think I may have possibly just made their entire day. I know they made mine.

Instead of typing the entire recipe out, I've included a link to Martha's website where you can print out the recipe. I also found a video online of Martha making a croquembouche with special show guest, Rachel Maddow. It was a bit strange to hear Martha and Rachel talk politics while dipping puffs into caramel!



Happy New Year! I look forward to bringing you more fabulous cookie recipes in 2011 as the blog turns one year old!

Caramel Pecan Cookies

Last week's entry for Brownie Squares yielded some interesting comments from readers. My friend Lisa said, "This looks so good I may get the apron out tonight." And my friend Myra said, "OMG! These look incredible!! :-)." I love that Myra included a smiley face with her comment.

Today I think I'll share another recipe using the same butter cookie base but adding caramel and pecans on the top. If you like sweet and gooey caramel, these cookies are TDF (to die for). I've made them every year for the past five years. I shared the recipe with my mom and she has been known to make them throughout the year.

If you have never made caramel before it's not too difficult but you do need to pay attention to what you're doing so that you don't burn yourself or your house down. Caramel is made by melting sugar, adding heavy cream, cooking until the caramel is smooth, and finally adding butter, vanilla, and salt. Be careful when adding the cream, as the melted sugar will bubble and steam vigorously. Make sure to use a 3 quart saucepan to avoid a catastrophic boil over.

Basic Butter Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

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 - 4 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Grease a 9 x 13 inch metal baking pan, then line with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both ends. Then grease foil.

Press dough evenly into bottom of baking pan, using plastic wrap or wax paper on top to keep dough from sticking to your fingers. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes.

As crust chills, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake crust until golden brown, about 20 - 25 minutes. Do not over bake. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Leave oven on.

While crust cools, make the caramel topping.


Caramel Pecan Topping

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter cut into bits
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups pecans, toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped

Make topping while crust cools:
Cook sugar in a 3 quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted to a deep golden caramel. Be careful not to burn. Tilt pan and carefully pour in cream. Sugar will harden and steam vigorously so be careful. Place back on burner and continue cooking over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is smooth. Increase heat as needed if caramel is not yet smooth after 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla, salt, and pecans.

Immediately spread topping over cooled crust and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for about 2 hours.

Lift cookies out of pan by gently loosening and lifting the foil. Place on large cutting board and remove foil. Run a knife (chef's knife works well) under hot water then wipe dry. Cut into 2-inch triangles, diamonds, or squares.

Cookies keep layered in wax paper in airtight containers for up to 1 week. They also freeze well for 2 - 3 weeks.

Cookie press rating: 5 cookies (out of 5)

Brownie Squares

Christmas is just two days away and I have to say that I'm very prepared this year. My shopping is done, cards mailed, and cookie assortment completed and shared. I have just one gift left to wrap and a dessert to make for Christmas Eve. I think that's pretty darn great for December 23rd. I could get used to not working. But I really shouldn't.

A few years ago Gourmet Magazine featured a basic butter cookie recipe and many cookies that you could make using the butter cookie dough as a base and adding a topping or flavoring to make a whole new cookie. I liked the idea of adding a brownie topping to the butter cookie base since I don't consider brownies to be very festive in and of themselves. By pressing the delicious butter cookie dough into a 9 x 13 inch pan, baking it, and then topping it with a chocolaty brownie and baking it again the normally dull brownie gets a starring role as a cookie. Omit the nuts if you want, but I think they give the cookie some needed crunch.

Basic Butter Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

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 - 4 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Grease a 9 x 13 inch metal baking pan, then line with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both ends. Then grease foil.

Press dough evenly into bottom of baking pan, using plastic wrap or wax paper on top to keep dough from sticking to your fingers. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes.

As crust chills, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake crust until golden brown, about 20 - 25 minutes. Do not over bake. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Leave oven on.

As crust cools, make the brownie topping.

Brownie Topping

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
10 1/2 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped (do not use unsweetened)
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped (toast walnuts by placing them on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 5 - 6 minutes. Check often and shake pan during toasting.)

