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Slice of Life: Cooking for (and with) a crowd

TOM HASHAGEN
TOM HASHAGEN

When I was in the culinary classroom, a project that was guaranteed to generate extremely high levels of ingenuity, creativity, competiton, frustration, impatience and tears was the annual gingerbread house.

One student actually fabricated a gingerbread Yankee Stadium, and another had to re-assemble her house three times because of faulty construction techniques or under-whipped royal icing. She was so happy when it finally held together that she decorated it with just about every Christmas candy on the market, causing it to collapse for a fourth time under its own weight.

Instead of slaving over an effort that will ultimately be appreciated more by the neighborhood birds than your friends and family, why not perfect a batch of cookies that will make you a legendary gift-giver? Here’s one of my favorites, but baker beware, be sure to make enough to give away after you’re done with “quality control!”

Pecan or Walnut Crescent Cookies
(Makes about 4 dozen)

2 cups pecan or walnut halves, chopped fine (divided)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup superfine sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar for rolling cooled cookies

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix 1 cup chopped nuts, flour and salt in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of a food processor, process the remaining chopped nuts for 10 to 15 seconds. Do not overprocess! Add the processed nuts to the flour mixture.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a bowl with a hand-held electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and creamy.

Stir in the vanilla. Scrape the bowl down with a rubber spatula and add the flour/nut mixture and beat at low speed just until the dough is cohesive. Do not overbeat!

Working with about 1 tablespoon of dough (I use a # 70 portion scoop), form balls about 1 1/4 inch in diameter. Roll each ball into a 3-inch rope, then shape the rope into a half-circle and place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake for 17 to 19 minutes, or until the bottoms just begin to brown.

Cool the cookies on the sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack until completely cool, about 30 minutes.

Working with three or four cookies at once, dust thoroughly with confectioners’ sugar, then gently shake off the excess.

Store in an airtight container for up to five days, or freeze. Re-coat with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated, The Best Recipe, 1999.