Dec 17, 2011
Absolutely delicious and they seem to get better the longer they stay in the container--of course, they only lasted two weeks because I could not resist them. I followed the recipe exactly in terms of ingredients except that I made my own candied orange peel which provided great flavor and texture that store-bought candied fruit rarely does. I also chopped the almonds in the food processor until they were somewhat finely chopped but were not in danger of reaching a flour-like grind. And then, instead of using the cake pan technique which I worried might make the cookies tend to dry out, and because I wanted a more traditional cookie, I dropped the equivalent of one and a half to two tablespoons on a parchment-covered cookie sheet. Then, since the tops were somewhat spiky due to the stickiness of the dough, I wet my fingers and smoothed the tops down a bit, which resulted in a nicely smooth top for icing. A perfect holiday cookie, not only because it tastes wonderfully like Christmas, but also because it keeps so well and thus can be made well ahead of time. I'll be making these every year from now on!
—L.R.Hen
