Dispatch Holiday Cookie Guide 2018

50 FESTIVE RECIPES

cookies 2018

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2018 PRESENTED BY

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Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

cookies

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2018

WHAT’S INSIDE 50 ways to bake a cookie......... 4 Reader favorites........................ 5 Baker profiles........................... 15 Dispatch classics..................... 22 Baking tips................................ 32

SPECIAL THANKS: Thank you to all of the Dispatch employees and their relatives who helped test — and taste — cookie recipes this year: Joe and Deborah Blundo, Mary Edwards, Michelle Everhart, Julie Fulton, Sheridan Hendrix, Rachel Kilroy, Eric Lagatta, Kelly Lecker, Key Metts, Jennifer Mikesell, Kris Miller, Alissa Widman Neese, Julia and Jennifer Oller, Rebecca Reiss, Jen Roher, Jennifer Smola, Ray Stein, Allison Rupp Ward and Susan Rupp, JoAnne Viviano, Amelia Weiker and Mary Yost Cover image and “Reader Favorites” cookie photos by Dispatch Photographer Brooke LaValley.

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Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

50 WAYS TO BAKE A COOKIE

By Ryan E. Smith The Columbus Dispatch These are hard times, people. Whether you’re following politics, the weather or the Cleveland Browns, there’s plenty that can get you down if you let it.

But don’t worry. There’s a solution: What the world needs now is cookies.

Lots of them.

Fudgy cookies, minty cookies, cherry-topped cookies, orange-infused cookies.

Cookies shaped like snowballs and snowflakes, topped with with powdered sugar and colored sugar, chocolate chips and chocolate drizzles.

Thank goodness the holiday season is fast approaching, and, with it, a cornucopia of sweet treats.

For the 10th year in a row, The Dispatch has tried to spread — and add to — this seasonal joy by publishing its Holiday Cookies guide, a resource filled with dozens of tasty recipes and helpful tips to ensure the coming weeks are delicious ones.

More than 200 readers responded to our call for recipes, with many sharing their family favorites and the stories behind them. We have selected 25 of those here, lovingly testing each one with the help of Dispatch employees and their relatives.

Added to these are an equal number of classic cookies, selected from previous issues of our holiday guide. These run the gamut from Gingersnaps to Vegan

Sunday, Dec. 9 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Whole Foods Market Dublin

Mace Cutouts.

Before you run to your oven, though, make sure you’re properly prepared.

What size eggs should you be using?

What’s the difference between bittersweet and semisweet chocolate? How carefully do you need to measure? The answers are all here.

Need a little demonstration — and maybe a taste test — to get you going? Come to an event hosted by The Dispatch at Whole Foods Market, where you can learn how make some of the cookies in this guide and even get a few samples.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 9 at Whole Foods Market, 3670 W. Dublin-Granville Road, in the Salud! Cooking & Lifestyle School. Among those present will be Dispatch President and Publisher Bradley M. Harmon, Editor Alan Miller and Columnist Joe Blundo.

So take a deep breath, smile and get ready to bake your worries away! rsmith@dispatch.com

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

cookies

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READER FAVORITES

GRANDMA BAKER’S DATE-FILLED COOKIES Makes about 30

COOKIES: 4 cups flour 1 2/3 cups sugar 2/ teaspoon salt 3 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 cup butter or margarine 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla 2 eggs 2/ cup buttermilk 3 FILLING: 2 cups (2 boxes) dates, freshly chopped; do not use pre-chopped dates 1 teaspoon baking soda water To make filling: Chop dates into small pieces, 1/4-inch to 1/2 -inch in diameter. Place in saucepan. Add baking soda, and barely cover with water. Stir ingredients together. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Let sit overnight.

To make cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet.

Mix all ingredients for cookies together. Roll out on floured surface, and cut into rounds, approximately 2 1/2 inches in diameter.

Place rounds on baking sheet. Spoon approximately 1 to 2 teaspoons of date filling onto middle of rounds. Top each cookie with another round. Press edges together to seal. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 6 to 10 minutes, until edges start to become golden brown. Remove from baking sheet, and cool to room temperature before storing.

— Sally Imes, Dublin

CARAMEL’N CHOCOLATE PECAN BARS Makes about 24

CRUST: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/ cup salted butter, softened 2 1 cup pecan halves TOPPING: 2/ cup salted butter 3 1/ cup firmly packed brown sugar 2 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips To make crust: Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all crust ingredients except pecans in large bowl.

Beat at medium speed until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Press onto bottom of ungreased 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Place pecans evenly over unbaked crust.

To make topping: Combine butter and brown sugar in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until entire surface of mixture begins to boil. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Pour mixture evenly over pecans and crust.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until entire caramel layer is bubbly. (Do not overbake.) Remove from oven. Immediately sprinkle with chips: allow to melt slightly. Swirl melted chips over bars leaving some whole for marbled effect. Cool completely before cutting.

— Charlene Rowley, Lancaster

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Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

BOURBON BALLS Makes about 5 dozen

1 (11-ounce) package vanilla wafers, finely crushed 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 3/ cup powdered sugar 4 2 tablespoons cocoa 2 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1/ cup bourbon (or rum) 2 Additional powdered sugar (or crushed nuts) for rolling balls in

Combined crushed wafers, chopped nuts, powdered sugar and cocoa. Stir well.

In a separate dish, combine corn syrup and bourbon, stirring well. Add bourbon mixture to dry ingredients.

Mold into 1-inch balls, and roll them in additional powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container lined with aluminum foil for at least 3 days.

Note: For additional flavor, cover the bourbon balls with a layer of aluminum foil, make a small indentation in the foil and fill the space with about 2 tablespoons of bourbon before storing. — Joanne Katonak, Columbus

PAXIMADIA

Makes about 4 dozen 1 cup butter 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 whole eggs 2 egg yolks 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 tablespoons baking powder 4 cups all-purpose flour 8 drops anise oil

In a large bowl of stand mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and yolks one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add additional ingredients and mix well.

Divide dough and roll into four logs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Bake two logs at a time on the prepared baking sheet for 25 minutes. Cool slightly until able to touch. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 1/2 -inch slices with a serrated bread knife. Return cut pieces to the baking sheet (cut-side down) and bake an additional 5 minutes per side. — Margo Christopoulos Pendleton, Columbus

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

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FORGOTTEN COOKIES Makes 3 to 4 dozen

2 egg whites 1/ teaspoon cream of tartar 4 2/ cup very fine granulated sugar 3 1/ cup powdered mint (see below) 2 3/ cup miniature chocolate chips 4

To make cookies: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Beat egg whites at high speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar and mix until soft mounds form. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until granules disappear.

Fold in mint powder, then chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Place in oven, then turn off heat.

Leave in overnight or at least 6 to 7 hours. Do not open oven during this time. Carefully remove from parchment and store.

To make powdered mint: Crush a few red and white peppermint candy canes. This can be done using a mini food processor, then shaking the results through a fine sieve to remove any larger pieces. Measure and set aside. — Mariann Rowe, Orient

TRIPLE-CHOCOLATE SAMMIES (VEGAN) Makes 15

COOKIES: 1 cup Earth Balance spread, softened 2/ cup brown sugar 3 1/ cup granulated sugar 2 1/ cup unsweetened original almond milk 2 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed 4 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups all-purpose flour 2/ cup cocoa powder 3 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 2/ cup vegan mini chocolate chips 3 FILLING: 1/ cup Earth Balance, softened 2 1 cup powdered sugar 4 tablespoons cocoa 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/ teaspoon peppermint flavoring (optional) 2

To make cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using an electric mixer, cream together the Earth Balance and the sugars, until blended. Add the almond milk, flaxseed and vanilla, and beat for 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda.

Add to creamed mixture and blend until completely combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonful on prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on the pan. Cool completely on wire rack before filling.

To make filling: Beat all ingredients until smooth.

Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling over one round and then top with another round to make sammies. Store in an airtight container. — Susan Drummond, Marysville

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Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

RICOTTA COOKIES Makes 5 to 6 dozen

COOKIES: 1 cup butter, softened 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 15 ounces ricotta cheese 1 tablespoon vanilla 4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt GLAZE: 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 3 tablespoons milk 1/ teaspoon vanilla 2 Note: Add food coloring or sprinkles to make more festive.

To make cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter, sugar and eggs on medium speed until well-blended. Add ricotta and vanilla. Continue mixing until smooth.

In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add this to the creamed mixture on low speed until a dough forms.

Using a tablespoon-size scoop, drop a level amount on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Cookies will begin to turn golden at the bottom edge. Place cookies on a cooling rack that is lined with waxed paper.

