VIRTUAL ADVENT TOUR: Italian Spumoni Cookies

Welcome to December 15th of the Advent Tour!   I'm so pleased that spritewrites has decided to host and organize the tour again this year. There is still time to join in and add a Holiday post if you want to share some of your traditions. Even if all the days get picked, more than one post per day is even more fun!

Christmas baking is something I enjoy. Sometimes, if I'm lucky and prepared, I might get a storm day in early December. Prepared in that I've picked up the ingredients, like butter or cherries, that I might need for Christmas baking and lucky in that I get a day to do the baking. Part of Christmas baking is making the ole standbys, which for me is Frying-Pan Cookies, Almond Bark, and Gum-Drop Cake. Maybe a shortbread cookie. Maybe fudge. (My dad would be happy if all I gave him for Christmas was fudge, lol)

But it is also fun to try a new fancy treat, and this year, I found this recipe for Italian Spumoni Cookies, at Pinterest. The original recipe comes from The Gold Lining Girl. I remember having Spumoni ice cream when I was young, and my mother making a Spumoni Baked Alaska. Spumoni seems to be like a neopolitan - with cherry, almond, and pistachio flavours. Theses cookies have all three layers, and turned out quite spectacularly! I like making a cookie that has to chill in the fridge, which stretches out the time factor, but makes two easier days - one to mix, and one to bake. 

I think these will go into the regular Christmas rotation. mmm

Enjoy!

Italian Spumoni Cookies:

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. chopped maraschino cherries, drained
2-3 drops red food coloring
1/3 c. chopped pistachio nuts
3 tbsp. pistachio pudding mix
2-3 drops green food coloring


In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar, egg, and the extracts. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until well-blended. Divide dough into thirds. Add chopped maraschino cherries and red food coloring to one of the thirds. Mix well by hand. Add pistachio nuts, pistachio pudding mix, and green food coloring to another third of the dough. Mix well by hand. 

Shape each third of dough on separate sheets of lightly floured wax paper into logs approximately 1 1/2 inch in diameter and approximately 16 inches long. Flatten each log into a rectangle approximately 3-4 inches wide. You will have 3 rectangles of 4×16. Layer the dough on a single piece of plastic food wrap by lining up the rectangles and flipping them one on top of the other. Start with pistachio as the bottom layer, flip the plain layer on top of pistachio, and flip the maraschino cherry layer on top of the plain layer. Wrap securely in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.

Cut the rectangle widthwise with a sharp knife into 1/4 inch slices. Place slices 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until edges are lightly brown. Cool completely.


Yield: Approximately 30 cookies