Football shaped walnut cookies laced with an orange liqueur icing will be a new fan favourite.
Directions for: Walnut Football Cookies
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup ground walnuts
1 tsp ground cinnamon
tsp ground allspice
tsp kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
cup light brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 Tbsp plus 2 tsps orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
tsp orange zest (from 1/2 orange)
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, walnuts, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Set aside.
2. Using a hand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl on medium- high speed, scrapping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and egg and beat an additional minute.
3. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour in 3 batches, beating until the flour is just combined. Place the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and pat it into a round disk. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Dust the counter and dough with flour and roll the chilled dough to 1/4 inch thick. Using a football-shaped cookie cutter, cut the dough into footballs and place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie. Bake until firm to the touch and starting to get a whisper of golden brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, orange liqueur and orange zest. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a narrow, round tip. When the cookies are completely cool, pipe lacing on the footballs. Allow them to set up completely before serving. Store in an airtight container to prevent drying out.
Tips and Substitutions
Special equipment: a football-shaped cookie cutter and a piping bag fitted with a narrow, round tip.
See more: Dessert