"Life is all memory, except for the present moment that goes by so quick you hardly catch it going." ~ Tennessee Williams
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It's my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian 'Quote Cup' passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, and sometimes some photos of family fun. I love trying new recipes...and love getting recipes you would like to share.
This has been a full week, starting with a grandkid sleepover Friday night and making cookies on Saturday morning...
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
The week's recipe is actually two recipes for cutout cookies from the Food Network Magazine we made last weekend. The hot cocoa cookies were supposed to be sandwich cookies filled with marshmallow cream but we liked them better with icing. The hot cocoa cookies weren't very sweet because of the dark cocoa... I liked them but they weren't as popular with the rest of my family because they weren't so sweet. The process is the same for mixing both batches of cookies.
HOT COCOA COOKIES
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup marshmallow cream for making sandwich cookies, if desired... or use icing
ICED SUGAR COOKIES
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
ICING
- 1 one-pound box confectioners' sugar (about 3 3/4 cups)
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder
- 6 tablespoons water
- Sprinkles or additional colored icing for decorating, if desired
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt (flour, baking powder and salt for sugar cookies) into a medium bowl.
Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mexture in two batches and beat until just incorporated. Divid the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour up to 1 day.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, dust the dough generously with flour and roll out between two pieces of parchment paper until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes, until slightly puffed and darker around the edges, switching positions halfway through. Let cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the icing. Sift the confectioners' sugar and mergingue powder into a large bowl. Beat in 6 tabelspoons water with a mixer on medium speed until soft, glossy peaks form. Spread on the cookies and decorate with nonpareils or make sandwich cookies. Let set, about 1 hour.
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results - Email - Minneapolis Realtor Who Cooks
