A winning recipe from Holiday Cookie Contest 2000: Christmas Bonbons.
From: Laura in Ipswich, Massachusetts
Why She Loves This Cookie: Any cookie made with almond paste somehow always reminds me of Christmas. They are very rich, but the holidays were meant for indulging and forgetting about the waistline!
What you'll need
- Cookie Base:
- 3/4 cup butter, softened and divided (no substitutions)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 7- or 8-oz. package almond paste
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 48 red candied cherrie
- Glaze:
- 1 square unsweetened baking chocolate
- 1 tbsp. softened butter
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tbsp. milk
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Add an extra tablespoon or so of butter to cookie base before pressing it into the baking pan. It may be too stiff to spread.
How to make it
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream 1/2 cup of the butter and 1/2 cup of the sugar.
Add vanilla. Add flour gradually, mixing well.
Spread in lightly greased 9- by 13- by 2-inch baking pan.
Bake at 350° F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookie base is golden. Remove from oven.
Using the mixer set to medium speed, mix almond paste, the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and butter, and the eggs.
Spread over base ingredients.
Arrange cherries on batter six across until there are 8 even rows of 6 cherries each. Do not press cherries into batter.
Bake at 350° for 20 - 25 minutes, or until done.
The cookie should feel firm when pressed lightly with fingers. Remove to rack and let cool.
Before combining glaze ingredients, melt chocolate by heating it in the microwave on high for one minute; then remove, stir, and heat it for one minute more. Add water as necessary to chocolate glaze so that it is runny enough to drizzle. Then, combine all glaze ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Drizzle chocolate over cooled bonbon mixture. When glaze is set, cut into 48 pieces.
