My grandmother was a sweet tooth's dream. One Christmas she made 12 different kinds of cookies. She didn't believe in cutting recipes in half either, so multiply 12 by 3 dozen and you get the idea. Somewhere I have a picture of her standing by the dining room table laden with her creations, and someday I'll find that picture and remember what recipes she baked that year. For now, though, I love looking through my mother's recipe box and finding my favorites of all those she baked.
It's still not too late to bake a batch of Christmas memories, and this evening I'm doing just that. I'm looking at a recipe in her handwriting that must be over 50 years old. Where she got the recipe is lost in a flurry of time and powdered sugar. Ladies Home Journal, maybe or McCalls? Anyway, Proust had his madeleines, but I have my mom's Cherry Kislings.
Cherry Kislings
I just took a batch of these out of the oven and they smell so buttery that I can't wait to try one. Brazil nuts were a very labor- intensive choice at the time this recipe first appeared. They would have had to be shelled, and my father would have taken on this task as their shells are so hard. These bake to melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness with a toasty nut flavor and bits of slightly chewy cherries. I've up-dated the recipe for food processors.
Makes about 3 dozen
1/2 cup brazil nuts, almonds or pecans
1 cup ( 2 sticks) softened, unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced candied cherries (red or green or a mixture)
Sifted powdered sugar
Place nuts in a food processor and process until roughly chopped. Add the butter along with the sugar and vanilla and process until creamy and light. Pulse in the flour half a cup at a time and the salt. Remove to a bowl and mix in the cherries by hand. Chill the mixture for 45 minutes to 1 hour while you wrap presents or watch part of a holiday movie.
Preheat oven to 300 F. Shape the mixture into balls of about 2 teaspoons each. Make one ball and set it aside to use as a measurement for the rest. Place on oiled baking sheets or non-stick mats and bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until just barely golden . These can be placed less than an inch apart because they won't spread much, but instead keep their rounded shape.
Place a cooling rack over wax paper and transfer the cookies keeping them fairly close together. Dust with powdered sugar while the cookies are still warm. The sugar will melt slightly and stick. Dust with more powdered sugar before serving.
This recipe doubles successfully so you can make some for yourself and some to give as gifts. The recipients won't be able to thank you enough. They'll be too busy devoring these treats!
Good Tidings to all and to all a Good Night.
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