To make glaze: Whip the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together until smooth and shiny. Drizzle glaze over cookies in a free form. Let them cool completely, and let glaze set. — Linda McCreary, Dublin

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CHERRY ROUNDS Makes about 5 dozen

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/ teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 1/ teaspoon ground cloves 4 1 3/4 cups sugar 1/ cup unsalted butter, room temperature 2 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2/ cup powdered sugar 3 30 candied cherries, cut in half Stir chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until smooth; let cool.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper and cloves.

In a large bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and cooled chocolate. Gradually add dry ingredients, just until combined. Chill dough until firm, about 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets.

Place powdered sugar in shallow dish. Form dough into 1-inch balls, roll each ball in powdered sugar to coat, shake off excess sugar.

Arrange cookies on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart (12 to 13 cookies per sheet). Press one cherry half into center of each cookie. Bake until cookies puff and crack but are still soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks to cool. — Dorothy Beehner, Columbus

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

DARK CHOCOLATE TRITAS Makes 8 to 9 dozen

1 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 1/ teaspoon cold coffee 2 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/ cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder 2 1/ teaspoon salt 2 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper or to taste 3/ to 1 cup Andes chocolate mints, chopped 4 3/ to 1 cup English toffee pieces 4 Colored sugar or powdered sugar Semisweet or dark chocolate chips

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and coffee until fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa and salt, and gradually add to butter mixture. Mix until well-blended.

Divide dough into thirds. Mix one third with cayenne pepper to taste. Mix second third with chocolate mints to taste. Mix final third with toffee to taste. Chill dough at least 2 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Shape dough into small, marble-size balls. Roll in powdered or colored sugar. Bake on prepared baking sheets 7 to 9 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and press 2 to 3 chocolate chips into each cookie while still warm. Cool completely on racks.

— Rita Stuckey, Groveport

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED ORANGE MELTS Makes 4 to 6 dozen

1 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon orange extract 1/ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/ teaspoon salt 4 1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, 1/2 teaspoon orange extract, and vanilla; beat until smooth.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture; stir until a soft dough forms.

Shape teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Flatten balls with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

In a small saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining orange extract. Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate. Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.

Chill cookies to allow chocolate to harden. Place in single layers between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container. Store in a cool place.

— Jean Dillmore, Columbus

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10 Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

LOADED PRETZEL COOKIES Makes about 2 dozen

1 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/ teaspoon salt 2 2 cups mini pretzels, broken 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate M&M’s Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Shape 1/4 cupfuls of dough into balls. Place 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Note: For different holidays, use different colors of M&M’s.

— Lu Anne Frye, Gahanna

WELSH FRIED CAKES Makes about 3 dozen

1 cup butter 1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for decoration 2 eggs 1/ cup milk 4 1/ teaspoon salt 2 4 cups flour 1/ teaspoon baking soda 4 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 cup currants (may substitute raisins) Oil, for frying Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and milk alternately with dry ingredients. Add currants; mix well and chill.

Roll out mixture about 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured surface, and cut out with a round cookie cutter.

Lightly brush a griddle with oil. When heated, place a few of the cookies at a time onto the griddle and fry until browned on one side. Turn the cookies and fry again until browned. If desired, sprinkle with sugar while still warm.

— Bonnie Jordan, Thurman, Ohio

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

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HOLIDAY CHEESECAKE SQUARES Makes 24

CRUST: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/ cup packed brown sugar 2 1/ cup butter, softened 3 1/ cup chopped pecans 2 FILLING: 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/ cup sugar 4 1 egg 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons milk 1/ teaspoon vanilla 2 1/ cup chopped red and green candied cherries 2 Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a mixer, combine flour, brown sugar and butter. Beat at low speed, until mixture is crumbly. By hand, stir in pecans.

Reserve 1 cup mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture on bottom of 8-inch square baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

In a small mixing bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Beat at medium speed, until smooth. Spread over hot, partially baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes. Cool and cut into bars. — Twila Trimble, Delaware

GINGERBREAD KISSES Makes 5 dozen

cup butter, softened cup packed brown sugar 1 large egg 1/ cup molasses 2 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/ teaspoon salt 4 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/ teaspoon ground nutmeg 4 1/ cup sugar 4 60 striped chocolate kisses, unwrapped 3/ 4 3/ 4

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the egg and molasses.

In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and spices; gradually beat in the creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, until firm, about 4 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Shape dough into 60 separate 1-inch balls; roll each in sugar.

Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

Press a kiss immediately into the center of each cookies.

Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. — Nancy Schmidt, Granville

12 Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

CHOCOLATE SUNDAE COOKIES

CREAM FILBERTS

Makes about 3 dozen

Makes 7 to 8 dozen

COOKIES: 1/ cup shortening 2 1/ cup butter or margarine 2 3/ cup sugar 4 1 egg 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/ teaspoon baking powder 2 1/ teaspoon salt 8 1 teaspoon vanilla 84 to 96 whole filberts (hazelnuts) Colored sugars GLAZE: 2 cups powdered sugar 3 tablespoons water 2 teaspoons vanilla Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream shortening, butter and sugar.

Add egg.

In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together. Blend with creamed mixture. Add vanilla.

Roll into 1-inch balls, and press a filbert in center. Shape so dough covers nut. Place on ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until delicately browned. Cool.

To make glaze: Mix all glaze ingredients. Dip entire top of cooled cookies in glaze, then in colored sugar. — Donna Toy, West Jefferson

COOKIES: cup brown sugar cup butter 1 egg 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 1/2 cups flour 1/ teaspoon baking soda 2 1/ teaspoon salt 2 1/ cup maraschino cherry juice 4 2 tablespoons milk 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted 1/ cup pecans 2 1/ cup chopped maraschino cherries 4 1 bag jumbo marshmallows, cut in halves 2/ 3 1/ 2

TOPPING: 1 1/2 cups butter 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 teaspoons vanilla 1/ cup milk 2 5 cups powdered sugar To make cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream brown sugar, butter, egg and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Then add maraschino cherry juice, milk, chocolate, pecans and maraschino cherries.

Drop by tablespoon on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Top with half a marshmallow as soon as it comes out of oven.

When cool, add frosting and top with 1/2 cherry.

To make frosting: Whip butter with cocoa powder. Add vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar. — Linda Bass, Westerville

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

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EGGNOG COOKIES Makes about 3 dozen

COOKIES: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/ teaspoon salt 2 1/ teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more for topping 2 1/ teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 3/ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 4 1/ cup granulated sugar 2 1/ cup packed light-brown sugar 2 2 large egg yolks 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/ teaspoon rum extract 2 1/ cup eggnog 2 FROSTING: 1/ cup butter, at room temperature 2 1/ teaspoon rum extract 2 3 to 5 tablespoons eggnog 3 cups powdered sugar To make cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon until well-blended; set aside.

Using an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg yolks one at a time, blending just until combined after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract, rum extract and eggnog. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

Scoop dough out by the heaping tablespoonfuls and drop onto prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to rest on baking sheet several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Cool completely, then frost and sprinkle tops lightly with nutmeg.

To make frosting: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter until very pale and fluffy.

Add in rum extract and 3 tablespoons eggnog and mix in powdered sugar. Add additional eggnog to reach desired consistency. — Pam Baker, Grove City

PEPPERMINT BISCOTTI Makes 18

cup light olive oil cup white sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract 2 eggs 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/ teaspoon salt 4 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup Andes peppermint chips (can substitute crushed peppermint candies) White chocolate 1/ 4 3/ 4

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugar until well-blended.

Mix in the vanilla and peppermint extracts, then beat in the eggs.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder; gradually stir into egg mixture. Mix in peppermint chips by hand.

Chill dough 30 minutes.

Divide dough in half. Form two logs (12-by-2 inches each) on prepared baking sheet. Dough might be sticky; wet hands with cool water to handle dough more easily.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until logs are light brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees.

Cut logs on diagonal into 3/4 -inch-thick slices. Lay on sides on parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until dry; cool.

Lay cooled cookies on parchment paper. Melt white chocolate.

Using a fork, dip it into the melted chocolate and holding it above the cookies, sweep in the air across the cookies. Do this until you have the number of chocolate stripes desired. Let chocolate set before storing. — Jean Collier, Gahanna

14 Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

LEMON MACAROONS Makes 30

2 egg whites 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon peel, finely shredded 2/ cup sugar 3 1 1/2 cups coconut

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites, lemon juice and lemon peel. Add the sugar gradually and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in the coconut.

Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake about 20 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

— Julie Beery, Lancaster

SANTA’S WHISKERS COOKIES Makes about 4 dozen

1 cup butter or margarine 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons milk 2 teaspoons vanilla or rum extract 2 1/2 cups sifted flour 3/ cup finely chopped red and green 4 candied cherries 1/ cup finely chopped pecans 2 3/ cup flaked coconut 4

Cream together butter and sugar; blend in milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, candied cherries and nuts.

Form into 2 rolls, each 2 inches in diameter and 8 inches long. Roll in coconut. Wrap logs in plastic wrap and chill several hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Slice logs into 1/4 -inch-thick pieces; place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until edges are golden.

— Joan Grube, Alexandria

SALTED CHOCOLATE CHUNK SHORTBREAD COOKIES Makes about 4 dozen

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter 1/ cup sugar 2 1/ cup brown sugar 4 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/2 cups flour 6 ounces dark-chocolate morsels Demerara sugar for rolling (turbinado sugar may be substituted) Flaky salt for sprinkling

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, mix butter, sugars and vanilla.

Add flour, then dark-chocolate morsels.

Scoop out 1 tablespoon balls and roll in demerara sugar. Flatten slightly and lightly sprinkle each cookie with flaky salt. Bake for 13 to 18 minutes.

— Pat Griffith, Grove City

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

cookies

BAKER PROFILES

TRADITIONS Cookie-baking marathons are an essential holiday ingredient for some families The holidays are a time of tradition for many families. And some of those traditions certainly center on what happens in the kitchen, given the sweet nature of the season. (Someone needs to fill Santa’s plate with cookies, after all.)

Some families gather to churn out amazing edible feats — can you say 100 dozen cookies in a day? Others, meanwhile, relish the singing, laughing and batter-testing even more than their culinary output.

There are recipes and traditions — each with its own backstory — that go back generations, and others that date back to a couple’s first year of marriage.

The Dispatch recently interviewed four readers about their family’s favorite seasonal treats and why making them is so special at this time of year. Here are their holiday tales.

All stories by Allison Ward

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16 Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

COOKIE-MAKING SPECTACULAR CONNECTS FAMILY TO ANCESTORS

PIZZELLES From left: Vicki Sagraves, Glenda Reynolds, Carol Douglas and Sandy Wilcox pose with family recipe pizzelles and the irons they use to make them in the kitchen at St. Margaret of Cortona Church.

[TYLER SCHANK/DISPATCH]

C

arol Douglas’ holiday cookie-baking extravaganza has become so big that she and family members had to move it last year to the industrial kitchen at the nearby St. Margaret of Cortona Catholic Church on the West Side.

The rental fee: a plate of cookies for the priest, of course.

The tradition, expected to play out again at the church this year, typically includes her two older sisters, Glenda Reynolds and Sandy Wilcox; her sister-in-law Vicki Sagraves; and a combination of her daughter, nieces and other female family members.

“My mother, her parents were from Italy,” Douglas said. “We learned to bake from my mom and my grandma with all the Italian cookies.”

Favorites include anise toast (basically a biscotti), bar cookies and the Italian classic, pizzelles. Douglas, who lives in Dublin, said she grew up watching her grandmother make thin waffle cookies on a pizzelle iron from Italy that creates a wheat pattern on the holiday treat.

“The iron makes only one cookie

at a time on the stove,” Douglas said.

“It’s really heavy. I don’t how she flipped it.”

Her sister Glenda still has the 100-year-old iron, Douglas said, but the women typically use a more modern version.

Still, they have their grandmother’s recipe — the special ingredient is fresh-squeezed lemon and orange juices — and her trick for timing the baking perfectly: recite a Hail Mary.

Douglas said that can be a good guide (about 15 seconds) but that bakers can leave the cookies on the iron longer if they prefer the cookies crispier.

Although their cookie-baking day is tiring, Douglas said, the women cherish the time together.

“We talk about our memories, and we’re connecting with our ancestors — the people we loved,” she said.

And the activity gives her an appreciation for the work her mother and grandmother put into making the holiday treats.

“How did they make all these cookies?” Douglas said. “My grandma, she made some of them one at a time.”

Makes 60

cup margarine, melted cup vegetable shortening 6 large eggs 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/ orange (juice and grated rind) 2 1/ lemon (juice and grated rind) 2 1/ teaspoon anise oil or 1/ tablespoon 8 2 anise extract (optional) 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional) 5 cups flour 1/ 2 1/ 2

Melt margarine and shortening; cool.

Beat eggs on high speed of mixer. Add sugar gradually and continue beating. Add flavorings and melted shortening and margarine. By hand, add the orange and lemon juices and rinds. (Rinds will stick to the beaters if mixer is used). Add 4 ½ cups flour, a little at a time.

When dough is stiff, place on board and knead in remaining flour or until it is no longer sticky. Break off large pieces and roll in long strips. Cut strips into 1-inch pieces.

Preheat pizzelle iron, and place dough onto section(s) and close iron. Pray the Hail Mary (about 15 seconds) or leave up to 1 minute, checking to see if pizzelles are browned to your taste. Remove from pizzelle iron with fork or spatula and cool.

— Carol J. Douglas, Dublin

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

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BAKING HELPED NEWLYWEDS CREATE OWN HOLIDAY TRADITION

T

he first Christmas that Bill and Noreen Drake spent together as a married couple called for something special as the newlyweds attempted to create their own family traditions.

Bill Drake brainstormed — and listened to his stomach, suggesting that they bake a bunch of cookies.

“I think we made 12 different types of cookies,” his wife recalled. “We had a lot of energy back then.”

Nearly 60 years later, the couple don’t bake nearly as many treats, but they wouldn’t dare spend a Christmas season without a few batches of Twin Nut Wonders.

Noreen Drake said her husband picked out the recipe for the pistachio cone cookie that first Christmas, and they’ve made it every year since. (He doesn’t remember where he saw it first.)

“We thought, ‘These are so good, and they look pretty on a plate — I think these are a keeper,’” said Drake, who lives with her husband on the Northwest Side. “It’s always been a very, very favorite of our family.”

Even though the recipe is all but

Noreen Drake in her kitchen with her original 1959 recipe card for Twin Nut Wonders [FRED SQUILLANTE/DISPATCH]

etched in her memory, she keeps a now-yellowed piece of paper listing the ingredients and directions in her recipe box. Originally, Drake thought the recipe sounded difficult to make, but, she said, the cookie actually is easy. Just add a bit of water to the dough if it’s too hard to roll out.

She does most of the baking by herself now — “Bill was hands on; he just eats now,” Drake said — but she’s looking forward to making Twin Nut Wonders this holiday. And her family is undoubtedly excited about that, too.

“They’re very tasty,” she said. “The pistachios add another dimension.”

TWIN NUT WONDERS Makes about 30

1 half cup margarine 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar 1 cup sifted flour 1 cup ground almonds 3 squares semisweet chocolate 3/ cup ground pistachio nuts 4

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cream margarine with sugar. Gradually add sifted flour and blend. Stir in ground almonds. Chill 1 hour.

Roll dough into 2-inch finger sticks. (Add ½ teaspoon water if dough is too dry to roll.) Bake for 15 minutes. Cool.

Melt chocolate in double-boiler or microwave.

Dip one end of cookie in chocolate and roll in pistachios. Cool.

— Noreen Drake, Columbus

18 Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

HARD-TO-FIND INGREDIENT PACKS HOLIDAY SURPRISE

MINT SURPRISE COOKIES Makes 4 or 5 dozen

Mark Bradshaw has had trouble in recent years finding the secret ingredient for his Mint Surprise Cookies.

[SAMANTHA MADAR/DISPATCH]

A

s a youngster, Mark Bradshaw used to eat Mint Surprise Cookies as if they were going out of style.

Turns out, he said with a laugh, they did just that.

“I made them years ago, but it’s impossible to find the mint chocolate disks in the store or candy stores,” said Bradshaw of Dublin.

Mint chocolate wafers, similar to melting chocolates, are the key ingredient in his favorite Christmas cookies, forming the “surprise” aspect of the treat.

“Inside was a chocolate mint disks, and you never saw those,” Bradshaw said. “When people picked them up — visitors to our home — and took a bite of the cookie, they’d say, ‘Oh,’ and their eyes would light up.”

In recent years, he tried Andes-brand chocolate mints, but they didn’t bake the same way. Mint chocolate chips work but are cumbersome to fold into the dough. Plus, Bradshaw said, those are difficult to find, too.

A relative bought 40 bags of mint chocolate chips a few years ago in Virginia and gave him some; Bradshaw said he intends to use the final three bags from that stash to make Mint Surprise Cookies this year.

There’s hope going forward, though.

