15 ml (1 tablespoon) dark rum or nocciolo (walnut liquor)
5 ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
240 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour
10 ml (2 teaspoons) baking powder
.5 ml (½ teaspoon) sea salt*
Generous pinch cinnamon
128 grams (1 cup) walnuts, toasted and chopped
30 ml (2 tablespoons) sugar, for rolling
*Salted butter may be used. In that case, omit adding additional salt.
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Mix together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Beat in maple syrup, rum, and vanilla extract. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients. Chill until firm.
Roll dough into balls the size of a small walnut (in the shell), roll in sugar, place on parchment lined baking sheets 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until golden brown around the perimeter, about 15 minutes.
Transfer to racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.
Edward Bottone is a food and lifestyle journalist based in Philadelphia, whose works have appeared in Philadelphia Magazine, The Bermudian, London Times Express, Islands Magazine, and the online magazine Table Matters where he was also Editor. He has also published academic papers on Tourism and Taste.
He is a former chef and restaurateur with establishments in Philadelphia and Bermuda, a TV and Radio presenter, and Assistant Professor teaching a range of courses, including Gastronomy and Culture, at Drexel University and Delaware Valley University. Reach him at [email protected]