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Friday, November 19, 2010

Peanut Butter Blossoms


These are pretty traditional, and there isn't much I've done to alter things.  They are a holiday staple--I mean, who doesn't love chocolate and peanut butter?  Ok, my mom doesn't but she's weird and doesn't like peanut butter.  Plus, it's candy and cookies.  Two of my favorite food groups.  I got this recipe from Now...You're Cooking and it is attributed to Dana Jago from Loudon, Tennesee.

I like to make these both with the typical Hershey's Kiss, but I've also taken to making them with Reese's Cups and they are awesome.  This year when I went to buy the Reese's Cups, I came across bell-shaped Reese's and though they would be a cute holiday addition.  Better in theory than in practice.  I didn't account for the top of the bell melting as much as it did.  So now I just have an interesting looking chocolate thumbprint.  But they are still mighty tasty!


I also failed to read the yield on this recipe, so I didn't buy enough bags of bells.  Luckily I had half a bag of cups at home.  And when I ran out of those, I found a bag of kisses.  So the moral of the story is make sure you have enough candy on hand to make these, or mix and match your favorites!  And if you end up with too much candy, I think you'll figure out what to do with it.

Peanut Butter Blossoms


Ingredients:
2 2/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 cup creamy peanutbutter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
additional sugar for rolling
7 1/2 dozen chocolate kisses or peanut butter cups, unwrapped

In a large bowl mix together flour, salt and baking soda.  Set aside.  In another bowl, cream butter and peanut butter, scraping sides of bowl as necessary, until smooth.  Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.

Gradually mix in the flour mixture, adding in batches.  Scrape dough into large ball, ensuring all flour is incorporated.


Form dough into 1 inch balls.



Roll in additional sugar and place on  a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.



Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 8 minutes.  Turn baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through. If using more than one sheet at a time, rotate positions in the oven for more even baking.  Remove cookies from oven and quickly place one unwrapped candy in the center of each cookie.




Return to the oven and bake for 2 more minutes.


Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then move to complete cooling on rack.

For storage, you must let the chocolate set completely or you'll have a chocolatey mess.  Allow to cool on rack, and then I suggest putting one layer of cookies in your container and popping it in the freezer for 5 minutes. Then place a piece of wax paper on top and repeat layers.

Makes 7 1/2 dozen.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Glazed Lemonade (aka Revamped Soft Lemonade)

 Now this is what I was going for.  It didn't take me long to figure out that the lemonade concentrate wasn't enough flavor for these cookies.  I needed to up the ante with lemon extract and lemon peel.  And just for fun (and to make them a little prettier), I decided a little lemon glaze would be the (literal) icing on the cookie.

The lemon peel is something I picked up from Penzeys Spices on a whim.  I'm glad I did because I usually don't have lemons in the house and would have probably wasted the unused portion.  I mixed the lemon peel with water and added it to the batter and the flavor was just as good as a fresh lemon. I'm looking forward to seeing what else I can use it in.

I was not disappointed.  A nice light but noticeable lemon flavor, a soft cookie, and a hint of sweetness from the glaze.  Hope these make up for the flop I posted earlier!


Glazed Lemonade


Ingredients (for cookies)

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon dried lemon peel, reconstituted
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition.  Add lemon extract and lemon peel; mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda.  Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with lemonade concentrate, mixing well after each addition.


On a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet, drop by spoonfuls (I use a small cookie scoop) about 2 inches apart.  Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Turn baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through. If using more than one sheet at a time, rotate positions in the oven for more even baking.  Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then move to complete cooling on rack.






Ingredients (for glaze)
 
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2-3 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon lemon extract

In small bowl, stir all frosting ingredients together until smooth.  Place a piece of parchment or a silicone mat under a cooking rack.  Using the back of a spoon, spread glaze onto the center of the cookie (it will spread to the edges), and allow to set on cooling rack.  Any glaze that drips off the edges will  fall onto the parchment and not your table or counter, making for easy clean up.  Sprinkle with colored sugar if desired.

For storage, allow glaze to set before packing into airtight containers. If you are going to layer the cookies, I suggest putting one layer in the container and popping it in the freezer for 5 minutes. Then place a piece of wax paper on top and repeat layers.


Makes 6 dozen.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

Soft Lemonade--Salvaged


What do you do when life hands you disappointing lemon cookies?  Make macaroons!

