Epic cookie post with bonus cats
Dec. 16th, 2012 04:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sabotabbyIn my effort to be less of a terrible person and spread a little joy in the world, I went on a month-and-a-half long baking spree to make Christmas cookies for my whole department, my EA, and three of my neighbours. As of today, I'm finally done.
W00T!
This is one of my standbys, adapted from Canadian Living magazine. It's the only one of the cookies I've done before.
Ginger Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup fancy molasses
• 1 egg
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
Preparation
In large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, molasses and egg until smooth.
In separate bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt ; stir into sugar mixture.
Shape by rounded tablespoonfuls (15 mL) into balls; roll in granulated sugar to coat. Place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on parchment paper–lined or greased rimless baking sheets.
Bake in top and bottom thirds of 375°F (190°C) oven, rotating and switching pans halfway through, until cookies spread out and tops crack, about 12 minutes. Let cool on pans on racks for 10 minutes; transfer to racks and let cool completely. (Make-ahead: Layer between waxed paper in airtight container and store for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.)
Tip: You can spice up this classic by adding 1/3 cup (75 mL) finely chopped crystallized ginger to the dry ingredients.
Another Canadian Living recipe. This one is amazing.
White Chocolate and Walnut Cookies
Ingredients
• 3/4 cup walnut halves
• 1-1/4 cups icing sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
Preparation
Line rimless baking sheets with parchment paper or leave ungreased; set aside.
In food processor, whirl walnut halves with 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the sugar until finely ground.
In large bowl, beat butter until fluffy; stir in nut mixture, then vanilla and salt. Stir in flour, 1 cup (250 mL) at a time. Sprinkle with chocolate chips; stir in. Shape by heaping teaspoonfuls (5 mL) into 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls. Arrange, 2 inches (5 cm) apart, on prepared pans. Cover lightly; chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
Bake in top and bottom thirds of 325°F (160°C) oven, rotating and switching pans halfway through, until bottoms are golden, about 22 minutes. Let rest on pans for about 3 minutes.
Sprinkle remaining icing sugar into shallow wide bowl. Working with about 6 cookies at a time, place, rounded side down, in sugar; roll to coat all sides. Place, right side up, on racks to let cool.
Press icing sugar through sieve to sift. Roll cookies again.(Make-ahead: Layer between waxed paper in airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.)
From the same issue:
Rum Balls
Ingredients
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, grated
• 1/3 cup dark rum
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles
Preparation
Line trays with waxed paper; set aside.
In large bowl, whisk icing sugar, almonds and bittersweet chocolate. Stir in 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the rum and vanilla until solid moist mass; press together. Chill until firm enough to roll, about 15 minutes.
Roll by rounded teaspoonfuls (5 mL) into balls, moistening and wiping hands with damp cloth as needed. Place on prepared trays.
Pour remaining rum into shallow bowl. Pour chocolate shot (the sprinkles) into separate shallow bowl. Roll balls in rum then in chocolate, pressing lightly to adhere. Let dry on tray, 1 hour. Refrigerate until firm. (Make-ahead: Layer between waxed paper in airtight container and refrigerate or freeze for up to 1 month.)
Here's today's accomplishment, from Martha fucking Stewart:
Lime Meltaways
Ingredients
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• Finely grated zest of 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Directions
Put butter and 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add lime zest and juice and vanilla, and mix until fluffy.
Whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Add to butter mixture, and mix on low speed until just combined.
Divide dough in half. Place each half on an 8-by-12-inch sheet of parchment paper. Roll in parchment to form a log 1 1/4 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow log. Refrigerate logs until cold and firm, at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove parchment from logs; cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Space rounds 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies until barely golden, about 13 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. While still warm, toss cookies with remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a resealable plastic bag. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 weeks.
Sabo!Tip: It's an American recipe, so way too sweet. Halve the sugar like I didn't.
Finished tins:
Ten tins, people! And I'm not even Christian.
I also made ninjabread cookies, but I'm having a hard time decorating them because, while little kids can decorate gingerbread cookies and while I have not insignificant levels of artistic ability, I fail at cookie and cake decorating forever. Besides, they weren't going to fit in the tins. So those went back in the freezer for my next party or whenever I figure out gingerbread icing.
