WESTTOWN SCHOOL presents HOLIDAY COOKIE RECIPES 2011 happy holidays and best wishes for the new year
ORANGE-CHOCOLATE ROUNDS Makes 60 cookies 1 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder and salt. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Stir orange peel into one dough half; stir melted chocolate into the other half. If necessary, cover and chill about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle. Shape each half of dough into a 10-inch long roll. Wrap each roll in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Chill for 2 hours or until firm. Cut each chilled roll lengthwise into quarters; reassembling rolls, alternating chocolate and orange quarters. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes or until firm. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place slices 1-inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 7-9 minutes or until edges are firm and lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool. Source: Cookies For Christmas by Jennifer Darling
Banana-Walnut Chocolate-Chunk Cookies Makes about 3 dozen 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1 large egg 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large) 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 8 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch chunks 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (about 2 ounces), toasted Preheat oven to 375 F. Whisk together both flours, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Put butter and both sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, choclate chunks, and walnuts. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, 12 to 13 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.
KISSES CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES Makes about 4 dozen cookies 48 HERSHEY S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates or HERSHEY S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates with Almonds 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup HERSHEY S Mini Chips Semi-Sweet Chocolate CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE (recipe follows) Heat oven to 375 F. Remove wrappers from chocolates. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add flour to butter mixture; blend until smooth. Stir in small chocolate chips. Mold scant tablespoon dough around each chocolate piece, covering completely. Shape into balls; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Prepare CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE; drizzle over each cookie. CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE: Place 1/4 cup HERSHEY S Mini Chips Semi-Sweet Chocolate and 1 teaspoon shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 30 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth when stirred.
Forget Me Not Cookies 2 egg whites ½ cup sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional) ½ teaspoon vanilla Makes 36 cookies Set the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two 14 inch by 16 inch baking sheets with parchment paper. Place egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip until foamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold in salt, chocolate chips, walnuts, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoons onto baking sheet. Place in preheated oven. Close door and turn off oven. Do not open door. Keep cookies in oven for 6 hours or over night until cool. Peel cookies carefully from parchment paper.
SPRITZ COOKIES SWEDISH BUTTER COOKIES Makes 100 cookies 1 lb. butter, no substitute 1 cup sugar 1 egg, well beaten 1 tsp. vanilla 4 cups flour, sifted Preheat oven to 400; use top rack. Cream softened butter thoroughly; add sugar gradually and cream until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well; add vanilla. Add sifted flour gradually to mixture. Beat well after each addition of flour; work in all flour. Put dough through cookie press in desired shapes. You may add sugars/sprinkles to decorate. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 4-5 minutes or until bottom is golden.
Snowball Cookies 1 cup powdered sugar 3 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp. baking powder 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift powdered sugar in a large bowl. Stir in flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Gradually add dry ingredients to beaten mixture, beating until smooth. Blend in nuts. Roll dough into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 7 to 8 minutes. Let cool on wire rack. When completely cooled, drop in powdered sugar to coat.
Gingerbread Men Makes about 24 (5-inch) cookies 3/4 cup - firmly packed Domino Light or Dark Brown Sugar 1/2 cup - butter or margarine, softened 2 - eggs 1/4 cup - molasses 3 1/4 cups - all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons - ginger 1 1/2 teaspoons - baking soda 1/2 teaspoon - each: allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt Sugar Icing (recipe below) Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease cookie sheets. Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and molasses. Stir together remaining ingredients in medium bowl. Gradually add to sugar mixture until well blended. Refrigerate dough 1 hour or until easy to handle. On well-floured surface, roll out half of dough at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool on rack. Decorate with sugar icing as desired. Sugar Icing: Combine 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Domino Confectioners Sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and food coloring as desired.
Santa Hats 2 egg whites, at room temperature 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup sugar Red colored sugar Heat the oven to 200º F. With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks start to form. Beating all the while, add the cream of tartar and vanilla extract, then slowly add the 1/2 cup of sugar. Continue to beat until the peaks stiffen. Spoon the meringue into a quart-size plastic bag. Snip off a corner and pipe 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch-tall Santa hat triangles onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (you should have about 1/4 of the meringue left). Sprinkle the triangles with the red sugar, then use the remaining meringue to give each one a pom-pom and trim. Bake the hats until they re hard but not browned, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the hats in it for an hour to crisp before removing.
METROPOLITAN BAKERY CHOCOLATE CHIP and DRIED CHERRY COOKIES Makes about 18 large cookies 1 cup rolled oats 3 cups all purpose flour 1 3/4 tsp. baking powder 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 1 3/4 cups light brown sugar 3 large eggs 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 3 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chunks 1 1/4 c. dried tart cherries 4 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt Using a food processor (or blender), grind oats into a fine flour. In a bowl, sift all-purpose flour with baking powder and baking soda. Add oat flour and kosher salt Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate and cherries. Using a large ice-cream scoop, portion cookie dough into 18 balls. Place cookies on a parchment-lined tray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.
continued... Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place cookies on an ungreased baking sheet 2 inches apart. Press slightly to flatten cookies and sprinkle each cookie with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Bake until cookies are golden brown around the edges. 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Makes 18 cookies. **Tip Use high quality pure not imitation vanilla extract for this recipe. **Tip Look for bittersweet chocolate that s 60 to 70% cacao. Recommended brands Callebaut and Scharffen Berger. ** No the oats don t make these cookies healthy, but they do give them a crisp texture and a slight nuttiness. **Tip Chilling the dough improves the texture (It lets the flour s gluten relax, for a more tender cookie) and the flavor. After 3 days though, the baking soda and baking powder lose some of their leavening power. **Tip, affordable, reliable kosher salt is a staple in the Metropolitan bakery kitchen, but delicate, briny fleur de sel is best for finishing these cookies.
Amaretto CHUNK Cookies 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt (sift together and set aside) In large mixing bowl on medium speed, cream together: 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup granulated sugar Beat in: 2 large eggs 1 TB amaretto liqueur 2 tsp almond extract Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just blended. Add in: 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut 1/2 cup dried tart cherries 3/4 cup sliced almonds Drop dough by heaping tablespoons on ungreased large cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. Good in airtight container for one week or in freezer up to three months.
Cranberry-Orange Pinwheels Makes about 60 cookies 1 cup cranberries 1 cup pecans 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup butter, softened 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel 3 cups all-purpose flour For filling, in a blender container or food processor bowl combine cranberries, pecans, and brown sugar. Cover and blend or process until cranberries and nuts are finely chopped; set filling aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and orange peel until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle. Roll half of the dough between pieces of waxed paper into a 10-inch square. Spread half of the filling over dough square to within 1/2 inch of edges; roll up dough. Moisten edges; pinch to seal. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Chill for 4 to 24 hours. Cut rolls into 1/4-inch slices. Place slices 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
Soft Ginger Cookies Makes 2-3 dozen 2 1/4 cups flour 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup margarine, butter or shortening (I use butter) 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1/4 cup molasses Preheat over 350 degrees Combine flour, ginger, soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Mix butter, sugar, eggs till fluffy; add molasses and dry ingredients. Shape into 1-1 1/2 in balls; roll in 2 tbsps sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 8-10 min. Do not over bake, let stand before removing from cookie sheet.
CRANBERRY Shortbread Bars Makes 12 to 18 bars 2/3 cup dried, unsweetened cranberries 3/4 cup confectioners sugar 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 ounces white chocolate, melted, cooled slightly Crystal sugar Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9-by-9-inch pan with a strip of foil or parchment, allowing edges to hang over opposite sides. In a food processor, blend cranberries and confectioners sugar until cranberries are finely chopped; transfer to a mixing bowl. Blend butter into cranberry mixture until smooth, then add vanilla and salt. Stir in flour until completely combined. Press dough evenly into lined pan. Bake until firm and pale brown, about 30 min. Let cool in pan about 10 min. Run a knife around the edges and lift shortbread from the pan using the parchment overhang. Gently score shortbread into 12 4-inch or 18 3-inch triangles and let cool completely. Cut cookies following score marks. Place melted chocolate in a plastic bag, snip off a small corner and drizzle chocolate over cookies. Sprinkle with crystal sugar and tap off excess. Allow to set 30 min. Store airtight for up to 5 days.
Melt - In - Your - Mouth Shortbread 1 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup confectioners sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Whip butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir in the confectioners sugar, cornstarch, and flour. Beat on low for one minute, then on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Drop cookies by spoonfuls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Watch that the edges don t brown too much. Cool on wire racks.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS from Westtown School s Special Events Office