CANDY CANE COOKIES No New York Christmas tree would be complete without red and white striped candy canes. Inspired by the ubiquitous Christmas sweets, these candy cane cookies are not only a true eye-catcher on any cookie platter, they can also be hung on your mug of tea or coffee or served with a hot chocolate with marshmallow topping.
Add the butter and icing sugar to a bowl. Beat until creamy, about 3 minutes, then add the egg, vanilla and almond extract and beat for 1 minute. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in another bowl until combined. Mix, a little at a time, into the butter-sugar-egg mixture. Transfer half of the dough to a separate bowl. Add the red colouring and mix well. Wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 4 hours. Preheat the oven to 175°C (345°F) and line two baking trays with baking paper. With your hands, shape the dough into several thin strands, about 12 cm (4½ inches) long and 5 mm (¼ inch) thick. Twist one plain and one red strand around each other to make each cookie, curving to make a candy cane shape. Place on a baking tray and sprinkle with sugar. Bake the cookies in the oven for about 10 minutes.
IN G R E DIE N TS Makes about 45 225 g (8 oz) butter, at room temperature 170 g icing (confectioners’) sugar 1 egg 2 tsp vanilla extract A few drops of almond extract (or natural almond flavour) 470 g (15 oz) plain flour 2 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt ½ tsp red food colouring (or 2 tsp beetroot powder) Also: Raw sugar for sprinkling
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LEMON COOKIES Lemon cookies make for a refreshing change from the usual rich Christmas sweets. Lemon juice and zest give them a delicate citrus aroma, and these cookies are very quick and easy to make. Our tip: the flavoured sugar is perfect for sweetening tea or iced tea, so it’s a good idea to make more than you need for the recipe. Simply transfer the grated zest of one lemon and some sugar to a jar and seal well for storage. Shake the jar occasionally to distribute the flavour evenly.
I NG R ED IEN TS Makes about 45 120 g (4¼ oz) raw sugar Grated zest of 1–2 lemons 220 g (7¾ oz) plain flour ¼ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 150 g (5½ oz) cold butter, finely diced 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1 egg yolk ½ tsp vanilla extract For the icing: 150 g (5½ oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp cream cheese
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Put the sugar and lemon zest into a food processor and pulse for about 30 seconds until the lemon zest is evenly distributed throughout the sugar. Alternatively, mix the sugar and lemon zest in a mortar and pestle or a small bowl. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Stir in the lemon-flavoured sugar. Add the butter and use your fingers or a fork to combine everything quickly to a crumble. Stir in the lemon juice, egg yolk and vanilla extract. Shape the dough into a roll about 4 cm (1½ inches) thick. Wrap in foil and freeze for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line two baking trays with baking paper. Cut the frozen dough into slices about 5 mm (¼ inch) thick. Transfer the slices onto the trays, setting them a little apart, and bake for 10–12 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. For the icing, place the icing sugar in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and cream cheese and stir well to combine. Drizzle the icing over the cookies. Leave to dry for at least 1 hour.
SUGAR COOKIES Everybody loves sugar cookies, young and old, and Christmas wouldn’t be quite the same without them. They are a must for any Christmas cookie platter, along with cookie cups and whoopie pies. The dough is very easy to make, and you can be as creative as you like with the cookie decorations.
Combine the flour with the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat for 1 minute to combine. Stir in the vanilla extract and lemon zest, then add the flour mixture and cream alternately in two batches. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and rest it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line two baking trays with baking paper. Roll out the dough about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick on a lightly floured surface and use a cookie cutter to cut out stars, circles or other shapes. Transfer the cookies onto the trays and dust with a little icing sugar. Moisten a pastry brush with a little water. Brush the cookies and dust again with some more icing sugar. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and dust with more icing sugar to taste.
Tip: Use plain or coloured icing instead of icing sugar to decorate the cookies after baking.
IN G R E DIE N TS Makes about 30 270 g (9½ oz) plain flour ½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) ¼ tsp salt 120 g (4¼ oz) butter, at room temperature 150 g (5½ oz) raw sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp grated lemon zest, to taste 60 ml (2 fl oz) single (pure) cream Also: Flour for dusting Icing (confectioners’) sugar
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SOUR CREAM SNOWFLAKES While we were working on this book, Julia was desperate for some snow to be able to photograph the Big Apple in its full, white glory. No doubt she would have loved to sweeten the wait with these pretty cookies. From our own experience, we can confidently say that these snowflakes, lovingly decorated with icing and shimmery sprinkles, are very popular.
