HOLIDAY SWIRLED SUGAR COOKIES
This comes from the Food Network Kitchen. Total Time: 4 hours; Active Time: 1 hour; Yield: 24 cookies; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Cookies:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Royal Icing:
One 1-pound box confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons meringue powder
Red and green gel food coloring
Edible glitter or sprinkles, for decorating, optional
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Special equipment: a 2-inch round cookie cutter
For the cookies: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium high, add the vanilla and egg and beat until incorporated. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture in 2 batches and beat until just combined. Shape the dough into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Generously dust a work surface with confectioners' sugar. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch, dusting with more confectioners' sugar as needed. (Return the dough to the refrigerator if it gets too soft.) Cut out shapes with a 2-inch round cookie cutter and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Reroll the scraps and cut out more cookies. Refrigerate the cookies until firm, about 1 hour.
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake the cookies, rotating the pans halfway through, until lightly browned around the edges, 9 to 11 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
For the royal icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl. Add 7 tablespoons water and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft glossy peaks form, adding up to 8 tablespoons water if necessary to make a smooth icing that thickly coats the back of a spoon.
Line a baking sheet with parchment and set a cooling rack on top.
Put 1/4 cup icing into each of 2 small bowls. Add 9 drops red food coloring to one bowl and stir until evenly combined. Add 2 drops green food coloring to the second bowl and stir until evenly combined. Pour the remaining white icing into a clean rimmed baking sheet and spread or shake to evenly coat it. Drizzle the red icing all over the white, then drizzle the green icing over both. One at a time, put the cookies face-side down in the baking sheet icing. Take the cookies out one at a time, shaking gently to let excess icing drip off, and place right-side up on the prepared cooling rack. Decorate with edible glitter or sprinkles if desired. Let the icing harden completely before serving, about 1 hour.
Cook's Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)
GINGERBREAD REINDEER
This cute cookie recipe also comes from the Food Network Kitchen, and begins, “These cookies turn gingerbread on its head -- literally. Flipping gingerbread men upside down provides the perfect shape to decorate the cookies to look like reindeer. Leave some out for Santa and his reindeer and they will most certainly be impressed.”
Total Time: 6 hours; Active Time: 1 hour; Yield: 18 gingerbread reindeer; Level: Intermediate.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (see Cook's Note)
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, at room temperature
1/4 cup molasses
1 large egg
One 1-pound box confectioners' sugar
5 tablespoons meringue powder
Black gel food coloring
Brown gel food coloring
18 red cinnamon candies
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Special equipment: a 4-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter
Whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until well blended.
Beat the granulated sugar and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl starting on low speed and increasing to medium, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the molasses until combined, then beat in the egg (the mixture will look curdled). Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture a little at a time until the mixture comes together. Then increase the speed to medium and beat until well incorporated and a sticky dough forms. Divide the dough in half, flatten into 2 disks and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Keeping one disk refrigerated, roll the other disk on a well-floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch, sprinkling flour on and under the dough as needed and sliding a spatula underneath every so often to prevent sticking. If the dough looks crackly or breaks apart, press it back together from the outside edge in. With a 4-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter, cut out cookies as close together as possible. Pull away the extra dough around each shape and use a small spatula to transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Gather together the scraps, leaving behind the excess flour, knead a few times to form a smooth dough again and reroll in the same way. (If there are any pieces of stuck dough on your surface, scrape them away with a spatula, flour the surface again and then continue to roll the dough.)
Bake the cookies in the center of the oven racks, rotating them from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until slightly firm to the touch but not brown, about 12 minutes. Cool the cookies 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before icing. The cookies will continue to firm as they cool. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
Meanwhile, make the royal icing for decorating. Combine the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl. Add 6 tablespoons water and beat with an electric mixer on low until the icing thickens. The icing should be pure white and thick, but not fluffy and bubbly. (If overbeaten, it will get aerated, which makes it harder to work with. If this happens, let the icing sit for a bit to settle, then use a rubber spatula to vigorously beat and smooth it out.)
Spoon about 1/3 cup of icing into each of 3 separate bowls (cover any remaining icing with plastic wrap and reserve in case you need more). Leave 1 bowl white. Dye the second bowl black and the third light brown. Thin out the light brown icing with 1 teaspoon water. Transfer the icing to separate resealable plastic bags. Snip a very tiny hole in the corner of the white and black icing bags, and snip a larger hole in the corner of the light brown icing bag.
Place each cookie right side up in front of you. With the black icing, pipe an outline around the head of each cookie, around the arms and across the chest with a bowed line. Turn the gingerbread man upside down so it is standing on its head; now you can see the shape of the reindeer's head. Pipe black antlers coming out of the top of the head, over the gingerbread man's legs and feet.
Using the loose light brown icing, flood each reindeer's head, using a toothpick to nudge the icing into any tight spots. Place a red cinnamon candy in the center of each face for the nose. Dry until set, 40 minutes to 1 hour.
Once the brown base has dried, pipe on the rest of the face. Pipe 2 white dots above the nose for the whites of the eyes, and 2 white dots on the underside of the ears for downy fur. Use the black icing to pipe a smiling mouth and eyebrows. Once the white icing has slightly dried, pipe in black pupils. Give your reindeer some personality! Let the icing dry until hardened, 1 hour or ideally overnight.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but are best eaten fresh.
