"These festive cookies are inspired by The Nutcracker's Land of Sweets sequence, in which coffee and sugar plums are two of the flavours used to conjure a fanciful world of decadent diversion. Anything from a hard candy to a candied fruit can qualify as a sugar plum and, in the case of these cookies, the sugar plum is represented by the amarena cherry. Coffee's bitterness balances the sweetness of the fruit and the rich butteriness of the dough, while the oat flour adds a dash of shortbread-like delicateness."
"In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, coffee powder, cocoa, lemon zest, vanilla and salt, at first on low and then medium speed, until creamy and fluffy. Add both flours and beat just until combined with no dry flour remaining; don't overbeat because this can toughen the texture. (Alternatively, this can be done with a hand mixer or wooden spoon.)"
"Line a large plate with two layers of kitchen towel and, using a slotted spoon or fork, put the cherries on it the paper towels will absorb most of their excess liquid. Put some cold water in a small bowl and your preferred decorating sugar(s) in another small bowl (or bowls, if using multiple sugars). Divide the chilled dough into 36 equal pieces of about 15g each, then roll each one between your palms to make 2cm balls."
Amarena cherries stand in for sugar plums and are paired with instant coffee and a touch of cocoa to balance sweetness with bitterness. The dough uses room-temperature butter, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, salt, plain flour and oat flour for a shortbread-like delicacy. Ingredients are creamed together until fluffy, flours are added and mixed just until combined to avoid toughness. The dough is refrigerated at least 30 minutes (up to 48 hours). Cherries are drained on towels, bowls are prepared for water and decorating sugars, and the chilled dough is divided into thirty-six 15g balls.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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