Greek Almond Cookies

I used to watch my grandmother make these for all holidays as well as for the local Greek churches for their Greek Festivals.

Ingredients:

5 Cups AP Flour

1½ Cup of Blanched Almonds

2 Cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 TSP Vanilla Extract

2 TBSP Brandy (optional)

2 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar (divided)

Directions:

Place the toasted almonds in a food processor and grind until finely chopped.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, chopped almonds, one cup confectioner's sugar and stir.

Sprinkle the vanilla extract and brandy over the dry ingredients.

Add the olive oil and knead into a dough.

The dough should stick together when pressed but have a slight crumbly feeling, which is characteristic of a shortbread dough. If too crumbly, add olive oil one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency is achieved.

These traditional cookies are often shaped into crescents, buttons or balls. An easy trick is to shape them into buttons using a tablespoon measure.

If you want to do the same, fill a tablespoon measure with some dough, pressing the dough to give it the rounded shape of the measure. Once shaped, place the cookies on a baking tray covered with parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet.

While shaping the cookies, preheat the oven to 325°F.

Bake the cookies in the oven at 325°F for 20 minutes or until they begin to turn a very slight sandy color.

Once cooled, place the cookies in a pan with the remaining confectioner's sugar and coat.

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Old Fashion Oatmeal Cookies

When I was little, my mother use to make this cookie along with one that was my brother's favorite. It started to become a comfort food for me. As time passed and family started going their own way, I didn’t get a chance to have this cookie very often. Even though I had the recipe, it never turned out the way mom made it. Now, when family gets together my mother has a batch of these sitting on the counter when I get there. Boy are they good! Not very healthy, but I’ll make the sacrifice.

Ingredients:

¾ Cup Canola Oil

¼ Cup Brown Sugar, packed

2 Large Eggs, room temperature

½ Cup Milk

1 Package Spice Cake Mix

2 Cups Old Fashion Oats

2½ Cups Raisins

1 cup Pecans, chopped

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, beat oil and brown sugar until blended.  

Beat in eggs, then milk.  

Combine cake mix and oats, gradually add to brown sugar mixture and mix well.

Fold in raisins and pecans.

Drop by tablespoon two inches apart onto greased baking sheets.  

Bake at 350°F until golden brown, 10-12 minutes.  

Cool for one minute before removing to wire racks.

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"There are many parallels between Cristie Kerr’s success in golf and in wine: The passion, tenacity and discipline that make her a champion on the course are driving her forward as a vintner" (Wine Spectator).

You are cordially invited to enjoy an elegant, epicurean evening with Cristie Kerr and our talented chefs from McConnell Golf. This “ultimate tasting experience” is the kick-off to our culinary season and pairs some of Cristie’s most exquisite, top-rated wines with a unique five-course dinner prepared by our chefs.

Cristie had one of the most successful amateur careers in golf before joining the LPGA Tour in 1997. Since her maiden victory in 2002, she has been one of the top players in the game with more than 182 top 10 finishes and 20 victories, including the 2007 Women’s Open Championship

held at Pine Needles in Pinehurst.

In 2012, Cristie launched Kerr Cellars, a limited production, fine wine collection with award-winning winemaker, Helen Keplinger. Named a “Winery to Watch” in 2016, Cristie and Kerr Cellars were also featured on the October 2021 Wine Spectator cover.

It is indeed a privilege and honor to bring Cristie Kerr and Kerr Cellars to McConnell Golf for a three-day tour.

Seating is limited.

Please reserve a space by selecting one of the following dates and locations.

- RSVP by March 2 -

Wednesday, March 9 at Raleigh Country Club

Thursday, March 10 at Porters Neck Country Club

Friday, March 11 at Providence Country Club

$125 per person (all inclusive)

SPECIAL GIFT

Guests have an opportunity to purchase wines directly from Kerr Cellars at each wine dinner. With each case, you will receive one bottle of our Kerr Cellars M Signature Series wine signed by Cristie Kerr.

Click here to view the menu.

