Baking Tom Thumb Cookies with Kim Alter

Kim Alter, executive chef at the highly anticipated Plate Shop (Sausalito) opening in January, used to bake these cookies every Christmas with her grandmother. The recipe is from her great-grandmother, who worked in a Polish butcher shop in the Midwest.

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My Great Grandma's Tom Thumb Cookies

Makes 12 cookies

1/2 cup spry or Crisco (vegetable shortening)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cup coconut
1 cup nuts
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
Powder sugar

Preheat oven to 325?F.
Combine spry and salt in large mixer bowl. Add � cup brown sugar and cream well. Add 1 cup flour and mix to combine. Spread in 8 " x 12" greased pan. Bake for 15 minutes. In mixer bowl combine remaining brown sugar, vanilla and eggs. Beat until thick and foamy. Add 2 tablespoons flour, baking powder, salt, coconut and nuts. Spread over baked cookie base. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool and cut into squares. Sprinkle with powder sugar.

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Reprinted courtesy of Andrew Freeman & Co.