What happens when you wait too long to take part in a blogging event? Well, if it’s Food Blogga’s wonderful “Eat Christmas Cookies” event and you have the opportunity to review (and drool over) all the entries as they come in, you find that many of the Christmas cookie recipes you had thought about making were, in some form or another, already covered.
Stupid procrastination.What to do, what to do? This meant serious business. I clicked over to our “Sounds of the Season” cable music channel and dug out one of my cookbooks (The Complete Cookie Book by Elizabeth Wolf Cohen, in case you were wondering) for inspiration. I was looking for something different than everything else on my baking list and I found it just a few pages in… Swedish Almond Wafers. Of course, I couldn’t leave well enough alone and tweaked the recipe just a bit, but either way they’d be wonderful. These thin little cookies are delicate and lacy, but pack a lovely, buttery taste. Such a nice contrast to the thick, chewy cookies I’ve been baking lately.
These definitely aren’t made for shipping, but I know they’re going to be a hit on the cookie platter! And so… let the Holibaking continue! (Dear Santa… please bring me a bigger kitchen!)
Sort of like a snowflake, don’t you think?
Swedish Almond Cookies
(adapted from The Complete Cookie Book)
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons light cream
2 dashes ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease (or line with silpats) two large baking sheets. In a food processor, process almonds until very finely ground (do not overgrind or they’ll form a paste). Add sugar and pulse a few more times to break down the sugar to a superfine consistency and ensure the almonds are evenly ground.
Combine the almond mixture, butter, flour, salt, cream and cinnamon in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, and cook over medium heat until butter is melted and the batter is smooth. Remove from heat.
Drop by scant teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet, 3-4 inches apart (the cookies will spread a lot). Bake 3-5 minutes, until lightly brown at the edges and bubbling in the center. Remove baking sheet to wire rack and cool slightly.
When edges are firm enough to lift, use a thin spatula (my offset spatula worked great for this) to remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter, cooling (and regreasing if necessary) between each batch.
Cookies should be stored in airtight containers with wax paper between layers. They are *very* fragile.
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01.02.07
By the way… what an honor to have this cookie make the top ten over at the cookie roundup! As a finalist, I’m in the running to win Sherry Yard’s Desserts by the Yard. If you feel so inspired, please jump over to the Food Blogga site and place your vote – for me (please!) or for any one of the other very worthy finalists!
Well, for once, procrastination paid off! These cookies are splendid, Michelle. Lovely recipe and photos. They will be a beautiful addition to Eat Christmas Cookies. Cheers, Susan
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Thanks, Susan!!
These are beautiful! So delicate.
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Thanks, Wendy!
how pretty! I love the look of these cookies. I’m really digging this event now, having to learn and see the other types of cookies around!
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The cookie list is one of my first stops every day… I’m addicted to checking out what new cookies have been posted!
These just made my jaw drop, Michelle – they are insanely beautiful!
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They are a very pretty cookie, aren’t they?
I remember Diana making these at christmas, they were wonderful! Now if we could just recreate her dang mincemeat cookies we might be set!
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I found a mincemeat cookie recipe that looks vaguely close… but I can’t find mincemeat that doesn’t actually have meat in it!!
[...] Christmas Cookie Crazy [image] What happens when you wait too long to take part in a blogging event? Well, if it’s Food Blogga’s […] [...]
Gorgeous!
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Thank you!!
These cookies look wonderful!! Such pretty cookies – I want to try some out!
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Other than the pain of having to bake them in such small batches (you can only put six or so per cookie sheet), they’re really easy. I’ve been thinking that they might be nice drizzled with just a little chocolate, too. Of course, everything’s better with chocolate, right?
These cookies were a huge hit! Thanks for the great recipe!
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I’m glad!
I tried to make these cookies, albeit with a different recipe, a few weeks ago. I think it’s because I’m at 7,000 ft elevation, but they didn’t flatten and become lacy at all. They just didn’t spread, so they were rather thick and crunchy. Still delicious, but not what I was going for. I’m going to have to try it again, this time with your recipe. Do you happen to know how I could adjust them to make them look as wonderful as yours do?
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Hmmm… I thought cookies spread more at higher elevations?
Here’s what I would do, though. I’d make the recipe as it’s written and put the first round (I got five or six to a cookie sheet) into the oven as is to see what they do. If they don’t spread enough, I’d add a little more cream. If they spread too much, I’d add a little more flour/almonds. Test set by set until you find a ratio that works (keeping notes along the way, of course, so that you know where that “happy place” is!).
We were planning to move to about 7500 feet this past fall (though that fell through) and I had planned to buy Pie in the Sky: Successful Baking at High Altitudes since I’ve *never* had any experience with high altitude baking. There’s also a link here with some tips from that book.
Thanks for your kind words Michelle! your thin crisps look great, esp with the almond flavor:) and good luck to you too:)
I’m enjoying your cake too, btw!
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Thanks, Mansi!
I made them today – just perfect. Thank you
I’m so glad!