Recipe from the Gerrero family
Adapted by Ron Lieber
Updated Feb. 28, 2024
- Total Time
- 65 minutes
- Cook Time
- 10 to 12 minutes
- Rating
- 4(93)
- Notes
- Read community notes
No one knows how or why the cookie table became a wedding tradition in Pittsburgh. Some believe the Italians started it, others the Europeans and many theorize it began during the Depression when wedding cakes weren't as common; Guests contributed cookies so the expense of an elaborate cake didn't fall on one family. Regardless of the provenance, for as long as anyone there can remember, wedding receptions have featured the tables, laden with dozens of homemade old-fashioned offerings like lady locks, pizzelles and buckeyes. These lightly-spiced chocolate-walnut cookies, part of the spread at Laura Gerrero and Luke Wiehagen's Steeltown wedding in 2009, are topped with a simple confectioners' sugar glaze and chocolate sprinkles. —Ron Lieber
Featured in: The Wedding? I’m Here for the Cookies
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Ingredients
Yield:6 to 7 dozen cookies
- 4cups/480 grams all-purpose flour
- 1½cups/300 grams granulated sugar
- ½cup/50 grams cocoa powder
- 4teaspoons baking powder
- 1teaspoon ground allspice
- 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼teaspoon salt
- 8ounces (about 2 cups)/226 grams chopped walnuts
- 1cup/189 grams solid vegetable shortening
- 1½cups/360 milliliters milk
- 1teaspoon vanilla
- 2cups/242 grams confectioners’ sugar
- 3 to 5tablespoons milk, as needed
- ½ to 1cup decorative sprinkles
For the Cookies
For the Icing and Decorating
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (78 servings)
103 calories; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 29 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
For the cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, Thoroughly mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Add walnuts, and mix again.
Step
2
In a small saucepan, combine shortening and milk. Place over low heat until shortening melts. Remove from heat, add vanilla, and whisk to blend. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir until well blended. While warm, roll dough into 1- to 1½-inch balls. Place about 1½ inches apart on ungreased or parchment paper lined baking sheets, and bake until surface is no longer shiny, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
Step
3
For icing and decorating: Place confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix in enough milk to make icing just thick enough to coat the top of a cookie. Dip top of each cookie into icing, then into sprinkles, and set aside to dry. When cookies are completely dry, store in an airtight container.
Ratings
4
out of 5
93
user ratings
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Cooking Notes
Beth
I don't ever cook with shortening as it is hydrogenated palm or soy oil - bad for human bodies, and bad for the environment. You can substitute butter, but butter has water and shortening is all fat. If you refrigerate your dough before using it, it will keep the melt and spread under control and you'll get the flavor of the butter!
Barbara
I altered the recipe: I omitted the vegetable shortening and the milk. Use 2 sticks butter, softened, and cream with the sugar for about two minutes. Sift the remaining dry ingredients. To the sugared butter, add two eggs and a 15 oz. container of ricotta. Add the dry to the wet until just mixed. Add chopped walnuts if using. The scoops of dough hold their shape well and the cookie is light and fudgy.
Maria
Like Beth said, nobody should ever eat vegetable shortening. You can use ghee for a perfect sub or even filtered coconut oil. Or, go old-school and use lard.
Elizabeth Miller
Another thing to try is coconut oil which is solid when cool.
Cathy
Have you read about the environmental damage caused in Malaysia where the palm oil is harvested? And the working conditions of the people harvesting the palm oil. Please just use shortening.
MtnNewf
My suggestion re: shortening, is to use browned butter. The water in the butter evaporates off when its browned.
Barbara
I made the following adjustment: Drop the vegetable shortening and the milk. Shift together all the dry ingredients except the sugar. Using 1 cup of butter (2 sticks) softened, cream with the sugar. Add 2 eggs and beat well. Beat in one 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese. Add the dry ingredients until just mixed. Fold in nuts. The changed cookie will hold its shape well.