It turns out that the highly sought main ingredient can be found online on Amazon, where other fans of the recipe have left glowing comments.

(Although at nearly $13 for a 1-pound bag of CK Products No. 1 Clasen Alpine Dark Mint Chocolate, holiday cheer definitely comes at a cost.)

Bradshaw said he looks forward to ordering them and making the treat that reminds him so much of his childhood and the holidays without fear of running out of ingredients.

“I grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania,” Bradshaw said. “It seemed like the perfect thing to pop in your mouth after coming in from shoveling the snow or coming home from church.

“It always left a good taste in your mouth.”

3 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/ teaspoon salt 2 1 cup margarine or shortening 1 cup sugar 1/ cup brown sugar 2 2 eggs, beaten 2 tablespoons water 1 teaspoon vanilla At least 48 mint chocolate candy wafers At least 48 walnut halves Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Sift flour, baking soda and salt together.

Using a mixer, cream margarine, sugar and brown sugar together. Blend in eggs, water and vanilla. Add in dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Take 1 tablespoon of dough and surround 1 mint chocolate wafer with it. Make sure no part of the wafer is showing. Top each cookie with a walnut half.

Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

— Mark Bradshaw, Dublin

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

W

19

COOKIE CREW BAKES 100 DOZEN TREATS IN A DAY

hen Marianne Amiet gathers with her sister-in-law, Jennifer Amiet, for their annual holiday cookie-baking session in December, they’ll be wearing matching shirts declaring “Cookie Baking Crew.”

Rosamary Amiet, on the other hand, will have a slightly different version. Hers reads “Baking Team Captain.” After all, Mom’s always the boss in the kitchen.

The shirts were a gift in 2017 from Jennifer Amiet, who is married to Marianne’s brother and Rosamary’s son, Michael.

“There’s always a gift to start the day,” Marianne Amiet said about their cookiebaking traditions. “We always have music playing. My sister-in-law and I are always singing and dancing. We plan a lunch.”

They certainly need the fuel and holiday spirit to get them through the long day: They spend about 12 hours making about 100 dozen cookies to give to family and friends.

They generally make about a half-dozen kinds to ensure that family members have their favorites represented, including thumbprints for Dad and Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies for Michael.

From left: Marianne Amiet with her sister-in-law, Jennifer, and mother, Rosamary, who traditionally come together for a 12-hour cookie-baking session. [ERIC ALBRECHT/DISPATCH]

One of Marianne’s favorite memories from the 15 years the trio has gathered for this annual tradition occurred just two years ago. Her parents — who traditionally host the baking — had moved to a house with a smaller oven. So her father, Rob Amiet, as a surprise, arranged to have a large double oven delivered the day the bakers got to work.

“We were all crying,” Marianne Amiet said. “There were tears, happy tears.”

Making joyful memories is a major reason the women put so much work into making the treats.

“We just have the best time,” Marianne Amiet said. “It just shows the friendship I have with my sister-in-law, and my mom is my best friend, too.”

CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRY COOKIES Makes 3 to 4 dozen

1 1/2 cups flour 1/ cup cocoa 2 1/ teaspoon salt 4 1/ teaspoon baking powder 4 1/ teaspoon baking soda 4 1/ cup butter or margarine 2 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries (plus juice) 1 cup chocolate chips 1/ cup Eagle brand sweetened 2 condensed milk (1 can equals 1 cup)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Stir together flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat margarine and sugar together until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and beat until well-blended.

Scoop dough into 1-inch balls. Press center of each cookie with finger or small spoon. Place a whole cherry in each cookie center.

In a small saucepan, combine chocolate chips and milk; heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of cherry juice. Spoon 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate over each cherry and spread to cover.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove to cooling racks and cool.

Note: Our tester required more than 1 jar of cherries.

— Marianne H. Amiet, Etna, Ohio

22 Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

cookies

DISPATCH CLASSICS

REINDEER-FOOD COOKIES Makes 8 to 10 dozen

1 cup butter 1 cup sugar, plus more for rolling 1 egg 1/ teaspoon salt 8 1/ teaspoon baking soda 2 3 cups flour Red and green food coloring Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap.

Cream butter and sugar well, until sugar is dissolved, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add egg and beat until combined. Add salt, baking soda and flour into creamed mixture.

Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Use food coloring to tint 1 part red and 1 part green. Leave the third part uncolored.

Press red dough into bottom of loaf pan. Press uncolored dough over red, and press green on top. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut loaf into 1/4 -inch slices. Make sure they are this thin. Work with a few slices at a time. Refrigerate remaining dough.

Cut each slice into 5 small triangles. Roll each cookie in sugar until coated. Bake for 8 minutes. — Linda Hampton, Heath

VEGAN MACE CUTOUTS Makes about 5 dozen

1 cup soy-based margarine 1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 3/ cup soft tofu, pureed with 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 Flour, divided, about 6 to 8 cups 1 teaspoon mace 1/ teaspoon nutmeg 2 1/ teaspoon cinnamon 2 1/ teaspoon baking soda 2 1 cup sour soy milk (see note) Cream together soy-based margarine, sugar and brown sugar.

Add tofu and mix again. In a separate bowl, mix a small amount of flour, mace, nutmeg, cinnamon and baking soda.

Add flour mixture to creamed mixture and add sour soy milk.

Add remaining flour 1 cup at a time until dough is of pie crust consistency.

Cover and refrigerate overnight Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough, using lots of flour on surface and rolling pin (1/8 -inch for crispy cookies, 1/4 -inch for chewier cookies).

Cut out with cookie cutters and place on baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, making sure that the cookies brown in the oven.

When cool, frost with favorite vegan frosting recipe.

Note: To make sour soy milk, put 1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar in a 1 cup measuring cup and fill to the 1-cup mark with soy milk; let stand for 10 minutes. — Rick Greene, Grove City

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

STRAWBERRIES

23

BELGIAN WAFFLE COOKIES

Makes about 2 dozen

Makes about 4 dozen

pound chopped pitted dates cup sweetened flaked coconut cup sugar cup butter 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/ cup chopped walnuts or almonds 2 1 3/4 cups Rice Krispies 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/ teaspoon almond extract 2 Red sugar Green frosting 1/ 2 1/ 2 1/ 2 1/ 4

1 cup butter, melted cup brown sugar cup granulated sugar 4 eggs, beaten 3 cups flour, sifted 2 teaspoons vanilla Confectioners’ sugar, sifted 3/ 4 3/ 4

Combine dates, coconut, sugar, butter and egg in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir until mixture bubbles. Remove from heat.

Add nuts, cereal, vanilla and almond extract. Stir.

When cool enough to handle, roll into the shape of a strawberry, using 1 rounded tablespoon of date mixture for each. Roll in red sugar. Decorate the top with green leaves made from frosting (you can use a tube of store-bought icing for this).

— Melissa Tonkovich, Westerville

Melt butter, and pour into a large mixing bowl. Add sugars; mix well. Add all other ingredients, except for confectioners’ sugar; mix well.

Spoon small portions onto a hot waffle iron. Cook until golden (it only takes moments).

Using a fork, lift the small waffles out onto a plate of sifted confectioners’ sugar. Coat each well. Place in an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place.

— Tamy Jones, Orient

BUTTER, BUTTER COOKIES Makes 3 1/2 to 4 dozen

COOKIES: 1 cup butter, softened 1/ cup sugar 2 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ICING: 16-ounce bag confectioners’ sugar 1/ stick butter, softened 2 Milk Food coloring Walnut and pecan halves

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

To make cookies: In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour until well-blended. Chill dough 30 to 45 minutes for easy handling.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet. With index finger, make a small indentation on top of each dough ball. Bake 7 to 8 minutes. Cool.

To make icing: Cream the sugar and butter together and gradually add just enough milk to make icing a medium-stiff consistency. Divide icing into four smaller bowls. Add food coloring to each bowl to make pastel green, blue, yellow, and pink colors. Ice each cookie with different colors, and add a walnut or pecan half to the top of each one.

— Susan Doyle Sullivan, London

24 Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

CHOCOLATE-FIG COOKIES Makes 6 to 7 dozen

CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI Makes 2 to 3 dozen

1 cup sugar 1 cup butter, softened 2 1/2 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder or granules 4 large eggs 8 ounces semisweet chocolate 1/ cup sliced toasted almonds 4 Heat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl with a mixer at medium speed, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add 1 cup of flour, baking powder, vanilla, cocoa powder, coffee powder and eggs. Beat on low speed until blended. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups flour by hand.

