Like butter? You'll love these cookies
By Marcia Poole | Posted: Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Chai Spice Cutouts take holiday baking out of the ordinary.
America's Dairy Farmers are set for the holidays with cookie recipes galore. The key ingredient? "Real butter," of course.
Each year the dairy farmers deliver cookie recipes in a deliciously packaged press kit trumpeting all things butter. The recipes cover the gamut, from snappy gingerbread men to gushy molten lava cookies.
Chai Spice Cut-Outs make a big impression with pumpkin pie spice, ginger, allspice and cardamom. Fennel Pistachio Cookies call on lemon rind and fennel seeds for citrusy-anise flavor. A full cup of softened butter makes the drop cookie a rich one, with pistachios supplying the contrasting crunch.
Baking these and other favorites carries on traditions that reach back to the Persian Empire, according to the Dairy Farmers. Cookies were merely "test cakes" to make sure oven temps were hot enough to handle real cakes.
Test cakes evolved as they melded with foods of Northern European cultures. They blossomed with the spice trade and emerged as a treat all their own.
Cookies weren't just a luxury. The concept of cookies as a portable food showed up in biscuits, known as "hardtack," that traveled well during sea voyages. The sturdy "jumble" was the most popular "travel cookie," according to the Dairy Farmers' research. Made from nuts, sweetener and water, jumbles remained edible for long periods of time.
Immigrants brought cookies to the New World. The English had "small cakes" and "tea cakes." The Dutch had "koekje" which gradually became "cookie."
A number of factors fed cookie popularity, especially increased availability of sugar, flour and baking soda. By the end of the 19th century, commercially baked cookies began eclipsing home baked.
Packaging advancements made National Biscuit Company a leader in mass-produced cookies. The company's break-through "in-er-seal" moved commercially baked cookies from barrels, boxes and tins to packages that kept the product fresher.
Other factors fueled mass-produced cookie sales, according to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. More women were entering the workplace, creating a market for processed foods that appealed to busy consumers. By the turn of the century "domestic science" curriculum included processed foods in lesson plans. Advertising pushed cookie processing in a big way.
Fig Newtons are always mentioned among the first "store-bought" cookies. They were launched in the early 1890s and named for Newton, Mass. Others quickly followed, including the Hydrox sandwich cookie which prompted a competitor: Oreos.
Now a Kraft product, Oreos originated with the National Biscuit Company as "Oreo Biscuit," along with the shortbread cookies, "Lorna Doone." Oreos quickly outsold Hydrox and soon became the world's best-selling cookie.
As much as we rely on processed products, made-from-scratch cookies are one of our nicest holiday traditions. For many of us holiday baking began with back-of-the-box recipes, such as classic Toll House Cookies.
The chocolaty cookie got its name in Whitman, Mass., where Ruth Wakefield and her husband, Kenneth, bought a lodge in 1930. The Cap Cod-style dwelling had been an inn where travelers paid a toll, changed horses and enjoyed a meal. The Wakefields named it Toll House Inn.
According to Nestle, Ruth created the famous chocolate chip cookie recipe by accident. As she was whipping up a batch of buttery cookie dough, she tossed in tiny bits of chocolate chipped from a semi-sweet chocolate bar. She expected the chocolate to melt; instead, the little bits softened but held their shape during baking.
Ruth's cookies drew applause from guests. The recipe was printed in New England newspapers and Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar sales boomed. Ruth reached an agreement with Nestle that allowed the company to use her recipe. The deal supplied the innkeeper with all the chocolate she could use for the rest of her life. In 1939, Nestle eased cookie making for chocolate chip lovers with the introduction of Toll House Real Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels.
Add to the holiday fun with the following recipes from the Dairy Farmers and watch for more cookies ideas in upcoming Good Eats.
Chai Spice Cutouts
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons ground ginger
One-half teaspoon ground allspice
One-half teaspoon ground cardamom
One and one-half cups (three sticks) butter
1 cup sugar
One-quarter teaspoon salt
2 large egg yolks
1 medium vanilla bean
Colored sugar and prepared frosting for decorating
In a large bowl, sift or whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, allspice and cardamom; set aside. Combine butter, sugar and salt in large bowl. Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until smooth.
Using a small knife, split the vanilla bean in half, lengthwise. Scrape the seeds from both sides of the pod with the tip of the knife and add them to the butter-sugar mixture; beat to combine. Add in flour-spice mixture, one cup at a time, blending until fully incorporated. Divide the dough in half; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least one hour or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove and unwrap half the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to one quarter-inch thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and transfer to prepared baking sheets.
Roll out scraps and repeat with remaining dough, re-chilling as necessary. Sprinkle with decorative colored sugar if desired; bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets or wire racks; frost if desired. Store in airtight container for up to one week. Makes three dozen cookies. Source: America's Dairy Farmers
Fennel Pistachio Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1.5 cups sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons amaretto or almond extract
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1.5 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
One-half teaspoon salt
Three-quarters cup pistachio nuts, chopped, plus extra for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar; mix well. Add egg; beat well. Add amaretto, lemon zest and fennel seeds, mix to combine.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to butter mixture; beat well. Stir in pistachio nuts (dough will be stiff.)
Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. If desired, flatten balls slightly and sprinkle with additional chopped pistachios. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on baking sheets; remove to cooling racks and cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Makes three dozen cookies. Source: America's Dairy Farmers
Each year the dairy farmers deliver cookie recipes in a deliciously packaged press kit trumpeting all things butter. The recipes cover the gamut, from snappy gingerbread men to gushy molten lava cookies.
Chai Spice Cut-Outs make a big impression with pumpkin pie spice, ginger, allspice and cardamom. Fennel Pistachio Cookies call on lemon rind and fennel seeds for citrusy-anise flavor. A full cup of softened butter makes the drop cookie a rich one, with pistachios supplying the contrasting crunch.
Baking these and other favorites carries on traditions that reach back to the Persian Empire, according to the Dairy Farmers. Cookies were merely "test cakes" to make sure oven temps were hot enough to handle real cakes.
Test cakes evolved as they melded with foods of Northern European cultures. They blossomed with the spice trade and emerged as a treat all their own.
Cookies weren't just a luxury. The concept of cookies as a portable food showed up in biscuits, known as "hardtack," that traveled well during sea voyages. The sturdy "jumble" was the most popular "travel cookie," according to the Dairy Farmers' research. Made from nuts, sweetener and water, jumbles remained edible for long periods of time.
Immigrants brought cookies to the New World. The English had "small cakes" and "tea cakes." The Dutch had "koekje" which gradually became "cookie."
A number of factors fed cookie popularity, especially increased availability of sugar, flour and baking soda. By the end of the 19th century, commercially baked cookies began eclipsing home baked.
Packaging advancements made National Biscuit Company a leader in mass-produced cookies. The company's break-through "in-er-seal" moved commercially baked cookies from barrels, boxes and tins to packages that kept the product fresher.
Other factors fueled mass-produced cookie sales, according to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. More women were entering the workplace, creating a market for processed foods that appealed to busy consumers. By the turn of the century "domestic science" curriculum included processed foods in lesson plans. Advertising pushed cookie processing in a big way.
Fig Newtons are always mentioned among the first "store-bought" cookies. They were launched in the early 1890s and named for Newton, Mass. Others quickly followed, including the Hydrox sandwich cookie which prompted a competitor: Oreos.
Now a Kraft product, Oreos originated with the National Biscuit Company as "Oreo Biscuit," along with the shortbread cookies, "Lorna Doone." Oreos quickly outsold Hydrox and soon became the world's best-selling cookie.
As much as we rely on processed products, made-from-scratch cookies are one of our nicest holiday traditions. For many of us holiday baking began with back-of-the-box recipes, such as classic Toll House Cookies.
The chocolaty cookie got its name in Whitman, Mass., where Ruth Wakefield and her husband, Kenneth, bought a lodge in 1930. The Cap Cod-style dwelling had been an inn where travelers paid a toll, changed horses and enjoyed a meal. The Wakefields named it Toll House Inn.
According to Nestle, Ruth created the famous chocolate chip cookie recipe by accident. As she was whipping up a batch of buttery cookie dough, she tossed in tiny bits of chocolate chipped from a semi-sweet chocolate bar. She expected the chocolate to melt; instead, the little bits softened but held their shape during baking.
Ruth's cookies drew applause from guests. The recipe was printed in New England newspapers and Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar sales boomed. Ruth reached an agreement with Nestle that allowed the company to use her recipe. The deal supplied the innkeeper with all the chocolate she could use for the rest of her life. In 1939, Nestle eased cookie making for chocolate chip lovers with the introduction of Toll House Real Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels.
Add to the holiday fun with the following recipes from the Dairy Farmers and watch for more cookies ideas in upcoming Good Eats.
Chai Spice Cutouts
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons ground ginger
One-half teaspoon ground allspice
One-half teaspoon ground cardamom
One and one-half cups (three sticks) butter
1 cup sugar
One-quarter teaspoon salt
2 large egg yolks
1 medium vanilla bean
Colored sugar and prepared frosting for decorating
In a large bowl, sift or whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, allspice and cardamom; set aside. Combine butter, sugar and salt in large bowl. Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until smooth.
Using a small knife, split the vanilla bean in half, lengthwise. Scrape the seeds from both sides of the pod with the tip of the knife and add them to the butter-sugar mixture; beat to combine. Add in flour-spice mixture, one cup at a time, blending until fully incorporated. Divide the dough in half; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least one hour or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove and unwrap half the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to one quarter-inch thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and transfer to prepared baking sheets.
Roll out scraps and repeat with remaining dough, re-chilling as necessary. Sprinkle with decorative colored sugar if desired; bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets or wire racks; frost if desired. Store in airtight container for up to one week. Makes three dozen cookies. Source: America's Dairy Farmers
Fennel Pistachio Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1.5 cups sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons amaretto or almond extract
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1.5 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
One-half teaspoon salt
Three-quarters cup pistachio nuts, chopped, plus extra for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar; mix well. Add egg; beat well. Add amaretto, lemon zest and fennel seeds, mix to combine.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to butter mixture; beat well. Stir in pistachio nuts (dough will be stiff.)
Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. If desired, flatten balls slightly and sprinkle with additional chopped pistachios. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on baking sheets; remove to cooling racks and cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Makes three dozen cookies. Source: America's Dairy Farmers
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