From Early American Life, December 2003

Italian Nut Cookies

by Claire Hopley

INGREDIENTS

• 1 stick butter, at room temperature

• 1⁄2 cup sugar

• 2 eggs, separated

• 4 tablespoons evaporated milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 teaspoons lemon zest

• 2 teaspoons orange zest

• 21⁄2 cups flour

• 1 cup sliced almonds or chopped

• walnuts or pecans

• 18 whole crystallized cherries

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until pale and smooth. In a small bowl, mix egg yolks, evaporated milk, vanilla and zest. Add to butter mixture Mix in flour; knead with your hands until you have a smooth, non-sticky dough. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper. Crush nuts until they look like coarse crumbs. Take lumps of dough and roll into balls the size of a small walnut. Dip them in egg white, then roll them in chopped nuts. Place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly so they form 11⁄2" circles. Halve the cherries and place a half in the middle of each cookie. Bake for 20 minutes.