On Day 10 of the 12 Days of Cookies, we’ve got cookies blanketed in powdered sugar. Try out Christine Van Arsdalen’s Holiday Nuggets, aka “the little round white ones.”
The day after Thanksgiving in my house means one thing: nuggets! For 17 years, my sister and I have gone over the river and through the woods to make the first batch of cookies at my Grandmother’s house: I’m not joking, they live by a brook in the woods. The recipe for these cookies is written on a small index card from the kitchen of Ann Pillsbury, dated early 1950s.
Every year we mix, roll, and shake cookies then celebrate a job well done with a grilled cheese sandwich while my Gram swears she’s not doing it next year. This special holiday tradition has given my family some of our fondest holiday memories and I hope it brings your family the same!
**Disclaimer** Wear white when making these. Powdered sugar tends to get everywhere, especially if a “shaking bag” fight ensues.
Ingredients
¾ cup shortening
¼ cup margarine
½ cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
½ cup chopped walnuts
powdered sugar
colored, crystallized sugar
Directions
1. Heat oven to 325°F.
2. Combine and mix wet ingredients.
3. Gradually add dry ingredients. Mix until dough is smooth and well blended.
4. Shape into small balls (1 tablespoon for each).
5. Place on ungreased bake sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
6. When done, roll in confectioners sugar while cookies are hot. (Let cool just a bit.)
7. For color, mix confectioners sugar with colored crystallized sugar.
Christine Van Arsdalen is a born-and-raised Jersey Girl, native to central and coastal NJ. As the author of the blog the Dexterous Diner, Christine chronicles her efforts as she indulges her foodie side on her very small budget which she likes to call “champagne dining on a beer budget.” She grew up being yelled at by an old Italian woman in the kitchen who was, surprisingly, not her mother. Her love of food grew from a combination of cooking in a restaurant and fond memories of creating scrumptious meals from scratch with her father. Today, she travels around the state of New Jersey and beyond searching for new twists on her old favorites: foods that bring you back to your childhood in a modern and sophisticated way. She loves unexpected and creative combinations, both in the food she eats and cooks. Though her palate has become more refined, she is still excited by a grilled cheese sandwich; that, and a great cup of coffee.