I NG R ED IEN TS Makes about 40 120 g (4¼ oz) butter, at room temperature 160 g (5½ oz) raw sugar 1 egg yolk ½ tsp vanilla extract 240 g (8½ oz) sour cream, at room temperature 400 g (14 oz) plain flour ½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg For the icing: 120 g (4¼ oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar 1 Tbsp butter, melted ¼ tsp vanilla extract About 1 Tbsp milk Also: Flour for dusting Silver sprinkles
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Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until creamy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the egg yolk and vanilla extract followed by the sour cream, and combine well. Combine the flour with the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, nutmeg and a pinch of salt and briefly stir the mixture into the wet ingredients. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and rest it in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat the oven to 175°C (345°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper. Sprinkle the work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Roll out the dough about 5 mm (¼ inch) thick and use a cookie cutter to cut out snowflake shapes. It’s normal for the dough to stick. Transfer the cookies onto the tray and bake for about 10 minutes. Don’t let them brown too much. Remove from the oven and leave to cool fully on a wire rack. For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add the butter and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Stir in a little milk until the icing has the desired consistency. Decorate the cookies with the icing and silver sprinkles. Store in a tin between sheets of baking paper, in a cool place.
STAINED-GLASS COOKIES If you’re looking to make some special Christmas cookies, try these pretty stained-glass cookies. The powdered lollies melt in the oven to create colourful little ‘windows’. They also make lovely Christmas tree decorations: simply make a hole in the cookies before baking and then pull some pretty ribbon through the hole.
Combine the flour with the baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar in a separate bowl until creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Fold in the flour mixture in two batches to make a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) and line two baking trays with baking paper. Sort the lollies by colour and pulse to a fine powder in a small food processor. Transfer to bowls, separated by colour. Dust your benchtop lightly with flour, roll the dough out thinly, about 3 mm (1/8 inch), and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes, such as Christmas trees, stars or baubles. Transfer the cookies onto the trays. Cut out small shapes from inside the cookies and fill these with a little of the powdered lollies. If you are planning to use the cookies as decorations, also make a small hole for the ribbon. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes, and leave to cool on the trays.
IN G R E DIE N TS Makes about 60 300 g (10½ oz) plain flour ¼ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 200 g (7 oz) butter, at room temperature 120 g (4¼ oz) raw sugar 1 egg 1½ tsp vanilla extract ¼ tsp grated lemon zest About 180 g (6 oz) hard lollies in various colours Also: Flour for dusting
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COCONUT MACAROONS Making the batter for these coconut macaroons over a pan of boiling water keeps them deliciously moist on the inside. They crisp up beautifully on the outside during baking and are best eaten on the day of baking. Use a soft touch when shaping the dough: always moisten your hands with a little water and use gentle pressure to flatten the balls into macaroon shapes.
I NG R ED IEN TS Makes about 20 120 g (4¼ oz) desiccated coconut 60 g (2¼ oz) coconut chips (or flaked or desiccated coconut) 120 g (4¼ oz) raw sugar 3 egg whites 1 tsp vanilla extract ¼ tsp salt Also: About 150 g (5½ oz) dark chocolate, finely chopped
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Put the desiccated coconut, coconut chips, sugar, egg whites, vanilla extract and salt in a heatproof bowl and mix thoroughly. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes or until the mixture feels hot. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper. Use a teaspoon or moistened fingers to remove small quantities of the coconut batter. Roll into balls and place the macaroons on the tray using gentle pressure. Keep cleaning and moistening your hands as you go. Bake the macaroons for about 7 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 160°C (320°F) and bake for another 5 minutes or until they start taking on a little colour. Remove from the oven and leave the macaroons to cool on a wire rack. Melt 100 g (3½ oz) of the chocolate, then add the remaining chocolate, stirring until all the chocolate has melted. Dip the macaroons into the chocolate and leave to set on a tray lined with baking paper.