Iconic star-shaped Italian cookies from our book Best Cookies are infused with kirsch and cream to add richness and depth.
Find this recipe in our cookbook, SAVEUR: Italian Comfort Food
Cherry–Almond Star Cookies
Piped into a star shape, these iconic Italian cookies, topped with a maraschino cherry half, are infused with kirsch and cream to add richness and depth.
Yield: makes about 4 dozen
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
- 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3⁄4 cup almond paste
- 2 eggs
- 1⁄4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp. kirsch
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed of a mixer until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes; set aside. In a large bowl, beat almond paste on medium-high speed of a mixer until smooth; add 1⁄4 of the butter-sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Add remaining butter-sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until evenly combined. Add cream, kirsch, and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and beat until just combined.
- Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1⁄2” star tip, and pipe 2″ mounds of dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spaced 2″ apart. Halve maraschino cherries, and place a cherry half over the center of each cookie; chill cookies for 30 minutes.
- Heat oven to 375°. Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through cooking, until lightly browned, about 14 minutes. Let cool before serving.