Pahkinaleivat

1 cup butter, softened
½ cup plus 1/3 cup sugar, divided
3 large eggs divided
½ t ground cardamom
½ t almond extract
2¼ to 2½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped almonds

Beat butter and ½ cup sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down side of bowl once. Beat in 1 egg, cardamom and almond extract until well mixed, scraping down side of bowl once.

Gradually add 1½ cups flour. Beat at low speed until well blended, scraping down side of bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour with spoon to form soft dough. Form dough into a disc; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Grease cookie sheets; set aside. Cut dough into 8 equal pieces.

With floured hands, shape each piece of dough into 12" long ½" thick rope. Cut ropes into 2 inch logs. Place all logs on prepared cookie sheets; refrigerate 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350°F Beat remaining 2 eggs in shallow dish with fork until foamy.

Place almonds and 1/3 cup sugar in medium bowl; stir to combine. Dip cookie logs into beaten egg mixture; roll in nut mixture to cover.

Place cookies 2" apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove cookies with spatula to wire racks; cool completely.

Store tightly covered at room temperature or freeze up to 3 months.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies. 

~*~NUT ALLERGY WARNING~*~ this recipe contains Almonds.

Czech Bear Paws

4 cups toasted ground hazelnuts
2 cups all purpose flour
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t ground cinnamon
½ t ground nutmeg
¼ t salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg yolk
½ cup melted chocolate chips
slivered almonds, halved

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place hazelnuts, flour, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in medium bowl; stir to combine.

Beat butter, powdered sugar, and egg yolk in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture. Beat at low speed until soft dough forms, scraping down side of bowl once.


Grease 3 madeleine pans with softened butter, 1 teaspoon per pan; dust with flour. (IF only one 1 madeleine pan is available, thoroughly wash, dry, regrease and flour after baking each batch. Cover remaining dough with plastic wrap; let stand at room temperature.)


Press level Tablespoonfuls of dough into each mold. 


Bake 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cookies stand in pan 3 minutes. Carefully loosen cookies from pan with point of small knife. Invert pan over wire racks; tap lightly to release cookies. Let stand 2 minutes. Turn cookies shell side up; cool completely.


Pipe squiggle of melted chocolate on curved end of each cookie; place slivered almond halves in melted chocolate for claws. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour or until set.


Store tightly covered at room temperature. These cookies Do NOT Freeze well.


Makes abut 5 dozen cookies.

Welsh Tea Cakes

¾ cup chopped dried mixed fruit or fruit bits or golden raisins
2 T brandy or cognac
2¼ cups all purpose flour
2½ t cinnamon, divided
1 t baking powder
½ t baking soda
¼ t salt
¼ t ground cloves
1 cup butter, softened
1¼ cups sugar, divided
1 large egg
1/3 cup sliced almonds (optional)


Preheat oven to 375°F


Combine dried fruit and brandy in medium bowl; let sit at least 10 minutes to plump.


Place flour, 1½ t cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cloves in medium bowl; stir to combine.


Beat butter and 1 cup sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down side of bowl once. Beat in egg. Gradually add flour. Beat at low speed until well blended, scraping down side of bowl once. Stir in fruit and brandy with spoon.


Combine remaining ¼ cup sugar and 1 t cinnamon in small bowl. Roll heaping teaspoonfuls of dough into 1" balls; roll balls in cinnamon sugar to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on un-greased cookie sheets.


Press balls to ¼" thickness using bottom of glass dipped in granulated sugar. Press 3 almond slices horizontally into center of each cookie. (Almonds will spread evenly and flatten upon baking.)


Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove tea cakes with spatula to wire racks; cool completely.


Store tightly covered at room temperature or freeze up to 3 months.


Makes about 3½ dozen tea cakes.


~*~Nut ALLERGY WARNING~*~ this recipe contains almonds.

Lebkuchen

2¾ cups all purpose flour

2 t ground cinnamon

1 t baking powder

½ t baking soda

½ t salt

½ t ground cardamom

½ t ground ginger

½ cup honey

½ cup dark molasses

¾ cup packed brown sugar

3 T butter, melted

1 large egg

½ cup chopped toasted almonds (optional)

Glaze  (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350°F Grease 15x10" jelly roll pan; set aside.

Place flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom, and ginger in medium bowl; stir to combine.

Combine honey and molasses in medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes.

Stir in brown sugar, butter, and egg.

Place brown sugar mixture in large bowl. Gradually add flour mixture. Beat at low speed with electric mixer until dough forms, scraping down side of bowl once. Stir in almonds with spoon, if desired. (Dough will be slightly sticky.)

Spread dough evenly into prepared pan. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown and set. Remove pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Prepare Glaze. Spread over cooled bar cookies. Let stand until set, about 30 minutes.

Cut into 2x1" bars.

Store tightly covered at room temperature or freeze up to 3 months.

Makes about 6 dozen bars.

Glaze

1¼ cups powdered sugar

3 T fresh lemon juice

1 t grated lemon peel

Place all ingredients in medium bowl; stir with spoon until smooth.

~*~Nut ALLERGY WARNING~*~ this recipe contains almonds.

French Tuiles

¾ cup (5 to  6) egg whites, unbeaten

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

 ¾ cup lukewarm melted butter

1/4 cup lukewarm melted shortening

1 cups sifted all-purpose flour

¾ cup finely chopped, blanched almonds

Start heating oven to 350°F. Mix egg white sugar and salt until sugar is solved, mixture thick. Add butter and shortening; mix well. Add flour and almonds, mix well. Drop by level tablespoonful, 5” apart, onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until done. Let stand ½ minute; then quickly and gently remove, one at a time, and mold into half circle over rolling pin.

Makes 5 dozen

Note: Bake only a few at a time. If they become too hard to mold, soften in oven. These keep a week or so.

~*~NUT ALLERGY WARNING~*~ this recipe contains Almonds.

These cookies are of a kind called molded or shaped. This recipe is from the late 1950s