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These Rich Sour Cream Cookies, inspired from an old Shaker recipe, start from the same dough. From there they then can be made as a drop cookie.
AP PHOTOS
Gingerbread cookies are perfect for decorating.
There is something immensely satisfying about baking from antique recipes. More so when that recipe produces holiday cookies so unusually good I felt compelled to consume a dozen before they’d cooled.
The find was a so-called “extra rich sour cream cookie” I noticed in an out-of-print book of Shaker recipes. It’s hard to go wrong with two cups of sugar, a cup of butter and a cup of sour cream.
I expected a rich sugar cookie. But these were nothing like sugar cookies. Made as drop cookies, they puff up like pudgy macaroons, crisp and sweet on the outside, tender, cakey and rich on the inside.
Written who knows when, the recipe didn’t naturally lend itself to current cooking practices. So I tweaked it a bit, taking the mystery author’s advice for a dash of cinnamon, but ditching the rose water in favor of almond extract.
The original recipe also calls for treating this as a rolled dough to be cut with cookie cutters. If the dough is chilled for several hours, it can be done. But the dough is exceptionally sticky, and I found this a challenge.
But as drop cookies topped with cranberries, maraschino cherries or a dollop of jam, they were phenomenal.
And since you have the stove going anyway, consider tossing together a batch of gingerbread cookies. This recipe from the Culinary Institute of American in Hyde Park, N.Y., creates cookies perfect for decorating.
GINGERBREAD COOKIES
Flourless cooking spray
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 large eggs
Royal Icing (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray or line them with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, allspice and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, brown sugar and honey on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and mix until smooth and light, another 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix on low just until the dough is evenly mixed.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, pat into an even disk, cover in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Use 5 1/2- inch cookie cutters to cut out cookies. Transfer the cookies to the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
Bake the cookies until they are firm, about 10 to 14 minutes, depending on size of cutter used. Transfer the cookies to wire racks and let cool completely before decorating, if desired. Bake the remaining dough in batches as directed.
Makes 24 to 36 cookies, depending on size of cutter.
(Recipe from the Culinary Institute of America’s “Baking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America,” 2004)
ROYAL ICING
2 large egg whites (or pasteurized egg whites)
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Liquid or paste food coloring(s) as needed (optional)
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low just until they become loose, about 1 minute. Add the cream of tartar and continue mixing on low until the whites become frothy, about 2 minutes.
Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar with the mixer on low. Continue to mix until the
icing holds a stiff peak and is dull in appearance, about 2 minutes. The icing is ready to use for piping lines.
For flooding, or filling in an icing outline on a cookie, add a small amount of water to the frosting and mix until the icing reaches a looser consistency. If desired, divide the icing among smaller bowls and add coloring(s).
To store icing for later use, clean the inner sides of the bowl or container to remove any drips. Place a dampened paper towel directly on the surface of the icing and then cover the bowl very tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 5 days.
Makes about 1 cup.
(Culinary Institute of America)
RICH SOUR CREAM COOKIES
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cut into small pieces
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
Cranberries, maraschino cherries or jam, to top the cookies (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar on medium until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until smooth. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, baking soda, almond extract, cinnamon and salt. With the mixer on low, add this to the butter mixture and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed.
Increase mixer speed to medium. One cup at a time, add the flour and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for another minute.
Use a large spoon to drop balls of dough (about 2 tablespoons each) on the prepared baking sheets. Space the cookies about 2 inches apart. If desired, press a cranberry, maraschino cherry or dollop of jam into the center of each.
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until the edges just begin to brown. Let the cookies cool in the pan for several minutes, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Let the baking sheets cool completely before baking additional batches.
Makes about 40 cookies.
