Original Source of Recipe: Based on a recipe
from "Woman's Day," c. 1950
|
Quantities Ingredients
1 c.
| Butter, at room temperature |
1/4 c. - 1/2 c.
|
Sugar (granulated, brown, confectioner's, baking)
|
2 tsp.
|
Vanilla or other flavoring (use
only 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring)
|
2 c.
| Flour |
1 c. - 2 c.
|
Ground or finely chopped nuts
|
Preparation Procedures:
1. Cream butter with sugar (if using brown sugar, use at least 1/2 c.) Mix in flavoring, then stir in flour and then nuts.
2. Shape cookies (see notes below) and place on lightly greased or parchment-lined cookie sheets.
3. Bake at 350 degrees until light brown -
time will depend on thickness. Cool on rack.
4.
Dough and cookies both freeze well. Dough keeps in refrigerator for
several days. Cookies keep well in tight tin - if you hide them. Too
delicate to mail well.
Note:
This seems to be a universal basic cookie; We keep finding the recipe
reappearing, with variations, attributed to various sources.
Nut Butter Balls: Make with walnuts, shape into 1" balls, then dust with powdered sugar.
Mexican Wedding Cakes:
Make with pecans, shape and then flatten well. (You can use the flat
bottom of a glass, greased and dipped in sugar, to press them flat.)
Kourabeithes (Greek): Make with walnuts, shape into fat crescents, and when baked dredge in powdered sugar while warm and again when cool.
Scottish Shortbread:
Set oven to 325 degrees. Omit nuts, flavoring, use little sugar. To be
really authentic, work the butter into the flour with your fingers.
Press the dough 1/2" thick into a flat pan or into a couple of 1/2"
thick rounds. Before baking mark the pieces with a knife, prick with a
fork decoratively. Cut while hot.
Chinese Almond Cookies:
Use ground almonds, almond flavoring, shape into rounds. Top each
cookie with an almond, brush tops with egg wash (beat 1 egg yolk w/ 1
Tbsp. water) for a shiny top.
Mocha: Reduce
flour to 1 3/4 c. and mix in 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa and 2 tsp. instant
coffee powder. Pecans work well with this flavoring.
French-inspired: Use
hazelnuts, shape into rounds. Sandwich with chocolate frosting. (An easy
way to make rounds is to shape the dough into logs, chill well, then
slice.)
Fancy: Shape into
finger-sized sticks, triangles, etc. Bake as usual. When cool, dip half
of each cookie into melted chocolate bits, then dip the chocolate end
into chopped nuts, coconut, colored or chocolate sprinkles, etc.
Refrigerate to set chocolate (you don't need to keep them cold after it
sets.)