One of our purchases last week in Kappabashi-dori, Tokyo’s amazing kitchen supply district, was a small set of leaf shaped pasty cutters. Inspired by the beautifully crafted seasonal sweets we saw in Japan, I thought I would use them to bake some autumnal cookies to have around for our houseguest Craig this weekend. (Craig himself is an accomplished baker, so I wanted to make something special.)
I used a simple but delicious recipe for rolled pecan shortbread and brushed the baked cookies with “luster dust,” a pastry decoration that had always intrigued me (if only because of its name), but I had never tried. Luster dust (and it’s sparklier sister “disco dust”) are edible, flavorless, faux metallic powders available at cake supply stores and online at www.fancyflours.com for about $5 for 2 grams. (It seems expensive, but a little goes a long way.) They’re usually painted onto icing, but I just brushed them directly onto the shortbread for a softly gilded effect. I chose the muted “Aztec Gold” and “Copper” for my autumn leaves, but with the many colors of luster dust available, the possibilities are limitless. And with disco dust you could really go to town.
Recipe
(Adapted from Pecan Shortbread Cookies, Bon Appetit, December 2001. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.)
Ingredients
1 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled
2 tablespoons whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 325F.
2. Toast the pecans until golden brown, either in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes or in the oven on a baking sheet for about 10. Take care not to burn them.
3. Put the pecans (cooled) and the sugar in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and process to the consistency of fine sand.
3. Add the flour, salt and baking soda and pulse to blend.
4. Cut the butter into chunks and add to the work bowl. Process until the mixture is the consistency of damp sawdust. Add the cream and vanilla and process until the dough forms a rough ball.
5. Turn onto a cool, floured work surface and roll the dough out about 1/4 inch thick. (Note: nut-rich doughs can be a little tricky. If it’s too sticky to roll out, mix in flour, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until the dough is workable.) Cut out shapes with cookie cutters (or a small drinking glass) and transfer with a spatula to an ungreased, unlined baking sheet.
6. Bake in the center of the oven until light brown, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.
7. Brush on luster dust with a small paintbrush.
Serve at will, possibly assuring guests that you didn’t decorate the cookies with some leftover 70s eye shadow you found at the back of a drawer.
