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This week’s recipe comes from Mrs. Walter Menning of La Salle, Ill.
Preparation time: 50 minutes
Chilling time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Yield: About 6 dozen
The appearance of these delicate little cookies will call to mind old-fashioned penny candy known as mothballs. Coarse or pearl sugar is essential because regular granulated sugar will dissolve right into the glaze. It can be found at Swedish markets and specialty baking shops.
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 small package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole toasted hazelnuts, about
Glaze:
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup water, or more as needed
Coarse sugar or pearl sugar
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Have ungreased baking sheet(s) ready.
2. Sift together flour and baking powder; set aside. Beat butter, granulated sugar and cream cheese in large bowl of electric mixer until light, 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and mix 1 minute. Stop mixer and add flour mixture; mix just to combine.
3. Measuring one teaspoonful of dough for each, put mounds of the dough on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate just until set, 15 to 20 minutes. Roll each mound of dough around a hazelnut, making a smooth ball. Arrange on ungreased baking sheet. Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely.
4. For glaze, mix confectioners’ sugar with vanilla and enough water to make a thin glaze; it should be slightly thicker than cream. Dip cooled cookies in glaze, coating them completely. Return to a wire rack over a sheet of waxed paper to catch the drips. Sugar the tops generously with coarse sugar. Let dry completely before storing in an airtight tin.
