Baking Holiday Cookies
We're happy to share three recipes with you: whimsical animal cutout sugar cookies; rich molasses cookies; and pressed sugar cookies, a buttery spritz cookie that comes from Sweden. Originally squeezed through a press and then twisted by hand into "S" and "O" shapes, this delightfully rich mouthful has evolved into a cookie of many forms, thanks to the cookie press.
We also offer baking tips and suggestions for flavor enhancements so you can add your own creative touch.
Cookie-Baking Tips
• Have all ingredients at room temperature before mixing.
• Preheat the oven and measure out the ingredients before you
begin making the cookies.
• When making cookies, it's not necessary to sift flour unless
the recipe specifies to do so.
• Use heavy-duty baking sheets and do not crowd cookies on
the pan.
• A Silpat cookie sheet liner helps ensure even baking and
allows for easy cleanup.
• Most ovens have hot spots, which can result in uneven baking.
To alleviate this, turn the baking sheets from back to front
halfway through baking.
• Remove cookies from the pan as soon as they are cool
enough to handle, and set them on a wire rack so air can
circulate freely.
• Molasses cookie dough can be made in advance and frozen
until ready to use.
• Likewise, baked molasses cookies can be frozen. Wrap
well with plastic wrap before freezing.
Enhancing the Flavor of Sugar Cookies
• Stir finely chopped nuts or chocolate into the flour mixture
before combining with the batter.
• Add minced crystallized ginger to the butter-sugar mixture.
• Stir chopped dried fruit into the dough.
• Add grated lemon zest or orange zest to the flour mixture
before combining with the batter.
• Stir chopped peppermint candies into the dough.