Cherry–Almond Star Cookies

Name: Cherry–Almond Star Cookies
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: makes about 4 dozen
Ingredients: 3 cups flour; 2 tsp. baking powder; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. kosher salt; 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened; 1 cup sugar; 3 ⁄ 4 cup almond paste; 2 eggs; 1 ⁄ 4 cup heavy cream; 1 tbsp. kirsch; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; Maraschino cherries

Serves
makes about 4 dozen

HELEN ROSNER

Iconic star-shaped Italian cookies from our book Best Cookies are infused with kirsch and cream to add richness and depth.

Find this recipe in our cookbook, SAVEUR: Italian Comfort Food

Ingredients

3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
¹⁄₂ tsp. kosher salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
³⁄₄ cup almond paste
2 eggs
¹⁄₄ cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. kirsch
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Maraschino cherries

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Instructions

Step 1

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed of a mixer until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes; set aside. In a large bowl, beat almond paste on medium-high speed of a mixer until smooth; add 1⁄4 of the butter-sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Add remaining butter-sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until evenly combined. Add cream, kirsch, and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and beat until just combined.

Step 2

Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1⁄2" star tip, and pipe 2" mounds of dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spaced 2" apart. Halve maraschino cherries, and place a cherry half over the center of each cookie; chill cookies for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Heat oven to 375°. Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through cooking, until lightly browned, about 14 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed of a mixer until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes; set aside. In a large bowl, beat almond paste on medium-high speed of a mixer until smooth; add 1⁄4 of the butter-sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Add remaining butter-sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until evenly combined. Add cream, kirsch, and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and beat until just combined.
Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1⁄2" star tip, and pipe 2" mounds of dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spaced 2" apart. Halve maraschino cherries, and place a cherry half over the center of each cookie; chill cookies for 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 375°. Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through cooking, until lightly browned, about 14 minutes. Let cool before serving.