Time To Make The Cookies
Published 4:30 pm Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The holidays are a time for sweet memories, a time when home bakers pull out their favorite cookie recipes. This year, White Lily has ideas to take your cookies and creativity to the next level.
“I love the holidays because you can really have a lot of fun with desserts, especially cookies,” said baking expert Dede Fuson. “Use cookies as place cards at dinner, ornaments for your tree or toppers for an iced cupcake. Beautifully decorated cookies always shine no matter how you use them!”
Gingerbread People Cookies, made with molasses and spices, are a favorite. Gingerbread brings back happy childhood memories of decorating cookies with friends and family. Use Royal Icing (recipe below) to decorate and serve them. The icing hardens when dry, making it a favorite for durable decorations and ornamental writing.
Decorative Sugar Cookies combine the cozy flavors of butter, sugar and vanilla. Decorate these cookies with Shiny Sugar Cookie Frosting, a slightly thinner frosting that produces a shiny glaze effect. Butter Cream Frosting is also a classic because it spreads on thickly so decorations can be added with ease.
“There are three key points to remember when making decorative cut-out cookies,” Fuson added.
Chill dough until it is easy to handle before cutting into shapes. After baking, move your cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before icing them so your icing doesn't melt. Add decorations – such as sparkling sugars, candy bits or colorful sprinkles – while the icing is still wet so decorations can set.
For more holiday recipes, visit www.whitelily.com/.
3-1/2 c. White Lily flour, 2 tsp. ginger, 1-1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. cloves, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 6 T. unsalted butter, soft, 1/2 c. packed brown sugar, 1 lg. egg, 3/4 c. unsulfured molasses, Royal Icing
Whisk together flour, ginger, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses. Beat 30 seconds. Add flour mixture. Beat on low until combined (dough will be sticky). Divide dough into thirds. Spoon each third of dough onto plastic wrap. Shape into disks and wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least two hours or until firm (may refrigerate up to 2 days). Heat oven to 350 F. Using one disk at a time, place dough on floured surface and roll out to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness. Dust with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Cut out cookies with floured cutters. Place two inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes for soft cookies or 11 to 12 minutes for crisper cookies. Remove immediately to cooling rack. Cool completely. Make Royal Icing. Decorate cookies as desired. Makes 18 cookies approximately 5-inches long.
4 c. powdered sugar, 1/8 c. dried egg whites*, 1/3 c. water, food coloring
Combine powdered sugar and dried egg whites. Stir in water to achieve a spreadable consistency. Divide into several smaller bowls. Stir in food coloring. Brush frosting on each cookie using pastry brush to coat top. Add sparkling sugars and toppings of your choice while still wet, or pipe onto cookies using a pastry bag or zip-close bag with corner snipped off. Frosting will harden as it dries. Makes frosting for three dozen 2- to 3-inch cookies
*Dried egg whites are available in the baking section of the grocery store.
4-1/2 c. White Lily flour, 1 T. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. salt, 3/4 c. butter, room temp, 3/4 c. Crisco, 1-1/2 c. sugar, 2 lg. eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and shortening in large mixing bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as possible with mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Divide dough in half. Spoon each half onto plastic wrap. Shape into disks and wrap tightly. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight until dough is easy to handle. Heat oven to 375 F. Using one disk at a time, place dough on floured surface and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out cookies with floured cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugars, if desired. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until edges of cookies are slightly golden. Remove immediately to cooling rack. Cool completely. Frost with Royal Icing, Shiny Sugar Cookie Frosting or Butter Cream Frosting. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
3 c. powdered sugar, 2 T. milk, 2 T. light corn syrup, 1/2 tsp. almond, lemon or extract, food coloring
Combine powdered sugar and milk in small bowl. Stir until smooth. Stir in corn syrup and extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If too thick, add more corn syrup. Divide into separate bowls. Stir in food coloring. Dip cookies or brush icing onto the tops. Makes frosting for 3 dozen cookies.
6 T. butter, room temp, 3 c. sifted powdered sugar, 3 T. milk, food coloring, 1 tsp. vanilla
Beat butter in medium bowl with electric mixer at high speed until creamy. Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat on low until blended. Beat on medium until light and fluffy. Add more milk if frosting is too thick. Divide into bowls. Stir in food coloring. Makes frosting for 2-1/2 dozen cookies.
