The good people at The Foodie Blogroll and POM Wonderful are having a Pomegranate Recipe Contest...and you know how i feel about contests...You can't win if you don't enter!! So here's my (hopefully) winning entry - and, if I may say so myself...they're dang good!
The key to these super simple but delicious cookies is to let them chill in the fridge for 30 minutes - if you don't, the dough will be too sticky to cut and they won't bake up right. Also, since there are pomegranate seeds in the dough, even after baking the cookies will need to be refrigerated...that is, IF there are any after the first 15 minutes out of the oven!
POM Wonderful is truly what the name says...wonderful! If you've not tasted any POM products, look for them in the refrigerated section at your grocery store - POM Wonderful makes a line of juices and other health products - check them out! And if you haven't check out the Foodie Blogroll, click on the link in my left side bar - it's a great resource!
Glazed Pomegranate Cookies - ME
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
Seeds from 1/4 of a large fresh pomegranate, plus more for decorating cookies, if desired.
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, pomegranate juice and salt and beat until combined. Graduallyl add the flour, mixing until just incorporated. Stir in the pomegranate seeds. Divide dough in half. On a piece of waxed paper or parchment, roll half the dough into a log shape, about 2 inches in diameter. Roll up in paper and put in fridge for at least 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining piece of dough. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice logs of dough into 1/2-inch thick slices and put on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
To make glaze: In a small bowl combine powdered sugar and pomegranate juice, stirring until smooth. Spoon a small amount over the top of each cookie to coat and let set until hardened, about 10 minutes. If desired, add a few fresh pomegranate seeds to the top of each cookie. Keep cookies in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
