Spiced Cookie Strips Recipes

SPICED COOKIE STRIPS

Steps:

• Remove cookie dough from package and coat with flour. Shake excess flour onto work surface. Roll out dough on floured surface into a 12x8-in. rectangle. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut rectangle in half lengthwise. Cut widthwise into 1-in. strips. Carefully transfer strips to two ungreased baking sheets., Combine butter and spices; brush over strips. Bake at 425° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

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.

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.

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-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.

SPICED COOKIE PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Combine crushed gingersnaps, melted butter, and sugar in a bowl. Mix with a pastry cutter or fork until well combined. Press into a 9-inch pie plate.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and use as directed in your recipe.

EASY SPICED COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Stir (by hand) the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl until dough forms.
• Shape dough into 1" balls.
• Roll balls in cinnamon and sugar and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes or until center is JUST SET.
• Remove from pans after a minute or so and cool on wire racks.

SPICED COOKIE BUTTER BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, mix cookie mix, 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup cookie butter, the cinnamon and egg with spoon until soft dough forms. Stir in 1/2 cup white vanilla baking chips. Press dough evenly in pan.
• Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave 3 tablespoons white vanilla baking chips uncovered on High 20 to 40 seconds or until chips can be stirred smooth. Spoon melted chips into small resealable food-storage plastic bag; partially seal bag. Cut off tiny corner of bag. Squeeze bag to pipe over top of bar.
• In another small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon softened butter, 1 tablespoon cookie butter, the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Spoon into small resealable food-storage plastic bag; partially seal bag. Cut off tiny corner of bag. Squeeze bag to pipe over top of bar. Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours or until toppings are set. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.
• Store in airtight container.

SPICY TORTILLA STRIPS

Steps:

• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Lightly brush 2 large baking pans with oil. Whisk 1/4 cup oil with spices and salt and brush 1 side of each tortilla with it. Make 3 (4-tortilla) stacks and cut stacks into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Arrange strips in 1 layer in baking pans. Bake, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until golden and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and cool completely in pans.

PORTUGUESE SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Position rack in center of the oven, preheat oven to 350 degrees; line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Starting with the pastry dough: mix together the flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl; cut the butter into small bits and work into the flour, along with the eggs, until a smooth dough is formed.
• Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside for 10 minutes before rolling dough out on a floured board.
• For the filling: combine the water, sugar and lemon zest in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, boil until the mixture reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer, takes about 10 minutes.
• Remove pot from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Crush the anise seeds in a mortar or a spice mill, add to the sugar mixture, along with the cinnamon, butter and breadcrumbs, mix well.
• The mixture should resemble bread stuffing.
• Roll out a third of the pastry as thinly as possible.
• Using a pastry cutter or knife, cut 3-inch-wide strips of pastry.
• With the same cutter make 1/2 inch horizontal slits just off one long edge of the pastry, about 3/4 inch apart.
• Spread some cooled filling down the center of the strip, then fold the side with the slits over the solid side, enclosing the filling and sealing the edges.
• Cut into 3-inch long cookies.
• Place on a lined baking sheet.
• Repeat with the remaining pastry.
• Bake until the cookies are golden brown, about 15 minutes, be careful not to let them burn.
• Let cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then remove the cookies to a rack to cool completely.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature.