St. Louis Publish-Dispatch
With everybody concentrating on the items they plan to offer others right now of the yr, we regularly overlook the smallest of items which might be all the time obtained warmly.
I’m speaking about cookies. The vacation season is nothing if not a time for the baking, giving, receiving and particularly consuming of cookies. They’re a significant a part of the season’s festive spirit, a solution to unfold cheer and make the times merrier and brighter.
And they’re really easy to make, or at the least a few of them are. With a very good cookie – and is there actually such a factor as a nasty cookie? – the ratio of pleasure they bring about to the recipient to the labor of baking them is off the chart.
This vacation season, I made a number of batches of cookies. They vary from very straightforward to decidedly sophisticated, however all of them fill you with that glowing vacation spirit, and energy.
The process for making all of them is mainly the identical: You cream butter and sugar, add vanilla and perhaps an egg or two, and gently combine in flour, probably baking powder or baking soda and maybe a taste reminiscent of cinnamon. Then, bake as directed.
It’s onerous to imagine that so many various kinds of cookies might be constituted of this one basic define.
Listed below are the cookies I made:
Sugar Cookies: The Huge Bang of cookies, the cookie from which all different cookies have been born. Easy and traditional, they’re the easiest way to make sugar and butter crunchy, particularly when flavored with a splash of vanilla. Should you select to prime them in royal icing, you’ll add not solely vivid shade but in addition an irresistible crisp prime that brings textural distinction to the smooth cookie.
Danish Butter Sandwiches: Suppose Oreo, however even higher. Two delicate and light-weight butter cookies encompass a barely nutty brown butter filling. They’re form of good this manner, however when you don’t need the effort of creating the crème filling (otherwise you simply love butter cookies, which is comprehensible) the cookies by themselves are completely marvelous.
Chocolate-Dipped Orange Shortbread: Tender and crumbly shortbread is a standard vacation favourite. It’s an aesthetic cookie, quietly understated, that encourages the flavour of butter to shine by means of. You wouldn’t assume it might be improved, however a little bit of orange provides intrigue and makes it much more acceptable for the vacation. Dipping it in chocolate solely will increase its class.
Sugar-Topped Molasses Spiced Cookies: Name them gingerbread cookies when you should, as a result of that’s what they’re, however these sugar-topped molasses spiced cookies have an intriguing twist. A sprinkling of black pepper provides them a delightfully sudden chunk that acts as a distinction to the brown sugar and molasses.
Pecan Squares: These mix the most effective facets of pecan pie with these of a cookie. As a substitute of a crust, a buttery shortbread is simply the suitable factor to function a base for a pecan-pie topping. The earthiness of the nuts is balanced by a mix of maple syrup, honey, brown sugar and cream; all of it blends into a fabulous three-bite deal with.
Cinnamon Bun Cookies: Some evil genius took the heavenly and seductive taste of cinnamon buns and found out tips on how to switch it to a cookie. A swirl of sweetened cinnamon runs by means of these easy but beautiful vanilla cookies, and they’re made even higher by a fascinating glaze brushed or drizzled on prime.
SUGAR COOKIES
Yield: About 24 servings
- 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 21 / 2cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 14 tablespoons (13 / 4sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 massive eggs
- Royal icing, elective
1. Regulate an oven rack to the center place and warmth the oven to 350 levels. Spread1 / 2cup of the sugar in a shallow dish for coating and put aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt collectively, and put aside.
2. Beat the butter and remaining 11 / 2cups of the sugar collectively in a big bowl utilizing an electrical mixer on medium pace till gentle and fluffy, 3 to six minutes. Beat within the vanilla, then the eggs, one after the other, till mixed, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as wanted.
3. Scale back the mixer pace to low and slowly combine within the flour combination till mixed, about 30 seconds. Give the dough a closing stir with a rubber spatula to verify it’s mixed.
4. Moist your palms with water, and roll 2 tablespoons of dough at a time into balls, then roll within the sugar to coat. Lay the balls on two parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches aside. Flatten the cookies with the buttered backside of a consuming glass, then sprinkle any of the remaining sugar over the flattened tops.
