I make this recipe every holiday season and everyone loves it. These cookies are light and sweet. They can be made a lot of ways with different extracts. Also the ends can be dipped into melted chocolate (they are very good this way).
INGREDIENTS (for 6 servings):
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 5/8 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
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- 6 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon milk
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together unsalted butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and egg yolk one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually stir into the sugar mixture until smoothly blended. Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 3/4 inch round tip. A large freezer storage bag with one of the corners snipped off will also work.
Pipe dough into 2 inch long logs using a side to side squiggle motion. Space cookies at least 2 inches apart. Place cookie sheets with cookies into the freezer for a couple of minutes to harden.
Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
In the microwave or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt chocolate and 2 tablespoons of butter, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the milk. Dip both ends of the cooled cookies into the chocolate and place them onto waxed paper to set.