Linzer Cookies

2020 was the weirdest year ever. For one thing, I had a lot more time to bake but ironically no one to bake for. You would think that would mean I wouldn't feel as stressed out when baking Christmas presents this year. But nope - I had three fewer recipes to find. Which was nice because as of Thanksgiving I was unemployed so I was able to focus on my job search. And also wash the bowls in the dishwasher instead of by hand 😆

For Nonni, I knew one flavor I didn't want to search for: coconut. Looking at my blog posts from previous years, I discovered that I'd made her a coconut-flavored present for the past THREE YEARS! Time to change things up. So I stuck with a flavor combo I've made her before: almond and raspberry. While searching magazine recipes, I came across one for linzer cookies. I've always wanted to make them so I figured why not now? I got the impression that she agreed.

Almond Biscotti

My parents have been to Italy 3 times. My mom is just in love with the place. She even took an Italian cooking class last fall through the community center. Which is why I decided on biscotti for her Mother's Day gift. Since I've only made biscotti once (Nonni or someone got a jar of dry ingredients for biscotti back when I was in junior high so she, Auntie Vicki, and Auntie Chauch showed me how) I decided on a simple recipe. I ended up also choosing a recipe from one of the magazines I've been typing up.

For those who don't know: biscotti are twice-baked cookies. You make the dough, form it into two logs, and bake the first time. They come out like a soft cookie. Then, you cut the logs into strips and lay the strips on a cookie sheet cut side up and bake them again. The end result is a crunchy cookie. Also, if your dough looks crumbly like this:

don't worry. I think that's how it's supposed to look since I put a handful of dough in my fist and got this:

It's almost like Play-doh. Kneading it in step 3 will help bring it together too.

Raspberry-Almond Shortbread Cookies

Back when I was in college and home on break, my mom and I went to Nonni's house to make raspberry jam. So far it's the only time I've made it but I really enjoyed it. My mom got the raspberries fresh from a friend of my parents who has raspberry trees on his property. Although that day had been my first time making jam, we had always had a jar in our fridge for years. I honestly can't remember when we started using homemade jam along with store bought jelly. I'm pretty sure Nonni has always had at least one jar of the stuff in her fridge. So I kept that in mind while I searched for a cookie that would allow me to also use up the bag of slivered almonds that sat in my pantry (when planning Christmas presents, Mom told me that almond is a flavor Nonni likes). While looking through my collection of magazines, I came across a recipe in one of the Better Homes & Gardens magazines for Raspberry-Almond Shortbread Cookies that I could easily alter to include the slivered almonds (which is as creative as I'm gonna get when baking).