Preparation
Place 2 oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
Preheat oven to 325°F at least 15 minutes before baking time. Place the walnuts
on a cookie sheet and toast them for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until
lightly browned.
Food processor method
Cut the butter into 1" cubes, wrap and refrigerate them.In a food processor,
with the metal blade, process the 1/2 cup (1 3/4 ounces) walnuts, cocoa and the
powdered and granulated sugars until the walnuts are finely ground. Add the
butter and pulse until the mixture is absorbed by the butter. Add the flour and
pulse until there are a lot of little moist crumbly pieces and no dry flour
particles remain. Dump the mixture into a plastic bag and press it together.
Remove the dough from the bag and knead it lightly until it holds together.
Electric mixer method or
by hand
Soften the butter. Grate the 1/2 cup of walnuts very fine. Sift the cocoa. In a
medium bowl, whisk together the grated walnuts, cocoa and sugars. In a large
bowl, cream the butter with the sugar mixture until light and fluffy. With your
fingers or an electric mixer, mix in the flour until incorporated. (If using the
mixer, add the flour in 2 parts.)
For both methods
Measure scant tablespoons of dough. Roll the dough between your palms to form
1-inch balls. Place them 2-inches apart on cookie sheets. Use a flat-bottomed
glass tumbler, dipped in granulated sugar, to flatten the dough to about 1 1/2"
in diameter.
Bake the cookies for 20 to 25
minutes or until they are firm enough to lift from the sheets but still soft
when pressed lightly on top. (Do not overcook or burned flavor will result.) For
even baking, rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back
halfway through the baking period. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 2 minutes.
Transfer them to racks to cool.
While the cookies are baking,
prepare the chocolate walnut buttercream topping:
In the upper container of a double boiler set over hot, not simmering, water on
low heat, or a microwave on high power (stirring ever 10 seconds) melt the
chocolate. Remove the upper container from the heat before the chocolate is
fully melted and stir until blended. Stir in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time,
until blended. If necessary return briefly to the heat but do not allow it to
become too hot or the butter will separate. Stir in the corn syrup and vanilla.
Let the buttercream stand at room temperature about 1 hour or until thick enough
to spread.
Chop the remaining 2/3 cup of
toasted walnuts medium-coarse. Use a small metal spatula to spread buttercream
on the cookies. Sprinkle nuts on top. Allow the topping to set overnight at room
temperature or refrigerate for 30 minutes before storing the cookies in airtight
containers.
Keeps: three weeks room
temperature, several months frozen.
Rose's Christmas Cookies, by Rose Levy Beranbaum,
William Morrow and Company Inc., New York, 1990
