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Anna Olson shares two delicious cookie recipes from Set for the Holidays with Anna Olson. They’re perfect for gifting, baking with the kids or to celebrate National Cookie Day!
Excerpted from Set for the Holidays with Anna Olson by Anna Olson. Copyright © 2018 by Olson Food Concepts. Excerpted by permission of Appetite by Random House, a Penguin Random House Company. All rights reserved.
Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ vanilla bean
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp (2.5 baking soda
- ½ tsp (1.5 g) cream of tartar
- ¼ tsp (1 g) salt
- ½ cup (125 mL) crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Have ready a 4-cup (1 L) mason jar with a sealable lid. With a paring knife, split the vanilla bean open and scrape out the seeds into a small bowl. Add the sugar and rub together to infuse the flavour.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt on top of the sugar and whisk to combine. Use a canning funnel to pour half of this mixture into the mason jar. Add half of the crushed candy canes and then top with the remaining dry mixture and crushed candy cane.
- If there is a gap at the top of the jar, crush a piece of coloured tissue paper and arrange it over the ingredients, to keep the mixture in place. Seal the jar and include a tag with the following baking instructions:
- Stir ¾ cup (175 of butter, melted, and 1 egg in a mixing bowl. Stir in the entire contents of the jar until blended. Drop spoonfuls of the batter onto two parchment-lined baking trays, chill for 30 minutes and bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until lightly browned at the edges. Cool on the tray and dive in!
Snappy Gingersnaps
The “snappiness” in these cookies comes from the intense ginger flavour, the added kick of black pepper and the crisp snap they make when you bite into them. If you prefer a milder cookie, reduce the ginger to taste.
Servings 5 dozen
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (175 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups (250 g) packed demerara or dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup (65 g) fancy molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 ¼ cups (335 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp (18 g) ground ginger
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the melted butter, demerara (or browsugar, molasses, egg and egg yolk in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, stir the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and pepper together. Add to the butter mixture and stir until blended.
- Use a small ice cream scoop or 2 teaspoons to shape the dough into balls. Roll each cookie in granulated sugar to coat and place on the prepared baking trays, 1 ½ inches (3.5 capart.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cookies brown around the edges (they will puff up while baking but then collapse as they cool, developing a lovely crackled surface). Let cool on the trays on a wire rack.
Notes
Make Ahead
You can bake gingersnaps up to 1 week ahead and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze the baked cookies, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw the cookies at room temperature before serving.
You can bake gingersnaps up to 1 week ahead and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze the baked cookies, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw the cookies at room temperature before serving.
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