Melt butter and chocolate with brown sugar in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat, then whisk in eggs and vanilla until combined well. Whisk in flour, cocoa, and salt, then stir in walnuts (if using).

Spread brownie batter over cooled crust and bake until set, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 1/2 hours. Lift from pan and using a heavy knife (Chef's knife), cut into 1-inch squares. Running knife under hot water and wiping dry will aid in making clean cuts.

Cookie press rating: 4 cookies (out of 5)

Double Chocolate-Peppermint Crunch Cookies

Every year I try a few new cookie recipes. Well, to be honest more than a few. Many are not worth writing about, but every now and then I come across a winner. Double Chocolate-Peppermint Crunch cookies definitely fall into the winner category.

I found the recipe in the December Bon Appetit magazine. I think what grabbed me was the enormous spread devoted to these festive gems. The larger than life cookies jumped off the page. The crushed peppermint candies and the melted chocolate decorating the tops make these the quintessential Christmas cookie. The cookie is soft, chocolaty, and is gently flavored with peppermint extract.

I baked these over the weekend and stored them in an airtight cookie tin overnight before I finished them off with the melted chocolate and candy. I popped them into the freezer and will share them with friends next week when the rest of my cookies are ready for distribution to friends and family.

May God bless those Bon Appetite editors. Seriously, I think I have a new favorite cookie.














Double Chocolate-Peppermint Crunch Cookies

2 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (not to exceed 61% cacao; 15 to 16 ounces)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 large eggs
4 candy canes or 16 hard peppermint candies, coarsely crushed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir 2 cups chocolate chips in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth (or use a double boiler). Measure 2/3 cup melted chocolate; transfer to a small bowl and reserve for drizzling.

Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy. Add sugar and extracts, beat until smooth. Add eggs, beat to blend. Beat in melted chocolate from medium bowl. Add dry ingredients, beat until just blended. Stir in remaining chocolate chips. Chill dough for 20 - 30 minutes if too warm to form into balls. Measure 1 level tablespoonful dough and roll between palms to form a ball. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat, spacing cookies 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake until cookies are cracked on top, 8 to 9 minutes. Cookies should remain moist. Do not over bake. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment paper to racks to cool completely.

Finish cookies by rewarming reserved 2/3 cup chocolate in microwave or over saucepan of simmering water. Drizzle chocolate over cookies using a fork. Sprinkle crushed peppermints on each cookie. Chill until chocolate sets, about 20 minutes.

Can be made ahead of time and frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Cookie Press rating: 5 cookies! (out of 5)

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Kisses

This week has been hectic for sure. I had planned to post several of my favorite holiday cookie recipes, but the week just seemed to get away from me. So now that I have a few minutes, I'd like to share one of my tried and true cookie recipes. No cookie plate is complete without Peanut Butter-Chocolate Kisses. These are super easy to make, especially with kids. And best of all, you can eat any leftover chocolate kisses. And there are always some leftover!

Baker's tip: unwrap the Hershey kisses as cookies bake so that they're ready to go or better yet, have your helper do it.

The recipe says to immediately press the kiss into the top of each cookie as soon as they're out of the oven but I prefer to wait a minute or so. The cookie will still be soft, but will not be so hot as to start to melt the chocolate. Don't wait too long though, or the kiss will not stick to the cookie!

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Kisses

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
granulated sugar for rolling dough
36 Hershey's chocolate candy kisses

Heat oven to 375 degrees
Mix 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, shortening, and egg thoroughly. Stir in flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Mold dough into 1-inch balls then roll them in sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove sheet from oven, wait 1 minute and press candy kiss firmly in the middle of each cookie. Let cool completely.

Chocolate Gingersnaps

I normally follow recipes very closely to avoid any surprises at the end. This week for some reason my creativity blossomed and I decided to step out of my comfort zone a bit and try to improve a cookie that I already love. Gingersnaps are one of those classic cookies that just about everyone loves. Perfect for dunking into a cup of hot tea or a glass of milk, the spicy gingersnap belongs in the Cookie Hall of Fame.

