Expand your cookie repertoire for Christmas

There are few things that say Christmas more than a plate of homemade cookies. After all, who hasn’t put out a few tasty treats for Santa before heading to bed on Christmas Eve?

Cookies can be simple or elaborate, decorated or plain, but the act of melding butter, flour, sugar, eggs and other ingredients together and baking them gives a house its soul.

Just smelling some freshly baked cookies is more than enough to entice even a serious dieter to cheat a little, and a platter filled with a variety of these treats can tempt almost anyone.

Baking cookies is a tradition passed on from parent to child. It’s a lot of fun and helps to create memories that will last a lifetime. 

Here are a few tips for baking cookies:

• Use the best quality ingredients to produce the tastiest cookies.

• Always use large eggs, unsalted butter and nuts and pure extracts.

•  Successful baking relies on the correct ratio of ingredients, so be sure to measure accurately.

•  For the best results, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Do not sift unless the recipe says to do so.

•  Unless you are baking with nonstick pans and cookie sheets, use parchment paper for stick-free baking and easy cleanup

•  Chill the dough for cut-out cookies, then soften it at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling out.

•  Leave at least two inches of space between cookies so they don’t spread into each other.

•  Adjust baking times to achieve the cookie texture you crave. A little less time produces chewier cookies while a little more time makes them crispy.

While Christmas often finds families breaking out the recipes for such favorites as cut-out sugar cookies, thumbprints and chocolate chip cookies, there are plenty of other festive bites out there.

Following are a few recipes for less traditional cookies from www.thevanillabeanblog.com.

 

Rich and Chewy White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 ounces white chocolate, chopped fine

3 ounces macadamia nuts, chopped fine

Flaky salt, for sprinkling

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and baking soda.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter on medium speed one minute, until creamy. Add granulated and brown sugars and salt and beat two to three minutes on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add egg, yolk and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. 

Add chopped white chocolate and macadamia nuts and mix into the batter on low speed. Use a rubber spatula to give the dough a final mix and make sure it is completely combined.

Form dough into balls, about two tablespoons each. Place eight cookies on each of two parchment-lined sheet pans. Sprinkle each cookie with a little flaky salt, if desired.

Bake one pan at a time in a 400-degree oven for 10 to 11 minutes, rotating halfway through, until tops are golden and cookies are slightly puffed and starting to crinkle. Remove baking sheet from the oven and use the back of a spoon to gently press the center of each cookie in to flatten it. 

Let cookies rest on the sheet pan five minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cookies are best eaten slightly warm but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for as long as three days.

 

 

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies With Rosemary

1 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced very fine

1 large egg

2 teaspoons pure vanilla

2-1/2 cups rolled oats

2 ounces white chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter on medium until smooth. Add sugars and rosemary and beat  three to five minutes, until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour mixture, then mix on low until just combined. Add oats, white chocolate, and cranberries and mix on low until combined. 

Form dough into balls each about two tablespoons, and divide the 12 onto two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake in a 350-degree oven eight to 12 minutes, until the sides are golden brown and the top is just starting to brown. The very center will still be a bit pale.

Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool five minutes. Remove cookies and let cool completely on the wire rack.

 

 

Olive Oil Sugar Cookies With Pistachios and Lemon Glaze

1/3 cup roasted, shelled pistachios 

1/3 cup chopped roasted, shelled pistachios

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For glaze:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

2 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice

Pinch salt

1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Place whole pistachios in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until finely ground. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Pulse to fully combine, then set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter on medium until creamy. Add granulated and confectioners’ sugars and beat on medium two to three minutes, until light and fluffy. Add olive oil and mix on low until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add egg and vanilla, mixing on low until combined. Add flour mixture and mix on low until combined.

Gather dough, wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator two to 24 hours.

Lightly flour a work surface and roll dough to 1/4-inch thick. Using a two-inch biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out circles. Dough scraps can be rewrapped and chilled while cookies are baking. 

Gently slide a metal spatula underneath each round and transfer it to one of two parchment-lined baking sheets, 12 cookies per sheet.

Put the first baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes. After the dough has chilled, bake in a 350-degree oven 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies begin to brown on the edges, and put the second pan in the freezer. Repeat.

Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely on the pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, two tablespoons lemon juice and salt. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix together until smooth. Add more lemon juice, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Using an offset spatula or kitchen knife, spread a thin layer of glaze on each cooled cookie. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and let glaze set before serving.

 

 

Chocolate Orange Sablés

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg yolk, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/4 cup finely chopped candied orange peel

1/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

1 cup turbinado or sanding sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter on medium speed one minute, until creamy. Add sugar, orange zest and salt. Beat on medium speed two to three minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl and add egg yolk and vanilla, then mix on low speed until incorporated. Add flour and mix on low speed until just combined. Add candied orange peel and chocolate chips and mix until combined.

Transfer dough to a workspace and form into a 12-inch long log. Place on a large piece of plastic that’s a few inches longer than the log. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over each side of the log, covering the outside of the dough. Gently press sugar into the dough. Wrap log in plastic and refrigerate two hours, until firm.

Using a serrated knife, slice dough into 1/4-inch pieces and place rounds two inches apart on three parchment-lined baking pans. Bake, one batch at a time, in a 350-degree oven 14 to 16 minutes, until edges are very light golden brown and centers are still pale, rotating pan halfway through baking. Place pans on wire racks and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for as long as three days.

 

 

Buttery Vanilla Shortbread

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon fine salt

2 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sanding sugar or other coarse sugar for sprinkling

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter on medium speed one minute, until creamy. Add sugars and salt, then beat two to three minutes at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl and add egg yolks and vanilla. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Add flour and mix on low speed until just combined.

Transfer the dough to a workspace and pat into a 4-by-6-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle in half vertically. Roll and form each half into a log about two inches wide and six or seven inches long. Place log on a piece of plastic a few inches longer than the log. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of sanding sugar over each side of the log, covering the outside of the dough. Gently press the sugar into the dough. Wrap log in the plastic wrap and refrigerate two to 24 hours, until firm.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C]. Line three sheet pans with parchment paper.

Sprinkle more sanding sugar over each side of the log, if desired. Slice chilled log into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Space rounds two inches apart on three parchment-lined  sheet pans. Bake one pan at a time in a 350-degree oven 14 to 16 minutes, rotating halfway through baking, until edges are light golden brown but centers are still pale. Move pan to a wire rack and let cookies cool completely on the pan. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature as long as three days.

 

 

Half-N-Half Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

For chocolate chip dough:

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

7 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Flaky salt, optional

For double chocolate dough:

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 cups flour

7 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Flaky salt, optional

For chocolate chip dough, combine melted butter, sugars and salt in a  large bowl. Mix to combine. Add egg, yolk, vanilla, baking powder and baking soda and whisk until combined. Add flour and stir until combined. Add chopped chocolate and stir again  to incorporate all the chocolate, using your hands to knead it into the dough if necessary.

For double chocolate dough, follow the same directions but add cocoa powder to the dough along with the sugars and salt.

Form doughs into one tablespoon balls. Press one chocolate chip dough ball and one ball double chocolate dough together. Press into a cookie scoop or roll into a ball. Place eight cookies on each of three parchment-lined sheet pans. Sprinkle each cookie with a little flaky salt, if desired.

Bake one pan at a time in a 400-degree oven about 10 minutes, rotating halfway through, until tops are golden brown and cookies are slightly puffed in the middle. Remove from oven and use the back of a spoon to gently press the middle of each cookie to flatten it.

Let cookies rest on the pan five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cookies are best eaten slightly warm, but can be stored in an airtight container as long as three days.

Cookie dough can be formed and refrigerated overnight, then baked the next day. Cookies may need an extra minute to bake if chilled. Dough can also be formed into balls and frozen for two weeks. Let sit at room temperature while oven preheats. The cookies will need an extra minute if baked frozen.

 

 

Red Velvet Pan-Banging Cookies

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 large egg

2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 tablespoon red food coloring

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For icing:

3 ounces cream cheese, soft

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

2 to 4 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch salt

1 to 1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Holly sprinkles

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter on medium speed one minute, until creamy. Add sugar and beat two to three minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix on low speed to combine. Add cocoa powder, red food coloring and vanilla, and mix on low until combined. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until completely combined.

Form dough into 3-ounce balls. Place four cookies on each of three foil or parchment-lined sheet pans. Bake one pan at a time in a 350-degree oven eight minutes, until cookies have spread out but are puffed slightly in the center. Lift one side of the sheet pan about four  inches and gently let it drop down against the oven rack, so the edges of the cookies set and the center falls back down. 

After cookies puff up again in two minutes, repeat lifting and dropping the pan a few times to create ridges around the edge of the cookie. Bake 13 to 16 minutes total, until cookies have spread out and edges are set and golden but the centers are not fully cooked.

Transfer pan to a wire rack. Let cookies cool 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing them.

Melt butter in a medium bowl. Add cream cheese, two tablespoons water, vanilla and salt and whisk to combine. Add one cup confectioners’ sugar and mix with a spatula to combine. Add more sugar as needed until the desire consistency is reached. Icing should be thin enough to cling to the surface when you dip the cookie into it. If too thick, add more water to thin it.

Dip half of a cooled cookie into the icing. Decorate with holly sprinkles or other decoration, if desired. Let the icing set before serving.

 

Neapolitan Cookies

2-1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1-3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg plus 1 large yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 or 3 drops red food coloring, optional

2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder

Sprinkles or granulated sugar for rolling

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, pulverize strawberries into a powder.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter on medium speed one minute, until creamy. Add sugar and beat on medium speed two to three minutes, until light and fluffy. Add egg, yolk and vanilla and beat on medium speed until combined. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.

Dump dough onto a work surface and divide into three equal portions. Put one-third of the dough back into the mixer and add powdered strawberries and food coloring, if using. Mix on low speed until combined, then remove dough and wipe out the bowl. Place another third of dough in the mixer, add cocoa powder and mix on low speed until combined.

Pinch  about 1/2 ounce each of the strawberry, chocolate and plain doughs and press together gently, so they adhere to each other but keep their colors. Press into a cookie scoop or roll into a ball, then roll the ball in sprinkles or sugar. Place six or seven cookies on each of three parchment-lined sheet pans. Bake in a 350-degree oven 10 to 11 minutes, one pan at a time, rotating halfway through baking, until sides are set and cookies are puffed.

Transfer  pan to a wire rack and let cool five to 10 minutes, then remove cookies and let cool completely on the wire rack. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for two days.