Sweet Victory (Cookie Recipes)

(page 6 of 8)

GALE GAND'S POINSETTIA COOKIES

Gale Gand / Tru
626 N. Saint Clair St., #1;
312-202-0001
Degree of difficulty •••••
Skill level Beginner
Hard-to-find ingredient Red sanding sugar
Tasters’ comments “Light and flaky.” “Only one that looks like
a Christmas cookie.” “Bland.”

"These were taught to me by a neighbor's daughter about 10 years ago," says Gand. "As I was making them one time I realized you could do them with red sugar and they look just like poinsettias."

3/4 c. butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg, separated
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
Parchment paper
1 c. red sugar
30 green M &M candies

With a paddle attachment beat butter, cream cheese and egg yolk until smooth, reserving the egg white for later. Stir in flour and baking powder. Mix until stiff dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. Lightly beat egg white and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. On lightly floured surface, roll the dough, half of it at a time, into a 15-by-9-inch rectangle. With sharp knife, cut dough into three-inch squares. Place three inches apart on ungreased, parchment-lined cookie sheets.

Brush with egg white. With sharp knife, cut the dough diagonally from each corner to within 1/2-inch of center of each square. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon red sugar over each square. Fold alternate corners of the square to the center to form pinwheel, overlapping the dough at the center pushing down gently to seal in center. Press one M & M in center of each pinwheel.

Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until set. Using a spatula, immediately remove from cookie sheets to a cooling rack. Makes about 36 cookies.

Photograph: Michael Boone Photography

RECIPES:

Amy Sampson's Walnut Cookies »
Cindy Shuman's Honey Pistachio Lace Cookies »
Allison Levitt's Holiday "Mallomars" »
Mary Winslow's Chai Thumbprint Cookies With Honey Cream »
Jacquy Pfeiffer's Zimtsterne, Or Cinnamon Stars »
Gale Gand's Poinsettia Cookies »
Carrie Nahabedian's Cherry Jewels »
Pamela Fitzpatrick's Almond Polenta Cookies »