I melted the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second spurts, stirring the chocolate in between. Once the chocolate was melted, I spooned it into a pastry bag with a plain tip. What a pain, the tip I used, was not large enough to comfortably pipe out the chocolate. I switched to a larger tip and it was better. In hindsight, I should have used a plastic food storage bag. I also think melting the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water would make the chocolate smoother, with a more liquid consistency. This might have made it easier for my granddaughters to pipe the chocolate themselves. However, we switched so Nana did the piping and the girls did the decorating. 

​The New York Times featured eight delicious and varied cookies this holiday season. One of those was developed by Vaughn Vreeland for Rum-Buttered Almond Cookies. This scrumptious cookie is gluten-free and will remind you of Italian pignoli cookies, but done instead with sliced almonds.
 
For the recipe you’ll need, unsalted butter, dark rum, powdered sugar, kosher salt, superfine almond flour, egg whites, an egg, almond extract, sliced almonds and flaky sea salt (optional). I used almond flour that I purchased at Costco. Mr. Vreeland notes that if you use natural almond flour it contains skins that may make your cookies drier and have a gritty texture.
 
The recipe begins by melting the butter and adding 2 tablespoons of rum, 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Line two cookie sheets with parchment and lightly brush this mixture on the sheets.
 
In a large bowl the almond flour, powdered sugar and salt are whisked together, breaking up any lumps; make a well in the center. In a separate bowl the egg whites, almond extract and 2 teaspoons of rum are beaten together. Once the whites are mixed, using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix in the flour until there are no dry spots. The sliced almonds are placed in separate bowl.
 
The cookies are formed into a 2-tablespoon mound and rolled into the sliced almonds. Press the almonds into the dough and place on the cookie sheet. The balls are brushed with the rum-butter mixture and baked for 20 to 22 minutes. After they bake you can top with flaky salt, but I opted not to. Wow, what an awesome cookie. The cookie had a tender, moist crumb, with a delectable almond flavor. I made these for a holiday party and one of the guests requested to take one home to eat later. These cookies are fabulous.
 
Another easy dessert to prepare is Italian struffoli, or also known as Honey Balls. In the past I’ve prepared a recipe by Lidia Bastianich. Lidia’s recipe dough is infused with both lemon and orange zest along with vanilla. A recipe that I’ve had in my possession for over 50 years ago, is simply flavored with vanilla. For this recipe you’ll need flour, eggs, salt, baking powder, vanilla and honey.
 
All of the ingredients are mixed in a bowl until smooth. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic and let it rest for an hour. This will allow the dough to fully hydrate. Using a bench scraper, cut the dough into six pieces and roll into a log. Using the scraper, cut the logs into 3/4-inch pieces. Using a large, cast-iron skillet, add approximately ½ cup of vegetable oil. Place a piece of dough into the pan to make sure the oil is hot. Once hot, add dough balls to oil and fry until deep golden brown on both sides (you may need to add more oil). Remove to a paper towel lined platter to drain excess oil. In a large pot heat honey to a soupy consistency. Working in small batches, add cooked dough balls and toss to thoroughly coat in honey. Place struffoli on a rimmed platter, or a foil pie dish, and decorate with nonpareils. Once you start eating, you may find you can’t stop. ​

Rum-Buttered Almond Cookies
By Vaughn Vreeland
The New York Times/NYT Cooking
Published November 30, 2024
 
Total Time; 40 minutes, plus cooling
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes, plus cooling
 
Yield: 18 Cookies
 
Ingredients
½  cup/113 grams unsalted butter, melted
2  tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons dark rum
1½ cups/185 grams plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
3cups/330 grams superfine almond flour (see Tip)
2 large egg whites
1 whole egg
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 cups/187 grams sliced almonds (see Tip)
Flaky sea salt (optional)
 
Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine butter, 2 tablespoons rum, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and lightly brush them with some of the rum-butter mixture. In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk almond flour with remaining 1 ½ cups powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon salt, making sure there are no lumps.
2. In a small bowl, beat egg whites, egg, almond extract and remaining 2 teaspoons rum until no streaks remain. Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the egg mixture into it. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until no dry spots remain. Pour the sliced almonds in a separate shallow bowl for rolling the dough.
3. Working a few at a time, scoop 2-tablespoon/40-gram mounds onto the sliced almonds. Roll them in the almonds and press slightly so each ball is thoroughly coated. Transfer to the lined baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each, and repeat with remaining dough. There should be about 9 cookies per tray. (Dough can be made up to 2 days ahead of time, stored covered in the refrigerator and baked when ready.)
4. Brush tops of dough balls with more rum butter, stirring it as needed, and bake until cookies become slightly golden at the edges and the almonds start to toast, 20 to 22 minutes. Immediately after pulling cookies from the oven, brush them with more rum butter and top with flaky sea salt (if using). Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

 
Tip -  Be sure to use blanched super-fine almond flour for the optimal result; natural almond flour contains skins that lead to a drier, gritty texture

Italian Christmas Struffoli

Yield: one 9-inch foil pie pan

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. vanilla.

Directions
Mix all ingredients in a bowl; shape into ball. Wrap ball in plastic wrap and let rest for one hour on counter. Using a bench scraper or chef's knife, cut ball into six pieces; roll into logs. Cut logs into 3/4" pieces. 

In a large cast-iron skillet add vegetable oil, enough to shallow fry dough balls (about 1/2 inch). Check to see if oil is hot enough by placing one dough ball in pan; if it sizzles around the edges, oil is ready. Fry dough balls until golden brown on both sides.

Remove from pan and drain on paper towel lined platter. In a large pot, add honey and heat over medium high heat until honey becomes loose. Add dough balls in batches;  mix to cover completely. Remove rom pot and place on a rimmed dish or foil pie pan. Decorate with nonpareil candies.