Cookie of the Day: Lemon-Thyme Wreaths
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
Lemon-Thyme Wreaths
Makes about 30 cookies
These holiday wreaths will make a festive display. Light and crisp in texture and flavored with fresh lemon and herbaceous thyme, they taste as good as they look.
2 cups (10 oz/315 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup (4 oz/125 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1⁄2 cup (4 oz/125 g) vegetable shortening
1 cup (8 oz/250 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, separated
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves and tips picked
Sanding sugar for sprinkling
Royal Icing (see below)
Tools needed
Paper cone with a 1⁄8-inch (3-mm) round tip; 21⁄2-inch (6-cm) and 1-inch (2.5-cm) round cookie cutters
In a bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, the baking powder, and the salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter, shortening, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and lemon zest and juice and beat on low speed until the egg is completely incorporated. Beating on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and continue to beat just until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Press the dough into a 7-inch (18-cm) disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white with 2 teaspoons water.
On a lightly floured work surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough to about 1⁄4 inch (6 mm) thick. Using a 21⁄2-inch (6-cm) round cookie cutter, cut out as many shapes as possible. Use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to the prepared sheets, spacing them 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Use a 1-inch round cookie cutter to cut a small circle from the center of each shape. Press the dough scraps together, roll out, and cut out additional wreaths. Brush each wreath with the reserved egg white mixture and top with the thyme leaves and sanding sugar.
Bake until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges, 14–17 minutes. Let cool on the sheets for 5 minutes. Using the spatula, transfer the cookies to wire racks and let cool, about 30 minutes. Spoon the icing into a paper cone or a pastry bag with a 1⁄8-inch (3-mm) round tip. Pipe dots of icing on each wreath. Let the icing dry completely, about 2 hours.
Store the cookies in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment paper, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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:
The Perfect Gingerbread Cookie Recipe, from Bouchon Bakery
Chocomint Cookies With Milk Chocolate Middles
Fruit and Nut Christmas Cookies
