Chocolate Peppermintdoodles

A soft chocolate-mint cookie with a crisp peppermint candy shell.

makes 3 dozen cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened Cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
20 starlight peppermints, pulverized in a food processor

In a large bowl, whisk together butter and sugars until combined. Whisk in egg, and then extracts. Set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add dry ingredients to wet in two installments, mixing completely after each addition. Chill dough in the refrigerator for at least 90 minutes, or up to three days.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.

Form tablespoons of chilled dough into balls slightly taller than they are wide. Roll in pulverized peppermints and set on prepared pan at least two inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until puffy and slightly underdone-looking. Let cool on baking sheet for five minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes:

1. Refrigerate dough between batches.
2. Bring cookie sheet back to room temperature before each new batch.

submitted by Liz Davenport

Prize Winning Cookie Recipe (they really did win a work cookie contest once!And once you bring them somewhere once, you are expected to bring them until the end of time)

Makes 5 dozen cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
2 cups dried cranberries/Craisins (if using Craisins, you can reduce the sugar amounts above a little)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease four (4) baking sheets and set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add milk and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, oats, chocolate, butterscotch and cranberries. Add to creamed mixture, mixing until well combined. (you may need to use your hands to get dough completely blended).
4. Using a kitchen teaspoon or small ice cream scooper, place dough onto prepared sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake about 12 minutes. Dough should be lightly browned around the outside and soft in the middle. Remove from the sheets and cool on racks.

Granny Wells’s Trilbys

INGREDIENTS

For filling:
8 oz. dried dates, coarsely chopped
1 c. water
1 c. granulated white sugar

For cookie dough:
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. lard or vegetable shortening (Granny used lard)
½ c. sour milk*
2 c. oatmeal (rolled oats, also called “old fashioned” oats), uncooked
2 c. white flour, plus a little extra for rolling out dough
1 t. baking soda
1 t. ground nutmeg
* For sour milk, add 1 t. vinegar to ½ c. whole milk.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For filling:
Combine dates, water, and sugar in a sauce pan; bring to a boil, then reduce and let simmer until thickened. Remove from heat, let cool.

For cookie dough:
Mix all dough ingredients (brown sugar through nutmeg), then place dough on lightly floured surface and roll out to ½-inch thickness.

Cut dough into small rounds suitable for sandwich cookies. (A small wine glass or small biscuit cutter works fine.)

Bake cookies on parchment-lined baking sheet in preheated oven for about 12 minutes.

Remove from baking sheet and let cool on wire rack.

To assemble sandwich cookies:
Spread filling on one cookie, then top with another cookie, and continue until you have used all cookies and filling.

Linzer Biscotti

1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cognac
Grated zest of one lemon (organic preferred)
1 cup ground walnuts (you can also use hazelnuts)
2 cups toasted slivered almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons cocoa
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 cups raspberry preserves, mixed with 1 tablespoon eau-de-vie de framboise
1 1/4 cups apricot preserves, mixed with 1 tablespoon apricot liquer or Grand Marnier

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Add vanilla, cognac and lemon zest, and blend together. Mix in the nuts, spices, cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder, and blend well. You should have a soft, sticky dough. Divide the dough into 4 sections, and chill for at least 45 minutes.

Taking one section, divide it in half, and make a long sausage shape. Use wet hands rather than floured ones to work with the dough; keep a bowl of cold water handy. Pat the dough out flat on your baking sheet, and make a trench in the middle. Fill the trench with 1/2 cup of either the raspberry or the apricot preserve. Pat the other half of your dough section into a flattened long oval to match the shape that's already filled on the cookie sheet. Lay it carefully over the jam-filled section, and pat together with wet hands. Try to make sure that the jam is completely covered, and none is peeking through. Repeat with the three other dough sections, dividing each in half, filling with jam, and patting dough over the top to create a long oval loaf. The dough will crack somewhat during baking, and some jam may ooze out, but it doesn't matter -- the jam will help to keep the slices together. You should have about 1/4 cup of each flavor of jam left. You may need this later.

