Preparation Time

Most recipes in this chapter involve few ingredients and very little preparation time. Allotting an hour of preparation time will suffice for many of these recipes. The cookies that require special shaping, kneading, or rolling, such as the Cinnamon Stars and Almond Paste Crescents, may take up to two hours, especially on the first try. For the small time investment, the baker will have a store of sweet gems on hand to offer when occasion calls. Cookies are not temperamental about their serving time. In fact, they get better a few days later because the flavors have an opportunity to blend, absorb, and harmonize.