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Bride's Cookies
Mace is the placenta that conveys
nourishment from the fruit (nutmeg) to the seed. It clings to the shell
of the nutmeg like a hand with its fingers holding so tightly that they
leave little indentations to show where they've been on the brittle,
dark-brown shell. After a day in the sunshine the mace has dried to the
dull red - orange - brown appearance of ground mace that we use in
baking and sauces. (taken from The Spice and Herb Bible by Ian
Hemphill). Dorothy's take: Similarities to a woman....
1 cup real butter, softened
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans or hazelnuts
1 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
powdered sugar for dusting
tiny silver balls for decoration
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Soften butter in batter bowl 30 seconds on
half power. Using electric beater, cream butter and sugar. In another
bowl, whisk the flour, ground nuts, salt and mace. Add to butter mixture
along with the vanilla. Shape into 1 inch balls, dusting with more flour
if necessary. Shape into crescents on baking sheet lined with parchment
or a Silpat. Flatten just a little with the tines of a fork, to give
better shape. Decorate with silver balls. Bake for about 20 minutes.
Dust with powdered sugar while still warm. Makes about 3 dozen. |
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