Today--Hazelnut Snowballs.... Eat 'em up, eat 'em up; rah, rah, rah!

 

Today's cookie:  Hazelnut Snowballs

       

So I said keep your eyes on the prize....that I'd be back with the recipes for the cookies on this tray

and here I am...just a couple of days later.  Our hazelnut cookie is to the left of the middle of the tray--just right of the ginger cookies and left of the spiced nuts.

Meantime, I've been working on the holiday cookbook recipes for Examiner and have loved through the cantata at the church ...  (I'll post a photo or two at the end.)  The Hazelnut Snowballs were published today in the cookbook, but here is your very own copy of the recipe.  It's much like Almond Crescents, Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Teacakes.  Instead of almonds, pecans or walnuts, however, it uses hazelnuts.  You can shower them with "snow" (powdered sugar) or drizzle them with "mud" (melted chocolate) or, if you're in the mood for tres festive, you can roll them-before you bake them- in red or green sugar.  For a more pronounced (and a little more chunky)  hazelnut flavor, beat in half of the ground nuts as per directions, saving the rest to hand stir-in at the very end before baking.  That's an Aida Mollenkamp tip.

Hazelnut Snowballs    makes about 72 cookies

Ingredients:

* 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

* 2 cups confectioner's sugar, divided

* 2 t vanilla extract

* 1 c ground hazelnuts

* 3 cups flour

* 1 t cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your cookie sheets or place parchment paper on each sheet.

2. Beat together butter and 1 cup of the confectioner's (powdered) sugar on high for 2 minutes using electric hand-held or standing mixer.

3. Add the vanilla and hazelnuts and mix well.

4. Add flour and beat together well.

5. Using your hands, form the dough into 1 1/2" balls and place one inch apart on cookie sheets. (If you'd like the colored sugar effect, roll the balls in the sugar now-before baking and do not follow instructions for sifting powdered sugar and cinnamon below.)

6. Bake about 8 minutes until firm, but browning only slightly.

7. While the cookies bake, sift together the remaining cup of confectioner's sugar and the cinnamon.

8. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool briefly before sifting the sugar mixture over them lightly. (You can use a fine, small strainer if you don't have a sifter.)

9. If you choose to chocolate drizzle, let the cookies cool completely before drizzlingthe chocolate with cookies on racks (with trays beneath) or on waxed paper. Let dry well for a few hours before storing in careful layers. Place waxed paper between each layer.

10. These cookies store well, tightly covered, for several weeks.  I think they keep well because they contain no eggs.  Truly, they're great for a long time.  Even at altitude.  You may also freeze them.

 I loved the photographs up close of these cookies almost as much as I liked eating them...so here's another.

Two-Life Kitchen:  The Church at Woodmoor Choir

This choir did such a bang-up job on their cantata.  It seemed every week we had someone new join the choir and the sound just kept getting better.  For the offering during worship, we added flute, claves and organ to the piano, as well as several folks from the congregation who read the parts of Isaiah, the Innkeeper (who named himself "Bob"), the shepherds, Mary, and so on.  We had a slamdunk narrator from downunder, who just had the voice of a narrator.  You know how that is?  Not everyone has it.  For those interested, I have a recording.  Was there ever a better story on earth about which to write music???

Gettin' ready for the miracle!!

The wonderful accompanists! 

Part of the group...with my flying arms.

More of us....telling about the Savior's Birth and loving it.