Sugar Cookies Are a Joy to Make

Last weekend I made Sugar Cookie Cutouts, which brings me only to Cookie No. 4 of 20! These cookies are kicking my butt this year. Especially since I decided to make 20 different kinds to mark 20 years of Our Cookie Journal. 

Sugar Cookie Cutouts are always a huge process anyway because they normally take two to three days to finish completely, especially if you're trying to be organized. First I had to select my cutters from a huge collection. I decided to take it easy on myself this year and chose only four (JOY, holly, tree and snowflake) and three colors (red, white and green). I used Martha Stewart's recipes for Sugar Cookies and Royal Icing because they're foolproof and very familiar. I usually do a few more shapes and also make blue and yellow icing but I'm trying to rein it in a bit. HA!

I made the dough the day before, so it was nice and chilled, as it should be, when I rolled it out. I try to cut the cookies as close together as possible because this dough can get tough if you re-use it too many times. I always squeeze the scraps together, flatten out the dough, cover it in plastic wrap, and stick it back in the fridge before using it again too. Once the cookies are cut out, I transfer them to parchment paper-lined baking trays, then put them in the fridge to set. This helps the cookies retain their shape, with nice sharp edges (making them easier to decorate later). If you don't use your fridge and these steps for your sugar cookies, they're going to melt as you go and they'll look a bit wonky.

It's best to keep the same shapes on the same trays, too — that way the smaller ones won't get over-baked. And don't worry if some of them become too golden brown on the edges — icing is going to cover a myriad of mistakes! Remove the cookies from the oven as soon as they start to brown on the edges and are set— even before they seem ready — because they continue to bake on the sheets. Then put them cool on wire racks to cool completely. I put the cooled cookies into covered cake pans until they're ready to ice (later that day or the next day). 

Meringue powder might be expensive but it's worth it. I haven't used egg whites in Royal Icing for over a decade. It's just too easy to use and safe for anyone with whom you share your cookies (raw egg whites can be dangerous for some folks!). I separate the icing into bowls (matching the amount of colors to be used) and add gel paste food coloring (this is important: liquid is out, OK? It changes the consistency of the icing if you add too much and the colors aren't as vibrant). Use skewers or toothpicks to remove the gel paste; then use spoons to mix to the desired color.

Keep the icing covered when you aren't using it or it will dry and harden. That's a good reason to keep a wet cloth handy to wipe up any spills too. Before I mix my icing, I get out all the things I might need, including piping bags and tips; clips or rubber bands to securely close the piping bags; a toothpick or two for tweaking mistakes; a few small plates, to keep sprinkles at bay when decorating cookies; a tall glass with a wet paper towel in the bottom of it to hold the icing bag when it's not in use (the paper towel keeps the tip from drying up); and trays to corral the decorated cookies that need to dry.

I also get out a tray and sort out the decorations that I'm likely to use (sometimes I don't know what will work or appeal to me until I try it). There are so many choices now: dragées, nonpareils, colored sugars, sanding sugars, edible glitter, edible spray, colored pens, etc.). 

Always outline Sugar Cookies first with icing as it is. This gives the icing a border and it won't run all over the place. After you've outlined the cookies, thin out the icing so that when you drizzle it onto itself (in the bowl) the ribbon of icing sinks in almost immediately. This consistency will be perfect for flooding the outlined cookies. Do three or four at a time, then add decorations while the icing is still wet. 

In the vein of giving myself a break, I decided to do my snowflakes differently. I simply decorated with lines of outline-consistency icing, then topped in a variety of ways. (As you can see, some of mine over-baked; those will be eaten by me and NO I did not do it on purpose so I could have more to myself.)

I was equally carefree about my candy canes this year. I reckoned that as long as they were red and white, they were suitable and I created my "interpretation" of candy canes.

