Amaretti Cookies

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A family friend recently shared her recipe for Amaretti cookies. They’re a chewy, almond flavored sweet cookie made from very few ingredients. The recipe has a slight twist to it–you let the cookies firm up overnight, uncovered, before baking.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup blanched almonds
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
  • Crystallized sugar
  • Candied Cherries

Directions

  1. Dry blanched almonds thoroughly by placing them in a warm oven (350 degrees) for 5 to 10 minutes.  Grind as fine as possible, until powdery, while still warm.
  2. Combine ground almonds and sugar in a medium size bowl; add unbeaten egg whites and almond extract; beat thoroughly.
  3. Divide dough into sections.  Add food coloring of your choice. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper leaving 1 inch between cookies. Wet fingers with water and smooth into rounds. Sprinkle on crystallized sugar and top off with candied cherries (cut in half).
  4. **Let cookies stand overnight, uncovered until dough hardens**
  5. Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.  Carefully remove cookies with spatula ( if cookie stiffens, put back into oven for a few seconds to soften.)  Store in an airtight container when thoroughly cooled.

Melt in Your Mouth Sugar Cookies

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • Colored Sugar (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and shortening with electric mixer on medium high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping bowl.
  2. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla, mixing until combined. Add flour and beat to combine.
  3. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, roll in colored sugar. Place balls on parchment lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven 12 to 14 minutes, or until set. Do not let the edges brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute and transfer to wire rack.

Makes 48 cookies.


Happy Thanksgiving!

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Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I’ll be back with pictures of food and some cards tomorrow.

In case you’re wondering, this is the English Toffee Pecan Pie I made. The recipe is from Martha Stewart’s recent Pie Contest winner.

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