A nut-filled chewy spice cookie. Make these 6 to 8 weeks before consumption as the cookie must “ripen”.

For the filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 egg whites
2 cups ground nuts
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the dough:
1 pound honey
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1-1/2 teaspoon anise extract
pinch of nutmeg

To make the filling:
Whip egg whites until stiff, adding sugar 1/3 cup at at time. Add nuts and cinnamon. Set aside.

To make the dough:
Pre-heat oven to 350 F. In a saucepan, heat honey and sugar to a boil. Take off heat and add to flour and spices. Roll out thin (less than 1/8 inch). Cut into 2-inch triangles (a pizza wheel works well here). Put a small amount of filling in the center of each triangle and fold up points like a 3-cornered diaper. Bake 12 minutes. Dough must be worked quickly and kept warm during rolling and cutting or it hardens!

Store in air-tight container 6-8 weeks (dunkable in 4 weeks). If you’re in more of a hurry, add a slice of bread to the container. When “ripe” the shell is chewy and the merengue is crisp.

Note: Originally posted by “Chuck - CA” to the now-defunct Holiday Cookie Club at Epicurious.com. Chuck adds: “This cookie - fondly known as the “diaper cookie”

1 1/4 cup butter
4 cups milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water with 3 packages dry yeast, dissolved
1 1/3 cup sugar
13 cups flour
3 teaspoons cardamom
extra butter, softened
cinnamon and sugar
1 egg
coarse sugar

Heat milk until skin forms. Add butter, sugar, and salt. Let mixture cool. Add 3 eggs and water, stir. Stir in flour and cardamom, knead until smooth and elastic. Cover with cloth and put in a warm place until double in size. Punch down, let rest for 8 to 10 minutes. Then roll dough to 12×14 inch in size, spread dough with softened butter and then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Fold dough in half lengthwise (to 6×14″), with the cinnamon in the center. Cut into 1/2″ strips, twist dough (it will look like a rope). Then roll up into a circle while twisting; tucking ends underneath and sealing edges. Put on a greased cookie sheet and let rise before baking. Preheat oven to 350F. Beat one egg and brush on top of rolls with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Recipe can be halved. Freezes well.

1 pint buttermilk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening, melted
1 teaspoon salt
7/8 teaspoon baking soda
Coarse rye flour

Mix ingredients to make a thick dough and shape into 24 balls, dipping them in flour. Roll out very thin with a special peg rolling pin (a barbed pin which pricks dough as it rolls). Bake
on a cookie sheet in hot oven (425 F.) until browned, about 15 minutes. These are very crisp and tender.

Traditional Swedish cookie tarts filled with preserves

Makes about 60

1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups sifted enriched flour
Filling such as whipped cream, jam, or preserves

Thoroughly cream butter and sugar; add egg and beat well. Add almond extract. Stir in flour. Pinch off a small ball of dough and place in center of small tartlet mold (available here); with thumb, press dough evenly and as thinly as possible over bottom and sides. Place molds on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F about 12 minutes or till lightly browned. Cool. To remove: Invert molds and tap lightly. (clean molds with dry cloth only). Before serving, fill tarts with whipped cream, jam, or preserves, as desired.

3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
4-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups very strong coffee, cold
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Add cream of tartar to egg whites and beat until stiff but not dry. In another bowl, blend egg yolks, shortening, and sugar thoroughly. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with coffee. Add nuts and vanilla. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Bake in a greased angel food cake tube pan for 45 minutes or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Frost with a thin layer of powdered sugar icing, or simply leave plain.

Makes about 48

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup toffee bits
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two cookie sheets. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into creamed mixture. Fold in milk chocolate and semisweet chips, toffee bits and pecans. Drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in preheated oven. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on wire racks.

frozen or home-made pie pastry dough sufficient for 1 pie shell
5 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
2/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375 F. Roll pastry thin and cut into 12 4-inch circles. Fit each round into muffin cup and press in gently. Beat eggs until they are light; add sugar and mix well. Add butter, salt, and vanilla; mix well. Combine walnuts and raisins and fill each cup 1/2 full. Add egg mixture to fill each cup three-quarters. Bake filled cups 20-25 minutes.

Makes about 40

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
5 maraschino cherries, cut into eighths

Place oven rack in middle position of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine flour and nutmeg; set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter, shortening and extracts with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add sugar to butter mixture and cream until mixture is light and fluffy. Blend in flour mixture. Dough should be slightly moist. If dough looks dry, sprinkle with water and work into dough. If dough is sticky, sprinkle with additional flour. Spoon dough by teaspoons and form into balls. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Gently press each ball with palm of hand to form cookie. Garnish with a cherry piece placed in the center of each cookie. Bake 20 minutes or until golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

An almond-flavored shortbread sandwich cookie with a rich caramel filling in the middle. Popular in South American countries.

Makes about 24

For the cookies:
1-1/2 cups unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup ground almonds (can be ground in a food processor)
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

For the filling:
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup half & half or light cream or evaporated milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the cookies:
Cream the butter with the powdered sugar until fluffy. Stir in salt, extracts, ground almonds and flour. Wrap and chill 30 minutes. (If you chill longer, you have to let the dough warm up a bit before it can be rolled. Or, do what professional pastry chefs do: whack it with a rolling pin until it becomes more malleable).

Mealwhile, make the filling:
In a medium saucepan, heat brown sugar with cream over medium heat. As it cooks, brush inner sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. This wipes away grainy sugar crystals. Heat until mixture reaches soft ball stage (238-240 F). Remove from heat - let cool to about 110 F. Stir in the butter and beat until mixture is thickened. Add vanilla. (Heat to loosen or add additional cream). If mixture is too thin, add in confectioners’ sugar.

To bake the cookies:
Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut in 2-1/2-inch circles. Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350 F for 12-14 minutes. Cool baking sheets
between batches. Cool cookies on wire racks.

To assemble Alfajores:
Spread some caramel filling on a cookie. Top
with another cookie and press together nicely. Be careful, these are fragile. Dust tops with confectioner’s sugar.

These are decorative holiday cookies adding
quite a bright, colorful aromatic touch to
your plate of cookies.

Makes about 72

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup solid shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
2 large eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
red cinnamon candies (optional)
green food coloring (optional)

Heat oven to 350-375 F. Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, sugar, orange peel, and eggs. Blend in flour. Color with green food coloring, if desired. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into ropes, each 6 inches long and 1/4 inch in
diameter. Form each rope into a circle, bringing one end over the other and through into a single knot. Let 1/2 inch extend at each
end. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Press in red cinnamon candies, if desired. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Immediately remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.

Note: Originally posted in 1998 by “Marbalet” to the now-defunct Holiday Cookie Club at Epicurious.com.