KPS
This sounds similar to a recipe I have for Sicilian cookies - sub 1 1/2 cups of strong coffee for the milk. Chop raisins to fill a 1 cup measuring cup and plump with some of the coffee. If the dough is sticky, add more flour. You want the dough to be very cohesive and “shiny”. Ice with a simple icing of confectioners sugar and water (no sprinkles).
Sarah H.
One of those cookies that's develops flavor overnight. The glaze and sprinkles aren't optional (a chocolate glaze works too). Intrigued by the comments I made small batches using butter, coconut oil, and butter, eggs, ricotta. The butter ones are like the picture - soft and cake like. The coconut oil ones stayed ball-shaped and have a crunchy exterior. Fudge-like is a good word for the others. Toasted walnuts and finely chopped candied orange peel = successful variation. Yum!
RachelP
Omit the vegetable shortening and the milk. Use 2 sticks butter, softened, and cream with the sugar for about two minutes. Sift the remaining dry ingredients. To the sugared butter, add two eggs and a 15 oz. container of ricotta. Add the dry to the wet until just mixed. Add chopped walnuts if using. The scoops of dough hold their shape well and the cookie is light and fudgy. Add mini choc chips and orange peel.
Aimee
Has anyone successfully subbed palm shortening for the vegetable shortening?
Cathy
Have you read about the environmental damage caused in Malaysia where the palm oil is harvested? And the working conditions of the people harvesting the palm oil. Please just use shortening.
MtnNewf
My suggestion re: shortening, is to use browned butter. The water in the butter evaporates off when its browned.
Barbara
I made the following adjustment: Drop the vegetable shortening and the milk. Shift together all the dry ingredients except the sugar. Using 1 cup of butter (2 sticks) softened, cream with the sugar. Add 2 eggs and beat well. Beat in one 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese. Add the dry ingredients until just mixed. Fold in nuts. The changed cookie will hold its shape well.
Barbara
I altered the recipe: I omitted the vegetable shortening and the milk. Use 2 sticks butter, softened, and cream with the sugar for about two minutes. Sift the remaining dry ingredients. To the sugared butter, add two eggs and a 15 oz. container of ricotta. Add the dry to the wet until just mixed. Add chopped walnuts if using. The scoops of dough hold their shape well and the cookie is light and fudgy.
KPS
This sounds similar to a recipe I have for Sicilian cookies - sub 1 1/2 cups of strong coffee for the milk. Chop raisins to fill a 1 cup measuring cup and plump with some of the coffee. If the dough is sticky, add more flour. You want the dough to be very cohesive and “shiny”. Ice with a simple icing of confectioners sugar and water (no sprinkles).
Pamela
Dough is too sticky to roll into balls
Maria
Like Beth said, nobody should ever eat vegetable shortening. You can use ghee for a perfect sub or even filtered coconut oil. Or, go old-school and use lard.
Ann
Thank you Lee for your help and the info. I know USA foods. It's a shop way out in the outer suburbs that my daughter and I ventured to years ago. I don't think I'm keen enough to go again!
Ann
Please excuse my ignorance but what is vegetable shortening? I live in Melbourne (Aust) and have never used such an ingredient in my 40 + years of cooking! At least I don't think I have! Also, thanks for using grams . It's so frustrating when only imperial measurements are given.
Lee
This is hard to find in Australia, I'm told, but Google tells me that they sell it in specialty baking shops there under the name of Solite. There is apparently a company that sells American Crisco in Australia also. In Britain they sell it as Trex.
Vegetable shortening is vegetable oil that has been hydrogenated via a chemical process. It looks and feels like softened white candle wax. You can try to substitute soft unsalted butter, but it's a tricky business at best.
Lee
Lee pending approval
I don't know anything about this vendor, but this is the correct product.
Beth
I don't ever cook with shortening as it is hydrogenated palm or soy oil - bad for human bodies, and bad for the environment. You can substitute butter, but butter has water and shortening is all fat. If you refrigerate your dough before using it, it will keep the melt and spread under control and you'll get the flavor of the butter!
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