7
CELEBRATION
COOKIES
Get caught in a Halloween spider’s web, wear your heart on your sleeve for Valentine’s Day, set off some fireworks for the Fourth of July—the most special days call for the most festive cookies.
Honey-Spice Gingerbread Townhouses
MAKES 1 DOZEN
A fragrant gingerbread cookie is the basis for these elegant and impressive townhouses. The dough is sweetened with honey and spiced with warm ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Since the flavor of gingerbread cookies improves over time, these can be displayed during the holidays and are perfect for gifting. When decorating the townhouses, remember to squeeze the pastry bag with one hand and use the other hand to guide the tip.
5½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1½ teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup honey
½ cup unsulfured molasses
Royal Icing (this page)
Fine sanding sugar, for decorating
1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. In another large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then honey and molasses. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture until well combined. Divide dough into 3 pieces, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm but still pliable, about 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Working with a third of dough at a time, roll out to ¼-inch thickness on generously floured parchment. Brush off excess flour, transfer dough on parchment to a baking sheet, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
3. Use the townhouse templates (this page) or 6-inch-tall house-shaped cutters to cut out 12 cookies. Transfer houses to parchment-lined baking sheets. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake cookies 6 minutes. Remove sheets from oven and tap firmly on counter to flatten cookies. Return to oven, rotating sheets, and bake until cookies are crisp but not darkened, 6 to 8 minutes more. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.
4. Transfer icing to a pastry bag fitted with a fine plain tip (such as Ateco #1) or a closed star tip (such as Ateco #13). Pipe designs on cookies, then immediately sprinkle with sanding sugar; tap off excess. Let cookies stand at room temperature until set, at least 2 hours, and preferably overnight. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.)
Glazed Spiced Snowflakes
MAKES 7 LARGE, 12 MEDIUM, AND 36 SMALL COOKIES
The intricate pattern on these snowflake cookies—whose spiced flavor is inspired by Speculaas—comes from an unexpected source: crocheted doilies. The design is imprinted by placing a doily on top of the rolled-out dough and then using a rolling pin to transfer it (see this page). The thicker the doily, the clearer the imprint (thin paper ones won’t do the trick).
FOR THE COOKIES
3½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
FOR THE GLAZE
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
¼ cup whole milk, plus more if needed
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Make the cookies: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. In another large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter with brown sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add half the flour mixture, then ⅓ cup water, then remaining flour mixture, beating on low after each addition until just incorporated. Shape dough into 3 disks and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
2. Working with one disk at a time, roll out to ¼-inch thickness on lightly floured parchment. Cover with a doily and gently roll to make an imprint. (Dough should now be about ⅛ inch thick.) Remove doily and freeze dough until firm, about 15 minutes.
3. Using a 5-inch snowflake-shaped cutter, cut snowflakes from one disk. Cut remaining dough disks using 3-inch and 1½-inch snowflake-shaped cutters. Chill and reroll scraps. Arrange large cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and medium and small cookies together on another; freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325°F. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are set around edges, 16 to 18 minutes for large, 12 to 14 minutes for medium and small. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.
5. Make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. If necessary, add more milk, ½ teaspoon at a time, until glaze is slightly thicker than cream. Dip each cookie, imprint side down, into glaze, tilting to evenly coat. Transfer to rack until glaze is set, about 10 minutes. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)
Double-Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN
To make this irresistible hybrid of chocolate cookie sandwich and peppermint bark, you will need two sizes of fluted cookie cutters. The larger shapes the cookie “frame” and the smaller creates the “window” to hold tiny peppermint candy pieces.
¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
⅓ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
⅛ teaspoon coarse salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 large egg, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
¼ cup peppermint candies, coarsely chopped or crushed
1. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, and salt. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter with sugar until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture and mix on low to combine. Divide dough in half, shape into disks, and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Working with one disk at a time (keeping the other refrigerated), roll out on lightly floured parchment to a scant ⅛-inch thickness. Cut out about 50 rounds with a 1¾-inch fluted round cutter. Chill and reroll scraps (if dough becomes too soft, freeze 15 minutes). Use a ½-inch fluted round cutter to cut out centers of half the rounds. Arrange rounds on parchment-lined baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Freeze until firm, 15 minutes. Brush off excess flour with a pastry brush.
3. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges of cookies are firm, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely. (You can bake the small, plain cutout rounds separately for 6 to 8 minutes.)
4. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium-high until just bubbling around edges. Remove from heat and stir in peppermint extract. Pour mixture over chocolate; let stand 10 minutes, then stir until smooth. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until firm enough to spread, about 30 minutes.
5. Spread 1 teaspoon filling on each uncut cookie; top with cut cookies. Sprinkle chopped candies in window of each top cookie. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes. (Assembled cookies can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 days.)
Gingerbread Trees
MAKES 2 DOZEN
These festive snow-tipped Christmas trees will bring color and spiced warmth to your batch of holiday cookies. We chose a fragrant gingerbread base, so the trunk would be true to form, but a vanilla sugar dough works just as beautifully. Feel free to play around with sizes if you have different tree cookie cutters—just remember to put like-sized trees on the same sheet, as the smaller ones will need less time in the oven.
6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon finely ground pepper
1½ teaspoons coarse salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup unsulfured molasses
Royal Icing (this page)
Green gel-paste food coloring
1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. In another large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then molasses. Gradually add flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Divide dough into 3 pieces; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to ⅛ inch thick. Cut out Christmas tree shapes and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until crisp but not darkened, about 20 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.
3. To decorate cookies: Tint three-quarters royal icing with green gel-paste food coloring. Transfer icing to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip (Ateco #1 or #2). Flood cookies with icing (see this page), leaving tree trunk bare. Let set at room temperature, at least 12 hours and up to overnight.
4. Place remaining white royal icing in a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip and pipe lines of snow onto branches. Let set at room temperature, about 4 hours. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)
Candy Cane Cookies
MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN
Give the candy cane a fanciful twist (literally) by making it a supersized sugar cookie, two-toned and glittering with sanding sugar. It even tastes like the original candy, due to the addition of peppermint extract.
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Red gel-paste food coloring
1 large egg white, beaten
Coarse sanding sugar, for decorating
1. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg, both extracts, and salt. Gradually add flour and mix on low until just combined. Divide dough in half. Knead food coloring into one half until desired color is reached. Form dough into disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate 20 minutes and up to overnight. (Dough can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator before using.)
2. Divide untinted dough into 12 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, shape each into a 12-inch-long log. Refrigerate until firm but pliable, about 10 minutes. Repeat with tinted dough. Twist a tinted and an untinted piece together; roll gently to form a log. Cut crosswise into 2 equal pieces; bend one end to form a cane. Repeat. Arrange on parchment-lined sheets, about 2 inches apart. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 1 hour and up to overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are firm but not taking on any color, 20 to 24 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.
4. Brush each candy cane with egg white and sprinkle with sanding sugar; tap off excess. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.)
TIP
You might want to don a pair of gloves when kneading food coloring into the dough, to avoid staining your hands.
Fruitcake Cookies
MAKES 4 DOZEN
Want to up the appeal of the iconic holiday cake? Try turning it into an enticing batch of bite-sized cookies. Like traditional fruitcake, these delights are studded with high-quality dried fruit—glacé cherries, dried papaya, and candied citron—but the delicate portion size, delicious coating of chocolate fondant, and edible gold leaf take them to the next level.
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon coarse salt
⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon baking powder
7 ounces almond paste (1 tube), cut into small pieces
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
¼ cup kirsch or brandy
1 pound (3 cups) mixed candied and dried fruit, such as glacé cherries, dried papaya, and candied citron, cut into ½-inch pieces
Poured Chocolate Fondant (this page)
Edible gold leaf, for decorating (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking sheet and line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides. Butter parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, salt, cardamom, and baking powder.
