Christmas is the feast commemorating the birth of Christ. It is fixed in the liturgical year as December 25th and is preceded by four week of fasting called Advent.Babes Wrapped in Swaddling Clothes
The dough:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup butter
- 1 8-oz. container sour cream
- 2 egg yolks, reserving the whites for the meringue filling below
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- Confectioners’ sugar
Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter until grainy. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, egg yolks, and lemon juice. Blend the sour cream mixture into the flour mixture. Knead together to form a smooth dough. Place the dough on plastic wrap and pat it into a 6 x 8 inch rectangle. Wrap and refrigerate 2 hours, or overnight.
The filling:
- 2 egg whites, reserved from making the dough
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped fine
- 2½ tsp. ground cinnamons
- ¼ tsp. salt
Whip the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gradually whip in the sugar to form a meringue. Whip until the meringue holds soft peaks. Fold in the remaining ingredients.
Dust a rolling pin and the counter with flour. Roll the chilled dough out into a thin (1/8 inch maximum) rectangle measures 24 x 15 inches. Cut the dough into 3 inch squares and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Place a rounded teaspoon of the filling in the center of each dough square. With a tiny bit of water, dampen 2 opposite corners. Fold the two opposite corners over each other and press the center together lightly. Place the cookies on a non-stick baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350ºF oven for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.
