These little cookies go by many names—Russian tea cakes, Mexican wedding cookies, walnut snowballs, etc. The Mexican version, also called polvoróns, are made with finely chopped pecans, and the result is a soft, crumbly cookie. My grandmother always made walnut snowballs when I was little, but the girls and I decided to try this version to take as…
I have a serious obsession love for all things almond flavored, but I've never made marzipan at home...until this week! I originally had visions of marzipan fruit for the Christmas season, as my heritage might dictate, but then I decided to be realistic about my art skills. However, while marzipan can be rolled into a log and…
Dutch speculaas are thin, crisp cookies flavored much like German pfeffernüsse. They're typically baked for St. Nicholas' Day on December 5th or 6th and are, traditionally, stamped with images from the life of St. Nicholas on the front. It turns out that I really like traditional Christmas cookies from this part of Europe, with their strong spices and unique textures! I…
Ancestor to the croissant, kipferl cookies are fragile crescent-shaped cookies that literally melt in your mouth. Made from ground almonds, they have the slightest hint of almond flavor and a sweet vanilla sugar coating. These cookies are so good that my husband fought over the last cookie of both batches I made. Despite their "fancy" shape, they're…
Pfeffernüsse, aka pepper nuts, are a traditional German cookie featuring aromatic spices and a sweet icing. Like any good cookie recipe, there are dozens and dozens of variations of the spices and ingredients used, but all bakers agree that the result is a spicy, dry cookie that is small enough to grab by the handful! As…
Madeleines, or French tea cakes, are really more cake than cookie, although we tend to think of them as a cookie anyway. These light and fluffy sponge cakes are baked in a shell-shaped pan to give them their distinctive shape, and they can be made with a variety of flavored extracts or decorations for a…
Similar to the French macaron, alfajores are a South American treat. While the specifics vary by region and country, the basic idea is a sandwich cookie with a sweet filling in the middle. This version incorporates a rich dulce de leche between two melt-in-your-mouth cornstarch cookies! These cookies are easy to make, using just a few ingredients…
Springerle are a flat, white, crispy cookie traditionally made in Germany, Bavaria or Austria. The designs are added before baking using a carved springerle rolling pin or flat mold. Traditional springerle are made from just eggs, confectioners sugar' and flour and flavored by sprinkling a surface with anise seed and placing the cookies on top for 24…