These were in Foodblogga's Eat Christmas Cookies event, thanks to MyGourmetConnection. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I made these, but the result was unique and appreciated by all. I didn't use actual Limoncello, so following the instructions for the non-alcoholic version I increased the lemon extract to 1 tsp and 2 tsp of milk for the dough, along with using lemon juice for the glaze. Milk could be used too.
Dough:
2c flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2c softened butter
1c sugar
1 egg, beaten
1c ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp lemon zest
Glaze:
3/4c confectioners sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350. Cream the butter and sugar, add the egg and mix until creamy. Add the ricotta, vanilla, lemon extract and zest. Add the dry ingredients gradually; again, don't overmix or the cookies will lose structure.
Chill the dough for 30 minutes to an hour. Remove and drop cookies onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes and allow to cool completely.
In a bowl mix the glaze ingredients together. When the cookies are completely cool, drizzle the glaze over them. You can top with a sprinkle of lemon zest for an extra kick. Make sure to keep these in the refridgerator between snacks!
Showing posts with label holiday cookies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday cookies. Show all posts
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Italian Christmas Cookies
I will begin by saying one thing; nobody beats the Italians when it comes to Christmas cookies. These in conjunction with the lemon ricotta drops, which I'll elaborate on later, impressed me in a way that cookies normally don't :) Not only is it a creative and aesthetically pleasing recipe, but they have a unique flavor without being overly sweet.
I will also confess that I'm not a fan of anise or anything licorice-ey. The recipe said that the anise extract could be substituted with vanilla, lemon or whatever else you desire. I have a good bit of rosewater waiting in my cabinet and decided to put it to use here. It added an extra "something" to these cookies, but I should have used more to make the flavor really come out. This recipe makes quite a few cookies, so I'll include my modifications. Just remember that if you're not using rosewater, only use 2 tsp of your chosen extract.
A last note: I know that I'm super against shortening and hydrogenated oils and considered omitting this recipe for that reason. However, because the recipe makes so many cookies and the amount of shortening is so small I went ahead and made it with no substitutions. It seems important to the texture of the cookie, but if you have any ideas for a better substitution I'd love to hear them!
Cookies:
1/2c butter
1/4c shortening
3/4c sugar
4 eggs
3c flour
5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp rosewater
Glaze:
2c confectioners sugar
2-4tbsp milk
sprinkles or sugar
Preheat the oven to 375. Melt the butter and shortening together and add the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the rosewater then gradually add the dry ingredients. The dough should be soft but firm enough to roll into balls with your hands, if it's too sticky add a bit of flour. Roll them into small balls, about an inch in diameter -- they puff up a lot when they bake! Bake for about 8-10 minutes and allow to cool completely.
Combine the confectioners sugar and milk and dip the tops of the cookies into it. Sprinkle with sugar or sprinkles when it's wet and allow to harden, about an hour. Repeat with each cookie. These ship and present beautifully when dry!
I will also confess that I'm not a fan of anise or anything licorice-ey. The recipe said that the anise extract could be substituted with vanilla, lemon or whatever else you desire. I have a good bit of rosewater waiting in my cabinet and decided to put it to use here. It added an extra "something" to these cookies, but I should have used more to make the flavor really come out. This recipe makes quite a few cookies, so I'll include my modifications. Just remember that if you're not using rosewater, only use 2 tsp of your chosen extract.
A last note: I know that I'm super against shortening and hydrogenated oils and considered omitting this recipe for that reason. However, because the recipe makes so many cookies and the amount of shortening is so small I went ahead and made it with no substitutions. It seems important to the texture of the cookie, but if you have any ideas for a better substitution I'd love to hear them!
