Dairy farmers roll out recipes, tips for bright buttery cookies
By Marcia Poole | Posted: Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Good Eats Nov. 28, 2007
With Thanksgiving feast under our belts, let's move on to holiday cookies and all the fun of baking up a platter of colorful goodies. This can be premium family time with the kids getting in on the fun. Have a camera on hand to record the history.
Those of us who bake just once a year probably need a brush-up on the basics. America's Dairy Farmers are happy to supply some lessons and a collection of yummy holiday cookie recipes.
They remind consumers that baking is a step-by-step science. While old pros commit favorite recipes to memory, the rest of us should reach for the rules which always start with a kitchen-tested recipe from a reliable source.
Before the measuring and mixing even begin, sit down and read the recipe to make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils and understand each step of the process and the terminology. Then read it again. Leave nothing to chance.
The dairy farmers are all about promoting butter, of course. In their recipes, no other type of fat will do. When recipes call for butter, don't substitute margarine or shortening or part-butter products. Spreads contain less fat and more water than butter and will not perform the same.
With its low melting point, butter helps make cookies soft and chewy inside, but crisp and golden outside. Butter greases the baking sheet to keep cookies from sticking. But a layer of parchment paper also works.
Don't guess at measurements. The more accurate you are, the better the cookies will turn out. Sift or stir dry ingredients before measuring and then carefully spoon the ingredients into a measuring meant for dry ingredients. This is a utensil that allows you to level off the ingredients with a straight edge.
Use a clear measuring cup for liquid ingredients. Place the measuring cup on a level surface; bend over to read the amount at eye level and check for accuracy.
Keep cookie dough chilled between baking batches. For cut-out cookies, work with one small piece of dough at a time and keep the rest in the fridge. For the roll-out, place the dough between two pieces of lightly floured parchment or wax paper. This keeps the dough from sticking to the rolling pin.
The dairy farmers remind consumers that cookies turn out best when the dough is placed on cool cookie sheets. A warm sheet causes the dough to spread too fast and too much. To hasten cooling between batches, run the back of the cookie sheet under tepid water.
For well-defined cookie shapes, place cut-outs on a cookie sheet and then refrigerate before baking. Keep a close eye on the cookies as they bake; remove them they start turning light brown around the edges. Cookies continue to bake on the hot cookie sheet even after they're out of the oven.
For optimal storage, tuck soft cookies in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Crisp cookies should be stored in a container with a loose lid so they have breathing room. As for butter, always store it in the refrigerator, in its original packaging in the coldest part of the refrigerator. It should not be kept inside the refrigerator door. Also, keep butter away from foods that have a powerful smell otherwise your butter could taste vaguely like steamed broccoli.
The dairy farmers say that, yes, butter can be frozen in its original container for up to four months from the time of purchase. To protect the flavor, wrap the container in aluminum foil or in an airtight plastic freezer bag before freezing. Once butter is thawed, it should be used within 30 days.
If you're up for a holiday cookie exchange, check out these tips from the dairy farmers for a fun and relatively easy way to entertain. Then move on to some of their kitchen tested recipes for yummy cookies.
* Encourage cookie exchange friends to try a new recipe for fun and conversation.
* The average recipe yields 30 cookies. Each person can either bake a double batch or bring two different recipes to share.
* Most hosts are hard pressed to come up with enough platters and trays to hold all these cookies. Ask each baker to bring something to display their treats.
* This is not the time to pack light. Remind guests to bring a big tote, Tupperware, cookie tins or plastic gallon bags to haul away the goodies.
* Serve a variety of cookie-friendly beverages, from icy cold milk to steamy coffee.
* Create ballots for categories, such as: tastiest; prettiest; most adventurous. Then give out prizes for the best.
Sea Salted Coffee Toffee Bars
Makes about 18 two-inch square bars
First layer ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
One-half teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
One and one-half tablespoons instant coffee crystals
Second layer ingredients:
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or dark rum
One and one-half cups whole pecans*
One-half to one tablespoon large crystal sea salt
*Hazelnuts, almonds or other mixed nuts may
be substituted.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Add flour, once cup at a time, stirring between additions. Add instant coffee crystals and blend until well incorporated.
Pat batter into ungreased 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan in an even layer. Bake until edges are lightly browned and center is puffy, 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in heavy saucepan, stir condensed milk and two tablespoons butter over low heat until butter melts. The mixture will thicken and become smooth. Stir in vanilla or rum; remove from heat and let sit until bottom layer is done baking.
Sprinkle nuts over baked bottom layer and pour hot condensed milk mixture evenly over nuts using a spatula to spread. Return to the oven and bake until top is golden and bubbling, 10 to 12 minutes.
Immediately sprinkle desired amount of sea salt over bubbling toffee top. Cool slightly in pan and cut into bars. Bars can be kept up to one week in an airtight container. Makes about 18 two-inch square bars. Source: America’s Dairy Farmers
Double Chocolate Cherry Thumbprints
Makes 6 dozen cookies
One and one-half cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
One-quarter teaspoon almond extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Two and one-half cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
10 ounces maraschino cherries, cut in half
3 ounces white chocolate
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and almond extract; mix well. Add bittersweet chocolate and blend to combine. Add flour and cinnamon; mix until well blended. Form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Roll dough into one-inch balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Press thumb in center of each cookie and place half a cherry in each depression. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Cool completely. Source: America’s Dairy Farmers
With Thanksgiving feast under our belts, let's move on to holiday cookies and all the fun of baking up a platter of colorful goodies. This can be premium family time with the kids getting in on the fun. Have a camera on hand to record the history.
