Thin is a descriptor of the cookies — not what you will be if you start eating these and don’t stop, as I am wont to do! These cookies have become mine and Daniel’s signature bake — to the point that we have friends and community members request them when we visit, rather than sending flowers.
The reason I say ours and not just mine is because the first time I made them, I followed the instructions exactly as written in Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh’s book Sweet. I formed the log, let it firm up in the fridge, and sliced it by hand. The slices were uneven, and some were just too thick to be enjoyable.
But realising the potential, I followed the sidenote in the recipe that says in the Ottolenghi bakery they use a meat slicer to cut these cookies before baking. And so — with the help of Amazon Prime — I purchased a large piece of nearly single-use equipment and have not regretted it once.
Daniel and I work together on the slicing: he slices the frozen log from one end while I catch the slices and lay them flat on the baking sheet in preparation for baking (see images at the end of the recipe). I have left in the slicing-by-hand instructions, and you may prove more successful than I was. But so far — perhaps 30 or even 40 batches later — slicing the dough on the meat slicer has been the thing that takes the cookies from good to irresistible.
The other change I made from the original recipe was replacing the almonds with hazelnuts — both Daniel and my dad love hazelnuts — and replacing the original sour dried cherries with regular dried cherries. The sour variety proved almost impossible to find consistently, whereas dried cherries are something we regularly snack on at home, so they are a bit of a pantry staple.
You can try your own combination, as long as you keep the same volume of nuts and dried fruit as indicated below. And if you do change things up, let me know — I’m always looking for inspiration.
INGREDIENTS:
- 400 g (3¼ cups) plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 100 g (7 tablespoons) unsalted butter or margarine, cubed
- 240 g (1¼ packed cups) dark brown sugar
- 70 ml (¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon) water
- 150 g (1 cup) whole blanched hazelnuts
- 90 g (⅔ cup) shelled pistachio kernels
- 100 g (½ cup) dried cherries
METHOD:
- Line the loaf tin: Line the base and sides of a regular 900 g (8½ x 4½-inch) loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Sift the dry ingredients: Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a large bowl, and set aside.
- Melt the butter and sugar: Place the butter (or margarine), sugar, and water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved.
- Combine the dough: Pour the butter mixture into the dry ingredients, along with the hazelnuts, pistachios, and cherries. Mix to form a smooth, glossy dough, then tip the mixture into the prepared pan, pressing down firmly. Cover the top with a piece of parchment paper and transfer to the freezer for several hours to firm up. It should be cold but pliable when pressed for slicing by hand; for a meat slicer, the firmer the better.
- Preheat the oven: Once the dough is firm, preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice the loaf:
- By hand: Slice the loaf as thinly as you can without the slices breaking — 1/8-inch thickness is ideal — and lay them on the prepared baking sheets. The cookies won’t spread much, so they can be placed close together but not touching.
- With a meat slicer: Freeze the loaf until solid. Working as a two-person team, have one person slice the loaf into wafers while the other catches the slices and lays them on the baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in batches for 10–12 minutes, until golden brown (timing will vary depending on slice thickness). Remove from the oven and cool completely; they will be slightly soft when warm but will crisp up as they cool.
