I'd like to begin this week's post with a happy belated birthday shout out to two of my favorite people (and they happen to share a birthday!): D2 and 3M. I hope they enjoyed their birthday, even if the usual Admissions Day holiday did not give them a long birthday weekend this year. One awesome thing about working where I do is being able to work with friends from small kid time (okay, "small" might be pushing it, but I mean pre-legal driving days). Up until this school year, one of my small kid friends worked just around the corner from me. It was great to have someone I could trust so close by. I could get a quick answer to a work question or I could count on a sympathetic shoulder to cry on. This year, 3M has a new work location, and while I'm happy for her, I'm selfishly sorry for myself. I can't grumble too much because she still takes all my calls, and she promised to have lunch with me when the craziness of beginning a new school year dies down. I'm still waiting for that day, but we are still less than a month into the school year.
In our younger days, 3M and I shared meals together at restaurants in Hilo and Seattle. We've even spent Thanksgiving together. Like me, 3M has a pretty good memory, and we might be the only 2 people I know of who can remember the submitter of recipes from an old 4-H cookbook. Both of us like cookbooks, and as we get older, many of our conversations focus on what foods we plan to prepare for occasions. Naturally, we share samples and trade recipes. I got this recipe from 3M years ago and finally got around to trying it. She said her aunt gave her mom the recipe, and this has been a favorite cookie of hers. And I know why. 3M and I both like hard cookies. Soft and chewy cookies are not our style. While I'm more for a snapping-hard cookie, 3M tends to like cookies which are buttery and melt in the mouth. After years of baking cookies, I'm convinced that the melt in the mouth part comes from powdered sugar and cornstarch.
In addition to being absolutely delicious, this cookie is great for gift-giving. If you use a disher, you can make cookies of uniform size which stack nicely in a plastic bag. Pssssttt. . .Christmas will be here in 139 days, so it's never too early to practice!
click on recipe title for printable recipe
4 c flour
2 c powdered sugar, sifted
1 c cornstarch
2 c butter
1 c chopped macadamia nuts
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp orange zest
4 tbsp orange juice
granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together flour, powdered sugar, and cornstarch. Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Stir in nuts. Combine egg yolks, orange zest, and orange juice. Add to flour mixture, stirring til moistened. If mixture is too dry, add more orange juice, a teaspoon at a time (up to 2 tablespoons). Using a #60 disher (about 1 tbsp), scoop dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. Flatten to 1/4" using a glass which has been dipped in granulated sugar. Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
And while I didn't say much about D2 in this post, let me assure you...no need to be feeling too sorry for her. She is sporting a new macbook air!
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