WALNUT FOOTBALL COOKIES

Walnut Football Cookies image

Provided by Giada De Laurentiis

Categories dessert

Time 3h45m

Yield about 16 cookies, depending on the size of your cutter

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup ground walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
1/2 teaspoon orange zest (from 1/2 orange)

Steps:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, walnuts, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl on medium- high speed, scrapping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and egg and beat an additional minute.
Reduce the speed to low and add the flour in 3 batches, beating until the flour is just combined. Place the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and pat it into a round disk. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Dust the counter and dough with flour and roll the chilled dough to 1/4 inch thick. Using a football-shaped cookie cutter, cut the dough into footballs and place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie. Bake until firm to the touch and starting to get a whisper of golden brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, orange liqueur and orange zest. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a narrow, round tip. When the cookies are completely cool, pipe lacing on the footballs. Allow them to set up completely before serving. Store in an airtight container to prevent drying out.