THE WASHINGTON POST – Does a big, beautiful tray of cookies ever lose its novelty? No matter your age, the occasion or the selection, being presented with an array of enticing sweets is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. At least that’s how I’ve always felt.
I’ve been a member of the cookie fan club all my life. Spending several months each of the past five years recruiting contributors, refining ideas, testing recipes and sitting in on marathon photo sessions has only amplified my appreciation for this treat beloved the world over in all its many forms.
On behalf of all of our testers, tasters, editors, photographers, designers and stylists, I’d like to welcome you to explore our 2023 holiday cookie collection.
CHOCOLATE-MATCHA COOKIES
Ingredients
– 180 grammes plus one tablespoon gluten-free oat flour, divided, plus more as needed
– 190 grammes confectioners’ sugar
– Scant 60 grammes tapioca starch/flour
– Half teaspoon baking soda
– Half teaspoon fine salt
– 85 grammes vegan butter, cold and cut into half-inch pieces
– 66 grammes unsweetened applesauce, plus more as needed
– Two teaspoons vanilla extract
– One tablespoon culinary grade matcha powder
– Two teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
– One tablespoon unsweetened natural cocoa powder
– 50 grammes granulated sugar, for rolling
Directions
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper.
In a food processor, combine 180 grammes of oat flour, the confectioners’ sugar, tapioca starch, baking soda and salt. Pulse to aerate, about 10 times. Add the butter, applesauce and vanilla and process until you have a soft, sticky dough, about 30 seconds.
Let the dough sit for five minutes to hydrate. Do not clean the food processor; you will use it again. (If the dough feels too dry, add one to two teaspoons more applesauce, and if it feels too wet, add one tablespoon of the oat flour).
Divide the dough into three equal parts and place each piece in separate small bowls. Re-turn one of the dough pieces to the food processor and add the remaining one tablespoon of the oat flour. Process until smooth, about five seconds, and return to its bowl.
Return a second piece of dough to the food processor and add the matcha powder and lemon zest. Process until smooth and green, about five seconds; then return the matcha dough to its bowl. Don’t worry if some of the matcha remains in the food processor, as the cocoa is darker and will cover any dusting of green.
Add the final piece of the plain dough to the food processor. Add the cocoa powder and process until smooth, about five seconds; then return the dough to its bowl. The dough is soft, so use a flexible spatu-la to scrape as much of it as possible out of the food processor bowl after each flavouring.
Spread the granulated sugar on a small plate. Take about 17 grammes of each of the three doughs. Press them together and roll into a ball one-and-a-half to two inches wide. Then roll the combined dough ball in the sugar and place on the prepared sheet pans, making sure the three colors are visible on top. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls two to three inches apart to account for spreading. If the dough becomes too sticky to work with, cover the bowls and refrigerate for five minutes.
Lightly flatten the dough balls with your palms, and then use your fingertips to smooth and reshape the edges so you have even circles (this will ensure they are nice and round when they bake).
Bake one sheet at a time for six minutes. Check the cookies to see if they are firming up and have begun to crack. If they have not begun to crack, take a flat spatula and lightly press on the cookies just until they begin to crack. Continue baking another four to five minutes, or until the cookie edges are firm but the center still feels soft. Transfer the sheet pan to a wire rack and let cool for about 10 minutes. Then transfer the cookies directly to the rack and let cool completely. Repeat with the other pan.
LEMONGRASS AND PANDAN
THUMBPRINT COOKIES
Ingredients
– 113 grammes unsalted butter, softened
– 67 grammes granulated sugar
– One large egg yolk, at room temperature
– Two tablespoons lemongrass paste
– Half teaspoon vanilla extract
– One-eighth teaspoon fine salt
– 156 grammes all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
– Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
– 158 grammes pandan kaya jam
Directions
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line two large sheet pans with silicone mats or parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a large bowl and a hand mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, three to four minutes.
On medium-low speed, add the egg yolk, lemongrass paste, vanilla and salt and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Adjust the mixer to the lowest speed and gradually stir in the flour until the mixture forms a dough and there are little to no flour streaks, about two minutes.
A scant one-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the dough into approximately 15-grammes balls, about the size of a cherry. Roll each dough ball between the palms of your hands in a circular motion until it’s a smooth sphere. Place the rolled dough balls on the prepared pans (12 per pan), spacing them at least two inches apart.
Place a little bit of flour in a small bowl. Dip the back of a half-teaspoon measuring spoon in the flour and tap it out just to leave a very light coating. Using the floured side of the spoon, press an indentation in the centre of the dough balls, flouring the spoon as needed to prevent sticking. To avoid cracks in the dough, make the indents as soon as possible after rolling each dough ball. If the dough feels soft or sticky or you want cookies that spread less, refrigerate them for about 15 minutes.
