Holiday Cookies and Tips as featured in Boston Globe Pro Shop with Dancing Deer Baking Co. CEO Trish Karter
Special thanks to Chris Gagnon of Dancing Deer for providing the recipes.
Basic Shortbread Cookies
This is not a traditional Scottish shortbread cookie dough, but a versatile, crunchy sweet cookie that can be flavored with a variety of natural oils and your favorite combination of mix-ins.
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 ¼ sticks unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
In a small bowl, combine the flour and salt and stir together with a fork until blended. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar, and beat until just blended, 1-2 minutes. Add the egg and beat until blended about 1 minute more.
Add the flour mixture, and on low-speed, beat until the mixture just begins to form a sticky dough, about 1 minute more. Turn out onto a floured surface, and gently pat together to form a dense ball of dough. Divide the dough into 2 parts, add desired mix-ins and knead gently until evenly combined, and shape into a flat round disk. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll cookies out to about 1/8” thick, and cut to desired shape. Transfer to a heavy-duty cookie sheet and bake until just golden around the edges, 15-18 minutes.
Colorful and tasty mix-ins --- portions are for half of the dough.
Cranberries & Pepitas
1-2 Tbs. chopped dried cranberries, or to taste
1-2 Tbs. coarsely chopped pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or pistachios, or to taste
Chocolate & Cherries
1-2 Tbs. chopped bittersweet chocolate, or to taste
1-2 Tbs. chopped dried cherries, or to taste
Apricot & Ginger
1-2 Tbs. chopped dried apricots, or to taste
1-2 Tbs. chopped crystallized ginger, or to taste
Basic Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
This is not a traditional Scottish shortbread cookie dough, but a versatile, crunchy sweet cookie that can be flavored with a variety of natural oils and your favorite combination of mix-ins.
1 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
½ cup sugar
1 egg
In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa and salt, and stir together with a fork until blended. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar, and beat until just blended, 1-2 minutes. Add the egg and beat until blended about 1 minute more.
Add the flour mixture, and on low-speed, beat until the mixture just begins to form a sticky dough, about 1 minute more. Turn out onto a floured surface, and gently pat together to form a dense ball of dough. Divide the dough into 2 parts, add desired mix-ins and knead gently until evenly combined, and shape into a flat round disk. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll cookies out to about 1/8” thick, and cut to desired shape. Transfer to a heavy duty cookie sheet and bake until just golden around the edges, 15-18 minutes.
Mix-ins – Portions are for half the dough
Chocolate & Ginger
1-2 Tbs. chopped bittersweet chocolate, or taste
1-2Tbs. chopped crystallized ginger, or taste
Toffee & Pecan
1-2 Tbs. chopped Toffee Bits, or to taste
1-2 Tbs. pecan Pieces, or to taste
Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread
½ tsp. natural peppermint oil, such as Boyajian
Royal Icing
This will be enough icing to decorate one large gingerbread house or a bunch of holiday cookies.
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 egg whites
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 pinch of salt
In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, egg whites, lemon juice and salt. Using an electric mixer or whisk, beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks, 3-4 minutes.
Use immediately.
Gingerbread Cookies for a Gingerbread House
This should be enough dough to make one house, about 10” tall and 8” long, plus a few cookies.
4 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ baking powder
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. clove
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup molasses
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt and stir together until blended. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar, and beat until fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the egg and molasses and beat until smooth and blended, about 2 minutes more.
Add the flour mixture, and on low-speed, beat until the mixture just begins to form a heavy sticky dough, about 1-2 minutes. Turn out onto a floured surface, and gently pat together to form a dense ball of dough. Divide the dough into 2 parts and shape into a flat round disk. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325F.
For cookies, on a lightly floured surface, roll cookie dough out to about 1/8” thick, and cut to desired shape.
For a gingerbread house, Trish uses a template – such as a shoebox or another small cardboard box to help her cut the cookie dough into the shape of a house.
Transfer the cookie pieces onto a heavy duty cookie sheet and bake until puffed and golden, 18-20 minutes. (Don’t put the cardboard in the oven.) After the cookies cool, Trish uses the royal icing to “glue” the cookies to the box. That way you don’t have to worry about the house collapsing. If the box’s edges peek through the cookie house, cover those parts with icing.
