Holiday Cookies
It's mid-December and the past few months have flown by. I've made these Ginger Molasses Cookies about 20 times already before finally succumbing to the holiday spirit to make these Holiday Cookies.
Holiday cookies were never my favorite. They seemed dull and tasteless, sometimes totally terrible. But with my trusty ATK baking book in hand, these cookies were a hit! I usually take recipes and rework them, but this was the one time when I didn't dare.
We also ran out of red food coloring...so the cookies are blue and green.
Recipe (from America's Test Kitchen)
*If you don't have superfine sugar, process 1 cup granulated sugar in a food processor for about 30 seconds, then measure out 3/4 cup. Dough scraps can be patted together, chilled, and rerolled one time.
2 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup superfine sugar
pinch of salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, softened
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
Whisk flour, sugar, salt together in large bowl.
Use mixer to beat in butter into the flour mixture, one piece at a time.
Continue to beat until crumbly and slightly wet.
Beat in cream cheese and vanilla until dough begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds. Knead by hand until forms large cohesive mass.
Transfer to clean counter and divide into 2 even pieces.
Press into 4 in disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 1/8 in. thickness
With dough sandwiched between parchment paper, refrigerate for about 10 minutes.
Preheat to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Stamp out cookies with cookie cutters, transfer to baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.
Bake 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.
Let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Cookie Glaze
2 cup confectioner's sugar
3 tbsp whole milk
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
food coloring (optional)
Whisk all ingredients until smooth.
Holiday cookies were never my favorite. They seemed dull and tasteless, sometimes totally terrible. But with my trusty ATK baking book in hand, these cookies were a hit! I usually take recipes and rework them, but this was the one time when I didn't dare.
Recipe (from America's Test Kitchen)
*If you don't have superfine sugar, process 1 cup granulated sugar in a food processor for about 30 seconds, then measure out 3/4 cup. Dough scraps can be patted together, chilled, and rerolled one time.
2 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup superfine sugar
pinch of salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, softened
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
Whisk flour, sugar, salt together in large bowl.
Use mixer to beat in butter into the flour mixture, one piece at a time.
Continue to beat until crumbly and slightly wet.
Beat in cream cheese and vanilla until dough begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds. Knead by hand until forms large cohesive mass.
Transfer to clean counter and divide into 2 even pieces.
Press into 4 in disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 1/8 in. thickness
With dough sandwiched between parchment paper, refrigerate for about 10 minutes.
Preheat to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Stamp out cookies with cookie cutters, transfer to baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.
Bake 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.
Let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Cookie Glaze
2 cup confectioner's sugar
3 tbsp whole milk
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
food coloring (optional)
Whisk all ingredients until smooth.
These cookies are deliciously melt-in-your-mouth crispy, and decorating them is so much fun. Set aside a holiday afternoon or morning to make these, and then you're on your way to spreading some holiday cheer! The more helper elves you have in your kitchen, the faster the time flies. ;)
ReplyDeleteEm & M have done it again!