2. Pulse almond paste in a food processor until crumbly; add sugar and pulse just to combine. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add butter and, with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat until pale and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 2 tablespoons kirsch. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low, until fully combined. Beat in fruit.
3. Scrape batter into prepared sheet, smoothing top with an offset spatula. Bake until pale golden, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons kirsch. Transfer sheet to a wire rack and let cool 45 minutes. Use parchment overhang to lift out of pan; let cool completely on rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours and preferably overnight. Using a sharp knife, trim edges and cut into 1¼-inch squares.
4. Working in batches (keeping the rest refrigerated), place one cookie on a fork. Spoon fondant over top, allowing it to coat entire cookie and excess to drip back into bowl. Place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. If at any time fondant gets too thick, add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and warm in the microwave or over a pot of simmering water. Let cookies stand until set, about 30 minutes. If desired, decorate with a few flecks of edible gold leaf. (Cookies can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 5 days.)
Pfeffernüsse
MAKES ABOUT 5 DOZEN
German for “pepper nut,” pfeffernüsse cookies are traditional holiday treats, named for their nutlike size and for the pinch of pepper added to the dough before baking. Black pepper joins a quartet of warm spices—cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. We gave our glazed version an extra shot of depth, sprinkling the sweets with ground pink peppercorns to finish.
FOR THE COOKIES
2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup unsulfured molasses
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE GLAZE
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
⅓ cup whole milk, plus more if needed
¼ teaspoon kirsch or other cherry-flavored liqueur (optional)
TO DECORATE
Coarsely ground pink peppercorns
1. Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and spices. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter, brown sugar, and molasses until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Gradually add flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. (Dough will be dry and crumbly.)
2. Pinch off a heaping teaspoon of dough and, with wet hands, roll into a ball; transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining dough, spacing balls 1½ inches apart. (Dough can be frozen at this point, covered tightly with plastic wrap, up to 1 month.)
3. Working in batches, bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden and firm to the touch with slight cracking, about 15 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks to cool completely.
4. Make the glaze: Fit a baking sheet with a wire rack. In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, milk, and kirsch, if using. Using a fork, dip each cookie in glaze to coat. Tap to remove excess glaze and place on wire rack to dry. Repeat with remaining cookies.
5. Decorate: While the glaze is still wet, top cookies with a pinch of peppercorns. Let glaze dry completely before serving. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.)
Stained-Glass Sugar Cookies
MAKES ABOUT 1 DOZEN
Crushed hard candy can be tucked into sugar-cookie cutouts to produce a colorful stained-glass effect. For easy cleanup, sort candy by color and place in individual zip-top plastic bags. Cover the bags with a kitchen towel and use a rolling pin to crush (not pulverize) the candy.
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1¼ cups sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup very finely crushed hard candy, such as Jolly Rancher, in various colors, colors kept separate
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolks and vanilla and beat to combine. Gradually add flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. Working with one disk at a time, roll out dough between floured parchment to ⅛-inch thickness. Stack dough in parchment on a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. With a 4-inch ornament–shaped cutter, cut out dough. Place cookies on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using aspic cutters, cut out desired designs. Using a chopstick, punch a hole near the top for hanging, if desired. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
4. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are pale but set, about 14 minutes. Remove sheets from oven; fill cutouts with crushed candy. Continue to bake until cookies begin to brown at edges and candy is just melted, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.)
TIP
We used aspic cutters to form the interior shapes. If you don’t have any, you can use other kitchen tools for similar effects, such as an apple corer, a small biscuit cutter, or a large straw. Bake until the candy is just melted; otherwise it will begin to bubble.
Snowball Truffles
MAKES 2 DOZEN
Creamy white chocolate and flaky coconut make these festive truffles look like miniature snowballs. Technically these darling confections aren’t cookies, but with only five ingredients and a virtually effortless assembly, we couldn’t resist them.