5. Alternatively, roll out the dough 1/4-inch thick, sprinkle with a number of the sugar that was put aside for coating and minimize into festive shapes with cookie cutters. Place on baking sheets spaced 2 inches aside.
6. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, till the perimeters are set and simply starting to brown however the facilities are nonetheless smooth and puffy, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet midway by means of baking.
7. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve heat or switch to a wire rack and let cool fully. If desired, prime with royal icing.
Per serving: 309 energy; 14 g fats; 9 g saturated fats; 67 mg ldl cholesterol; 3 g protein; 44 g carbohydrate; 44 g sugar; no fiber; 111 mg sodium; 20 mg calcium
Tailored from “The America’s Check Kitchen Household Cookbook”
DANISH BUTTER SANDWICHES
Yield: 24 servings
- 8 ounces (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3/4 cup firmly packed gentle brown sugar
- 1 massive egg yolk
- 21 / 4cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 11 / 4cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- About 5 to six teaspoons heavy cream
1. Regulate racks to prime and backside thirds of oven and preheat oven to 325 levels. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil.
2. Within the bowl of an electrical mixer, cream 2 sticks (8 ounces) of the butter. Add the brown sugar and beat to combine. Add the egg yolk and beat to combine. On low pace, progressively add the flour, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula and beating simply till the combination holds collectively in a ball.
3. Place an extended sheet of waxed paper in entrance of you. Use a barely rounded spoonful of the dough for every cookie and place the mounds of dough on the waxed paper, making 48 mounds.
4. Roll the mounds between your palms into spherical balls and place them 11 / 2to 2 inches aside on the lined cookie sheets. With the heel of your hand or your fingertips, flatten every ball right into a spherical cookie about1 / 4inch thick.
5. Have a bit additional flour in a cup or bowl. Dip a fork into the flour and press the again of the tines firmly onto the highest of the cookies, forming deep indentations in a single path solely. Reflour the fork every time you employ it; repeat with every cookie.
6. Bake for 15 to twenty minutes, relying on the thickness of the cookies. Reverse the cookie sheets prime to backside and entrance to again as soon as throughout cooking to make sure even baking. Don’t permit the cookies to brown – when carried out, they need to be a pale golden shade. Switch the cookies to a wire rack to chill.
7. These cookies is not going to be the identical dimension. Match them into even pairs earlier than filling them, and switch them flat-side up.
8. To make the filling, soften the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over reasonable warmth. Convey to a boil and cook dinner till the butter browns barely; shake the pan gently over the past a part of heating to maintain the sediment from burning.
9. Take away from warmth when the butter has a wealthy golden shade and instantly add the powdered sugar, vanilla and 5 teaspoons of cream. Stir till fully easy. If vital, add one other teaspoon or two of the cream to make a thick filling. Switch the filling to a small custard cup or bowl for ease in dealing with.
10. Place a scant spoonful of the filling within the heart of a cookie. Repeat with 4 or 5 cookies. Cowl every cookie with its matching cookie and, as you accomplish that, press the cookies gently collectively to unfold the filling simply to the perimeters of your sandwich. Will probably be best when you maintain the cookie in your palms so you’ll be able to flip them round to see the place the filling goes.
11. Repeat, filling the remaining cookies, 4 or 5 at a time. The filling will thicken as you’re employed with it, so when vital stir in a couple of drops of extra cream. Add just a few drops at a time, to maintain from making the filling too skinny. Let the sandwiches stand for a couple of hours for the filling to set.
Per serving: 163 energy; 8 g fats; 5 g saturated fats; 29 mg ldl cholesterol; 1 g protein; 21 g carbohydrate; 2 g sugar; no fiber; 4 mg sodium; 11 mg calcium
Recipe from “Cookies are Magic” by Maida Heatter
CHOCOLATE-DIPPED ORANGE SHORTBREAD
Yield: About 54 servings
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling and slicing out dough
- 11 / 2teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup firmly packed darkish brown sugar
- 1 massive egg
- Grated zest of 1 orange
- 3 tablespoons recent orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1. In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the flour, baking powder and salt. In a big bowl or stand mixer set on excessive pace, beat the butter and brown sugar till mixed, about 1 minute. Beat within the egg, adopted by the orange zest, orange juice and vanilla. With the mixer on low pace, combine within the flour combination till simply mixed.
