1 pk (1-pound) superfine sugar
1 Vanilla bean
4 c Sifted all purpose flour
1/2 ts Salt
1/4 ts Baking soda
2 c (1/2 pound) very finely
-chopped assorted raw nuts *
2 Egg whites
1 lb Unsalted butter; room
-temperature
1 c Granulated or superfine
-sugar
1 ts Pure vanilla extract
My grandmother made these cookies throughout my childhood, and I always
loved them. (She, in turn, got the recipe from a friend of her’s, Anna
Schmidt, *many* years ago in Ridgewood, Queens.) I have never seen them in
any cookbook.
* If preferred, purchase a 1 pound package of raw assorted nuts with their
shells on, shell them by hand, and chop them … That is how my grandmother
made them, as did the lady from whom she got the recipe.
At least two weeks before you are going to bake these, prepare vanilla
sugar. (This can also be done months in advance and stored at room
temperature until ready to use.) Pour superfine sugar into a jar or other
airtight container. Bury a vanilla bean inside and cover tightly. Set aside
for at least two weeks (or longer, if not yet ready to make the cookies).
Mix cookies. When ready to bake cookies, sift together flour, salt, and
baking soda. Using a fork, gently stir in nuts. Set aside. In small bowl of
electric mixer, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Set aside. Put
into large bowl of electric mixer. Without washing beaters, cream until
light and fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat until soft and creamy. Fold
in beaten egg whites. Using wooden spoon, gently stir in reserved dry
ingredients. Blend thoroughly. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1
hour.
Bake cookies. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using palms of your hands, pat
dough 1/4-inch thick onto counter top. Cut with canape or TINY bridge
cutters. Arrange on cookie sheets. (They will not spread.) Bake until
golden (approximately 12 minutes).
Coat cookies. Remove warm cookies from cookie sheets. Roll in reserved
vanilla sugar until generously coated. Set aside to cool.
N. B. If anything, these cookies improve with age, and will remain fresh
indefinitely if stored in an airtight container. The vanilla sugar will
also keep indefinitely … Simply continue to add more sugar upon using up
the supply.)
Yields
1 Servings