Nutmeg Tea Cakes

 

I’m so glad that it is finally warming up here!  I’ve already made iced tea twice and spent a large portion of this weekend outside in the yard taking care of things that should have been done ages ago.  Like finally cutting back the dead mums, (carefully) yanking out the dead iris leaves from last year, and planting a few (albeit small) bushes.  Would you believe that this year’s irises are already a few inches tall?  I should have cleaned those dead leaves up earlier.  I’m really excited about those bushes though.  Now our house/yard doesn’t look as naked.  I also found a little volunteer cilantro plant in the garden so my vegetable garden is already off to a good start!

Now, let’s talk about these cookies.  I made them to take to my parents’ house for Easter.  They are light and nutty with a suggestion of nutmeg.  According to Scott, a suggestion of nutmeg is the perfect description because there is more than a hint of nutmeg.  However you describe them, I’m sure you’ll love them.  They’ll melt away in your mouth and will leave a nice trail of powdered sugar down your shirt.

Notes:
Use freshly ground nutmeg for the best flavor.  The nutmeg and cinnamon in the cookie dough were too light to measure.  If you don’t have a quarter teaspoon, just use a generous pinch.  I used a cookie scoop to evenly portion out the dough.  You can bake the cookies one day and then roll them in the powdered sugar the next day if you don’t have time to do it all at once.  There was some of the powdered sugar mixture left over after rolling the cookies, and I’ve saved it to sprinkle on French toast.  Naturally, I am now in the mood for French toast even though we just finished dinner.  I like to serve these cookies in mini paper cups, but you can just place them on a plate if you prefer.

Cookie Ingredients:
¾ cup (91 g) finely chopped pecans
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup (104 g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups (268 g) all-purpose flour


Coating Ingredients:
1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon (3 g) ground nutmeg

Yields 3-4 dozen cookies

Inspired by 2000 Taste Of Home Annual Recipes and my Mom, who suggested the recipe. 

Toast, Cream, Add, Shape, Bake:
Adjust the oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat to 300ºF.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats, and set aside.  Place the chopped nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 3-8 minutes, or until fragrant, stirring at least once.  Keep a close eye on the nuts so they don’t burn.  Once toasted, transfer the nuts to a plate so they do not continue to cook, and set aside.  In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and beat until incorporated.  Add the flour in thirds, beating until no more flour streaks remain.  Gently beat or stir in the nuts.  Shape the dough into tablespoon-sized balls (16-17 g), and place on the prepared cookie sheets.  Bake at 300ºF for 18-20 minutes, or until the bottoms are a light golden color, rotating the sheets halfway through.  Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool, and repeat with the remaining dough. 

Sift, Roll, Store:
Once the cookies are cool, sift the powdered sugar and nutmeg together into a medium-sized shallow bowl.  Roll each cooled cookie in the powdered sugar mixture until it is fully coated.  Place in a paper cup.  Repeat with the remaining cookies.  Store at room temperature or in the freezer in an airtight container between layers of wax paper. 

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