It’s not too late to make these sweet treats for Christmas!

Christmastime conjures up images of tables filled with
beautifully adorned cookies, candies and sweets. Over the years, The Armenian
Kitchen has posted a fair share of specialty desserts suitable for holidays –
or any day!

Because Christmas Day is near, here a just a few simple recipes
you might like to make.

Kahke

Armenian
Cookies (Kahke)

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

4 ½ to 5 cups flour (perhaps a little more)

2 eggs

½ tsp. vanilla

2 heaping Tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ cup warm milk

Directions:

1. Using an electric hand or stand mixer, cream together
butter and sugar, until blended.

2. Add eggs, vanilla, baking powder, salt, and milk. Mix
until blended.

3. Add flour, one cup at a time, mixing well after each
addition until a dough forms. At this point, gently work dough with your hands
on a lightly floured surface. If the dough is too sticky, you might need to add
a little more flour.

4. Pinch off about a walnut-size piece of dough and roll it
into a 6 inch rope. Shape into a circle (doughnut-shape) with lightly floured
hands by pressing rope ends together. Continue this process until all dough is
used.

5. Place cookies on a lightly greased baking sheet.

6. Place baking sheet on bottom rack in the oven. Bake in a
preheated 375°F oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

7. Cool completely on a wire rack.

8. Store in an air-tight container.

Apricot Crescent Cookies

Apricot
Crescent Cookies

Yield: approximately 3 dozen

Ingredients:

2 cups sifted flour

½ lb. butter or margarine

1 egg yolk

¾ cup sour cream

¾ cup chopped walnuts (pecans work well in this, too)

One jar apricot preserves

Directions:

Cut butter into flour, using fingertips. Add yolk and sour
cream. Mix well. Dough should be sticky. Shape into ball and sprinkle with
flour.

Wrap in waxed paper and chill several hours. Divide dough
into 3 parts.

Roll each section out to a large circle like a pie shell.
Cut, as you would a pie wedge, into 12 sections or less. Mix nuts into apricot
preserves.

Place heaping teaspoon into large section and start rolling
toward small point to make crescent-shape (using fingers) as you place on
(ungreased) cookie sheet. Bake in 350° oven 15 to 20 minutes until golden
brown.

For the record: The
procedure I used to make this varied a bit. Here are the changes I made:

1. I used a pastry blender instead of my fingers.

2. After making the dough, I separated it into 3 equal
balls, wrapped them individually, then refrigerated as directed. I kept the
other balls of dough in the refrigerator until I was ready to use them.

3. After rolling each ball into a 12 inch circle, I spread
1/3 of a 10-ounce jar of apricot preserves on the surface of the dough.

4. Then I sprinkled about 2 or 3 Tbsp. of chopped pecans
over the apricot.

5. I used a pizza wheel to cut the dough into 12 wedges.
The wheel made this so easy! After that I prepared the recipe as directed.

6. Be sure to cool the cookies on a wire rack. Store in a
container with a tight fitting lid.

Kourabia

Kourabia,
ala The Armenian Kitchen

Yield: Approx. 2 ½ dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks (1/2 lb.) unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. Arak (or cognac, or whiskey)

1 egg yolk

2 cups flour

½ tsp. baking powder

Dash salt

Sliced blanched almonds

Powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Directions:

1. Using a wooden
spoon, cream the softened butter until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar, mixing
well.

2. Beat in egg
yolk and Arak.

3. Stir the baking
powder and salt into the flour. Gradually add the flour mixture into
butter/sugar mixture. Stir with your hands until a soft dough is formed. (If
dough feels too sticky, add a little more flour.)

4. With lightly floured
hands, pinch off pieces of dough and roll into 1- inch balls.

5. Place on
ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly and press a blanched almond slice in
the center of each cookie.

6. Bake in a
preheated 350°F oven for about 20 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet.
Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Apricot Logs

Yields about 60 pieces

NOTE: The recipe can easily be doubled.

Ingredients:

1 lb. dried apricots

1/3 cup powdered (Confectioner’s) sugar (Note: Add up to ½
cup powdered sugar, if you prefer it sweeter.)

4 tsp. orange juice, optional

Coating options:
Finely ground pistachio nuts, finely shredded coconut, or powdered sugar

Directions:

Place apricots in a bowl with enough warm water to cover;
soak for 10 minutes or until apricots become plump. Drain; pat dry with paper
towels.

In a food processor fitted with a metal “S” blade, pulse
half of the apricots a few times. Remove from the processor, and pulse the rest
of the apricots.

Place all of the pulsed apricots to the in the processor,
along with powdered sugar and orange juice (if using); process until a paste is
formed. Make sure all of the sugar is blended in with the apricots.

Place the apricot paste in a bowl; refrigerate about 30
minutes.

Divide the apricot mixture into fourths. Working with ¼ mixture
at a time, place it on a piece on parchment paper on a work surface. Shape and
roll it into a rope about ½-inch in diameter. Cut the rope into one inch
pieces.

Coat each piece in either ground pistachios, shredded
coconut, or powdered sugar. Place coated pieces on a parchment-lined plate and
refrigerate for about 30 minutes so they can firm-up.

Store in a container with a tight-fitting lid. (Note: If
you store the candies in layers, place parchment paper or waxed paper in
between the layers to prevent the candies from sticking together.)

To serve: Place each in a mini paper
or foil liner.

Special Note: This recipe was
adapted from a recipe submitted to the ‘Hovnanian School Cookbook’ by Maral
Medzadourian

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