2. Divide the dough in half and form every half right into a thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate till chilled, about 2 hours. (The dough might be refrigerated for as much as 2 days; whether it is too agency to roll out, let stand at room temperature for 15 to half-hour to melt barely).
3. Place the oven racks within the prime third and heart of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 levels. Line 2 massive rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
4. Working with 1 disk at a time, briefly knead the dough on a frivolously floured work floor till easy. Roll out the dough to1 / 8inch thick. Dip a 2 1/2-inch spherical cookie cutter or one other form of comparable dimension in flour and minimize out cookies, slicing them as shut collectively as attainable to keep away from extra scraps.
5. Prepare the rounds 1 inch aside on the ready baking sheets. Collect up the dough scraps and gently knead collectively, and minimize out extra cookies. If the dough turns into too smooth to roll out, refrigerate till chilled. Refrigerate any remaining dough whereas your bake the primary batch.
6. Bake, rotating the positions of the sheets from prime to backside and from entrance to again midway by means of baking, till the cookies are frivolously browned on the perimeters and bottoms, about 20 minutes. The cookie tops is not going to brown, however don’t underbake them. Let cool on the baking sheets for five minutes. Switch to wire cooling racks and let cool fully. Repeat with the remaining dough.
7. To dip the cookies, line baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mats. Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe medium bowl. Warmth the chocolate on medium, stirring at 30-second intervals, till totally melted. Let stand, stirring often, till the chocolate has cooled to 89 levels on an instant-read thermometer.
8. One by one, dip one half of every cookie into the chocolate. Drag the underside of the cookie throughout the rim of the bowl to take away extra chocolate, and place the cookie on the baking sheet. If the chocolate cools and thickens, heat within the microwave for 15 seconds at medium energy. Let the cookies stand till the chocolate units and they are often simply lifted from the baking sheet, about 1 hour.
Per serving: 71 energy; 4 g fats; 2 g saturated fats; 12 mg ldl cholesterol; 1 g protein; 9 g carbohydrate; 4 g sugar; no fiber; 40 mg sodium; 15 mg calcium
Recipe from “Baking for Pals” by Kathleen King
SUGAR-TOPPED MOLASSES SPICE COOKIES
Yield: 24 servings
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons floor ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon floor cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon floor allspice
- Pinch (small or massive, your alternative) of cracked or coarsely floor black pepper
- 12 tablespoons (11 / 2sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup packed gentle brown sugar1/2 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
- 1 massive egg
- About1 / 2cup granulated sugar, for rolling
1. Whisk collectively the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and pepper.
2. Working with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a big bowl, beat the butter on medium pace till easy and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat for two minutes or so to mix, scraping down the perimeters of the bowl as wanted.
3. Add the egg and beat for 1 minute extra. Scale back the mixer pace to low and add the dry components, mixing simply till the flour and spices disappear. If some flour stays within the backside of the bowl, to keep away from overbeating the dough, combine within the final of the dry components by hand with a rubber spatula. The dough might be easy and really smooth.
4. Divide the dough in half and wrap each bit in plastic wrap. Freeze for half-hour or refrigerate for at the least 1 hour or as much as 4 days.
5. Middle a rack within the oven and preheat the oven to 350 levels. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
6. Place the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Working with one packet of dough at a time, divide it into 12 items and roll each bit right into a small ball between your palms. One after the other, roll the balls round within the bowl of sugar, then place them on one of many baking sheets. Dip the underside of a glass into the sugar and use it to press down on the cookies till they’re between1 / 4and1 / 2inch thick.
7. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 to 14 minutes, or till the tops really feel set to the contact. Take away the baking sheet from the oven and, if the cookies have unfold and are touching, use the sting of a metallic spatula to separate them whereas they’re nonetheless scorching. Switch the cookies to a rack to chill at room temperature.