And here are the cats chilling on my sofa:
W00T!
This is one of my standbys, adapted from Canadian Living magazine. It's the only one of the cookies I've done before.
Ginger Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup fancy molasses
• 1 egg
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
Preparation
In large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, molasses and egg until smooth.
In separate bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt ; stir into sugar mixture.
Shape by rounded tablespoonfuls (15 mL) into balls; roll in granulated sugar to coat. Place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on parchment paper–lined or greased rimless baking sheets.
Bake in top and bottom thirds of 375°F (190°C) oven, rotating and switching pans halfway through, until cookies spread out and tops crack, about 12 minutes. Let cool on pans on racks for 10 minutes; transfer to racks and let cool completely. (Make-ahead: Layer between waxed paper in airtight container and store for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.)
Tip: You can spice up this classic by adding 1/3 cup (75 mL) finely chopped crystallized ginger to the dry ingredients.
Another Canadian Living recipe. This one is amazing.
White Chocolate and Walnut Cookies
Ingredients
• 3/4 cup walnut halves
• 1-1/4 cups icing sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
Preparation
Line rimless baking sheets with parchment paper or leave ungreased; set aside.
In food processor, whirl walnut halves with 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the sugar until finely ground.
In large bowl, beat butter until fluffy; stir in nut mixture, then vanilla and salt. Stir in flour, 1 cup (250 mL) at a time. Sprinkle with chocolate chips; stir in. Shape by heaping teaspoonfuls (5 mL) into 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls. Arrange, 2 inches (5 cm) apart, on prepared pans. Cover lightly; chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
Bake in top and bottom thirds of 325°F (160°C) oven, rotating and switching pans halfway through, until bottoms are golden, about 22 minutes. Let rest on pans for about 3 minutes.
Sprinkle remaining icing sugar into shallow wide bowl. Working with about 6 cookies at a time, place, rounded side down, in sugar; roll to coat all sides. Place, right side up, on racks to let cool.
Press icing sugar through sieve to sift. Roll cookies again.(Make-ahead: Layer between waxed paper in airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.)
From the same issue:
Rum Balls
Ingredients
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, grated
• 1/3 cup dark rum
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles
Preparation
Line trays with waxed paper; set aside.
In large bowl, whisk icing sugar, almonds and bittersweet chocolate. Stir in 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the rum and vanilla until solid moist mass; press together. Chill until firm enough to roll, about 15 minutes.
Roll by rounded teaspoonfuls (5 mL) into balls, moistening and wiping hands with damp cloth as needed. Place on prepared trays.
Pour remaining rum into shallow bowl. Pour chocolate shot (the sprinkles) into separate shallow bowl. Roll balls in rum then in chocolate, pressing lightly to adhere. Let dry on tray, 1 hour. Refrigerate until firm. (Make-ahead: Layer between waxed paper in airtight container and refrigerate or freeze for up to 1 month.)
Here's today's accomplishment, from Martha fucking Stewart:
Lime Meltaways
Ingredients
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• Finely grated zest of 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Directions
Put butter and 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add lime zest and juice and vanilla, and mix until fluffy.
Whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Add to butter mixture, and mix on low speed until just combined.
Divide dough in half. Place each half on an 8-by-12-inch sheet of parchment paper. Roll in parchment to form a log 1 1/4 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow log. Refrigerate logs until cold and firm, at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove parchment from logs; cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Space rounds 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies until barely golden, about 13 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. While still warm, toss cookies with remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a resealable plastic bag. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 weeks.
Sabo!Tip: It's an American recipe, so way too sweet. Halve the sugar like I didn't.
Finished tins:
Ten tins, people! And I'm not even Christian.
I also made ninjabread cookies, but I'm having a hard time decorating them because, while little kids can decorate gingerbread cookies and while I have not insignificant levels of artistic ability, I fail at cookie and cake decorating forever. Besides, they weren't going to fit in the tins. So those went back in the freezer for my next party or whenever I figure out gingerbread icing.
And here are the cats chilling on my sofa:
