Moravian Crisps With Royal Icing Recipes

MORAVIAN GINGER COOKIES I

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening, brown sugar and molasses until smooth. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and allspice; blend into the creamed mixture. Work dough with hands until well blended. Cover and chill for about 4 hours. Dough must be thoroughly chilled to hold together.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Roll out dough paper thin a little at a time. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place on greased baking sheets.
• Bake 5 to 6 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned.

MORAVIAN CRISPS WITH ROYAL ICING

Steps:

• Make cookies:
• Pulse shortening, brown sugar, and molasses in a food processor until smooth. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add to processor and blend just until combined.
• Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly, allowing dough to absorb a little more flour if sticky. Divide dough in half and form each half into a 3-inch square. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll out 1 piece of dough on a floured pastry cloth using floured sleeve-covered rolling pin until very thin (less than 1/16 inch thick), about a 15-inch square. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and, using offset spatula to transfer, arrange about 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets.
• Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, 10 minutes. Let stand 1 minute on sheet, then loosen with spatula and transfer on parchment to a rack to crisp, about 10 minutes. If first batch isn't crisp, bake 1 minute more (on baking sheet), then bake remaining batches 10 to 11 minutes. Cool cookies completely on rack.
• Repeat with remaining dough (cool baking sheets and line with fresh parchment). Reroll scraps once for extra cookies if desired.
• Make icing:
• Beat together icing ingredients in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and beat until icing holds soft peaks, about 3 minutes more. If desired, divide icing and add food coloring.
• Fill pastry bags with icing and pipe decoratively on cookies, then let set, about 1 hour.

EASY MORAVIAN CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and shortening, and mix until crumbly. Add sugar, eggs, and milk; mix thoroughly.
• Divide batter into two 8 inch round or square greased baking pans. Dot the top with 1/2 cup butter broken into pieces the size of lima beans. Sprinkle top with 1/4 cup brown sugar for each cake, sprinkle cinnamon on top.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 30 minutes.