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Cocoa Christmas Cookies
These cookies will be a great addition to your holiday cookie assortment.
Recipe courtesy of Shelburne Inn & China Beach Retreat
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup high-grade unsweetened cocoa
- 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups plump, moist raisins, coarsely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon orange juice
- 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup apricot jam, or orange marmalade
- 1/4 cup milk, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups lightly toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons warm water
Preparation
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside. In a small bowl, combine raisins and orange juice; reserve.
Using a mixer with the paddle attachment, or by hand with a sturdy spoon beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed for one minute after each addition. Beat in vanilla, jam and milk. Set mixer to low and gradually add flour mixture, beating only until it is incorporated.
Stir nuts and reserved raisins into dough. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours and for as long as 2 days.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a tablespoon of dough for each cookie, roll the dough between your palms to form walnut-size balls. Place balls on a nonstick or parchment-lined cookie sheet, 1 _ inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until tops look dry; the tops may crack, which is fine. Transfer cookies to a rack, and repeat with rest of dough.
While cookies are baking, make a glaze: In a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and 3 teaspoons of warm water. Whisk until smooth. While cookies are still warm from oven, dip their tops into the glaze and place them on a rack to cool to room temperature. The cookies may also be painted with the glaze using a pastry brush. Yields about 6 dozen cookies.
Using a mixer with the paddle attachment, or by hand with a sturdy spoon beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed for one minute after each addition. Beat in vanilla, jam and milk. Set mixer to low and gradually add flour mixture, beating only until it is incorporated.
Stir nuts and reserved raisins into dough. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours and for as long as 2 days.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a tablespoon of dough for each cookie, roll the dough between your palms to form walnut-size balls. Place balls on a nonstick or parchment-lined cookie sheet, 1 _ inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until tops look dry; the tops may crack, which is fine. Transfer cookies to a rack, and repeat with rest of dough.
While cookies are baking, make a glaze: In a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and 3 teaspoons of warm water. Whisk until smooth. While cookies are still warm from oven, dip their tops into the glaze and place them on a rack to cool to room temperature. The cookies may also be painted with the glaze using a pastry brush. Yields about 6 dozen cookies.
