These buttery cookies are rich and delicious with a fruity sweetness and a crispy, nutty outside.
They were my husband’s favorite cookies growing up. The recipe was passed down from his grandmother, who was a cookie master. Thanks to his sister Sara for getting me the recipe from his aunt Bert.
Grandma’s Bird’s Nest Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar (optional)
- 4 eggs, whites separated from yolks
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup shortening
- 4 cups white flour
- pinch salt
- chopped walnuts (about one cup, chopped fine)
- raspberry or strawberry jam (about 1/2 cup)
Directions
- Cream sugars, butter, and shortening.
- Add egg yolks and flour. Mix to combine until a soft dough forms.
- Shape into small balls, using about a teaspoon of dough for each.
- Dip each in egg whites and then in nuts.
- Turn over (nut side up) and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for five minutes at 325 degrees F.
- Remove from oven and make a dent in the center of each.
- Put ¼ teaspoon raspberry or strawberry jam in each dent. (My husband insists on raspberry jam.)
- Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes more.
Makes about four dozen cookies.
Optional: Serve with snowmen.
It was so much fun to participate in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. I received delicious White/Dark Chocolate Salted Oatmeal Cookies and Peach Cookies from AJ and Jas @ Sisters’ Snacktime: Munchies for Two; Roses, a Serbian cookie, from Lana @ Bibberche; and Lemon Oatmeal Cookies from Nyree @ Foodie, Interrupted.
I sent my Grandma’s Bird’s Nest Cookies to Amy @ My Life as a Lazy Girl, Melissa @ Melissa Likes To Eat, and Blair @ The Blair Sandwich Project.
You can see a great round-up of all the Cookie Swap recipes.
Tribal Blogs is doing a cookie exchange blog carnival and will be making a cookbook from the recipes.
The Farmer’s Wife: Cookie Swap | Plan to Eat: Cookie Swap
Other news:
- Please link up a story or a “Someday … but” poem to my Scene from a Memoir: Barracuda on the Beach. Join in the fun! The link party closes on Fri., Jan. 6.
- How have you gotten out of your comfort zone? I want to feature your story or tip in an upcoming post. Please send me a sentence or more. Details.
Oh my, I am SO going to try these! My MIL has a similar recipe that I was just about to ask her for. Thanks for sharing the recipe. =)
Great.
Let me know how they come out.
They’re so small and cute! ^^ It is interesting to see the different names for these cookies – normally I see them called “thumbprint cookies”.
I am in love with your fantastic photography! Excellent job. I’ll have to give these a whirl; I’m not usually a fan of jelly in cookies but I bet these would be pretty good without or with a Hershey Kiss instead.
cardiogirl recently posted..She was a bitch but she could bake a tasty cookie
I am sure the Heshey Kiss would be great in it. Now that you mention it, why am I not putting chocolate it them!? Thanks.
Totally off topic, but I’ve seen your header many times and every time I see it I want to ask you:
Was that tiger just taking a cat nap? Please tell me that tiger was heavily sedated before you sat behind it and held its hind leg.
cardiogirl recently posted..She was a bitch but she could bake a tasty cookie
I don’t know whether it was sedated. It seemed pretty sleepy during the intense heat of the daytime, but it did look up and around very alertly for part of the time, and it started tearing apart a coconut. It was such a cool, intense experience. I’ve been trying to write about it for an upcoming “Scene from a memoir” post, but so far I haven’t been able to come up with anything I like.
Looks absolutely delightful, and I agree that they should come with a side of snowmen
Thank you for sharing them with us at Rub Some Dirt On It!!
Becky @ Rub Some Dirt On It recently posted..The Gift’s Afoot!
These look so yummy Marcy!!
Shannon ~ My Place In The Race recently posted..Cookie Swap 2011
These look delicious! Thanks for stopping by my little corner of blogland earlier. I’m so glad you did!
Jennifer Dawn recently posted..Happy Sunday