I was kind of embarrassed by these cookies. Or maybe I was embarrassed for them. They’re so plain. And brown. And not even the deep, rich, tempting brown of chocolate. More like a pale, flat beige.
For all that, they’re surprisingly delicious. Well, I wasn’t surprised, because the recipe is from Tartine, and that cookbook is full of home runs. The cookies are so soft and tender, but not too fragile to pile into a plastic container and bring to a wine-tasting party to share with friends.
They’re a great match for wine, and not one cookie was left by the end of the night. Which is probably for the best, but I admit I was disappointed that I couldn’t have one with coffee the next morning. I guess cookies don’t need to be flashy as long as they’re buttery and sweet, lightly spiced and studded with meaty walnuts.
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Walnut Cinnamon Slices (slightly adapted from Tartine)
Makes about 3 dozen cookies
Dough:
9 ounces (1¾ cups) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (3 ounces) walnuts, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon baking soda
11 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
⅔ cup (4.65 ounces) sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon salt
Sugar coating:
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, walnuts, cinnamon, and baking soda; set aside.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until it is blended and creamy but not too aerated. In a small measuring cup, whisk together the egg and salt. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the butter mixture, still beating on medium speed. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, beating until just combined.
3. Working on a large sheet of parchment paper, shape the dough into a rectangular log about 18 inches long with one side 2 inches wide and the other 1 inch wide. Wrap tightly in parchment paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
5. To make the sugar coating, whisk the egg yolks and cream together in a small bowl. Spread the sugar on a rimmed baking sheet. Unwrap the dough and brush the log well but sparingly with the egg wash. One at a time, dredge the log in the sugar, coating evenly on all sides. Cut crosswise into ¼ to ⅓-inch slices. Arrange the rectangles on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake until the edges are golden but the centers remain pale, 7-10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool.
These look incredible! Sweet but not too sweet 🙂 thanks so much for sharing this!
these cookies look so grown up and delicious!
These look good and I will probably try to make them. In step three it says to shape each portion, how many portions does the recipe make?
Linda/Mom – Disregard that, it was a mistake in the recipe. The original recipe had you form two portions of dough and shape them separately, but the instructions were confusing and one long log of dough worked fine for me, so I rewrote the instructions for one portion of dough.
These would be good with pecans too, if that’s your preference.
Well I can’t argue you with the pale plainness of them. But hey girl this cookies are ridiculously decadent. In fact they are kind of fun, because whoever tastes them will not be expecting them to be such a knockout. You see an oozing chocolate cookies and your anticipation starts to run high. No these cookies are pure surprise.
I like the way they look. I like things that look and are different.
They look buttery and delicious. I like how you added the sugar on the outside for that little extra hit of sugar for the very first bite, and how it makes the cookies sparkle.