Time to start another Christmas cookie thread..

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mbw1024
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Re: Time to start another Christmas cookie thread..

Post by mbw1024 »

I did brown butter in my regular shortbread recipe today. Very good. I normally lack the patience for brown butter. I think that is my problem. Tried to change that today.
mindehankins
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Re: Time to start another Christmas cookie thread..

Post by mindehankins »

I've never tried brown butter cookies, but these sound so good, I'm going to. Tomorrow@ I'm going to have to sprinkle with kosher salt cause I don't have seasalt. I'll let you know how they come out!
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Re: Time to start another Christmas cookie thread..

Post by mindehankins »

The browned butter cookies are very good, and very easy now that I know how to brown butter! The (coarse) kosher salt worked fine. Thanks again for the link!
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Lindy
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Re: Time to start another Christmas cookie thread..

Post by Lindy »

Caramels!!!!! This is a little off the cookie topic but I make a couple cookie recipes that call for caramel and it's a huge pain in the derriere to buy storebought caramels and unwrap a gazillion of them. So I make my own caramel from scratch and, frankly, it tastes WAY better than Kraft's anyway. This year I tried a different recipe that starts with sweetened condensed milk instead of cream - that cuts down on the cooking/stirring time. Don't get me wrong - it still takes time and patience for good results (30 min to an hr depending conditions), but the results are fantastic. For an even bigger treat sprinkle a little Kosher salt on a few after they've cooled. Salted caramel is great!

http://www.giverslog.com/?p=3168
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liamsaunt
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Re: Time to start another Christmas cookie thread..

Post by liamsaunt »

I wanted to report back on the sea salt chocolate chip cookies that I posted a link to earlier. I agree with Minde, they are very good. I made mine bigger than the recipe called for, and I think I was a little light handed with the sea salt, but overall they were very tasty with a pleasing chewy texture. I would make them again if I needed cookies for some reason. Picture:

Image
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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Lindy
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Re: Time to start another Christmas cookie thread..

Post by Lindy »

Hey Minde - Just wanted to let you know that I baked up the cut out cookies with the easy to handle dough. They taste as good as they look and they aren't overly fragile either!!! That recipe is a keeper. I'll have to post some pictures once I get them decorated.
mindehankins
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Re: Time to start another Christmas cookie thread..

Post by mindehankins »

I'm planning on making the tassie dough this Saturday, and probably the dough and the cookies for the sugar cookies. I hope they come out! Do you ice with royal icing?
I'm a little worried about freezing the tassie dough with the cream cheese in it. Then, I'll bake up all the cookies and make the meringues the weekend before Christmas.
mindehankins
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Re: Time to start another Christmas cookie thread..

Post by mindehankins »

I'm glad you said that about the salt, Liamsaunt! I thought they could use double the salt I sprinkled, but I tend to like things salty. Since I only baked 12 of the cookies, when I bake up the rest, I'll be more liberal with the salt, now.
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Lindy
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Re: Time to start another Christmas cookie thread..

Post by Lindy »

Minde - If you are talking about the crust part of the tassies that had cream cheese then there is no problem freezing that. I froze the cut out cookies with cream cheese in the dough and they turned out just fine. Yes, I used royal icing on the cutouts and the gingerbread men and they turned out fantastic. Still working on everything but I'll eventually get some pictures posted.
mindehankins
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Re: Time to start another Christmas cookie thread..

Post by mindehankins »

Well, I can vouch for Lindy's sugar cookie recipe find as being doable! I had to let the dough warm up a bit to close to room temperature to be able to roll it out, but the use of parchment paper for rolling gave me good tasting cookies. I was eventually fine working with the room temperature dough, and stopped putting it back in the fridge to firm up, but I am a total klutz at cut-out cookie making. I made these yesterday, and today am icing them.
The ONLY Christmas cookie I like is sugar cookies, and I haven't been able to make them until now....and therein will lie my downfall LOL!
Thank you, Lindy!
And for those who don't use the mixer, these came out just fine with a old fashioned pastry blender.
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Lindy
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Re: Time to start another Christmas cookie thread..

Post by Lindy »

Hey, don't thank ME...thank America's test kitchen for doing the testing!! After you do it a few times you'll get to be an expert on the cutout part too. Just dip the cutter into flour before each cut and when you get through the dough give it just a very slight jiggle to make sure you made a clean cut all the way through. No sticking to the "remnants" that way.
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Lindy
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Pictures!!!

Post by Lindy »

mindehankins
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Re: Time to start another Christmas cookie thread..

Post by mindehankins »

Very nice! What a terrific variety! I've got, so far:

Connie's Coconut cookies (from this forum)
Those mint cookies (from this forum)
SUGAR COOKIES (from this forum - yay!)
Snickerdoodles
Pecan Tassies
Thumbprint cookies (no burnt thumbs any more, thanks to this forum)
Magic cookie bars
Reese cup filled cup cookies
Popularity cookies LOL (the ones with crackers then caramel then chocolate and nuts)
Peppermint meringues
Peanut blossoms
Almond log slices filled with raspberry jam
Yuletide bread (banana bread with chocolate chips, walnuts and minced maraschino cherries)

I would really, really like to make Cucidati, but not sure I'll have time. I do appreciate this thread, and all the great hints and recipes, some of which are becoming regulars for me now :D
Blessed Christmas, all!
mindehankins
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Re: Time to start another Christmas cookie thread..

Post by mindehankins »

This video gave me a good idea to deal with the one aspect of rolling dough that I couldn't get down - rolling to the thickness required, consistently. I'm going to have Blaine pick me up these 1/2 rounds at work. Problem solved.
http://www.universityofcookie.com/2010/ ... orial.html
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Lindy
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Re: Time to start another Christmas cookie thread..

Post by Lindy »

I use a couple of clean stir sticks that you get with paint or yardsticks (if I can FIND them). Works great.
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