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Marbled Valentine Sugar Cookies

This is a simple cookie recipe that will last for generations. My Nonni used to make these cookies for me when I was younger; at first to be her valentine, then to give to my valentine. Now I make them with my daughter and tell her she is my valentine. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

½ Cup Unsalted Butter, softened

½ Cup Granulated Sugar

1 Large Egg

1½ TSP Vanilla Extract

¼ TSP Salt

½ TSP Baking Powder

2 Cup AP Flour

Red Gel food coloring

Directions:

In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla, followed by salt and baking powder. Scrape the bowl as needed. Gradually mix in flour, increasing speed as needed until dough is fully combined and no streaks remain. 

Divide dough in half, transferring half to a clean bowl, set aside. Add a small amount of dark pink gel food coloring to the remaining dough. Beat until fully tinted and no streaks remain. 

Pinch off golf ball sized portions of dough, rolling into balls. Create a pattern of alternate colored balls of dough on your work station. Gently, knead all dough together until swirls of color are visible. Do not over mix. 

Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill for 30-60 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. 

Roll out dough to ¼-inch thick, on a lightly floured surface. Cut out heart shapes. Space two inches apart on a prepared baking sheet. Freeze cookies for 15 minutes. Press together remaining dough and scraps, re-wrap in plastic and keeping chilled until ready to roll and cut again. 

Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes. Allow cookies to rest on the pan for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Raspberry Pecan Thumbprint Cookies

This cookie came to mind because of one of my elementary teachers, it was her favorite to give out during Christmastime. I don’t remember details of why it was her favorite, but we knew they were in our goody bags… enjoy a little sweet from a sweet teacher!

Ingredients:

1 ½ Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature 

1 Cup Sugar 

1 Large Egg Yolk 

1 TSP Vanilla Extract

3 ⅓ AP Cup Flour 

¼ TSP Salt 

1 Cup Toasted Pecans, finely chopped 

Raspberry Jam

Directions:

Beat the softened butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer. 

Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract. 

Mix in flour, salt and chopped toasted pecans. Mix until well incorporated.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Using a cookie scoop, scoop out mounds of the cookie dough into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Using your thumb or the back of a teaspoon, press into the center of each cookie. 

Fill a piping bag with raspberry jam and pipe the jam into the center of each cookie.

Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown in color.

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Snowball Cookies

I look forward to the holidays every year when my neighbor brings over a tin of treats for my family. These snowball cookies are the first ones to disappear!

Yield: 4 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients:

1 Cup Unsalted Butter

2 TSP Vanilla Extract

1/3 Cup Sugar

2 TSP Water

2 Cups sifted All-Purpose Flour

1 ¼ TSP Salt

1 Cup Chopped Pecans

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, vanilla, and sugar. Creaming the mixture until light and fluffy. Blend in water.

Gradually add in and combine flour and salt, and beat until well blended. Add the pecans.

Shape into one inch balls. Place balls at least one inch apart onto a non-stick cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until firm to touch.

While cookies are warm, roll in powdered sugar. Cool on racks for a few minutes.

Roll cookies again in powdered sugar.

Store in a sealed container up to one week.

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Molasses Cookies

This cookie has been one of my own favorites to buy (Famous Amos) molasses cookies.  My very first job was working at Piggly Wiggly where a portion of my check went to buying cookies. Also, the taste of them reminds me of time spent with my father as we would eat them often after dinner or for a snack!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour (spoon & leveled)

1 ½ TSP Baking Soda

2 TSP Ground Ginger

1 ¼ TSP Ground Cinnamon

1/4 TSP Ground Cloves

1/4 TSP Nutmeg

1/4 TSP Salt

3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 Cup packed Light or Dark Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/4 Cup Unsulfured or Dark Molasses

1 Large Egg, at room temperature

2 TSP Pure Vanilla Extract

1/3 Cup Granulated or Coarse Sugar, for rolling

Directions:

Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together until combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars together on high speed until creamy and combined, about two minutes. Add the molasses and beat until combined. Then add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined, about one minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

On low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be slightly sticky. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for one hour and up to two to three days.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside (Always recommended for cookies).

Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. If the cookie dough is chilled longer than two hours, let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The cookies may not spread in the oven if the dough is too cold. Roll cookie dough, one tablespoon each, into balls. Roll each in granulated sugar and arrange three inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes or until edges appear set. If the tops aren’t appearing cracked as pictured, remove the baking sheet from the oven and gently bang it on the counter two to three times. This will help the warm cookies spread out and crack on top. Return to the oven for one additional minute.

Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for one week.

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