Sesame Christmas Cookies

I don't specifically remember Mom making these cookies, but they are delicious. This cookie is similar to ones that you might find in an Italian bakery. There may be variations in the dough, shape and other garnishes, but you will find a cookie coated in sesame seeds. The cookies are not too sweet, as you might guess based on the relatively small amount of sugar used. But like so many Italian cookies, try dipping them in coffee for a tasty treat.

The combination of almond, sesame and strawberry create a delicious cookie. I followed Mom's recipe, but other flavors could easily be substituted. For example, you could use anise extract instead of almond. You could use cherry or apricot preserves instead of strawberry. Or, you could leave out the preserves entirely. I created the round shape that the recipe called for, but often, these cookies are often made into the shape of logs to make dipping into coffee easier.

Sesame Christmas Cookies 

• 1 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups flour
• sesame seeds (about 1 cup)
• strawberry preserves

Preheat the oven to 400. Cream the butter and sugar. Blend in the almond extract and salt. Add flour; mix well. Shape tablespoons of the dough into balls and roll in sesame seeds. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Indent the center of each cookie and fill with preserves. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Chocolate Pinwheels

These are among my many favorite Christmas cookies. I remember making them when I was a kid, but I did not remember that rolling the dough would be so challenging. If all had worked out just so, the cookies would have a better swirl pattern. But, for some reason, my dough was a bit dry which made it break as I tried to work with it. Although these cookies did not look perfect, they were delicious. The cookies are not too sweet and have a nice balance of chocolate and vanilla. But, a certain niece with a serious sweet tooth thought that the cookies were too plain. She may be right, but the simplicity of these cookies is what makes these cookies just right.

Chocolate Pinwheels 

• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Cream butter; gradually add sugar, continuing to cream until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture a small amount at a time, mixing well after each addition. Divide dough in half. Blend  chocolate into one half.

Roll each half between wax paper into a 12x8 rectangle. remove the top sheet of paper. Invert the plain dough onto the chocolate dough. Remove remaining wax paper. Roll up as for jelly roll, starting with the longer side. Wrap in wax paper. Chill until firm enough to slice, at least 3 hours in the refrigerator or 1 hour in the freezer. Cut into 1/4 inch slices. Place each slice on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until cookies just begin to brown on the edges. Cool on wire rack. Enjoy!

Delicate Walnut Crescents

Mom loves these cookies. Not only did she enjoy them when I made them, as her recipe notes below, she marked them as "*Delicious." As you can see, the red pen that Mom used to write out the recipe below did not stand the test of time: I was just barely able to read the recipe so you do not have to try. Mom often made these cookies or almond crescent cookies. When I was a kid, I did not appreciate cookies with nuts. But now I do enjoy these cookies.

The dough itself is a very basic and classic recipe. I did find that the dough needs to be cold when shaping the crescents. If the dough gets too warm, it might become too sticky, making it harder to shape, so just return the dough to the refrigerator for a bit. When the cookies come out of the oven, they need a few minutes to cool before handling because, as the title says, they are delicate, especially while still warm. Mom's recipe offers a few variations. You could substitute brandy or rum for the vanilla. Or, you could shape the dough into balls instead of crescents. And, of course, you could use any type of nut instead of walnuts.

Delicate Walnut Crescents 

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, plus more for coating
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 3/4 cup flour

Cream the butter. Add 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Stir in nuts and flour until well blended. Wrap dough in wax paper and chill well. 

Preheat oven to 300. Divide the dough into eight parts. on a lightly floured surface, shape dough into ropes about 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut in 2 inch pieces, taper the ends and shape into crescents. Put onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove to cool. Shift confectioners sugar on top or roll cookies in sugar, cool and roll in sugar again. Store in an airtight container. The cookies can be frozen. Enjoy!