Cookie of the Day: Gingerbread Trees from ‘The Art of the Cookie’
Every week, Yahoo Food spotlights a cookbook that stands out from the rest. This week’s cookbook is The Art of the Cookie: Baking Up Inspiration by the Dozen by Shelly Kaldunski (Weldon Owen), a cooking teacher, food stylist, and cookbook author specializing in sweets. Read more about Yahoo Food’s Cookbook of the Week here.
Photograph by Maren Caruso
Gingerbread Trees
Makes about 24 cookies
Once the icing has dried completely, it becomes a blank canvas for a painted work of art. If you can find cookie cutters in an assortment of sizes, make a forest of small and large trees.
Dough for Gingerbread Cookies (see below), cut into trees
Royal Icing (see below)
1⁄4 teaspoon green powdered food coloring
Orange or almond extract
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Tools needed
Tree-shaped cookie cutters; paper cone or pastry bag with a 1⁄4-inch (6-mm) round tip; paintbrush
Bake the cookies according to the Gingerbread Cookies recipe (see below) for 12–15 minutes. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Spoon the icing into a paper cone or pastry bag with a 1⁄4-inch (6-mm) plain round tip. Pipe the icing around the edge of each cookie to form a border. Pipe the icing into the middle of the cookie, letting it run to the edges of the border. Gently tap the cookie twice to settle the icing. Set the cookies aside to dry, at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
In a small bowl, combine the green food coloring and 1 or 2 drops orange extract. Using a clean small paintbrush, stir until the mixture forms a paste as thick as honey. Brush the mixture on a paper towel or a piece of parchment paper to test the darkness of the color. Using delicate strokes, paint diagonal lines of green on each cookie from the tip of the tree to the trunk, working from both sides of the cookie. Clean the brush. In another small bowl, combine the cocoa powder and 1 or 2 drops extract. Stir with the brush until a thick paste forms. Paint thin vertical lines on the trunk of each tree to simulate bark. Let the cookies dry completely, at least 1 hour.
Store the cookies in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment paper, at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Gingerbread Cookies
Makes about 30 cookies
Using both fresh and ground ginger adds plenty of bold flavor to these goodies. For triple-ginger intensity, sprinkle ¼ cup (1 ½ oz/45 g) chopped crystalized ginger on top of iced cookies.
3 cups (15 oz/470 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
11⁄2 teaspoons ground ginger
11⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup (8 oz/250 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
11⁄4 cups (9 oz/280 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
In a bowl, whisk together the 3 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, and allspice. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Add the egg, molasses, and fresh ginger and beat on low speed until the egg is completely incorporated. Beating on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and continue to beat until just incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Press the dough into a rough rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight. (The dough can be wrapped well and frozen for up to 1 month.)
Follow the desired recipe for rolling and cutting, or do the following: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll out the chilled dough until about 1⁄4 inch (6 mm) thick. Using cookie cutters or as directed in the recipe, cut the cookies into the desired shapes. Use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to the prepared sheets, spacing them 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Press the dough scraps together, roll out, and cut out additional shapes.
Follow the desired recipe for baking and cooling, or do the following: Bake 1 sheet at a time until the cookies begin to turn a shade darker around the edges and are firm to the touch, 12–15 minutes (or as indicated in the recipe). Let cool on the sheets for 5 minutes. Using the metal spatula, transfer to wire racks and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Decorate the cookies as desired.
Royal Icing
Makes about 3 cups (24 fl oz/750 ml)
4 cups (1 lb/500 g) confectioner’s sugar
3 tablespoons meringue powder
1⁄2 teaspoon extract such as vanilla or almond (optional)
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, the meringue powder, 1⁄2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) warm water, and the extract, if using. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat until the mixture is fluffy, yet dense, 7–8 minutes.
To thin the icing, use a rubber spatula to stir in additional warm water, 1 teaspoon at a time. To test the consistency, drizzle a spoonful of icing into the bowl; a ribbon should remain on the surface for about 5 seconds.
Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Stir vigorously just before using.
Reprinted with permission from The Art of the Cookie: Baking Up Inspiration by the Dozen by Shelly Kaldunski (Weldon Owen).
More cookie recipes to love:
Dark Chocolate and Cherry Mandelbrot
Chocomint Cookies With Milk Chocolate Middles
Fruit and Nut Christmas Cookies
