Badly needing help!!

[engaged]

I'm not sure where to post this question. So I'll post it here and hopefully the site adm. will put it in the right spot, lol.

I'm recently engaged to a man, whose mother died eleven years ago. For months now, I've been hearing about this cherry cookies that she used to make. When he talks about them, he get's tears in his eyes.

I'd give anything to make these cookies for him and allow them to somehow bring him back to his childhood years with his mom.
He doesn't remember too much about them, though.
This is all that I have so far.

1. One cherry in the centre of the cookie
2. Cookie is shaped into a star by a cookie press
3. He believes that they might have cream cheese in them but isn't 100% sure on that.

They are Italian, so I really don't know if it's an Italian cookie or just a basic cookie. They grew up in New York, so it could also be a popular cookie in NYC.

If anyone at all could help, PLEASE let me know. I would be very grateful for any help that I could get.

Thanks so much!

[whisperingpass]

1/2 cup blanched almonds
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
15 candied red cherries
15 candied green cherries

Grease cookie sheets; set aside. Process almonds in food processor until ground, but not pasty. Place almonds, flour, sugar and baking powder in large bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly.

Beat egg, milk and vanilla in small bowl with fork until well blended. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until soft dough forms.

Spoon dough into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe 3-inch rings 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Refrigerate rings 15 minutes or until firm.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut red cherries into quarters. Cut green cherries into halves; cut each half into 4 slivers. Press red cherry quarter onto each ring where ends meet. Arrange 2 green cherry slivers on either side of red cherry to form leaves. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Remove cookies to wire racks; cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature or freeze up to 3 months. makes 5 dozen
My Italian friends tell me this is probably the recipe your fiance remembers so fondly of his time with his beloved mother. I sure hope this is it, if not I will continue to look for you. I would forget about all the other shapes and just do the star shape as that is what he remembers.

[whisperingpass]

Here is another recipe for the Cherry Cookie hopefully this is it

Buttery Almond Balls
1 cup butter, unsalted -- room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs -- separated
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup sliced almonds
12 to 15 candied red and green cherries -- halved
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the butter then beat sugar in gradually. Add the egg yolks and extracts and beat until fluffy. Stir in about half the flour; add the milk then beat well. Stir in the remaining flour and knead just until blended in.

Shape into small balls, roll in lightly beaten egg whites, then in the almonds. Place on greased baking sheets and press a half cherry into the center of each ball. Bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned on bottoms. Cool on rack

[cuteascountry_Shortcake]

Hi engaged,

Here are a few classic recipes for the type of cookie you have described.

www.angelfire.com/ab/NeedARecipeCallMom/momscookies5.html

www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/recipe.aspx?recipeId=36660

www.recipezaar.com/recipe/getrecipe.zsp?id=43618

recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-archive/15/085299.SHTML