THESE COOKIES WILL PLACE YOU IN SANTA’S GOOD LIST

Take ordinary cookies up several notches with these tasty variations and creative decorating ideas from none other than Martha Stewart. These receipes are from her new book, Martha Stewart’s Cookie Perfection, (Potter, $35).

STAINED-GLASS SUGAR COOKIES

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

¾ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp fine salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

1¼ cups sugar

4 large egg yolks

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup very finely crushed hard candy, such as Jolly rancher,  in various colours, colours  kept separate

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 mins. Add egg yolks and vanilla and beat to combine. Gradually add flour mixture and mix on low until just combined.

Shape dough into two disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 30 mins.

Working with one disk at a time, roll out dough between floured parchment to 1/8-inch thickness. Stack dough in parchment on a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 30 mins.

Preheat oven to 350° F. With a 4-inch ornament-shaped cutter, cut out dough. Place cookies on two parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using aspic cutters, cut out desired designs. Using a chopstick, punch a hole near the top for hanging, if desired. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are pale but set, about 14 mins. Remove sheets from oven; fill cutouts with crushed candy. Continue to bake until cookies begin to brown at edges and candy is just melted, 1 to 2 mins.

Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.

Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Masala Chai Tea Cakes

2 cups unbleached all-purpose  flour

1 cup almond flour

2 tbsp best-quality black tea, such as Darjeeling, coarsely ground in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle

¾ tsp coarse salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cardamom

Pinch of ground cloves

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter,  room temperature

½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus more for rolling

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325° F. In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, the tea, salt, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 mins. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture and mix on low just until a dough forms.

Scoop tbsps of dough and form into balls. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing balls about 1 inch apart.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway, until set and golden on bottoms, 15 to 18 mins. Cool cookies on sheets for 5 mins.

Place some confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl. Roll cookies in sugar and transfer to wire racks; let cool completely. Generously coat cookies in more sugar before serving or storing in airtight containers for up to 2 weeks.

Pastel Butter Cookies

1 cup whole blanched almonds,  toasted

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½ tsp coarse salt

½ tsp cinnamon

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus 1/2 cup per tinted sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Freeze-dried fruits in various colours, such as blueberries, raspberries and mangoes

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place toasted almonds in the bowl of a food processor. Add flour, salt and cinnamon and process until nuts are finely ground, about 1 min.

In a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar until pale and fluffy, about 4 mins. Add vanilla and beat until combined. With mixer on low, gradually add almond mixture and beat until just incorporated.

Using a tbsp, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway, until edges are just golden, 14 to 16 mins. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely.

For each desired colour, process ½ cup fruit with ½ cup confectioners’ sugar in a food processor until smooth and evenly tinted. Place tinted sugars in small bowls and dip cookies, domed side down, into tinted sugars to coat. Transfer to plate and let rest, about 30 mins.

Store in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 1 week.