Transfer both pans to the oven and bake 11 to 13 minutes, or until the cookie edges are set and the bottoms are lightly browned, rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Cool the cookies on the sheet pans for five minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool for another 10 minutes.
Using a small fine-mesh strainer, lightly dust the tops of the cookies with confectioners’ sugar. Then, fill each cavity with one teaspoon of pandan kaya jam. Serve at room temperature, or refrigerate until needed.
VEGAN CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES
Ingredients
– 125 grammes all-purpose flour
– 25 grammes natural unsweetened cocoa powder
– One teaspoon baking powder
– Half teaspoon baking soda
– Quarter teaspoon fine salt
– One tablespoon ground flaxseed
– Two tablespoons water
– 113 grammes vegan butter, softened
– 150 grammes cane sugar (may substitute granulated sugar)
– 64 grammes unsweetened applesauce
– One teaspoon vanilla extract
– 135 grammes old-fashioned rolled oats
– 90 grammes chopped vegan chocolate or vegan chocolate chips (optional)
– 60 grammes chopped walnuts or almonds
– Flaky sea salt, for garnish (optional)
Directions
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined.
To make the flax egg, in a small bowl, whisk together the ground flaxseed with the water and let rest until thickened, five to seven minutes.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or hand mixer and a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy, three to five minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Add the flax egg, applesauce and vanilla, and mix on low speed, gradually increasing to medium, until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, increase to medium speed and mix until thoroughly combined.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a flexible spatula, fold in the oats and chopped chocolate, if using, and nuts.
Scoop 35 grammes portions of dough onto the prepared pans, spacing about two inches apart. Sprinkle with the flaky salt, if using. Bake one pan at a time, 13 to 16 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed, with a matte – not wet – top and the edges are just set. The cookies will be somewhat soft but will firm as they cool.
Cool on the sheet pans for a few minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
ORANGE SPICE COOKIES
INGREDIENTS
For the cookies
– 315 grammes all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
– One teaspoon five-spice powder
– Half teaspoon ground cardamom
– Half teaspoon ground ginger
– Quarter teaspoon fine salt
– 227 grammes unsalted butter, softened
– 100 grammes granulated sugar
– One tablespoon finely grated orange zest
– One large egg
– Half teaspoon vanilla extract
For the glaze
– 80 grammes confectioners’ sugar, plus more as needed
– Two tablespoons fresh orange juice, plus more as needed
– Two teaspoons grated orange zest
DIRECTIONS
Make the cookies
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, five-spice powder, cardamom, ginger and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer and a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and orange zest on medium speed until light and fluffy, one to two minutes. (You can use a flexible spatula to mix by hand, as well). Add the egg and vanilla and mix until mostly combined (it will look curdled at first but keep mixing), another one minute.
Add the flour mixture and mix on low just until a smooth and pliable dough forms and no dry streaks remain, about 30 seconds, taking care not to overmix. Transfer to a sheet of plastic wrap and use it to shape the dough into a six-inch square. Transfer to the freezer until firm but not solid, about 30 minutes.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
Have ready a small bowl of flour or place a mound on your work surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces (about 40 grammes each) and roll into balls. Working with one piece at a time, dust the ball with flour and place inside the mooncake mold.
Press down on the mould firmly, against the counter, and slowly release and remove the stamped cookie. Repeat with the remaining dough, transferring the stamped cookies to the sheet pan, spacing at least one inch apart.
If you don’t have a mooncake mold, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it is about quarter-inch thick. If the dough is too cold and firm to roll out, allow it to soften on the counter for a few minutes. Cut out two-and-a-half-inch round or square cookies with a cookie cutter or knife, and knead and roll out the scraps to cut more cookies, spacing these at least 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
Bake 17 to 19 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze
Once the cookies are cool, in a small shallow bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice until smooth and runny. To test the consistency of the glaze, dip a cookie into it or use a small pastry brush to paint the cookies.
You will have reached the right consistency when glaze stays on the stamped cookie without obscuring its pattern. If the glaze runs off and you can see too much of the cookie under it, the glaze is too thin. If it’s too thick, add one teaspoon of orange juice; if it is too thin, add an additional one to two teaspoons of confectioners’ sugar. (If making simple cutout, flat cookies, the glaze consistency is less temperamental.) Dip or paint the remaining cookies in the glaze and allow any excess to run off. Transfer back to a wire rack set over a sheet pan and top with flecks of orange zest. – Becky Krystal
