Gingerbread House Cookies

Nothing says Christmas to me more than the taste, and smell, of freshly baked gingerbread.  I always get excited about the kids’ class parties, especially when there’s “gingerbread house” decorating.

I’m using that term loosely because I’ve seen ice cream cones, graham crackers, and (my least favorite) milk cartons decorated like gingerbread houses.  In fact, last year I was asked to donate candy to decorate “gingerbread houses,” and I thought it sounded like fun.  Until, I walked into the classroom and saw a mom hard at work hot glue gunning graham crackers to the sides of milk cartons for the kids to decorate with frosting and candy.  Not such fun – because it’s not edible!

What a complete and total waste. . .and nothing chops my hide like wasted time and candy.  The good news is that out of that, came this cookie.  My kids had a blast decorating their own cookies and consuming their creations, and this would be a great activity for the kids to do at their school parties.  I just filled disposable frosting bags with royal icing (tying the tops off with rubber bands), and snipped of the tips (instead of dirtying frosting tips) and let them loose with the candy.

Click here for a soft and chewy gingerbread recipe.

Now for the fun. . .the decorated cookies:

I bought my bird house cookie cutter from King Arthur Flour last year, and they don’t carry it anymore.  But no worries, you can find a great selection of house cookie cutters at Copper Gifts, Copper House Cookie Cutter.

Gingerbread Reindeer + Rudolph

This gingerbread is so good, buy new spices (they make such a huge difference), and play around with the amounts until you get the flavor you like - I personally prefer more cinnamon.

My kids got a kick out of handing these beauties out to their teachers, and I was relieved that it was a consumable gift – no worries about giving them clutter or duplicates.  Trust me, these are big concerns when one is married to a minimalist.

Gingerbread Adapted from Martha Stewart

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup unsulfured molasses (I used Grandma’s Brand)

In a large bowl whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside. In a food processor, pulse the butter and brown sugar together until creamed. Add the egg and molasses and pulse until well combined.

Add in the flour/spice mixture all at once and pulse until everything is completely incorporated. The dough will be very sticky, but resist the urge to add more flour.

Set a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter, and spoon the dough onto it. Wrap the dough up in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until the next day.

When you’re ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then roll the dough 1/4 an inch thick on a lightly floured surface, and cut with cookie cutters. Place cut outs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Transfer the cookies (left on the parchment) to a wire rack to cool immediately out of the oven.

Once cool, frost with royal icing* and decorations of your choosing. Enjoy!

For the simple decoration seen above, I just followed the directions on the back of my meringue powder, and added white food coloring (as an extra precaution, but certainly not necessary) to keep the frosting from turning yellow due to the butter content in the cookies.

King Arthur Square Bake and Give Pans with Lids

Mini Reindeer Cookie Cutter

Red and White Baker’s Twine

EK Success Real Estate Sign Paper Punch

Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

I’m not a big peanut butter fan, but when I am in the mood for peanut butter these are the cookies I like to make.  They’re super soft and add just the right amount of sweetness to counteract any bitterness from the peanut butter.  Does anyone else think peanut butter is bitter?

The trick to keeping these beauties super soft, is really simple.  Don’t over bake them!  In fact, I take them out of the oven and let them cool directly on the baking sheet.

Don’t be like my husband and eat one right out of the oven, unless you like gooey peanut butter dough.  Just be patient and let them cool for 45 minutes to an hour and they’ll be perfect.  I promise!

Soft Peanut Butter Cookies Adapted from Ghoulish Goodies (I know, great title, right?!)

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup smooth peanut butter (I use Skippy Natural)

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 – 2 3/4 cups flour (more on this in a minute)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with parchment.  Set aside.

Using your beaters, cream the butter, brown sugar, sugar, and peanut butter together until creamy.  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.

Add 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt.  Beat until the flour is completely incorporated.

Take a cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 Tbsp size) and scoop out some cookie dough to “test” if there is enough flour.  Another secret to soft peanut butter cookies – less flour!

To “test” the cookie dough, roll that scoop of dough in between your hands to make a ball and place it on the parchment-lined baking sheet.  Take a fork and gently press the tines into the ball of dough flattening it.  Lift up and repeat on the other side, making a crisscross pattern.

If the dough is too sticky to make the crisscross, then throw it back into the bowl with the rest of the dough and add another 1/4 cup of flour and retest.