½ cup unsalted cashews, toasted (see this page)
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus more for rolling
7 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped, plus more, melted (see this page), for rolling
½ cup heavy cream
Pinch of coarse salt
1. In a food processor, pulse cashews and coconut until finely ground. Add chocolate and pulse just to combine.
2. In a small saucepan over medium-low, heat cream with a pinch of salt until simmering. Pour hot cream mixture into food processor; pulse until well combined and chocolate is melted. Transfer mixture to a shallow bowl and refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
3. Scoop chilled mixture, 2 teaspoons at a time (use a 1⅜-inch or other small scoop), onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Roll into balls. Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
4. Place more coconut in a shallow dish. Place some melted chocolate in the palm of your hand; roll a truffle in the melted chocolate to generously coat, then roll in coconut, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with remaining balls. Refrigerate 1 hour, then transfer to an airtight container, stacking truffles no more than 2 or 3 high, and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature just before serving. (Truffles can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks.)
TIP
Use a high-quality white chocolate, such as Callebaut or Valrhona. Cocoa butter, not cacao solids, gives white chocolate its rich, creamy flavor, along with milk, sugar, vanilla, and lecithin.
Easter Chick Cookies
MAKES 3 DOZEN
Chicks and eggs are sure signs of spring—and both look sweet nestled in baskets or displayed on the dessert table at brunch. Ours are iced lemon shortbread and are simply decorated with sanding sugar, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, and candy—so it’s easy for little ones to help.
FOR THE COOKIES
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE ICING
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
Yellow fine sanding sugar, jumbo candy sequins, orange and yellow sprinkles, candy hearts, and mini chocolate chips, for decorating
1. Make the cookies: In a small bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, and continue to beat until pale and fluffy, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, about 2 minutes more. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix on low, scraping sides if necessary, until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed with fingers.
2. Shape dough into 2 disks and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F. Roll out one disk to ¼-inch thickness; cut out shapes with 2½-inch-tall egg cookie cutter. (Or use a 2½-inch-tall oval cookie cutter, and pinch one end to create an egg shape.) Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Reroll scraps and repeat. Repeat with remaining disk.
4. Bake until firm and golden, 13 to 15 minutes. For flatter cookies, tap sheets on counter halfway through baking and again afterward. Let cool completely on wire racks.
5. Make the icing: In a medium bowl, stir together confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice. Transfer icing to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip (such as Ateco #1 or #2). Flood cookies with icing (see this page).
6. For the chicks: Dip an iced cookie in sanding sugar; let dry. Dot candy sequins with icing; overlap to create feathers. Use orange sprinkles for feet, a candy heart for a beak, and upside-down mini chocolate chips for eyes.
7. For the eggs: Lay orange or yellow sprinkles in a zigzag pattern halfway up an iced cookie. Sprinkle bottom with sanding sugar. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.)
Bunny Cookies
MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN
These bite-sized sugar cookies are the minimalist’s Easter bunny—each starts with an oblong ball of dough and takes shape with just two quick snips and a couple of pokes with a toothpick. They’re as simple as can be, and will look adorable snuggled into a basket or peering over the edge of a breakfast plate.
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1 large egg white
Gel-paste food coloring in pink and lavender
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla, salt, and egg white. For pink bunnies, add 1 to 2 drops of gel for desired color; for lavender bunnies, add 1 to 2 drops. Gradually add flour and mix on low until combined.
2. For each bunny, roll 1 tablespoon dough between palms to create a 1-inch oval. Hold kitchen shears at a 30-degree angle; snip ears about ½ inch from front. (Do not cut all the way through.)
3. With a toothpick, poke holes for eyes. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, just until golden brown on bottoms, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)
TIP
Use your sharpest, finest shears to snip the ears (not large, thick kitchen shears).
Easter Egg Puzzle Cookies
MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN
You know what they say—you can’t make Easter cookies without breaking a few eggs. We took that idea to heart in creating these clever puzzle cookies. All you need to do is cut oval shapes out of sugar-cookie dough, “break” them into pieces after baking, and finish with pastel royal icing and sanding sugar. The most fun comes post-hunt, when it’s time to put them back together again.
