Rose's Baking Basics

Walnut Powder Puffs

Makes Twenty-four 2 inch cookies

Oven Temperature: 350°F/175°C

Baking Time: 7 minutes for the walnuts; 15 to 20 minutes for the cookies for each of two batches

Baking Equipment: One 15 by 12 inch cookie sheet, no preparation needed, or lined with parchment

Optional: a 1¼ inch diameter cookie scoop

Toasting the walnuts until browned and leaving the skin in place gives a deliciously intense flavor to this crunchy but dissolvingly tender little cookie.

Makes 320 grams dough

unsalted butter	113 grams	8 tablespoons (1 stick)
walnut halves	37 grams	¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons
powdered sugar	57 grams	½ cup (lightly spooned into the cup and leveled off)
fine sea salt	.	a pinch
pure vanilla extract	.	¼ teaspoon (1.2 ml)
bleached all-purpose flour	125 grams	1 cup (lightly spooned into the cup and leveled off) plus ½ tablespoon
powdered sugar, for coating	57 grams	½ cup (lightly spooned into the cup and leveled off)

Preheat the Oven

▪ Twenty minutes or longer before toasting the walnuts, set an oven rack at the middle level. Set the oven at 350ºF/175ºC.

Mise en Place

▪ About 1 hour ahead, set the butter on the counter at room temperature (65º to 75ºF/19º to 24ºC).

▪ Toast the walnuts: Spread the walnuts evenly on a cookie sheet and bake for about 7 minutes. Stir once or twice to ensure even toasting and avoid overbrowning. (Do not remove the skins, because they add flavor to this cookie.) Allow them to cool completely.

Make the Dough

1. In a food processor, process the nuts with the 57 grams/½ cup powdered sugar and the salt until powder fine.

2. Cut the butter into a few pieces and add it with the motor running. Process until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.

3. Pulse in the vanilla.

4. Pulse in the flour just until the dough starts to hold together in clumps, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

5. Scrape the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and use it and your knuckles to knead the dough just until it comes together smoothly.

6. Divide the dough in half (about 160 grams each). Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and set them on a flat sheet. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, up to 3 hours.

Shape the Cookies

7. Remove one piece of dough. Measure it into the cookie scoop, gently rounded, or use a scant tablespoon (13 grams each).

8. Roll each piece of dough between the palms of your hands into a 1¼ inch ball. Flour your hands if necessary.

9. Set the dough balls 1½ inches apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake the Cookies

10. Bake for 8 minutes. For even baking, rotate the cookie sheet halfway around. Continue baking for 7 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.

11. While the first batch is baking, shape the dough for the second batch.

Cool the Cookies

12. Set the cookie sheet on a wire rack to cool for 2 to 3 minutes.

Coat the Cookies with Powdered Sugar

13. Lay a sheet of parchment on the counter and place another wire rack on top. Set the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Use a thin pancake turner to lift each cookie from the sheet and roll it in the powdered sugar while still hot. Set the cookie on the rack.

14. Bake the second batch, let cool for 2 to 3 minutes, and then roll in powdered sugar.

15. Spoon the remaining powdered sugar into a sifter or fine-mesh strainer and dust it over the cookies to coat. When the cookies are completely cool, lift away the rack and use any remaining sugar to dust the cookies when storing.

16. Set the cookies in a container, dusting with powdered sugar between each layer of cookies. To keep moisture from softening the sugar and making it sticky, leave the container uncovered for 8 hours before covering it tightly. This will maintain the powdery sugar coating.

Store Airtight: room temperature, 1 month; frozen, 6 months (redust with powdered sugar before serving).

Making Walnut Powder Puffs