Once you’re able to make the crisscross pattern with minimal stickness (my dough still had some, but that’s good because it means softer cookies!) Then pop the cookies into the oven for 12 minutes.

When done, leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 45 minutes, or an hour, to cool completely.  Enjoy!

*I like to freeze the cookie dough.  To do this, simply do everything except don’t put them in the oven, instead place them in the freezer, and take them out after an hour and place in a ziploc bag.  Frozen cookies take about 20 minutes to bake.

Rolling Out Cut-Out Cookie Dough

I was talking to my sister (Hi Lisa!) today about sugar cookies.  Specifically, what makes them so challenging.  I decided it would have to be the fact that they’re so hard to cut out and remove from the counter intact.  I don’t know if others have suffered from this problem?  Perhaps it’s only me.

Anyway, a few years ago I bought this book, and it was literally the start of my sugar cookie baking/decorating hobby.  I discovered this great tip (in the book) for loosening cut-out cookie dough from the counter to ensure that you don’t end up with smooshed (and/or broken) sugar cookies, and I’ve been using it ever since.

Here’s a brief, badly photographed, left-handed (which I’m not) tutorial.

Roll out your cookie dough on a lightly floured surface, and using this spatula, gently move it up and down under the dough to loosen it from your counter.

Next just use your cookie cutter to cut out shapes, then lift them with your spatula and place on your parchment-lined baking sheet to chill or bake.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Macarons

I love macarons – not to be confused with coconut macaroons.  These cookies are soft, dense, and chewy with great almond flavor, and they’re addicting!  If you interested in a challege, then this recipe is for you.

If you know me personally, then you know that I like things streamlined.  Why include unnecessary steps which inevitably lead to more work?

With that said, this recipe is not foolproof – if you don’t whip the egg whites to the right consistency, grind the almond flour and confectioners sugar together, or if you over/under mix the batter, they will fail.

By the way, those beautiful “ruffles” in the middle are referred to as the “feet,” or “foot” (if you referring to one cookie).  And you can’t really see the filling (because my husband doesn’t like a lot of it), but they’re filled with ganache.

Still interested in giving them a whirl?  Lets get to it!

Macarons Adapted from here

3 egg whites

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 cups almond flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

food coloring gel

Line an extra-large baking sheet, or two baking sheets (if you are lucky enough to have two ovens) with parchment.  Set aside.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grind the powdered sugar (be sure to add this first) and almond flour in the food processor for about 3 minutes.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar just until foamy.  Slowly add the granulated sugar (a little at a time) while continuously beating.

Next, add in gel food coloring (I like to do this so I can tell when all of my flour has been incorporated into the meringue).  Beat until soft peaks form and the meringue is shiny.  It should look a lot like shaving cream.

Dump the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture on top of the meringue and fold until the flour is incorporated, and just until the batter that falls from your rubber scraper almost ”melts” back into the rest of the batter.

Pour all of the batter into a piping bag and snip off the tip (about an inch) and pipe circles – I do this by piping straight down and releasing pressure when the circle is big enough.

Once all of the batter has been piped, rap the cookie sheet on the counter and place it in the oven for 15 minutes.*

When done, take the cookie sheet out and leave cookies on to cool completely.  This will make removing the cookies easier.

When you’re cookies are cool, simply lift one corner of the parchment (and hold the top of your cookie in your other hand) and peel the paper from it – carefully.  It kind of reminds me of removing a sticker from its backing.

Fill with your favorite frosting or ganache.  Store in a covered container in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before eating (my preference), or eat cold straight from the frig – like my husband does.

*All of the cookies need to go in the oven immediately once piped, otherwise they’ll crack on the tops during baking.

See – ganache in the center!  This is what (I think) a macaron should look like in the center - soft and cake-like.  Yum!

“Wooden” Spoon Sugar Cookies

I saw this post and it immediately transported me back to my childhood.  Funny how that happens sometimes, right?

Back in the day, I had a friend whose mother (Barbara) kept a wooden spoon (decorated like a Girl Scout Leader) in her kitchen.

I think these would be cute made into a bride and groom, or a bride and bridesmaids, for a wedding shower.

I just love the big curls and the sparkly dress!

