A wedding tradition in Pittsburgh is the Cookie Table, where friends and family bring cookies to put on the table. It’s quite a spread, as you can imagine, and everyone gets to participate in their own way. It’s one of the coolest traditions ever, that I would have adopted, regardless of being in New York, had I known about it before.

Cherry Almond Cookie Pies 7

After Kristine (bride, friend, and Pittsburgh native) told us about it, I read up on it a little more. As with most traditions, there’s no consensus on the rules. It probably varies per family. Some say no chocolate chip cookies. Some say no chocolate. Kristine welcomed all cookies, and hey, why not! I’m not getting married again, but can be have a cookie table at my next birthday?

Cherry Almond Cookie Pie

Being a food blogger, the pressure is on. I need to show up with some insanely good cookies, and I think I delivered with these Cherry Almond Cookie Pies. They look like little pies, but are a tad crunchier like a cookie. Sweet, sassy, nutty, and rich with love; all the flavors of Kristine and Vinnie. We wish you all the best!

Cherry Almond Cookie Pie Cut open 9

Cherry Almond Cookie Pies

  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/3 cup dried cherries
  • 1/2 cup cherry preserves
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice

Instructions –

1. Set rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a non-stick mini-muffin pan (24) with non-stick spray and set aside.

2. Spread almonds in one layer on a baking sheet and toast until golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Toss once in the middle. Set aside to cool completely. (Leave the oven on.)

3. Combine flour, sugar, zest, cinnamon, and salt by pulsing in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse until it looks like coarse sand. Add yolks and almond extract, processing until mixture clumps together.

flour and butter dough

4. Transfer 1 cup of dough into a medium bowl. Stir in almonds.

Amond Topping

5. Take remaining dough from food processor and gather into a ball. Press a little less than 1 tablespoon of dough into the bottom of each mini muffin cup. Press up the sides. Chill for 15 minutes.

Bottom Crusts in Mini Muffin pan

6. While dough is chilling, stir together dried cherries, preserves, and orange juice in a small bowl.

Cherry Filling 2

7. Divide into each muffin cup (about 1 teaspoon each). Cover with almond topping, by crumbling in your fingers and spreading it evenly across the muffin tins.

cherry filling in bottom crust before baking Cherry Almond Cookie Pies

8. Bake until golden and bubbling, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely in the muffin tin before removing carefully with the aid of a paring knife.

Cherry Almond Cookie Pie Stack 2

Store in an airtight container (after completely cooled) and keep in room temperature. Should keep for about a week.

posted by jessica at 11:00 AM Filed under Desserts, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.