Dorie Greenspans Sugar Cookies Bon Appetit December 2007 Recipes

DORIE GREENSPAN’S SUGAR COOKIES (BON APPETIT DECEMBER 2007)

Steps:

• Cream together the butter, sugar and salt in a mixer fitter with the paddle attachment, until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, beat until well blended, about 1 minute and then add vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add flour and beat on a low speed until just combined. Gather dough into a ball;divide in half. Form each into a flattened disk and wrap in plastic, chill for at least 3 hours. It ca be made up to 2 days ahead. Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Working with one disk at a time, roll out dough between two sheets of wax paper to 1/8″ thin. (I didn't have any so I rolled mine out on a lightly floured counter and it was just great. I had to add flour when it seemed that the cookie dough might stick to the counter or rolling pin.) Use cookie cutters, cut out cookies and transfer to a cookie sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather any scraps, roll them out until all the dough is used. If not using icing then decorated with sprinkles before baking. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are firm and golden around the edges, about 10 minutes for smaller cookies and up to 14 minutes for larger ones. Cook completely on rack. Decorate with Royal icing, sprinkles or other decorations. Let stand until icing sets. FOR ROYAL ICING: Use electric mixer, beat 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar, egg whites & lemon juice until thick & shiny. Add more powdered sugar by the tablespoon if it is too thin to spread, about 3 min. Cover w/ wet towel until use. Fill parchment pastry bag with ~3tblsps of icing. Consistency should be soft enough to pipe but firm enough to hold its shape, like soft mashed potatoes. Cut very small hole at the tip of the bag and draw an outline around the cookie. Separate the icing into little bowls for food coloring. Thin out some icing to flood - make it consistency of molasses. Decorate.

VANILLA ROLL-OUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and salt and beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg; beat until well blended, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and beat in vanilla. Add flour and beat on low speed just to blend. Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Form each half into ball and flatten into disk. Wrap disks separately in plastic and chill until firm, at least 4 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper to 1/8-inch thickness for smaller (2-inch) cookies and 1/4-inch thickness for larger (3- to 4-inch) cookies. Using decorative cookie cutters, cut out cookies and transfer to prepared sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. If cookies become too soft to transfer to baking sheets, place in freezer on waxed paper for 5 minutes before continuing. Gather scraps, roll out dough, and cut more cookies, repeating until all dough is used. If not icing cookies, decorate with sprinkles or other sugar toppings, if desired.
• Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are firm on top and golden around edges, about 10 minutes for smaller cookies and up to 14 minutes for larger cookies. Cool completely on rack. Decorate with Royal Icing, then sprinkles or other sugar toppings, if desired. Let stand until icing sets. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 days ahead. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight containers.

WORLD'S BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (BY DORIE GREENSPAN)

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
• Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
• Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for about 1 minute, until smooth. Add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes or so, until well-blended. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes inches Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 3 portions, mixing only until each addition is incorporated. On low speed, or by hand with a rubber spatula, mix in the chocolate and nuts.
• Spoon the dough by slightly rounded tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between spoonfuls.
• Bake the cookies- one sheet at a time and rotating the sheet at the midway point- for 10-12 minutes, or until they are brown at the edges and golden in the center; they may still be a little soft in the middle, and that's just fine. Pull the sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for 1 minute, then carefully, using a wide metal spatula, transfer them to racks to cool to room temperature.
• Repeat with the remainder of the dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.