I put the most effort into my JOY cookies because it's one of my favorite cutters. These take planning because you have to outline, fill and decorate x 3 (one for each letter in JOY). They are so cute though that it was worth it. If I weren't making 20 different cookies this year, I would have spent more time on all of these to be sure (like last year's Sugar Cookies). 

I wound up with 9 1/2 dozen Sugar Cookie Cutouts. I let them dry completely (usually overnight because I don't normally finish till the wee hours) before stacking them between layers of parchment paper in a tin or similar container. Then they go into the freezer with the rest of the cookies until it's time to tray or box them up for giving/sharing/eating. 

Remember, Sugar Cookies are so very versatile. There are people out there who can make cookies that look too good to eat. Yours can be works of art, too, if you enjoy this kind of activity. But they can be fun to make with children if you aren't so picky about the results. Just cover the table and let them go nuts! Icing isn't mandatory either; sugar cookies can be sprinkled with decorations before they bake and go straight into the cookie jar or lunchbox.

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

As is tradition in many European countries, St. Nicholas leaves coins and treats for children on Dec. 6. He is the legendary forerunner of our modern-day Santa Claus. He was the Bishop of Myra (now part of Turkey) and had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him. He is the patron saint of children (but also students, sailors, archers, pawnbrokers and thieves!).

Last year on this date, I made Speculaas Koekjes (Dutch Spice Cookies) but I had to make a slice-and-bake version because I didn't have a cookie mold in the shape of Sinterklaas. 

I still don't. I really thought I'd find one in my shoe this morning, or even in my stocking for Christmas last year but the only shoes that were filled last night were Charlie's! Even though my family has never celebrated St. Nicholas Day, my love for cookies led me to this holiday and its traditions (and my son was more than happy to join). 

I guess I will have to get a mold or stamp myself. They are making a comeback, from the searches I've done. There are many on eBay, vintage and new, made of everything from wood or ceramic to metal or even silicone. I much prefer the look of the old ones; but the new ones might be easier to use. This calls for more research. The mold/stamp above is from Rycraft, a family-owened business that produces terra cotta stamps in a variety of designs. Again, I'm going with traditional — St. Nicholas all the way!

Between decorating the tree for another upcoming holiday, and baking 5 dozen Cinnamon Swirl Cookies Tuesday, I didn't have much energy left for cookie baking Wednesday but I managed to get two doughs made and stashed in the fridge. I'm going to make Sugar Cookie Cutouts this weekend (it's a looooong process) and I baked Grandma Baker's Overnight Cookies yesterday.

Overnights are SO easy. It only takes a few minutes to whip up the dough, which is made from simple ingredients everyone is bound to have on hand (brown sugar, eggs, butter, flour, baking soda). They also call for cream of tartar, a funny spice that usually winds up near the back of my spice cabinet because it's not that much in demand. Technically known as potassium hydrogen tartrate, its a white owner that is most commonly used to add stability to egg whites. In this recipe, it keeps the sugar from crystallizing and gives the dough a creamy texture.

I added pecans to half the dough because Charlie really likes these cookies but he doesn't like nuts. I shaped the dough into logs, sealed them in plastic wrap, and put them in my trusty paper towel tubes before placing them in the fridge — overnight. Since I was finished for the evening, Charlie and I had a Christmas video marathon: "Frosty the Snowman," "Frosty Returns" and "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown."

The next morning was a breeze — just slice, bake, slice, bake — it was all very assembly-line-ish. I topped both varieties with sugar crystals to make them a bit more special for the holidays.

This year I halved the recipe and still wound up with 3 dozen of each type! That is one family-sized recipe Grandma Baker used. Since I'm shooting for 20 different cookies this year to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Our Cookie Journal, I'm mostly sticking to single batches. Naturally, there will be exceptions (Chocolate Chip Cookies, for sure!).

So, I hope you will have a Happy St. Nicholas Day and bake some Speculaas, or try my Grandma Baker's Overnight Cookies, which I have named Cookie No. 3 of 20 in the 20-cookie celebration of the cookie diary's anniversary.