Cook's Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)
EGGNOG BLOSSOMS
This comes from the Food Network Kitchen, and begins, “The spicy-rich flavors of eggnog (including nutmeg, cream and rum) add a new holiday twist to a classic cookie shape, and the striped chocolate candies on top make them even more festive.”
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; Active Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 24 cookies; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons rum extract
1 small pinch ground cloves
1 large egg yolk
4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
24 foil-wrapped striped milk chocolate-white chocolate drops, such as Hershey Hugs, unwrapped
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Beat the butter and 1/2 cup of the sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the cream, rum extract, cloves, egg yolk and 2 teaspoons of the nutmeg and beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dough just combines.
Roll the dough into twenty-four 1-inch balls using a 1/2-ounce ice cream scoop or a tablespoon. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons nutmeg in a small bowl. Roll the balls in the spiced sugar to coat, and then arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through, until golden brown at the edges, about 14 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven, place on wire racks and immediately press a chocolate drop in the center of each cookie while it is still soft and warm. Do not move the cookies until the chocolate has completely set and the cookies are cool, at least 1 hour.
Cook's Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)
EGGNOG MELTAWAY COOKIES
This recipe, from the Food Network kitchen, begins, “The secret to these cookies' melt-in-your-mouth texture is the confectioners' sugar, which easily comes together with almonds in a food processor. The flavors of rum, bourbon and nutmeg make the little snowball lookalikes taste just like your favorite holiday drink. “
Total:2 hr 55 min; Active: 25 min; Yield: 4 dozen cookies; Level: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 cup blanched almonds (skinless)
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon bourbon
2 teaspoons rum extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for serving
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Put the almonds and 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process until very finely ground, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and process until smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Scrape the dough off the inside of the bowl if needed. Add the bourbon and rum and vanilla extracts and pulse until smooth. Add the flour and salt and pulse until the dough forms a ball.
Roll mounded teaspoons of the dough into balls about 1 inch wide and place on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
Bake, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the cookies are firm when gently pressed, completely dry and just beginning to crack at the top, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes; they will firm as they cool.
Meanwhile, put the nutmeg and remaining 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar in a pie plate or wide baking dish and mix well. Toss the warm cookies very gently in the sugar mixture until evenly coated; the cookies need to be warm for the first coating of sugar to stick. Cool the cookies on a wire rack completely, about 30 minutes, then toss again in the sugar mixture so they are very white. Sprinkle with additional grated nutmeg.
Store the cookies in a little bit of extra confectioners' sugar in an airtight container for up to a week.
Cook's Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)
CZECHOSLOVAKIAN BAR COOKIE - CUKROVI
This was in a long-since-forgotten emailing list, though I kind-of think it might have been in what had been About.com (now Dotdash).
The recipe begins, “Czechoslovakian cukrovi is the generic term for cookies made during Christmas time. This recipe was given to me in the early '70s by a lovely Czech woman. Everyone seems to have it but the filling is usually apricot. I've never come across a recipe like this for almond and strawberry filling. The almond, while very sweet, seems to cut the richness of the dough. This recipe is definitely party size, but it can be cut in half with no loss in quality.”
Makes about 54 Czechoslovakian Cookies; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
2 cups butter (1 pound), softened
2 cups sugar
4 large egg yolks
4 cups flour
2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans
1 (8- to 12-ounce) container almond paste
1 (12-ounce) container strawberry filling
Confectioners' sugar
Preparation:
Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add yolks and mix well. Add flour and nuts and mix until well incorporated.
Divide dough in half and pat into a 15 1/2 inch by 10 1/2 inch jelly roll pan with slightly dampened hands, if necessary. Spread almond paste over surface to within 1/4 inch of edges. Top with strawberry filling2 and spread in the same way.
Crumble remaining dough half over entire surface of filling, and pat or spread to completely cover. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown.
Cut into 9 horizontal rows and 6 vertical rows (to make 54 bars) while still warm. Cool completely and dust with confectioners' sugar. Transfer to paper cups and a pretty serving tray or store tightly covered.
PEANUT BUTTER SNOWBALLS
This comes from the Recipe Lion Test Kitchen, and begins, “Peanut Butter Snowballs are a new twist on the classic snowball cookie recipe. This Christmas cookie recipe uses peanut butter in the filling and, instead of being dusted with powdered sugar, white chocolate coats the outside. Sprinkle the tops with silver sugar sprinkles if you want to go above and beyond (The sprinkles make them look super fancy). This 5 ingredient dessert recipe makes 24-30 balls, so make sure you share them. Otherwise, you may end up eating them all yourself before you know it!”
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
3 tablespoons soft butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
12 ounces white chocolate candy coating
sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
Line a cookie sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and peanut butter in a large bowl, stirring until completely mixed and smooth.
Sprinkle the remaining powdered sugar on a clean work surface and form the dough into a log shape 12 inches long. Cut into inch pieces and roll each between your palms to make smooth balls. Place on the prepared bake sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
In a medium bowl, melt the candy coating in 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring until completely smooth. Dip the balls into the candy coating, return to the lined sheet and add sprinkles as desired while coating is still wet. Return to the refrigerator until ready to serve.
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