Cookies Around the World 3 of 5

This is a great recipe for variety (English, French, Greek, German, Finnish, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Turkish, Mexican. I have split them, two to a recipe but if you want them all, there are 5 separate recipes. They are made from one basic cookie dough. I think some of them may be posted individually, but at Christmas I make the entire variety. Each batch of basic dough makes a batch of two of the cookies with the ingredients I have listed. Time does not include chilling time.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 20

Ingredients

• BASIC COOKIE DOUGH

• 1  cup butter or 1  cup margarine, softened
• 1 1⁄2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1  egg
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour

• FINNISH ALMOND BRITTLE

• 1  teaspoon  almond extract
• 2  cups confectioners' sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1⁄2-2  tablespoons milk
• 2 -3  drops  food coloring (optional)
• 1⁄3 cup  blanched almond, finely chopped

• ITALIAN SPUMONI BARS

• 1 (1 ounce) envelope  premelted chocolate
• 1⁄4 cup  chopped pistachio nuts or 1⁄4 cup walnuts
• 2 -3  drops  green food coloring
• 1  teaspoon  rum flavoring
• 2 -3  drops  red food coloring

Directions

1. BASIC COOKIE DOUGH.
2. Cream butter and sugar.
3. Beat in egg and vanilla.
4. Add flour slowly and mix well.
5. FINNISH ALMOND BRITTLE.
6. Add almond extract to 1/2 cookie dough.
7. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
8. Heat oven to 375.
9. Roll dough 1/4 inch on lightly-floured cloth-coverd board.
10. Cut into strips 2 1/2 by 3/4 inch.
11. Bake on ungreased baking sheet 10-12 minutes, until very light brown.
12. Cool.
13. For frosting, blend confectioners sugar, vanilla, milk, food color.
14. Frost cookies.
15. Sprinkle with almonds.
16. ITALIAN SPUMONI BARS.
17. Divide 1/2 cookie dough into 3 parts.
18. Part 1- mix in premelted chocolate.
19. Part 2- mix in pistachio nuts and green food color.
20. Part 3- mix in rum flavoring and red food color.
21. shape each part into rectangle, 8 by 3 inches.
22. Layer rectangles, placing green dough in center.
23. Press together.
24. Wrap and chill at least 2 hours.
25. Heat oven to 375.
26. Cut dough crosswise into 1/8 inch slices.
27. bake on ungreased backing sheet 5-7 minutes, until no imprint remains when touched lightly.