Chanukah Cookies

The first important note about this recipe is that there is nothing particularly Chanukah-esque about these cookies besides their star-of-David shape and light blue color. They do have almonds, which I suppose is a plus, but they are mostly just a fun way for us to incorporate symbolism into our festivities.

The second important point is that these are based on a recipe with which I've fallen in love, shared generously by Amy, the woman who taught me to be a diva that everyone still wants to be around. She calls them "Momlene's Sugar Cookies," and though I've never met Marlene/Momlene, I am indebted to her for her sugar cookie recipe that I've tweaked here. She's got a bunch of great funny, crafty, yummy stuff over there, so tell her I sent you and enjoy.

Momlene's [spiced] sugar cookies

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

2 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla

3 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup ground almonds

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy—take your time with it, it's relaxing as long you're using an electric mixer. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Combine flour, almonds, soda, cream of tartar and cinnamon, then add to butter mixture, mixing until fully incorporated. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator and preheat oven to 350˚ F. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness (this is my favourite thickness for these) on a lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes and place on parchment lined sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until firm and just starting to color. Makes about 6 dozen cookies, depending, of course, on how you shape them.

We dipped ours in melted candy coating to give them a little holiday flair. I'm a big fan.