Spice Cookies Recipes

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.

SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.
• Combine sugar, butter, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Combine flour, currants, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Stir into the butter mixture alternately with tablespoons of milk until the flour is fully incorporated.
• Drop spoonfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheets. Press down lightly with a fork. Dip fork in sugar or water if it sticks.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let stand on the baking sheets for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to 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.

SCREAMING SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Whisk the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter in a large bowl with a handheld mixer until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the sugars, and continue beating until light, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla extract, beating until smooth. Gradually add the dry ingredients while mixing slowly to make a smooth dough. Divide dough in half and press each half into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Transfer 1 disk of dough to a floured work surface and roll about 1/4-inch thick. Cut into cookies with a pinched tuna can (see below). Transfer cookies with an offset spatula to a nonstick or silicon lined baking sheet.
• Cut out eyes and a mouth with a pastry tip, fat straw, or a knife. Press the lollipop sticks into the narrow end of each cookie, if using. Repeat with remaining dough. Press excess dough together, roll and cut into cookies. Refrigerate cookies for at least 30 minutes.
• Evenly space the racks in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Put the candies in a small plastic bag and hit with a rolling pin to break into little pieces.
• Bake the cookies just until they are set, about 20 minutes. Remove baking sheets from the oven and carefully sprinkle the broken candies into the eyes and mouth of the cookies. Continue to cook until the candy liquefies, about 3 minutes more. Cool cookies on pan for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool cookies on a rack.
• For the icing: Whisk the water, egg white powder and orange extract in a medium bowl until foamy but smooth. Gradually whisk in the confectioners' sugar to make a smooth icing. Spread a layer of icing over the entire surface of the cookies with the back of a teaspoon. Let rest until the icing sets, about 30 minutes. Serve or store in a covered container for up to 3 days.

BROWNED BUTTER SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Place butter in a small heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until golden brown, 5-7 minutes; cool slightly., Beat brown sugar and browned butter in a large bowl until blended. Beat in egg, then rum. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg; gradually add to brown sugar mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes., Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° until bottoms are lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter with the brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, into the bowl sift together the cinnamon, the ginger, the cardamom, the cloves, the salt, and the flour, and beat the mixture until it is just combined. In a small bowl stir together the baking soda and the water, beat the mixture into the dough, and chill the dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Halve the dough, roll out one of the halves 1/8 inch thick between sheets of plastic wrap, and cut out cookies with 2-inch decorative cutters (such as stars or gingerbread men). Roll out the remaining dough and cut out more cookies in the same manner. Bake the cookies in batches on buttered baking sheets in the middle of the oven for 8 minutes, transfer them to racks, and let them cool completely. The cookies may be made 1 month in advance and kept frozen in airtight containers.
• In a small bowl whisk together the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice and transfer the icing to a resealable plastic bag. Cut a small opening in a bottom corner of the bag, pipe the icing onto the cookies, and let it dry completely.

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.

ICEBOX SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, cloves and allspice; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. , Shape into three 6-in. rolls; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm., Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap dough and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool 1-2 minutes before removing to wire racks.

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.

SPECULOOS (BELGIAN SPICE COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Sift together flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• In the work bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla.
• Add dry ingredients to mixer, a few spoonfuls at a time, mixing on low speed until combined.
• Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 60 minutes.
• Place dough on Silpat or parchment. Roll dough out to about 1/4" thickness - about the size of the Silpat. Use bench flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Transfer Silpat to a cookie sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Cut into 3x2" rectangles with a pizza wheel.
• Transfer Silpat to a cooling rack until room temperature. Store in a tightly sealed container.

CHOCOLATE SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Cookies: Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. In a large bowl, beat butter with brown sugar, fresh ginger, and baking soda until creamy. Add egg; beat to combine. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture.
• Scoop a scant 1/4 cup of dough (1.75 ounces); roll into a ball. Dust a cookie stamp with flour, tapping out excess. Place dough in center of stamp, then press evenly to cover shape of design. Place, dough-side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet and press until dough is about 1/4 inch thick.
• Carefully remove (if it sticks, just gather up dough and start over). Repeat with remaining dough, arranging cookies 2 inches apart. Refrigerate 20 minutes; use a 2 3/4-inch round cutter to trim excess. Bake until firm to the touch, 11 to 13 minutes.
• Glaze: Meanwhile, whisk together confectioners' sugar, Cointreau, butter, and salt; glaze should have the consistency of honey. (If too thick, whisk in more Cointreau.) Let cookies cool on sheets on a wire rack 8 minutes, then brush with glaze. Let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

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.

CINNAMON, SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees F).
• In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and 2 cups sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and ginger; stir into the sugar mixture until well blended. Mix in cinnamon chips. Dough will be stiff. Roll into walnut sized balls and roll each ball in remaining sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until tops are crackled. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

GRAMMY'S SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick liners.
• Using an electric mixer, beat 12 tablespoons butter with the granulated sugar, molasses and egg until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Slowly beat in flour, baking soda, spices and salt.
• Shape dough into walnut-size balls and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake until firm, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.
• To make the icing, beat remaining 4 tablespoons butter with the confectioners' sugar until smooth. (Go slowly so you don't create a sugar storm.) Beat in the vanilla and enough cream or milk, and whiskey (if using), to make a spreadable frosting. Slather on fully cooled cookies.

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.

NORWEGIAN SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, nutmeg and cardamom in bowl.
• Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until creamy.
• Beat in eggs and vanilla until fluffy.
• Stir in flour mixture.
• Divide dough in half; flatten into disks.
• Wrap in plastic.
• Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350°.
• Coat 3 ½ - 4 ½-inch cookie-cutter molds with nonstick cooking spray.
• On lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin, roll out half of dough ¼-inch thick.
• Press cutter molds gently into dough.
• Gently pull cookies out of molds.
• Place on ungreased baking sheets.
• Brush with egg white.
• Reroll scraps.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake in 350° oven 10-12 minutes, until golden.
• Remove to racks to cool.
• Store at room temperature or freeze.

LAUREN'S SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together the oil, the molasses, 1 cup of the sugar, and the eggs until the mixture is smooth. In a bowl stir together the flour, the baking soda, the cinnamon, the ginger, the cloves, and the mace and add the mixture to the molasses mixture. Beat the mixture until it is combined well and chill the dough, covered, overnight. Form the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and roll the balls in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar to coat them well. Bake the balls 3 inches apart on buttered baking sheets in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops crack. Transfer the cookies to racks and let them cool.

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.