Blessings From My Kitchen: December 2017

Always, at the last quarter of the year, I envision myself Tres Grand Baker (sounds so good in French), you know, where I make/share/pack/sell boxes of treats, aaand ease over here to type a terrific amount of words and numerous yet-to-see-light blueprints. I now realize that lofty dreaming needs to be accompanied with several shots of mega energy drinks to get any moxie past 1st week of December, or any day, really. Of course, there's also the reality that time speeds by unforgivingly faster, once you pass quite a few decades in life, and will not stand still to figure in your tardy ambitious calling. Priceless life lesson and a recipe you will not regret...aren't you glad you came over?

Currently, I believe surprise snowballs are calling out to you. The enviable white cover on them is reminiscent of a weather that Christmas should ideally come in. So, if you, like myself, do not live within snowglobe-ish surroundings, you most desperately need a cookie that gets you there.

As I went through and ~~ate~~ made several of these, I knew you would benefit from the knowledge I share; to mix them in your own mixers, bake them in your ovens, eat them with your own hands in your own mouths. For the love of cookie dough and how dynamically easy jam inside it can be, is really the surprise, and sure prospect for any cookiemaking roster.

So...while going through the instructions on filling and forming the "balls", I realize that once the jam is placed, rolling two saucers into a sphere is not an easy task. Instead of a ball, they structure out more like a disc, or a spaceship. I don't know about you, but surprise spacediscs do not, in any way, convey yuletide. Yet, I suppose, if you were to work on a few dozen batches of these, like I should be, you might make that one of your confection manufacturing goals.

Finally, as I end our conversation for today, I do hope you...

make some cookies
make some memories
make your holiday truly holy days.

Have a holly jolly Christmas!

Simple, yet sublime... to wow the socks off holiday guests/critics/people under your own roof.

(Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy...raspberry almond snowballs)
Ingredients:

¾ cup slivered almonds (without skin)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup salted butter
½ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ half cups powdered sugar
6-8 tbsp strawberry jam

Directions:

Place almonds into the workbowl of a food processor and process until semi-ground and almost chunky bits.
Place in the same bowl, flour and grind with the semi-ground almonds until mixture becomes a finer texture( small nut bits are okay). Pour mixture aside into a separate bowl.
Into the now empty food processor bowl, add butter and ½ cup powdered sugar until mixture becomes creamy and combined.
Add vanilla and mix.
Pour into this, the nut-flour mixture and pulse process until just combined.
Scoop a half tablespoon sized dough and form into a ball using hands.
Make a fairly deep indention (large enough to fit the jam) with your finger or thumb. Add ½ tsp of the jam.
Scoop and shape another ½ tablespoon of cookie dough. Make an indentation in that piece then gently place that indented dough ball over the jam filled dough ball, pressing and sealing with your fingers at the seams, to make one round ball (1 jam filled thumbprint ball + 1unfilled thumbprint ball= one cookie ball).
Transfer to a cookie sheet or plate. Repeat with remaining dough, leaving one inch space between the cookies.
Set the balls in the fridge to firm, for about 30 minutes, upto 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F , last 20 minutes of chilling.
Take dough balls out of refrigerator.
Bake cookie balls (leaving extra in the fridge to chill, till ready to bake), 10-14 minutes, they will feel dry to the touch, but still remain soft. Do not overbake as jam will seep out.
Let cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then place still warm cookies in a bowl filled with the remaining powdered sugar and gently roll before placing them on racks to cool completely.
Store in airtight container or freeze. These store well, if you really can keep them that long.
A fresh coating of sugar might be needed, when serving or packaging.