4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon coarse salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Royal Icing (this page)
Gel-paste food coloring in violet and soft pink
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Gradually add flour mixture and mix on low until combined. Add vanilla. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Roll out dough to ⅛-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out egg shapes with a 2½-inch oval cutter; pinch one end to create an egg shape. Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. (At this point, dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 5 days.)
3. Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake cookies until edges are golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately cut cookies into puzzle pieces using a paring knife. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.
4. Divide icing into batches, and mix in a different shade of food coloring to each to tint. Arrange cookie pieces together, and flood cookies with icing (see this page). Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired. Let icing dry completely before piping dots and stripes. (Iced cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)
Fireworks Cookies
MAKES ABOUT 7 DOZEN 1¾-INCH COOKIES, 5 DOZEN 2¼-INCH COOKIES, THIRTY 2¾-INCH COOKIES, OR THIRTEEN 3½-INCH COOKIES
Put on a dazzling Fourth of July show with a display of these patriotic beauties. The decorative lines of the fireworks look a lot trickier to make than they are; all you need is a toothpick to swirl together the white and colored royal icing. We used sugar cookies, but any flat cookie will work.
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder
Coarse salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Royal Icing (this page)
Gel-paste food coloring in red, royal blue, and navy blue
1. Sift flour, baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt into a large bowl. In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, then vanilla. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 5 days. (It can also be frozen up to 1 month and thawed in refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature until soft enough to roll.)
2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Roll out dough to ¼-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut out cookies using a 1¾-, 2¼-, 2¾-, or 3½-inch round cookie cutter, rerolling scraps once. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Bake cookies until edges just start to brown, 17 to 19 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool.
4. Divide icing into batches, and mix in different shades of food coloring to each. Transfer each to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip (such as Ateco #2). Flood cookie with icing (see this page).
5. Immediately pipe a red or blue dot in the center of cookie. Then pipe concentric rings of colors around the center dot (using the same color as the dot, or alternating colors).
6. Immediately drag a toothpick through the colors to create bursts, starting from the center dot and working toward the edge; then alternate dragging inward and outward as you work around the cookie. (Or drag around the cookie in one direction or curve the lines for a pinwheel effect.) Let dry. Repeat with remaining cookies and icings. (Decorated cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)
Halloween Spiderweb Cookies
MAKES ABOUT 1 DOZEN
Your Halloween party guests will have fun working their way into the center of this alluring black-and-white web (just as the spider intended). Iced cookies are assembled in concentric circles, and then piped with black royal icing to form the web.
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
2 large eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
Royal Icing (this page)
Gel-paste food coloring in black
1. In a medium bowl, sift together both flours, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until smooth. Add milk and whisk to combine. Whisk in melted butter and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture and stir to form a smooth dough. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Using a 2-ounce scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks set over parchment and let cool completely.
3. In a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar, hot water, and corn syrup. Whisk until smooth. Using a small offset spatula, spread icing on each cookie. Return cookies to rack to drip. Allow cookies to set, about 1 hour; transfer to a serving plate and arrange in tight concentric circles.
4. Meanwhile make royal icing (it should have the consistency of toothpaste; add more confectioners’ sugar if needed). Tint royal icing with gel-paste food coloring until icing is black.
5. Transfer black royal icing to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip (such as Ateco #2). Pipe a straight line from middle of top row of cookies to bottom. Pipe a second line going across middle of cookies, from left to right. Pipe 6 more lines through center point, spacing evenly apart; lines should form 16 even wedges. Create a web pattern by piping slightly curved, swooping lines to connect spokes, starting from center, letting icing flow between cookies; let set. (Cookies are best eaten the day they are made.)
Hamantaschen
MAKES 5 DOZEN
Served during the Jewish celebration of Purim, triangular preserves-filled hamantaschen symbolize the triumph of good over evil. The cookie’s name means “Haman’s pockets,” but its shape also symbolizes the tricornered hat of the biblical story’s villain. A poppy seed filling is the most traditional, but all sorts of jams work well with this buttery version of the dough.
