Apricot and Nut Cookies with Amaretto Icing

Name: Apricot and Nut Cookies with Amaretto Icing
Yield: makes 2 to 2 1/2 dozen cookies
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 large egg; 1 1/4 cups all-purpose ﬂour; 1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped; 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted; 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted; 1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar; 5 to 7 tablespoons Amaretto or other almond-flavored liqueur

December 20, 2011

Compared to American Christmas cookies, Italian cookies are a bit less sweet. They bake up nice and buttery, and the dried apricots make them moist and chewy rather than crisp and crunchy. The dough freezes well, so I like to make a double batch and store some to bake when unexpected guests drop by (just be sure to increase the baking time by two minutes if baking from frozen). The cookies will ﬁll the whole house with an alluring fragrance and make you look like a superstar, even if you don’t have time to make the glaze.

Recipe information

Yield
makes 2 to 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 large egg

1 1/4 cups all-purpose ﬂour

1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

5 to 7 tablespoons Amaretto or other almond-flavored liqueur

Preparation

Step 1
In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour until just blended. Mix in the apricots, almonds, and pine nuts.
Step 2
Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 4
Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
Step 5
To ice the cookies, pour the confectioners’ sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the Amaretto until the mixture is just thin enough to drizzle.
Step 6
Place the wire rack with the cookies on it over a baking sheet. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle the cookies with the icing, allowing any excess icing to drip onto the baking sheet. Allow the icing to set before serving, at least 30 minutes.

Giada at Home by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2010 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.

TagsCookie Dessert Amaretto Liqueur Alcohol Beverages Italian European Apricot Stone Fruit Fruit Almond Nut Pine Nut Vegetarian Make Ahead Baking Electric Mixer Winter Cookbooks

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Recipe notes