At some point while I was measuring out the spices for the cookie I said to my self, "self, what if I add some dutch processed cocoa powder to the dough?" So I did. The result was a nice combination of subtle chocolate mixed with the spice of the ginger and cloves. I diced up some candied ginger and garnished the top of each cookie before popping them in the oven. When the cookies came out of the oven I added some white sanding sugar for a festive touch.

The cookies came out wonderfully, just as I had hoped. They are darker than traditional gingersnaps, but still pack that ginger punch. The candied ginger on top not only looks great, but adds some additional ginger flavor and sweetness to the cookie.

Try these and let me know what you think. Would you add more chocolate? More spices? I'd love for you to add comments below.

This Gingersnaps recipe is from Epicurious.com with my additions noted.

Chocolate Gingersnaps

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Candied ginger for garnish, chopped finely

In a large bowl sift together 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and spices. Whisk in brown sugar.
In a small saucepan melt butter and whisk into flour mixture with molasses and egg until combined well. With a wooden spoon, stir in remaining 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour until combined well. Chill dough until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll level tablespoons of dough into balls and in a small bowl roll balls in granulated sugar to coat. Arrange balls about 2 inches apart on baking sheets and gently press each with the bottom of a glass to flatten slightly. Top each cookie with a few pieces of candied ginger pressing down slightly.

Bake 10 - 12 minutes until cookies have puffed slightly. When removed from the oven, cookies will collapse slightly and contain little cracks. While cookies are still hot, sprinkle lightly with white sanding sugar. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 - 3 minutes more and then transfer to cooling racks.

Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.

Cookie press rating: 4 cookies (out of 5)

Jam Sandwich Cutout Cookies

With the Fourth of July holiday just days away, you might be looking for a cookie that is festive, delicious, and easy to prepare. Well, two out of three ain't bad. I made these Jam Sandwich Cutout Cookies last week for the first time. These bites of buttery sugar cookies are star shaped and laced with a thin layer of jam. They were a huge hit at Mike's family's second annual BBQ and fireworks watching extravaganza in Point Lookout, New York.

I should tell you something before you begin. These are extremely labor intensive. There. Don't say I didn't warn you. The result is well worth the time and effort. Mike's sister called them "outrageous."

The multi-step process includes making the dough, refrigerating it for 3 hours. Rolling the dough and refrigerating for 1 hour. Spreading the jam on dough and refrigerating for 1 hour. Cutting out the cookies and refrigerating the cookies another 30 minutes before baking. That's a total of 5 1/2 hours of refrigeration time! I know it's not "active time" but it still makes for a long process. I whipped up a batch of red velvet cupcakes in between while I waited patiently each time the dough chilled.

I made the rookie mistake of not reading the whole recipe before I started and ended finishing up at almost midnight. I won't make that mistake again. Ever.

To make this process even more challenging, I made these in our small city apartment where I have exactly 18 inches of counter space to roll the dough if I move the coffee maker out of the way.

Baker's note: Let the dough soften a bit before cutting the stars. This will make cutting the cookies easier to do and the jam will not ooze out as much. Dip the cutter edges in flour if the dough becomes sticky. Try cutting other shapes as well. Next time I will try a round cutter with a scalloped edge.

I found this recipe on Martha's website. She calls them Red, White, and Blue Stars. I prefer to call them Jam Sandwich Cutout Cookies since that's more descriptive. You could really cut them into any shape at all or simply cut them into bite-sized bars before baking.

I recommend making the dough a day or two ahead of time to make the process seem shorter (even though it won't actually be).

I also recommend baking as many of the scraps as you can. The jam oozes out the sides of dough scraps and after baking, made a deliciously crispy and sweet cookie.

Jam Sandwich Cutout Cookies

Yield: about 40 cookies (depending on size)

5 cups cake flour (not self-rising or all purpose)
plus more flour for rolling
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more for brushing
3/4 cup raspberry jam
3/4 cup blueberry jam
2 tablespoons sanding sugar

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.

