JANUARY
FEBRUARY
RASPBERRY PECAN THUMBPRINT COOKIES
MARBLED VALENTINE SUGAR COOKIES
BY Kenric Hunt
BY Sean O'Neil
This cookie came to mind because of one of my elementary teachers, it was her favorite to give out during Christmastime. I don’t remember details of why it was her favorite, but we knew they were in our goody bags… enjoy a little sweet from a sweet teacher!
This is a simple cookie recipe that will last for generations. My Nonni used to make these cookies for me when I was younger; at first to be her valentine, then to give to my valentine. Now I make them with my daughter and tell her she is my valentine. Enjoy!
Ingredients: 1 ½ Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature 1 Cup Sugar 1 Large Egg Yolk 1 TSP Vanilla Extract 3 ⅓ AP Cup Flour ¼ TSP Salt 1 Cup Toasted Pecans, finely chopped Raspberry Jam
Ingredients: ½ Cup Unsalted Butter, softened ½ Cup Granulated Sugar ½ TSP Baking Powder Red Gel food coloring
Directions: Beat the softened butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract.
Mix in flour, salt and chopped toasted pecans. Mix until well incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out mounds of the cookie dough into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using your thumb or the back of a teaspoon, press into the center of each cookie. Fill a piping bag with raspberry jam and pipe the jam into the center of each cookie. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown in color.
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1 Large Egg 1½ TSP Vanilla Extract ¼ TSP Salt 2 Cup AP Flour
Directions: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla, followed by salt and baking powder. Scrape the bowl as needed. Gradually mix in flour, increasing speed as needed until dough is fully combined and no streaks remain. Divide dough in half, transferring half to a clean bowl, set aside. Add a small amount of dark pink gel food coloring to the remaining dough. Beat until fully tinted and no streaks remain. Pinch off golf ball sized portions of dough, rolling into balls. Create a pattern of alternate colored balls of dough on your work station. Gently, knead all dough together until swirls of color are visible. Do not over mix. Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill for 30-60 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Roll out dough to ¼-inch thick, on a lightly floured surface. Cut out heart shapes. Space two inches apart on a prepared baking sheet. Freeze cookies for 15 minutes. Press together remaining dough and scraps, re-wrap in plastic and keeping chilled until ready to roll and cut again.
Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes. Allow cookies to rest on the pan for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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