KITCHEN TABLE
COOKIES FOR SANTA!
No one does sweet treats like Martha! Cookie Perfection by Martha Stewart (Potter, $35) is bursting with ideas for cookies for Santa (and everyone on his ‘good list’)!
GINGERBREAD TREES
Image credit: Cookie Perfection by Martha Stewart.
6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 tsps ground ginger
4 tsp ground cinnamon
1½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp finely ground pepper
1½ tsp coarse salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup unsulfured molasses
Royal icing
Green gel-paste food colouring
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and baking powder. In another large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, 2-3 mins.
Mix in ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then molasses.
Gradually add flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Divide dough into three pieces; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 350° F. On a lightly floured surface, roll our dough to 1/8 inch thick.
Cut out Christmas tree shapes and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until crisp but not darkened, about 20 mins. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.
To decorate cookies: Tint three-quarters royal icing with green gel-paste food colouring. Transfer icing to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Flood cookies with icing, leaving tree trunk bare. Let set at room temperature, at least 12 hours and up to overnight.
Place remaining white royal icing in a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip and pipe lines of snow onto branches.
Let set at room temperature, about 4 hours. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
ROYAL ICING
Image credit: Cookie Perfection by Martha Stewart.
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus more if needed
¼ cup plus more meringue powder
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on low, beat confectioner’s sugar, meringue powder and scant ½ cup water until smooth and opaque white, about 7 mins.
If icing is too thick, add more water, 1 tsp at a time, beating until icing has the consistency of glue.
If icing is too thin, continue beating icing 2 to 3 mins more or add more sugar, 1 tbsp at a time. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container up to one week. Stir well before using.
CANDYCANE COOKIES
Image credit: Cookie Perfection by Martha Stewart.
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp peppermint extract
¼ tsp coarse salt
2½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Red gel-paste food colouring
1 large egg white, beaten
Coarse sanding sugar, for decorating
In a large bowl with an electric, mixer on medium, beat butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, about 2 mins.
Beat in egg, both extracts and salt. Gradually add flour and mix on low until just combined.
Divide dough in half. Knead food colouring into one half until desired colour is reached.
Form dough into disks. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate 20 mins., and up to overnight.
Divide untinted dough into 12 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, shape each into a 12-inch long log. Refrigerate until firm but pliable, about 10 mins.
Repeat with tinted dough. Twist a tinted and untinted piece together, roll gently to form a log.
Cut crosswise into 2 equal pieces, bend one end to form a cane.
Repeat. Arrange on parchment-lined sheets, about 2 inches apart.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill 1 hour and up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 325° F. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are firm but not taking on any colour – 20 to 24 mins. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.
Brush each candy cane with egg white and sprinkle with sanding sugar, tap off excess.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
MACAROON SANDWICH COOKIES
Image credit: Cookie Perfection by Martha Stewart.
2 large egg whites
3 tbsp sugar
Pinch of coarse salt
8 oz sweetened flaked coconut
½ cup jam, such as mango, raspberry or apricot
Preheat oven to 350° F. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar and salt until frothy.
Stir in coconut until moist.
Drop tsp-sized mounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets; flatten with a fork.
Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden, 13 to 15 mins.
Let cool completely.
Spread ½ tsp of jam on flat side of half the cookies, then sandwich with remaining cookies.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Cookie Perfection by Martha Stewart is published by Potter, $35.