GINGERBREAD COOKIES Try this recipe from "The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion" (2004). Roll the cookies a bit thicker than normal to give them "chew" and bake them on the low side of the recommended baking range.
St. Paul Pioneer Press Makes 3 dozen 3-inch cookies. 3/4 cup unsalted butter 3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar 3/4 cup molasses 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon allspice or cloves 1 large egg 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour To mix cookie dough: In saucepan set over low heat or in micro-wave, melt butter. Stir in sugar, molasses, salt, cinnamon, ginger and allspice. Transfer mixture to medium-sized mixing bowl. Let cool to lukewarm. Beat in egg. In large bowl, whisk baking powder and baking soda into flour. Stir dry ingredients into molasses mixture. Divide dough in half. Wrap well. Refrigerate for 1 hour or longer. To prepare oven: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To roll dough: Take 1 piece of dough out of refrigerator. Flour clean work surface and dough. Roll it out as thin or thick as you like. (Note: For slightly less crisp cookies, roll dough thicker. We roll these cookies, which we prefer a bit less crisp and more chewy, to 1/4-inch thickness.) Sprinkle flour under and on top of dough to keep it from sticking to table or rolling pin. Alternatively, place dough on parchment and put a sheet of plastic wrap over it as you roll, pulling plastic to eliminate wrinkles as necessary when rolling. This will keep dough from sticking without more flour. To cut cookies: Cut out shapes with cookie cutter, cutting them as close to one another as possible. To bake cookies: Transfer cookies to ungreased cookie sheets (or, if you've rolled right onto parchment, remove dough scraps from between cookies). Bake cookies for 8 to 12 minutes or just until slightly brown around edges or until they feel firm. Cool on baking sheets for several minutes or until set. Transfer cookies to rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. _______________________________________________ Cookinginthedark mailing list [email protected] http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark
