Cookie Exchange: Cashew Shortbread

Once a month I get together with friends to eat and play music. We call it Hoot Night. Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Gillian Welch–I'm learning to play the ukelele. This month we decided to make our get-together a hoot-potluck-cookie exchange.

The cookie exchange concept is really efficient. Everyone makes one batch of cookies (about 3-4 dozen), brings them to the party, and then they're divvied up into appealing sampler plates. Each person heads home with a nice variety of treats. It's a great way to taste new recipes and get baking ideas from your friends.

I decided to bake one of my go-to recipes: Cashew Shortbread from Mollie Katzen's The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. It's easy. The cookies are delicious and shapely and buttery, like you dream about.

In all, we had some beautiful Mandelbrodt, peanut butter cookies, savory Stilton-Walnut crackers, and Stollen. We learned how to play "Jinglebell Rock," "Blue Christmas," and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus." We ate butternut squash soup, bread, and salad along with a fine pitcher of celebratory Manhattans.

Ho, ho, ho.

Recipe:

Cashew Shortbread

1 c. Unsalted butter
1/2 c. Brown sugar, packed
1 c. Cashews, finely chopped in a food processor
2 c. Flour
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
1/2 tsp. Baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350. Cream together the butter and sugar on med-high mixer speed until fluffy. Add the cashews. Mix well. Next, combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to the creamed mixture on low until just mixed. The dough will be a little crumbly. Don't refrigerate–just dig right in. Knead the dough a few times to get it smooth, and then carefully roll out until it's about 1/4 inch thick (sprinkling flour on your surface and on the rolling pin to prevent sticking). Cut into fun shapes with a cookie cutter or a drinking glass. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake between 7-10 minutes, until the edges are just browning. Let sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving to cooling racks. (I find they tend to break if I move them right out of the oven.) Makes about 4 dozen delicious cookies.