Czechoslovakian Moon Cookie by Liz

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

So as I was surfing the net for more 'Moon food' recipes and I came across this.

I had totally forgotten about the Feast of Saint Nicholas until i saw this. Growing up, we celebrated this 'holiday'. Our family used to put our shoes out on the night of Dec. 5th for Saint Nicholas to fill.

Anyway, I posted this here in Mooners because they are 'Moon Cookies'

 

 

We hope that you can honor the Pattersons' request that those who make these Czechoslovakian Moon Cookies do so with one purpose in mind—to give them to others as a token of generosity and thanks.

     6 oz. chocolate bits
     ½ cup English walnuts
     ¾ cup butter
     7/8 cup of sugar
     4 eggs, separated
     1 3/8 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a 10x15x½-inch jelly roll pan. Grind chocolate bits and walnuts to a powder in a food processor or coffee grinder. Set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add egg yolks, nuts and chocolate powder, mix.

In separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Carefully fold egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, then lightly fold in the flour (do not over mix). Spread batter evenly in the well-greased pan (batter will be about ¼–½-inch thick). Bake until lightly browned (10–15 minutes or when a toothpick comes out clean).

While cookies are baking, make the frosting

     2 tablespoons butter
     ½ pound confectioners sugar
     drops of almond or vanilla extract, Stroh rum from Austria or rum flavoring
     1 tablespoon milk, or more if needed

Cream butter and sugar together in a small bowl. Flavor with drops of extract or rum to taste. Add milk, using more if needed to make frosting creamy, but not runny. Set aside.

Spread frosting on warm cookies so frosting soaks in a bit, but forms a nice glaze. Cool completely. Use a thin-edged glass or deep 2¾-inch cutter, to cut crescent moon shapes. Start at one corner and cut one "full moon," then move over about ½-inch to cut a crescent moon. Continue until each row is finished.

Give as a gift in a tin in layers, divided by waxed paper or aluminum foil, with a full moon in the center and crescent moons in a circular fan surrounding it, or give as one layer on a serving plate.

 

 

 

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/moon-cookies/

 

{To make it easier, I found a crescent moon cookie cutter, can't remember where I got it though}

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

The "Original Half Moon Cookies"

Ingredients

Serves 10 servings

1/2 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 1 egg (beaten) 2 cups cake flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp nutmeg 3/4 cup sour milk (add 1 tblspn of vinegar) 1 tsp vanilla

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Half Moon Cookie Frosting

Ingredients

30 servings

6 tbsps butter (softened) 2 2/3 cups sugar 1/3 cup milk 2 tbsps milk

1 tsp vanilla 1/3 cup cocoa powder