His and hers: Mine have pecans (left) and his don't.

Celebrate National Cookie Day!

It's National Cookie Day, so I'm celebrating with a batch of Cookie No. 2 of 20 cookies to celebrate 20 years of Our Cookie Journal: Cinnamon Swirl Cookies. It's Martha Stewart's recipe but I've made a few tweaks to suit my own taste — naturally! To wit: the recipe calls for walnuts and I used pecans instead; I didn't put orange zest in the dough this year either. Don't get me wrong — they're good her way. In fact, I followed the recipe exactly last year. But I was looking for a Snickerdoodle replacement because I'm never happy with the cinnamon-to-cookie ratio and these looked like they would do the job nicely. And they did — but this year without the orange zest.

I've always found recipes to be quite stingy with fillings and toppings too. They never seem to provide enough. I wish I had noted this last year (maybe I did; I forgot to review) but I will definitely be doubling the filling portion of this recipe next time I bake them. They still turned out nice but I am greedy for that cinnamon-pecan-brown sugar filling!

Get started early with these (or the night before) because the dough has to go in the fridge (or freezer) a few times.

The dough for Cinnamon Swirls is sticky, so be sure you have your plastic wrap ready on the countertop. Go ahead and shape it into a rectangle, since that's the ultimate shape you're going for when you roll the dough. First, it needs to go in the fridge for at least an hour.

When you bring it out, place it on a floured piece of parchment or plastic wrap, so it can be transferred to a baking tray and returned to the fridge to firm up again. After you get both rectangles in the fridge, you can concentrate on the filling.

Not only do I prefer pecans to walnuts (in baked goods), I decided to toast them too. I toast them first, then chop them. I make the filling in a large liquid measuring cup, so I can divide it equally between the two rectangles. The filling is spread onto each chilled rectangle, then rolled from the long side, to create a spiral. I found it infinitely easier to use plastic wrap than parchment paper (which Martha advises); it made rolling the dough a snap.

I always keep paper towel tubes on hand with my cookie supplies. I cut a slit lengthwise, then place the cookie dough log inside and stash in the fridge or freezer. The tube helps the roll hold its shape (so you don't wind up with one flat side). You must work quickly, though, slicing the cookies into 1/4-inch-thick coins, and returning the logs to the fridge whenever you aren't slicing. I also store sliced cookies that have been trayed in the refrigerator as they're queuing to go into the oven.

Cinnamon Swirl Cookies make a delicious choice for National Cookie Day but they're even better for Christmas. If you find yourself too busy to bake today, you can always make No Bake Cookies, which we used to call School Fudge, and save the pinwheels for the weekend. They are one of the easiest cookies in the world to make.

Cinnamon Swirls are definitely worth a try though! They're so great because you can make the dough (and filling) ahead of time and either refrigerate or freeze until you have a bit of time to bake. They are delicate, fragrant and delicious every time. I love the chewiness the filling provides between each tender cookie swirl.

Happy Anniversary, Our Cookie Journal!

Cookie No. 1: Hedgehog Cookies

As I've said in previous posts, I'm marking 20 years of keeping a journal about baking Christmas cookies this December. My sister gave me the blank diary and I've tried to make entries every year — some were better than others (years, entries and cookies!).

To celebrate, I decided I would make 20 different types of cookies this Christmas. I will make a few standards that we cannot live without, add a few winners from last year, and I hope to discover a few yummy new treats to add to my recipe repertoire. I'm re-reading the journal (as I do every year), collecting ingredients and new recipes, and getting ready for Christmas cookie baking!

Ever since Charlie has been able to voice his preference, I have started the Christmas cookie season with his favorite: Choc-Oat-Chip Cookies. If you read this blog, you already know that we call thoseHedgehog Cookies because our standard cookie jar is Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle jar and I try keep her stocked with his faves off-season. This time of year, I suppose we could call them Snowman Cookies, but Charlie's nickname has stuck.

They're so easy to make because I don't have to chill the dough, most of the ingredients are quotidian, and I have a KitchenAid stand mixer! I love looking back on the early journal entries, when we made all these goodies by hand! I nearly always make a double batch and stash half in the freezer.

We found the recipe in our old edition of "Joy of Cooking" by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker (1975, The Bobbs-Merrill Co., Inc.).  It's a classic and I've never altered it.

I usually read a recipe over before I start (except these, because I know them by heart after all these years!). But it's a good idea to plan the steps of the recipe before throwing ingredients into the bowl. Most people get their ingredients assembled, at the very least, along with any tools needed, such as a bowl for the dry ingredients, a rubber scraper or measuring cups and spoons.

Butter might need to be softened; nuts chopped; dough chilled. If a recipe calls for sifted dry ingredients in a bowl, though, I put them in a large measuring cup and use a whisk. So easy. And if I forget to soften the butter or leave eggs out to get room temperature, I can nuke the butter for about 10 seconds at a time until my thumbprint makes an indent; and leave eggs in warm water for 10 minutes.

I get the cooling racks and a cookie turner at the ready on the table. I line the baking trays with parchment paper, which I reuse for the whole yield, turning the paper after each use. Works a charm! If I'm baking a lot of cookies or I can't get many on a tray, I add more sheets to the rotation so the trays are cool whenever I'm dispensing cookie dough from my trusty scoop. If I'm making dough that needs to be refrigerated, I put the squares of plastic wrap on the counter before I get dough all over my hands.

So please read over the recipe, get everything together, and try Hedgehog Cookies (or Choc-Oat-Chip Cookies), the 1st cookie of 20 to celebrate 20 years of Our Cookie Journal.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cream:

1/2 c butter

Add and cream well:

1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 c granulated sugar

Combine and beat until smooth:

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp milk

Sift together and add to the above ingredients: 

1 c sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp double-acting baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

When beaten smooth, add:

1 c uncooked quick rolled oats

Add:

3/4 c chocolate chips

Beat the mixture well. Drop cookies 2 inches apart on a well-greased cookie sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown.

Yield: about 3 dozen

I'm so Chexcited!

 I was so Chexcited about getting a care package from Mom that I was tracking it with Parcel, a great iPhone app that lets you follow the trail of parcels you send and/or receive. After Mom mailed it from Louisville, Ky., Nov. 22, she gave me the tracking number. Using the app, I knew it was in Chicago the next day; reached the UK International Hub on Thanksgiving Day; and on to the Oxford Depot Friday. So I knew that Mark (or somebody with Parcel Force) would bring what I had dubbed "Chex box" on Friday.

I couldn't wait for the package because I wanted to make Chex Party Mix so much! I even measured out the rest of the ingredients, got out the roasting pan, and I had the 1-cup measurer lying on the counter in wait — let's get this Chex Mix party started, right? I had a loaf of Pumpkin Bread from Thanksgiving enrobed in foil and tied with raffia at the door for whoever brought my treasure box. Finally, Mark came about 5 p.m. and as soon as we gladly exchanged our packages, I was off to mix my cereal squares together for the first official holiday batch of glorious Chex Mix. Yes, I love it that much. It's — yes, I'm going to say it — Chextreme how much I love it.

We were nibbling on it as it dried on paper towels. We snacked on it later while we watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" on the ol' VCR. We must have had it for breakfast too because it is gone! And there are only two of us eating it. This madness must stop! But it's Chriiiiiiiistmas!! So, I made another batch and we will have to just go easy on it, I told my son.

I was tempted to finish up the cereals and make another batch but I thought it would last longer if I didn't. I did, however, measure out all the dry ingredients, with seasonings separate, so I can whip up a batch as soon as is necessary!

