#8 Old Fashioned Christmas Butter Cookies 1947

Refrigerated dough needs to warm a bit and rolls out slowly.

Just as I wondered whether I would find a cookie that rolled out easily, along came these butter cookies.

In complete contrast to the floppy refrigerated doughs I've been working, a slab of this dough broke off from the rest and landed on my counter with a thump. At first, it barely moved under my rolling pin. But no matter how clean my pin became, the dough did not stick. (Happy dance!) With a bit more work, it finally gave and rolled to a perfect flat layer, about 1/8-inch thick.

TECHNIQUE: Don't try to roll a firm dough from 1 inch thick down to 1/8-inch in a couple of passes. As my pottery instructor used to say, "Everything in clay is done slooow-ly." Same for cookie dough.

The dough cuts perfectly.

The hard-boiled yolk, put through a fine sieve, distinguishes this recipe from those of other butter cookies. The yolk is supposed to give the cookie a very light and crisp shortbread texture. I believe both this cooked yolk and uncooked yolk contribute to a firmer, easier-handling dough; they add structure due to their protein content. The cooked yolk loses liquid in the cooking, so it  absorbs moisture in the dough, again making for a firmer dough. This recipe also has a higher proportion of flour relative to butter/shortening in other recipes. All made me a happier camper.

New shapes cut from the edge of the dough.

TIP: Experiment with your cutters, especially the symmetrical patterns, such as the scalloped cutter I used. You can improvise more shapes, even when you get to the edges of your dough.

Now for the key flavoring - one I have used in other cookies and muffins - lemon zest. Well, I am kind of nuts about lemon and lemon zest. Whenever I visit my mother in California, I drag home a suitcase full of lemons from the 8-foot-tall "bush" in the backyard. I have used them in lemon bars, lemon curd, lemon-pepper chicken, lemonade and limoncello, and I preserved them to make a proper Moroccan chicken. I freeze the juice and the zest to have on hand for soups and sauces. I even have a Meyers Improved lemon growing in my living room for the winter; it summers on the deck. That is what I'm holding in my photo.

I sort of can't believe I'm growing citrus in Seattle. I've nursed along a Bears Lime bush for about 16 years, through winter frostbite and leaf drop (when I bring it in). It has yet to hold onto one lime to maturity. But when it leafs out in spring, it holds the promise of a warmer season just when I need it most. And the leaves are so fragrant when brushed or crushed, I don't mind the pruning chores. When I smell the lemon zest in these cookies, I can feel the sun's warmth, even as raindrops slant past my window.

Pat down the almonds into the cookie dough,
or lose your nuts. You decide.

Just before baking, one of the leftover egg whites gets whisked then brushed on the cookie tops to hold a sprinkling of chopped almonds. The recipe calls for chopped blanched almonds, which give tree shapes a look of snow, but I used unblanched almonds because that's what was in my freezer. I prefer the textured look of the two-toned nuts.

TIP: Pat the almonds into the cookies gently, either with your bare hand or by placing an extra sheet of parchment over them, so the dough hangs onto the nuts. Then, the nuts adhere perfectly and add to the delicate crunch.

Cookie recipes made with egg yolk (if not lemon zest) are easy to find on the internet. Many cultures appear to claim these cookies as their own. Similar butter cookie recipes originated in Germany, Norway, Poland and Italy. Now I want to claim them as mine.

After 10-12 minutes in the oven, the cookies are firm, golden, and combine the perfume of lemon, butter and nuts. One bite in, you can see how the delicate texture comes from the tiny layers of dough and air. These cookies are sturdy and grounded in history, no frills, unassuming but at ease at tea as well as dinner, light and not too serious, but complex enough to challenge. Some of the same qualities that also make a good friend.


The recipe is here and here.

Sources: http://www.sctimes.com/article/20110126/DLISH/101260040/Food-Q-A-A-cooked-egg-yolk-is-correct