Per serving: 167 energy; 6 g fats; 4 g saturated fats; 23 mg ldl cholesterol; 2 g protein; 27 g carbohydrate; 18 g sugar; no fiber; 162 mg sodium; 27 mg calcium
Recipe from “Baking” by Dorie Greenspan
PECAN SQUARES
Yield: 24 servings
For the shortbread layer
- Softened butter for the pan
- 11 / 2cups all-purpose flour
- 12 tablespoons (11 / 2sticks) chilly, salted butter, minimize into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
For the topping layer
- 10 tablespoons (11 / 4sticks) salted butter, minimize into tablespoons
- 1/2 cup firmly packed darkish brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup Grade B pure maple syrup, see observe
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 31/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
Word: Grade B maple syrup might be onerous to seek out. Should you can’t discover it, use Grade A.
1. Place an oven rack within the heart of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 levels. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Line the underside and the two quick ends with a 20-inch lengthy piece of aluminum foil, pleating the foil to suit and letting the surplus foil dangle over the ends. Flippantly butter the foil.
2. To make the shortbread layer: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, butter and sugar with an electrical mixer set on low pace till simply mixed and crumbly. Don’t combine right into a dough; it ought to stay crumbly. Press firmly and evenly into the ready pan. Bake till golden brown, about half-hour. Take away from the oven and let stand on a wire cooling rack. Depart the oven on.
3. To make the topping: In a medium saucepan, deliver the butter, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup and heavy cream to a boil, stirring till the butter melts. Boil for two minutes. Take away from warmth and stir within the pecans. Pour and unfold the pecan combination over the crust.
4. Return to the oven and bake till the pecan combination is effervescent and golden brown across the edges, about half-hour. Let cool fully within the pan on a wire cooling rack.
5. Run a dinner knife across the edges of the shortbread to launch it. Raise up the foil “handles” and take away the shortbread from the pan. Utilizing an extended, sharp knife, minimize into 24 rectangles.
Per serving: 162 energy; 11 g fats; 7 g saturated fats; 29 mg ldl cholesterol; 1 g protein; 18 g carbohydrate; 11 g sugar; no fiber; 85 mg sodium; 8 mg calcium
Recipe from “Baking for Pals” by Kathleen King
CINNAMON BUN COOKIES
Yield: 24 cookies
- 11 / 2cups powdered sugar, divided
- 6 ounces (11 / 2sticks) unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon desk salt
- 21 / 2teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
- 11 / 2cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together1 / 2cup of the powdered sugar, the butter, the salt and 11/2 teaspoons of the vanilla extract. Add the flour, stirring simply sufficient to make a cohesive dough. Flatten the dough right into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at the least 2 hours or till you’re prepared to make use of it.
2. On a chunk of parchment or waxed paper, roll the dough right into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle. In a small bowl, combine collectively the egg white and water. In a unique small bowl, combine collectively the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Brush the dough with the egg white glaze. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon combination.
3. Beginning with the lengthy edge, roll the dough right into a log, sealing the sting. Wrap in plastic wrap or parchment and freeze till agency.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 levels. grease 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper. Take away the dough from the freezer and unwrap it. With a pointy knife, gently minimize it into 1/2-inch slices. Switch slices to the ready baking sheets.
5. Bake for 12 to fifteen minutes, till they’re a lightweight golden brown. Switch to a rack to chill.
6. When cookies are fully cool, sift the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar right into a medium-size bowl. Whisk the cream into the sugar to make a easy glaze. Stir within the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. If not utilizing instantly, cowl with plastic wrap till prepared to make use of, to forestall a crust from forming.
7. Drizzle or brush cookies with glaze.
Per serving: 120 energy; 6 g fats; 4 g saturated fats; 15 mg ldl cholesterol; 1 g protein; 16 g carbohydrate; 10 g sugar; no fiber; 52 mg sodium; 3 mg calcium
Recipe from “The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion”