Roses Cookies, with Meringue and Nuts
A very good recipe for cookies which our family has been making every Christmas for more than 10 years. These are my father's favorite cookies and he's not a big fan of sweets. The combination of fluffy dough, meringue and nuts is exactly what you need - they melt in your mouth and you can't stop eating.
Melt the butter over very low heat, then let cool a bit.
Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Put the egg whites in a small bowl and leave in the fridge while you are preparing the dough.
Add sour cream to the yolks and mix. If you are using fresh yeast, first incorporate it into the yolks, then add the cream.
Add the melted butter, mix.
And the dry yeast.
Next, add flour. Knead the dough. It's soft, but doesn't stick to your hands. Don't add more flour. We'll just need a bit more, later.
Cover the dough with cling and refrigerate for at least one hour, maximum overnight. You can prepare the dough in the evening and bake the cookies in the morning.
Now we start to shape the roses. First, divide the dough into eight pieces of the same size. Using flour, shape into balls and arrange on a tray or plate. Let rest for ten minutes.
Meanwhile, we prepare the meringue with nuts. Using a mixer, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating for another 3-5 minutes.
Very carefully fold in the chopped walnuts.
On the floured work surface, spread out each ball of dough into a long strip. Try to make the strip as thin as possible (1-2mm) and rectangular in shape (dust with flour so that it won't stick to the table). Then brush the strip with 3 tablespoons of meringue (these were my calculations and the meringue I had was just enough for the dough).
Then roll up the sheet. Cut into pieces about 1.5 - 2 cm long.
Turn over each piece and arrange the edges to make it look like a rose. Place on a sheet brushed with a little oil and bake in the oven at medium temperature.
Be careful not to brown the cookies too much. They should have a slightly pink color.
Transfer to a larger tray or plate and allow to cool.
You must organize like this - you have to have two baking sheets. While one is in the oven, you prepare the other one. Remove the roses, wash and dry the sheet and prepare the next batch while the other tray is in the oven.
In the end, I had a big plate full of roses. I can assure you this is not a lot. The cookies will go so fast. Also, they are good even in a week's time, stored in a dry place in an airtight container.
When you place them on the festive table, you can sprinkle the roses with a little powdered sugar for a great effect :)
Enjoy!