Cookies:
1/2c butter
1/4c shortening
3/4c sugar
4 eggs
3c flour
5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp rosewater
Glaze:
2c confectioners sugar
2-4tbsp milk
sprinkles or sugar
Preheat the oven to 375. Melt the butter and shortening together and add the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the rosewater then gradually add the dry ingredients. The dough should be soft but firm enough to roll into balls with your hands, if it's too sticky add a bit of flour. Roll them into small balls, about an inch in diameter -- they puff up a lot when they bake! Bake for about 8-10 minutes and allow to cool completely.
Combine the confectioners sugar and milk and dip the tops of the cookies into it. Sprinkle with sugar or sprinkles when it's wet and allow to harden, about an hour. Repeat with each cookie. These ship and present beautifully when dry!
Buttery Jam Cookies
Another winner from Castsugar! I needed an easy "filler" recipe, and seeing as I had just enough lingonberry jam to use up it seemed perfect. Mine didn't come out nearly as pretty as Nemmie's, but I think I overthunk it -- they would have been lovely as fork-scored rounds, similar to peanut butter cookies. Instead I just had to get all fancy and attempt to pipe them out of a freezer bag. They looked more like squished pretzels than cookies, but they still tasted great.
2c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter, at room temperature
2/3c sugar
1 large egg
2 tbsp whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 fruit jam (I used lingonberry, but anything would work)
Preheat the oven to 375. Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then add the egg and beat for about a minute. Add the milk and vanilla and beat for 30 more seconds, finish by adding the jam and beating for about one more minute. Add the dry ingredients and blend until they're just mixed in. Drop spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for around 10 minutes.
2c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter, at room temperature
2/3c sugar
1 large egg
2 tbsp whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 fruit jam (I used lingonberry, but anything would work)
Preheat the oven to 375. Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then add the egg and beat for about a minute. Add the milk and vanilla and beat for 30 more seconds, finish by adding the jam and beating for about one more minute. Add the dry ingredients and blend until they're just mixed in. Drop spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for around 10 minutes.
Cinnamon Roll Cookies
This is another recipe from Nemmie's blog, and was the hands-down favorite from the slew of holiday cookies. It's a little labor intensive, but compared to real cinnamon rolls it's a cinch. You see, I was going to make cinnamon rolls but between finals and preparing for the holidays time managed to slip away from me. I still wanted to include a spicy, cinnamony cookie in the packages when I found this recipe.
The cookies were a bit crumbly after the rolling process and I had to be really careful putting the log into the freezer. I think this problem would be solved by wetting the dough slightly before sprinkling the cinnamon sugar over it, so I'll add that step to this recipe. I also omitted the 1/2 tsp powdered egg whites, primarily because I couldn't find them anywhere. I'm sure it works great either way!
Cinnamon Sugar:
2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2c white sugar
Cookie dough:
3c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1c room temperature butter
zest of 1/2 orange
1c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze:
1c confectioners sugar
1/4c warm water or milk
Cream the butter, orange zest and brown sugar in a bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth. Combine the dry ingredients for the cookie dough and add it to the wet ingredients gradually. Make sure not to overmix so the dough doesn't lose structure.
Line a 16 x 9 inch pan with wax paper and roll the dough out. Brush the surface with a tiny bit of milk and coat with 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar. Roll it into a long log and dust the outside with the remainder of the cinnamon sugar, brushing with milk if needed. Wrap in plastic and chill for 3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350. Slice the dough into 1/4 inch thick rounds and arrange on a greased baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake 10-12 minutes and allow to cool. When the cookies are completely cooled, combine the glaze ingredients and drizzle it over them. Let the glaze dry until hardened, usually about an hour.
The cookies were a bit crumbly after the rolling process and I had to be really careful putting the log into the freezer. I think this problem would be solved by wetting the dough slightly before sprinkling the cinnamon sugar over it, so I'll add that step to this recipe. I also omitted the 1/2 tsp powdered egg whites, primarily because I couldn't find them anywhere. I'm sure it works great either way!
