Cookie Factory
December 11, 2016
Conveyor:
[kuh n-vey-er]
noun
1. a person or thing that conveys.
2. conveyor belt.
-----
Not much of a blurb today; but brace yourself for recipes! I spent the day in the kitchen baking four different types of cookies for Christmas gifts, so there's not much else to chat about.
Sugar Cookies (First Set of Cookies)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of butter, softened
- 1½ cup of sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 3 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp of baking powder
- ½ tsp of salt
Directions:
01. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In separate large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat butter and sugar until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low; beat in egs and vanilla until mixed, then beat in flour mixture just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.
02. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; flatten each piece into a disk.
03. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
04. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove1 piece of dough from refrigerator.
05. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll dough until slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. With floured 3-inch to 4-inch cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible; reserve trimmings.
06. Place cookies, 1 inch apart, on two ungreased large cookie sheets.
Bake until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating cookie sheets between upper and lower oven racks halfway through.
07. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.
08. Let cool completely and decorate if desired.
Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies (Second Set of Cookies)
Ingredients:
- 7 ounces of semisweet chocolate (I used dark chocolate, I'm a rebel)
- 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons of ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon of unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger
- 1/2 cup of dark-brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
Directions:
01. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside.
02. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
03. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
04. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.
05. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
06. Roll in granulated sugar.
07. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes.
08. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Pfeffernussen (Third Set of Cookies)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups of confectioners' sugar
- 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup of firmly packed light-brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
- 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Directions:
01. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the confectioners' sugar in a brown paper bag.
02. In a medium bowl, combine flour, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and baking soda. Set aside.
03. Place butter, brown sugar, and molasses in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture; beat until just combined.
05. Pinch off dough in tablespoon amounts; roll into 1 1/4-inch balls.
06. Arrange balls 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
07. Bake until cookies are golden and firm to the touch with slight cracking, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
08. Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
09. Working in batches, place cookies in paper bag; shake until well coated. Let cool completely on wire rack.
(Store in an airtight container.)
Molasses Drops (Last Rows of Cookies)
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1/2 cup of packed light-brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
- 1/4 cup of whole milk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup finely chopped candied orange peel
- Sanding sugar, for rolling
Directions:
01. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
02. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves. Whisk in brown sugar.
03. Stir in melted butter, molasses, milk, and egg. Fold in candied orange peel.
04. Roll 1 tablespoon or 1/2 teaspoon dough into a ball. Roll in sanding sugar, and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets.
05. Repeat with remaining dough. Chill in refrigerator for 5 minutes.
06. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass.
07. Bake for 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool.
Hope everyone has had a good day.
Click "L" for a larger view.
Cookie Factory
December 11, 2016
Conveyor:
[kuh n-vey-er]
noun
1. a person or thing that conveys.
2. conveyor belt.
-----
Not much of a blurb today; but brace yourself for recipes! I spent the day in the kitchen baking four different types of cookies for Christmas gifts, so there's not much else to chat about.
Sugar Cookies (First Set of Cookies)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of butter, softened
- 1½ cup of sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 3 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp of baking powder
- ½ tsp of salt
Directions:
01. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In separate large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat butter and sugar until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low; beat in egs and vanilla until mixed, then beat in flour mixture just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.
02. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; flatten each piece into a disk.
03. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
04. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove1 piece of dough from refrigerator.
05. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll dough until slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. With floured 3-inch to 4-inch cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible; reserve trimmings.
06. Place cookies, 1 inch apart, on two ungreased large cookie sheets.
Bake until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating cookie sheets between upper and lower oven racks halfway through.
07. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.
08. Let cool completely and decorate if desired.
Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies (Second Set of Cookies)
Ingredients:
- 7 ounces of semisweet chocolate (I used dark chocolate, I'm a rebel)
- 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons of ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon of unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger
- 1/2 cup of dark-brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
Directions:
01. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside.
02. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
03. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
04. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.
05. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
06. Roll in granulated sugar.
07. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes.
08. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Pfeffernussen (Third Set of Cookies)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups of confectioners' sugar
- 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup of firmly packed light-brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
- 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Directions:
01. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the confectioners' sugar in a brown paper bag.
02. In a medium bowl, combine flour, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and baking soda. Set aside.
03. Place butter, brown sugar, and molasses in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture; beat until just combined.
05. Pinch off dough in tablespoon amounts; roll into 1 1/4-inch balls.
06. Arrange balls 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
07. Bake until cookies are golden and firm to the touch with slight cracking, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
08. Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
09. Working in batches, place cookies in paper bag; shake until well coated. Let cool completely on wire rack.
(Store in an airtight container.)
Molasses Drops (Last Rows of Cookies)
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1/2 cup of packed light-brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
- 1/4 cup of whole milk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup finely chopped candied orange peel
- Sanding sugar, for rolling
Directions:
01. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
02. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves. Whisk in brown sugar.
03. Stir in melted butter, molasses, milk, and egg. Fold in candied orange peel.
04. Roll 1 tablespoon or 1/2 teaspoon dough into a ball. Roll in sanding sugar, and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets.
05. Repeat with remaining dough. Chill in refrigerator for 5 minutes.
06. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass.
07. Bake for 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool.
Hope everyone has had a good day.
Click "L" for a larger view.