Bake loaves until set, 35 - 45 minutes. Let loaves cool for about 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 F. Cut loaves into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Glue together any slices that fall apart with extra jam, and fill in any large gaps in the middle of the biscotti slices with more jam. Bake again, just to dry out, 15 - 20 minutes (depending on how crisp you like your biscotti).

These keep in a covered airtight tin for several weeks.

Extreme Triple-Ginger Cookies

These cookies are for the serious ginger lover. They're not as "hot" as you might think, but they are extraordinarily addictive. I've been making them for more than 20 years as part of cookie gift platters. At holiday time, friends and family members start asking "Have you made the ginger cookies yet?" They age well, with the spice profile becoming richer as they sit around...if they last that long. I usually make a quadrupled batch at the holidays.

Extreme Triple-Ginger Cookies

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
Scant 1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
finely grated zest of one (Meyer) lemon
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, fine
2 - 3 teaspoons powdered ground ginger (make sure your jar is fresh)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 - 4 oz. finely chopped crystallized ginger

1/4 - 1/2 cup large sparkling crystal sugar or just plain sugar for rolling

Combine the butter and 1 cup of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the egg, molasses and grated ginger.
Sift the flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and salt together onto a piece of parchment. Add to the butter mixture in 2 batches, beating just until combined. Stir in the crystallized ginger. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the remaining 1/4 cup sparkling sugar in a pie plate. Shape the dough into walnut-size balls and roll in the sugar to coat. Arrange 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets and bake until cracked and dry but still soft, about 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cool on wire racks.

ChocoChilli Cookie Sticks

1 egg
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/2 Cup Canola Oil
2 Heaping Tbsp Cocoa
2 Tbsp. Water
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/8-1/4 tsp. or more Cayenne Pepper
1 1/2 Cups of Flour
1/4 Cup or more Chocolate Chips
1/4 tsp sea salt

Mix all ingredients except the sea salt together in a bowl.
Divide cookie dough in 1/2

In baking tray lined with parchment paper, flatten the cookie dough so it resembles a giant cookie... Sprinkle 1/2 the sea salt across the cookie...
Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or till done.....Upon removing from the oven immediately cut the cookie into long sticks using a pizza cutter
Repeat process with remaining cookie dough

Road Kill Cookies

1 C butter, softened
2/3 C sugar
2 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 C all purpose flour
1/4 C poppy seeds
1/2 kosher salt

Cream butter; add sugar gradually, mixing until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, poppy seeds and salt ; add to butter mixture, mixing until ball of dough forms. Chill dough 1-2 hours. Form dough into 1" balls; place on a lined cookie sheet 2" apart. Press thumb in center of each cookie leaving an indentation that will be filled with frosting after baking. Bake at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven when the edges have the slightest hint of brown.

Chocolate Frosting:
1 C sugar
1/4 C cocoa
1/4 C buttermilk
1/4 C butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine sugar, cocoa and buttermilk in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil for two minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Whisk until mixture thickens slightly. Fill cookies with frosting, let stand until frosting hardens.

I'd like to submit a recipe for my Grandmother's famous "rock" cookies. They are called rocks because they have so many yummy things in them - chocolate, dates, nuts & spices. Growing up, these were my absolute favorite.
My grandmother used to make thousands of Christmas cookies every year and distribute them to friends and neighbors. She would usually ship my family a big box that we would keep in the freezer and enjoy for many weeks. These cookies are especially delicious straight out of the freezer when they are cold & hard (exactly like rocks) and you can savor them bit by bit.

Now that I'm an adult & I own my own catering business, these "rocks" have become a favorite of my clients as well.

This recipe is also well suited to variation. Simply substitute your favorite nuts & dried fruits. I'm including my grandmother's original version here that she copied down for my mom before she died. But I've done lots of different versions over the years. I particularly love a variation I have baked with pecans & dried strawberries.

