Cooking with Kids: Make Christmas Cookies

By Susan Nye

 

Every year we hear the same complaint: Christmas has become too commercial. There’s mumbling and grumbling and worry that the holiday is too much buying and taking and not enough giving. Charlie Brown has been in despair over the madness for decades. I don’t care, I love Christmas. Sure the stores are filled with frenzied chaos, holiday advertising is merciless and catalogs overwhelm the post office. It doesn’t matter. I still love the spirit of Christmas with all its traditions. A favorite tradition of young and old is making Christmas cookies.

 

Put on some carols, pull out the stand mixer and baking sheets and enjoy a wonderful afternoon in the kitchen with your kids. You can share more than Nana’s famous pinwheel cookies. A holiday bake-a-thon is an opportunity to teach your children a few good habits:

 

Get organized before you begin. Get out the measuring cups and spoons, bowls and ingredients before you start to mix. It’s best to discover you are out of brown sugar or eggs before you begin. Also, with everything on the counter and in sight you’ll be less likely to forget something if the phone or a million-and-one questions break your concentration.

 

Clean as you go. While the cookie dough chills wash the bowls, utensils and counters for the next batch. Depending on how many different recipes you whip up, this trick will save you from a ginormous stack of dishes at the end of your cookie-making adventure.

 

Share the sweets. Make up goodie bags and share them with a lonely neighbor far from family or a favorite babysitter. Your children will learn the joy of cooking for others.

 

Finally, give yourself plenty of time. Cooking with kids may take longer, but participation is everything. Let your children measure and mix, roll, scoop and decorate. You’re making more than cookies; you’re making sweet memories together.

 

Sugar & Spice Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

 

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

Grated peel of 1 orange

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 large egg

1 T. orange juice

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Powdered sugar, for rolling out the dough

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and spices.

 

Put the butter and sugars in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.

 

Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the flour mixture to make a rough dough. Press the dough into a two balls and then flatten into disks or form into logs. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours or until firm.

 

Evenly space the racks in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

 

Transfer the dough to a work surface lightly dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thick and cut into cookies with decorative cutters. Press the excess dough together, roll and cut more cookies. Or slice 1/4-inch rounds from the logs you formed. Transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined or nonstick baking sheet.

 

Leave the cookies plain, sprinkle with colored sugar or decorate with chocolate chips, raisins or currants. Bake until the cookies' edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Cool on a rack.

 

Once cooled, frost the undecorated cookies with Royal Icing (recipe follows) and then decorate with sprinkles, chocolate chips, raisins, currants and/or colored sugars.

 

Christmas Royal Icing

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

 

3 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar

5 T. meringue powder (egg white powder)

1 tsp. cinnamon

5-7 T. orange juice

Food coloring (optional)

 

Place the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. With an electric mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the orange juice until icing is thick and stiff peaks form.

 

If you want colored frosting, slowly add the food coloring a few drops at a time and mix until the color is uniform and the desired tint.

 

Ice the cookies and decorate with sprinkles, chocolate chips or candies. Let rest until the icing sets, about 30 minutes.

 

Snow Balls

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

 

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

About 2 c. confectioners’ sugar

1 T. pure vanilla extract

4 oz. pecans or walnuts

 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats.

 

Put the nuts in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg and pulse to combine.

 

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar at low speed until it is smooth. Beat in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed gradually add the flour-nut mixture and mix until the dough comes together. Cover the bowl and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

 

Use a small cookie scoop or two teaspoons to form dollops of batter. Use your hands to roll the batter into a ball. Place the dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake at 325 degrees until the cookies are pale golden brown, about 20 minutes.

 

Put the remaining confectioners' sugar in a shallow bowl. Let the cookies cool for a minute or two. Roll the still warm cookies in the confectioners' sugar. Cool on wire racks.

 

Double Chocolate Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

 

2 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. espresso powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

1c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. mini chocolate chips

White Chocolate Ganache (recipe follows)

Garnish: sweetened coconut

 

Whisk flour, cocoa, espresso powder, cinnamon, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Add chocolate chips and toss.

 

Beat the butter and granulated sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla; beat until smooth. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add flour mixture and mix until well combined. Cover the bowl and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

 

Put the oven racks in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.

 

Use a small cookie scoop or two teaspoons to form dollops of batter, roll the dough into balls and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Arrange cookies two inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

 

Bake cookies until they puff up, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.

 

Frost with White Chocolate Ganache and sprinkle with coconut.

 

White Chocolate Ganache

8 oz. white chocolate

2 T. butter

3 T. heavy cream

2-3 T. sifted confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

 

Put the chocolate, butter and cream in a heavy saucepan over low heat. When chocolate starts to melt, remove from heat and let sit for about three minutes or until chocolate has melted. Whisk the chocolate until smooth. Add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla and whisk until smooth.

 

Susan Nye writes for several New England magazines and newspapers. She shares stories and recipes on her blog Around the Table at susannye.wordpress.com.