Christmas is approaching and with Christmas comes the time for cookies. The blessing and curse of our house. Because it is a great commitment to reconcile with life and work the great production of boxes of Christmas cookies for friends and family. But, at the same time, it is so nice to prepare them every year thinking that they are expected and desired. And they bring good wishes and happiness better than many purchased gifts. Today’s cookies are the cat’s tongues with raisins and pine nuts, a legendary recipe from my Aunt Irene, my pastry guru and not only.
They are easy to prepare and will be very popular for their delicate and “classic” taste and you always need some cookies without cinnamon and ginger to temper a little all the other flavors of Christmas cookies. You can make a double dose because they go away like nothing.
Ingredients
- Soft butter 100 g
- Egg white 100 g
- 00 flour 100 g
- Icing sugar 100 g
- Sultanas 70 g
- Pine nuts 50 g
Soak the raisins in warm water until they soften. Work the soft butter with the sugar using a wooden spoon or with the planetary mixer (leaf hook) until well blended. Then, a little at a time in small doses, add the egg whites, making sure the egg white is well absorbed by the mixture before adding the next dose until the mixture is smooth and shiny.
At this point add the raisins, squeezed and dried well (with a tea towel or kitchen paper) and also add the pine nuts and mix everything well (it is a soft dough).
Pour small heaps of mixture (press them a little with a spoon) very well spaced out on the baking tray and bake at 180° until the edges darken slightly (about 15 minutes). The biscuits spread out quite a bit so making small heaps and spacing them out well is essential to avoid having giant biscuits or a single large biscuit that is joined together.
To prevent them from getting too moist in the following days once they are cooked, put them back in the oven all together in the still warm but turned off oven with only the ventilation. This is to dry them well, the only way to package or store them well.
So what are you waiting for? Happy cat’s tongues with raisins and pine nuts to everyone!