These turned out to be the perfect way to salvage the cookies.  Frosting always makes me happy, and the flavor really brought the lemon punch I was looking for.  It also softened the cookie a bit, making it not as dry.

I still decided to revamp the recipe, but at least this saved me from wasting a bunch of cookies.

Soft Lemonade Macaroons


Ingredients:

1 container prepared white icing
2 teaspoons lemon extract

Mix extract into prepared frosting and whip thoroughly.

Pair Soft Lemonade cookies of similar size. Pipe or spread frosting onto the bottom of one cookie. Top with matching pair to create a sandwich.


If you like a lot of frosting, you could use a lot a roll in sprinkles or colored sugar.  Allow frosting to set before storing in an airtight container.


Makes about 3 dozen.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Orange Cranberry


Ooh, it's been exciting around here.  Betty Crocker featured my Cherry Cordial (Redux) recipe on their Facebook wall last night, so thank you to all the new visitors, followers and commenters for all the great feedback.  I hope you continue to enjoy what I'm offering.  I welcome your questions and have been going through all of the comments.  You've given me some good ideas for future posts, so keep commenting!

I love these cookies.  As much as I love chocolate, these may be my absolute favorite holiday cookie. I've been keeping them in the rotation the past few years and I usually tuck a few aside just for me.  They are a stand up cookie, with a slight softness on the inside and the flavors merge beautifully.  These cookies are great with or without the glaze.  Your mouth fills with a sweet and tangy cranberry flavor, finished with a hint of orange.  The glaze does an excellent job of sweetening up the cookie and cutting through the tart cranberries.

This recipe came from the Betty Crocker website (found as Orange-Frosted Cranberry Cookies), and I haven't done much to alter it.  I changed the name because it's less a frosting and more a glaze, and I eliminated the nuts.  The past few years I've made these using dried cranberries.  Except this year I actually read the recipe and it calls for fresh or frozen cranberries.  So figured I'd follow along, and I'm so glad I did.  The dried cranberries are great, but the fresh ones bring a whole new level of flavor.  I guess those people at Betty Crocker know what they're talking about!

Orange Cranberry


Ingredients (for cookies)

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries

In a large bowl, beat butter.  Add sugars and cream thoroughly, scraping sides of bowl as needed.  Beat in orange peel, orange juice and egg at medium speed with an electric mixer.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and stir thoroughly.  Stir in chopped cranberries.


On a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet, drop by spoonfuls (I use a small cookie scoop) about 2 inches apart. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 12-14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Turn baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through. If using more than one sheet at a time, rotate positions in the oven for more even baking.


Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then move to complete cooling on rack.  Be sure cookies are completely cooled before frosting.





Ingredients (for glaze)


1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
2-3 Tablespoons orange juice

In small bowl, stir all frosting ingredients together until smooth.  Place a piece of parchment or a silicone mat under a cooking rack.  Using the back of a spoon, spread glaze onto the center of the cookie (it will spread to the edges), and allow to set on cooling rack.  Any glaze that drips off the edges will  fall onto the parchment and not your table or counter, making for easy clean up.  (We won't discuss how many times I frosted or glazed cookies before figuring this out.  And sorry I don't have any pictures for this process.)

For storage, allow glaze to set before packing into airtight containers. If you are going to layer the cookies, I suggest putting one layer in the container and popping it in the freezer for 5 minutes. Then place a piece of wax paper on top and repeat layers.

Makes 6 dozen.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip


Searching for a fall flavored cookie, I thought pumpkin would be a good way to go. I think these would make a great addition to a Thanksgiving dessert buffet.  The whole kitchen smelled like pumpkin pie when these were baking, but the consistency was like a soft pumpkin bread, dotted with white chocolate.  Dave disagreed with the white chocolate addition, saying the flavors didn't meld together; it was just like tasting pumpkin, and then a little white chocolate here and there.  I though the white chocolate added a different level of sweetness, but agreed that the flavors weren't married.

I found this recipe on Mixingbowl.com as well, posted by chefnina, who sourced it to Cook'n recipe archives.  Her recipe called for semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I wanted thought the white chocolate would feature against the pumpkin a little stronger.  It also called for nuts, which I omitted to keep the focus more on the pumpkin. 

Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip


1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 12-ounce bag white chocolate chips

Beat butter, then add sugars and cream together, scraping sides of bowl as necessary.  Add the eggs, pumpkin and vanilla, mixing until thoroughly incorporated, continuing to scrape sides of bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and ginger.  Add to pumpkin mixture and mix thoroughly.  Stir in white chocolate chips.  The dough will be very moist, almost like a thick pudding.


On a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet, drop by spoonfuls (I use a small cookie scoop) about 2 inches apart.



Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 12-14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Turn baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through. If using more than one sheet at a time, rotate positions in the oven for more even baking.


Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then move to complete cooling on rack.



Makes 7 1/2 dozen.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

Monday, November 8, 2010

Cherry Cordials (Redux)


Since I needed more than 3 1/2 dozen of these lovelies, I took Dave's advice and tried them with milk chocolate chips.

When Dave tried them, he exclaimed, "That's it!  You never have to buy me cherry cordial candies again.  Just make me these cookies."  I liked this statement because it suggests I ever bought him cherry cordials at all, let alone on a regular basis.


Here's the updated ingredient list.

1 package Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1 package sugar free cherry gelatin
1 stick of butter, softened (not melted)
1 egg
1 cup milk chocolate chips

For the full recipe description, refer to the Cherry Cordial post.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Ambitious

This is a perfect weekend for baking cookies.  And not just because I have to in order to get them all done in time.

Here's what I hope to have for you soon:
And if I get done with all of those and still have some steam left, I'll be doing another batch of Cherry Cordials (this time with milk chocolate chips) and making improvements to the Apple & Oatmeal and Soft Lemonade recipes.

Happy Baking!
The Cookie Princess

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Soft Lemonade


I can't decide if they look more boring in the photo or in person.  I was completely disappointed in this recipe.  While a lot of people enjoy the rich flavors and the chocolate cookies I include, there are several people on my list who appreciate the simple or the fruity flavors.  Since I have less of those recipes but want to keep a nice balance, I was excited to come across a lemon-flavored cookie.  And soft cookies are always nice too.

I picked this recipe up on MixingBowl.com, again from poster Jeannieskitchen, who provided yesterday's yummy cinnamon snaps.  She attributes the recipe to Taste of Home, submitted to them by Margo Neuhauser.

Dave thought the cookies were too soft, but then after they cooled longer, I thought they were too dry.  And there absolutely wasn't enough lemon flavor.  It didn't come through the dough at all, and the concentrate brushed over the top just dripped down the sides and left a sticky mess on the pans (that's why I use silicone or parchment!).  Next time, I would alter the recipe by adding lemon extract to the dough, and instead of brushing on the concentrate, I'd make a lemon-flavored glaze and ice them after cooling.  Alternatively, instead of using just the lemonade concentrate, I considered adding powdered lemonade drink mix.  I'm definitely going to try to repair this for you, so I'll let you know how it turns out.

Soft Lemonade


1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 can (6 ounce) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed and divided (a 12 ounce can is pictured)
sugar for sprinkling

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda.  Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with 1/3 cup of lemonade concentrate, mixing well after each addition.


On a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet, drop by spoonfuls (I use a small cookie scoop) about 2 inches apart.  Brush with lemonade concentrate and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Turn baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through. If using more than one sheet at a time, rotate positions in the oven for more even baking.  Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then move to complete cooling on rack.

I was so disappointed, I forgot to take a post-baking on the pan picture.

Makes 6 dozen.

Happy Baking (although not with this recipe),
The Cookie Princess

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Cinnamon Snaps


When I found this recipe, I was excited to try something just a little bit different.  These cookies came out exactly like you'd expect.  Dave couldn't get over the intense cinnamon flavor and how, just like a ginger snap, they were crispy without being dry.

I found the recipe on Mixingbowl.com, from poster Jeannieskitchen.  She sourced the recipe to an issue of Taste of Home, submitted to them by Cathy Cain.  The only adjustment I made to these cookies was minor--the recipe called to roll the cookies in sugar and then bake, but I decided to roll them in cinnamon sugar and then flatten them, like a Snickerdoodle.  I don't know if they would have flattened and spread during the baking process, but this step certainly ensured they came out just like a snap-style cookie.

