Selectionofspicedteacookies Recipes

A SPICE COOKIE TO SHARE

Steps:

• Whisk together the flours, coffee and spices; set aside.
• Working with a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), mix the pieces of cold butter, both sugars and the salt on low speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture forms clumps and then comes together. You'll see pieces of butter here and there - you're supposed to. Add the dry ingredients all at once, and then pulse the mixer on and off, just until the risk of flying flour has passed. Mix on low-medium speed until you've got a bowl of crumbs, about 3 minutes. Lightly whisk the egg and honey together. With the mixer on low, add the egg mixture gradually, and then continue to mix until the dough forms clumps. Squeeze a bit of the dough, and it will hold together. Reach into the bowl, and press the dough into a ball. Turn it out onto a sheet of parchment paper.
• Press the dough down, cover it with another sheet of paper and roll it out until it's about 1/8-inch thick. It can be any shape - round, oval, rectangular, raggedy-edged or pristine. It will probably be about 12-by-15 inches, but the thickness is more important than the dimensions. Being neat doesn't buy you anything with this cookie. Slide the sandwiched dough onto a baking sheet, and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days). If you prefer, you can wrap the dough well and freeze it for up to 2 months; keep it at room temperature for about 20 minutes before baking.
• When you're ready to bake, center a rack in the oven, and heat it to 350. Remove the top sheet of paper; leave the dough on the paper-lined baking sheet. If you're using the sanding sugar, sprinkle the dough with about 2 tablespoons' worth.
• Bake the cookie for 20 to 24 minutes - the edges will be darker than the middle. Press the center of the cookie, and it should be firm with just a tiny bit of give; it will feel firmer as you work your way out. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack, and allow the cookie to come to room temperature. If you're not eating it immediately, you can wrap the cookie well, and keep it at room temperature for about 4 days. Make sure the room is dry - humidity is a crisp cookie's nemesis.
• You can serve the cookie whole, letting everyone break off pieces (of course, there will be crumbs - they're part of the cookie's charm), or you can break or cut it in the kitchen and serve the pieces as you would any cookie. Chocolate or caramel sauce (or both) for dipping is optional, but scrumptious.

SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Soak the currants in the brandy for 10 minutes. Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and dark chocolate. Mix well with a whisk.
• Put the butter, sugar, vanilla, and lemon and orange zest in a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment and beat to combine but not aerate much, about 1 minute. With the mixer running, slowly add the egg and mix for about 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients, followed by the currants and brandy. Mix until everything comes together.
• Gently knead the dough in the bowl with your hands until it comes together and is uniform. Divide the dough into 1 3/4-oz / 50g chunks and shape each chunk into a perfectly round ball. Place the balls on 1 or 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing them about 3/4 inch / 2 cm apart, and let rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C. Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top firms up but the center is still slightly soft. Remove from the oven. Once the cookies are out of the oven, allow to cool for only 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack. While the cookies are still warm, whisk together the glaze ingredients until a thin and smooth icing forms. Pour 1 tablespoon of the glaze over each biscuit, leaving it to drip and coat the biscuit with a very thin, almost transparent film. Finish each with 3 pieces of candied peel placed at the center. Leave to set and serve, or store in an airtight container for a day or two.

DECORATED SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
• Mix margarine and sugar until fluffy; stir in Karo syrup.
• Add dry ingredients.
• DO NOT CHILL DOUGH!
• Roll out 1/8” thick on floured surface.
• Cut into shapes.
• Place on baking sheet.
• Bake in 350 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Cool and decorate.

REALLY NICE SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, light brown sugar and dark brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg until well blended. Combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger; stir into the creamed mixture to form a stiff dough. Knead lightly in the bowl for a few turns. Shape dough into 25 small balls. Place balls 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets and flatten slightly.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden.

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Crush the hard candy fairly fine.
• Beat powdered sugar and butter.
• Mix in vanilla, almond extract and egg.
• Sift together flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Mix into creamed mixture.
• Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm.
• Tape (2) paint stir sticks, the width of your rolling pin, on to parchment paper. Stir sticks gives you even thickness of about 1/8 inch thick.
• Tape the paper to your counter.
• Place a piece of dough on the paper, cover with another piece of parchment paper and roll.
• If the dough sticks use powdered sugar on the rolling surface.
• It is best not to get it on top of the cookie if you are going to glaze, because it makes the top of the cookie puffy where the sugar was.
• Use a 3 ½ inch Texas shaped cookie cutter, then use a 1 inch heart shaped cutter.
• Place cookies on a foil lined cookie sheet.
• Spoon it in the heart spaces. Use as much as you want, but not over the top of the Texas shape cookie.
• You can sprinkle the cookie with sugar before baking or may glaze after completely cooled.
• Bake at 375° F for 7 to 8 minutes or until edges or golden.
• Let your stained glass cookies cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
• Cool completely before glazing.
• WHITE GLAZE: Mix all ingredients until smooth or desired brushing consistency.

VANILLA SPICE SLICE AND BAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer, gradually adding sugar and beating well. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Combine flour, soda, salt and spices; add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in pecans.
• Shape dough into two 12-inch rolls. Wrap in wax paper and chill at least two hours.
• Unwrap rolls and cut into 1/4-inch slices and place on ungreased (or Silpat-lined) baking sheets.
• Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
• Note: Dough can be frozen for several months. Slice dough while frozen and bake as directed.

SUGAR AND SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix the flour, the baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together in a bowl.
• Cream the butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth; beat the egg and vanilla extract into the butter mixture. Add the flour mixture in small amount to the butter mixture, beating each addition until blended. Form the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheets.
• Roll the dough out on a floured work surface with a rolling pin to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with 2-inch cookie cutters. Arrange the cut cookies onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges begin to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

BEST SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift flour with baking soda, spices and salt.
• Cream cooking oil and sugar together. Blend in egg and molasses.
• Add flour mixture, mix well.
• Chill for 1 hour or longer.
• Form into balls about the size of walnuts. Roll in granulated sugar.
• Place on ungreased baking sheet about ½ inches apart.
• Bake at 350o for 10-15 minutes.

SELECTION OF SPICED TEA COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
• Add to each portion the desired quantity of spieces.
• Place one portion on a sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface.
• Using your hands and the plastic wrap, roll the dough into a log 1 inch in diameter, making sure that the plastic wrap covers the entire roll.
• Flatten the ends of the log by gently tapping them on the work surface, then fold the plastic wrap over the ends.
• Roll the log a few more times to make as smooth and even a cylinder as possible (for round cookies).
• Wrap the log in an additional sheet of plastic.
• Repeat with the remaining 3 dough portions.
• Lay the four logs in the refrigerator until they are firm, for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
• To Bake: Position a rack in mid oven and pre-heat to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) (heat and timing are basing it on convection oven).
• Have 2 ungreased baking sheets ready.
• Remove 2 logs from the fridge and unwrap them.
• Cut log into 1/4 inch thick slices.
• Place slices on baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart; they spread as thy bake.
• Bake cookies about 10 minutes, until their edges are golden and tops are pale gold.
• Then transfer the cookies to wire rack(s).
• Cool completely.