One of the best things about the holidays has got to be the cookies! I love thinking about, looking at, making, eating, and sharing all the colorful, festive, lovingly decorated cookies we conjure up.
I think you'll agree that this is the time of year when we pull out all the stops - out come the cookie cutters, the star tips and piping bags, the sprinkles, frosting, candied cherries, nuts, and all sorts of other embellishments. It's just a fun time to savor!
As much as I love French patisseries, when it comes to Christmas, I think of Italian-American bakeries and those festive cookie platters wrapped in cellophane and ribbon that are ready to be brought to someone's home. Growing up in Brooklyn, I would pass by many of these bakeries and admire their cookies. So when I was thinking about trying one or two new holiday cookie recipes (new to me, at least), I tend to think along the lines of those Italian-American offerings. So now, here's another one I can recommend: almond star cookies.
These cookies are like a mix between classic butter cookies (like the ones from the blue tins) and almond paste cookies. I'd say it's like 60% butter cookie and 40% almond. They are quite similar to the Italian-American butter cookies I posted last year except these have almond paste in them. If you love almond paste as much as I do, I think you'd expect deep flavor as well as moisture and a little chewiness from it in your baked goods. True to form, it does that for these cookies.
I dare say my family and I prefer these cookies over the plain butter ones. The little guy was practically shoving them into his mouth at an alarming rate so I'm glad even a half-recipe made a lot (about 40) since they were so popular. I shared some of this batch with a friend of mine. She told me she especially loved them because they were soft as opposed to hard, like she's used to when she buys them from a bakery. These cookies are buttery and almond-y, softer than what you'd expect, and with a slight chew, thanks to the almond paste.
The recipe for these cookies comes from Saveur though my version is somewhat different since I made a few changes to suit my needs. I reluctantly omitted the kirsch since I don't have it, and added a splash of almond extract. And instead of maraschino cherries, I used candied cherries (sliced in half) on mine. I also opted to make thumbprint impressions on some and filled them with a swirl of chocolate ganache. I love Ferrera bakery in NYC's Little Italy and they have cookies topped with a round of piped chocolate ganache that always looks so good, so here is my take on it.
I don't know if I'll have time to try any other 'new' cookie recipes since there are many family-favorites to make but I'm glad I finally tried these since I'd bookmarked the recipe for years now. I have a feeling I'll be making them again.
As much as I love French patisseries, when it comes to Christmas, I think of Italian-American bakeries and those festive cookie platters wrapped in cellophane and ribbon that are ready to be brought to someone's home. Growing up in Brooklyn, I would pass by many of these bakeries and admire their cookies. So when I was thinking about trying one or two new holiday cookie recipes (new to me, at least), I tend to think along the lines of those Italian-American offerings. So now, here's another one I can recommend: almond star cookies.
