Siberian Cookies Recipes

SIBERIAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat eggs well till sugar is absorbed.
• Add ground nuts.
• Gradually add flour and cinnamon with a spoon.
• Add butter; mix until well blended.
• Drop by teaspoons unto VERY well greased cookie sheet.
• These spread a lot--leave room.
• Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, until edges are slightly browned. Cookies will be soft.
• Remove from cookie sheet and allow to harden.

VANILICE (SERBIAN SANDWICH COOKIES)

Steps:

• Combine shortening and 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl; cut with a pastry knife until crumbly. Add egg and vanilla; beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Work in 2 cups flour with your hands; knead until stiff and similar in consistency to pie dough.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat® mats.
• Dust a work surface generously with flour and set dough on top. Roll dough with a floured rolling pin to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut into rounds with a 1 3/4-inch cookie cutter or the rim of a glass. For every 2 cookies you cut, use a smaller cookie cutter to cut a hole or shape out of the second cookie; the cut-out cookies will be placed on top of the whole cookies when filled.
• Re-roll the dough and continue cutting out cookies until all the dough is used up. You should have an equal number of whole and cut-out cookies. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes; do not let the cookies brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before carefully transferring onto wire racks. The cookies will be crumbly and fragile while still hot so handle carefully. Let cool completely.
• Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar into a bowl. Spread 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon apricot jam onto each whole cookie, then place a cut-out cookie on top. Dip the filled cookies in sugar until well coated on both sides.

THE REBBETZIN CHEF'S PERSIAN WALNUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, mix together the ground walnuts, 3 egg yolks, sugar, cardamom, baking soda and rose water until well blended. Roll teaspoon sized pieces of dough into balls and place onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Cookies should be spaced 2 inches apart. Whisk together the remaining egg yolk and water using a fork. Press a walnut piece into each cookie, then brush with the egg yolk glaze.
• Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. The cookies will appear soft and undercooked but take heart, they will harden considerably when cooled. Allow them to cool on the baking sheets for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.