| CATEGORY |
CUISINE |
TAG |
YIELD |
| Eggs |
|
Desserts |
1 |
Tree |
INGREDIENTS
| 1 1/2 |
c |
Slivered almonds |
| 3/4 |
c |
Butter/margarine, at room |
|
|
Temperature |
| 1 |
c |
Sugar |
| 1 |
tb |
Grated orange peel |
| 4 |
lg |
Eggs |
| 1 |
ts |
Vanilla |
| 4 1/2 |
c |
All-purpose flour |
| 4 1/2 |
ts |
Baking powder |
| 1/2 |
ts |
Salt |
| 1/2 |
ts |
Ground cinnamon |
| 1/4 |
ts |
Ground cloves |
| 1/4 |
ts |
Ground coriander |
| 1/4 |
ts |
Ground cinnamon |
| 3/4 |
c |
Orange marmalade |
| 1 |
lb |
Sugar, powdered |
| 1 |
tb |
Grand Marnier or orange |
|
|
Juice |
INSTRUCTIONS
MARMALADE ICING
Constructed from baked biscotti dough, the cookie tree is an edible
centerpiece. Place almonds in a 8 to 9 inch pan. Bake in a 350~ oven,
shaking often, until golden, about 15 minutes; cool. In a large bowl, beat
butter, sugar and orange peel until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating
well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine 4-1/2 cups flour,
baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, nutmeg and nuts; add to
butter mixture and stir to blend thoroughly. Divide dough into 3 equal
pieces. On a well-floured board, pat each piece into an evenly thick
triangle that measures 9 inches across base, 2 inches across top and 12
inches on each side. Make edges neat by pressing with a ruler. Carefully
transfer each triangle with wide spatulas to an oiled 12x15 inch baking
sheet. Bake in a 350~ oven for 15 minutes; triangles can wait for oven
space. Remove from oven; cut crosswise (NOT diagonally) into slices exactly
5/8 inch wide, using a long knife. Tip slices onto a cut side. Bake until
golden brown, about 20 minutes; turn cookies over once while baking. Cool
on reacks. If made ahead, package airtight up until next day or freeze. To
build the tree, pipe (using a 1/4 inch tip) or spread a little frosting on
1 side of each of the longest cookies. Lay icing-side down on a flat
platter, tips touching, to form a triangle. Pip or spread icing down
center of each cookie on plate. Stack the 3 next-longest cookies on the
first, inverting position of the triangle (looking down from the top, it
will look like a Star of David). Build tree, using the next-smallest cookie
trio for each level and cementing with icing. If you like, pipe icing to
drip over the edge of the cookies. Decorate top with holly. Let guests
lift off cookies to eat. If made ahead or to protect from dust, seal in
plastic wrap; cookies stay fresh up to 4 days, depending on moisture in
air. Kept longer, they hold their shape but get stale. Icing: Smoothly mix
together 3/4 cp orange marmalade, 1 box (1 lb) or 4 cups sifted powder and
1 Tablespoon orange-flavor liqueur or orange juice. If icing thickens as
you work, stir in a little more orange juice.
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