Cinnamon Snaps

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
cinnamon sugar for rolling

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar, scraping sides of bowl as necessary.  Add egg and molasses and mix until combined.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Add flour mixture to creamed mixture in batches until thoroughly combined.

Form the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in cinnamon sugar.  Place on an ungreased or parchment/silicone lined cookie sheet.  Flatten with the bottom of a glass (or your favorite shot glass!).

Before

After

Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until the edges have cracked and the tops have set.  Turn baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through. If using more than one sheet at a time, rotate positions in the oven for more even baking.  Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then move to complete cooling on rack.

Makes 4 1/2 dozen.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Hotel Cookies


I had to change the name on these and it's all Dave's fault.  I used to work in an office that did a lot of business with the local Doubletree Suites. As a thank you, a few times a year they would deliver a huge tray of their yummy cookies.  I would bring a few home and share them with Dave and we would be two happy little piggies enjoying delicious cookies.  When my director found this recipe and shared it with me, I immediately thought they would be the same at the Doubletree's cookies.  Sure enough they are a very close facsimile.  And when I made this batch, Dave asked me if they were the hotel cookies.  So I said yes, and that's the new name.

My director found this recipe in Midwest Living magazine from April 2010 and right away she said I had to make them.  They were included as the #1 pick on an article on the best chocolate chip cookies found in the region's best bakeries, cafes and coffee houses.  So the actual name of these cookies is Lindsay's Chocolate Cafe Chocolate Chip Cookies from Lindsay's Chocolate Cafe and Coffee House in O'Fallon, Missouri.  I stayed pretty true to the original recipe, only changing the grated chocolate to chocolate chips and mixing two kinds of nuts.  I do make my cookies a little smaller, so feel free to got larger with your scoop.  Just add a few minutes baking time, but be sure to check them often so you don't overcook.

Hotel Cookies


2 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
4 ounces milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (not pictured--I thought I was going to do all pecans but decided to mix it up)

In a medium bowl, mix oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with electric mixer for about 30 seconds.  Add sugar and cream mixture, beating until combined and scraping sides of bowl as necessary.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can using the mixer, then stir in remain flour with a wooden spoon until incorporated.  (Hint: If you use a stand mixer and switch from your beater attachment to your paddle attachment before you add the flour, you will be able to mix in all the flour without breaking out your wooden spoon.)  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.


On a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet, drop by spoonfuls (I use a small cookie scoop) about 2 inches apart.  Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Turn baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through. If using more than one sheet at a time, rotate positions in the oven for more even baking.  Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then move to complete cooling on rack.


Makes 7 1/2 dozen.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

Monday, November 1, 2010

Almond Swirls


These are one of my absolute favorite cookies.  They are fun to make (even though it is a bit of a process), they are yummy, and they are pretty.  It's a cookie trifecta!  I actually have about 6 different swirl recipes incorporating different flavors, but the process is pretty much the same.  One year I made them all and I have to say, it made for a very pretty tin with all those swirled cookies nestled inside.  Plus, you can make them whatever color you like--I made them less red and more pink for my wedding and I've made them green for the holidays as well.

This particular recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens via MSN House and Home, presented as "Sugar Cookie Slices."  I picked it up in 2002 and have been making it every year since.  I have found that depending on the tools that I use, it is necessary to adapt the recipe.  I've noted those changes in the recipe, since I've made this recipe three ways: by hand, using a hand mixer and using a stand mixer.  I also swapped the extract from vanilla to almond to give a different depth of flavor.

Almond Swirls


1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
red food coloring
sprinkling sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar, baking powder and salt and cream together, scraping the sides of bowl as needed until combined.  Beat in egg and vanilla.



Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer.  Use a wooden spoon to stir in any remaining flour.

If you are not using a stand mixer, don't even bother trying to beat in the flour.  It will just turn to a crumbly mess if you use a hand mixer to beat in some of the flour.  Stir it all in by hand, in batches.  If you do use a stand mixer, swap out your beater before adding the flour.  Instead of using the wire beater attachment, use the paddle attachment (or even the dough blade).  You want to get all the flour incorporated and create a cohesive dough that you can roll out.



Divide dough into 2 even balls.  I just take the whole dough ball and cut it in with a dough blade.  Now, take one of those halves and cut it in half again.  Form those two smaller pieces into flat discs and wrap, separately, in plastic wrap. Chill for about an hour.

Working on a cutting board or something else to protect your counter top, take the rest of your dough and flatten it a bit.  Place a few drops of food coloring into the center and start kneading the dough to distribute the color evenly throughout the dough.  This takes a while and red is a tough color, so keep adding coloring until you get the depth of color you want.

Hint: If you get food coloring on your counter top (yup, experience talking), roll the dough over the area (assuming your counter top was clean in the first place!) and it will pick up the excess color.  I'm not sure why, my scientist husband could probably tell you about the oils in the dough or something, but for whatever reason, it works.

Eventually, you will have a dough ball that looks like this:



And hands that look like this:


Hint: If you know you're going to want two batches, make one batch of dough all plain.  Then on your second batch, add the food coloring to the creamed mixture before adding flour.  The flour will lighten the intensity of the color, so add a little more than you think you need.  This will save you the step of kneading the the color and washing your hands like Lady MacBeth.

As you did with the uncolored dough, cut your dough in half, flatten into discs and wrap, separately, in plastic wrap. Chill for about an hour.



To make your spirals, after chilling, roll each disc into a "8 x8 inch square."   See I put that in quotes because I have never in my life been able to roll dough into a square, regardless of my frequency of turning it.  And never have I been able to get it to be exactly the same size in both directions.  So in my world, I roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.

Hint: I also roll the dough out between pieces of waxed paper. This is important because you can't add flour to the dough for easy rolling (you'll alter the color) and you need the waxed paper to build your swirls.

Using your waxed paper as a guide, roll each of your dough balls to 1/4 inch thickness in roughly the same size and shape. I tend to take mine right to the edge of the width of the waxed paper, and therefore try to keep the length about the same.  Make sure you constantly turn the dough and even flip it over.  The waxed paper may bunch underneath, so you'll want to smooth out any lines.



Once you have 4 roughly even rolled out pieces, take one white piece and while still covered in waxed paper, lay it on top of one red piece.  Shift it around until you have a reasonably good match in terms of shape.

Carefully remove the top piece of waxed paper from the red dough.  If some of the dough peels with the paper, gently tap it back into place and press together any seams.  Now, carefully remove the bottom piece of waxed paper from the white dough in the same process.  Carefully flip the white dough onto the red dough. You've pretty much only got one chance at this, so do it slowly and carefully.  But really, if you mess up, it's not the end of the world.  Peel the top piece of waxed paper off the white dough.


Smooth out any lines and if you have any over hang, you can "relocate" white dough to where there is none to even out your shape.

Starting at the bottom, gently and tightly roll the dough, jelly-roll style, removing the waxed paper from the bottom as you go.

For me, the middle of the dough tends to be thicker than the ends, so don't be surprised if your dough doesn't "seal" on the ends.  We'll address that later.  You may want to tap those ends in, so it doesn't fall apart, but just focus on rolling into a tight spiral.


 Wrap the whole roll in either waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours or until firm enough to slice.  I've left mine in the refrigerator (in a sealed bag) for up to a week without issue.  Or you could put in a sealed bag and freeze for up to a month (be sure to thaw overnight in refrigerator before slicing). Repeat with other pieces of dough.


Remove one roll from the refrigerator and using your sharpest knife, cut the dough crosswise into 1/4 inch slices.  I like to cut the whole roll in half, and then work from the inside out.  Wipe the knife occasionally to remove any excess dough.  When you get to the ends, keep cutting, even it the spiral is weak or it falls apart a bit.



Place on an ungreased or parchment/silicone lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar, sanding sugar, or crystals.


Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 8-10 minutes.  You want to catch these cookies just before the edges turn brown because you don't want that to impact the pretty color.  Turn baking sheet 180 degrees halfway through. If using more than one sheet at a time, rotate positions in the oven for more even baking.  Cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then move to complete cooling on rack.

Now for those pesky ends.


This is still useful dough. You may notice in cutting that some of your spirals have a little hole in the middle.



Use your ends to fill them in!  Create swirls where there weren't any by gently tapping in dough.  During the baking process this dough will adhere.



And if you still have extra leftover, bake it up and feed it to your husband.  Because he knows you can't put the broken ones on a pretty holiday platter.

Makes 4 1/2 dozen

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess