Bring in holiday cheer with Christmas cookies

CHENNAI: 

SUGAR COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

1 and 1/2 cups maida (all-purpose flour) |1/3 cup chilled butter |3/4 cup powdered sugar | 1 egg |1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence |1/8 teaspoon salt |1/2 teaspoon baking powder | Coloured sugar sprinkles as needed

INSTRUCTIONS

♦ Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl for even mixing.

♦ In another mixing bowl, whisk together chilled butter and powdered sugar until creamy.

♦ Add an egg and whisk for a minute, then add vanilla essence.

♦ Combine the flour mixture with the wet ingredients to form a soft dough.

♦ Cling wrap the dough and refrigerate.

♦ Roll out the chilled dough to 1/4 inch thickness between two butter papers.

♦ Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and collect scraps to reroll the dough.

♦ Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).

♦ Line a cookie tray with butter paper and place the shaped cookies on it.

♦ Optionally chill the cookies for 10 minutes while preheating the oven.

♦ Sprinkle coloured sugar over the cookies.

♦ Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown.

♦ Cool the cookies completely on a wire rack; they will become crisp as they cool.

COOKIE TRUFFLES 

INGREDIENTS

15 mildly sweet cookies 2 tablespoons butter |3/4 cup condensed milk |1 cup white chocolate, chopped roughly

INSTRUCTIONS

♦ Pour condensed milk into the mixture and blend again until it forms a dough-like consistency.

♦ Transfer the cookie mixture to a mixing bowl.

♦ Shape the mixture into small balls, placing them on a tray lined with parchment paper. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Note: Be prepared for some balls to disappear as kids may not resist the temptation.

♦ While the balls are chilling, roughly chop the white chocolate. Melt the chocolate using the double boiler method: place a saucepan with water on the stove, let it boil, then simmer. Place a heat-resistant bowl over it, add white chocolate, and switch off the flame. Allow it to melt undisturbed for 3-5 minutes.

♦ Use a whisk to mix the melted chocolate thoroughly and remove it from the heat.

♦ Take the cookie balls out of the fridge and keep them ready.

♦ Dip each ball into the melted chocolate. Work quickly to avoid crumbling; simply roll the balls to coat them.

♦ Coat each ball well using a fork. Dip fast to prevent the chocolate from setting too quickly. Repeat until all cookie truffles are coated.

♦ Place the coated truffles on parchment paper and repeat until all are finished. 

♦ When the chocolate coating is about to set, add sprinkles. Repeat until all truffles are decorated. 

CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup flour |1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1 egg | Vanilla essence

INSTRUCTIONS

♦ In a mixing bowl, combine butter and powdered sugar. Whisk well until a smooth and creamy mixture is formed. If using chilled butter, it may take some time to achieve a creamy consistency.

♦ In a separate bowl, beat the egg until light, then add it to the butter-sugar mixture. Whisk thoroughly for even mixing.

♦ Add vanilla essence to the mixture.

♦ Sift flour and cocoa powder into the bowl, then mix well. Gather the ingredients to form a soft dough.

♦ Cling wrap the dough and refrigerate for an hour. This helps firm up the dough, preventing excessive spreading during baking.

♦ On a buttered paper, roll out the chilled dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Use favourite cookie cutters to cut out shapes. If the dough feels sticky, lightly flour the cookie cutters.

♦ Preheat the oven to 180°C for 10 minutes.

♦ Line a cookie tray with buttered paper and transfer the shaped cookies onto it. Optional: Chill the cookies for 10 minutes while the oven preheats.

♦ Once the oven is preheated, bake the cookies at 180°C for 10-12 minutes.

♦ Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before storing.

Recipes shared from sharmispassions.com