Cherry Almond Chews
The longer you stick around here, and the more you read and get to know me, the more you’ll realize that I have a rather abnormal, year-round love affair with the holiday season. Meaning, I go nutty for all that lies between October 1st and January 1st. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest to see Halloween candy in the grocery store in August, or Christmas decorations up in October. That’s the kid in me, getting stars in my eyes just thinking about pumpkin desserts and sweaters and tinsel and colored lights and Nativity scenes and stockings and pretty paper. And yes, even snow.
Year-round, like I said. Once New Year’s Day is over, the annual post-holiday melancholy sets in, and suddenly - shoot, I have to wait almost a whole year before The Holiday Police will give me permission to get excited about the holidays again. And if I show my excitement too early, I can expect acidic glares, or discourses on the atrocity of anything Christmas-related raising its head even a day before Thanksgiving. I know. I’ve heard it all. I’ve heard the lectures. I’ve received the acidic glares. And I think it’s kind of silly. But okay, I can keep my Bing Crosby off and respect your views.
Heh. So much for keeping Christmas throughout the year.
So. Now that I’ve offended half of you (and assuming the other half is still reading this), you can understand why my fancy was captured by these cookies. These are Christmas cookies in my brain. Look at them! They’re pretty. They’re red and white.
And the best part is, they don’t have to be Christmas cookies, for the Scrooges in the world; they can pretend to be July cookies. They don’t scream Christmas, so everyone else can savor them in ignorance, while I secretly delight in my festivity.
Cherry Almond Chews
from The Taste of Home Baking Book
Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups flaked coconut
3/4 cup chopped almonds or pecans (optional)
1 jar maraschino cherries, drained and halved
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in coconut and nuts.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. Place a cherry half in the center of each. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-13 minutes or until barely browned on the edges. Immediately remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an air-tight container for up to 10 days, or in the freezer for six weeks.
***High altitude adjustment: Adjust oven temperature about 20 degrees higher, and decrease bake time slightly.
