by Anne Dreer, 21 Sep 2010

You will need at least twenty or more little forms (see photo). I bought mine at St. Jacob's Farmers Market near Kitchener. They were made in Sweden. They are not exactly claw shaped but they work.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 cups ground (grated walnuts)

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup shortening, I use Crisco (original recipe called for lard)

• 2 large eggs (For American measure use two medium eggs. Your cups are smaller than our imperial measure)

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 300* F.

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Add the shortening and work it well into the flour and nuts.

Add the eggs last and knead all the ingredients into a smooth dough. 

Grease the little forms generously with shortening. Do not use oil or butter. (A sprinkling of dry fine breadcrumbs will insure the bear claws easy removal from the forms "Anne's forms are shown to the right") 

Press a walnut sized piece of dough into each form. With your thumb press the center down so the dough is the same thickness at the sides and bottom. Put the filled forms on a cookie sheet and bake till just barely golden at the edges. 

Let them cool for about 10 minutes, and then remove them from the forms. When cool, dust the claws with confectionary sugar.

[Edited by Rose Mary Keller Hughes, Recipe Coordinator. Published at DVHH by Jody McKim Pharr, 21 Sep 2010]

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