The article from Saveur seduced me with its
tale of thousands of cookies baked around the clock in the small town of Solebury, Pennsylvania. Trinity Church, an
Episcopal parish, raises about $1,700 each year through its 20,000-cookie bakefest. But better than the money was the
idea... grandmothers and little boys and single parishioners all working together to mix, roll, bake and box the
buttery cookies made from recipes handed down for generations.
How could I resist? So two years ago I tried this recipe when I bought a Costco bag of walnuts and needed to use them up. Ever since I've been buying walnuts, nutmeg and cinnamon specifically for this recipe. These cookies satisfy my longing for spicy, crispy, nutty treats - and they're protein packed and low-net carb, to boot. I eat them for breakfast throughout December.
Christmas cookies day fivespice-walnut cookies
In a bowl, mix one cup toasted walnuts, ground; 2 1/4 cups flour; one tablespoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt and one teaspoon each freshly grated nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, cream one cup unsalted butter, softened. Add one cup each white and brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in two eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour mixture, just until blended. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 325°. On a floured surface, roll out about 1/8 of the dough to about 1/4 depth. Cut into festive shapes and bake, about an inch apart, on baking sheets for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and repeat until you are buried in delectable nutty spicy cookie goodness.
