Christmas time is cookie time!

 

One of my favorite things to do during the Christmas season is to bake cookies.  It is a task that is more fun when shared, but I still enjoy baking them even by myself.

During the previous eleven Christmas seasons that I have been writing Cooks’ Corner, there has always been a column about cookies.  (One year, there were two; the first with newly-tried recipes and the second with old favorites.)  I am keeping the tradition going this year, and the aromas floating out of my kitchen prove it.

Feeling adventurous, I searched for new recipes to try.  I clipped a recipe from one of my magazines for Cranberry-Orange Biscotti and decided it would be a good start to my cookie baking venture.  I had never made biscotti before, but this recipe turned out beautifully.  I know many people dip this type of cookie into coffee; however, I am not a coffee drinker.  I dunked mine in hot tea, discovering that these cookies taste as good as they look!

Spice-Molasses Cookies turned out to be another winner.  A possible drawback – they are quite gingery.  I cut the amount of ginger in the following recipe in half, since it overpowered the other spice flavors.  With that said, the cookies turned out to be nice and crunchy (just like I prefer) and they are pretty to look at, too.

The last recipe I tried was Sugar Dipped Butter Cookies.  They were the easiest to make, and I loved the buttery flavor.  To make them more festive, dip them in red or green sugar.

That’s my Christmas cookie line up for 2017.   They were all fun to make and much more fun to eat!

 

Cranberry-Orange Biscotti

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Zest of 2 oranges, plus 4 teaspoons fresh orange juice
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees . Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Slowly beat in flour mixture. Fold in cranberries and half the zest. Gather dough into a ball and divide in half.

Using floured hands, shape each portion into a 7 x 3-inch log. Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake 25 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer loaves to a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Lower oven temp to 325 degrees .

With a serrated knife, slice loaves diagonally into 3/4-inch-thick slices (8 slices each). Place cut side down on baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes, then turn over and bake 12 minutes more. Transfer biscotti to rack and let cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar, orange juice and remaining zest. Drizzle over biscotti and let set at least 1 hour.

 

Spice-Molasses Cookies

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Sugar

Beat shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating well. Add egg and molasses; beat well.

Combine flour and next 8 ingredients; mix well. Add one-fourth of flour mixture at a time to shortening mixture, beating at low speed after each addition until blended. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls, and roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 375 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes. (Tops will crack.) Remove to wire racks to cool completely.  Yield: 4 dozen.

 

Sugar Dipped Butter Cookies

2 cups sugar, divided

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Water

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine 1 cup sugar and butter in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.  Add egg; continue beating until well mixed.  Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking powder, and salt.  Beat until well mixed.

Place remaining 1 cup sugar in small bowl.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls.  Dip top of each ball in water, then in sugar.  Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 8 to 14 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned.  4 dozen cookies.