At this time of the year, everyone is focused on the gifts they plan to give to others, and we often overlook the smallest gifts that are always warmly welcomed.
I'm talking about cookies. If it is not time for baking, gifting, receiving and special consumption of biscuits, the holidays are nothing. They are an important part of the atmosphere of the season and a way to spread joy and make the day better and brighter.
And they are easy to make, or at least some of them are easy to make. A good cookie—is there really such a thing as a bad cookie? — The ratio of the happiness they bring to the recipient to the labor of baking them is beyond the chart.
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1/2 cup sugar on a shallow dish for coating and set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
Use an electric mixer to whisk the butter and the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar in a large bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Add the vanilla and then the eggs, one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping off the bowl and mixer as needed.
Reduce the mixer speed to low, then slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Finally, use a rubber spatula to stir the dough to make sure it is mixed.
Wet your hands with water, roll 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball at a time, then roll in sugar to coat. Place the balls on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart. Flatten the biscuits with the bottom of the buttered glass, and then sprinkle the remaining sugar on the flat top.
Or, roll the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness, sprinkle with some sugar reserved for coating, and then use a cookie cutter to cut into festive shapes. Place on a baking sheet 2 inches apart.
Bake the biscuits, one at a time, until the edges are set and start to brown, but the center is still soft and fluffy, for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking tray during the baking process.
Let the biscuits cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes, then serve hot or transfer to a wire rack to let them cool completely. If desired, there is royal frosting on the top.
Adapted from "American Test Kitchen Family Recipe"
8 ounces (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
About 5 to 6 teaspoons heavy cream
Adjust the racks to the top and bottom thirds of the oven, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Use parchment paper or foil to place 2 rows of biscuit slices.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream 2 sticks (8 ounces) of butter. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Add egg yolk and stir to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour, scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula, and stir until the mixture gathers into a ball.
Put a long piece of wax paper in front of you. Use a scoop of slightly rounded dough for each cookie and stack the dough on wax paper to make 48 doughs.
Roll the mound between your hands into a ball, and place them 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart on the lined cookie sheet. Using the heel of your hand or fingertips, flatten each ball into a round cookie about 1/4 inch thick.
Put a little more flour in the cup or bowl. Dip the fork in the flour and press the back of the tines firmly on the top of the biscuit to form a deep dent in only one direction. Re-flour the fork each time you use it; repeat for each cookie.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the biscuit. Turn the biscuit slices from top to bottom and from front to back once during the cooking process to ensure even baking. Don't let the biscuits turn brown-when finished, they should be light golden. Transfer the biscuits to a metal rack to cool. These cookies will not be the same size. Pair them into even pairs before filling them, and then lay them flat.
To make the filling, put the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook until the butter turns slightly brown; shake the pan gently in the final stage of heating to prevent the deposits from burning.
When the butter is rich and golden, turn off the heat and immediately add powdered sugar, vanilla and 5 teaspoons of cream. Stir until completely smooth. If necessary, add a teaspoon or two of cream to make a thick filling. Transfer the filling to a small cream cup or bowl for easier handling.
Place a small spoonful of filling in the center of the biscuit. Repeat 4 or 5 cookies. Cover each cookie with matching biscuits, then gently press the biscuits together, spreading the filling on the edge of the sandwich. If you hold the biscuits in your hand, so you can turn them around to see where the filling is going, this will be the easiest.
Repeat, filling the remaining 4 or 5 biscuits at a time. The filling will thicken as you use it, so add a few drops of extra cream if necessary. Only add a few drops at a time to avoid the filling is too thin. Let the sandwich sit for a few hours to allow the filling to set.
"Cookies are amazing" recipe from Maida Heatter
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling and cutting dough
8 ounces (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl or stand mixer set on high speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs, then orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla. In a low-speed mixer, add the flour mixture until completely combined.
Divide the dough in half and make each half into a thick disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate to cool, about 2 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; if the dough is too hard to roll out, please let it sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes to soften it slightly).
Place the oven rack on the top third and center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 A large framed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
Using one disc at a time, knead the dough briefly on a lightly floured work surface until smooth. Roll the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Dip a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or other similarly shaped flour into the flour, then cut out the cookies, cutting them together as much as possible to avoid excess crumbs. Arrange the circles on the prepared baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Collect the pieces of dough and knead them together gently, then cut out more biscuits. If the dough becomes too soft to roll out, please refrigerate until cool. When baking the first batch of dough, refrigerate the remaining dough.
To bake, rotate the slices from top to bottom and from front to back during the baking process until the edges and bottom of the cookies are light brown, about 20 minutes. The tops of the cookies will not brown, but do not bake them. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let it cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Dip the biscuits and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe medium-sized bowl. Heat the chocolate over medium heat, stirring every 30 seconds, until completely melted. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has cooled to 89 degrees on the instant-reading thermometer.
One at a time, dip half of each cookie in the chocolate. Drag the bottom of the biscuit over the edge of the bowl to remove excess chocolate, then place the biscuit on the baking tray. If the chocolate cools and thickens, heat it in the microwave on medium power for 15 seconds. Let the biscuits stand until the chocolate is set, they can be easily removed from the baking tray, about 1 hour.
"Bake for Friends" recipe from Kathleen King
Pinch (small or large, you choose) ground black pepper or coarsely ground black pepper
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup molasses (not brown sugar)
About 1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling
Stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and pepper.
Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment or a hand mixer in a large bowl, stir the butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and stir for about 2 minutes to mix, scraping off the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the eggs and beat for another minute. Reduce the speed of the mixer to the lowest, add the dry ingredients, and mix until the flour and spices disappear. If there is some flour at the bottom of the bowl, in order to avoid over-mixing the dough, use a rubber spatula to mix the last dry ingredient. The dough will be smooth and very soft.
Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece with plastic wrap. Freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 days.
Place a shelf in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 Baking pan with parchment paper or silicone mat.
Put the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Process the dough one packet at a time, divide it into 12 pieces, and then knead each piece into a small ball between your palms. Roll the balls one by one into the sugar bowl and place them on a baking sheet. Dip the bottom of the glass in the sugar and press it on the biscuits until they are between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick.
Bake one cookie at a time for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the top feels tactile. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. If the biscuits have spread out and touched, use the edge of a metal spatula to separate them while they are still hot. Transfer the biscuits to a rack to cool at room temperature.
Dolly Greenspan's "Baking" Recipe
Pan softened butter
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold salted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) salted butter, cut into tablespoons
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup grade B pure maple syrup, see notes
Note: Grade B maple syrup is hard to find. If you can't find it, please use Class A.
Place the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Line up the bottom and 2 short ends with a piece of aluminum foil 20 inches long, pleated the aluminum foil to fit and let the excess aluminum foil hang on the ends. Lightly butter the foil.
To make the shortbread layer: In a medium-sized bowl, use an electric mixer to mix the flour, butter, and sugar at low speed until the mixture is uniform and crumbly. Do not mix into a dough; it should remain crumbly. Press firmly and evenly into the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Take it out of the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. Leave the oven on.
To make the topping: In a medium saucepan, boil the butter, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and heavy cream, and stir until the butter melts. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pecans. Pour the pecan mixture on the crust.
Return to the oven and bake until the pecan mixture is bubbling and golden brown on the edges, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in a pan on a wire cooling rack.
Loosen the shortbread with a knife on the edge. Lift the aluminum foil "handle" and remove the shortbread from the pan. Using a sharp long knife, cut into 24 rectangles.
"Bake for Friends" recipe from Kathleen King
In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar, butter, salt, and 11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Add flour and stir enough to make the dough cohesive. Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until you are ready to use it.
On a piece of parchment or wax paper, roll the dough into a 9 x 12 inch rectangle. In a small bowl, mix the egg whites and water together. In another small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Brush the dough with egg white glaze. Sprinkle the cinnamon mixture evenly.
Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a log and seal the edges. Wrap in plastic film or parchment paper and freeze until hard.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and open the package. Using a sharp knife, gently cut it into 1/2 inch slices. Transfer the slices to the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until they are light golden brown. Transfer to a shelf to cool.
When the biscuits have cooled completely, sift the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Add the cream to the sugar and stir to form a smooth glaze. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. If you do not use it immediately, cover it with plastic wrap until it can be used to prevent the formation of a shell.
Drizzle or brush glaze on the biscuits.
"King Arthur Flour Biscuit Companion" Recipe
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