Try the Scottos’ decadent Christmas cookies

1. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, salt and rye with a wooden spoon until blended.

2. Pour the flour onto a pastry board and make a well in the center. Pour in the egg mixture and knead the dough until all the egg mixture is absorbed.

3. Cover the dough and let stand for 20 minutes.

4. In a large pot, heat 3 inches of canola oil to 350 degrees F. Break off a palm-size piece of the dough and, using your hands, roll into a cylinder about the thickness of a pencil. Cut off 1/2-inch pieces and deep-fry in the hot oil until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining dough. Set aside on paper towels to drain the oil.

5. When all the pieces are fried, combine the honey, lemon juice and chopped walnuts in large pot. Set over medium heat and heat until the mixture boils.

6. Pour the melted honey mixture over the struffoli and stir to coat. Pile high on a platter and serve.

1. Place sugar, butter or margarine, egg and vanilla in a mixing bowl; mix on low speed using the dough hook, just long enough to incorporate the ingredients.

2. Add flour and hazelnuts, and mix just until the dough is smooth.

3. Scoop dough by teaspoon onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. After cookies cool, sandwich together with melted chocolate.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Pulse almond paste in a food processor until broken up into small bits, then add confectioner's sugar and salt and continue to pulse until finely ground, about
1 minute.

3. Beat together almond mixture, egg whites and honey in electric mixer at medium to high speed until smooth, about 5 minutes.

4. Spoon batter into a pastry bag and pipe or spoon 1 1/2-inch rounds about 1 inch apart onto 2 parchment lined baking sheets. Gently press pine nuts into tops of cookies.

5. Bake cookies until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, place on parchment paper and set aside to cool.

1. In a bowl stir together flour and baking powder; combine thoroughly then set aside.

2. In mixer bowl combine butter and sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Blend in vanilla and ground mace or nutmeg. Add egg and beat again until fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until just well combined.

3. Enclose dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (1 to 2 hours or overnight).

4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Work with about half of the dough at a time, keeping remainder in refrigerator. On a lightly floured board or pastry cloth, roll out dough to a thickness of about 1/8-inch. Cut cookies into rounds or star shapes. Cut out the center of each cookie and then carefully transfer to lightly greased baking sheet. Place a Life Saver candy in the center and sprinkle with vanilla granulated sugar.

5. Bake until cookies are golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand for about 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool.

1. Beat the egg yolks with 1 1/4 cups of sugar until they are pale yellow in color and the sugar is dissolved. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add 1 1/4 cups of sugar a little at a time until all the sugar is added and dissolved. Fold the egg yolk and egg white mixtures together.

2. Fold in the cinnamon, toasted almonds and vanilla extract.

3. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt and fold into the egg mixture 1/4 at a time, it will become stiff at the end and should be finished with a wooden spoon.

4. Roll the dough into cylinders and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 350-degree F oven for 20 minutes. Remove the baked cylinders from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes.

5. Slice the cylinders into 1/2-inch thick slices on the bias. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and return the cookies to the oven for 10 more minutes until they are lightly browned and the edges are crisp. Remove from oven and let cool. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 2 months.