Cinnamon Sugar:
2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2c white sugar
Cookie dough:
3c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1c room temperature butter
zest of 1/2 orange
1c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze:
1c confectioners sugar
1/4c warm water or milk
Cream the butter, orange zest and brown sugar in a bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth. Combine the dry ingredients for the cookie dough and add it to the wet ingredients gradually. Make sure not to overmix so the dough doesn't lose structure.
Line a 16 x 9 inch pan with wax paper and roll the dough out. Brush the surface with a tiny bit of milk and coat with 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar. Roll it into a long log and dust the outside with the remainder of the cinnamon sugar, brushing with milk if needed. Wrap in plastic and chill for 3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350. Slice the dough into 1/4 inch thick rounds and arrange on a greased baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake 10-12 minutes and allow to cool. When the cookies are completely cooled, combine the glaze ingredients and drizzle it over them. Let the glaze dry until hardened, usually about an hour.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Pinwheels
This year I went all out on holiday cookies -- although I have plenty of cook books and reliable recipes at my disposal, I wanted to make some new recipes. Needless to say, when I found FoodBlogga's Eat Christmas Cookies project the possibilities for my beautifully packaged perfect cookie boxes. I was sure they would be an effortless hit, with such detailed instructions and a few days of baking time.
I'm not one to back down from a challenge, but this is a spin on the traditional pinwheel cookies (no pun intended!) which turned out to be a lot harder than everyone else had said. The dough didn't want to roll out and certainly didn't want to turn into adorable pinwheels. In frustration I made snakes out of the dough, mashed them together and wound up with marble cookies. They tasted great, but technically weren't pinwheels -- so if you're not a fan of roll-out cookie dough, feel free to arrange these however you please.
While these weren't the favorite, they were a solid hit and kept especially well. The recipe makes a lot, so make sure you have plenty of friends to give them to!
Cream Cheese dough:
2 1/4c flour
1 egg yolk
1c white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1c butter
3 oz cream cheese (this is one where you shouldn't use low fat, just get the regular stuff)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cream the butter and sugar, add the cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients and chill the dough for at least 8 hours before use, otherwise it will be too soft to work with.
Chocolate dough:
2 1/2 c flour
7 tsp cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2c butter
1c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Follow the same procedure as you did with the cream cheese dough -- cream the butter and sugar together, blend in the other wet ingredients and then add the dry gradually. Put this dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes before using, but it will not be nearly as soft as the cream cheese dough.
Roll out the chocolate dough using a "1 deep cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Do the same with the cream cheese dough. Brush the top of the chocolate layer with a tiny bit of milk and stack the cream cheese one on top. Roll the stack so the longest side ends up as the length of the roll -- for example, if you've rolled your dough into an approximately 9 x 13 rectangle, your log should be "13 rather than "9 in length.
Place in the freezer for thirty minutes to an hour. Preheat the oven to 375. Remove the log(s) from the freezer and using a sharp knife, slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide rounds. Place them about 1/2 inch apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes -- don't worry if you don't see browning, they will be done all the way through if they're sliced thin enough. Allow to cool and eat!
I'm not one to back down from a challenge, but this is a spin on the traditional pinwheel cookies (no pun intended!) which turned out to be a lot harder than everyone else had said. The dough didn't want to roll out and certainly didn't want to turn into adorable pinwheels. In frustration I made snakes out of the dough, mashed them together and wound up with marble cookies. They tasted great, but technically weren't pinwheels -- so if you're not a fan of roll-out cookie dough, feel free to arrange these however you please.
While these weren't the favorite, they were a solid hit and kept especially well. The recipe makes a lot, so make sure you have plenty of friends to give them to!
Cream Cheese dough:
2 1/4c flour
1 egg yolk
1c white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1c butter
3 oz cream cheese (this is one where you shouldn't use low fat, just get the regular stuff)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cream the butter and sugar, add the cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients and chill the dough for at least 8 hours before use, otherwise it will be too soft to work with.