Cream butter and granulated sugar with a mixed on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla until well combined. Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with cream and beating well after each addition. Shape dough into four disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate for at lease 3 hours (or up to 3 days).

On floured parchment, roll 1 disk of dough into a 1/8 thick rectangle (mine ended up as an oval despite my best efforts to roll a rectangle). Repeat with remaining disks. Stack sheets of dough and parchment on a cookie sheet, and refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes.

Spread the raspberry jam on 1 sheet of dough, blueberry jam on the other. Top each with a plain sheet of dough and refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes. I used a jar of my homemade raspberry jam which is so sweet and delicious.

Cut out cookies using a 2 1/2 inch star-shaped cutter, and space 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush with cream, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. I used Demerara sugar. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden, 16 - 20 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. Bake extra dough scraps.

St. Patrick's Day Cutouts

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day! The day the Irish and the pseudo Irish watch a parade and then hit the bars. I suspect there will be many people calling in sick on Thursday.

Over the weekend I made these cutout cookies to celebrate. I'm bringing them into work tomorrow and sharing with my co-workers. We've all be working hard lately and they deserve a little treat.

The cookie is a basic sugar cookie with royal icing. Click here for the previously posted recipes from the Penguin cookies I made a few months ago.

I unscrewed the green cap from the food coloring and put a drop into the mixing bowl only to find out the container was mislabeled and I had just made light blue icing! Luckily, I remembered that blue and yellow make green. With a few drops of yellow and a splash of creme de menthe, I remedied the situation and had a nice light green icing. Whew! That was close. My co-workers will never know that I almost gave them blue shamrocks.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Lime-Glazed Coconut Snowballs

Whenever I ask friends and relatives what their favorite Christmas cookie is, I always hear Snowballs (or Russian Tea Cakes if you want to be hoitytoity) mentioned in the top three. When I saw this recipe for Lime-Glazed Snowballs, I figured I'd give them a try. After all it's March and holiday cookie season is just ten months away and I need to be ready with a few new cookies in the lineup. Could this be a contender? Time would tell.

This recipe is from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, or the "Red Bible" as I like to call it.

Cookie Dough

2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Superfine Sugar (grind up regular sugar in a food processor to make superfine sugar or just by a box)
1/4 t Salt
2 Sticks Unsalted Butter, softened and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 T Cream Cheese, Softened
2 t Vanilla Extract

Whisk flour, salt, and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Beat butter into the flour mixture, one piece at a time, on medium-low speed. Continue to beat until the mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 2 minutes longer. Beat in softened cream cheese and vanilla until the dough begins to hold together, forming large clumps.

Knead the dough in the bowl by hand a few times until it forms a large ball. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter top, divide into two equal pieces and form two discs, each approximately four inches wide. Chill for 20 to 30 minutes or longer.

Lime Glaze

While dough is chilling, whisk 2 tablespoons of lime juice and 1 tablespoon of cream cheese together in a bowl until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and whisk until smooth. You may add more lime juice if needed to thin the glaze. Glaze should be thin enough to spread easily, but not too runny.

In a separate bowl, place 1 to 1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (unsweetened coconut is more difficult to find, but health food stores carry it), chopped fine.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using your hands, roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are light brown, about 12 minutes, rotating pans from upper to lower shelf if baking two pans.

Let cookies cool on sheets for 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.

When cookies are completely cool, dip tops in the glaze, scrape away excess, and dip into the coconut. Set cookies back on wire rack to cool. Glaze will set in about 20 minutes.

Cookie Press Review

Let me start by saying that these are nothing like traditional snowballs that are rolled in powdered sugar. These are quite different but delicious nonetheless. The dough is a delicate butter cookie with a fine crumb. The lime glaze offers a subtle citrus flavor without being overpowering. I'd like a bit more lime flavor now that I think about it. The coconut adds a nice texture and flavor as well.
Overall, these are very good cookies. They look like you slaved away in the kitchen for hours, but really you didn't. And best of all, they are bite size so you can eat them by the dozen. I had to stop myself. Really I did.

Cookie press rating: 4 cookies (out of five)