Spice Cookie Parfaits 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.

CHOCOLATE-MOUSSE PARFAITS

Steps:

• Whisk together eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over (but not in) a pot of simmering water until doubled in volume and a thermometer registers 160 degrees (6 to 8 minutes). Remove from heat. Add chocolate, cocoa, espresso powder, and salt. Stir in butter until melted. Let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, whip cream to stiff peaks. Stir one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture until lightened, then fold in remaining whipped cream. Divide half of mousse between two glasses; sprinkle with crushed cookies. Top with remaining mousse and refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. To serve, top with lightly whipped cream and more cookie crumbs.

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.

DREAMY COOKIE PARFAITS

Steps:

• Crumble 1 of the cookies into each of 4 beverage glasses or parfait dishes.
• Top each with layers of 1/4 cup fruit and 1 Tbsp. whipped topping; repeat layers.
• Crush 1 of the remaining cookies over each dessert. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.

SPICED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, vanilla and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. On low speed, beat in remaining ingredients except chocolate chips and walnuts. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
• On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart.
• Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool 1 to 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

SPICE-COOKIE PARFAITS

Steps:

• Combine cranberries, pear juice, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook until cranberries are softened and most have burst, about 10 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Set aside 3/4 cup cooked cranberries.
• Purée remainder with 1 1/2 cups blackberries, then pass through a coarse-mesh sieve (to remove seeds; you should have about 1 1/2 cups). If needed, stir in more juice to create a thick but pourable consistency (it should be thicker than honey).
• Whip cream to soft peaks. Fold 1/4 cup purée into cream, leaving some streaks. Into each of 6 glasses, spoon or pipe a few tablespoons of whipped-cream mixture. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon purée; add a few cooked cranberries and some of remaining 1 1/2 cups blackberries. Sprinkle with crumbled cookies. Repeat layering, finishing with a drizzle of purée. Refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. Serve each glass sprinkled with whole fresh or frozen berries and garnished with a cookie.

COOKIES-AND-CREAM PARFAITS

Steps:

• Make 2 layers of vanilla pudding, crushed chocolate wafer cookies and whipped cream in tall glasses. Top each with a cookie.

CHEWY SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, applesauce, molasses and egg substitute. Combine the flour, baking soda and spices; gradually add to brown sugar mixture and mix well. , Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool.

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.