Thursday, December 3, 2009

It's The Cookie Exchange!


I have been invited by the talented an lovely Scrappy Jessi to her cookies exchange! However, I got my cable changed over I have been off line until now! But I'm back and the recipe for my favorite gingerbread cookies!(Okay so I borrowed it from my friend Martha ;)

What I love most about making cookies though is spending time with my Mom and friends. Here is Mom, she looks like she is NOT having fun, but she really just doesn'tlike her picture taken!

Trees Are my favorite to decorate, there is just sooo many options. I especially love silver dragees. Did you know they are illegal in the state of California? So don't turn me in to the cookie police!

Wait, I am actually the cookies police! I police those "going out of the lines" with their royal icing. I will look over my friends creations, and say things like, "Oh don't worry we can eat that one first!" LOL! I really am a cookie snob!

Here is the recipe, I like it because it is less sweet and more spicy, great for dunking in a latte. Oh and my special hint is to put a little lemon extract in your royal Icing, it matches perfectly with the ginger! Au Revoir! And happy baking!
  • 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups unsulfured molasses
  • Ingredients

    Makes about 2 1/2 cups

    • 1 pound confectioners' sugar, plus more if needed
    • 5 tablespoons meringue powder
    • Scant 1/4 cup water

    Directions

    1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl.
    2. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Divide dough into 3 portions, and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
    3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a generously floured piece of parchment, roll dough to a scant 1/4 inch thick. Brush off excess flour. Slide dough and parchment onto baking sheets, and freeze for 15 minutes.
    4. Cut out desired shapes. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, and freeze for 15 minutes.
    5. Bake cookies for 6 minutes. Remove sheets from oven, and tap them firmly on counter to flatten cookies. Return to oven, rotating sheets, and bake until crisp but not darkened, 6 to 8 minutes more. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
    6. Spoon icing into a pastry bag fitted with a very small plain round tip (such as Ateco #0 or #1). Pipe designs on cookies. Let cookies stand at room temperature until set, at least 2 hours (preferably overnight). Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers for up to 1 week.
    7. Royal Icing

      Ingredients

      Makes about 2 1/2 cups

      • 1 pound confectioners' sugar, plus more if needed
      • 5 tablespoons meringue powder
      • Scant 1/4 cup water

      Directions

      1. Beat sugar, meringue powder, and water with a mixer on low speed until smooth. If icing is too thick, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time; if too thin, beat icing for 2 to 3 minutes more, or add more sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature overnight; stir before using.

4 comments:

  1. Your cookies are beautifully iced! I'm jealous as mine never look that good. Seriously silver dagrees (or as we call them the little bb candy things) are illegal in California? I had no idea...

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  2. Yes, they do contain a tiny bit of metal and some attorney filed a class action against CakeMate so that's why you cant get them anymore in Ca. As a matter of fact even the place I get them states "for decorations only" but I remember biting down on those little suckers!
    I get mine here:
    http://www.indiatree.com/products/decorative/dragees.html

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  3. How wonderful!!

    Thank you so much for sharing with us all~~~

    Holiday Blessings to you:)

    Can't wait to give these a try!

    Smiles,
    kayellen

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  4. This is great! I lost my gingerbread cookie recipe so will try yours!

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