Chocolate dough:
2 1/2 c flour
7 tsp cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2c butter
1c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Follow the same procedure as you did with the cream cheese dough -- cream the butter and sugar together, blend in the other wet ingredients and then add the dry gradually. Put this dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes before using, but it will not be nearly as soft as the cream cheese dough.
Roll out the chocolate dough using a "1 deep cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Do the same with the cream cheese dough. Brush the top of the chocolate layer with a tiny bit of milk and stack the cream cheese one on top. Roll the stack so the longest side ends up as the length of the roll -- for example, if you've rolled your dough into an approximately 9 x 13 rectangle, your log should be "13 rather than "9 in length.
Place in the freezer for thirty minutes to an hour. Preheat the oven to 375. Remove the log(s) from the freezer and using a sharp knife, slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide rounds. Place them about 1/2 inch apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes -- don't worry if you don't see browning, they will be done all the way through if they're sliced thin enough. Allow to cool and eat!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Rolled Sugar Cookies
Everyone can recognize a sugar cookie -- paler than a snickerdoodle and usually sparkling with some colored sugar or decorated with frosting. Most of us have been eating the storebought kind since we were kids; I was having a craving but given my aversion to shortening and lord knows what else they put in those things I decided to give rolled sugar cookies a try for myself.
I was out of waxed paper, so I just used plastic wrap and I don't think it made too much of a difference. The waxed paper is surely easier to handle though, so I recommend that. Not paying attention to the proportions, this recipe made a LOT of cookies. I wound up having to take the majority of them to my classes to share; the plus side is that I got a lot of feedback, and all of it was great. People really like these cute little cookies.
You can decorate these any way you want, I just used colored sugar. For something like sugar or sprinkles you brush a bit of water over the cookie and sprinkle it before you put them in the oven. For frosting, wait until they've cooked and cooled to decorate.
Ingredients:
3 sticks salted butter (1.5c)
2c vanilla sugar
5c bread flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
colored sugar for decorating
Whip the butter and sugar together, once it's creamy add the vanilla and eggs. This recipe is so large that you'll want to add the dry ingredients gradually, otherwise it will be impossible to mix (and a total mess if you're using a countertop mixer!) Once the dough is blended, spoon it onto a piece of waxed paper and roll to about "3-"4 in diameter. Freeze for around an hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cut the cookies into 1/2 inch rounds with a sharp knife. Bake for 6-10 minutes. My oven is notoriously slow, but for these the time on the original recipe was correct so don't overbake! If the bottoms of the cookies are getting brown, they're done. The bottoms will remain pale after they're fully cooked...just trust me on this one :)
I was out of waxed paper, so I just used plastic wrap and I don't think it made too much of a difference. The waxed paper is surely easier to handle though, so I recommend that. Not paying attention to the proportions, this recipe made a LOT of cookies. I wound up having to take the majority of them to my classes to share; the plus side is that I got a lot of feedback, and all of it was great. People really like these cute little cookies.
You can decorate these any way you want, I just used colored sugar. For something like sugar or sprinkles you brush a bit of water over the cookie and sprinkle it before you put them in the oven. For frosting, wait until they've cooked and cooled to decorate.
Ingredients:
3 sticks salted butter (1.5c)
2c vanilla sugar
5c bread flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
colored sugar for decorating
Whip the butter and sugar together, once it's creamy add the vanilla and eggs. This recipe is so large that you'll want to add the dry ingredients gradually, otherwise it will be impossible to mix (and a total mess if you're using a countertop mixer!) Once the dough is blended, spoon it onto a piece of waxed paper and roll to about "3-"4 in diameter. Freeze for around an hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cut the cookies into 1/2 inch rounds with a sharp knife. Bake for 6-10 minutes. My oven is notoriously slow, but for these the time on the original recipe was correct so don't overbake! If the bottoms of the cookies are getting brown, they're done. The bottoms will remain pale after they're fully cooked...just trust me on this one :)
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