Very merry bark,gingerbread butter cookies,lemon poppyseed shortbread
It's beginning to taste a lot like Christmas!
Everywhere you look, holiday baking is taking place -- and it's full steam ahead as all the classics and favourite family recipes are lovingly making their way to the front of the kitchen once again.
Cookie swap parties are in high gear -- in my family, the sisters and sisters-in-law are banding together this weekend with wine and matching aprons to roll out the dough for good sweets and equally good company.
So grab a cookie cutter and your favourite rolling pin and enjoy the following recipes that are keepers for years to come.
VERY MERRY BARK
Guaranteed to be a hit! And so easy to make. Recipe courtesy of the delightful Mrs. Claus Cookbook (Hallmark).
1 cup (250ml) coarsely chopped pistachios (about 5 oz.)
1 cup (250ml) dried cranberries
1 24-oz bag semi-sweet chocolate or white chocolate chips
Line a baking sheet with foil. Set aside. In a bowl, combine pistachios and cranberries. Measure out half of mixture and set aside.
Carefully melt chocolate chips in a microwave. Stir in half of pistachio-cranberry mixture into chocolate mixture. Spread mixture evenly over baking sheet. Sprinkle reserved pistachios and cranberries over chocolate and use a spatula to gently press them in.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until hardened (overnight is good). Break into uneven pieces.
Place in festive packaging.
GINGERBREAD BUTTER COOKIES
It wouldn't be Christmas without gingerbread! Here's an excellent and easy recipe courtesy of the Dairy Farmers of Canada.
3/4 cup (175 ml) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar (white or brown)
1 egg
2 Tbsp. (30 ml) milk
1/2 tsp (2 ml) vanilla
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) flour
3/4 tsp (3 ml) ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 ml) ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp (2 ml) ground ginger
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground cloves
1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda
Decorations: Icing, candies, sprinkles, etc.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar, then add egg. Stir together milk and vanilla. Add to butter mixture.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, spices and baking soda. Sift into butter mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Gather dough into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375F (190C). On a floured surface, roll out dough 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick and cut with your choice of cookie cutters.
Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack. Decorate with colourful icing and sprinkles. Store cookies in a sealed container in a dry place.
Yields: 24 cookies
LEMON POPPYSEED SHORTBREAD
For the savoury-tooth cookie lover in your life! The kick in this recipe is the touch of cayenne. Recipe courtesy of Gay Lea (Shortbreadbliss.ca).
1/2 cup (125ml) salted butter, softened
1 tsp. (5ml) granulated sugar
1 cup (250ml) all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. (30ml) poppy seeds
1 Tbsp. (15ml) finely grated lemon zest
Pinch cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
Using electric mixer, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. In separate bowl, combine flour, poppy seeds, lemon zest and cayenne; using wooden spoon, gradually stir into butter mixture. Using tablespoonfuls, roll dough into balls. Place balls on parchment paper lined cookie sheets; flatten into discs.
Bake in centre of oven for 14 to 16 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Cool on pan on racks. (Shortbread can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days.)
Makes 20 shortbread
.
Taking the duh out of dough work!
A few minutes to assemble everything you need before setting out to bake and create will save you hours of stress. Keep this checklist handy before you go for the big bake:
- Read all recipes carefully
- Take recipes with when purchasing ingredients
- Refrigerate cookie cutters before using them
- Dip cookie cutter in flour every time you cut out a cookie
- If it's taking you more time to roll out dough, refrigerate unused dough until ready to use.
- Use parchment paper -- makes cleaning easy and ensures cookies don't stick to pan.
- If your dry ingredients (like baking soda and baking powder) have been in the cupboard since last year, throw them out and purchase fresh.