Those of us who bake just once a year probably need a brush-up on the basics. America's Dairy Farmers are happy to supply some lessons and a collection of yummy holiday cookie recipes.
They remind consumers that baking is a step-by-step science. While old pros commit favorite recipes to memory, the rest of us should reach for the rules which always start with a kitchen-tested recipe from a reliable source.
Before the measuring and mixing even begin, sit down and read the recipe to make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils and understand each step of the process and the terminology. Then read it again. Leave nothing to chance.
The dairy farmers are all about promoting butter, of course. In their recipes, no other type of fat will do. When recipes call for butter, don't substitute margarine or shortening or part-butter products. Spreads contain less fat and more water than butter and will not perform the same.
With its low melting point, butter helps make cookies soft and chewy inside, but crisp and golden outside. Butter greases the baking sheet to keep cookies from sticking. But a layer of parchment paper also works.
Don't guess at measurements. The more accurate you are, the better the cookies will turn out. Sift or stir dry ingredients before measuring and then carefully spoon the ingredients into a measuring meant for dry ingredients. This is a utensil that allows you to level off the ingredients with a straight edge.
Use a clear measuring cup for liquid ingredients. Place the measuring cup on a level surface; bend over to read the amount at eye level and check for accuracy.
Keep cookie dough chilled between baking batches. For cut-out cookies, work with one small piece of dough at a time and keep the rest in the fridge. For the roll-out, place the dough between two pieces of lightly floured parchment or wax paper. This keeps the dough from sticking to the rolling pin.
The dairy farmers remind consumers that cookies turn out best when the dough is placed on cool cookie sheets. A warm sheet causes the dough to spread too fast and too much. To hasten cooling between batches, run the back of the cookie sheet under tepid water.
For well-defined cookie shapes, place cut-outs on a cookie sheet and then refrigerate before baking. Keep a close eye on the cookies as they bake; remove them they start turning light brown around the edges. Cookies continue to bake on the hot cookie sheet even after they're out of the oven.
For optimal storage, tuck soft cookies in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Crisp cookies should be stored in a container with a loose lid so they have breathing room. As for butter, always store it in the refrigerator, in its original packaging in the coldest part of the refrigerator. It should not be kept inside the refrigerator door. Also, keep butter away from foods that have a powerful smell otherwise your butter could taste vaguely like steamed broccoli.
The dairy farmers say that, yes, butter can be frozen in its original container for up to four months from the time of purchase. To protect the flavor, wrap the container in aluminum foil or in an airtight plastic freezer bag before freezing. Once butter is thawed, it should be used within 30 days.
If you're up for a holiday cookie exchange, check out these tips from the dairy farmers for a fun and relatively easy way to entertain. Then move on to some of their kitchen tested recipes for yummy cookies.
* Encourage cookie exchange friends to try a new recipe for fun and conversation.
* The average recipe yields 30 cookies. Each person can either bake a double batch or bring two different recipes to share.
* Most hosts are hard pressed to come up with enough platters and trays to hold all these cookies. Ask each baker to bring something to display their treats.
* This is not the time to pack light. Remind guests to bring a big tote, Tupperware, cookie tins or plastic gallon bags to haul away the goodies.
* Serve a variety of cookie-friendly beverages, from icy cold milk to steamy coffee.
* Create ballots for categories, such as: tastiest; prettiest; most adventurous. Then give out prizes for the best.
Sea Salted Coffee Toffee Bars
Makes about 18 two-inch square bars
First layer ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
One-half teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
One and one-half tablespoons instant coffee crystals
Second layer ingredients:
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or dark rum
One and one-half cups whole pecans*
One-half to one tablespoon large crystal sea salt
*Hazelnuts, almonds or other mixed nuts may
be substituted.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Add flour, once cup at a time, stirring between additions. Add instant coffee crystals and blend until well incorporated.
Pat batter into ungreased 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan in an even layer. Bake until edges are lightly browned and center is puffy, 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in heavy saucepan, stir condensed milk and two tablespoons butter over low heat until butter melts. The mixture will thicken and become smooth. Stir in vanilla or rum; remove from heat and let sit until bottom layer is done baking.
Sprinkle nuts over baked bottom layer and pour hot condensed milk mixture evenly over nuts using a spatula to spread. Return to the oven and bake until top is golden and bubbling, 10 to 12 minutes.
Immediately sprinkle desired amount of sea salt over bubbling toffee top. Cool slightly in pan and cut into bars. Bars can be kept up to one week in an airtight container. Makes about 18 two-inch square bars. Source: America’s Dairy Farmers
Double Chocolate Cherry Thumbprints
Makes 6 dozen cookies
One and one-half cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
One-quarter teaspoon almond extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Two and one-half cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
10 ounces maraschino cherries, cut in half
3 ounces white chocolate
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and almond extract; mix well. Add bittersweet chocolate and blend to combine. Add flour and cinnamon; mix until well blended. Form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Roll dough into one-inch balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Press thumb in center of each cookie and place half a cherry in each depression. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Cool completely. Source: America’s Dairy Farmers
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