Dutch Sugar Cookies Recipes

DUTCH COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F (175 degrees C).
• Cream together the butter, shortening, sugar and vanilla.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to sugar mixture and mix well, being careful not to over mix.
• Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of dough on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten each with the tines of a fork (dip fork into small bowl of water so that dough doesn't stick to fork). Do this once or twice, depending on the size of cookie and fork.
• Bake for 13 to 15 minutes. After each pan is removed from oven, carefully place 5 or 6 chocolate chips on top of each cookie while they are still hot. When chocolate is glossy and soft, spread with knife.

DUTCH SUGAR COOKIES (ARNHEMSE MEISJES)

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment; sprinkle evenly with sugar to cover. Set aside.
• In a liquid-measuring cup, combine milk and yeast. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, salt, and vanilla. Beat in milk mixture on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. With mixer running, add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, making sure it is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Once all butter has been added, increase speed to high and beat 5 minutes. Turn out dough, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously sprinkle sugar on work surface. Place dough on sugared surface; sprinkle with sugar to cover. Top with a piece of parchment, then roll out dough 1/4 inch thick. Using a 3-inch oval cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet, spaced 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake until deeply golden all over, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

DUTCH SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, anise, cloves, ginger, salt and pepper into a medium bowl, then whisk to combine.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add half of the flour mixture and beat until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add 3 tablespoons water and the remaining flour mixture and beat until just combined. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap, pat into a disk, wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Dust the dough with confectioners' sugar, then transfer to a piece of parchment paper and roll out until 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes using 2-to-3-inch cookie cutters. Transfer the cutouts to 2 ungreased baking sheets and press sliced almonds decoratively on top. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Transfer the cookies to the oven and reduce the temperature to 275 degrees F; bake, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until crisp and golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour and salt in a small bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer or 6 minutes with a handheld. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
• Form dough into 2 balls and flatten each into a 6-inch disk. Chill disks, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Roll out 1 disk of dough (keep remaining dough chilled) into an 8 1/2-inch round (1/4 inch thick) on a well-floured surface with a well-floured rolling pin. (If dough becomes too soft to roll out, rewrap in plastic and chill until firm.) Cut out as many cookies as possible from dough with cutters and transfer to 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging cookies about 1 inch apart.
• Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, gather scraps and chill until dough is firm enough to reroll, 10 to 15 minutes. Make more cookies with remaining dough and scraps (reroll scraps only once) and bake on cooled baking sheets.
• If using icing and coloring it, transfer 1/4 cup icing to a small bowl for each color and tint with food coloring. Spoon each color icing into a sealable bag, pressing out excess air, and snip a 1/8-inch opening in 1 bottom corner of bag. Twisting bag firmly just above icing, decoratively pipe icing onto cookies. Let icing dry completely (about 1 hour) before storing cookies.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH SOFT SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Will need 3 or 4 cookie sheets covered with parchment or foil; position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat oven to 375°.
• In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well.
• In the bowl of a stand electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until combined, then beat in the vanilla.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating smooth after each addition.
• Decrease speed and beat in a third of the flour mixture, then half of the buttermilk, and another third of the flour mixture; scrape the bowl and beater often.
• Beat in the remaining buttermilk, then the remaining flour mixture; scrape the bowl/beater, then remove the bowl from the mixer and give the dough one final mixing with a large rubber spatula.
• Drop tablespoons of the dough 3 or 4 inches apart onto the prepared pans.
• Bake cookies for about 15 minutes or until they spread and rise-they should be lightly golden.
• Slide the papers off the pans onto racks; after the cookies have cooled, detach them from the paper and store them between layers of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with tight-fitting lid.

DUTCH ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and extract. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle., On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-in. round cookie cutter. Place half of the circles 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Crumble 1/2 teaspoon almond paste over each; top with remaining circles. Pinch edges to seal., Cut a small slit in top of each cookie. Brush with egg white. Press an almond in each slit. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH SOFT SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375; line cookie sheets with baking parchment paper for best results, but you can grease or use non-stick spray if necessar-- I use the non-stick spray all the time.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• Cream together sugar and butter.
• Add eggs one at a time and beat; then add the vanilla and beat.
• Stir the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, into the sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.
• Drop by tablespoons or a small scoop (about 1 tablespoon capacity) onto the prepared cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with additional granulated sugar (I will flatten the tops just very slightly to hold more sugar) and bake for 7-10 minutes, until just firm.
• Wait just a minute and then remove from the cookie sheets and cool on a rack.
• *Asa substitute for the buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and add milk to make 1 cup; let stand for 10 minutes before using.

DUTCH SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, spices, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in milk and almonds., Roll dough into a 16-in. x 10-in. rectangle between two sheets of waxed paper. Cut into 2-in. squares. Cover with waxed paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes., Place squares 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 375° for 8-10 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.