ROCKS

Yield:
makes 6 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c sifted all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 c butter
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 TBS milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chunks
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cup chopped dates

Directions:
-Preheat the oven to 350F.
-Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon & cloves together.
-Work butter until soft, add sugar gradually & work until smooth.
-Separate the eggs and beat in the yolks one at a time. Then stir in the milk & vanilla.
-Mix a little of the flour mixture into the nuts & chopped fruits.
-Stir the remaining flour mixture into the batter. Then add the fruit & nut mix.
-Then, beat the egg whites till they stand in points and gently fold them into the batter.
-Drop the cookies from a teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Leave room to spread.
-Bake for 12-14 minutes.

Cranberry Cookies (an unbeatable combo of sweet and tart - the cranberries explode with joy in your mouth!)
1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp. orange juice
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 and 1/2 cups fresh, whole cranberries

Put oven rack just above middle of oven and heat to 375 degrees.
Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and egg together until fluffy. Beat in milk and orange juice.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together into first mixture and blend well. Stir in nuts and cranberries.
Shape into small balls (make sure you get cranberries in each ball) and put on greased cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until nicely browned. (Makes about 7 dozen). ENJOY!
Note 1: I am all for abundance and usually put a little more of nuts and cranberries than stated.
Note 2: re phone, no calls before 11 a.m. Thank you!

This recipe is my favorite biscotti recipe for the holidays. It was given to me by my friends Cara Tannenbaum and Andrea Tutunjian and they have recently published it in their book, “In a Nutshell, Cooking and Baking with Nuts and Seeds.” I especially love the combination of the red and green in these cookies – it makes for a very festive presentation.

Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti
Recipe by Cara Tannenbaum and Andrea Tutunjian
In a Nutshell, Cooking and Baking with Nuts and Seeds

3 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cold
1 cup dried cranberries
2 cups (about 10 ounces) unsalted blanched pistachios
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper
Yield: about 75 cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt on low speed.
3. Cut the butter into 8 to 12 pieces and add to the flour mixture. Beat on medium-low speed until the flour resembles coarse meal. Stir in the cranberries and pistachios until they are evenly coated with the dry ingredients.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla together. Add to the flour mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated. The dough will be sticky.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Lightly flour the top of the dough and working with floured hands, roll 1 piece into a log about 16 inches long. Transfer the log to one of the prepared pans, press down gently with your hands to flatten. Brush off any excess flour. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough and pans, placing 2 logs on one of the pans. Bake until the logs have spread slightly and are well risen, golden and firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on the pans, for about 45 minutes. Lower the oven to 300 ° F.
6. When the logs have cooled, carefully transfer them to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife slice them one by one at a 45 degree angle into ½-inch slices. Return the slices to the pans, arranging them on their cut sides and bake until lightly toasted and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Cool the cookies on the pans for 5 minutes and then transfer to a rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Since this is a quick job the oven is pre-heating while the batter is being mixed & the cookies assembled.
I use insulated cookie sheets and bake two sheets at a time on separate racks using the convection
bake setting at 350 degrees. But they can be baked on regular cookie sheets too. Also the flour is measured loosely without sifting, & salt is purposely omitted but can be added if desired.

Step One
In a large bowl whisk together:
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose olive oil
To this, mix in a couple of handfuls, 1/2 - 3/4 cups, semi- sweet chocolate chips.

Step Two
In a smaller bowl whisk together:
2 cups of unsifted unbleached white flour
1 level teaspoon baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar

Step Three
Add the dry ingredients of the smaller bowl to the wet ingredients of the large bowl, mixing all together with a large cooking spoon to make a soft batter-like dough.
Use a teaspoon to place spoonfuls of batter onto a cookie sheet with the help of a butter knife or spatula. Leave room for the dough to spread out while baking. Don't worry about the shape of each cookie. As they bake they will flatten out.

Bake at 350 degrees convection for 12-14 minutes, or 375 degrees regular bake for same amount of time till lightly browned.
Remove tray from oven & IMMEDIATELY, with a thin blade spatula, loosen each cookie while they are hot WITHOUT LETTING THEM COOL or they will stick to the sheet & crumble.
When they are cool enough place each cookie on a serving plate or store in a plastic container or cookie jar.

You can use any crumbs for other recipes.

