Click here to subscribe today or Login.
Tuesday, December 10, 1996 Page: 1C
Minus cookies, Christmas just another day
There are certain, immutable laws which govern the universe, one of which
reads as follows: There can be no Christmas without Christmas cookiesNo matter
how many times I’ve sworn that I will not make any cookies or that I’m going
to cut down this year, I’m always afflicted with those last-minute twinges of
guilt that somehow, my family’s holiday will not be so merry if I don’t
overwhelm them with mounds of toothsome sweetness.
And I’ve also discovered another sub-tenet of the universal cookie law: You
must always make the same cookies.
Oh, occasionally some colorful picture in a culinary monthly will tempt me
to try something new. I’m usually disappointed, although sometimes a new
recipe will be slipped into my recipe box for inclusion in the batches of
cookies I will undoubtedly produce every holiday season for the rest of my
life.
Without reservation, my favorite cookie is the simple butter cookie. Made
simply and with just a few quality ingredients, it seems to be the cookie
universal to all cultures.
It may be shaped differently or fancied up with various additions, but the
basic cookie is the same.
And there’s a reason it’s universal — the cookie is delicious and the
dough is convenient and versatile to work with. Making and freezing a few
batches of the dough in October and early November is like having money in the
bank in the form of hours saved during the hectic holiday rush.
As the recipe notes, there are countless variations on the basic theme, so
you don’t have to make numerous cookie recipes, just make lots of batches of
this one and use them creatively. (Caution: don’t mix more than two batches of
dough at the same time.)
The simple frosting recipe that follows is excellent for decorating
purposes. The inclusion of egg whites makes a thin crust on the finished icing
that helps hold the shape of your decorations. If you want a softer frosting,
eliminate the egg whites and use a little milk as directed in the recipe.
Now, there’s another basic truth that can be applied to the art of cookie
making, and that truth reads: For a full and happy life, you must have good
friends.
With a minimum of arm-twisting (and the promise of pasta and beer
afterwards), I was able to gather seven friends for a few hours of cookie
baking. What fun we had chitchatting and catching up on gossip.
And before we knew it, all the cookies were made.
My Favorite Butter Cut-Out Cookies
Makes about 4 doz., depending on size of cutters
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Mix the flour and salt together and set aside.
2. In the large bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and
fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl a few times during the creaming so that
the mixture is thoroughly combined.
3. Beat in the egg into the butter/sugar mixture, add the vanilla and mix
well.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. You will end up
with a sticky, not dry, dough.
5. Scrape the dough from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for three
to four hours or overnight. (At this point, the dough can be frozen for up to
two months. When ready to cut the cookies, just defrost the dough in the
–refrigerator about eight hours and proceed as follows.)
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
7. With a rolling pin and on a lightly floured surface, gently roll
one-half of the dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick. With cookie cutters
that have been dipped in flour, cut the dough into shapes and transfer the
cookies to ungreased baking sheets.
8. Bake for eight to 10 minutes. When the edges just start to turn brown,
the cookies are done. Do not overcook.
9. Cool on the baking pans.
Decorate or vary the recipe as follows:
1. Frost with icing. You can apply the icing with a knife, or use a pastry
bag. I prefer bagging it, and here’s a really convenient and economical way to
do it. Use heavy duty plastic sandwich or quart size storage bags. Do not use
light weight plastic bags; they tend to explode when squeezed full of icing.
After you’re mixed several different colors of frosting, fill the appropriate
number of baggies, each about one-quarter full of frosting, and make a tiny
hole in one corner of each bag. Use these bags to pipe the icing onto the
cookies.
OR
2. Before baking the cookies, sprinkle each with colored sugar and press
the crystals lightly into the dough. Bake as above.
OR
3. Melt about six ounces of semi-sweet chocolate with two tablespoons of
shortening. Place the chocolate mixture in a small bowl and dip one end of a
baked cookie in the chocolate, dragging the underside of the cookie against
the edge of the bowl to remove the excess chocolate. Place on racks or on
pieces of waxed paper to cool. While the chocolate is still warm, you can also
dip the cookie into chopped nuts, coconut or colored sprinkles.
OR
4. Make jam or chocolate sandwich cookies with heart, star or flower-shaped
cookies. Using the end of a decorating tip or some other small cutting item,
cut a hole in the center of one of the cookies before they are baked. These
cookies will be the top of the sandwiches. After the cookies are baked and
cooled, spread the bottom cookies with about one teaspoon of fine quality
seedless raspberry, blackberry, apricot or strawberry jam. Or use the melted
chocolate ~mixture in No. 3 above. Place the cut-out cookies on top and gently
press together. Dust with powdered sugar.
OR
5. Instead of rolling out the cookie dough, form teaspoons of it into balls
and place on baking sheets about one inch apart. With your thumb, make an
indentation in the center of each dough ball and fill it with about a quarter
teaspoon of fine quality jam. Bake these about 12 minutes.
OR
6. Vary the flavor of the cookies by substituting different extracts for
the vanilla: anise (two teaspoons, instead of 1 teaspoon vanilla); lemon (one
tablespoon of grated lemon rind and 1 teaspoon of pure lemon extract); pure
almond extract (1 teaspoon); or rum extract (one teaspoon).
2 cups solid white shortening, such as Crisco
4 cups sifted powdered sugar pinch of salt flavoring to taste (vanilla,
lemon, almond or rum)
1 or 2 large egg whites
1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the shortening until like
whipped cream.
2. Gradually add the sugar, salt and flavoring. Beat thoroughly, scraping
the bowl often.
3. Beat in one egg white and if icing is too stiff, beat in another.
4. If not using the egg white, add a tablespoon or two of milk
5. Alternatively, if the icing is too soft, add a little more powdered
sugar.
Pat Greenfield’s column is published every other Tuesday.
TIMES LEADER/BOB ESPOSITO Nancy Rodriguez places dough cut with cookie
cutters onto a baking sheet
