INGREDIENTS
3 ½ cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar, divided
3 teaspoons grated Hale orange peel, divided
¼ teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups butter or margarine
¼ cup fresh Hale orange juice
1/3 cup finely chopped blanched almonds
1 egg white beaten with 1 teaspoon water
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mix fl our, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons orange peel and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter and orange juice until mixture holds together. Knead a few times and press into a ball. Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls; lightly roll each on a floured board into 6 inch long
strips. Using two strips, twist together to make a rope. Pinch ends of
rope together to make a wreath; place on lightly greased baking sheet.
In a shallow dish, mix almonds with remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1
teaspoon orange peel. Brush the top of each wreath with egg white
mixture and sprinkle with sugar-almond mixture.
Bake in a 400 degree F. oven 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Frost if desired.*
Frosting
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, at room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoons milk
Few drops green food color
Red cinnamon candies
In a small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar, butter, 1 teaspoon milk and a few
drops green food color. Add more milk if necessary to make frosting thick, but
spreadable. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small leaf tip (preferable # 67). Decorate each wreath with 3 or 4 leaves and red cinnamon candy berries.
YIELD: 5 Dozen.