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Miss Joan’s English Cookies - A Holiday Tradition at our House!

We all have our favorite Christmas aromas.  The scents that take us back to childhood memories of the holidays.  For me, it is fresh evergreens and the delicious aroma of my Mother’s English Cookies in the oven.  She would make them at other times during the year, sprinkle the top with fresh chopped pecans and cut them in a diamond shape. But the holiday batches were special.  She would make a batch sprinkled with green sugar and a second batch sprinkled with red sugar crystals. Then as soon as they came out and were still very soft, she would use cookie cutters to cut out trees, bells, stars and angels.  My brothers and I were always right, there eager to gobble up the little pieces the cookie cutters left behind.

As I have continued the tradition of this special family recipe with my own family, I make Mother’s recipe with the pecans because they add such a nice flavor. 

Yet another twist, which will keep the chocolate lovers happy, is to place milk or dark chocolate candy bars evenly across the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.  Once the chocolate softens from the heat, spread the chocolate evenly with a spreader, then sprinkle chopped pecans on top of the chocolate!  Divine!  If you are invited to a cookie exchange this holiday season and want to take home the award for “Most Delicious” I highly recommend going with the chocolate and the nuts on top! 

My mother’s English shortbread cookies never fail to bring a flood of emotions. Transporting me to my very earliest memories, the heavenly aroma as they bake is, to me, the quintessential fragrance of Christmas. For pretty cookies, score the pan lengthwise at 1¹/₂ – inch intervals. Next, make diagonal crosswise cuts to form diamonds. The cookies are light, crisp, lovely. They freeze well, too, so I can bake them before the season gets too hectic.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature


• 1 cup granulated sugar


• 1 large egg yolk


• 1 tsp. vanilla extract


• 2 cups all-purpose flour


• 1 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350⁰. Using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl several times during the mixing.


2. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until the mixture is well blended and light in color.


3. On low speed, gradually beat in the flour. The dough will come together into a ball on the paddle. (At this point, the dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen for up to one month; defrost before shaping.)


4. With your fingertips, spread the dough in a thin layer about ¹/₄ – inch thick on an unbuttered jelly roll pan. Do not push the dough onto the sides.


5. Sprinkle the dough with the chopped pecans and very lightly press in.


6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sides are golden brown.


7. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes.


8. Using a sharp knife, cut the cookies into diamonds.

Yield: about 3 dozen 2-inch cookies

Happy holiday baking at your house!

Valerie