As far as I know, my father's Aunt Fanny didn't have any child named after her, but, in keeping with our Ashkenazi tradition, she does have something that bears her name: the family recipe for butter cookies.
We call them Fannies, because these butter cookies were her creation and somehow calling them Fanny's just didn't seem right to anyone but the English majors in our lives.
I have made these cookies so often I can mix the dough and shape them without even looking at what I'm doing. My kids make them. My grandkids even make them.
Fannies are the ultimate butter cookie. You need look no further to find a better one.
But of course, not during Passover.
Which got me to thinking that -- this recipe is so good, why not try a Passover version?
After a few tries -- voila!
Thank you Aunt Fanny. I named them after you too.
aunt fanny's Passover Butter Cookies -- Passover Fannies
1 cup matzo cake meal
1/2 cup ground toasted almonds
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
15 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened, cut into chunks
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
chocolate chips (about 50) (or use lekvar)
Place the matzo cake meal, ground almonds, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on low speed for about a minute until the ingredients are evenly combined. Add the butter and mix on medium speed for about 3 minutes. The mixture will be crumbly. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and mix for another minute or so until a soft, uniform dough forms. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes or until somewhat chilled and slightly firmer. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take small chunks of dough and shape into balls about one-inch in diameter. Flatten the balls in the palm of your hands into disks that are about 1/4-inch thick. Place the flattened balls on ungreased cookie sheets, leaving some space between each cookie (they will spread slightly). Place a chocolate chip in the center of each dough disk (they hold better if you place the chips upside down). Bake for 10-2 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes about 50.
Note: if you use lekvar, make a thumbprint in the center of each cookie and fill the hollow with a small amount of apricot or prune lekvar