I’ve always loved Christmas and traditional foods from other countries that celebrate Christmas. These have evolved as particular favorites. They are all so rich that I rarely make them any other time of year.
Scots Shortbread is extremely basic, not even any vanilla extract, but these wedges are crisp, buttery, and very hard to resist. Shortbread dates back to the 12th century; the sunray pattern evokes the coming of the light once the first day of winter has passed. This recipe is from “Visions of Sugarplums” by Mimi Sheraton. Cashew Shortbread comes from Mollie Katzen’s “Enchanted Broccoli Forest” and is a nutty caramel version of plain butter shortbread – again, hard to resist.
Although biscotti has no particular association with Christmas that I know of, my husband had an elderly aunt who loved them – so I baked them for her at Christmas. This recipe is adapted from “Chez Panisse Desserts: A Cookbook” by Lindsey Shere.
Jelly Snowtops came from a recipe insert in a bag of Sperry Flour, probably in the 1950s. They are a variation on thumbprint cookies. My mother made them at Christmas.
Christmas Stars is a Finnish recipe although I think versions of it can be found in numerous countries. Blending the dough takes patience but the cookies are like a flaky, crisp pastry with a sweet jammy center. This version comes from from “Christmas: A Cook’s Tour” by Penny Stanway & Ingebord Relph.
SCOTS SHORTBREAD
1 1/2 cups (3/4 pound; 3 sticks) butter
1 1/4 cups powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup rice flour or cornstarch
Cream the butter and sugar together. Combine the two flours and cut into the butter mixture; mix as for pastry. Add just enough of the flour so that the dough forms a soft ball. Divide dough in half and pat each half into a round cake tin. Either press with a wooden mold, or use a knife to score the dough into wedges emanating from the center like sunrays. Prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork.
Bake at 350 until golden and lightly browned, about 15 -25 minutes. You can further cut the wedges when it is warm, or wait until it cools and break the shortbread apart.
CASHEW SHORTBREAD
1 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1 cup chopped cashews
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Cream the butter and sugar. Add the nuts and mix well. Combine the dry ingredients and work them into the butter with your fingers. The mixture will be crumbly.
Dust a work surface with flour. Divide the dough in half. Roll half at a time to 1/4″ thickness. Cut dough into simple shapes like squares or rectangles.
Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes at 375. These puff up and expand a little bit, so space about 1/2″ apart. Let cool 10 minutes on cookie sheet before carefully removing to a rack to finish cooling.
These are fragile but get a little more firm as they cool.
BISCOTTI
1/2 cup whole almonds
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons brandy or cognac
1 teaspoon anise extract
1 teaspoon aniseed
2 cups + 2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan until they start to smell nutty. Remove from pan and chop into 1/4″ pieces.
Cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in the eggs, brandy, anise extract, and aniseed and cream the mixture again. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, and beat them in just until mixed. Stir in the almonds.
On a lightly floured board, make rolls of the dough about 1″ in diameter and lay them on a baking sheet about 2″ apart. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and carefully slice the rolls into 1/2″ pieces on the diagonal. Place the slices on their side and bake another 5-8 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool completely on a rack. Store airtight.
These can be flavored in many ways – omit the aniseed & anise flavoring and instead try grated lemon peel & lemon extract; orange peel and orange extract; Amaretto; hazelnuts in place of almonds with Frangelico, and so forth.
JELLY SNOW TOPS
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp salt
Cream together. Add
1 cup flour
1/2 cup very finely chopped nuts
Mix thoroughly together. Roll out tablespoons of dough into balls, then press your finger into each one to make a depression. Put about 1/4 teaspoon firm jelly or jam into each depression.
Beat 1 egg white until stiff peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar. Continue beating to create a meringue. Drop a small spoonful of meringue on the center of each cookie, spreading it carefully so the meringue covers the jelly completely. Bake at 300 for 30 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, then remove to rack.
CHRISTMAS STARS (Joulutortut)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup whipping cream, whipped until stiff
2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
Filling (following)
Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in the whipped cream. Then quickly stir in the softened butter and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
Roll pastry out on a floured board to 1/4″ thickness. Cut into 4-inch squares. Put a teaspoon of filling in the center. Make a cut from each corner toward the center about 1 inch long. Fold over every other point to meet in the center; this will look like a pinwheel. Glaze with the beaten egg.
Bake at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove to rack to cool.
Filling: the traditional filling is lekvar, prune jam, which is difficult to find. It can be approximated by mashing cooked prunes with sugar to taste. Or use jam of your choice.
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