I found some great snowflake-shaped pretzels at Sainsbury's and I used pecans and cashews. I also add a 1/4 teaspoon of celery salt to mine, as was traditional when my Grandma Baker made it when I was a kid. She also used Cheerios and called it "Nuts and Bolts." Lisa and I used to add Bugles but I don't anymore.

I have always complained that the three boxes of cereal should be the same size (or at the least, do a special promo for Christmas). You can just about get three batches out of three boxes but the wheat is always light. That's nine cups each, but you only get seven cups of wheat. So, I make one regular batch, then the next two have two cups of wheat each, and an extra cup of corn/rice to make up for the loss. I know I'll get one more care package from Mom before Christmas. And it will have three boxes of Chex cereal in it. But next year, I'm going to start with four (an extra wheat), so I have enough wheat to make every batch Chexceptional.

Giving Thanks

As I've said in here before, Our Cookie Journal turns out to be about more than cookies. Right now, I'm waiting for a care package from Mom that contains the Chex cereals I need to make Chex Party Mix (or my holiday is not complete!). And I made a lovely Pumpkin Pie the day before Thanksgiving and used an oak-leaf cookie cutter to make cutouts to line the pie crust. 

But it's not just because we've always loved cakes and pies and other holiday treats. Our Cookie Journal is about our friends and family, who become as much a part of these entries as they are a part of our lives. I shared photos of my pie online with my cousins, who had pictures of their pies: cherry, lemon and pumpkin. I didn't see any "nasty" Sugar Pies though. My dad's Buckeye relatives usually have those for Thanksgiving and Christmas and I've never liked them: to me, they're like Pecan Pies without the pecans!

Naturally, I thought of Dad too when I baked Pumpkin Bread because I always consult the journal to double-check the recipe and to fondly recall how much he loved to bake it (and share it) when he was alive. And my sister Lisa, co-founder of Our Cookie Journal, always makes me laugh and cry because I miss her as I bake my way through every season, and I'll never forget her Un-Pumpkin Bread. It's not that I don't think of them throughout the year — I always do — but it seems more keen at the holidays because family is so much a part of the festivities.

Heather, Aunt Mary and Dew

This year, as I look forward to Christmas cookie baking (and sharing) and as I've celebrated Thanksgiving with my son and prepared our feast, I've been enveloped in an aching sadness for my cousin, Heather Brion, who died this week.  Even though she lived in Virginia (where my aunt — her mother — also moved), I always think of her as one of my Buckeye cousins. 

We connected again on FaceBook (it really is good for some things) and I got to see her again at a Baker Bash a few years ago in Gibsonburg, Ohio. I take great pleasure in that. And I find comfort in my memories, particularly at holidays, when my father would pile us into the car and "head up home" to visit his family in Ohio, especially at Thanksgiving or Christmas. There was always a Sugar Pie and I know that Heather loved them as much as my dad did (and she'd tease me about not liking them). And it tasted of love and home and family for each of them.

The "Buckeye" cousins

So despite feeling thankful for my health, my family and all that we have, I couldn't help but feeling guilty for celebrating when poor Heather was gone and my Aunt Mary and Uncle Terry would be missing her particularly sorely. I found some solace in the fact that Heather is no longer in pain, from which she was suffering before her death as a young adult. And my aunt and uncle (and Heather's boyfriend, Dew) have the support of family and friends to help them through this difficult time. 

I find it poignant as we raised our glasses to toast her sense of humor, her fondness for animals, her strong political views and activism, and her love for her family — that she was giving of herself, even after her death. As an organ donor, Heather helped four other people in a massive way that will significantly alter some other lives forever. And those people and their families will remember this Thanksgiving as the best one ever because of the generous heart of someone they'd never met: Heather Brion, my cousin. As another Buckeye cousin, Jeanette (now living in North Carolina), put it: "What a legacy to leave."

Aunt Mary said she was going to a Thanksgiving dinner but she would not be making a Sugar Pie this year like she always has for Heather. I understand that: Mom shoved a tray of Christmas cookies onto  the floor shortly after Lisa died because the grief was just too raw to make merry, or cookies. 

But I know that one day, Aunt Mary will be able to bake a Sugar Pie again — and she'll savor the taste of love and home and family. 

Rustle Up a Pile of Autumn Leaf Sugar Cookies

Thanksgiving came and went too quickly!

I started craving Pumpkin Bread last week but couldn't find time to make it till Tuesday this week! It was time to buy some Philly and get serious. I used Mom & Dad's recipe, of course — dividing the aromatic, amber mixture into five aluminum pans I'd sprayed with Pam. When they were enrobed in foil, I put all but one in the freezer. Neil and I polished off one by Thursday, so I had to have pumpkin pie for breakfast Thanksgiving morning because they were all frozen.

I wound up giving one loaf to the butcher Wednesday when I went to pick up our turkey breast. They knew I'd be celebrating Thanksgiving but I've added a strictly British staple from the Christmas dinner to my Thanksgiving menu: chipolata sausages. They are the perfect combination with the turkey and gravy. And he contributed them free of charge to our Thanksgiving table, as a thanks for the Pumpkin Bread. How nice!

My son doesn't like Pumpkin Pie, which is my traditional Thanksgiving dessert, so I rustled up a pile of Autumn Leaf Sugar Cookies just for him Tuesday. It's a very easy recipe, no frosting or decoration required — just a standard sugar cookie recipe, to which you add seasonal food coloring. You can also add other extracts, zests or flavorings, if you like.

I usually go with Martha Stewart's sugar cookie recipe but I used another one that I found when I made Candy Corn Swirl Cookies for Charlie's Halloween party. They vary very little. I got to use my new canisters that I bought at Sainsbury's too. I bought them to put on the counter, where they'll be easy to use as the holiday baking blitz begins!

I divided the dough into thirds (about 1 cup each), got a gob of food coloring paste onto a toothpick and smeared it onto each dough ball. After kneading the color into the dough, I shaped them into discs, wrapped them in plastic wrap and refrigerated them for two hours (or overnight).

Now for the fun part: I unwrapped the dough, tore off random bits from each color and created an autumn mosaic of dough! There's no way of getting it wrong, really. Just mix up the colors and roll. They're like tie-dyed cookies. I kept the dough I wasn't using in the fridge till I was ready for it.

After getting the dough going on a floured countertop, I moved it to a parchment-lined baking sheet, while it was still easy to handle. Once I rolled it to about 1/4-inch thickness, I put the cookie tray in the freezer for about 10 minutes (while I got another sheet going).

I brought out the cold, kaleidoscopic dough sheets and cut out the cookies, right on the trays, lifting the dough away, instead of moving the cookies from a counter to the trays. This method helps any cut-out cookie keep its shape during the baking process.

After getting all the cookies cut out and the unused dough laid onto the counter, the cookies went back in the freezer for another five minutes before baking.

I always watch sugar cookies carefully, not letting the edges brown, usually going with the minimal amount of time called for in a recipe because they keep on baking on the trays. They cooled on the rack, except for a couple that Charlie and I grabbed while still soft and warm.

The dough that's been laid aside now needs to be rolled out again, forming a new mosaic. Each time it looks different, just like in nature! These are so great because you can't go wrong. Of course, the more times you roll out the dough, the more homogenized the colors become, so after the third time, it's like that cricket-colored brown of yucky leaves that collect near the gutter after it rains. I didn't make any like that but I'm sure they would still get eaten. Each time you roll out a new mosaic, freeze it till you can work with it again.

I used my copper maple leaf cutter and yellow, red and orange doughs. The cookies were cute and colorful and had a yummy, simple flavor that Charlie likes. I wouldn't mind a sprinkling of colored sugar or a citrus extract or zest on mine next time.