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Sherried Fruit Butter Cookies |
Makes approximately 8 dozen.
1 cup dried figs
½ cup raisins or currants
¼ cup candied cherries, coarsely chopped
¼ cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon honey
2-3 Tablespoons dry sherry
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
¾ cup chopped pecans
Pinch of kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup superfine sugar (++see note below)
1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 extra large egg
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
(++you can make “superfine” sugar by processing granulated sugar for 60-90 seconds, measure AFTER)
NOTE: preparation for the fruit in these cookies requires starting a day before you bake.
1. Snip off the hard stems of the figs with scissors or a small knife. Coarsely chop the figs. In a medium bowl, combine the figs, raisins, cherries, apricots, honey, sherry, lemon juice, pecans, and a pinch of kosher salt. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight at room temperature.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cloves, superfine sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg and mix until incorporated. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt just until combined. Don't over mix! Note: This entire step can also be accomplished by hand with a pastry blender or cutter for butter, sugar and spices and a mixing spoon for the remainder of the step.
3. Add the fruits and nuts, including any liquid in the bowl. Divide the dough in quarters and place each quarter on the long edge of a 12 by 18-inch piece of parchment or waxed paper. Roll each quarter into a log, 1 ½ inches in diameter, making a 9-inch-long roll. (We made the rolls triangular just for fun.) Refrigerate the dough for several hours or overnight.
4. When ready to bake, remove the dough rolls from the refrigerator and place in the freezer for 10 minutes which will enable you to make thinner slices. Preheat oven to 350 ̊ F.
5. With a sharp knife, cut the logs into THIN slices (1/4 to 1/8-inch). Place the slices 1/2-inch apart on greased or parchment-paper-lined baking sheets and bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden. Store in air-tight container. Cookies will be crisp at first and soften over the next few days.
Adapted from Ina Garten’s BACK TO BASICS COOKBOOK.
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