Marzipan Christmas Cookies

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 48
• 2 3/4 cups flour (all-purpose, unsifted)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup brown sugar (light, not dark)
• 8 ounces almond paste
• 1 teaspoon cardamom (ground)
• 1 cup butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup almonds (blanched, chopped)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup cherry preserves

Recipe

• 1 sift flour with cardamom, baking soda, and salt.
• 2 soften butter. with electric mixer at medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar, and sour cream until light and fluffy.
• 3 at low speed, beat in flour. remove from mixer and stir in nuts.
• 4 divide dough in half. shape each half into a roll about 1-1/2" in diameter. wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• 5 preheat oven to 350. cut rolls into 1/4" slices and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
• 6 beat egg whites slightly with electric mixer. crumble almond paste into egg whites, beating until added. add sugar two tablespoons at a time, beating until well blended. place mixture in a pastry bag with a #2 star tip and pipe a circle around the edge of each cookie (to form a wreath shape).
• 7 bake 12-15 minutes, or until light brown.
• 8 when cooled, fill center of wreaths with cherry preserves.