A plate of cookies for you!
We are the kind of family that are hopelessly devoted to our favorite cookie recipes during the holidays. Sure, we'll dabble in the unknowns of new fangled confection we've never met before, but we tend to stick to our favorites when baking here at home. I'm happy to say I took a chance this year and pulled out an old recipe I was given at a cookie exchange at least 12 years ago and hit a home run. Ian tends to love anything gingerbreadish, and has eaten a fair amount of these since we've been snowed in this week, so he has become our resident expert on the crinkles. They are super easy, have a combined crisp and slightly chewy texture that I just love. And just enough of a ginger bite. Although I think it would be really good to add in crystalized ginger for an extra kick.
I had planned to post these recipes before now, but you may have everything on hand to make them today, so it won't be too late for the holidays!
Ginger Crinkles- makes 4 doz.
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
extra sugar, for rolling
Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Blend in molasses and egg. Sift together dry ingredients, add to butter mixture and mix well. Chill dough for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Form dough into 1" balls, roll in sugar. Bake for 8-10 min. Let cool on baking sheet for at least 3 minutes, until cookies are set.
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The other favorite in our family is spritz. It really wouldn't be Christmas without the Stocker family spritz cookies, and I may be completely disowned for sharing this recipe. This is what Peter loves in sweets, all wrapped up into little bite-sized goodness. Plenty of butter, confectioner's sugar (vs. granulated, which is apparently a key to their goodness). We are greeted by tins and tins of spritz cookies at my in-law's house, some like the ones above with a chocolate chip in the middle, some colored into green wreaths or trees, whatever the baker's whim. I have gone through a few cookie presses in my time, and currently using this one, and although I did not have loads of success pressing out cookies this year, I'm not necessarily blaming the press. (Just so you know, you can also press this dough out flat and use cookie cutters as well.)
Stocker Family Spritz- I honestly don't know how many this makes because so much of the dough gets eaten!
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
food coloring (optional)
sprinkles, chocolate chips, candies for decoration (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour and salt, set aside. In bowl of a mixer, sift confectioner's sugar, then add butter and mix until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, almond and vanilla extract, then slowly add reserved mixture until blended. (If you are adding food coloring to tint, turn dough out and tint by kneading the dough.
Push through cookie press onto unlined baking sheet, add decoration if desired, bake for 9-10 minutes, take out before cookies start to brown on edges.
Enjoy, if you make them let me know. I will now sign off and say farewell until after the holidays, at which time I will finally be able to show you what we handmade this year. Happy holidays and good wishes to everyone. Thank you all for stopping by and reading wise craft, for caring what is said here, and for just being out there. A hug to you all! Blair