Chocolate Chip Biscotti Spoons

Continuing my “spoon” theme, here are my biscotti spoons.  These are great to make because they’re crunchy, and hold their shape well.  Plus, they’re really fun to eat with hot chocolate, or that daily cup of coffee.

For added “wow” factor, you can dip these in chocolate and individually wrap them in cello bags for gift giving, or as party favors.

Chocolate Chip Biscotti Adapted from Cookies By The Dozen

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, more if desired

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk.  Set aside.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla until thick – about 2 minutes.

Add the dry ingredients – mixing on low speed just until combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

Using a rubber scraper, scoop dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.  Wet your hands with water and shape the dough into a flat (thick) slab (about 6 inches in width).  Continue to wet your hands as need.

Bake for about 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool.  When cool, cut out your “spoons” with a cookie cutter and place them on another parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely.  Store in a covered container.

Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the cookies that earned my daughter a round of applause from her classmates.  Give them a try sometime – you won’t be sorry!

I made the dough the day before (as the recipe suggested) and baked them off the next day.

I also baked a couple right away because sometimes I don’t have the forethought to actually make cookie dough in advance – and I’m happy to report that they turned out great too.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Adapted from The Essential New York Times Cookbook

Makes approximately 24 large cookies

1 3/4 cups plus 2 Tablespoons cake flour

1 2/3 cups bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup shortening

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 – 3 cups chocolate chips

sprinkle of sea salt

Measure the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, (using your beaters) cream the butter, shortening, and the sugars together.  Add the eggs, and the vanilla.

Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat on low just until combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

Use a large cookie scoop (mine is 1.6 ounces) and place dough balls next to one another on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  When the cookie sheet is full, place it in the freezer for about 1 hour.*  Then put the frozen balls of dough into a plastic food storage bag and store in the refrigerator (for up to 2 days) or the freezer (for about 1 month).

When you’re ready to bake, place the frozen dough balls onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet (I was able to fit 6 on a cookie sheet at a time) and sprinkle each cookie ball with a few grains of sea salt (or coarse salt).

Bake at 350 degrees for about 18 – 20 minutes for refrigerated dough and 20-23 minutes for frozen dough, or until lightly golden brown.  They will appear gooey in the middle until they have cooled – no worries, this is what makes them soft!

Transfer the parchment sheet of cookies onto a wire rack to cool.  Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container to keep them from drying out.

*Freezing the dough in balls first (before storing in the plastic bag) greatly reduces the chance of the dough sticking to each other.

“Alice” Sugar Cookie

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day!  This is what I’ve been up to for the last couple of days – baking & decorating sugar cookies!  I love Alice in Wonderland, so I wanted to do an “Alice” cookie.

The kids got to choose between “The Red Queen” and “Alice” for their teachers, and we mixed in a few bees.  I thought they turned out cute.

Linking to: Sweet Sugarbelle Valentine Cookie Share

Melting Snowman

I saw this idea here, and I absolutely LOVED it!  I might use some orange candy melts next time for the carrot nose for some extra depth.  The kids and I had tons of fun putting these together.

You’ll need . . .

1 box of graham crackers

2 Giant Hershey Bars

1 bag of large marshmallows

1 box of Fruit by the Foot

1 package of white candy coating, or white chocolate

Edible markers

*Orange-colored candy melts – if you want don’t want to use the marker

So here is how we did it. . .

Place halved graham crackers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and then set two squares of chocolate on top (I used a Giant Hershey Bar).

Then have your kids place a large marshmallow on top of the chocolate.  Place the cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees (I preheated my oven, then turned it off when I put the s’mores in) for about 10-15 minutes, or until the marshmallows are slightly puffed and lightly browned.

*I wanted to heat them in the oven so that all the components would adhere to one another.  Plus, the melted marshmallow really makes the snowman head look, well . .um . .melted.

Here they are out of the oven, cooled, and topped with melted white chocolate.  And when I say “topped,” I don’t mean it literally – I just basically spooned the white chocolate around the base of the marshmallow.

Then I just “painted” on the face with my edible markers and added some blush with my dry paintbrush (I use it for food only) and some powdered food coloring.  Then I used fruit by the foot as the “scarf.”  Super fun, super easy, and dare I say. . .super cute!

Linking to I Heart Nap Time, The Grant Life, Tidy Mom