Old-Fashioned Christmas Butter Cookies

3 hard-cooked egg yolk1 pound (2 cups) sweet butter, softened1frac12; cups sugar6 cups sifted flour3 egg yolks2 teaspoons brandy or rind of frac12; a lemonGarnish3 egg whites, slightly beaten1 cup sugar1 cup blanched almonds or walnuts, chopped

Put 3 hard-cooked yolks through a fine sieve; set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream butter, gradually adding sugar until light and fluffy. Add the 3 strained yolks alternately with sifted flour and 3 raw yolks. Knead the mixture with your hands until thoroughly blended, or until the dough is smooth and easily handled. Add the lemon or brandy and continue kneading.

Chill the dough several hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly flour cookie sheets or line with parchment.

In a small bowl, combing sugar and almonds.

Roll dough as thin as possible. Cut it with cookie cutters in as many fancy shapes as desired. Brush each cookie very evenly with slightly beaten white of egg. Sprinkle the tops with a sugar/nut mixture. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until delicately brown, removing each cookie as it is ready.

Makes about 12 dozen cookies.

#8220;The Gourmet Cookie Book: The Single Best Recipe from Each Year, 1941-2009#8221; (2010 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)