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.