Loaded Nut Slices
I love cookies that are sturdy and keep well – which makes them a boon for the holiday season as host gifts, for inclusion on a cookie tray or to mail to loved ones far away. Also, these Loaded Nut Slices from Payard Cookies
Excerpt & photo from Payard Cookies
These cookies are almost like biscotti, but unlike them, they are only baked once. I like them because they are very crunchy and crumbly and they go well with ice cream. They also combine almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios, which is rare. They are sliced from a log that you can keep frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic and stored in an airtight container, for up to a month. You can also press the dough into a baking sheet, shaping into a large rectangle about 1½ inches thick, then cut them to give them a squarer shape closer to the photo on page 106. Because they are filled with an assortment of nuts, when they are cut, no two slices will look perfectly alike. You could also shape the dough into balls or scoop it onto the baking sheet, rather than slicing it, for rounder cookies. Serve them as part of a cookie platter, as pictured, or on their own with a cup of Earl Grey tea.
- 10 ½ tablespoons (150 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups (200 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 cups minus
- 2 tablespoons (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (150 grams) almond flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
- 1 large egg white
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) dark rum, such as Myers’s
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (60 grams) pistachios, toasted
- ⅓ cup (45 grams) almonds, toasted
- ⅓ cup (45 grams) hazelnuts, toasted
- ⅓ cup (50 grams) golden raisins
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together on low speed until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy. Add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, and baking powder and mix until smooth.
- Slowly drizzle in the egg white, cream, rum, and vanilla. Once combined, add the pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, and raisins and mix until everything is fully combined. The dough will become very stiff, so you might need to turn off your mixer and finish folding in the nuts with a silicone spatula.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into two pieces. Place each piece of dough on plastic wrap and roll it into logs that are about 1½ inches in diameter. Refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until the logs are chilled all the way through.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- With a sharp knife, slice the logs into ¼-inch-thick slices and arrange them on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they begin to turn a light golden brown color. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheet or a cooling rack, then store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks.
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