Bake

Jingle Bell Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teasp. baking soda
1 teasp. cinnamon
1 teasp. salt
1 teasp. vanilla
2 pounds of dates, cut-up
4 slices of candied pineapple, cut-up
1/2 cup candied green cherries cut-up
1/2 cup candied red cherries cut-up
1 cup of whole hazel nuts
1 cup of pecans, broken
1 cup of walnuts, broken

Cream butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs, beaten.

Use 1/2 cup of the flour to mix with the candied fruit.

Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, dates, candied fruit,
and nuts to the creamed mixture. Mix together well.

Drop by teaspoons on to unoiled baking sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.

This cookie recipe came from my mother in Wisconsin in 1978. She wrote: To All Interested Cookie Bakers. These are
"absolutely delicious."

AMMONIA COOKIES

Pre-heat oven to 350º

1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup solid vegetable shortening
2½ cups sugar
1 cup shredded coconut
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking ammonia (SEE NOTE.)

Mix butter and shortening. Add sugar, coconut, flour and baking ammonia. Mix well.

Form into small balls the size of walnuts and flatten with a fork. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 11 minutes.

Yields: 48 cookies

NOTE: Baking ammonia is powdered Ammonium Carbonate, a forerunner of baking powder. DO NOT USE CLEANING AMMONIA WHICH IS POISONOUS.

Chocolate Mandelbrot

Makes 4 dozen or more. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil two cookie sheets or large 9 x 13” pans.

Toast in oven 2 ½ cups whole almonds in oven on an ungreased sheet until it smells good and almonds are golden, but not brown. Chop coarsely. Can use sliced almonds instead.

Melt in small saucepan over very low heat 1 oz unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate (or 3 Tbsp cocoa and 1 Tbsp oil). Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat 4 large eggs until light and lemon coloured. Beat in gradually 1 1 /3 cups white sugar. Mix should be very light and fluffy. Beat in 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil, 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract, 2 ½ tsp almond extract, 1/8 tsp salt, & 2 ½ tsp baking powder.

Stir in the cooled almonds and 1 ½ cups shredded, unsweetened coconut.

Stir in 1 ½ cups white flour. Once this is just mixed, remove about ¼ of dough and put in another bowl, and mix in cooled, melted chocolate. This is for the chocolate dough.

To the main dough, stir in up to another 1 to 1 ½ cups flour, until dough just holds its shape.

Wet hands with cold water, form 4 long rolls to fill the length of each pan (2 per pan). They expand quite a bit in oven, so leave enough room between them.

With your finger, make a depression along the length of each roll, and put 4 rolls of the chocolate dough in the center. With the help of a knife or spatula, cover the chocolate over to make a long, well-shaped roll.

Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes until firm to touch and golden. You may want to turn the pans halfway through so they don’t burn. Remove from oven. While still warm, cut into ½ - 1” slices, diagonally if you like. Lay these on their sides, and sprinkle with a mixture of ½ cup sugar + 2 teasp cinnamon. Turn on oven to broil, and return the sheets one by one to the oven rack, placed in upper 1/3 oven. Watch carefully they burn quickly – you want them just to get nicely golden and for the sugar to crystallize a little. Once all are done, turn off the oven and return all the sheets to the oven to let them crisp up. When cool, store in airtight containers.

POTATO CHIP THUMB PRINT COOKIES
1 cup of butter at room temperature
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp of vanilla
1/2 cup crushed potato chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 cups flour
Good quality fruit preserves
Sugar for dipping the cookies

Cream together the butter and sugar.
Add vanilla, crushed potato chips, nuts and flour. Form into small balls and roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheets and bake for 8 - 10 minutes. Remove from oven make an indentation with your thumb in the middle of each cookie. Place 1/4 tsp preserves in the hollow of the cookie. Bake for another 3-5 minutes.

Mama's Gluten-Free Toasted Sesame Coconut Cookies

1/2 lb. unsalted butter - room temperature
1 c. granulated sugar
1 jumbo (or extra large) egg (ideally 30 oz. egg)
1 t. vanilla
2 c. rice flour (brown or white)
2/3 c. potato starch
1/3 c. tapioca flour
1 t. kosher salt
scant teaspoon xanthan gum
2 c. shredded sweetened coconut (lightly toasted)
1 c. toasted sesame seeds
1/2 c. finely chopped toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Whisk together all dry ingredients in mixing bowl and set aside.
In mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla mix until well incorporated.
Slowly add dry ingredients to mixer and mix on medium to medium high for 3-4 minutes, until well blended.
Add sesame seeds, pecans, and coconut and mix on medium to low until fully incorporated.

