Dinner At Sheila's

In my experience molasses is one of those flavors that people either really love or really hate, but there’s no middle ground.  I happen to be one of those who really love it. And especially when it reinvents itself as it does in these Chewy Molasses-Spice Cookies.

The crunch and chewiness of this cookie is the perfect vehicle for the molasses.  The more you chew, the more the molasses reveals itself.  The crunchy sugar along with the cinnamon and nutmeg give it just the right amount of sugar and spice. *Note: The only change I made in this recipe is that I used sanding sugar to roll the cookies in.  It really makes them glisten and gives that added crunch.

I was looking for a molasses cookie to make when I came upon this recipe from Martha Stewart.  If you like molasses this cookie is a keeper.  And if you’re not a fan of molasses,who knows…this cookie might convert you!

Chewy-Molasses-Spice Cookies  (Martha Stewart.com)

Ingredients (makes 36, less if you like them larger)

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/2 cups sugar *(or 1 cup sugar for batter, and 1/2 cup sanding sugar for rolling)

3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

1/4 cup molasses

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a shallow bowl, place 1/2 cup sugar; set aside, *or measure 1/2 cup of sanding sugar and set aside.

2.  With an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining cup of sugar until combined. 

Beat in egg and then molasses until combined.

Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in dry ingredients, just until a dough forms.

3.  Pinch off and roll dough into balls, each equal to 1 tablespoon.  Roll balls in reserved sugar to coat. (or use sanding sugar to coat).

4.  Arrange balls on baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges of cookies are just firm, 10  to 15 minutes (cookies can be baked two sheets at a time, but they will not crackle uniformly).  Cool 1 minute on baking sheets; transfer to racks to cool completely.

It wouldn’t be the holidays without cookies, cookies, and more cookies!  These festive, chewy biscotti, with their jewel like seasonal colors, are not only delicious, but are a lovely addition to the holiday table.

This recipe I adapted from the December 2003 issue of Bon Appetit. I made several changes to the original recipe. I substituted dried cherries for half of the dried cranberries. I used the white chocolate chips from Trader Joe’s instead of the more expensive imported chocolate (Perugina or Lindt) called for. If you have the time to locate the finer chocolate, and don’t mind spending a little more, by all means do. I also used the dry roasted unsalted pistachios instead of the natural unsalted.  Either would work, but I like the flavor of the dry roasted.

The recipe below can easily be doubled if you want to make a larger quantity.

Holiday Biscotti With Cranberries, Dried Cherries, And Pistachios                  (adapted from BonAppetit, December, 2003)

(makes about 3 and 1/2 dozen) 

2 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspooon whole aniseed

1 /2 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1/2 cup dried cherries

3/4 cup shelled natural or dry roasted unsalted pistachios

6 ounces imported white chocolate, chopped or white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.  Sift first 3 ingredients into medium bowl.  Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to mix well.  Beat in eggs 1 at a time.  Mix in lemon peel, vanilla, and aniseed.  Beat in flour mixture just until blended.

Stir in cranberries, dried cherries, and pistachios (dough will be sticky).  Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface.  Gather dough together.

Divide dough into halves, or quarters if you have doubled the recipe.

Roll each piece into a 15-inch long log (about 1 and 1/4 inches wide.)  Carefully transfer logs to a prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart.

Bake logs until almost firm to the touch but still pale, about 28 minutes.  Cool logs on baking sheet 10 minutes.  Maintain oven temperature.

Carefully transfer logs still on parchment to cutting board.  Using serrated knife and gentle sawing motion, cut logs crosswise into generous 1/2-inch-thick slices.  Place slices, 1 cut side down, on prepared sheets. 

Bake until firm and golden, about 9 minutes per side.  Transfer cookies to racks to cool.

Line another baking sheet with waxed paper.  Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water just until smooth.  Remove from over water.  Dip 1 end of each cookie into melted chocolate, tilting pan if necessary; shake off excess chocolate.

Chill until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.  (Can be made 5 days ahead.  Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.)

This recipe for Rich Roll Cookies is one I found in the 75th anniversary edition of the Joy Of Cooking given to me one year as a gift from my sons.  It is a rich, buttery sugar cookie dough that rolls out easily and makes perfect cut-out cookies. I used it this year to make my Hanukkah cookies.

Here are some helpful hints to ensure success when making cut out cookies:

1.  Avoid using too much extra flour in the rolling process. 

2.  To prevent most cookie doughs from sticking to your work surface and rolling pin, chill the dough at least 1 hour before rolling it.

3.  Dust the surface with confectioner’s sugar if you prefer instead of flour.

4.  Divide the dough into thirds or quarters, shape into discs, and wrap in plastic, before chilling.

5.  You can refrigerate the dough for up to 2 days, or freeze up to 1 month.

6.  So the cookies will bake evenly, try to keep them all about the same size and thickness.

7.  Dip the cookie cutters in flour before cutting out the shapes for easy release.

8.  Handle the dough as little as possible.

9.   The amount of spreading, baking time and recipe yield will vary if you choose to make cookies larger or smaller than the recipe specifies.

Rich Roll Cookies (makes about 36 2-to3-inch cookies)

Beat in a large bowl until creamy:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

 Add and beat until combined:

1 large egg

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or almond extract

Stir in until blended:

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Note:  The above recipe can be doubled.

Divide the dough into thirds or quarters, shape into discs, and wrap in plastic.

Refrigerate until firm enough to roll. 

Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll out to 1/4 inch thick.  Cut out cookies using 2- or 3 -inch cutters and arrange about 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets.

Reroll and cut the scraps.  If desired, sprinkle the cookies very lightly with colored sprinkles, decorating sugar, or nonpareils.

Bake 1 sheet at a time, until the cookies are lightly colored on top and slightly darker at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand briefly, then remove to a rack to cool.