Unique Yeast Cookies

Recently I ran across this recipe that I often used when I was in the baking business, and still use. These cookies are entirely different from any I've ever tasted before, because of their "yeasty" taste, which I like. They tend to be less sweet than most cookies, but I always decorate them with buttercream icing and that gives them just enough sweetness to satisfy my taste buds.

I usually make some of them at Christmas and decorate them by starting in the center of the top of each cookie, piping a ruffled leaf from the center to each end of the cookie, and then adding a red "poinsettia" drop flower where the leaves meet in the middle. Other colors of flowers could replace the red poinsettia for other holidays, or let your imagination run wild and find other ways to decorate them.

The recipe also suggested using toasted coconut or chocolate shot to roll them in before baking. I tried the coconut, which was okay, but I'm partial to the pecans and actually use more than the recipe calls for.

Ingredients:

2 cups butter or margarine, softened

1 cup sugar

1 yeast cake or 1 pkg. dry yeast

2 eggs, separated

4 cups flour

½ cup finely chopped nuts (I prefer pecans)

Instructions:

Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Mix in yeast and egg yolks. Add flour gradually and mix thoroughly. Chill dough for a couple of hours for easier handling.

Preheat oven to 350-375 degrees. Roll about 1 tablespoon dough at a time into small log shapes. Dip ends into slightly beaten egg whites. Roll in nuts. Place on cookie sheet which has been sprayed lightly with pan spray. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until set and golden brown in color. Cool. Decorate if desired, and allow icing to dry. Store in covered container.

Yield: 6 dozen.

Note: This recipe makes a huge batch of cookies and it takes some time to get them all rolled up and baked. Since the dough freezes well, I often bake a batch at a time and freeze the rest for later. One could also cut the recipe in half.