Roll dough into 1.5" diameter log and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Slice logs into 1/4" thick slices and place on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden (or, as my Mother would say, "until they're done"). Cool 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.

The Original Linzer Cookie

This recipe is the original Austrian Linzer cookie recipe and it is a bit different from the versions I have tasted here in the US. By the way, did you know that the Linzer cookie is based on the Linzer tart, one of the oldest know tarts with a recipe discovered in an Austrian abbey in 1653.
Just like the tart’s crust, the cookie is made with ground almonds, and spiced with lemon, orange and cinnamon. Two cookies are sandwiched together and filled with a layer of currant jam (Ribisel Marmelade). I use lingonberry or raspberry jam adding a pinch of fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Mix butter and sugar, add egg yolks. Mix flour (add a pinch if salt) and ground almonds, add cinnamon. Add into butter/sugar/egg mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon and orange juice. Let mixture sit over night. Bake cookies, fill with jam and sandwich together, sprinkle a bit with powered sugar.

230 gram butter
180 gram sugar
2 egg yolks
320 gram flour
128 gram almonds
Spices: 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, lemon, orange juice, pinch of salt
Lingonberry jam

White Chocolate Dipped Oatmeal Cookies (with Cranberries, Pecans and Chocolate Chips!)

(my aunt brings these to Christmas as my parents' house every year and they are sooooo addictive!)

Ingredients

1 cup butter - softened

1 cup brown sugar - packed

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups craisins - or dried cherries

1 1/4 cups oatmeal – uncooked

1 cup pecan pieces, toasted

6 ounces chocolate chips

6 ounces white chocolate chips

12 ounces white baking chocolate squares (3 bars)

3 tablespoons shortening

Directions

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until cream.

Gradually add sugars, beating well.

Add egg and vanilla and beat until blended.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Gradually add this to the butter mixture, beating untl blended.

Stir in craisins, pecans, chocolate chips and oatmeal. The batter will be stiff.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, two inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375°F for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool on the baking sheet for one minute and then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Microwave (or heat in a double boiler until melted) the white chocolate and shortening in a medium mixing bowl on high for one minute.

Stir once and then microwave for another 30 seconds or until the chocolate is melted.

Dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate, letting the excess drip back into the bowl.

Place dipped cookies on waxed paper and allow to sit until firm.

Austrian Vanilla Crescent Cookie

The Vanilla Crescent Cookie is the most popular Austrian holiday cookie. You can use almonds or hazelnuts for the dough, my mom always used hazelnuts, they are more tasty.

Mix the butter and sugar, add the egg yolk, mix the ground hazelnuts and the flour (add 1 pinch of salt to the flour) and add to the egg/butter/sugar mixture. For tasting, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Let dough sit over night. Make little balls and shape dough into small crescent cookies. Bake at 300 F for about 12-14 minutes. Let cool off and roll in powered sugar (I add one bag of vanilla powder into the sugar).

250 gram unsalted butter
100 gram sugar
1 egg yolk
400 gram flour
100 gram hazelnuts
Vanilla extract

Viennese Chocolate Kisses
(Sandbusserln)

This Viennese chocolate cookie is a real treat for chocolate lovers. And it is gluten free!
My mother would bake this cookie for the holiday season and so do I today. It’s one of my favorite Austrian holiday cookies.

Mix butter and powdered sugar until creamy, add melted chocolate, add hazelnuts. Let mixture cool off (best over night) and form into small balls. Bake at low temperature, 200 F, for 20 to 25 minutes. Cookies should be a bit soft inside, when you take them out off the oven. Let cookies cool off and store in cool area.

140 gram unsalted butter
250 gram powdered sugar
140 hazelnuts (ground)
100 gram dark chocolate

Let me know how you like these!
Heidi Riegler