Rose's Crescents

These cookies may not be the showiest cookies on the table. No sparkles or glittering red and green sugar. But one bite...

They are delicate and melt in the mouth. I wish I had one right now.

After baking they do a little roll in a bowl of superfine sugar with a hint of cinnamon is perfect. I had thought about adding a bit of freshly grated nutmeg to the mixture but didn't; the first time I make a recipe I like to go exactly by the directions before I add my own touches and twists. I'm glad I didn't add anything else - it was just right.

Recipe from Rose's Christmas Cookies, a fabulous cookbook.


Cookies:
2/3 cup slivered blanched almonds
1/3 cup sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) softened unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups of flour

Topping:
1/2 cup superfine sugar*
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

*Make your own superfine sugar by whirling granulated sugar in the food processor a bit.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl and set aside.

Soften the butter. Grind the almonds very finely. In a large mixing bowl, combine the almonds, butter, and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour and salt and beat them into the mixture on low speed until incorporated.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Divide the dough into 8 portions. Work with 1 section at a time, keeping the remainder of the dough refrigerated. Knead the dough between floured hands until malleable. Pinch off a portion and roll it into a 3/4-inch round ball. On a lightly floured surface roll each ball into a cylinder with tapered ends, about 3 inches long by 1/2-inch thick. Form each cylinder into a crescent shape and place on a cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.

Bake cookies for 14 to 16 minutes, rotating cookie sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.

Cool the cookies on sheets for 10 minutes. While still warm, lift cookies from the baking sheet and dip them, one at a time, in the cinnamon mixture, turning gently to coat all over. Finish cooling the cookies on wire racks.

Cookies keep 1 month at room temperature, 1 month refrigerated, or several months frozen.

Makes 5 dozen.

Chocolate Mocha Cookies

This is my go-to cookie recipe. The dough is easy to mix up and keep stashed in the fridge or the freezer. The dark cookies look gorgeous decorated with different color royal icings - pastels for Easter egg-shaped cookies, bold colors for Christmas cookies. They're also tasty plain.

2 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cocoa
4 tablespoons instant coffee
heaping 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream together sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.

If you’d like to make your very own slice and bake cookies, after dough is well chilled, shape into a log shape, about two inches or so in diameter. Dust lightly with flour, wrap in aluminum foil and place in a freezer zip-top bag.


When ready to bake, slice off rounds about 1/4-inch thick and place on ungreased baking sheet. No need to thaw first.

(Dough can also be rolled out on a lightly floured surface and cut out with cookie cutters.)

I sprinkled these with raw sugar, thick and chunky. After the cookies bake the sugar on top has a nice crunch to it, which is perfect contrast to the chewey chocolatey cookie.


Preheat oven to 375°.

Bake for about 8 minutes or until set. Cool slightly on baking sheet; remove and cool completely on wire rack.

Bookstores Are Fun

Earlier today, Jeffrey and I got to meet Alton Brown, who was at Turnrow Books in Greenwood today, signing Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run which looks to be both a travelogue and cookbook.

Afterwards, we (Jeffrey and I, not Jeffrey, me, and Alton) had lunch at Giardina's at The Alluvian. I had a pesto penne with walnuts and chicken that was good and Jeffrey had a pork chop served with goat cheese mashed potatoes. I don't even like mashed potatoes and those were good.

For dessert we ordered tiaramisu and bread pudding. The bread pudding apparently was served with whiskey sauce, which I didn't realize until I took a bite swimming in the sauce and it just about took my breath away - it burned all the way down. Just haven't quite gotten my training wheels yet as far as whiskey/bourbon is concerned.

But. We managed to finish pretty much both desserts without too much trouble.

More to come!