A purr-fectly good cookie

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This article was published 14/12/2018 (2853 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

To make what they considered to be a really good holiday cookie, a mother-daughter home-baking team from St. Paul, Minn., combined “good ideas” and tastes from other recipes. The result is these festive cookie balls, topped with a couple of almonds (reminiscent of the ears of their family cat). We added the occasional and optional fresh cranberries for more holiday spirit.

Make ahead: The decorated cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 10 days.

Adapted from The Great Minnesota Cookie Book by Lee Svitak Dean and Rick Nelson (University of Minnesota Press, 2018).

Cranberry Cat Kisses

Makes 48 cookies

Ingredients

For the cookies:

240 ml (16 tbsp or 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
125 ml (1/2 cup) confectioners’ sugar
21/2 ml (1/2 tsp) almond extract
560 ml (21/4 cups) flour
180 ml (3/4 cup) finely chopped almonds (skin-on is fine)
125 ml (1/2 cup) dried cranberries, finely chopped

For the topping:
250 ml (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable shortening
Skin-on, sliced almonds
Fresh cranberries (optional)

For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 205 C (400 F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.

Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer on medium speed for one minute, or until creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar; beat for around two minutes, until the mixture is lightened and fluffy, then add the almond extract and beat until incorporated. Reduce the speed to low; add the flour and beat just until it is incorporated, to form a firm dough.

By hand, stir in the almonds and dried cranberries.

Shape the dough into 21/2 -cm (one-inch) balls, placing them 5 cm (two inches) apart on the baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time (middle rack) for seven to eight minutes, until barely browned. Let cool for five minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat to use all the dough.

For the topping: Combine the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on low in 20-second increments until melted, stirring in between until smooth.

Spoon some of the melted mixture on top of each cooled cookie. Quickly insert a couple of sliced almonds and/or a cranberry atop each one. Let set completely before serving or storing.

— Washington Post