Gourmet Cookie Class Recipes

Dec 9, 2015

Ultimate Chewy Ginger Cookies

makes 3 dozen cookies

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon table salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 large egg

3 1/2 ounces crystallized ginger chips

1/2 cup coarse or Turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)

• 1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

  2. in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.

  3. Add molasses and egg; mix until incorporated.

  4. Add flour mixture and ginger chips; mix until incorporated.

  5. Wrap cookie dough well with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

  6. Preheat oven to 375F and line half sheet pan with parchment paper.

  7. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar.

  8. Place 2 inches apart on parchment prepared half sheet pans.

  9. Bake for 8-10 minutes (remove from oven while still soft).

  10. Remove from oven but allow cookies to cool completely on sheet pan.

Praline Meringue Cookies

makes about 20 cookies

1 1/2 cups (150g) pecan halves

2 large (60g) egg whites, room temperature

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons (150g) dark brown sugar, firmly packed

• 1. Preheat oven to 350F and line two half sheet pans with parchment paper.

  2. Place pecans in a single layer on a half sheet pan and toast in oven for about 5 minutes; cool completely and chop into small pieces.

  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and brown sugar on mediUm speed for about 1 minute.

  4. Stop mixer and scrap down sides of bowl; mix on medium-high for about 5 minutes or until thick and light in color.

  5. Gently fold in chopped pecans.

  6. Drop one-tablespoon dollops, evenly spaced, onto prepared half sheet pans (10 per pan).

  7. Bake for 10-13 minutes until the meringues crack slightly and reach an internal temperature of 190F.

  8. Remove from oven and cool completely on half sheet pans.

Italian Almond Cookies

makes 18 servings

8 ounces canned almond paste

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 large egg whites

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 - 2 cups sliced almonds

• 1. Preheat oven to 325F and line half sheet pans with parchment paper.

  2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine almond paste, flour, egg whites, and both sugars. Mixture will be very sticky.

  3. Place sliced almonds into a medium bowl.

  4. Drop #100 scoops blobs (1 teaspoon) of cookie dough into bowl of almonds; roll until coated.

  5. Place 2 inches apart on prepared half sheet pan.

  6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden.

  7. Cool on half sheet pans for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: try to use canned almond paste (soft and moist). If you have to use the kind that comes in a long tube (usually a bit more hard and dry), use the shredding disk to grate it before adding flour, eggs, and sugar.

Ultimate Gingerbread Cookie Dough

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon table salt

• 1. In a large heavy-bottom saucepan, heat sugar, molasses, water, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves; bring mixture to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves.

  2. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted; cool for 15 minutes.

  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; add to cooled molasses mixture and stir until combined.

  4. Place dough in a gallon-size zipper storage bag; refrigerate overnight.

  5. Preheat oven to 375F and line half sheet pans with parchment paper or silpat liners.

  6. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness between layers of wax paper.

  7. Cut desired shapes with floured cutters; chill dough for 10 minutes before transferring cutouts to prepared half sheet pans.

  8. Bake cookies 8-10 minutes.

  9. Let cookies rest for a couple minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating (or top warm cookies with fondant cutouts).