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In the Oven: Classic Sugar Cookies

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Classic Sugar Cookies are our last bake of the year! Posting date is December 29.

Classic Sugar Cookies
 
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Yield: 15—18 2½ inch cookies
Ingredients
For the classic sugar cookies
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ cups (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the basic royal icing
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Make the classic sugar cookies
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, shortening, and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until just combined. Add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
  3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  4. Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap the chilled dough, and put it directly on the work surface. Roll the dough ¼ inch thick. Use your favorite cookie cutter to cut shapes in the dough, and transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets.
  5. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, until they are set but not browned. Remove from the oven and place the baking sheet on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.
Make the basic royal icing
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg whites, and lemon juice until the mixture is completely smooth. The mixture should have the texture of a glaze. If the mixture is too thin, add a bit more sugar. If the mixture is too thick, add a few drops of lemon juice. You can add a few drops of food coloring if desired, or you can divide the icing among many mixing bowls if you need more than one color.
  2. The best way to ice sugar cookies is with a pastry bag fitted with a small or medium tip. First, outline the cookie or design, then fill it in. Let the icing harden before serving.
  3. The cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

 

In the Oven: Baked Tricolor Cookies

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Fire up your ovens again, we’re baking up some classic Italian-style cookies next. These can be customized to whatever color suits your fancy, as long as you don’t try to color the chocolate layer. Posting date is September 22!

Baked Tricolor Cookies
 
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Yield: 20 cookies
Ingredients
For the cookie layers
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
  • 7 ounces almond paste (recipe follows)
  • 3⁄4 cup sugar
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 3⁄4 cup (11⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 large eggs
  • Grated zest of 1 orange
  • Orange food coloring (liquid or gel)
  • 2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
For the Filling
  • 2⁄3 cup apricot jam
  • 2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur
For the glaze
  • 6 ounces dark chocolate (60% cacao), coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
  • 1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
Instructions
Make the cookie layers
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch square baking pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and butter the parchment. Dust with flour and knock out the excess flour.
  2. Sift the flour and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the almond paste, sugar, and almond extract together until small crumbs form. Add the butter and beat on high speed until the mixture is combined. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the orange zest and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in three parts, beating on low speed after each additon until combined.
  4. Divide the batter among three small mixing bowls.
  5. In the first bowl, add a few drops of orange food coloring to the batter, and mix well. Continue to add a few drops of food coloring and mixing until the batter is medium orange in color.
  6. In the second bowl, add the cocoa powder to the batter and whisk until fully incorporated.
  7. Leave the third bowl plain.
  8. Pour each batter into a prepared pan and smooth the tops. Bake the layers for 12 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each layer comes out clean.
  9. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.
Make the filling
  1. In a small saucepan over low heat, stir the jam and amaretto until warmed through and completely blended, 3 to 5 minutes.
Assemble the tricolor cookies
  1. Place the chocolate layer on a serving rack and evenly spread half of the apricot jam over the top. Top with the plain (or white) layer and spread with the remaining apricot filling. Top with the orange layer and let the layers sit in the refrigerator for 5 minutes (or while you make the chocolate glaze).
Make the glaze
  1. In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly.
  2. Spread the glaze over the top of the bar cookies, completely covering the orange layer (some glaze may spill down the sides of the cake). Place the tray in the refrigerator until the chocolate topping completely sets (about 1 hour). Remove the tray from the refrigerator, wait 30 minutes for the chocolate to warm up, and cut into 20 individual squares or use a small cookie cutter to create your own shapes.
Notes
How to store: The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.
How to make almond paste:
11⁄2 cups finely ground almonds
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1⁄2 teaspoon pure almond extract

Put all the ingredients in a food processor with 2 tablespoons water and process until a paste forms. Remove from the food processor, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until ready to use. Extra almond paste, tightly wrapped, keeps well in the freezer.

 

In the Oven: Chocolate Chip Cookies

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We are back to basics for our next project: a classic chocolate chip cookie with lots and lots of chips. Fire up your ovens, posting date is April 7!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
 
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Yield: 24 cookies
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 2⁄3 cups (16 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together and set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. The mixture will look light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat for 5 seconds.
  3. Add half of the flour mixture and mix for 15 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.
  4. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips.
  5. Cover the bowl tightly and put in the refrigerator for 6 hours.
  6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Use an ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to scoop out dough in 2-tablespoon-size balls. Use your hands to shape the dough into perfect balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans once during the cooking time, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and the tops just start to darken.
  8. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the individual cookies to the rack to cool completely (although they are delicious warm).
  9. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.