Holiday baking

December 22, 2021

• Gingerbread Cookies

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• Ingredients
  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2/3 cups unsulphured molasses
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 and ½ cups all-purpose flour 
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  •  ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • Royal icing and candy of your choice for decoration
• Instructions
  1. In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat on medium-high speed until combined and creamy looking. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Next, beat in egg and vanilla extract on high speed for 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves together until combined. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick and slightly sticky. Divide dough in half and place each onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap each up tightly and pat down to create a disc shape. Please see the photo and description above in my post. Chill discs for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
  4. Remove 1 disc of chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator. Generously flour a work surface, as well as your hands and the rolling pin. Roll out the disc until 1/4-inch thick. 

  Tips for rolling: the dough may crack and be crumbly as you roll. What's helpful is picking it up and rotating it as you go. Additionally, you can use your fingers to help meld the cracking edges back together. The first few rolls are always the hardest since the dough is so stiff, but re-rolling the scraps is much easier. 

  Cut into shapes. Place shapes 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Re-roll dough scraps until all the dough is shaped. Repeat with the remaining disc of dough.

  5. Bake cookies for about 9-10 minutes. If your cookie cutters are smaller than 4 inches, bake for about 8 minutes. If your cookie cutters are larger than 4 inches, bake for about 11 minutes. Rotate the pan once during bake time. Keep in mind that the longer the cookies bake, the harder and crunchier they'll be.
  6. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to the cooling rack to cool completely. Once completely cool, decorate as desired.
• Source
  Source: 

  https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/best-gingerbread-cookies/#tasty-recipes-71005-jump-target

• Sugar Cookies

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• Ingredients
  •   2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  •   1 teaspoon baking soda
  •   ½ teaspoon baking powder
  •   1 cup butter, softened
  •   1 ½ cups white sugar
  •   1 egg
  •   1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. 
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
  3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on a cookie sheet for two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.
• Source
  Source:  https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/9870/easy-sugar-cookies/

• Peppermint Mocha Cookies

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• Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons espresso powder or 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup mini or regular size semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 8 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 3 large candy canes, crushed
• Instructions
  1. In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in egg, vanilla, and peppermint extracts at high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt together until combined. At low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick. Switch to high speed and beat in the chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be sticky. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough. I always chill mine overnight.
  3. Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. If the cookie dough is chilled for longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This makes the cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
  5. Scoop and roll balls of dough, about 1.5 tablespoons of dough each, into balls and place on the baking sheets.
  6. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. My oven has hot spots and yours may too so be sure to rotate the pan once during bake time. The baked cookies will look extremely soft in the centers when you remove them from the oven. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. They will slightly deflate as you let them cool. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  7. Melt the chopped white chocolate in a double boiler or (carefully!) using the microwave. For the microwave, place the white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in 15-second increments, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Dip each completely cooled cookie halfway into the white chocolate and place it onto a parchment or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top of the chocolate. Repeat with the rest of the cooled cookies. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator to help the chocolate set.
• Source
  Source: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/peppermint-mocha-cookies/#tasty-recipes-70992-jump-target