With well-floured hands, shape the dough into three loaves, each 12-by-2-inches, and about 3 inches apart on baking sheets.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until loaves are firm to touch. Cool loaves on sheets on rack 20 minutes.

Transfer loaves to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut each loaf crosswise into 1/2 -inch slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on baking sheets. Bake until dry, about 25 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks to cool.

Melt chocolate over low heat, stirring until smooth. Spread or drizzle each biscotti with chocolate, then sprinkle with almonds.

Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes. Store cookies in an airtight container or zipper-top bag.

— Mary Hayes, Columbus

COOKIES: 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/ teaspoon salt 2 1 pound dried figs 1 cup butter, softened 3/ cup granulated sugar 4 3/ cup brown sugar 4 3 eggs 1/ cup oats 2 1 cup walnuts, chopped 11 1/2 ounces chocolate morsels FROSTING: 3 tablespoons butter 3 ounces semisweet chocolate 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted 1/ teaspoon salt 4 3 to 4 tablespoons milk 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla To make cookies: Sift flour, soda and salt together.

Grind figs through the small hole of a grinder.

Cream butter and both sugars until well-blended. Add eggs, oats, flour mixture, nuts and chocolate. Gradually add ground figs.

Chill at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Shape dough into 1 1/2 -inch balls. Arrange on baking sheets.

Bake until the bottom of the cookies are lightly browned.

To make frosting: Melt butter with chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar and salt. Stir in milk and vanilla. Spread frosting over cookies immediately after they come out of the oven.

— Robert Frick, Westerville

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

25

LEMON BARS

Makes 2 to 4 dozen CRUST: 2 cups flour 1/ cup powdered sugar 2 2 sticks melted butter FILLING: 4 eggs, slightly beaten 2 cups sugar 6 tablespoons lemon juice 4 tablespoons flour 1/ teaspoon baking powder 2

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix crust ingredients and press into bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven.

Mix together eggs, sugar and lemon juice. Add in flour and baking powder. Pour over baked crust.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Cool, cut into bars, squares, or triangles.

Note: We dusted the tops with confectioners’ sugar.

— Gloria Curry, Patriot, Ohio

HONEY-NUT COOKIES Makes about 2 dozen

1/ cup shortening 2 2 tablespoons honey 1/ teaspoon salt 4 1 cup nuts (such as pecans), finely chopped 1 cup sifted flour 1/ cup confectioners’ sugar 4 1/ teaspoon cinnamon 2 1/ teaspoon nutmeg 2

Cream together shortening, honey and salt. Add flour and nuts. Chill dough thoroughly.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Shape into small balls; place balls on baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Combine confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. While cookies are still warm, roll in sugar mixture.

— Carolyn Weigand, Columbus

MIXED-NUT BARS Makes about 3 dozen

BASE: 1 1/2 cups of flour 1/ teaspoon salt 4 3/ cup brown sugar 4 1/ cup butter 2 12-ounce can mixed nuts TOPPING: 6 ounces butterscotch morsels 1/ cup light corn syrup 2 2 tablespoons butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mist a 9-by-13-by2-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix together flour, salt, brown sugar and butter.

Press into prepared pan. Bake about 10 minutes.

Spread the mixed nuts on top.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt butterscotch morsels, corn syrup and butter. Spread over nuts.

Bake for 10 more minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Note: We found mixed nuts in 10- and 10.3-ounce cans, but the recipe still worked well.

— Janet Moen, Columbus

26 Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

FUDGE MELTAWAYS Makes 3 to 4 dozen

BASE: 1/ cup butter 2 1 ounce (1 square) unsweetened chocolate 1/ cup sugar 2 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 egg, beaten (see note) 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1 cup sweetened coconut 1/ cup chopped nuts 2 FILLING: 1/ cup butter 4 1 tablespoon milk or cream 2 cups sifted powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract TOPPING: 1 1/2 ounces (1 1/2 squares) unsweetened chocolate To prepare the base: Melt butter and chocolate in saucepan.

Blend sugar, vanilla, egg, graham cracker crumbs, coconut and nuts into the butter-chocolate mixture. Mix well and press into an ungreased 11 1/2 -by-7 1/2 -by-1 1/2 -inch pan or a 9-by-9-by-3/4 -inch pan. Refrigerate.

For the filling: Mix butter, milk, powdered sugar and vanilla.

Spread over crumb mixture. Chill.

To top: Melt 1 1/2 squares chocolate and spread evenly over chilled filling. Chill again. Cut into squares before completely firm.

Note: The egg is not cooked so it’s recommended to use a pasteurized egg — Thelma Hines, Worthington

CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY LINZER COOKIES Makes about 2 1/2 dozen

2 1/3 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/ teaspoon cinnamon 2 1/ teaspoon salt 2 1 cup sugar 3/ cup butter, softened 4 2 eggs 1/ teaspoon almond extract 2 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 3/ cup raspberry jam (preferably seedless) 4 Confectioners’ sugar In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

In a large bowl, combine sugar and butter. Beat until creamy.

Beat in eggs and almond extract. Gradually add flour mixture.

Divide dough in half. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll half of dough to 1/8 -inch thickness. Use a 2 1/2 -inch round cookie cutter to cut into rounds.

Use a 1 1/2 -inch round cookie cutter to cut centers from half of the cookies. Repeat with other half of dough. Reroll scraps and cut out more cookies.

Arrange cookies on baking sheets. Bake until just starting to brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool a couple of minutes on baking sheet. Transfer cookies to rack and cool completely.

Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Spread 1 teaspoon of chocolate on the flat side of each whole cookie. Top with 1 teaspoon jam in the center. Dust cookies with the centers cut out with confectioners’ sugar. Place over jam and chocolate-topped cookies.

— Patty Estadt, Orient

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

27

MICEY MORSELS Makes 4 dozen

RUGELACH Makes 15

cup butter, softened cup creamy peanut butter cup brown sugar, packed cup sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/ teaspoon salt 2 Peanut halves Mini chocolate chips Shoestring licorice 1/ 2 1/ 2 1/ 2 1/ 2

1 cup all-purpose flour teaspoon salt cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 4 ounces cream cheese 1 egg white, stiffly beaten 3/ cup ground walnuts 4 1/ cup sugar 4 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1/ 4 1/ 2

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Work the butter and cream cheese in by hand. Roll out onto a lightly floured board. Fold into thirds and refrigerate overnight, or at least two hours.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll the dough out to 1/8 -inch thick. Cut into 4-inch squares.

(Save the trimmed edges and re-roll for a few extra cookies.)

Mix the egg white, walnuts, sugar and cinnamon together. Place 1 tablespoon of the mixture on one corner of each square, spreading it slightly toward the two neighboring corners of the square.

Roll the square up diagonally from the filled corner. Turn the edges slightly toward each other to form a crescent shape. (The filling should fill the roll, but not peek out the ends.) Place on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes or until delicately browned.

— Susan Cohen, Upper Arlington

In a large bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars.

Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fluffy.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; then stir them into the wet mixture,until just blended. Cover and chill until firm (about 1 hour).

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Shape a level tablespoon of dough into balls. Pinch one end of each ball to form a pointed mouse nose. Then flatten the bottom and pinch the sides to create a rounded back.

Place the mice 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

Push in peanut halves for ears and mini chocolate chips for eyes.

Use a toothpick to make a small hole for the tail.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until firm. Cut the licorice into 3-inchlong tails and insert while the cookies are still warm.

— Joan Sorrell, Columbus

SWEDISH LOGS Makes about 6 dozen

1 cup butter 1 cup sugar, divided 2 egg yolks 2 1/2 cups flour 1/ cup cinnamon 4

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir in egg yolks and flour and mix thoroughly.

Roll dough into ropes. Cit into 1 1/2 -inch pieces.

Mix cinnamon and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Roll logs in cinnamon sugar. Arrange on baking sheets and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until logs are firm to the touch.

— Juanita Foltz, Columbus

28 Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

ALMOND SPRITZ COOKIES Makes about 6 dozen

1 cup butter, softened cup sugar 1 egg 2 1/2 cups flour 1/ teaspoon salt 4 1/ teaspoon almond extract 4 Colored sugar (optional) Cinnamon candies (optional) 1/ 2

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Stir in flour, salt, and almond extract.

Place dough in a cookie press. Press onto baking sheets. Decorate with colored sugar and cinnamon candies, if desired. Bake until set, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Transfer cookies to racks to cool.

— Lori Johnson, Powell

CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER BALLS Makes about 2 1/2 dozen

1 cup peanut butter 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow cream 1 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips 4 teaspoons shortening

In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter and marshmallow cream. Add the cereal and stir until well-coated.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate and shortening. Microwave uncovered until chips are melted. Stir until smooth.

Roll cereal mixture into 1-inch balls. Dip in chocolate and place on pan lined with wax paper. Refrigerate until set.

— Julie Beery, Lancaster

MAZURKI (POLISH STRAWBERRY COOKIES) Makes 1 to 2 dozen

8 ounces margarine 10 ounces flour 3 ounces sugar, plus 1/2 pound 6 eggs 10 ounces strawberry preserves 8 ounces chopped walnuts 1 teaspoon vanilla Confectioners’ sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, combine margarine with flour.

In a separate bowl, mix 3 ounces of sugar with 2 eggs and beat into margarine-flour combination. Spread in an ungreased 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan. Bake 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and spread preserves on dough.

Combine 1/2 pound sugar with 4 eggs and vanilla. Fold in walnuts. Pour over top of preserves.

Bake for 30 minutes longer. When cool, dust with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into diamond shapes.

— Marie Salmon, Coshocton

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

29

MOCHA-CARAMEL TREES Makes about 4 dozen

RED VELVET COOKIES Makes about 4 dozen

COOKIES: cup butter, room temperature cup brown sugar cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/ teaspoon salt 2 1 large egg 1 tablespoon red food coloring 2 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate, melted 2 cups flour 3/ cup sour cream 4 1/ 2 2/ 3 1/ 3

ICING: 1/ cup butter, softened 2 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 cups confectioners’ sugar To make cookies: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using an electric mixer, combine butter and sugars and blend until smooth. Add baking soda, baking powder and salt, and mix thoroughly. Add egg and beat until smooth.

Add red food coloring and melted chocolate and mix. Add half of the flour and all of the sour cream, and mix well. Add the remaining flour and mix until well-blended.

Drop cookies by teaspoonful onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. When cool, frost with the cream-cheese icing.

To make icing: Mix all ingredients well.

— Lois M. Wickliff, Millersport

COOKIES: 1 cup butter, softened 3/ cup sifted confectioners’ sugar 4 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee granules 1 tablespoon vanilla 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1 2/3 cups flour CHOCOLATE GLAZE: 1/ cup semisweet chocolate chips 2 1 teaspoon shortening CARAMEL GLAZE: 7 ounces caramels, unwrapped 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon milk To make cookies: In a large bowl, beat the butter and both sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy. Dissolve espresso granules in vanilla. Add to butter mixture. Beat in cocoa powder. Beat in as much flour as you can, then stir in the rest by hand.

Divide dough in half. Flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm (but not too long; it becomes crumbly if left in the refrigerator too long).

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4 - to 3/8 -inch thick.

Cut into trees or reindeer or other shapes, if desired. Arrange on baking sheets.

Bake about 13 minutes or until set but not too brown. Cool sheets 1 minute then transfer to racks to cool completely.

To make chocolate glaze: Heat chocolate and shortening in a saucepan over low heat until chocolate begins to melt. Remove from heat. Stir until smooth. Spoon into pastry bag. Drizzle over cookies. Let stand until set.

To make caramel glaze: Heat the caramels, butter and milk over very low heat, stirring until smooth. Spoon into pastry bag.

Drizzle over cookies.

— Jane Damschroder, Lewis Center

30 Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

TIRAMISU BARS Makes about 24

To make bars: Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium bowl, beat flour, butter and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until soft dough forms. Spread evenly in bottom of ungreased 8-inch square pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat

BARS: 3/ cup all-purpose flour 4 1/ cup butter, softened 2 1/ cup powdered sugar 4 1 cup granulated sugar 3/ cup whipping cream 4 1/ cup butter, melted 4 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon instant-coffee granules or crystals

1/ teaspoon vanilla 2 2 eggs 3 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) semisweet baking chocolate, grated Chocolate curls, for garnish (optional)

remaining bar ingredients except chocolate, with wire whisk until smooth.

Sprinkle 1 cup of the grated chocolate over hot baked crust. Pour egg mixture over chocolate.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and set. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour, 15 minutes.

To make frosting: In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and whipping cream on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Spread over cooled bars. Sprinkle with remaining grated chocolate. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Garnish each with a chocolate curl. Store covered in refrigerator.

— Mary Lou Casanta, Columbus

FROSTING: 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1/ cup whipping cream 4

THE PERFECT SUGAR COOKIE Makes about 3 dozen

COOKIES: 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup salted butter 1 cup sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional) To make cookies: Remove the butter and egg from the refrigerator about a halfhour before you begin baking.

In a mixing bowl, whisk flour and baking powder.

In another mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Once mixed well, add the egg. Mix again and then add vanilla and optional almond extract. Slowly add in the flour mixture about a cup at a time. Mix until the dough forms and begins to clump together.

Knead the dough until smooth. Roll into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes. (Make sure it’s not too hard.)

ROYAL ICING: 4 pounds powdered sugar 3/ cup meringue powder 4 1 1/3 cups warm water 2 to 4 tablespoons oil-free flavoring (such as vanilla)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. If you prefer thicker cookies, roll to 3/ -inch, or if you prefer thinner, roll to 1/ -inch.

8 4 Cut out cookies using your favorite cutters.

Place cookies on the baking sheet, freeze for 2 to 4 minutes and then bake for about 7 minutes.

Remove from oven, let sit in the pan for a few minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool.

To make royal icing: Add the dry ingredients first. Use your mixer’s whisk attachment

to incorporate the sugar and the meringue powder.

Add the vanilla to the water and slowly add it to the dry ingredients while mixing. At first the icing will be very liquid-like.

Continue to mix it at medium-high speed until it is fluffy and stiff peaks form, about 7 to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on your icing; stop mixing as soon as it becomes stiff.

While you are waiting to use the icing, be sure to place a wet (and rung out) towel over the container to be sure the icing stays moist.

Color as desired, and pipe the icing to decorate your cookies.

— Elizabeth Duncan, Ashville

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

BUCKEYE COOKIES

31

BUTTERSCOTCH DESSERT COOKIES

Makes about 18

Makes about 5 dozen

cup shortening cup peanut butter cup brown sugar cup granulated sugar, extra for rolling 1 egg, unbeaten 2 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/ teaspoon salt 2 1 pound chocolate melting wafers, melted

COOKIES: cup unsalted butter 1 cups packed brown sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/2 cups flour, sifted 1/ teaspoon salt 2 1/ teaspoon double-acting baking powder 2 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup sour cream 3/ cups nuts 4

PEANUT BUTTER FILLING: 1/ cup butter 2 1/ cup peanut butter 2 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon milk

BROWN BUTTER FROSTING: 6 tablespoons butter 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/ cup hot water 4

1/ 2 1/ 2 1/ 2 1/ 2

1/ 2 1/ 2

To make cookies: Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.

Cream together shortening and peanut butter; gradually add sugars. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Blend in dry ingredients gradually, mix thoroughly. Shape by rounded teaspoonful into balls. Roll in granulated sugar.

Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 8 to 9 minutes.

Remove from the oven and place on cooling rack. Once cooled, put cookies together with filling in the middle to form a sandwich cookie. Dip 1/2 of each sandwich cookie in melted chocolate.

To make filling: Mix ingredients together until smooth.

— Cynthia R. Shuster, Somerset

To make cookies: Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.

Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Mix dry ingredients with sour cream, and add to butter-and-sugar mixture.

Mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Stir in nuts. Chill dough for about an hour. Do not omit this step.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with back of spoon.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes — do not over-bake. These are cakelike cookies. Cool and then frost.

To make frosting: Melt butter in skillet over low heat and cook until browned. Add remaining ingredients and beat together.

— Doris Lechler, Columbus

GINGERSNAPS

Makes about 8 dozen cup butter cup brown sugar cup molasses 1 egg 3 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ginger 1/ teaspoon cloves 4 1/ teaspoon salt 4 3/ 4 3/ 4 3/ 4

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream butter and brown sugar in large mixing bowl. Add molasses and egg.

Mix together rest of dry ingredients in a separate bowl and gradually add to wet mixture.

Using the ribbon attachment of a cookie press, press long strips on prepared sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately cut with a knife into even-sized rectangles.

— Ann Dominek, Upper Arlington

32 Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

cookies

BAKING TIPS

A batch of basics Everything you need to know before you heat up the oven

By Bonnie S. Benwick The Washington Post Attention, holiday bakers! While your ovens are preheating, take a quick spin through these reminders about ingredients and equipment. They’ll help you bake your best cookies yet.

Eggs • When you need to separate whites from yolks, do so when the eggs are cold.

It will reduce the chance of yolk breakage.

• Eggs for beating into cookie doughs will incorporate more readily when they are at room temperature. Yolks bring fat and richness; whites lighten the texture.

• Crack an egg open on the counter, not the edge of the bowl you’re working in; this will help prevent tiny bits of shell or broken yolk from getting into the mix.

• Most U.S. recipes rely on large eggs for baking, says cookbook author Joy Wilson (aka Joy the Baker), even if they don’t specify the size. A large egg translates to about 3 1/4 tablespoons; if you were to use extra-large or jumbo eggs instead of large, you would be adding substantially more liquid to the dough.

Butter Grocery store-packaged brands (in sticks) generally contain between 12 percent and 15 percent water, with a

fat content between 77 percent and 80 percent. Premium butter brands have a higher fat content. Cookbook author Lisa Yockelson likes to use premium butter for bar cookies and dense cookie doughs, like shortbread; the national packaged stick brands for rolled cookies.

Baking powder vs. baking soda (for cookies) Baking powder (sodium bicarbonate plus tartaric acid) helps cookies puff up.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) helps tenderize the dough and provides a bit of leavening. Adding these ingredients into the mix will help ensure an even interior crumb, Wilson says.

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018 Nuts • Toasted/roasted nuts have more flavor. When you bring home fresh ones from the store, toss them on a baking sheet, roast, cool and stash in a container in the freezer until ready to use. This will save you time when you are baking in multiple batches.

• Bonus flavor: Drizzle nuts with melted butter before toasting; be sure to freeze or refrigerate once they have cooled.

Unbleached or bleached flour?

Unbleached all-purpose flour has more protein and weighs slightly more than bleached flour. So if you are able to use bleached flour, the cookies will be softer. It also can make colored doughs brighter.

Mixing An overbeated mixture of butter and sugar can result in cookie dough that spreads, says cookbook author and Paris food blogger David Lebovitz. Even when a recipe says to “beat until fluffy” or “cream the butter and sugar together,” mix those two ingredients only until thoroughly blended.

Waxed paper vs. parchment paper Both are nonstick, but they are not interchangeable. Waxed paper is not heat-resistant, so do not use it to line sheets on which you are baking cookies. Use waxed paper for rolling out and wrapping doughs, as a protective surface when you are decorating cookies, and to separate layers of cookies stored in containers.

Use parchment paper for baking. #40 disher This cookie scoop is popular with bakers because it yields consistent, 1 1/2 tablespoon-size

mounds of dough. You can find the tool in kitchen stores and online for less than $10, making it a worthwhile investment at this time of year.

Storage • Put a slice of fresh bread into the container with your cookies. That’s the best way to keep them moist, says Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi. It will breathe new life into your cookies for three or four days.

• When you are defrosting baked/ frozen cookies, open the lid, bag or wrapping slightly so condensation does not form.

Pans “Air-cushioned” baking sheets do not conduct heat especially well. Use heavy, light-colored ones when possible, or stack two lightweight pans on top of each other.

Ovens • Make sure your oven temperature

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is accurate. Oven thermometers are inexpensive and helpful for monitoring.

Consider getting the oven professionally calibrated before a big baking session if you are not able to adjust it yourself. Check the manual.

• Hot spots and uneven heating are common in many home ovens, especially as the appliances age. Rotating sheets of cookies halfway through the baking time is a good idea even when you are baking them one sheet at a time. A telltale sign that sheets need to be rotated: Cookies on one part of the sheet are browning faster than the rest.

• The rule of thumb is to set a convection oven 25 degrees lower than a conventional oven.

Gluten-free • Two of the biggest concerns with gluten-free baking are cross-contamination and the use of ingredients with hidden gluten. If you are using a stand mixer that has had gluten flours or potentially contaminated ingredients in it, be sure to first properly wash and sanitize the machine’s entire exterior. The same goes for measuring cups, baking pans and cooling racks.

• If your utensils are wooden or plastic and are well-worn, consider buying new ones to use specifically for gluten-free baking.

• Gluten-free cookies should be packaged and plated separately from cookies containing gluten.

Mistakes Failed cookies are almost always edible. Reduce them to crumbles and freeze for topping ice cream or creating parfait layers.

34 Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

Five tips for better baking

By Becky Krystal The Washington Post More than any other type of cooking, baking dishes out as much heartbreak as joy: Fallen cakes. Soupy pies. Cookies that crumble.

If you’ve been burned by baking — or simply burned your baked goods — you may wonder whether it’s just you.

It probably is.

Just joking, of course.

But even if you are, in fact, doing something wrong, that doesn’t mean you can’t fix it, especially as the holiday season — and the oodles of cookies that inevitably come with it — approaches.

And who better to learn from than

Rose Levy Beranbaum? She’s been writing authoritative, comprehensive baking cookbooks for almost 40 years. Her latest — “Rose’s Baking Basics” (published in September) — takes special aim at beginning bakers.

Here is some big-picture advice from Beranbaum to help you become a better, more confident baker:

really have to be kneaded that long? The answer is probably yes.

Read the recipe — preferably more than once — before you do anything.

Not only do you want to make sure you have all the ingredients you need, you also want to have a good idea of all the steps involved. That way, you don’t run into any surprises, especially if something is time-sensitive.

Follow the directions “If you don’t want to follow directions, it’s better to make savory dishes,” Beranbaum says. “Baking is best for precise people,” or people who give up their idea of how a recipe should be made at least the first time they attempt it.

Do you really need to whip those egg whites separately? Does the dough

Be wary of substitutions Baking is often so much about chemistry that ingredients aren’t necessarily interchangeable. If you are determined to swap things in a recipe, “make it the way it’s written” the first time, Beranbaum suggests. “Otherwise you’ll never know what you’re supposed to be getting.”

Flours and sugars are two main ingredients that can have a dramatic effect on your results. Changing flours,

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

for example, can alter the structure and density of a baked good. Sugars differ in flavor, texture and the way they interact with water, so using the wrong one can taint the result.

When you’re contemplating substitutions, Beranbaum says, it helps to at least know the composition of the ingredients, such as the fat and moisture content. So, sour cream and regular full-fat yogurt?

Proceed. Agave instead of honey? Go for it. Turbinado sugar instead of granulated sugar? Probably fine.

Beranbaum warns against thinking that fancy, higher-fat butter is always better. The higher fat and lower moisture can cause problems if a recipe hasn’t been designed to take advantage of those characteristics.

But don’t be afraid to make a recipe your own Have I killed your intrepid spirit yet?

I hope not, because there are plenty of ways you can tweak a baking recipe.

In fact, Beranbaum’s new book is heavily sprinkled with “Make This Recipe Your Own” sidebars that provide suggestions on A-OK substitutions. She gets it: “People want to put their own imprint on something, and that’s so often why they want to substitute.”

Some of the best places to start playing around are add-ins: chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts. You can experiment with different extracts and flavored simple syrups (even alcohol, where liquor is used for flavor). Spices, within reason, are ripe for personal preference.

One more substantial change that Beranbaum endorses is pan size or shape. Just be sure to think it through. You want to try to keep the volume of the pans about the same (fill them with water if you don’t know off the top of your head, or consult a chart).

But don’t go from a shallow pan to a deep pan that’s not filled very much, because the batter won’t bake right. You can, however, scale a recipe accordingly if you need to make a dramatic

change. A recipe designed for a Bundt pan will work in a loaf pan when halved, for example.

Pay attention to temperature “Temperature is everything in baking,” Beranbaum says. It’s important to follow the directions when a recipe calls for ingredients to be at a certain temperature.

Often, that means room temperature.

Beranbaum says the sweet spot for roomtemp butter is 65 to 75 degrees. Eggs are also frequently brought to room temperature (if you forget or are in a rush, you can place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes).

If the ingredients are off when you’re mixing,” Beranbaum says, a batter won’t blend as well, and you might not incorporate the right amount of air for proper lift.

There are plenty of other situations where temperature matters. Chilled dough that’s been cut for cookies holds its shape better in the oven, for example.

Measure carefully Here’s another one that goes along with “follow the directions.” Just as recipes can be affected by which ingredient you use, they can be affected by how much you use.

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So, yes, as most dedicated bakers will tell you, weight is the most accurate method for measuring (not to mention easier, because everything can be measured into a single bowl where appropriate).

There’s often a lot of variation when it comes to measuring by volume, thanks to cups of differing sizes. Flour can be especially problematic, Beranbaum says, because people measure it in different ways, such as spooning it into the measuring cup; scooping and shaking it to settle it; and the method most endorsed by pros if weight isn’t an option, the scoop and sweep.

(Cook’s Illustrated had dozens of people measure a cup of flour by volume and found as much as a 20 percent difference in how much that “cup” weighed.)

As to why more home cooks — and the recipe developers writing for them — don’t rely on weight, Beranbaum suspects that it feels too scientific.

But as we’ve established, science and precision are good, even crucial, in baking. So consider investing in a kitchen scale and using weight measures where provided or at least testing how much a cup of flour you measure weighs so you know whether you’re in the ballpark.

36 Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

Confused about bittersweet? Dutch cocoa?

And what’s up with the white stuff?

By Kim Ode (Minneapolis) Star Tribune Chocolate is what we eat when we’re stressed. In other words, chocolate shouldn’t cause stress.

But it can when the grocery shelves hold not only our beloved semisweet chips but also chocolate labeled bittersweet, milk, white, unsweetened, German’s, baking and more. And what’s with all those percentages? Even cocoa comes in choices: Dutch-process and natural.

Actually, the options are pretty simple, in many cases coming down to a basic question: What do you like?

First, though, as you prepare for the holiday baking season, let’s define the differences, thanks in part to info from the National Confectioners Association.

Unsweetened chocolate. This comes as billed. It has no sugar, so it’s only chocolate ground from nibs (the centers of cocoa beans) and some cocoa butter. This ground mixture, called chocolate liquor or sometimes cacao mass, also may be packaged as baking chocolate. It’s very bitter, almost astringent.

Bittersweet and semisweet chocolate.

This is where sugar enters the picture, along with more cocoa butter. U.S. regulations require that both bittersweet and semisweet bars or chips must contain at least 35 percent chocolate liquor. Bittersweet usually has more — at least 50 percent. Here’s also where those percentages come in: the higher the percentage, the more chocolate liquor in the bar, and the deeper the flavor.

What makes up the remaining percent-

ages? Cocoa butter and sugar, in proportions that vary with the producer. Bars labeled German’s chocolate are among the sweetest. (Note that German’s chocolate has nothing to do with Germany. It was created by Samuel German in 1852, for his employer, Walter Baker & Co.) Bottom line: Bittersweet and semisweet chocolate can be used interchangeably. The determining factor is how intense a flavor you want.

Milk chocolate. This is made with dry milk solids, at least 12 percent. There’s more sugar, and cacao mass may be as little as 10 percent. This is almost too mild for baking, but it’s delicious alone to savor or as the foundation of a great frosting.

White chocolate. This type flips the

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

formula, showcasing cocoa butter along with milk solids, sugar and vanilla.

There’s no chocolate liquor or mass here, prompting some people to say it’s not “real” chocolate. But cocoa butter is the fat from cocoa beans, so white chocolate does come from a cocoa plant.

The likely culprit for confusion is the product called almond bark or coating.

It looks like white chocolate but is made with vegetable fats, not cocoa butter.

Natural cocoa. Recipes usually call for natural cocoa, which is chocolate liquor with all the cocoa butter pressed out of it.

The resulting dry stuff is ground into cocoa powder that’s lighter, even reddish, as in Red Velvet Cake.

Dutch-processed cocoa. This starts with natural cocoa, but it’s then treated with an alkaline solution to neutralize cocoa’s natural acidity. It’s milder in flavor but darker in appearance.

Bottom line: For recipes that don’t specify a particular cocoa, use natural cocoa. Dutch-processed may turn up in recipes that rely only on baking powder for leavening because it’s also neutralized. The two cocoas are not interchangeable, so be sure to follow the recipe for optimum results.

And here’s a sweet hack: If you’re out of unsweetened chocolate but have

QUICK CHOCOLATE GUIDE Bittersweet and semisweet chocolate: These two are interchangeable, and it comes down to intensity.

Cocoa powder: Unless Dutch-process is called for, stick to natural cocoa for most recipes.

Milk chocolate: The mild flavor lends itself more to snacking or frostings than to most baking.

White chocolate: It has cocoa butter, so it does contain chocolate, but it’s not the same as coatings or almond barks. natural cocoa on hand, melt 1 tablespoon of butter or shortening, then stir in 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder. This is the equivalent of 1 ounce of unsweetened chocolate.

Finally, as with most ingredients, you pay for quality. In recipes with chocolate flavor front and center, such as

a flourless cake, top-grade chocolate will yield the best results. Store brands may be fine for everyday cookies.

Still feeling a little stressed? Have no fear. Below is a recipe for chocolate frosting that will ease your mind. It uses both milk and semisweet chocolate bound with sour cream, so it’s not too sweet and lets the chocolate flavor shine.

LUSCIOUS, CREAMY CHOCOLATE ICING

Makes enough to frost and fill one (8- or 9-inch) layer cake or 2 dozen cupcakes 2 cups (12 ounces) milk chocolate, chips or chopped 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate, chips or chopped 2 tablespoons light brown sugar 1/ teaspoon salt 8 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 tablespoons light corn syrup 1 1/2 cups sour cream

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Place the chocolate in a large microwavesafe bowl and microwave on 50 percent power in 30-second intervals, stopping to stir after every interval, until completely melted and smooth. This will take 2 to 3 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, salt, vanilla and corn syrup. Stir in the sour cream with a few strokes. Add the melted chocolate. Stir until no sour cream streaks remain and it’s very smooth. It will be beautiful. If it is too thin, let it stand for an

hour at room temperature until slightly thickened. Use generously.

Note: The brown sugar makes the chocolate taste fudgier and the corn syrup makes the frosting easily spreadable and gives it a slight sheen. You can use either chips or chopped bar chocolate.

This recipe is from “BakeWise” by Shirley Corriher.

38 Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

Recipe-share party a way to spread wealth

By Kate Williams and Ashley Twist Cole SouthernKitchen.com It may be hard to believe, but the holidays are about more than cookies.

There are so many other great things to eat that are perfect for the season.

One way to enjoy as many as possible is by putting together a recipe-share party. Think of it as a potluck with a mission.

You ask your guests to bring their favorite family dish to share, along with copies of the recipe. It’s a great way to keep the conversation going around family cooking.

Here’s how we would do it: Menu The main attraction for this party is the food itself, of course, so ask your guests to filter through their recipe boxes, folders and cookbooks to pick out a favorite family recipe. It could be anything — a secret recipe for chili, your grandmother’s holiday honey cookies or braised rutabagas with pulled pork — but keep in mind how you’ll serve it. Slow-cooker recipes are particularly well-suited to potlucks, as are any desserts that are easy to transport. Pan-seared fish and multitiered cakes probably aren’t.

Consider assigning categories if you’re worried that everyone will show up with Jell-O salads. Several types of chili are fine, though.

Cookie-swap contest If you’re up for the challenge, here’s one more twist: a cookie swap.

You make one batch and in return get lots of really great cookies that you probably wouldn’t make yourself.

Because competition sparks creativity, why not make it a contest?

All participants bring their cookies in an opaque dish, so other guests don’t see what everyone has made.

Each person puts their cookies on the table one at a time in secret. (You can facilitate this process.)

When all cookies are accounted for, everyone tries each cookie and votes on a piece of paper for their favorite. You tally up the votes, and the winners receive a prize.

Offer up a few fun awards, such as most consistent cookie, best twist on a classic, prettiest cookie and best overall.

Drinks The time of day will help determine what you serve. Is it an afternoon party full of nibbles? Maybe

you’ll want to try three ways to serve eggnog. Or do you have friends with secret family recipes for punch?

Assign them the drinks category and incorporate it into your potluck.

Favors In addition to a full stomach, you’ll want your guests to leave with a keepsake. Ask your guests to bring copies of their recipes. These can be typedup recipes or copies of recipe cards.

Or, go digital: Do a little searching on Instagram and choose a unique hashtag for your party, something like #HolidayRecipeShareParty2018.

While your friends are eating and chatting, encourage them to snap pictures of the food and recipes, and post them using the hashtag.

At the end of the party, you’ll have a collection of images and recipes to return to when you’re in need of some dinner inspiration.

Leftovers As with any potluck, there will likely be plenty of food left over.

Instead of keeping it all for yourself, encourage sharing by asking your guests to bring containers. They can pack up extra soup and cookies to take home and enjoy the next day.

The Columbus Dispatch | Holiday Cookies | Sunday, November 18, 2018

Join us for a cookie-baking demonstration commemorating the release of the Dispatch’s annual

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Sunday, Dec. 9 • 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Whole Foods Market Dublin • 3670 W. Dublin Granville Rd. Enjoy a Holiday Cookie Guide celebration with some of your favorite Dispatch personalities.

For more information visit dispatch.com/cookie

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40 Sunday, November 18, 2018 | Holiday Cookies | The Columbus Dispatch

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