The Fragrance of Cookies
There is nothing like the fragrance of freshly baked cookies to fill the house
with the holiday spirit. This was amply demonstrated a few days ago as my
husband opened the garage door when returning from an errand and cheerfully
called up the stairs: “I smell cookies baking!”
Somehow this season makes most of us long for some of those old fashioned
pleasures associated with home-made baked goods such as cookies. My mother used
to bake cookies for her grandchildren when she was 92 and now that I have
grandchildren of my own, even as they live scattered across the country, at
Christmas time I want to continue the tradition with them. Healthy snacks may
be a good thing most of the time, but they know that Gram will always come up
with a cookie or two at her house and especially at Christmas.
This has in the past created some funny situations. A few summers ago my two
granddaughters finding only oatmeal-raisin cookies in the cookie jar insisted
that we bake chocolate-chip cookies and save the raisin-oatmeal cookies for
their father, who would arrive later in the week. But when my son arrived the
truth came out. The oatmeal cookies were not my son’s favorites, but the girls
had figured out how to make sure they got what they liked best!
Fortunately all grandchildren like my mother’s recipe for the Latvian butter
cookies, which are not only delicious, but also festive looking for the
holidays. Although I have shared this recipe several years ago, here is an
update in the process for making them. Sometimes it is worth using a bit of
technology to facilitate the mixing of very heavy dough.
Zenta’s Latvian Butter Cookies
In a Cuisinart pulse together a few times: 3 scant cups of freshly sifted
flour, 2/3 tsp baking powder and 1 cup sugar. Cut in tablespoon size
pieces 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, toss to mix in the flour mixture
and pulse again 20 times until the butter is well mixed in. In a small bowl
separate 4 egg yolks ( reserve the whites for another use) and lightly beat
together with 1 tsp. vanilla. Add the egg yolks to the flour mixture and blend
until the mixture sticks together. Remove the dough to a small bowl and, using
your hand, knead about 10 times until the dough becomes a smooth ball.
Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out pieces of the dough on a floured board in
¼ to 1/3 inch thickness. Cut out desired shapes and arrange on a parchment
lined cookie sheet. Separate out 2 more egg yolks, reserving the whites with
the rest. Beat the egg yolks together with 1 Tblsp. water and use this glaze to
brush the tops of the cookies. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, watching carefully
because if cookies are very thin, they will quickly burn. Cool the golden
colored cookies on the pan for a few minutes and finish cooling on a rack.
Store in a tightly covered container.
This leaves you with 6 egg whites, which can be used for
making angel food cake or Coconut Macaroons and Meringue Kisses, both cookies
that require only egg whites.
Another holiday favorite at our house are Swedish nut crescents. These can be
made also gluten-free, by using a mixture of rice-tapioca flour and 1 ½ tsp.
Xanthan gum instead of the regular flour.
Swedish Nut-Crescents
Cream ½ cup butter, gradually beat in ¼ cup sugar, 1 egg yolk
(reserve white for step before baking), ½ tsp. almond flavoring. Stir in
¾ cups flour and ¼ cup each of chopped almonds, filberts and pecans. Chill for
at least 2 hours. Set oven to 300 degrees. Roll out ½ Tblsp. dough, shape in
slight crescents, roll in beaten egg white and arrange on a parchment lined
pan. Bake 18-20 minutes. Cool on a rack and lightly dip/roll in powdered sugar
mixed with 1 tsp. vanilla.
Marcel Proust had the fragrance of Madeleines to take him on his memory trip.
At our house the fragrance of fresh baked butter cookies is enough to get me in
the holiday spirit again this year.
(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the
author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the
Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)