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs, room temperature
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon coarse salt
Store-bought jams, such as apricot, raspberry, and peach, for filling
Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling
1. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in orange zest and juice, vanilla, and 2 eggs until combined.
2. In another large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix on low until just combined.
3. Divide dough into thirds. Place each third between 2 sheets of parchment. Roll dough to ⅛-inch thickness. Refrigerate until firm.
4. Using 3-inch round and 4-inch star cookie cutters, cut out shapes from dough. For triangles: Spoon ¾ teaspoon jam on each round; then shape by lifting sides of dough toward center, over filling, and pinching seams together. For stars: Spoon ½ teaspoon jam on each; lift points of dough to center, pinching seams at center.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat remaining egg in a small bowl. Brush cookies with egg wash; sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.)
TIPS
Some dos and don’ts will help these cookies retain their shape: Do chill the dough until it’s firm, and don’t overfill the cookies with jam (too much will cause them to spread out).
PERFECTING
ICED HEART COOKIES
Pink “paint” and edible gold dust launch these iced cookie hearts on an artful streak. Here we went for diagonal stripes, but with the variations on the following page you can work color both ways for a playful plaid, or dip cookies for a full-hearted (or colorful half-and-half) edible valentine. The dough is tender, so roll it between two sheets of floured parchment to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin. Dip the cutters in flour before each cut, and dust the spatula, too, before transferring the uncooked dough to the baking sheets.
MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Gel-paste food coloring (optional)
Royal Icing (this page; optional)
Edible luster dust (optional)
Pure lemon extract (optional)
1. Make the cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture; beat until combined. Divide dough in half; form into disks, wrap each in plastic, and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Remove one disk of dough; let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Roll out to ⅛-inch thickness between 2 sheets of lightly floured parchment, dusting with more flour as needed. Cut shapes with a 2½-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Using a spatula, transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets (if dough gets too soft, chill 10 minutes). Reroll scraps and cut more shapes. Repeat with remaining dough.
3. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
4. Decorate the cookies: If using, add gel-paste food coloring to royal icing, a drop at a time, until desired color is reached. Transfer royal icing to a bowl, hold a cookie face down, and gently dip it in, letting excess drip off and tapping gently to remove bubbles. Transfer iced cookies end to end to a wire rack, set over a baking sheet or piece of parchment, and let dry completely. Dilute gel food coloring with water, then, with a 2-inch-wide paintbrush, brush across them diagonally with pink “paint.” In a small bowl, mix luster dust with a few drops of lemon extract. With a small brush, dot on gold specks. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.)
ICED HEART VARIATIONS
Dipped
Bake heart cookies and allow to cool completely. Submerge half a heart in icing and scrape off the bottom on the bowl’s edge. For gold specks, dot on edible luster dust mixed with a bit of lemon extract.
Plaid (not shown)
Pour icing into a bowl, hold a cookie face down, and gently dip it in, letting excess drip off and tapping gently to remove bubbles. Interlock iced cookies. Dilute gel-paste food coloring with water, then paint vertically and horizontally across the hearts with a 2-inch-wide brush, creating a plaid pattern.
● This cookie should be very tender. Don’t overmix the dough, as it will result in a tough cookie.
● Let the dough sit out of the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes before rolling out, so it’s easier to work with. When rolling the dough, rotate it every few rolls to ensure an even thickness.
● Use an offset spatula when transferring the cookies to baking sheets so the shapes stay intact. If the dough is getting too soft, simply return it to the fridge for a few minutes.
● Before icing the cookies, place a parchment-lined baking sheet under the wire rack to catch any icing drips and for easier cleanup.
● For the painted brushstroke and plaid decorations, place the cookies close to one another on a baking sheet. This way you can brush over them all at once. Make sure to paint with very light strokes.
● If you want an icing with thinner consistency, which is usually used for flooding (see this page), add more water. A thicker consistency is generally used for outlining and adding details.
